Staff Update Week of January 26, 2026

 

Important Dates

1/28-                        Fire Drill 2:23pm

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

2/2-                            RIMP Meetings (Round 2)

2/3-                           After School Staff Meeting (3:15-4:15)

2/13-                        Resource Room Valentines Day Dance

2/16-                        Presidents Day (No school)

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

Important Information

Choose Resilience (PBIS)

Thank you for your participation in the PBIS rollout on Friday.  

At random times, we will play music on the announcements.  When the music plays, everyone is to take a movement break and walk around the building (maybe 2-3 minutes).

We will select various "theme songs" that students have chosen.  If there theme song is chosen to be played on announcements they will win a prize.

Thursday's Power Outage

We will discuss the "Great Power Outage of 2026" during PLCs this week.  

AIR Testing

We will discuss AIR Testing dates during PLCs this week.

EMS Experience Night

We will be hosting EMS Experience Night on Wednesday, February 18th from 6:00-7:30.  If you run a club, please plan on being their.  Have your students be there to advertise their club.  This went very well last year.

You are permitted to clock in.  Jaimie has the tri-fold boards you created last year, or you can create a new on.

Lets make sure we show everyone what makes this place so special.

After School Staff Meeting- February 3rd (rescheduled from 1/15)

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Engaging MS Students in Deeper Learning with Career Connected PBL

 

Staff Update Week of January 19, 2026

 

Please, Please, Please make sure you are passing out Ranger Bucks to students.  

Important Dates

1/19-                        MLK Day (No School)

1/20-                        Fire Drill 2:23

1/23-                          Second Quarter Awards (1st-3rd periods)

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

2/2-                            RIMP Meetings (Round 2)

2/3-                           After School Staff Meeting (3:15-4:15)

2/13-                        Resource Room Valentines Day Dance

2/16-                        Presidents Day (No school)

2/23-                        PD Day

2/24-                        Fire Drill  9:35am

Important Information

PBIS Update

The PBIS theme for quarter 3 is "Choose Resilience".  Last quarter, each grade level did their own thing with community service.  Our goal this quarter is to reconnect PBIS as a whole school.

We will be rolling this off on Friday, January 23rd during Flex (8th period).

During flex, we will play music over the announcements.  When you hear the music, all students will walk around the building (same direction....counter clockwise....8th grade hall to six grade hall to 7th grade hall.....to 8th grade hall)

Teachers can walk with students or monitor the hallways to make sure everyone is behaving appropriately.

When the music stops, students will freeze and be sent to the nearest breakout room to discuss resilience (mixed grade level discussion).

PBIS ambassadors will lead the discussions.

There will be 4 different breakout rooms (locations to be determined) with 2-3 ambassadors per room.

PBIS teachers are still working on the talking points for the ambassadors. 

I will put out more information later in the week.

January 22nd (rescheduled from 1/15)

On January 22nd, Jaimie Smith will be at EMS to provide support for The Writing Revolution.  6th, 7th, and 8th Grade PLCs will all meet that day.

6th Grade-  2nd period PLC

7th Grade- 1st period PLC

8th Grade-  8th Period PLC

When Jaimie is not in a PLC, she will be going into classrooms to offer feedback or even model is a teacher would like.

*  In order to provide coverage for 8th grade teachers (8th Period), 7th Graders will have Career Connections on Wednesday (1/21) and 8th Graders will have Career Connections on Thursday (1/22)

**  Please make sure you plan on incorporating The Writing Revolution strategies into your lessons on 1/22

***  ILT Members will be at the board office that day as scheduled.

After School Staff Meeting- February 3rd (rescheduled from 1/15)

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

2nd Quarter Academic Awards

Reminder.......We have moved this back to Friday, January 23rd

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Making Formative Assessments More Efficient and Effective

 

Staff Update Week of January 12, 2026

 

I know it is a bit late, but I had to use this pic

Important Dates

1/15-                           Afterschool Staff Meeting 3:15-4:15

1/19-                        MLK Day (No School)

1/20-                        Fire Drill 2:23

1/23-                          Second Quarter Awards (1st-3rd periods)

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

Important Information

January 15th

On January 15th, Jaimie Smith will be at EMS to provide support for The Writing Revolution.  6th, 7th, and 8th Grade PLCs will all meet that day.

6th Grade-  2nd period PLC

7th Grade- 1st period PLC

8th Grade-  8th Period PLC

When Jaimie is not in a PLC, she will be going into classrooms to offer feedback or even model is a teacher would like.

*  In order to provide coverage for 8th grade teachers (8th Period), 7th Graders will have Career Connections on Wednesday (1/14) and 8th Graders will have Career Connections on Thursday (1/15)

**  Please make sure you plan on incorporating The Writing Revolution strategies into your lessons on 1/15

After School Staff Meeting- January 15th

Staff Meeting will be from 3:15-4:15.

All teachers are expected to be there.  A few of you might be late due to some afterschool duties.

Jaimie Smith will be leading the staff meeting.  Topic:  Explicit Instruction Strategies and Eliciting Student Response Techniques

2nd Quarter Academic Awards

We have moved this back to Friday, January 23rd

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Cult of Pedagogy (good library of videos)

 

Staff Update Week of January 5, 2026

Important Dates

1/5-                            Start of 3rd Quarter

1/7-                            Group Picture Day

1/15-                           Afterschool Staff Meeting 3:15-4:15

1/16-                          Second Quarter Awards (1st-3rd periods)

1/19-                        MLK Day (No School)

1/20-                        Fire Drill 2:23

1/30-                        6th Grade Field Trip- United Skates- STEM

Important Information

Welcome Back   

I hope everyone had a restful break.  Welcome back to EMS.  Please encourage your students to start 2026 out with making good decisions.

2nd Quarter Grades

Per Casey's email, Grades are due January 6th at Midnight.

Please make sure you are filling out the At-Risk Possible Failure Spreadsheet if a student is receiving a D or an F

Group Picture Day

Just a friendly reminder that Group Picture Day is this Wednesday (Jan 7th).  Jack will be sending out details.

After School Staff Meeting- January 15th

Just a reminder, there is a one hour after school staff meeting on January 15th.  I will share more details as I receive them.

New Years Resolution?

A great New Years Resolution would be for each teacher to make a minimum of one positive parent phone call or email per week.  This simple task can make a huge difference in motivating kids to try their best.

Christmas Miracles

Not only did the Cleveland Browns defeat that hated team from Pennsylvania, our flex rooms got furniture!   Each room has 32 seats.  We will discuss possible ways of utilizing these rooms during PLCs this week.

(Sorry Kirk, no furniture for the library)

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

60-Second Strategy:  Board Splash

 

Staff Update Week of December 15, 2025

First Lego League competed against other schools this weekend.  Thank you Kirk and Janine for working with the students.  They had a lot of fun.

Important Dates

12/17-                        Music Assembly 2nd period

12/17-                        Locker Clean Out (upstairs)

12/18-                        Locker Clean Out (downstairs)

12/19-                        End of 2nd Quarter

1/5-                            Start of 3rd Quarter

Important Information

Student Behavior

Please make sure everyone is monitoring the hallways between classes, before school, and after school.  Lets stop students from making poor decisions before they happen.

Hallways

Hallways look great.  Just a reminder to make sure everything is cleaned up by Thursday at 3pm.  Thank you

Thank You

Thank you for a great first semester.  I hope everyone has a great winter break.  See you in 2026

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

Classroom Management Strategies for Defiant Students

Staff Update Week of December 8, 2025

Kevin Rhomberg, former Major League Baseball player and Joe's dad, talks to our 7th and 8th grade students.

Important Dates

12/11-                        7th Grade Mini-Career Day (7th/8th periods)

12/11                           8th Grade Assembly-  Officer Ward w/ Axl (8th period)

12/12-                        Fire Drill 2nd 10:23am

12/17-                        Music Assembly 2nd period

12/17-                        Locker Clean Out (upstairs)

12/18-                        Locker Clean Out (downstairs)

12/19-                        End of 2nd Quarter

1/5-                            Start of 3rd Quarter

Important Information

Informal Observation

For anyone that is not on the Formal Evaluation cycle this year, I need to come observe you teach a class.  Please let me know if you would like me to stop in for an informal observation sometime in December.

Home Sporting Events

We have two home basketball games this week.  Please consider sticking around and watching a game.  Our students love to see their teachers there cheering them on.

Student Engagement

Only two weeks to go.  Please make sure you are keeping students engaged in your lessons.  Student down time is where problems begin.  Dont be the weak link.  Keep the kids busy learning.

The hallways look great.  It sets a nice tone for the building as we near Winter Break.  Like last year, please have the hallways cleaned out by Thursday, December 18th at 3pm.  Thanks

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

ChatGPT prompts for Educators

 

Staff Update Week of December 1 , 2025

Dave volunteering to wear the "bite suit" as part of a Career Connections assembly with Axl the EPD K9

Important Dates

11/18-                        Winter Band Concert 7pm

11/24-                        Fire Drill 1:35pm

11/27-12/1                Thanksgiving Break

12/5-                           Pretzel Fundraiser Ends

12/11-                        7th Grade Mini-Career Day (7th/8th periods)

12/12-                        Fire Drill 2nd 10:23am

12/17-                        Music Assembly 2nd period

12/17-                        Locker Clean Out (upstairs)

12/18-                        Locker Clean Out (downstairs)

12/19-                        End of 2nd Quarter

1/5-                            Start of 3rd Quarter

Important Information

After School Staff Meeting

Mark your calendars.  We will be having an afterschool staff meeting on January 15th from 3:15-4:15.  Katy Nagaj will be leading this meeting.  More details to come at a later date.  All teachers are expected to attend.

*  Before everyone rushes to get their "sick days" in for that day, keep in mind that you will most likely need to make up any time you miss at the meeting.

MAP Testing

6th Grade ELA-  December 8

6th Grade Math-  December 15

7th Grade ELA-    December 11

7th Grade Math-    December 16

8th Grade ELA-    December 11

8th Grade Math-    December 9

Testing will not affect any Elective Classes.  PLCs will decide testing times on these dates.

Three Weeks

Only three weeks until winter break.  Please make sure you are communicating with parents if you students are not completing assignments or receiving poor grades.

Do not wait until January to let parents know their student is not doing well in class.  

The At Risk/ Possible Failure List still shows some parents that were not communicated with for quarter 1.   This is your job.  Make sure it gets done.

Classroom Discipline

Just a reminder.....if students are not following your classroom expectations for behavior, please issue them consequences.  If lunch detentions are not solving the problem, then please issue after school detentions.

Good Professional Reading (or Watching)

6 Ways to Maximize Turn and Talk

Differentiated Instruction Strategies for Gifted Students