Twenty-seventeen. Gosh dang. Not sure how we got to this point. But I'm glad you're here with me, doing what you're doing for the students of Marshall Magnet School.
Wouldn't be the same without you.
Halcyon Days
I'm compelled to recall every January, following the long holiday break, how pleasant every January always is. Please remember to enjoy this period of the school year when everyone is satiated by a prolonged period of time away from work and school, when the preponderance of kinks and kooks seem to have been ironed out, when we all tend to feel like we've truly found our groove.
It never lasts. That's the truth of the hard work of teaching
Which makes it all the more important to recognize and revel in it while it's here. February brings planning for the coming year, the impending pressures of upcoming testing, the rush to complete all that's on your curriculum map before it's too late, and the resurgence of the madness that inevitably must come as we work together toward the end of the school calendar.
But for now, don't forget: these are the halcyon days.
TPEC Stuff
The Round 2 TPEC calendar has been set for teaching staff and can be viewed by clicking on the link Calendar: Evaluation in the sidebar at right. Remember: folks with less than three completed years in FUSD on a 1.0 full-time teaching contract must receive two formal written evaluations during the school year. Similarly, folks on one-year-only contracts with less than six completed years of work in FUSD must likewise have two evals during the school year.
Thems the rules.
For the rest of the faculty, those with more than three years of teaching experience in FUSD, you may waiver out of one of your two required annual evaluations if we both decide that this is the proper and desired course of action. I have always used the threshold of a score of 3.0 or better on your initial eval as a standard starting point for this process.
Thus, I will be bringing 2016-2017 TPEC Waiver forms around for many of you to sign next week.
Everyone who has had an initial evaluation this year (that's the entirety of the teaching staff with but three exceptions: Grant, Hanno, and Reasor) should complete the acknowledgement process as soon as possible. After logging in to your TPEC, follow these steps to do so:
- Click Evaluations at the top of the page
- Click the header 2016-2017 TPEC
- Ensure there is a green check mark next to the Pre-Conference section
- Click on Observation Acknowledgements tab above
- Click on the Formal Observation Acknowledgement section
- Click the Edit button
- Enter today's date
- Choose Formal Evaluation #1
- Check the box "I acknowledge that I have received..."
- Click the Save & Exit button in the lower right corner
- Select Mark Complete
- Ensure there is a green check mark next to Formal Observation Acknowledgement
Tax Credit
Still super important that you continue to remind your parents about our tax credit campaign. We'll be putting the thermometer up in the lobby next week, and we'll be filling it in to the $18,000 level (approximately the amount we've collected since the end of April 2016) to start things off, which is great . But that means we still need to garner another $22,000 before 15 April in order to keep Magnet Monday, Suzuki, and all of your important field-trips as a part of our one-of-a-kind magnet programming here a Marshall School.
Thanks for all your efforts in this regard.
PBIS Update
PBIS Resources coming soon to your classroom! Our team has been compiling what we hope will be very useful resources for you to utilize in your classroom. Expect to see them next week, with a follow-up email giving you an overview.
Remember, it's time to get your buddy classroom teacher set up. Remember to go up or down 2+ grade levels. If you are having trouble finding a buddy, please let Sheila White know and she will assist you. This is now a required component of our PBIS Plan here at Marshall
To quote Woody from Toy Story:
Half-day Call Offs
This applies to everyone, certified and classified staff alike. Remember, if you call off on a Friday and do not intend to come to work at all, you must call off for the entire day. We in the front office get scolded by the folks at the head-shed on a regular basis when y'all neglect to do this and are required to revise your absence for you when you don't do this yourself.
Calendar
- Monday 09 Jan
- Coe at Admin, 12:00-4:00
- Friday 13 Jan
- Payday!
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