Community of Excellent Schools

Transcription

1 MASCOUTAH COMMUNITY UNIT SCHOOL DISTRICT #19 Community of Excellent Schools TO: All Staff of Mascoutah Community Unit School District 19 FROM: Craig A. Fiegel, Superintendent CF DATE: July 14, 2014 RE: Opening Activities for the School Year Welcome to the School Year in District 19! It s that time again! I hope you are as excited as I am about the potential that exists for the new school year. While the beginning of school does mean the end of summer, it also brings the excitement of a great year ahead. As always, it seems there is certainly a lot of work that needs to be done. In addition to the normal job duties we are all working together to set new and clear direction for our District with our initiative work. Many of you have been involved in initiative work over the summer. The Instructional Practice Committee has met and will lead us all in a book study our first day back on August 11 th. The Technology Committee was instrumental in our plan to replace desktop computers with laptops that will, hopefully, allow you more convenient access to your work. The Evaluation and Assessment Committees have also been hard at work. As we move forward we will be striving to tie all these efforts together and, hopefully, they won t seem so overwhelming. Another project that will require your input involves an analysis of our budget. As we continue to see our revenues decline, we need to make a conscious effort to look at expenditures and discover ways to get our expenses in line with revenues. We continue to work on the contract. I feel we are very close and hopefully will have all remaining issues resolved before school starts.

2 A final reminder that In-Service days are mandatory for certified staff. Please see the attached schedule for the beginning of the school year. I hope you have had a great summer and are able to enjoy your remaining days off. Remember to read Pages 1-25 of Enhancing Professional Practices by Charlotte Danielson. Bring your book on the 11 th for our book study session. I look forward to seeing you then! District-Wide Registration July 29 th - Last name A-F July 30 th - Last name G-N July 31 st - Last name O-Z Held each day at MHS from 12:00-7:00 p.m. New Teacher Orientation: August 6 th & 7 th - 8:00 3:00 - Room 101 Administrative Support Center Beginning of Year Teacher In-Service: August 11 th, 12 th, 13 th (See attachment.) The remaining portion of this mailing is devoted to updates from various departments and miscellaneous information regarding administrative matters. Please read this newsletter carefully as the information will prepare you for a successful start to the school year: New Certified Personnel Name Position Location April Albers 1 st Grade Teacher Scott Elementary School Crystal Brooks Guidance Mascoutah Middle School Kelsie Buss 3 rd Grade Teacher Scott Elementary School Carolyn Palmer Music Teacher Scott Elementary School Kimberly Caserotti 4 th Grade Teacher Mascoutah Elementary School Allycia Drummond Science Teacher Mascoutah Middle School Christine Renth Guidance Counselor Mascoutah High School Catherine Risley Social Studies Teacher Mascoutah High School Brandon Woodrome Assistant Principal Mascoutah High School New Support Personnel Name Position Location Wayne Kunde Director of Buildings & Grounds Maintenance Facility

3 GENERAL INFORMATION Curriculum and Instruction We are at a strategic place with our curriculum, as we gain a clearer understanding of the New Illinois Learning Standards, we know we need to continue to revise our curriculum maps. Subject areas and grade levels are all at various stages of development. Developing a plan to direct our efforts of revision is a priority. Middle School Math Departments began revising their math maps to reflect their new understanding of the math standards. These new expectations drove what happened in the classroom, making quite the impact on instruction and student learning. Last year, kindergarten teachers setting out to address the application of math skills now expected of kindergarteners, stepped away from the text. Discussion, reasoning, and interaction with math concepts became a daily routine. Watching the lesson unfold, students were seen determining what was needed to answer the questions within a number sentence. These are just two examples of our staff addressing the new standards. We recognize these new standards provide us challenges and opportunity. Embracing the new standards and recognizing the potential positive impact on our instruction will have huge impact on our curriculum work. We will begin the journey through conversation, curriculum committees, and subgroup work. Professional Development Completion Forms and Deadline: The Illinois State Board of Education has issued changes in the forms and procedures used when participating in professional development that are to go into effect July 1, The required forms used for Evidence of Completion and Evaluation has been revised. The second change having greater impact is the deadline requirement that has been placed on when professional development credit may be entered. Any PD hours must be entered in your Educator Professional Development folder through the Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) within 60 days of the event, or credit is forfeited. Being different than our most recent practice until it becomes a common practice, please remind one another of the deadline. Transcripts: State law requires that all professional files contain original transcripts. Anyone who has added previously approved college hours to their transcript since last fall must submit original transcripts to the district, in order to move on the salary schedule. The deadline is August 31, Business and Operations At the opening meeting, we will discuss changes to the contract, which will include changes to our benefit plan. The American Fidelity consultant will be here at some time after the beginning of school to help you with your benefits for Section 125, if changes are needed.

4 Technology Wireless access has been added at the elementary schools so that all buildings now have wireless capability. PCs are being upgraded at MES. We are in the process of transitioning teachers from desktops to laptops. This change-over will occur over the course of the first few months of school and we will be providing more information as the transition occurs. Google Apps for Education has been set up in the District. All faculty and staff have an account ready to go. Please contact the technology department to get your username and password if you have not already received it. All students will be issued a Google account to be used in school starting this year. Special Education Special Education Staff please note special training times in the opening day schedule. Individual Care Aides: If you are assigned a student that requires Medicaid documentation, Tonya will contact you after the school year starts to schedule training. Staff will be notified about their participation in the following additional training dates: Sept. 16 th 8:00 11:00 CPI Re-certification Training ASC, Room :00 3:00 CPI Re-certification Training Staff will be notified via regarding need/time of re-certification training. Sept. 23 rd 8:00 4:00 Initial CPI training. Principals will enroll ASC, Room 101 participants

5 Beginning of Year Important Dates Wednesday, August 6 th 8:00-3:00 New Staff ASC, Room 101 Thursday, August 7 th 8:00-1:00 New Staff ( 1:00 report to schools) ASC, Room :00 3:00 Training for selected teachers/aides ASC, Room 101 -Strategies for working with students on the autism spectrum. (Participants will be contacted by Nancy Seibert) Monday, August 11 th MHS 7:30-8:00 Continental Breakfast MHS, Cafeteria 8:00-8:15 Welcome back from Dr. Fiegel MHS, Auditorium 8:15-8:45 Contract Changes and Plan 125 Overview - Dr. Gibbons 8:45-10:30 Mandatory Training Blood Borne, Epi-pen, Diabetes, Bullying, Drug-Free Workplace and Sexual Harassment Certified staff/custodians/all secretaries but the 1 who will cover building 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-11:30 Action Team Reports 11:30-1:00 Enhancing Professional Practices Book Study by building Special Education Teachers, Speech Language Therapists, Social Workers and School Psychologists 1:00-1:45 Lunch (on own) 1:45-3:45 Beginning of year meeting MHS, Band Room (Staff will be paid for attendance at this meeting.) Tuesday, August 12 th Instructional aides report to work. Report to individual buildings MMS/MHS 8:00-2:30 8:00-11:00 Building Level Training CPR training for selected MMS/MHS staff ASC, Room 101 8:00-11:00 Reading/LA Textbook Training (MMS & MHS) MMS, Library

6 11:00-11:45 Lunch (on own) 12:00-2:30 Building Level Training continues MES/SES 8:30-3:00 8:30-11:00 Building Level Training 11:00-11:45 Lunch (on own) 12:00-3:00 Building Level Training continues CPR training for selected MES/SES staff ASC, Room 101 Wednesday, August 13 th First day of student attendance with early dismissal Individual care aides and supervisory aides report to work for a full day. A.M. - Report to buildings on normal schedule Early student dismissal: 10:25 MHS 10:40 K-2 ND MES/SES 11:20 MMS 11:30 3 RD -5 TH MES/SES Lunch (on own) CERTIFIED STAFF Building Level Meetings: 12:00 MHS 12:30 MES/SES/MMS CLASSIFIED STAFF 12:30 2:00 Special Education instructional aides, individual care aides, and MHS, Library supervisory aides training 2:00-3:30 Mandatory training Blood Borne, Epi-pen, Diabetes, Bullying, MHS, Auditorium Drug Free Workplace and Sexual Harassment All instructional aides /individual care aides/supervisory aides/ cooks/ secretaries who covered building on August 11