The author of this week's article provides 10 pieces of advice from students about what they perceive the best teachers do regularly in their class.
"How to Become the Best Teacher: Advice from Students" - Andrei Zakhareuski
Next Year's Budget Requests
I know many of you have already begun the planning process for next year's budget. Budget materials were made available by Mrs. Dallman this past week, and will be due to my office by the end of the day on March 2nd. Middle School teachers should submit paper requisitions to me with a Budget Summary Sheet for each department. If you have any questions about this process or materials, don't hesitate to schedule a time with me to discuss.
Mid-Term Message to Parents
Here is a copy of the message that I sent out to parents on Thursday for your information.
Greetings,
We are already midway through the 3rd quarter and Spring is right around the corner. Our students continue to bring an impressive amount of positive energy with them to their classrooms, and we enjoy working with each student on their journey to becoming college/career ready. Check out some updates below for more information about life at Poynette Middle School.
-Mid-Term Grades are now posted in Infinite Campus. You can log into the Parent Portal to view your child's current grades in their classes.
-Spring Parent/Teacher conferences are set for Thursday, March 8th from 4:30 - 8:00 and Thursday, March 15th from 4:00 - 7:30. Please contact either Mrs. McNicol or Mrs. Schernecker at the office (635-4347 Ext. 6) or a specific teacher to schedule a conference time for your child.
-If you have an interest in volunteering your time during the Middle School lunch period (12:00 - 12:45), please send me an email (jprit@poynette.k12.wi.us), and we will discuss this opportunity
-Many of our extra-curricular activities will be getting started very soon. Students should be preparing to participate in the following activities that are about to get started:
-No Name Volunteers - continues to meet after school on Thursdays (Mrs. Morton is the contact)
-Art Club - continues to meet after school on Tuesdays starting in October (Mrs. Crawford (x329) is the contact)
-Middle School Play - auditions will be starting soon (Mrs. Petersen (x408) is the contact)
-Track and Field - starting after Spring Break for 7th and 8th graders (Mr. Ferkovich (x411) and Mrs. Graeve (x323) are the coaches)
-Strategy Games Club - meets after school in Mr. Kallungi's room on Wednesdays for any student that is interested (Mrs. Sukowski (x314) is the contact)
-Art Club - continues to meet after school on Tuesdays starting in October (Mrs. Crawford (x329) is the contact)
-Middle School Play - auditions will be starting soon (Mrs. Petersen (x408) is the contact)
-Track and Field - starting after Spring Break for 7th and 8th graders (Mr. Ferkovich (x411) and Mrs. Graeve (x323) are the coaches)
-Strategy Games Club - meets after school in Mr. Kallungi's room on Wednesdays for any student that is interested (Mrs. Sukowski (x314) is the contact)
We appreciate the great support the Poynette community provides for its schools. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Dr. Jerry Pritzl
PMS Principal
PMS Principal
Special Homerooms Coming Up
Our Leadership Students have been busy planning another Homeroom lesson that will focus on respect for all. Be on the lookout for specific dates from Mrs. Morton, but they will start during the week of March 5th. The focus of this lesson will be on the acceptance of all people regardless of differences. I am really proud of these students for recognizing this need, and stepping into a leadership role in front of their peers.
Forward Exam Schedule
We are getting very close to finalizing the Forward Exam Schedule. The Middle School will be testing from Monday, April 9th through Monday, April 16th. Students will be taking the exam in their normal classes (ELA during ELA class time, Math during Math class time). You can view the testing schedule HERE. Test proctor training will take place in the coming weeks.
Meetings Next Week
Our Leadership Group will meet on Tuesday (2/27) at 2:50 in the 1-8 Conference Room, and our Social Studies team will be meeting on Wednesday (2/28) at 2:50 in Mrs. Morrissey's office. Our Leadership Group will break down the results from staff perceptions about how we are doing on the correlates, and develop of a plan to improve in our weakest areas.
Handout for Staff - Talking with Students about School Shootings (Contributed by Mr. Fischer)
Here are some important points that you may want to make if and when you discuss recent school shootings with students.
School are very safe but you can takes some steps to make ours safer.
Take the time to review the schools safety plan with students
Review actions they can take to keep the school safe
Don’t prop open doors
Don’t open school doors for visitors
Students are not powerless.
Here are some important points that you may want to make if and when you discuss recent school shootings with students.
School are very safe but you can takes some steps to make ours safer.
Take the time to review the schools safety plan with students
Review actions they can take to keep the school safe
Don’t prop open doors
Don’t open school doors for visitors
Students are not powerless.
They can:
Report things that make them uncomfortable - If you see something, say something to an adult
Treat each other well and promote a culture of acceptance and care
Talk to an adult if you are struggling or if you are concerned about a classmates well-being
Reminders for Staff
Keep your door closed and locked
Don’t prop open doors
Be visible and in the hallway during passing periods
Be observant of student’s and talk to someone from student services if you notice a change in a students behavior
Report things that make them uncomfortable - If you see something, say something to an adult
Treat each other well and promote a culture of acceptance and care
Talk to an adult if you are struggling or if you are concerned about a classmates well-being
Reminders for Staff
Keep your door closed and locked
Don’t prop open doors
Be visible and in the hallway during passing periods
Be observant of student’s and talk to someone from student services if you notice a change in a students behavior
Mr. Fischer crafted a letter home to parents about some of the recent events. I wanted to share this with staff because it has some good information for parents and staff. It was sent home through messenger.
Dear Parent/Guardian: February 19, 2018
The School District of Poynette considers student safety a top priority. In addition to having a District Safety Plan, we have caring adults that promote a culture of respect and care for one another. Our staff is committed to reaching out to kids that are struggling, and students are taught about the importance of talking to a trusted adult if they have concerns about a fellow classmate. Recent events like the school shooting in Florida, result in many of us thinking about the safety and well-being of our children. In order to support your efforts to care for your child, we would like to share some additional resources with you.
The American School Counselor Association recommends the following when considering the impact of an event like the one in Florida on children:
• Trying to keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limiting exposure to television and the news.
• Being honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listening to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassuring kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Rebuilding and reaffirming attachments and relationships.
The National Association of School Psychologists has a very helpful handout that has been shared with our teachers that you may want to review. Talking with Children about Violence
We ask that you pay close attention to your child during the weeks that follow and call someone from student services if you have any concerns. Be assured that here at Poynette we have made the safety of our students a top priority and that your child is in the hands of caring adults.
Facility Advisory Committee Update
The next step in the process is a Community Meeting on Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30pm. The purpose of this meeting is to provide an update to the public about the work of the Community Advisory Committee. A postcard will go out to all mailboxes in the district inviting them to this meeting. All staff members are welcome to attend as well. A survey will be sent out following this meeting, and the committee will meet on April 11th to review the survey results, and see how the results will impact the recommendation to the school board. As always, please feel free to visit the FACILITY tab on our webpage for the latest.
Duty Next Week
Morning - Pittner
Bus - Gavin
Dear Parent/Guardian: February 19, 2018
The School District of Poynette considers student safety a top priority. In addition to having a District Safety Plan, we have caring adults that promote a culture of respect and care for one another. Our staff is committed to reaching out to kids that are struggling, and students are taught about the importance of talking to a trusted adult if they have concerns about a fellow classmate. Recent events like the school shooting in Florida, result in many of us thinking about the safety and well-being of our children. In order to support your efforts to care for your child, we would like to share some additional resources with you.
The American School Counselor Association recommends the following when considering the impact of an event like the one in Florida on children:
• Trying to keep routines as normal as possible. Kids gain security from the predictability of routine, including attending school.
• Limiting exposure to television and the news.
• Being honest with kids and share with them as much information as they are developmentally able to handle.
• Listening to kids’ fears and concerns.
• Reassuring kids that the world is a good place to be, but that there are people who do bad things.
• Rebuilding and reaffirming attachments and relationships.
The National Association of School Psychologists has a very helpful handout that has been shared with our teachers that you may want to review. Talking with Children about Violence
We ask that you pay close attention to your child during the weeks that follow and call someone from student services if you have any concerns. Be assured that here at Poynette we have made the safety of our students a top priority and that your child is in the hands of caring adults.
PAD- (The latest edition is out)
Here is the link for the latest PAD newsletter.
Facility Advisory Committee Update
Duty Next Week
Morning - Pittner
Bus - Gavin
No comments:
Post a Comment