MCMS Staff Update - April 8 - 12, 2024

Good Afternoon MCMS,

I hope that you have had an amazing break and enjoyed a well-deserved vacation!  On Monday, we look forward to getting back to work and our continued focus on preparing our students for state testing.  It is going to be a great next seven weeks of school and I am excited for a strong finish.  Let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Make sure you are looking over the 2023-2024 MCMS Calendar for current activities and events on campus.  If we have any changes to the calendar, we will make sure to let everyone know.  

Below are updates and reminders for this coming week, April 8th - 12th.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this email, upcoming events, classroom supplies, or anything else.  We are here to support you!

Happy Birthday! We wish a very happy birthday to those who celebrate this week!

• Rebecca Steurrys (4/4)
• Adam Teseniar (4/13)

Staff Action Items

These are to be complete this week or reminders that related to district initiatives. 

• Keeping Mid-Carolina Clean - Help Needed - We are looking to finish the year by getting our students involved in an initiative to help keep our campus clean.  I would like to have at least one class per grade level and one related arts class volunteer to help monitor our restrooms and hallways at the end of each day.  You would have one male and one female student visit the restroom and look over the hallway at the end of the day.  They will then send me an email with any cleaning that needs to be done.  My goal is to help students keep one another accountable for keeping our school clean.  Please reach out to me if you are interested in having your class help.  I hope to grow this initiative into something we rotate the responsibility to different classes throughout next school year. 
• i-Ready Areas of Growth - The results from our Spring testing showed growth in all of our grade levels.  I appreciate your individual student focus and helping each student reach their potential.  We still have work to do before the end of the year.  I would like each teacher to look over your i-Ready spring testing results and identify areas of growth in your students.  Please plan instructional strategies and activities you will incorporate in your class to help in those areas.  We will discuss those strategies at our team meetings on Thursday and Friday.
• Ellevation Training Modules - Please complete your Ellevation modules for Semester 1 and Semester 2.

Additional Reminders

• Team Meetings moved to Thursday - Our regular Tuesday team meetings will be moved to Thursday of this week due to district meetings.  Related Arts team meeting will be on Friday.  
• Fine Arts Assembly - We look forward to seeing our MCMS Band and Chorus perform on Wednesday, in addition to seeing displays of student work from Art Class.  We appreciate Ms. Waters, Ms. Strobel, and Ms. Nix in their preparation for this event.  We will be following a Program Schedule for Wednesday.
• Rising 6th Grade On-Campus Orientation- On Wednesday, rising 6th graders from each of our feeder elementary schools will be visiting campus.  They will have an orientation in the big gym, followed by a musical performance from the MCMS Band and Chorus, and finally a brief campus tour.  We are excited about this visit and look forward to welcoming them to our school! 
• Computer Device Collection Date - April 22nd - We will collect student devices on April 22nd to get ready for State Testing.  All students will become day users at that point.  Stacey and Jared will have more information for this as we get closer.
• Facility Needs:  If you have any facility needs, email Eric, Katie, and me.  If you need desks, please let us know as soon as possible.

MCMS Schedule- April 8th - 12th:

• Monday (4/8)
• MCMS PTO @ 5:30 PM
• Tuesday (4/9)
• Greenwood Genetics Lab - 8th Grade
• Wednesday (4/10)
• Fine Arts Assembly
• Rising 6th Grade Visit!
• Professional Learning - Leadership Meeting @ 3:30 PM
• Thursday (4/11)
• Team Meetings with Dobyns (6th, 7th, and 8th)
• Greenwood Genetics Lab - 8th Grade
• Friday (4/12)
• Team Meeting with Dobyns - RA
• SGA Meetings @ Lunch

Sneak Peek at 4/15 - 4/20:

•  (4/15), MCMS SIC @ 5:30 PM (4/16), Club Day and PL- Test Training (4/17), (4/18), MCMS Band - Solo and Ensemble (4/19), Mass Athletic Physicals at MCHS (4/20)

Professional Learning - Fourth Quarter

• Below are the remaining Wednesday Professional Learning dates for the Fourth quarter.  I will send additional information and reminders.
• Fourth Quarter
• April 10th - Leadership Meeting
• April 17th - Test Training Session @ 1:30 PM (Mandatory)
• April 24th - Early Release
• May 1st - No Meeting
• May 8th - Leadership Meeting
• May 15th - IDM Meeting

MCMS 2023-2024 Instructional Goals

Ellevation Training Reminder

• After completing your module, implement one of the strategies and then reflect on that strategy.
• The module completion and reflection should be on different days.  
• Below are the Ellevation Training modules you will need to complete this school year:
• Semester 1: Pathway- Understanding Multilingual Learners: 
• Intro to LTELs (Q1)
• Intro to Multilingual Learners (Q1)
• Intro to Newcomers (Q2)
• Intro to SIFE (Q2)
• Semester 2: Pathway- Developing Academic Language (4 modules in this pathway):
• Intro to Develop Academic Language (Q3)
• Develop Academic Language with Meaningful Messages (Q3)
• Develop Academic Language with Strong Sentences (Q4)
• Develop Academic Language with Weighted Words (Q4)
• If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Carpenter for more information.

7 Mindsets Schedule

• Thank you for continuing to teach the 7 mindsets curriculum and infusing it within your daily teaching.
• Mindset of the week- Live to Give
• 7 Mindsets Schedule 2023-2024

Please let me know if you have any questions about this week's updates or any other topic.  

Have a great day!