R2 Elementary Leadership Connection

Celebrating and honoring our incredible principals for your visionary leadership and tireless pursuit of success for each student. Happy National Principals Month! #PurposeDrivenPrincipals

The link below is for a virtual library of Hispanic Heritage Month resources (as found in the Elementary Academics Newsletter for September in the Social Studies section).

Hispanic Heritage Month: September 15th- October 15th

As Hispanic Heritage Month is nearing its end, many thanks are extended to our schools and the R2 community! The turnout was tremendous at Saturday's Parade of Nations and the sense of community was unparalleled! THANK YOU to the many schools, students, faculty, staff, and leaders who participated and contributed to making this event a success. #DiversityIsBeautiful & #IdentityMatters

This year's United Way Campaign is October 2 - October 13. Please reference emails sent to you by Lara Schmitz, Partnerships and Events Coordinator, for more specific information about this year's giving campaign.

With the start of this week marking only 2 days until the end of the first nine weeks, please ensure that all KRA testing is completed, and results entered before the end of the day on Tuesday, October 10, which is the end of the first quarter.

Please hold your STC accountable for ensuring "all Is are dotted and all Ts are crossed."

Fire Prevention Week is observed each year during the week in which October 9th falls in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire. During Fire Prevention Week, children, adults, and teachers learn how to stay safe in case of a fire. Firefighters provide lifesaving public education in an effort to drastically decrease casualties caused by fires.

Just a reminder that 2023 S.C. School Report Cards will be released publicly on Tuesday, October 10. Please do not share this data outside of your school staff until then.

Here is a link to an eleven-minute explanation of the 2022-2023 report card ratings.

Wednesday, October 11 is Fall District In-service.

Action Requested

With math being our district-wide focus for 2023-2024, please encourage staff to attend various math sessions offered and also select teachers whose observational and/or achievement/progress data in math shows that they need math PD.

Additional Action Requested

Please make it a point to go to BHS during a portion of the day on Wednesday (you and your administrators). Drop in on a session or few between 8:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. or drop in on your teachers' collaboration time between 1:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. (not to lead, but to learn and support).

District and school administrators are a throughline to quality teaching, student learning, and achievement; therefore, we must all be part of the learning and support system.

Please also share this expectation with your APs.

Professional learning opportunities will also be available on Wednesday for office professionals and instructional assistants. Please take a moment to view the schedule, list of participants, and the times they will be engaging in learning.

Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13 are school holidays. While it is permissible for your front office to be closed to the public (unless you have a reason for yours to remain open), these are days of work for 225-day and 245-day employees unless leave is taken.

If you have questions, please ask in advance of these dates.

Please ensure that your school's approved Literacy Reflection Tool (LRT) is submitted via the Formstack survey to the SCDoE no later than Friday, October 13th.

If you have questions, please contact Mr. Newton.

October's Form 4b is to be submitted by your site's assigned administrator no later than Friday, October 13 (since the 15th is on a Sunday). You can check the submission status of your site here.

*If your assigned administrator will be taking leave on Friday, please ensure they have submitted it before leaving on their last day of work this week.

NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 15 (October 15 is a Sunday)

- Parent and teacher nominations and elections have been completed.

- For schools serving grades nine and above, student nominations and elections have been completed.

- The SIC has at least two (2) parent representatives, two (2) teacher representatives, and, in schools serving grade nine and above, two (2) student representatives as required by state law.

- The number of parent, teacher, and, if applicable, student representatives on the SIC match the number called for in the SIC's bylaws.

SIC Update | September 25 view for more information.

In preparation for October's Lead and Excel during the Elementary Principals' Meeting, please send Ms. Footman a childhood (age 18 or younger) photo of you.

You can submit your photo via email or text message no later than October 18.

As field studies and other district trips are increasing, please ensure that all of your faculty/staff who are traveling by bus with students are following the new procedures and using the required seating charts described in and attached to the email from Jessica Inbody from the Transportation Department. For safety reasons and in the event of an emergency, it is imperative that it is known who is sitting where on buses.

*If your school has more than one bus going on a trip, there should be at least one Richland School District Two employee on each bus.

Principal Checklist

While the checklist that is linked is not all-inclusive of your many "to-dos", please ensure that necessary action has been or will be taken on or before requested action dates by you or your assigned designee(s).

From the Desk of Mr. Arthur Newton (Oct. 3 email)

We have finalized plans (this document is for Admin. only) for the Extended Day Program. MAP data for 1st-5th grades have been added to your ARE folders for you to invite students who scored at the 25% percentile or below in math and/or reading. Kindergarten teachers will select their students based on the students' current academic progress that reflects the 25% percentile or below in math and/or reading. Teachers' professional judgement and other data points should be used to determine which kindergarten students should attend the Extended Day Program.

The files have been uploaded to each school's ARE folder, under "Extended Day Program Rosters" and subfolder "2023-2024."

Click here to see the standard message that must go to the selected students' families on October 16th. All schools/centers should send the message on this date, which was decided along with your principal Reps.

A second message will be sent later for all schools/centers to use.

Click here for the registration directions that should be shared with parents.

I will be out of the office on Friday, October 13. In my absence, Dr. Sabrina Suber is the point of contact should you have an emergent matter that you would typically contact me about. Dr. Suber's cellphone number is (803)447-2751 and her direct office extension is 13434.

Pontiac Elementary School's Teacher of the Year, Kathia Rivera de Guzman, is doing big things for the little ones in her kindergarten class through the incorporation of English, Spanish, and American Sign Language (ASL). Take a closer look at what learning entails daily for her students (here).

September 15 - October 15: Hispanic Heritage Month

October 1 - 31 - National Principals Month

October 1 - 31 - Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October 8 -14: Fire Prevention Week

October 9: Beginning Date for Formal Classroom Observations (Induction Teachers)

October 9: 2nd Grade CogAT/IA Window Opens

October 10: End of 1st Nine Weeks

October 10: Board Meeting - 6:30 p.m.

October 11: District In-service (Policy GCC/GDC-R)

October 12: School Holiday (Workday for 225 and 245-day employees)

October 13: Literacy Reflection Tools due in Formstack

October 13: School Holiday (Workday for 225 and 245-day employees)

October 15: Deadline for SIC Elections

October 16: Benchmark Testing

October 16: Schools Send Extended Day Message to Eligible Students' Parents

October 17: Benchmark Testing

October 18: Benchmark Testing

October 18: District Principals' Meeting @ R2i2 - 9 a.m.

October 19: Benchmark Testing

October 20: Benchmark Testing

October 24: Board Meeting - 6:30 p.m.

October 27: 2nd Grade CogAT/IA Window Closes

October 27: Diversi-TEA - Principals Edition - 11 a.m.

October 27: Deadline for SIC members to sign up for SIC Basics Virtual Training

October 27: Boo! at 2 - 4 p.m.

October 30: SC-SIC Basics Virtual Training - 6 p.m.

Tracy M. Footman

Executive Director of Elementary Schools

Richland School District Two

Email: tfootman@richland2.org
Website: www.richland2.org
Location: 763 Fashion Drive, Columbia, SC, USA
Phone: (803) 790-3032
Twitter: @TracyFootman