The Knight Times

Thomas Dale Faculty and Staff,

Recognizing, showing love and appreciation, and celebrating the impact you have on our students and school community has been such a rewarding and fulfilling experience! Our intention was to show meaningful appreciation and to spread love throughout the week. Although how we feel really cannot be summed up in a week, I am thankful that there is a week to designate appreciation with intentionality. I have plenty of room for improvement in how I show appreciation, and for now, I really enjoyed this week. A special shout out to the folks who worked behind the scenes and to our partners who contributed:

• Amy Martin and Kirsten Graham for putting it all together and picking up everything (and having to deal with me).
• Michelle Kimenhour and Tim Stanton for ensuring the little gifts made it to each of you.
• Karen Lee and Jeanine Grabham for the Kudos Boards and stickies that made it to you.
• Stan from Horace Mann for the ice cream.
• Carrie Coyner for 2 sheet cakes.
• C&F Banking for 1 sheet cake.
• PTSA for Panera and thank you cards.
• Jay Roudabush from Herff-Jones for sponsoring the luncheon.
• Krispy Kreme for the awesome deal on donuts and coffee.
• Jersey Mikes for the awesome deal on the subs.
• Virginia Lottery for the Tickets...did anyone win anything?!?!
• Our 11 business partners who donated gifts for our "Silent Auction."

As we move full speed ahead into the last 35 days of school, I want to ensure that we finish strong. It is extremely important to me that we build a momentum to carry over into next year. Last weekend, I sent an email about some of our next steps, and I will copy/paste that email to the end of this newsletter for your reference.

I am overwhelmed with joy and pride to serve as your principal, and there is no other place on Earth I'd rather be. I love you, and I appreciate you!

Enjoy!

Up-Front Summary (by day):

Monday

• Club and Activity Meeting during Enrichment; students should stay in Homeroom for Morning Meeting if they do not attend a Club/Activity Meeting
  

Tuesday

• Leadership Workshop from 11:30am-3pm (Student Roster)
• Teacher Innovation Meeting (3:15pm, Main Library)

Wednesday

• SOL Test: World History 1
  
• BELL SCHEDULE
• West Rotation during the Testing: No Rotation, Holding Areas (TBD) Only
• SOL Duty Assignments
• One Lunch
• One Lunch Teacher Assignments (by Teacher Name)
• Principal's Advisory Council Meeting (3:15pm)

Thursday

• SOL Test: World History 2 and VA/US History
  
• BELL SCHEDULE
• West Rotation during the Testing BLOCK: 1 and 2-Even
• SOL Duty Assignments
• One Lunch
• One Lunch Teacher Assignments (by Teacher Name)
• Teacher Innovation Meeting (3:15pm, Main Library)

Friday

• Normal Day (Really?!?! When was the last time we had one of those?)

Links shared in this issue:

• TD Staff Dashboard
• KUDOS
• Instructional Designer - Janice Skipwith
  
• Graduation Gowns for Faculty
• SOL: May 15th and 16th Detailed Information
• May SOL Testing At-A-Glance
• Staff Roster for Graduation Program
• Exam Exemption Policy
• Exam Exemption Appeal: Attendance
  
• Exam Exemption Appeal: Senior AP
• Conversion Instructions: SOL and 9th Grade Writing PBA
• Textbook Discards Form
• Knight's Cafe Order Form
  

#EveryKnightEveryDay

The I Make A Difference award is a weekly recognition for a staff member going above and beyond the requirements of the job. Each week, the previous I Make A Difference award winner will select one member of the faculty/staff who displays excellence, goes the extra mile, and makes a difference and "pass" it on.

From Annett Gilchrist:

Krista, thank you for your kind words and like you said to Lisa, I could not do it without your support. For this week’s I Make A Difference Award, I am recognizing Lorissa Newhouse.

She does what is necessary and wants no pictures ;-) She takes the backstage to support our students to be as independent as they can be. My vision for our students to be the most independent as possible would be impossible without you, Lorissa. You care. You work hard for our students and for that I am grateful. You respect each student as valuable. You crave for them to be who they have been created to be. I am so grateful that God has brought us to be a team again! You are so valuable to this ASOL program and I’m so grateful that you are here.

The purpose of our weekly KUDOS is to give public affirmation to a faculty/staff member for a job well done. Anytime you witness something that you think deserves KUDOS, you are invited to fill out THIS FORM with the staff member's name and a little about why he/she deserves KUDOS. You will notice a difference in the form. We have added a layer that will send each individual recipient an email with attachment shortly after the KUDOS has been submitted! The list of teacher names and valiant acts will be published in The Knight Times. At each faculty meeting, those nominated for KUDOS will be entered into a drawing for a special prize! Be alert to the wonderful actions of your colleagues and give a shout out when you see something awesome!

Please enjoy this week's KUDOS by clicking HERE!

Each month, we will celebrate and recognize one teacher as the Teacher of the Month and one staff member as the Staff Member of the Month. We were so excited to celebrate our Teacher and Staff Member of the Month recipients so far!

• September: Jamie Barrack and Michelle Kimenhour
• October: Rachel Langston and Steve Davies
• November: James Thompson and Bridget Lehman
• December: Heather Walker and Lisa Neal
• January: Laurie Gholson and Jason Owen
• February: Kim Young and Barbara Harris
• March: Chris Johnston and Brenda Manson
• April: Abby Schneider and Tim Stanton

Submit your nomination for May's Teacher and Staff Member of the Month by clicking HERE.

Each month, we will celebrate and recognize one student from each grade level as the Student of the Month. This student will be publicly recognized in front of classmates and on social media. Additionally, we will place a yard sign at each student's place of residency indicating that they are a Student of the Month for the appropriate grade level. Each student will be able to keep the yard sign. Each student who is nominated but not selected will also be recognized publicly.

Please think of a student you feel is deserving of May's Student of the Month and submit that student's name HERE.

Please take just a couple quick minutes to enter the names of your academic TOP male and TOP female students from each course that you teach based on the conclusion of 3rd quarter grades. Thank you so much for taking the time to celebrate students who do their best!

We have amazing students, enter your TOP academic students HERE.

• Pathways Meeting on Monday, May 13 (Information/Action). Because of the additional, unexpected faculty meetings I've needed to call recently, we will not hold an "official" Pathways meeting on May 13. This was the last scheduled time for your groups to organize how you will present during your Exhibition of Learning. I trust your groups will work in the best way that meets your needs to prepare for June 10. Please feel free to let your supervising administrator, group leader, or me know if you have any needs or questions. Thanks!
• Let's Dance (Action). Faculty, LET'S DANCE!!! Join us for our annual faculty dance portion of the Senior Slideshow. May 16, 3:10, Main Intersection. No real dance skills necessary.
• Instructional Designer (Information). Janice Skipwith is a wonderful resource for high-quality instruction. Please see her weekly newsletter HERE.

• ESOL Shadow Day (Information). Next year we will be welcoming students from the Matoaca Zone to our ESOL program. On June 3, 2019 we will host these students for the day.

• School Cleanup Day (Information). May 18, 2019 will be the final school cleanup day from 9-11am. Students and teachers who wish to attend should meet at door 2 at the Main campus.

• Leadership Workshop In-House Field Trip (Information). On May 14, 2019, the Knight Mentor Council and SCA board will have an inhouse field trip to continue to plan for freshman transition and our new summer Knight Rising Camp.

• (Re-Print) Graduation Gowns for Faculty (Action). Last Call: At graduation, TDHS faculty marches in black gowns with degree hood. (no head gear) If needed, Herff Jones will provide you with a complimentary gown. You will need to purchase your own hood. If you need a gown for graduation, please complete THIS FORM for Laura Deck by MAY 14. If you have any questions, please contact her directly.
  

Testing Information

AP Exams: one more week of AP Exams. Please see Kevin Cook if you have any questions.

We are so very happy to say that the Math SOL administration is in the books!!!!! Done!!!! Now we move on to History. Please use the Dashboard to review all updated SOL testing information.

May 15th and 16th Detailed Information

May 15th Main and West Duties: since most of the 9th graders will be on the Main Campus testing on the Wednesday, May 15th, most of the West Campus teachers will have a duty on the Main Campus. For the West Campus teachers that will stay on West, your duties will involve monitoring the West Small Auditorium and the halls. There should be less than 50 students on the West Campus that are not testing and if they are not with Robbie Keller, they should be in the West Small Auditorium. Teachers, please look at all duties carefully and let me know if you have any questions.

May 16th Main and West Duties: Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you so much for everyone's help this week.

• Teachers, please make sure to look at both dates (5/15 and 5/16) to see your assignments for One Lunch next week.
  

• May 15th and May 16th One Lunch Teacher Assignments (by Teacher Name)

Two Special Events on One Knight Night - May 21!

Come out to attend the Spring Chorus Concert and to find your favorite books at the TDHS Book Fair! The Book Fair hours are from 6:00-9:00, and the Spring Concert is at 7:00. Support both TDHS arts and reading! If you are unable to attend the Book Fair, you may use the TDHS code through June 14 so that Thomas Dale still benefits!

Each year at graduation, the faculty processes in, led by department chairs, in order of their years of service at Thomas Dale High School. Please check this LIST, which will be published in our graduation program to be sure that your name is displayed correctly and that the year beside your name is the graduation year of the first year you were here.

If there is an error, please contact jill_seal@ccpsnet.net and she will see that the correction is made.

Exam Exemption Policy:

• We are using the County Exam Exemption Policy from last year. Here is a link to it if you have any questions: 2017 – 2018 Second Semester Exam Exemptions
  

• SOL/PBA Exemptions
• Remember, just because they are in a SOL class, it does not mean they took the SOL. They can only exempt if they passed the SOL this year for the class.
• If they pass the SOL/PBA, you will need to look at their conversion score as their exam grade. Please use Jill Seal's instructions on how/when to use the conversion score.
• Entering SOL Conversion Scores for Exam 2
• Here is the conversion scale for the PBA (9th grade English): PBA Scale (Exam Exemption for PBA)

• Seniors: Please let them know if they are exempt on May 22nd (Even Day classes) and May 23rd (Odd Day classes).
  

Senior Exam Exemption Appeals:

Here is the information Seniors were given about Exam Exemption Appeals. It is also on their Google Classroom and on our website.

SENIOR EXAM EXEMPTION APPEALS (FORMS DUE MAY 20TH to MAIN CAMPUS FRONT OFFICE)

Seniors, there are two links to forms below--MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT THE CORRECT FORM and that you completely follow all instructions.

The first form is if you are trying to exempt, but are over on absences. Fill out a separate form for EVERY exam you are trying to exempt but are over on absences.

The second form is for AP Exam Exemption Appeals. This is for Seniors in AP classes who did not take the AP exam, but would like to exempt the exam. Again, you will need to fill out a separate appeal form for EVERY exam you are trying to exempt. You also have to have a semester B average in the class and must meet attendance requirements.

There are hard copies available in the Main Campus Front Office. Filling out a form does NOT guarantee that you will be exempt, you will need to check with your teachers on the day Exam Exemptions are given out to the classes to see if you are exempt or not.

Attendance-Based Exam Exemption Appeal

Senior AP Exam Exemption Appeal

Course Request Profiles (2019-2020)…Thank you for your assistance in distributing the course profiles for our returning Knights. Keeping our parents in the loop regarding their student’s course selections help to foster a stronger alliance with them.
Award Ceremonies (Seniors)

• Community Awards Ceremony – Thursday, May 23, 2019 @ 6 PM. This ceremony has traditionally taken place during the morning. This year, the time has been changed to an evening event beginning at 6 PM. This change was made in hopes of accommodating the schedules of our parents. Our wish is that the 6 PM timeframe will allow even more family members and friends to be present during this momentous occasion in our students' life. This assembly is help to present community and scholarship awards. Additionally, we recognized our seniors who have maintained a GPA of 4.0 & higher. Coordinator: Reva Pryor. If you have a monetary award to present to one of our seniors, please submit your information to me no later than Monday, May 20th.

• Senior Academic Ceremony – Friday, May 24, 2019 This ceremony will immediately follow the senior breakfast and senior picture. This assembly recognizes academic or department awards to outstanding seniors. In addition, all seniors who have maintained a GPA of 3.0 & higher will be recognized at this event. Coordinator: Veronica Baker. All departments should submit the names and awards of their seniors to their department chair by May 16th. The chair should submit all information to Mrs. Baker by Friday, May 17th.

"One Good Story": Your assistance is requested.

Annually, the superintendent tasks each school with identifying a highlight or bragging point of their school. This focus can be collective in nature as a school or about an individual student. If you are aware of an extra-ordinary event that has made a significant impact on our school and/or community or an outstanding senior who has beat-the-odds and continues to persevere, please let me know. Your input is GREATLY appreciated!!

This information may be used at graduation. Please send all information to reva_pryor@ccpsnet.netby Friday, May 17, 2019.

Thank you very much!!

There will be a faculty bus available for graduation. Pick up time for the bus will be at 8 am and loading will be at door 2. Parking decks require a Thomas Dale High School graduation parking pass, which means "pay as you go" is unavailable during graduation times. Unfortunately, these passes are very limited. If you are interested in receiving one of these limited passes, please let Laura Deck know by placing a note in her mailbox (in the mailroom). These will be filled on a first come, first served basis. Please carpool if you can. I'll do everything I can to accommodate everyone!

Our underclassmen awards ceremonies will take place on Friday May 31st. All three assemblies will take place in the main campus large auditorium.

• 9th Grade Ceremony: 1st Block @ 8:45 (there will not be Enrichment this day)

• 10th Grade Ceremony: 2nd Block @ 10:10

• 11th Grade Ceremony: 4th Block @ 1:40

We will not hold enrichment on this day and will instead have an extended 1st block. Each content area will choose two students per subject and grade to recognize as their students of the year. For example, the math department will recognize their two 9th grade students of the year for Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry. Each department will also need to designate a presenter and back up presenter to present your department’s awards at each ceremony.

Department chairs, please email Clint Patterson at clinton_patterson@ccpsnet.net with the names of students your department would like to recognize by Monday, May 20th. Please include the student’s full name and i.d.

Please fill out this form by Wednesday, June 5th with the items in your rooms or areas that you would like to discard. We are being encouraged to dispose of any resources that are no longer being tracked in TipWeb. An audit list has been shared with department chairs. Any materials that are not on the list are no longer being tracked by CCPS, can no longer be ordered, and are not considered primary resources. Materials from classrooms do not have to be boxed, but boxing is preferred. Library discards MUST be boxed. Department chairs, please email Clint Patterson if you have materials in your workrooms or other storage areas you would like to discard.

Sports Physicals- May 21 at 3:00 pm (gymnasium), $25.00 cash or check

Signing Day- May 22 3:15 in library

Regional Playoff Schedule:

• Baseball/Softball/Soccer May 23, 28, and May 30 ( all games at the higher seeds)
• Lacrosse May 20, 22, and May 30
• Tennis Team (higher seeds) May 17, 20, and 22
• Individuals (singles and doubles #1) May 23 and 28 at Manchester HS
• Track May 18 at Manchester HS

Chromebook collection will take place on June 4th. Collection will be open from 9:00 to 11:00 at both campuses, but we anticipate being able to finish well before 11. We will run an extended 1st block to ensure all Chromebooks have been turned in before we change classes. Chromebooks will be collected in the gym at west campus and in front of the Ring of Honor at main campus. Senior Chromebook collection will begin one hour before graduation practice for those who don’t turn them in early.

• Anyone who still has a Chromebook on June 4th MUST turn them in. There are no exceptions

• Freshman, sophomores, and juniors will keep the plastic shell that protects the Chromebook as well as their chargers

• Seniors need to turn their chargers in with their Chromebooks. This is important because these materials will be reallocated to rising freshman.

Further communication will be provided as we get closer to the collection date.

Please reference the EXAM SCHEDULE when you are ready. Although this is far out, I wanted to communicate the schedule with you as soon as appropriate.

If you are not ready to even think about it yet, don't worry...I'll continue to communicate this information.

This week the Knights Cafe is offering Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate KIND bars, Caramel Almond & Sea Salt KIND bars, blueberry streusel muffins, chocolate chip muffins and Cinnamon Rolls.

Click HERE for the order form.

As part of our intentionality to strengthen trust, communication, and relationships, we will include agendas and minutes from our meetings in this section of the newsletter.

• Admin Team: May 7
  
• ILT: April 11
  
• Instructional Admin: May 7
  
• Community Partners Meeting: March 12
• Principal's Advisory Council: April 17
• Student Advisory Council: April 23
• ACTS Notes (from Cindy Waters): April
• English: March 19
• Math: Minutes Folder

Jamie Barrack - May 13

Ilana Puglia - May 13

Candy Maclauchlan - May 15

Enjoy your day!!!

Stay connected to OUR CALENDAR and mark yours!

Click HERE for our 2018-2019 meeting dates.

Click HERE for our 2019-2020 meeting dates.

May 10 - Drive 4 UR School

May 13 - Club and Activity Meeting during Enrichment

May 14 - Leadership Workshop In-House Field Trip (11:30am-3pm)

May 14 - Teacher Innovation Meeting (3:15pm, Main Library)

May 14 - PTSA Meeting (6pm, Main Library)

May 15 - WH1 SOL

May 15 - NHS Induction for Seniors (5:30pm)

May 15 - Lacrosse Senior Knight

May 15 - Career Signing Day (CTC@Hull, 6:30pm)

May 16 - WH2 and VA/US History SOL

May 16 - Teacher Innovation Meeting (3:15pm, Main Library)

May 16 - Baseball, Softball, and Boys Soccer Senior Knight

May 17 - Senior Showcase for Art (JTCC-Midlo, 5pm)

CLICK HERE for all things May

Click below to access previous issues of The Knight Times, our weekly staff newsletter:

• Week of August 13
• Week of August 20
• Week of August 27
• Week of September 3
• Week of September 10
• Week of September 17
• Week of September 24
• Week of October 1
• Week October 8
• Week of October 15
• Week of October 22
• Week of October 29
• Week of November 5
• Week of November 12
• Weeks of November 19 and 26
• Week of December 3
• Week of December 10
• Week of December 31
• Week of January 7
  
• Week of January 14
• Week of January 21
• Week of January 28
• Week of February 4
• Week of February 11
• Week of February 18
• Week of February 25
• Week of March 4
• Week of March 11
• Week of March 18
• Week of March 25
• Week of April 8
• Week of April 15
• Week of April 22
• Week of April 29
• Week of May 6

Click below to access previous issues of From the Castle, our monthly parent and community newsletter:

• August 2018
• September 2018
• October 2018
• November 2018
• December 2018
• January 2019
• February 2019
• March 2019
• April 2019
• May 2019

Team TD,

Throughout this year, we have discussed what's next for Thomas Dale. Through a Shared Vision Critical Path and multiple conversations regarding a new vision for our school, students, and community, we have started to develop our next steps for 2019-2020 that will help us work toward that shared vision and deliver on the promise of Every Knight, Every Day.

Overall, 55 faculty and staff (and also 2 students) participated in the Shared Vision Critical Path. On April 16, the participants of this process worked on developing next steps for 2019-2020 that build on our work in 2018-2019 and also progress toward THAT VISION. On April 23, the Student Advisory Council (SAC) provided feedback. On May 3, the Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) provided feedback. Using the recommendations from the work of the Shared Vision Team and the feedback from SAC and ILT, we will clean up, modify, and clarify our nextsteps. Our plan for initiation on THIS CHART provides an overview of what that will look like. For a by-lever view of what we did this year and what was recommended for next year, check out THIS DOCUMENT.

I wanted to bring your attention to some opportunities for you to innovate or build your capacity to implement our plans for next school year (and beyond).

• Teachers who would like to implement an innovation next year are invited to attend a meeting on either Tuesday, May 14 OR Thursday, May 16 in the Main Campus Library at 3:15pm. This is an opportunity for us to know how we can support your innovation through the master schedule, provision of resources, time for planning this year, and/or professional development. Some examples include inter-disciplinary courses (BioFit, Trig-Analysis and Physics, 2-for-1: Film and VA/US History, etc.), distance learning, and many other possibilities that align to our 5 levers.
• Deeper Learning Professional Development. I purchased 10 seats to the Deeper Learning Conference in Salem, VA on June 21 from 9:00am-3pm in Salem, VA. I first offered the opportunity to the Pathways groups that worked on this topic throughout the year, and there are now 5 seats remaining. First come, first served...simply let me know!
• How we CAUSE Learning and How we SEE Learning Professional Development. The administrators worked with Dr. Ray Jones this year and will continue our work with him over the next two years on improving our observation and coaching skills to ultimately improve our capacity as instructional coaches. I have paid for him to facilitate an additional session for teachers to receive the same session that the administrators did in August of last summer. I would like to invite you to participate in this game-changing session. There are 20 spots remaining, and I plan to fill them on a first come, first served basis. The session is on August 20 (tentatively from 8am-4pm) and will be at Thomas Dale High School; a light breakfast (with coffee) and a lunch will be provided. Fill out this VERY BRIEF FORM.
• Effective Grading Practices Professional Development. Have you ever questioned whether or not your grading practices were the most effective or whether or not they accurately reflect student learning and mastery of your content? There are a few simple steps you can take with your grading system that will help you improve your capacity to plan for and implement high-quality instruction and assessment in your classroom. I will facilitate an OPTIONAL session 6 different times during the summer for teachers to choose. Right now, I tentatively have a mix of afternoon and morning sessions set up: June 19 (PM), June 24 (AM), July 15 (PM), July 22 (AM), July 29 (AM), and August 19 (PM). Fill out this VERY BRIEF FORM if you would like to attend one of the sessions.
• Canvas Learning Management System. There will be opportunities provided by our school division, and I plan to work with some of our "champion" users to offer optional sessions during the summer. I will communicate the when and where of these opportunities as soon as I know them.
• High School Redesign Committee. To continue the work toward our shared vision and to re-imagine and re-design the high school experience at Thomas Dale, I plan to convene a committee in the near future that will include members from all of our stakeholder groups. This committee will steer our direction and help make decisions as we progress toward the vision. I just wanted this on your radar, because I will soon put this opportunity out for faculty and staff to participate.

Thank you so much for your commitment and leadership as we implement a shared vision for our school and take the next steps to deliver on the promise of Every Knight, Every Day!

Chris

If you have information you need to share, input you seek, or dates you need to communicate, please send it to me. As we improve our communication structure, The Knight Times will become an increasingly collaborative document.

Please email me what you'd like to share - just ensure you have The Knight Times as part of your subject line. I will just need a title, body of text to include, and a picture attachment (if you have one to add to your piece).

Email: christopherm_jones@ccpsnet.net
Website: https://sites.google.com/a/ccpsnet.net/tdhs/
Location: 3626 W. Hundred Rd. Chester, VA 23831
Phone: (804) 768-6245
Facebook: facebook.com/ThomasDale
Twitter: @GoTDKnights