The Knight Times

Thomas Dale Faculty and Staff,

-As you know, I prefer planning ahead and communicating information in a timely manner. I have created Next Year's Calendar of Dates for our meetings. Please take time to mark your calendar. Although there may be times I ask you to be flexible, you can count on these days and times to be set well in advance, allowing you to plan for and around them. 2019-2020 Meeting Dates.

-During our faculty meeting on Monday, we will talk about Canvas.

• I will discuss the key components of high-quality instruction that are necessary to be a foundation for using Canvas effectively,
• Ernie Longworth (our division's Canvas support specialist) will uncover why the division chose Canvas as our Learning Management System,
• Three teachers with accompanying students will briefly share their experiences with Canvas, and
• I will introduce the SCHOOL DIVISION'S EXPECTATIONS and the MATURITY MODELS FOR TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS as users of Canvas to help guide our progress.

-Dave Duncan and I were fortunate enough to serve on the School Division Grading Committee to create recommendations for our Assessing, Grading, and Reporting policies and guidelines. From those recommendations, another committee consisting of division leaders put together a set of preliminary recommendations for the school board. On Tuesday, March 12, Dr. Thomas Taylor presented THIS INFORMATION to the board as a preliminary set of recommendations. I recommend taking some time to review them. These are tremendous steps in the right direction to create a system that will support what we know about effective practices. For quick reference, I have pulled out the changes. Detailed information is embedded in the PRESENTATION.

• Establish guidelines supporting homework as a formative extended learning opportunity.
  
• Access for all to advanced coursework and highest levels of the curriculum.
  
• Eliminate Current Final and Mid-Term Exam Structure.
  
• Implement K-12 learning portfolio of evidence with exhibition of learning.
  
• Rebalance weighted GPA value for all secondary courses.
  
• Switch to Latin Honors System, eliminating class rank.
  
• Establish a K-12 standards-based grading system.
  
• Establish policy and guidelines to address zero grades .
  
• Adopt a One-Time Report Card with regular progress updates.

Enjoy!

Up-Front Summary (by day):

Monday

• Morning Meeting in Homeroom (See below in this newsletter for a VIDEO and FACILITATION GUIDE)
• Faculty Meeting (3:15pm, West Auditorium)

Tuesday

• Tornado Drill at 9:45am

Wednesday

• Principal's Advisory Council

Thursday

• Normal Day

Friday

• CASCOM STEM Tour - US Army (9am-2pm, Bus Loop at Main)

Links shared in this issue:

• TD Staff Dashboard
• KUDOS
• Tech Integrator - Janice Skipwith
  
• NEHS Fundraiser Link
• 9th Grade Fees Spreadsheet
• 10th Grade Fees Spreadsheet
• 11th Grade Fees Spreadsheet
• 12th Grade Fees Spreadsheet
• Genius Hour Catalog for 3/25
• 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 Scott Young:

Thank you, Sebastian Jackson, for such an eloquently written testimony to our shared successes. It is an affirmation of my efforts here to be included as a shared example of your influence and abilities with students. Allow me to admit that I admire your style and often see the obvious evidence of your savoir faire. As humbled as I am to be the recipient of such a wonderful recognition, I find it incredibly easy to pass the praise to a highly deserving educator who truly exemplifies all that goes into being a world-class teacher. This one’s for you, Barbara Cox!

Working across from Barbara, I am constantly reminded of what a professional she is. Her constant attempts to make her lessons real and relevant combined with her knack at getting her students to step out of their comfort bubbles makes for an exciting classroom experience. She puts her personal touch on everything she does at Thomas Dale.

Barbara comes to us from the world of journalism where she was a celebrity news anchor who interviewed many political dignitaries, celebrities, and even a few scoundrels, as well as reporting on the regular national, state, and local (Floridian) news. She was known for putting “the human touch” on her news reports, and her investigative journalism was on par with the best. I was once at her home and happened to notice, in a very modest corner of her library, a bookshelf that contained two shelves crammed full of Emmy Awards. Weeks later, we were searching for potential guest speakers to come speak during our Quill & Scroll Honor Society inductions ceremony. Names like Sabrina Squire or John Bernier came to mind as potential candidates, and I commented, “My gosh, Babs. We should ask you to be the guest speaker!” She declined, but it is remarkable to realize that she is a noted and highly decorated journalist whose credentials easily justify her as a dignitary, one whom we would be lucky to obtain as a guest speaker. She is, of course, not on our guest speaker list, but she is one of our many incredibly talented full-time teachers who shares her wisdom and professional experience in her classroom on a daily basis.

Of course, Barbara doesn’t like to brag, and she is quick to let others know that her career as a journalist is in the past. It’s what she brings to the table at the school that makes her present career equally exemplary. Barbara is quick to share a lesson that worked, and she is equally quick to adapt a suggested model from a coworker. She tweaks her approach from one class period to the next, always with a keen understanding of classroom dynamics and what makes each of her students tick. Barbara is a curriculum guru and is ever searching for materials to make connections. She taps into students’ interests and finds creative ways to pull them through challenging material. One need only step into her room to witness the agglomeration of engaging decorations and colorful student-created projects to see the type of teacher she is. Barbara’s classes include many photo-worthy moments: the day the hair-covered Grendel arm that she uses for reenactments for her Beowulf lessons comes out; the classes when the conch shell she uses for her Lord of the Flies beach lessons (complete with illuminated palm tree and beach blankets) is introduced; and the many other instances when her closet full of masks and tiaras and crowns and shields and art supplies and more is added to her repertoire. It’s a delight to observe all of her eclectic collections of extras come to fruition as her students excitedly engage in one of her many colorful lessons. Thank you, Barbara, for all you do!

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: Announced at the March 18 Faculty Meeting

Submit your nomination for April'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 March's Student of the Month and submit that student's name HERE.

The Culture by Design team has come up with several ways for us to celebrate our awesome knight students, as they exemplify the pillars of the Knight Code. Please take a moment to read through the awards and methods of nomination.

Additionally, we would like to ask that all Homeroom teachers encourage their students to come up with spirit-oriented Genius hour sessions. Ideas to jump start the conversation include: poster painting, face painting, relay races or candid photos... but we'd love to make their ideas come into reality.

• Tech Integrator (Information). Janice Skipwith is a wonderful resource for high-quality instruction. Please see her weekly newsletter HERE.
  
• Knightingales Concert and Release (Information). From Abby Shcneider:Tomorrow, the Knightingales need to leave TDHS at 3:30 for our final competition of the season at Hanover HS. We will have limited time upon our arrival for completing hair and makeup at the competition. Per the 4th period teacher’s discretion, I ask that Knightingales students be dismissed at 2:15 to start getting ready.

During your Homeroom on Monday, please engage your students in the following short video and questions in the facilitation guide. Please let me know if you have any questions or need any support.

• After checking in with your students, play THIS VIDEO. It is a short video (~4 minutes) about Judgment.
• Following the video, use THIS FACILITATION GUIDE to engage your students in a conversation about judgment, values, and ultimately, inclusivity.

As we look to change our school culture, there will be opportunities for us to work with the students to impact that change...even if it is one Knight at a time!

Save the date! The Virginia State Emergency Communications Committee and the National Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill and Emergency Alert System (EAS) test on Tuesday, March 19, 2019, at 9:45 a.m. or on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at 9:45 a.m. as the backup date if severe weather impacts the Commonwealth of Virginia on March 19.

Testing Information

(Short and Lewis)

Dear Team.....as the year flies by, the EOC English 10 Writing SOL and the English 9 Performance Based Assessment (PBA) are completed, with the exception of make-ups. As always, you were there to support this huge test administration. Your help and cooperation is greatly appreciated and we could not do our jobs without you!!! Thank you for always being there, ready to step in when needed, even without being asked. Thanks again for your support.

Testing Bell Schedule: To be very honest, I love the "Testing Bell Schedule" that has been used for the past two test administrations (PSATS, March). The feedback that I have received so far has been very positive. The same bell schedule or something similar, will be used in May. As we plan for May, if you have any thoughts, concerns or suggestions about this bell schedule, please let me know.

Have you begun thinking about the end of Term 3? It's just around the corner. Grades for Term 3 will be due by midnight on Friday, March 29th. There is a three hour early release that day. Plan now to be finished with your grades prior to the deadline. It helps so much! Thanks for planning ahead!

Fake News Resources - Help students to recognize reputable sources for news and information. Check out the west campus library page, Is It Real or Is It Fake?. This page is full of resources for teachers and students to use. There are lesson plans, bell ringer activities, and even quizzes you can use to test your student's ability to evaluate sources. If you'd like one of the librarians to teach a class on this timely topic, please contact us. We are here to help!

Enrichment - Please be sure students have a pass from the library to visit the library enrichment. We do not take teacher passes during that time because of limited space.

Hello all! As of right now, there are satellite grab and go buckets from Knights In Need at both campuses. At main they are in the Math, Science, English, History, World Language, and Special Ed workrooms, as well as in the men's PE office, counseling, the clinic and the library. (I'm happy to make one for the Arts department, but I'm not sure of an ideal location to keep it!) At West, they are in the clinic, the main office, counseling, the women's PE office, Ms. Langston's room (W9), and in the small office on the 3rd floor. Hopefully this allows for you to be able to access snacks for your students easily, if the need arises.

As mentioned before, please either refill it as a department, or email me when it gets low and we will bring things from the larger pantries at each campus. Either way is perfectly fine! The grab and go is the fastest area to deplete, so if you decide to do some sort of drive in your classes, that is what we always need replenished. We have a good amount of "real" food, so please let me know if you know of families who need meal support!

Finally, there are small zip top bags with sets of travel sized personal hygiene items in administrator offices, the counseling office, the clinic, and the men/s and women's PE offices at both campuses. If you have a student who needs to bathe, feel free to grab one from any of these locations. If you would like to have some to keep in your room, please email me and I'd be happy to provide some to you!

If you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to email me at heather_walker@ccpsnet.net

Please enjoy items from the VA Diner as National English Honor Society's Spring Fundraiser. Click on this link to order online. If you credit a student, they will receive points for sales. Students will also have the good old fashioned catalogs if you'd like to order from a specific student. Fundraiser runs from March 18th-April 18th

For your quick reference and so the spreadsheets are in one place, please find the appropriate grade level for fees paid and unpaid. I appreciate your help to get this squared away!

Seniors: HERE

Juniors: HERE

Sophomores: HERE

Freshmen: HERE

From Carrie Weese: Sign up to chaperone Prom! We need you! Follow this link. I have broken it into 2 shifts and 4 areas. You are more than welcome to sign up for both shifts, but I would like to make sure we have all areas covered since VSU is such a large venue.

The next Genius Hour is 3/25, please read the following information about it:

• Please read through the entire catalog with your Homerooms during Morning Meeting on 3/11. The best way that we get participation in Genius Hour is when they look through the entire list. We have some great additions this session because we took specific requests from students.

• We also have the POLICE CHIEF coming in for a session. Please encourage students to take advantage of this opportunity!! He has been really involved in the community and wants to connect to our students.

• Other community members coming in include: representatives from CVWMA for a Recycling Presentation, University of Richmond students to speak to students about rocks of Virginia in Spanish, and Mr. Weese to talk about how to turn your passion into a business. We really appreciate community members coming in to work with our students, so please encourage students to sign up for these sessions!!

• 3/25 Genius Hour Catalog

• SIGN UP for Genius Hour: I will open the Google Form for students to sign up on Tuesday, March 12th (I will add the link in here, on Google Classroom, and on the TD Dashboard on Tuesday morning). Please remind your 1st period classes to sign up!

Thanks!

This week the Knights Cafe is offering lemon Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate KIND bars, Caramel Almond & Sea Salt KIND bars,poppy seed muffins,chocolate chocolate chip muffins and breakfast pizza. 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: February 26
  
• ILT: March 1
  
• Instructional Admin: February 26
  
• Community Partners Meeting: March 12
• Principal's Advisory Council: February 20
• Student Advisory Council: February 27 (Minutes forthcoming)
• ACTS Notes (from Cindy Waters): November
• English: March 1
• Math: Minutes Folder

Heidi Gross - March 20

Sarah McCall - March 21

Mike Zuk - March 21

Enjoy your day!!!

Stay connected to OUR CALENDAR and mark yours!

Click HERE for our 2018-2019 meeting dates.

March 16 - STEAM Team for Science Club (CTC@Hull)

March 18 - Morning Meeting in Homeroom during Enrichment (VIDEO and FACILITATION GUIDE)

March 18 - Faculty Meeting (3:15pm at West)

March 19 - Earthquake Drill at 9:45am

March 20 - Principal's Advisory Council

March 22 - CASCOM STEM Tour - US Army (9am-2pm, Bus Loop)

March 29 - Early Release for Students (I am considering an alternate bell schedule)

March 29 - Grades are due at midnight

April 1-5 - Spring Break!

CLICK HERE for all things March

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

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

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