The Knight Times

Thomas Dale Faculty and Staff,

Please view THIS SHORT VIDEO before diving into this issue of The Knight Times.

Now that we have completed two weeks of school, and 5 total Enrichment periods, we are ready to begin the cycle of how our Enrichment periods will truly feel. Mondays will be dedicated to social-emotional development, connections, relationships, and mental health (9/17 is a Morning Meeting day and 9/24 is a Club/Activity Meetings day). Wednesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to academics. Please feel free to begin writing the passes for your students to attend tutoring with you during this time; it is also time to begin the buddy system as needed. If you need passes, please let an administrator know; we have plenty and can order more. During Academic Enrichment, do not feel obligated to focus on social-emotional aspects; it is perfectly fine if that time during Academic Enrichment feels like a study hall. Students can work on assignments, read quietly, etc. Please let me know if you have any clarifying questions about the purpose, structure, or operation of Enrichment.

As we begin to find that groove, it is time to leverage our relationships to engage our students. To begin the dialogue on engagement, I invite you to read THIS SHORT ARTICLE on the difference between engagement and compliance. I am so excited to join you on the journey to maximizing student engagement in our classes!

Each year, we are required to update information regarding the members of our staff. We appreciate the time you take to enter your information on THIS FORM. In future years, we aim to include a "no update needed" option to save time. Please CLICK HERE to enter your information.

I was asked to include all the links from this issue in an up-front summary, much like the issue prior to the first day of school. This is something I will continue to do, so that we all have required links in one place, easier to find.

• Engaged versus Compliance Article
• Staff Information Form
• KUDOS
• Student of the Month Form
• 2nd Chance Breakfast
• Enrichment Buddy Form
• Tech Integrator Newsletter
• Student Learner Profile Spreadsheet
• Back-to-School Night Schedule
• West Teachers in Main Commons Directions for Back-to-School Night
• Tardy Spreadsheet
• Secret Pals Form
• Random Acts of Kindness Form
• Field Trip Medication Training Sign Up Form
• Student Advisory Council Application

#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 Sarah Klinger:

The sixth recipient of the I Make a Difference award is Jill Seal. Jill is one of the most positive and ‘upbeat’ teachers on our staff. I have not had a single negative interaction with Jill. She is ALWAYS willing to sit and listen. She always asks, ”how are you?” before moving along or getting into any other subject she wants to discuss. She has been an incredible role model for the young educators in our building and continues to influence me as a teacher. There has never been a time that Jill has been too busy or too swamped to help one of her colleagues, even when someone messes up their gradebook so badly that she has to sit with them for hours. Jill has this uncanny ability to make everyone feel welcome. She receives everyone with open arms, students and staff alike. The Dale students admire Jill for her compassion, selflessness, and joy. Jill holds her students to a high standard and expects only the best from her classes. In addition to being a kind and caring teacher, Jill has the MOST school spirit. She loves Thomas Dale. She is at EVERY football game and is ALWAYS smiling. Jill inspires me to be a better educator, person, and mentor. Thank you, Jill for being you!

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 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 September's Student of the Month and submit that student's name HERE.

• 2nd Chance Breakfast. We have begun our 2nd Chance Breakfast Program. Please click HERE for directions.
  
• Enrichment Buddy. Please identify your Enrichment Buddy who will work with you on holding students as needed during Academic Enrichment. Once you have a partner, please enter your names into THIS FORM.
• Library During Enrichment. The libraries are open for students to work during academic enrichment on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Students must have a pass from the library during enrichment. This is the only time of day that we do not take passes from teachers.
• Tech Integrator Support. Please see our AMAZING Tech Integrator's support schedule by clicking HERE. Janice is a wonderful support coach to assist with high-quality instruction!
• Student Learner Profile. Over 1,300 students have completed the Student Learner Profile. You all have access to the Student Learner Profile Spreadsheet in the Essentials Folder. This spreadsheet contains VALUABLE information about our students and can serve as instructional tool to help you make decisions, build relationships, and connect with the students you teach. I encourage all Homeroom teachers to stay on top of students taking this profile survey, because there are still about 1,100 students who are not in this spreadsheet.
• Attendance. When taking attendance this year please be sure to record it in the correct block. The homeroom block is a little tricky because it does not automatically pop up for you. You will need to manually select that class to take attendance. All other blocks will look the same as in past years and will pop up for you.
• Chromebook Troubleshooting. Some issues with Chromebooks are taking longer to fix right now due to the high volume of students at the help desk. We ask for your patience with students turning assignments in by due dates.
• Knight Mentors in Morning Meeting. Beginning Monday, September 17, our Knight Mentors will join 9th Grade Homeroom groups to support the social-emotional development of our freshmen as they transition this year. Specific information will be sent to 9th grade homeroom teachers and Knight Mentor Enrichment teachers.

Each year, we have the opportunity to open our doors and classrooms to our families and to strengthen our relationships. For Back-to-School Night, we will follow an 8-period schedule, in which all who attend will go to the students' first period classes. Please click HERE for the evening's schedule. The entire night will be housed on Main Campus, so all teachers from West will be organized in the Main Campus Commons according to THESE DIRECTIONS. When Tech Center and/or Excused Block students do not have a class, they should report to the Small Auditorium.

The schedule will go through all 8 periods:

• 1st Period
• Homeroom
• 2E
• 3E
• 4E
• 2O
• 3O
• 4O

Please direct any clarifying questions or concerns to any administrator.

Teachers,

Beginning Monday, Sept 17 we will begin tracking tardies to class. Because we have pulled back on Teacher Duties, it is not feasible to run a Tardy Table. A handful of teachers assisted with developing the system we will use, explained below.

Who: Any student that isn’t in your classroom by the time the bell rings

When: Track tardies every day, every period

Why: To minimize the number of students floating in the halls without a pass once the bell has rung

How: Directions for tracking tardies can be found here - Tardy Spreadsheet

If you have any questions, please see your administrator.

Hello everyone!

This year we have TWO exciting opportunities for you to make your colleagues smile!

First, we have Secret Pals. Just by taking a few moments to fill fill out this survey, you will have the golden opportunity to make someone smile all year! There is no requirement that says how often that you should shower them with your love or how much love you need to shower them with, but we would love to see you show your love at least once every nine weeks.

Second, we have Random Acts of Kindness (RAKs). By filling out this survey, you will brighten someone’s day just ONCE this year. It could be any time from the time you get their name until June 14.

You can sign up for one, the other, or both!

Please complete your surveys before September 21. We draw names and share your pals with you no later than September 28. If you have any questions, you can ask Robin Kiku or Shana Davis.

Thanks everyone!

The SCA is committed this year to support the school in any and all ways. If you are a club sponsor and need anything, please come see me (Mr. Thompson) in 609 and we will find a way to help. If you are not a club sponsor but have an idea, suggestion, or need some help with something, also come see me. Our sense of community must grow if we are ever to achieve our hopes for Thomas Dale, the SCA is but one part of this and we are here for you. (List of SCA officers/executive board below).

For those of you who may not know--before every home football game we have a Dale-Gate! This is a great time to get to know your kids and the kids of the school. It too is a terrific opportunity to socialize with your fellow teachers and help build the morale and sense of community. We have food trucks, games, music and great people--who could ask for more?

Mark your calendars! Homecoming is the week of October 8-12 ending with the dance on October 13th! The Spirit Days and the theme are under construction. The SCA Executive Board will come up with a long list for both, and the entire school will get a chance to vote via Homeroom. The top four days will be the Spirit Days. Powder Puff signup will also come out to 11th and 12th Grade Homerooms. Important days listed below.

Days:

• Home Games:

• 9/21

• 9/28

• 10/12 (Homecoming Game!)

• 11/2

• Powder Puff: 10/10

• Homecoming Pep Rally: 10/12

• Homecoming Dance: 10/13 7:30-10pm, Commons.

SCA Executive Board:

• President: Claire Simmons

• VP: Rylee Fields

• Secretary: Kamryn Goode

• Remainder of Executive Board:

• Elliot Schoor

• Lydia Dodd

• Mikayla Fulcher

• Molly Gallagher

• Cyan Young

That is all, my apologies for the length. If there is anything SCA can do, or any questions, or anything anyone needs, just shoot me and email (Jamesm_Thompson@ccpsnet.net) or stop by 609. Thank you!

We will have our first Clubs/Activities Monday on Monday, September 24th. An email with a list of instructions was sent to sponsors of our current clubs and activities. If you were left off of the list, or if you had planned on holding a meeting, please get in contact with me (Elizabeth_Clark@ccpsnet.net) by Monday (9/17). Send me an email with your club/activity, the purpose, and which students you were hoping would attend (does not have to be specific names). If your meeting would be appropriate during this time period, I will send you the instructions for sponsors. Make sure you have a location to meet and a place to send your Enrichment students.

Passes:

1. We will have three different colored passes. If the meeting location is at Main Campus, the passes will be yellow. If the meeting location is at the West Campus, the passes will be blue. For Homeroom Representatives for the SCA General Assembly, the passes will be white.

2. If the meeting is only for current members, the sponsors will fill out the passes for the students and hand them out to the students. For SCA General Assembly, fill in student name (voted on during your homeroom), give student the pass, and have them go to the Small Auditorium at Main Campus during the Clubs/Activities Monday meeting on 9/24. Only send 1 representative.

3. If the meeting is an interest meeting for potential students, we will have passes available for the students to pick up during lunches on both campuses on Wednesday (9/19) and Thursday (9/20) and will have the students sign a list so that the sponsors will know whom to expect.

Please let Beth Clark know any other questions that you have about Clubs/Activities Mondays.

Thanks!

W!SE Pre-tests (timed test) will be administered on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 18th and 19th during the regular EPF classes.

Summer Non-WRTG Expedited Retakes Deadline has been extended to Friday, September 21st and will involve 26 students. Students will receive passes at the beginning of 1st Period and individual teachers will be notified in advance if any of their students will be testing.

PSAT: reminder that the PSAT Test Administration will be administered on Wednesday, October 10th. All 10th and 11th grade students will be given the opportunity to test. Please know that help will be needed from everyone; thanks in advance for your help. More detailed information to follow.

Career Center: Teachers of Juniors and Seniors: please remind your students about the College Visits that are scheduled. This information is updated on a regular basis and can be found on our website. Click HERE for information.

The annual Denim Drive collection originally scheduled for this weekend has been postponed due to expected bad weather.

The new collection dates/times/locations are:

• From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sept. 22-23 at the Career and Technical Center @ Hull, located at 13900 Hull Street Road
• From 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sept. 29-30 at Bird High, located at 10301 Courthouse Road

The attached flier has additional details.

Thanks for your continued support of Chesterfield County Public Schools!

I wanted to include a message from Dr. John Gordon, our Chief of Schools, regarding students who are late to school due to transportation issues.

From Dr. Gordon:

As we continue to work with our school communities with some of our transportation challenges, I want to provide some consistency for students who are tardy to school.

For students who are tardy to school due to a late bus or if a parent is bringing them to school due to a CCPS transportation issue, please do not mark these students as tardy. The parent should provide a written note or email so that each school has proper documentation.

We want to be consistent and also empathetic until all transportation challenges have been resolved.

We hope everyone has had a great first week of school, and we are sure you are already seeing positive things from our students. Here at Thomas Dale High School, we have a positive referral system. Please "write-up" students who are doing great things. On Monday, several positive referrals will be place in each teacher's mailbox and additional forms will be located in the mailroom at both West and Main. An order for an additional 2000 forms has been placed, and once these forms are in, more copies will be placed into boxes. Positive referrals are a great way to recognize students and to build strong relationships. Find a way to recognize #EveryKnightEveryDay

I will be offering mass field trip medication training in the Main small auditorium on Wednesday, 9/26 at 3pm and Thursday, 9/27 at 7am.

If you plan to take a field trip this year, make every effort to attend one of the trainings. The checklists will be valid through Summer School 2019. You will be signed off on general medication administration, all epinephrine auto-injectors, and inhaler administration.

To allow me to prepare (and save paper)...please sign up for one session on the Google form below. Each session should take approximately 45 minutes. It is an expectation that you complete the online Life Threatening Allergy Awareness & Epinephrine Training SY2019 prior to the trainings.

Access the Sign Up Form by clicking HERE.

For staff awareness- Candy Mason has been reassigned to Elizabeth Davis Middle School as the full time interim RN due to a resignation. We are hoping for an RN to be hired ASAP, and are doing our best in the meantime. Please make sure all students sent to the clinic have a pass and that you are reading your Emergency Action Plans.

Be well! ~Meg & Carla

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: September 11
  
• ILT: September 7
  
• Instructional Admin: August 20
  
• Community Partners Meeting: September 11

No known birthdays this week.

Enjoy your day!!!

Stay connected to OUR CALENDAR and mark yours!

Click HERE for our 2018-2019 meeting dates.

September 17 - Morning Meeting during Enrichment

September 17 - Faculty Meeting (West Campus Auditorium)

September 17 - Back-to-School Night (6:30-8pm)

September 18 - Academic Enrichment

September 19 - Academic Enrichment

September 19 - Principal's Advisory Council Meeting

September 21 - Student Advisory Council Applications Due (Application is HERE)

September 24 - Club/Activity Meetings during Enrichment

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

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

• August 2018
• September 2018

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