The Knight Times

Thomas Dale Faculty and Staff,

One of our teachers sent me THIS ARTICLE. Following the presentation during our faculty meeting, including the powerful video, the article was highly appropriate for me to share in this principal's message. It caused me to reflect deeply on how I enter into conflict, confront students for redirection, and deal with defiant behavior.

Full transparency (always), I do not do a great job with this. My actions, behaviors, and words need improvement in this area. I have to be mindful: Am I making this situation better or worse? Am I escalating or de-escalating? Am I worried about the perception of power? Am I leaning into the interaction with my ego? Am I focused on "winning" an argument?

My need for growth in this area is with both adults and students. And THIS ARTICLE helps to at least recognize that it's there, and for my reflection, recognizing I need improvement. When you read the article, I'd like you to add "and administrators" every time it says "teachers." We are one team, and it takes every single one of us to be on our game. I recognize how much room I have to grow; how are you at handling these situations?

Please enjoy the article - https://www.edutopia.org/article/addressing-persistent-defiance?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Enjoy!

Up-Front Summary (by day):

Monday

• Morning Meeting in Homeroom during Enrichment

Tuesday

• Normal Day

Wednesday

• Adjusted Bell Schedule for Testing (BELL SCHEDULE and LUNCH ASSIGNMENTS)

Thursday

• Normal Day

Friday

• No School

Links shared in this issue:

• TD Staff Dashboard
• KUDOS
• Job Shadow Day Information
• Teacher Duty Spreadsheet
• Tech Integrator - Janice Skipwith
  
• Genius Hour Hosting Form
• Knight's Cafe Order Form
  

#EveryKnightEveryDay

Each week, I will include writing from our students. This started as an idea to include student voice in our newsletter, and I think has the potential to be so much more. If you are interested in having your students write about their Thomas Dale experience for inclusion in The Knight Times, simply submit them to me...and I will include them.

• Mental health is immensely important in everyone’s lives, but it is more important to the lives of students. Let’s cut to the chase, school is stressful. Work, grades, GPAs, friendships and relationships, they’re all way too stressful. Why is that? It’s because we allow them to be stressful and we allow them to take over our lives, when in reality, not everything is that deep. Keeping good grades and a clean slate is important, yes, but it really does cause a downfall in mental health. Personally, as a high school senior, I allow every little detail about everything I do, stress me out and cause me to lose all sanity, and I know I shouldn’t, but I do. I just wish that sometimes teachers would allow us to have mental health days where we can come into another day of class after a really hard week, and just chill and have nice conversations with your fellow classmates. Even having mental health days off of school in general where you can just stay home and debrief from your crazy schedule and just breathe. Mental health is important, so we should treat our minds and others minds with respect and love. --Lauren Breeden

• Emotions are a tricky thing to work through alone. The thoughts will linger in the brain, but it’s difficult to determine if action needs to be taken. “Am I okay?” We’re told that it’s alright to be sad or not in the mood occasionally, but we aren’t taught when the line is crossed and that feeling develops into something serious. Depression and anxiety are reduced to temporary and exaggerated sadness or fear that can be easily overcome with some courage and advice. The neglect of these emotions can start to pile up as time goes by. All festering in a heap hidden behind a shroud of uncertainty and an uniform mask identical to everyone else’s. However, the acknowledgement of these feelings are the least worrisome aspect of mental health. It’s when the memory of them begins to fade and the pain becomes a norm of life -- that is when the line is crossed. It’s as if the body begins to work on autopilot and your own soul is no longer invested in your life. The smiles and laughter are not genuine. The spark that would brighten the eyes are replaced by flourescent lightbulbs; fake and cheap, but they get the job done. The fire that would fill the heart can be briefly ignited, but the cold that follows erases the warm memories painfully. --Please allow me to remain anonymous.

TDHS teachers show their students every day, in words and deeds, how much they care. In Our Eyes - Teacher Edition - is a way for the TDHS teachers to express, in a positive way, how much they care about their students. If you would like to send a message to the students and community at large, please complete the attached Google form. You may make your message as short or as long as you would like and in whatever format you wish: list, bullet points, paragraph, etc. You may include your name or you may remain anonymous.

Click HERE to add your voice.

Here are two more:

1. Ruth Loop

I would like my students to know that…

*Thomas Dale is YOUR school. You play the most important role in what kind of school we have. If you see a problem, be part of the solution.

*I worry about your health. Getting enough sleep and eating regular meals are essential to learning and to good health. I suspect that many of my students stay up until the wee hours and then come to school without any breakfast or lunch. Remember that the Knights in Need pantry is here for students who do not have sufficient access to food, and you can always come to see me in room 1001 for a quick snack. I also worry about smoking, vaping, or other drug use you might engage in, and what effects that will have on your learning, your growth, and the rest of your life.

*I want you to value your life as much as your parents and teachers do and really think twice (or 100 times) before texting while driving or doing drugs. The worst stories that you have heard about distracted driving and drug use CAN happen to you. You are too important to risk your life for these things.

*I worry about your mental health. I want you to know that if you are going through a hard time, that things WILL get better. If I have learned anything in my many years on the planet, it is that nothing stays the same and the way you feel about a situation today will change tomorrow. You have so much to look forward to. If you ever feel hopeless, please please please tell someone, whether it is a parent, a teacher, your guidance counselor, or even the suicide hotline. The world is a better place with you in it, even if you don’t always feel that way.

*Education is about giving you the tools to be a good citizen and giving you opportunities in life. There are people in countries all over the world who have fought for the chance to have an education, and in our own country in the past many people were not allowed to be educated or could not afford to. Please look at your K-12 education as the gift that it is. Seriously, many kids around the world wish they could go to school and be in your place.

*I hope that all of you will become readers. Reading is the major way you will learn as a student and as a citizen. It is the best way to learn new words, be exposed to new ideas, and to have your prejudices and preconceptions challenged. Mark Twain once said that “the man who chooses not to read has no advantage over the man who cannot read.”

*Whatever path you choose after high school, whether it is the military, higher education, or the workplace, I hope you have gotten the tools in high school to help you be a lifelong learner and a responsible employee (as most everyone eventually enters the workforce). Showing up regularly, being on time, being polite, and being "coachable" are all important aspects of life success.

*I care about you and want to help you in any way that I can, whether that is in being successful in my class, helping you with college, or helping you with a problem or steering you towards someone who can.

*I want only good things for you (and so do all of your teachers)!

2. Sarah Klinger

1. I love seeing you succeed. It is so much fun hearing and seeing the amazing performances you put together.

2. You humble me. You are so talented and you work so hard. You encourage me to work harder to be a better teacher for you.

3. That’s just the way my face looks...I’m not in a bad mood, I promise.

4. I like listening to you. I like when I can connect with you outside of just school. You are FUNNY! You have awesome things to contribute.

5. I have high expectations for you because I know you are capable of meeting every one of them.

6. It’s okay to have a bad day. It’s okay to feel and be human. It’s okay to cry. Or laugh. Or scream.

7. I care deeply for you. I am here for you.

8. I believe in you.

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 Steve Nigro:

I'd like to thank Ms. Spain for her kind words (some of which were true). It has been a pleasure working with her. She offers balance to my style of teaching. I would say she is the up to my down, the on to my off, the left to my wrong;)

This week I would like to recognize Mr. Sebastian Jackson as my difference maker. I do not spend any time directly with Mr. Jackson in a classroom setting but value his company more than he may realize. While I've seen many peers reference prior difference makers in this column for their direct impact on students and education, I'm citing Mr. Jackson for his ability to lift MY spirits. Having someone with which to share non work related discussions serves as a great stress reliever. We can chat about pop culture, current events, politics, or any other topic without tiptoeing around sensitive issues. The freedom to discuss any theme without the constraints of political correctness is extremely invigorating and brings a smile to my face and soul. That little opportunity to recharge my own batteries helps me face my students refreshed and ready to roll. Thank you Sebastian for lifting me up even when you did not know I may have been down.

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

Submit your nomination for March'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.

• Job Shadow Day (Information). Please click HERE for information about our first Jon Shadow Day.
• DUTY (Action). Please reference the Duty Spreadsheet HERE.
• West Campus Dismissal Procedure (Information/Action). Starting Monday, we are implementing a two tier dismissal at the West Campus. Students who ride the bus over to Main campus will be dismissed at 2:55pm and will exit through door 1 or door 4 only. Students dismissed at 2:55pm must ride a bus over to the Main campus. Students who are picked up by a parent/guardian or walk home will be dismissed at 3:00 pm and will exit through door 9 only. These students will remain in their classrooms until the 3:00 pm bell.
• Tech Integrator (Information). Janice Skipwith is a wonderful resource for high-quality instruction. Please see her weekly newsletter HERE.
  

Main and West Campus Test Information

(Short and Lewis)

Dear Teachers and Staff....I can't believe that March is here and we are off and running. For your review, all testing information is posted on the Dashboard, Testing Folder, SOLS. And, for all of you comedians out there (ha ha), the weather forecast for next week doesn't bother me at all!!! Here we go:

Chromebooks will be used for ALL tests next week and your help is needed and appreciated.....please remind students to bring their Chromebooks (and chargers) to school, fully charged, on the testing days. Upon arrival, students that are testing will report directly to their assigned testing location.

Bell Schedule: HERE. An adjusted "Testing" bell schedule will be used on both campuses on Wednesday, March 6th and March 13th. P1 begins at 11:35 a.m. Attendance will be taken in P1!!!!

Lunch Assignments: HERE. There will be three (3) lunch blocks, assigned by P1.

Scheduled tests:

• English 10 Writing SOL: students enrolled in English 10 will test on the Main Campus. Testing rooms were assigned by their English 10 teacher.
• PBA (Performance Based Assessments): students enrolled in English 9 will test on the West Campus. Students will take a "Practice Simulation" on March 6th. (Exception: some 9th grade students will not be taking the PBA). Testing rooms were assigned by the English 9 teacher.
  
• Also, some students may be testing in a different location than with their English 9 or 10 teacher. This students has been shared by Lisa Neal.
• AP Mock Exams: AP "Mock" exams will be administered on the Main Campus. Students participating have been notified by their AP teacher.

Holding Areas:

• EVEN Tech students should report directly to the Commons (Main) and depart for Tech as usual. (Attendance will be taken).
• Main Campus: Large Auditorium. (10th, 11th or 12th graders NOT testing).
• West Campus: Small Auditorium. (Emily Castle-Dunn will share a list of students that are NOT testing and these students will report to the West Campus).
• Students checking in before P1 should enter Door 10.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

SPRING LATE FEE COLLECTION is a two phase process this year.

Phase 1: Teachers will begin collecting class fees during each period on Monday, March 4.

Phase 2: Teachers complete the "student fee(s) due" pink card in their mailbox with the student's name, id#, and course code (not the class name) to send with student when paying. This card will ensure proper fee posting. Fees will be collected Tuesday, March 12 through Friday, March 15. Collection at Main will be during lunches in the Cafeteria. Collection at West will be during lunch periods in the main office.

Please encourage students to have the exact amount due as we may not be able to make change. If you did not track which students paid, there is a google doc available for reference for seniors and juniors (Sr Class Student Fee 2018-19 and Jr Class Student Fee 2018-19). We will be creating one for the Sophomore and Freshmen classes also.

Want your Activity Featured in The Knightly News ?

We need your help! If you have an interesting activity planned ... a cool science project, a performance or art happening, class presentations ... we'd like to visit your class or event, take photos or shoot video and interview both students & faculty. To let us know what's going on, use this google form link: : https://goo.gl/forms/pfCoAK5qKd4aBK7n1 It will also be posted on the dashboard under Announcements ... labeled "Form for Knightly News coverage (cool stuff you have planned).

An Update from The Knightly News, Dale’s student journalism program

Check out the online student newspaper –theknightlynews.press – for up-to-date Thomas Dale information and news. Help us promote the paper by making the URL available in your google/canvas classroom or in your physical classroom.

We started a new feature on Jan. 15 called “News You Can Use” in which we post the script from the daily morning announcements for that day, along with a quote of the day & a feature photo. If you want to find them quickly, click on the tab “K News” and you’ll find these posts gathered in one place.

You can also sign up to receive an email alert whenever we have a new post in The Knightly News. Scroll down & you’ll see the place to sign up for alerts.

Reminder from K-News, Dale's video morning announcements (produced by The Knightly News broadcast team)

If you want your event or news publicized through the morning announcements, use this link:

Morning Announcement Faculty Form

Also available in the TDHS Faculty / Staff Dashboard.

For more information on any Knightly News activities, contact Lee Bloxom at patricia_bloxom@ccpsnet.net or stop by my room, 505 Main.

THANKS !!

Prom planning is in high gear and we're right around the corner. Here are the major points of interest I can announce right now:

1. Prom will be April 12th at VSU Multiuse Center
2. We will need chaperones, so if you and your "date" can attend, please put it on your calendar. A chaperone sign-up will come mid-March.
3. Prom theme will be announced mid-March. I promise it is not Superheroes or Circus Clowns. If you are watching Twitter, I am sending Prom teasers out to generate buzz about prom theme and to build excitement. Please go with it and tease the kids along with me.
4. New this year to Prom- We will have Junior Prince and Princess, a dance competition, and best dressed.

6 Specialty Center Dance Company dancers will be representing the Specialty Center & Thomas Dale at the Virginia Dance Festival, a fundraising showcase in it's 20th year which benefits the Children's Hospital Foundation. The event is held at James River High School and will take place *this Saturday, March 2nd* at both 2 and 7pm. Over 400 dancers from 43 different dance schools, programs and companies will be participating in performances ranging from ballet to tap, cultural dance, and everything in between. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children under 12, and the event also features a silent auction. Get tickets HERE or at the door <--also get a $5 discount with the code VDF if you purchase before Thursday at midnight!

Tomorrow is Read Across America Day! Celebrate reading and Dr. Seuss! Stop by the library's photo area and share your love of reading!

On Tuesday, March 5, Maggie Thrash, the author of Honor Girl, Strange Truth, and Lost Soul, Be At Peace, will be visiting Thomas Dale High School. Students will have special passes from the library to attend her visit during enrichment period in the main campus library. Visit the library for more information.

Staff Book Club will meet on Tuesday after school in the west campus library. We will be discussing Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash and having a visit with the author.

....And the paper cutter at main is still missing.

Hi All!

GENIUS HOUR:

The next Genius Hour will be 3/25. I am starting to build the catalog. The following Genius Hour will be 4/29, so I am including the opportunity to sign up to host for that date in the same form. If you would like to host the same session both dates, mark both dates on the form. If you only want to host on one of the dates, mark which date you'd like to host. If the session will be a little different on 4/29, there is a question where you can talk about that. If you don't know if you want to host on 4/29 yet, that is fine. I will follow up later to see if you would like to add in to host a session.

Here is the Google Form to sign up for hosting on 3/25 and/or 4/29:

Genius Hour Hosting 3/25 and/or 4/29

In case you are looking to host, but don't have ideas, here are some things students have requested:

Anime/k-pop

Art at Main

Baking

Band

Baseball

Baskeball

Beginner Softball

Bob Ross

PC Building Simulator

Basic Spanish

Card Games

Coding/Technical Engineering

Coffee Talk

Cookie Decorating

Creative Writing

Cryptid

Dealing with Stress

Dental Hygienist coming to talk

HVAC/Plumbing/Electrician information

Puzzles

Drawing

Field/Ice Hockey

Gardening

Hallway Decorations

How to never go broke during high school

Jam session

Theatre Games

Improv Games

Debate

Karoake

Keyboard

Lacrosse

Magic the Gathering

Makeup

Cultural Food

3D Printing

Singing for Beginners

Learning the Spring Play

Ms. Lefon's Recycled Art

Oil Change/Working on Cars

Orchestra Skills

Photo Editing

Poetry

Prom Committee

Random Acts of Kindness

Rugby

Self-Defense

Time Management

Trivia

Wiffleball

Basketball

Something related to animals

This document will hold all information for the 3/25 Genius Hour (it will be located in the TD Dashboard): Genius Hour 3/25

WE WILL DELIVER ON THURSDAY!!!!!

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: February 26
  
• ILT: February 1
  
• Instructional Admin: February 26
  
• Community Partners Meeting: January 8
• 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

Chris Johnston - March 7

Art Blanchard - March 8

Emily Bentzen and Annett Gilchrist - March 9

Tami Marshall - March 10

Enjoy your day!!!

Stay connected to OUR CALENDAR and mark yours!

Click HERE for our 2018-2019 meeting dates.

March 1 - First Day of March...JEANS DAY!!!

March 1 - ILT Meeting

March 2 - TDHS Clean-up Day (9-11am, start at Main)

March 6 - Adjusted Bell Schedule for Testing (BELL SCHEDULE)

March 8 - No School

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

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

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