The Knight Times

Thomas Dale Faculty and Staff,

I have fallen head-over-heels in love with you, our school, our students, our community, and well...this job! I am overcome by emotion to think about what next week brings. Teacher In-Service Week has ALWAYS held a special place in my heart. My intention is to create a space for us to connect and re-connect, to celebrate, to inspire, and to set direction for the journey ahead. In this issue, I've included our schedule for the week of August 27th, so that you can begin making preparations.

This past week, our Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) engaged in a two-day retreat at Henricus Historical Park. We spent time learning more about each other, developing team unity and cohesion, diving into data, determining what we believe Thomas Dale should be, and creating action steps to begin developing our capacity to be effective instructional leaders. As part of our work in the retreat, we developed three instructional non-negotiables. This means that no matter what, no matter when, these are components that must occur ALWAYS, in every classroom. For Every Knight. Every Day. The non-negotiables will be a common thread for us; they are an expectation and a baseline (or bare minimum) for what we think of when we say, "high-quality instruction."

• Relationships
• Purposeful, collaborative planning
• Ongoing assessment and feedback

As we unpack instruction this year and work together to collaboratively co-construct a shared vision for our school, we will master and build upon our instructional non-negotiables.

Finally, with a focus on trust, communication, and RELATIONSHIPS - and the ensuing culture that results from that focus - we will start this year with a celebration in place of a traditional and typical first day of school. In this issue, I have included an adjusted bell schedule for the first day of school that will take our students to all 7 of their classes - an "ALL" day, if you will - and end with a pep rally.

If we are going to make this the most AMAZING year ever...we have to start that way!

Every Knight.
Every Day.

No matter what.

Let's DO this!

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 Davies:

The second recipient of the I Make A Difference award is someone who gives and gives without taking. She works tirelessly to ensure our building and grounds look presentable to the community, faculty, and students. Even at her age (inside joke), she will help with anything you ask, i.e. picking up the stadium and athletic fields, coming in early or staying late to help set up for events, lifting/moving heavy objects to make sure the job gets done, and "punching" out while still working. I have witnessed her countless times working outside in the pouring rain or working endless hours to help out a shift when someone is absent. She doesn't know how far her morning greeting of "Good morning, Dear" brings a calmness to the most stressful of days. Brenda Manson, YOU make a difference!

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. 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!

• Date Changes! For September, we will flip-flop our Professional Development Pathways and our Faculty Meeting Days. Our first Faculty meeting of the school year will be on September 17. The dates are reflected HERE. Also, The Admin Team will host a Meet-and-Greet for all staff on Monday, August 27, from 12:30-1:30pm. Join us in the Main Campus Commons!
• Please review our admin team duties and responsibilities chart HERE. Our admin team has grown in size; we are now rolling 13-deep, and we represent every aspect of our school. It is a good idea to bookmark this document for quick and easy reference.
• Interested in what our new teachers will be up to during New Teacher Work Week at Dale? Click HERE.
• Main Campus room keys and any textbooks delivered this summer will be available for pick up on Thursday, August 23rd.

Purpose: The purpose of Monday's work is to connect and re-connect, to get to know one another and build community, to establish a deeper understanding of each other's unique strengths and needs, to set expectations, and to dive into the components of high-quality instruction while identifying an area of focus for growth and opportunity over the course of the school year.

Breakfast (sponsored by PTSA) will be available from 7:30-8:30am (Main Campus Commons)

Welcome Back Faculty Meeting from 8:30-11:30am (Main Campus Commons)

• Opening Moves
• Compass Points and Six Points of Interest
• Meet the Principal
• What do great teachers DO?
• Expectations, Communication Plan, Leadership and Governance Structure
• Personalized Professional Development Pathways

Instructional Planning from 11:30am-3:00pm

• Lunch on your own

Admin Team Meet-and-Greet from 12:30-1:30pm (Optional)

Purpose: The purpose of Tuesday's work is to dig into the operations of our school for 2018-2019. We will use a rotation format for Nuts and Bolts, and then provide time for departments to meet with supervising administrators. Additionally, coaches and sponsors will have a meeting and luncheon and ILT will have a meeting.

Breakfast (sponsored by Kiwanis Key Club and Keyettes) will be available from 7:30-8:30am (Main Campus Commons)

Nuts and Bolts Rotations from 8:30-10am (Rooms TBD)

• Bookkeeping, Payroll
• Field Trips, Building Use, Master Calendar
• Grading
• Special Education, 504, Autism
• English for Speakers of Other Languages, High School Innovation Grant
• Clinic, School Safety, Bullying

Department Meetings from 10-11am (Rooms TBD)

• Classroom Expectations/Syllabi
• Collaborative Expectations
• Counseling
• Hallway Expectations
• Q & A, Clarification

Coach and Sponsor Meeting and Luncheon from 11am-12:30pm (Main Cafeteria Commons)

ILT Meeting from 2-3pm (Location TBD)

Instructional Planning from 11am-3pm

• Lunch on your own
  

Professional Development Day across the division. No school-based activities are planned for this day.

By now, you should have received guidance from your division-level content coordinators and instructional specialists. If not, please direct your questions to your department chair or supervising administrator.

Purpose: The purpose of Thursday's work is to build on our mindful listening practices and hone our empathy and human connection skills to develop a deeper understanding of another person's perspective. In particular, we will focus on HOW we will Know Our Kids. Through empathy interviews, we will practice mindful listening and gain insight into the Thomas Dale experience from the student perspective. Additionally, we will unpack how our initial Morning Meeting sessions will look.

Breakfast (sponsored by SCA) will be available from 7:30-8:30am (Main Cafeteria Commons)

Know Your Kids and Morning Meeting Preparation Session from 8:30-11am (Location TBD)

• Empathy and Mindful Listening
• Empathy Interviews with Students
• Morning Meeting

Freshman Orientation from 1-4pm (Locations Vary)

Dale-gate and New Parent Meet-and-Greet from 4-6pm (Optional)

Classroom Expectations/Syllabus due to supervising administrators by 3:30pm

Staff Photo at 11am on the Football Field.

Instructional Planning from 11am-1pm

• Lunch on your own
  

Purpose: The purpose of our work on Friday is to tie up any loose ends and complete preparations for the BEST first day ever! The purpose of today is to also enjoy fellowship through good friends, good food, and good fun.

Instructional Planning from 8-11:30am

• Department Appointments with Janice Skipwith for Gradebook Set-up

Faculty Meeting and Luncheon (sponsored by Herff-Jones) from 11:30am-1pm in the West Cafeteria

Instructional Planning from 1-3pm

• Department Appointments with Janice Skipwith for Gradebook Set-up

There is only one first day of school each year. This year, we will make it the best day of our students' lives! On the first day of school, we will build relationships, establish trust, open lines of communication, and connect with each other and our school. ALL teachers will see ALL of their students, and ALL students will see ALL of their teachers...on the first day! All class assemblies will be part of the first day to set the tone and expectations for an AMAZING year! To end our day, we will rock out at a PEP RALLY!!!

Let's make our first day of school count... making it all about relationships, connections, excitement, and joy! An overwhelming feeling that school really is an AWESOME place!

To do so, we will adjust our bell schedule so that students attend all 7 of their classes on the first day. Logistics regarding the day and specifics regarding the pep rally are forthcoming. This day is not an "Even" day or an "Odd" day...it's an "ALL" Day. Let's make September 4 AMAZING! Please click HERE to unlock the schedule for our first day of school!

To celebrate you and to connect with each other, Beth Clark will put a slideshow together of your summer travels and activities. Please email her a picture or two and a brief description of what you were up to over the summer.

Salutations Everyone!! We anxiously anticipate the return and arrival of our fellow Knights, veterans and neophytes alike. This year, school counseling celebrates the arrival of 3 new counselors; Mr. Ishaq Lee, Mrs. Judith “Rosalie” Mehl and TBD Counselor who will join us in the absence of Mrs. Donna Koski who has moved to CTC to pursue another of her passions in the CTE realm. To assist you in contacting our students’ counselors for the 2018-2019 school year, see the grid below.

Upcoming Dates/Events:

August 20th…return of school counselors (Counselors’ Retreat)

August 30th…New Student Orientation (Grades 10th – 12th) // Time: 10–11:30 a.m.

August 31st…School Counseling closes to public @ 10:00 a.m. (1st day preparation)

And more (stay tuned)…

We hope that each of you will continue to enjoy the remainder of your summer

break. Stay safe and relax!!

Shared leadership and effective communication are important aspects for our school. I intend to form a Principal's Advisory Council (PAC) focused on communication, climate, and morale. I would like to provide you a final opportunity to review THIS DOCUMENT that explains PAC, outlines expectations, and provides an opportunity for each of you to express interest in serving in this leadership capacity as a key communicator for our school.

The most effective way for this communication and leadership structure to work is to have representation from each department. Below are the departments that have at least one person who signed up. I invite and encourage you to take on the honor and challenge of leading our school forward!

English (3)

Math (0)

Fine and Performing Arts (2)

Science (0)

Special Education (1)

Social Studies (2)

World Languages (0)

Practical Arts-CTE/JROTC (0)

Health and PE (0)

Counseling (0)

Office Staff (0)

Clinic/Library (3)

Please let me know if you have any questions.

In a blog post last summer, I shared my thoughts on how intentional design leads to high-quality instructional delivery.

If you are interested in my thoughts about the questions that should be rolling around in your head as you plan for high-quality learning experiences for your students, click HERE. As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts and engage in dialogue regarding high-quality instruction!

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. I will just need a title, body of text to include, and a picture attachment (if you have one to add to your piece).

Justin Frashure - August 21

Chris Holtry - August 23

Braxton Byerson - August 24

Enjoy your day!!!

Stay connected to OUR CALENDAR and mark yours!

Click HERE for our 2018-2019 meeting dates.

August 20-23 - New Teacher Indoctrination Program

August 22 - Fee Night from 4-7pm (Volunteers needed)

August 24 - Next issue of The Knight Times

August 27 - Admin Team Meet-and-Greet (1-2pm, Main Commons)

August 27-31 - Teacher In-Service Week

August 30 - Freshman Orientation

August 31 - "Dale"-gate and Battle of Chester

September 4 - First Day of School ("All" Day - BELL SCHEDULE)

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

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

• Week of August 13

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

• August 2018

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