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The Knight Times

Weekly Newsletter for TDHS Faculty and Staff

The KnightTimesWeekly Newsletter for TDHS Faculty and Staff

Volume 1, Issue 35 (Week of May 6)

Principal's Message

Thomas Dale Faculty and Staff,


Failing is essential to the learning process. In particular, failing forward toward a goal combined with coaching and feedback along the way are how growth occurs over time. Every two weeks, the full admin team looks at data during our meetings. We look at all types of different data, and during this past meeting, we looked at our 3rd grading period failure data. We agreed we needed to share this data with the full faculty. The numbers below are a summary and represent raw data, simply the number of Fs reported in the 3rd grading period.


Total number of Fs - 1,334

  • 9th Grade - 410
  • 10th Grade - 420
  • 11th Grade - 281
  • 12th Grade - 223


By Department:

  • English - 202
  • Math - 213
  • Science - 264
  • Social Studies - 207
  • World Language - 86
  • CTE - 138
  • Fine and Performing Arts - 81
  • Health/PE - 95
  • Special Education - 19


We attempted to drill down deeper into the data and found we needed more information. We believe it is important to know why the failing grades exist and to do so without making assumptions. I've asked the administrators to meet with PLCs and individual teachers to see if we can uncover why our students are failing and to ensure that it is the type of failing forward with coaching and feedback that occurs at Thomas Dale.


Enjoy!


Up-Front Summary (by day):

Monday

Tuesday

  • Jeans Day!

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

  • Jeans Day!


Links shared in this issue:


#EveryKnightEveryDay

I Make A Difference

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 Krista Devauld:

Thank you so much, Lisa Neal, for your recognition last week. You know that I could not do it without you! I would like to recognize Annett Gilchrist for the next I Make a Difference Award.


This year Annett has joined the ASOL Autism program at West Campus. She has had many challenges this year and has done a beautiful job. I have seen her working with a student in her class to de-escalate a situation and it was truly a wonderful thing to see. She implemented strategies and was able to take the student back to class ready to learn. I truly appreciate the support she has given to her students, parents, instructional aides and fellow teachers.

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Kudos

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!

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Teacher and Staff Member of the Month

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.

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Student of the Month

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.

THE EXCALIBUR: For Amazing Academics

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.

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Announcements

  • Morning Meeting Discussion (Action). During your Morning Meeting on Monday in Homeroom, please view THIS VIDEO with your students and use THIS FACILITATION GUIDE to engage in dialogue about Growth Mindset. It might be a good idea to watch the video ahead of time and look at the questions to prepare your own responses so that you are also a contributing participant in the dialogue.
  • 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!
  • (Re-Print) Class Officer Nominations and Elections (Action). Homeroom Teachers, Please ask your students on Monday 5/6 (or now through your Homeroom Google or Remind) to go to their Class’s Google Classroom and nominate someone for their class’ officerships for next year. Nomination window is open from 6 May to 9 May. Nominees announced on Friday. Elections are the week of 13 May to 16 May. Voting will take place via Class Google Classrooms. Thank you.
  • SOL At-A-Glance Calendar (Information). Debbie Short is sharing her At-A-Glance calendar for the month of May HERE. It includes the period rotations for West Campus during the Testing Block. Definitely worth checking out!
  • (Re-Print) Graduation Gowns for Faculty (Action). 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.
  • Instructional Designer (Information). Janice Skipwith is a wonderful resource for high-quality instruction. Please see her weekly newsletter HERE.

Teacher Appreciation 2019 (Information/Action)

Our time to honor, appreciate, recognize, and celebrate our teachers is here! We've worked to plan out the full week for you and have included some new twists on this year's Teacher Appreciation Week. Many, many thanks to Kirsten and Amy for pulling this one off!


We never spend enough time thanking our teachers throughout the year, and thank goodness we have a week designated on the calendar to remind us to do so. Teaching is the most honorable, fulfilling, and arduous profession. At times, it is the most thankless. Well not this week. And not at Dale!


On behalf of administration, the staff, students, and school community...THANK YOU! This year, we will also recognize and appreciate our Instructional Assistants who provide the targeted and specific support to meet the needs of our students and the high-quality service fit for a Thomas Dale Knight.


As part of the festivities, we have an electronic "SILENT AUCTION." You are allowed up to 3 bids on various items donated by the community. There are 16 items, and we will take bids for each and randomly draw the winners throughout the week. Please CLICK HERE and place your bids!


For planning purposes, here are food items for the week:

Monday - Krispy Kreme Donuts and Coffee delivered on a cart (from Administration)

Tuesday - Brownies, cookies, and a FREE meal ticket (sponsored by Chick-fil-A)

Wednesday - Ice Cream Social after school in the Main Commons (sponsored by Horace Mann)

Thursday - Bagels, pastries, and a fruit tray for breakfast (sponsored by the PTSA)

Friday - Jersey Mike's for lunch (sponsored by Herff-Jones and Administration)


We also have a few goodies we will drop in your mailboxes throughout the week.


We love you, and we appreciate you!

Short Takes (Action)

All SOL test information can be found on the Dashboard, Testing, SOL, Spring SOLS.


Reminders:

  • AP Exams begin on Monday, May 6th. A list of students that are testing will be sent daily. Please see Kevin Cook if you have any questions.
  • All testing will be on the Main Campus so students should report directly to their testing location on the Main Campus upon arrival to school.
  • May 8th: A1, A2 and Zeiters P1, 2E Geometry classes.
  • May 9th: Geometry

May 8th SOL Duty Assignments: HERE

May 9th SOL Duty Assignments: HERE


Important: Adjustments may be needed for May 8th and 9th if you have a "Monitor" duty in the holding areas on both campuses. Any changes will be sent in a separate email.


Day 1 of testing is completed!!! Woo Hoo!!!! Your help and cooperation is greatly appreciated and the most amazing part is that I don't even have to ask, you come to me and volunteer to help. We have the best "team" in the county. Thank you again!!!

One Lunch Teacher Assignments (Action)

5/8 and 5/8 One Lunch Teacher Assignments:


Teachers, please make sure to look at both dates (5/8 and 5/9) to see your assignments for One Lunch next week.



Thank you!

Genius Hour Options during One Lunch (Action)

I will be sharing the following spreadsheet with students so they can come to Genius Hour Sessions that are available. They do not need passes. You can only allow a certain number of students in (for space reasons) and you can only offer it for half of the time and then have your lunch. Please feel free to encourage students to attend your sessions and to look at the spreadsheet on Google Classroom. Make sure they know there are tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet for different dates.


Genius Hour Options during One Lunch

Underclassmen Awards Ceremonies (Information)

Our underclassmen awards ceremonies will take place on Friday May 31st. All three assemblies will take place in the main campus large auditorium. The 9th grade ceremony will be during 1st block, 10th grade during 2nd block, and 11th grade during 4th block. Each content area will choose two students to recognize at each assembly as their students of the year. Please contact Clint Patterson if you have any additional awards you would like to present.

Chromebook Collection (Information, for now)

Chromebook collection will take place on June 4th. Collection will run from 9:00 to 11:00 at both campuses. 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.

Textbooks (Information/Action)

It is time to start to think about what we want to discard at the end of the school year. We are being encouraged to dispose of any resources that are no longer being tracked in TipWeb. An audit list will be shared with department chairs once available. 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. We are being encouraged to dispose of any materials that are not on this list. Department chairs, the audit process will open up in mid May and Clint Patterson will share the list with you once he has access to it. Please remember that there is a procedure for textbook disposal and they cannot be thrown in the trash.

(Re-Print) 2018-2019 PTSA Teacher Scholarship (Information/Action)

The Thomas Dale PTSA is now accepting applications for the 2018-2019 PTSA Teacher Scholarship . We would like to encourage teachers and staff to apply for a scholarship that will help improve the educational experience here at Thomas Dale High School. The request can be for a variety of needs, including but not limited to, supplies, professional development opportunities, student projects and equipment. A total of $1000.00 is available for disbursement. The deadline for completed applications is May 15th, 2019. CLICK HERE for the application. Completed applications should be submitted to the PTSA President, Johnette Henderson, at tdhsptsa@gmail.com no later than Wednesday , May 15, 2019. Applications will be reviewed and winner selected by a PTSA committee. The award(s) will be announced at the June Faculty meeting. If you have any questions you may contact Tracy Longworth at Tracy_longworth@ccpsnet.net

(Re-Print) Exam Schedule (Information, for now)

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.

Knight's Cafe (Information/Action)

Delivery with be on Thursday this week. 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 sausage gravy.


Click HERE for the order form.

Agenda and Minutes Corner (Information)

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.


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Happy Birthday!

Meredith Byrd - May 6

Steve Davies - May 6

Laurie Gholson - May 7

Brenda Contreras - May 8

Katie Yeisley - May 10

Kim Green - May 12


Enjoy your day!!!

Is there anything you need to communicate?

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).

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Thomas Dale High School

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