Week 17

 

Hi Team, Happy 2026...and Welcome Back...!

Congratulations on the completion of your first week of teaching in 2026!  I noticed so many good things happening in classrooms this week...a re-emphasis of expectations, routines and procedures, small group instruction, teachers up and circulating in the classroom, and interim 2 review and prep to name a few.  I truly appreciate the focus that you are all showing as we begin this half of the school year.  Everything we do now is focusing on preparing students for MSTEP. 

This is going to be a busy week as we continue to prepare for Interim 2 next week.  Hopefully, you have a great weekend and get some rest and relaxation!

Good News!

We have a couple of pieces of "good news" to share...

First of all...Congratulations to Mrs. (Avant) Doughton on her marriage.  I saw the pictures and you were a beautiful bride!  So very happy for you!

Also, we want to send a big "Welcome" to our new Interventionist/Para...Ms. Jessica Hinton.  Ms. Hinton will be working with Mrs. Doughton and Ms. Carthens will be with Ms. McDaniel full time.  We are sure blessed to have Ms. Hinton, Ms. Carthens, Ms. Miller, Mr. Griffin and Ms. Zbib providing student important and necessary student support!

Instructional Week 17

As you can see by the title of this blog, we are in Instructional Week 17.  However, rather than following the Scope and Sequence, Week 17 will be our official Interim 2 Week.  We will cover Week 17 Curriculum during Week 18.

Here is the testing schedule:

Grade Level:                Reading Interim:                 Math Interim:

3^rd Grade                   Tuesday, January 13^th             Thursday, January 15th

                                                           8:30 am - 11:00 am                1:00 pm - 2:45 pm

4^th Grade                   Wednesday, January 14            Tuesday, January 13th

                            8:30 am - 11:00 am                1:00 pm - 2:45 pm

5^th Grade                   Thursday, January 15th            Wednesday, January 14th

                            8:30 am - 11:00 am                1:00 pm - 2:45 pm

Interim 2 Procedure

Location:   In the gym

Proctor:  Rowden and grade level Deans

Desks:  Take down 30 minutes prior to beginning of testing; no academic support documents on desk

MSTEP Protocol:  No phones; iWatches; any electronics; no books; no work

Head Phones:    Rowden will provide

Timed:    ELA - 2.5 Hours    Math - 1.5 hours

Testing Accommodations:    

• Resource Room teachers will pull students (IEP and 504) to test in the Art Room
• Grade Level Interventionists will hold students until they are pulled (Lexia/Dream Box)

Lunch:

• Lunch for 4th & 5th grade will be in the classroom on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the week of January 12th and January 19th. 

Specials:

• All Specials will be on a cart/in the classroom on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday for the Weeks of January 12th and January 19th as the Gym and Art Room will be used for testing on those days.

Heads Up

Please make sure to check the following items to make sure they are up to date.

• Achievement Boards
• Moral Focus Boards
• Calendar (this should include every day of the month as it sets the pattern, not just the days we are in school)
• Number Corners Board

GLTs/03s

We will be having Grade Level Team Meetings and 03s next week.  I will have to do some flexing due to test proctoring

Winter Tutoring

Winter Tutoring (grades 2-8) begins the week of January 27th (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).  Tutoring will focus on our Bubble Students first and then parent request.  I am sending out invites next week (1/13-1/15).  

PLEASE DO NOT MENTION TUTORING IN YOUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER THIS WEEK.  I NEED TO SEND OUT THE INFORMATION FIRST.

Eating During Instruction

We are noticing an increasing number of staff who are eating in front of students during instruction.  Please make sure you cease this.  We are not allowed to eat in front of students. 

Classroom Newsletters

Please remember that it is an expectation for you to provide a weekly newsletter (via SchoolConnect) to the parents.  I need you to make sure that I am included on this, so that I receive it.

Gradebook

Make sure grades are up to date by Mondays at 8:00 am.

Progress Reports

Progress Reports need to be available for parents in the Parent Portal on Friday, January 30th.  

COMMON ASSESSMENTS

Please remember to relate to your parents via newsletter, that Thursday is our weekly test day and make ups occur on Friday if necessary.  Students need to be in attendance so that they can take these tests, as we will not provide unlimited time for students to make up missed tests.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Monday, January 12 - Staff Meeting - Safety Reboot 3:35; Vision Testing Begins - Grades 1, 3, 5 & 7

Tuesday, January 13 - Interim 2 Testing Begins - Grades 3-5

Tuesday - Thursday, January 13-15 - Specials (k-8) and Lunch (Gr. 4-8) in the Classroom; Tutoring Invites for Grades 2-8 will go out.

Monday, January 19 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Observance - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, January 20 - Interim 2 Testing Begins - Grades 6-8; K-2 Numeracy Testing Begins

Tuesday - Thursday, January 20-22 - Specials (K-8) and Lunch (Gr. 4-5) in the Classroom

Friday, January 23 - Dress Down $ 2.00.  NO DRESS DOWN COUPONS CAN BE USED

Tuesday, January 27 - Tutoring Begins 3:30-4:30

Wednesday, January 28 - Dean Day for Rowden and Rogers

Thursday, January 29 - Dean Day for Wheeler and Schofield  

Friday, January 30 - HALF DAY-FREE DRESS; DISMISSAL AT 11:00 am; Blue Ribbon Induction 8:30 am; National Junior Honor Society Induction 10:00 am; PROGRESS REPORT DAY; Staff Wing Meeting Day and Data Dig 11:30-2:30