Weekly Update: August 29 – September 2

This week the HS had a number of classroom visitors.  While Tim and I kicked off our first Learning Walks of the 2016-17 school year, groups of parents and teachers visited your classrooms for our WASC accreditation on Tuesday.  Mark, Sonia, and Thomas Galvez got to experience the privilege that Tim and I get to enjoy on a weekly basis for a data in a day WASC protocol.  Additionally, many of you will get into your peer’s classrooms in the next few days to collect data for our WASC accreditation.  There is a lot of amazing instruction to see at SSIS.  I’ve had a number of staff members approach me about wanting to get a peer walk-through protocol in place in the HS over the last few weeks.  I’ve had small groups of educators start grassroots peer walk-through protocols at my last schools.  These peer walk-through protocols are often the best PD any teacher can get.  While I believe strongly that these protocols should be peer initiated and led, Tim and I are willing to collect the names of those of you that are interested and connect you together.  Please complete the following form if you are interested in this fantastic opportunity.

Have a great weekend,

Jacob

Friday, August 26
Day 5 – CDAB
PTA Meeting 8:15 – 10:00am (Auditorium)

Monday, August 29
Day 6- GHEF
Advisory Bell Schedule (Calendar Here)

Tuesday, August 30
Day 7- DABC
University Visit: Temple, Lunch (Library)
HSLT Meeting, 3:15-4:45 (Counseling Conference Room) Agenda Here

Wednesday, August 31
Day 8- HEFG
WWW Parent Meeting, 5:00-5:45pm (Auditorium 9, HS Gym 10)
HS Curriculum Night, 6:00-8:15 (Auditorium & Classrooms) Schedule Here

Thursday, September 1
Day 9- ABCD
Advisory Bell Schedule (Calendar Here)
Birthday Celebrations, Morning Break (Faculty Room)

Friday, September 2
No School: Vietnamese National Day

On the Horizon
Grade 9 MAP Testing, September 5-16 (In Study Hall)
StuCo Dance/Social, September 9 (6:00-9:00pm)
Sunshine Plastic Chair Dinner, September 16 (4:30-6:30) More info to follow
PTA Family Fun Day, September 17 (9:00am-1:00pm)
WWW, September 18-24

Staff Action Needed

• 2016-17 Professional Goals (see below).  Complete by September 9
• Peer walk-through interest form (see intro for more details)
• Art Supply Survey (What art type supplies do you need for your classrooms?).  Complete by Friday, August 26
• Sunshine HS Block Party.  Last chance to help us find a date for our fall get together.  Complete by Friday, August 26
• Bring 500,000VND to one of the sunshine committee members (Bilal, Evan, Nathan or William).  We are at 68% (26 of 38).

HS Curriculum Night Information– Our Curriculum Night is on Wednesday, August 31 from 6-8:15 pm.  The evening will actually start for 9th and 10th grade parents and advisors at 5pm for WWW information (more below).  Here is the schedule rotation for the night.  We will not have an advisory class on this night, but will share information about it during the opening session in the auditorium to shorten the night for parents and teachers.  Here is the email communication that was sent to parents.  Remember that the main point of curriculum night is to introduce yourself and the content/standards that their students will be learning.  You only have 10 minutes and it goes fast.  There will be some food in the faculty lounge starting at 4pm for those of you that will not be returning home and staying on campus.

WWW Parent Meetings– Our 9th and 10th grade parents will be attending a mandatory meeting from 5-5:45 on August 31.  All 9th and 10th grade advisors and others traveling please come to the auditorium (9th) and HS Gym (10th).

Learning Walks Started– Tim and Jacob started Learning Walks this week.  You will receive an email with feedback from Jacob after the visit (no way to fix this with the Google Form we are using).  If Tim visits your classroom you can “forward” your response to him instead of replying to me.  Remember it is up to you how to respond to the feedback.  You can respond to the email, talk to us in the hallways, schedule a meeting, or do nothing at all.

Evaluations Starting in September– Tim and I will be starting the formal observation process with the HS staff at the beginning of September.  Our observation this fall will include a scheduled pre-conference (discuss the learning objectives & delivery of lesson and review your professional goals for the year), full period observation, and post-conference (staff self reflection and discussion with administrator).  We use the Danielson professional practice framework at SSIS like many other schools around for world.  Your designated administrator will share Google Docs with you along the way.  At our pre-conference, we will be discussing your professional goals for the 2016-17 school year.  You will need to complete this Google Form by September 9th.  Directions are on the form.

Duty Coverage– The HS staff does a head spinning amount of work wth staff and students during lunch.  If you have a teacher or student meeting or other obligation during lunch and you have a scheduled duty, it is your responsibility to find someone to switch with.  With only one duty a week, it would help the HS office a lot by taking this responsibility on as teachers.

What is Vietnamese National Day?– We all get to enjoy a well needed day off on Friday, September 1.  The actual holiday is September 2nd and it commemorates the declaration of independence from the French that had occupied Vietnam from 1887 to 1954 (minus Japanese occupation during WWII).