Week Ahead: April 18 (reposted with a few updates)

| April 16, 2016 | Week Updates | No Comments

Spring Break was gorgeous where I was (right here in HCMC) – I hope it was beautiful where ever each of you ended up.  We are now in the fast race to the last day of school.  So much to pack into a short period of time.  Be sure to keep your planning calendar matched up with the different events that will impact student attendance as well as schedules.

Here is what’s up this week (new information has been added in blue):  For this week: Be sure to have prepared for WrAP testing (this Tuesday and Wednesday).  This isn’t something you can wing.  Make sure you understand the test administration directions (see below).

EARTH WEEK!  GIN finished the plan and the events are now added.  There are activities 3 times a day:  Morning Announcements, Advisory, and Last Block.  Let’s help support this student sponsored event.  The theme of the week is Go Green Before Green Goes.

Call for Cabinet Committee Members:  Part of the plan for summer work includes new cabinetry for classrooms.  I am looking for 3-4 volunteers to assist with developing the design for general classrooms (yes, all general classrooms will have the same design).  I will be working with science, art, and ICT for their design suggestions as well.  Please email me if you are interested.

Monday, April 18
Day 1 ABCD (Advisory)
Earth Week:  Launch Day
Happy Birthday Lisa Cuthbertson!
1:30-3:00  Admin Mtg
3:15-4:15  MS Leadership Team (Agenda to be added soon)

Tuesday, April 19
Day 2 EFGH (WrAP Testing Schedule – below)
Earth Week:  Trash Tuesday

Wednesday, April 20
Day 3 BCDA (WrAP Testing Schedule – below)
Earth Week:  Water Wednesday
3:15-4:30  WASC Home Group Meeting

Thursday, April 21
Day 4 FGHE (Advisory)
*Molly out for HS MRISA Soccer (last HS tournament for Maddie ?)
Earth Week:  Thermostat Thursday

Friday, April 22
Day 5 CDAB (Advisory; Gr 8 Human Rights Panel)
*Molly out for HS MRISA Soccer (last HS tournament for Maddie ?)
Earth Week:  Fashion Friday
4:30-6:00   Mr. Tsien’s Memorial Event (tickets required)

Upcoming (on the radar):

  • Apr 25 – Career Fair for Gr 8, 9-11am
  • May 2-3 – No School
  • May 5 – MAP Testing
  • May 6 – Mid-Quarter
  • May 9 – SISAC A Volleyball (girls away, boys here)
  • May 10 and 12 – Map Testing
  • May 13 – Early Release (Assessment PD)
  • May 16-20 – MS Spirit Week
  • May 16 – SISAC Badminton (here)
  • May 17 – SISAC B Volleyball (girls and boys away)
  • May 18 – Art Party, 3-6pm
  • May 19-22 – MRISA Volleyball (Hanoi)
  • May 24 – Gr 8 Transition Activity, 12-3pm
  • May 25 – HS Graduate Walkthrough (usually around 2:45)
  • May 26 – Drama Rehearsals (some students off schedule)
  • May 27 – StuCo Elections Assembly
  • June 6 – Grades/Comments Due; Gr 8 Promotion Ceremony
  • June 7 – Talent Show (AM); Splash Day (PM)
  • June 8 – Gr 5 Bridge Crossing (2:45?)

WrAP Testing Schedule:
8-8:10  Advisory
8:15-9:15 WrAP Testing Session
9:15-9:30  Break
9:30-10:35  Block 1 (65 min)
10:40-12 Block 2 (80 min w/ DEAR)
12:45-1:50 Block 3 (65 min)
1:55-3  Block 4 (65 min)

WrAP Testing Information:  Please be prepared for proctoring the WrAP test.  All Advisors will be doing this … it isn’t something you can just open on the spot and make happen 🙂  Please read through the manual and ensure you are ready to support your students.  Here is the information from Tina’s email:

  • WrAP will be administered on Tuesday, 19 and Wednesday, 20 April.  There is a special testing schedulefor these two days.  This will be done in advisory with advisors proctoring.
  • Day 1 – prewrite/drafting
  • Day 2 – editing/revising/final draft.
  • We will deliver the prompts and paper to you for this test.

WrAP proctoring instructions.  Proctor guide attached. The proctor site will need your login information. Once logged in, there are short videos to help you see what needs to be done.

MAP Testing:   MAP testing is May 5, 10 & 12, see the special testing schedule.  The test will be administered in your classroom with your advisory group.  Remember that there is a proctor site and the testing site for the students.  The proctor site username is your school email address.  I don’t have access to your password.   Once logged in there are several tutorial videos if you need a refresher on how to set up the testing session.  The PowerPoint used for Fall testing is available, please make a copy before modifying for your advisory group.

Reminder about Personal Leave:  Personal leave is prohibited during the last 3 weeks of the school year.  As such, the last date for personal leave is May 20th.  Also of note, the personal leave approval process was changed in November 2015.  As a reminder, from the November 2015 letter /email from Mark Sylte.  This change is effective for the 2016-2017 school year:

Changes to the personal leave day policy (an explanation):  The SSIS Personal Leave Policy was instituted under Head of School Charles Barton and later modified under Interim Head of School Ellen Stern. The reasons behind its creation stemmed from the conditions of the School and Vietnam. First, many faculty members were required to take care of issues surrounding their visas, work permits and banking in person. Second, the regulations and expectations surrounding those processes in Vietnam were quite complicated and time consuming. These conditions have changed. The professionalism and hard work of our HRD staff ensure that our faculty are rarely required to personally take care of these issues. Rather, SSIS office staff members are able to handle them for individual teachers. Additionally, the systems and regulations of Vietnam have been greatly simplified and streamlined over the past several years.
During the 2014-2015 school year the personal leave day policy was liberalized. Faculty were no longer required to state their reasons for leave requests and a “buy back” policy was introduced. Unfortunately, this has been a failure for several reasons. First, virtually all faculty now take an additional two days personal leave, often for additional vacation time, which requires the hiring of substitute teachers at great expense to the School. Second, this leave falls during the academic year of students and affects their education. For example, a high school student may lose up to sixteen classes of instruction with the personal leave days of his or her teachers. Finally, the “buy back” of personal days has been ineffective at moderating this phenomenon.
Therefore, by instruction from the Board, we are reverting back to the previous understanding of the purpose and scope of personal days. Personal leave days will only be granted on a very infrequent basis and only when a faculty member can show that the day is required to conduct business in HCMC which cannot be conducted outside of school hours.

 

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