Merry Christmas!

As I wrap up my first semester as your principal, I must tell you how grateful I am for each of you.  You are a blessing to me!  Thanks so much for your support and encouragement this year.

One quick work note: Check your email for our lesson plan schedule for next semester.  We're not going to submit plans until the week after we get back, so we have some time to iron out any questions you may have.

I hope you have a wonderful, safe, Christ-centered Christmas!

Kerry

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

Hang in there - just one more week!

Just a couple of things to keep in mind as we head into exam week:

1. Please make sure that you keep the kids engaged in meaningful activities Monday - the natives are restless!

2. If you have students who are "on the bubble" (as Elisa Bowden likes to say!) please make sure that you have contacted the parents and made them aware of the situation.  Also, remember to document any such conversations.  It is best for everyone involved if we don't have any major grade surprises at the end of the term.  

3. I will send an email early next week outlining our lesson plan schedule for the second semester.  Don't worry - we're not going to reinvent the wheel!  I'm just going to get us on a regular schedule of submitting the plans.

Thanks, as always, for the outstanding job you do each day!

Have a great weekend! 

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has had a good week!

Here are our announcements for this afternoon:

1. Please remember that lesson plans will be turned in on a regular basis beginning in January.
2. Let’s continue to keep our eyes open for any students who may be bullied at our school. We emphasized this a good deal as we began the year, but we still need to keep our eyes and ears open. Some problems seem to be occurring around lockers, so please encourage students to keep their lockers locked and keep their combination to themselves.
3. It is very important that we all remember to post grades every second and fourth Monday. Parents expect this, and our guidance office needs up-to-date information when working with our students who are on probation.
4. Please remember our K-12 faculty meeting in Willett Hall next Monday at 3:40.

Thanks, as always, for everything you do. Keep up the good work!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good Tuesday Afternoon!

I have several things that need to be announced, but I will save most of them for next Monday when our brains are in work mode. The main thing you need to know today is to reserve a portion of Tuesday afternoon for a brief K-12 faculty meeting in Willett Hall. Mr. Neu would like to start as close to 3:40 as possible.

As we enter the Thanksgiving season, please know that I am very thankful for each of you! Your dedication to the children you teach serves as an inspiration to me every day. I hope you each have a wonderful, restful, food-filled Thanksgiving!

Here is a prayer by one of my favorite poets:

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, For love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

Thank you, teachers, for an outstanding week here at Trinity!  

A few reminders:

1. Please continue keep your grades updated on Edline every second and fourth Monday of the month.  This is becoming especially important as we are counseling students who are currently on academic probation.

2. Help us keep a keen eye out for bullying.  It is important that we prevent this in our school, and address any problems quickly and effectively.

3. Keep in mind that we will begin turning in lesson plans second semester.  I will come up with a rotation and some general lesson plan guidelines within the next couple of weeks.

Try to make it out to see our basketball team at ACA tomorrow morning.  The girls play at 9:00 and the boys play at 10:15.

Have a great weekend!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone has had a good week!

Here are our announcements for this afternoon:

1. 8th Grade Teachers: Thanks so much for your input as we have worked out our exam guidelines for this year. Please plan on having your semester exam count 10%.

2. When dealing with restroom issues in your classes, please keep in mind that our young ladies may need to be excused for personal reasons from time to time. If you have found a good way to deal with this, please let all of us know.

3. Please make sure that you are posting your tests in the Copy Room. Remember that we allow no more than two major tests per day. (6th grade teachers, I’ll get a stack of forms so we won’t run out again)

4. Please remember to complete an absence form (located in the Copy Room) and submit it to me whenever you are out.

5. Thank you for being proactive with respect to parental communication. Let’s keep in mind that we agreed to have grades posted on Edline every 2nd and 4th Monday.

Thanks, as always, for everything you do. Keep up the good work!

Reading

Check this out:

Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

Makes you think, huh?

One More Thing . . .

Before I leave Denver this morning, I would like for each of you to read what my good friend Dr. Frank Buck said about the keynote given by Jim Collins at our conference.  We will be talking a good bit about how to move our very good school into the great column throughout the remainder of the year, and the ideas presented by Collins will provide our framework for doing that.  You can find out more about Jim Collins and his leadership/improvement ideas at his website.

You can access Dr. Buck's post by clicking here.  In fact, while you are at it, I strongly encourage you to subscribe to his blog.  His time management techniques literally changed my life.

See you tomorrow!

PS - If you haven't already done so, please read the blog post below.

The Friday Memo

Greetings from the "Mile High City!"

As I compose this post, I can look out my 15th floor window and see a sunset view of the Denver skyline, with lights twinkling in the windows of the buildings, and activity on the 16th Street Mall as the Friday night life gets underway. All of this is shrouded by the beautiful, snow-capped Rocky Mountains.  And to top it all off, the weather has been beautiful!  Would you believe that I waited on the tarmac in Montgomery while the wings of my airplane were de-iced, only to arrive to 72-degree sunny weather on the ground in Denver?  Needless to say, I got in a little sight-seeing after settling into my room Wednesday afternoon!

I can't wait to share with you the many things that I have learned at this conference.  So far, I have attended clinics on time management and organization, brain research as it relates to middle school kids, writing across the curriculum, how to conduct meaningful classroom observations, integration of technology into the curriculum, and how to make any needed cultural changes in a school.  All of this, and I have three more classes tomorrow before the closing session.

The highlight so far was getting to hear Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, talk about how to move a middle school into the "great" category.  We have so much going for us, I know that we can be absolutely stellar!

Folks, I can't tell you how thankful I am and how thankful we all should be that we are at Trinity.  Many of the teachers and administrators I have been around this week are in very difficult circumstances.  Sometimes, their difficulties are caused by overbearing government regulations, standards, and incessant testing.  Other times there are socioeconomic factors that complicate the teaching process.  Classroom management is tough for many, and most feel as though the parents don't really care.

I have spoken to principals who were so frustrated about their lack of technology that I felt embarrassed when I had to honestly answer their questions by telling them we have fifty SmartBoards on our campus.  For most of these people, an Apple Mobile Laptop Cart is a pipe dream.  And, quite frankly, 90% of the people I have met would drop dead of shock if they saw how well behaved our students are.

This weekend, take a few moments to pause, clear your head, and thank the Good Lord that He has placed you at Trinity, given you wonderful facilities and resources, supportive teammates, and great kids.  When parents want to know about the progress of their children, be thankful that they are interested and work with them.  Then come back refreshed Monday morning ready to make a difference in some lives.

Do I sound pumped?  You bet!  And I have good reason.  There is nothing like getting away for a few days only to realize that there is nothing standing in the way of your school being absolutely OUTSTANDING. Let's make it happen!

You guys are THE BEST!  I'm looking forward to seeing you again Monday morning!

Have a great weekend!

PS: You can see a TeacherTube report on the opening day of this conference by clicking here.

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

Be sure to congratulate the following art students who received awards last night from the Montgomery Advertiser’s “Design an Ad” contest: Madison Cornett won 2nd place in the 4-6th grade category for her ad designed for McPhillips and Shinbaum, LLP, of Montgomery. Mary Elizabeth Newman won 3rd place in the 7-9th grade category for her ad for Hardee’s Restaurants. Both students received US Savings Bonds as a prize.

Of the 1,202 students who entered the contest, 150 were from Trinity. Considering these numbers, we should be very proud of Mrs. Bricken and these two talented students!

I should also mention that Josey Aughtman, a 5th grader in our Lower School, had her ad selected for publication by Southern School and Medical Uniforms. Way to go Josey!

You can access a full article detailing the “Design an Ad” contest by clicking here.

Here are a few important reminders as we go into the weekend:

1. Please remember to check attendance each period. If a student is missing and is not listed as absent, please press the call button in your room and notify the front office.
2. I hope to have a State Course of Study ready for each of you by Tuesday. When you get these, please begin using them as a reference for the content of your courses. Also, please remember that we agreed to begin turning in lesson plans as of the second semester. It is important to begin thinking in that direction even now.
3. Classroom visits by department chairs and myself are well underway. Some will be quick drop-ins, while others will last longer.
4. Please remember that we will have a joint chapel service with Eastwood School on October 30. The schedule will be posted throughout the school.
5. I will be out of town next Wednesday – Friday attending the National Middle School Association Conference in Denver. I look forward to sharing many exciting things with you when I return!
6. Please remember our K-12 faculty meeting immediately following carpool this coming Monday. This meeting will be held in Willett Hall.
7. Remember to make sure that you clear any field trips with the administration prior to giving out any information regarding the trip. If any middle school students are involved, I need to be informed ahead of time. I may be aware of potential conflicts that are unknown to you.
8. Please remember to cut off your SMART Board projectors if you are going to be out of the room for an extended period of time. These bulbs are very expensive, and we need to make them last as long as possible.
9. Thank you for your feedback concerning hall passes. The faculty is pretty much evenly split on this issue. We will keep things as they are now, and I’ll share an idea with you when we get a chance to meet together as a division in a couple of weeks.
10. For your information: Students may distribute birthday invitations at school ONLY if they are giving one to everyone in their grade. Please help me keep an eye on this one!

Thanks once again for a great job this week! Have a wonderful weekend!

Blog Examples

Good Afternoon!

Here is a site that might inspire you if you've ever thought of hosting a blog site. In any event, it is always fun to see what others are doing in the field of education.

Have a great day!

PS - Thanks to Dr. Frank Buck for passing this site along!!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

Thanks so much for your professionalism and cooperation as we administered our battery of standardized tests this week. We will be using the data obtained from these assessments to drive our second semester curriculum and to shore up our academic weaknesses. More information on how we will go about doing that later.

Here are a few important reminders as we go into the weekend:

1. Please remember to check attendance each period. If a student is missing and is not listed as absent, please press the call button in your room and notify the front office.
2. Your State Course of Study books should be here soon. When you get these, please begin using them as a reference for the content of your courses. Also, please remember that we agreed to begin turning in lesson plans as of the second semester. It is important to begin thinking in that direction even now.
3. Please be prepared for classroom visits by your department chair as well as myself. I will be making frequent visits to your classroom throughout the year, and at times I will only stay for a minute or two. These visits serve to help me keep my finger on the pulse of the school, and provide assistance to you as needed. They are not in any way intended to be “gotcha” visits, so there is no reason for concern or alarm.
4. Although we have made the decision to have our own Middle School chapel services, we will, from time to time, participate in joint services with Eastwood School. One such occasion will occur on October 30. Mr. Yohn has already emailed a class schedule for that day.
5. Remember to make sure that you clear any field trips with the administration prior to giving out any information regarding the trip. If any middle school students are involved, I need to be informed ahead of time. I may be aware of potential conflicts that are unknown to you.
6. If a parent approaches you about taking tests early in order to accommodate a check out, please remind them that they must clear all “family trip” absences and check-outs through my office at least one week prior to the absence.

Thanks once again for a great job this week! Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

I know everyone is looking forward to our three-day weekend, so enjoy!

Please remember that we start the week with testing, so double-check your assignments.

See you Tuesday!

The Friday Memo

Happy Homecoming Friday!

First of all, a very big THANK YOU for helping us navigate the craziness that is Homecoming week!!! I appreciate your patience and good school spirit.

Just a few things:

1. Please plan on a Middle School faculty meeting Monday immediately following carpool in Kathy Pirtle's room. We have only a few things to discuss, so I'll do everything possible to keep the meeting brief.

2. Keep in mind a few upcoming events: 1) Members of our choral department (including myself) will be traveling to Atlanta on a field trip next Thursday. We will be gone the entire day. 2) October 13 is a school holiday. 3) Testing will begin upon our return to school Tuesday, October 14. Please begin emphasizing the importance of standardized testing as we go through next week.

3. Plan on a k-12 faculty meeting on Monday, October 20.

4. I am ordering a State Course of Study for each of you. We will discuss these, along with some other curriculum items, when we meet Monday.

Please keep the lines of communication open, and continue to let me know how I can help you.

Thanks, as always, for your dedication, professionalism, and friendship!

Have a great weekend!

Trivial Pursuit

This article, written by Jamie McKenzie, examines the differences between trivial questions which hold little meaning for students and those questions requiring critical thinking skills.

Bloom's Taxonomy

Here is a great site listing verbs, sample questions, and potential activities for each hierarchy of Bloom's Taxonomy.

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

I hope your Friday has been a good one!

Before I proceed with our announcements, I want to thank you for the professionalism that each of you has displayed in the aftermath of Wednesday's chapel. I know that you were put in the position of answering some awkward questions without any warning, and you handled the situation beautifully. I'm so glad to be a part of your team!

1. Homecoming festivities begin next week, so things will definitely be different around here. Don't hesitate to guide me through the process as this will be my first Trinity Homecoming experience. Please encourage our kids to enjoy the planned events while keeping in mind our expectations.

2. Please remember that parent contact and good communication are essential to the success of a school. Studies show us that the single most important factor in school success is parental involvement. Let's do our part to be proactive with respect to partnering with our parents in the education of their children.

3. Now that we have the school year up and rolling, I will be visiting your classrooms more often. These early visits, or "walk-throughs," are for me to get a feel for what is going on in our middle school and will, for the most part, be unannounced. I will let you know when evaluation visits are coming, and you and I will have the opportunity to speak before and after such visits.

Thanks again for your hard work, dedication, and professionalism. Thanks most of all for putting the kids first!

Have a wonderful weekend!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

Due to our lengthy faculty meeting Monday, I don't really have any points other than this:

1. Have a great weekend.

2. You are a much loved and appreciated Faculty!!

See you Monday!

PS - If my tired brain thinks of anything else, I'll add it this weekend, so you might want to check back here Monday morning!

"Jeopardy!" Games and Other Fun Stuff

Check out these fun SmartBoard and PowerPoint sites for educators. Hopefully you can use some of these resources in your classrooms.

Great SmartBoard Site for Science Teachers

If you teach science, you may want to take a look at this SmartBoard site dealing with the phases of the moon.

Have a good Wednesday!

Remember What I Said About Brain Research?

In yesterday's faculty meeting, we talked some about brain research and how we can utilize it with respect to teaching and assessment. The Dallas Morning News has published this article, well worth the time taken to read it, that discusses some exciting developments in this area.

Have a good day!

RSS Feeds

Good Afternoon!

It has been brought to my attention that some of you are having trouble getting this blog in your email inbox via RSS. I posed this problem to Dr. Frank Buck, a fellow administrator and friend. His response appears below. I hope it helps!

For parents who use Outlook, the program I use is called intraVnews. It’s free and can be found here: http://www.intravnews.com/ The RSS feeds go directly to e-mail. To me that’s the easiest thing since people are going to check their e-mail anyway and they are automatically going to get the RSS stuff without even having to think about going anywhere else.

As far as something web based, Bloglines is good. (http://www.bloglines.com) You set up a free account, add your feeds, and each time you visit, you click on the feed and you will see everything that has been posted since last time you checked. Hope this helps.

Have a great day!

The Friday Memo

Hello, Teachers --

Here is an abbreviated Friday Memo. I'll update with more info over the weekend:

1. Please make sure that you are posting test to the calendars and that you are posting grades to Edline every other Monday.

2. Although we have chaperones for tonight's "Blue Jean Bash," you are welcome to attend, even if for just a few minutes. The kids will get a kick out of seeing you there!

3. We will have our first faculty meeting Monday afternoon immediately following carpool. Location TBA.

4. Thank you for the professionalism you are displaying with respect to parental communication. You are a valued and appreciated faculty!

Please keep Sandi Faulkner in your prayers. She capped off a really tough week with a kidney stone and has spent the day today in the hospital.

Have a great weekend!

Great SmartBoard Article

Check out this blog post outlining ten effective ways to use your interactive whiteboard.

Have a great Thursday!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

We have just a few announcements this week:

1. Please make sure that you are posting tests to the calendars in the teacher workroom. I will post these to the parent blog each Friday.

2. If you have not already done so, please submit your goals to me as soon as possible.

3. Please remember that teachers are required to have grades posted the second and fourth Monday of each month. The first required posting is Monday, September 8.

4. Please remember that I will be happy to sit in on any scheduled parent conferences. Parents are being encouraged to schedule these conferences through the Guidance Center rather than approach you in your classroom after school.

Next Week at a Glance:

Monday -

5:00pm - MS Football vs. MA (Home)

Tuesday -

4:30pm - MS Volleyball @ Catholic

Wednesday -

Chapel - Activity Schedule

Thursday -

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. MA (Home)

Friday -

7:00pm - Varsity Football vs. Lafayette (Home)

9:00pm - 3rd Half Activity for Middle School (Sponsored by the YMCA)

Heads Up! Week of September 15:

Monday, 9/15

5:00pm - MS Football vs. Catholic (Home)

Tuesday, 9/16

Noon Dismissal (Upper School College Day)

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. St. James (Home)

Thursday, 9/18

4:30pm - MS Volleyball @ Prattville

Friday, 9/19

7:00pm - Varsity Football @ Dadeville

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Philippians 4:4

Have a Great weekend!

Congratulations Miss Head!

Most of you probably know by now that Miss Head had a pretty exciting afternoon today! Scott Dudley, dressed as our Wildcat, proposed to Miss Head during her 7th period class. What a way to end the day!

I have more pictures posted here.

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

I hope you have had a good week.

Here are just a couple of important announcements:

1. PLEASE make sure that you are posting tests to the calendars in the teacher workroom. I will post next week's tests to the parent blog at about 3:45 this afternoon. As of this writing, there are no tests listed for 7th grade, which is fine if that is in fact true.

2. If you have not already done so, please submit your goals to me as soon as possible.

Next Week at a Glance:

Monday, September 1: - Labor Day

Tuesday, September 2:

5:00pm - MS Football @ ACA

Wednesday, September 3:

Picture Day

Thursday, September 4:

5:30pm - MS Volleyball @ St. James

7:00pm - Varsity Football @ BB Comer

Heads Up! Week of September 8:

Monday, September 8:

3:45pm - K-12 Faculty Meeting

5:00pm - MS Football vs. MA (Home)

Tuesday, September 9:

4:30pm - MS Volleyball @ Montgomery Catholic

Thursday, September 11:

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. MA (Home)

Friday, September 12:

7:00pm - Varsity Football vs. Lafayette (Home)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12: 1

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Blogging in the Classroom

Happy Hump Day!

We have two teachers (that I know of) here at Trinity who are using blogs with their students. Christy Colee is using this blog primarily as a parental communication tool, while Emily Head is using this blog as an interactive tool with her students. In fact, Emily had her students posting to her blog using the Mac mobile laptops this morning.

As we begin our times of professional development together, I will be happy to show you how to create your own blog and use it in your classroom. I must warn you, however, it can be addictive!

Have a great afternoon!

Mac Lab

Here are some pictures of Whittington McLemore using our wireless Mac lab today. I encourage you to give this a try. Your kids will love it!

Communication is Key

Teachers,

I have already had some of you stop by to let me know that you are concerned about the progress of certain students, and have contacted their parents accordingly. Let me encourage all of you to be proactive with respect to parent communication. It is much better to let parents know that there is a potential problem than to let things fester to the point of frustration for all involved. Once you have made contact, please remember to document, document, document!!

Additionally, I will be happy to speak with any students who are not applying themselves in your classroom. We have bright kids here, so I'm sure some just need a gentle nudge in the right direction.

Don't forget to let parents know when their children do well. Time invested in positive communication could reap great rewards when problems arise later on.

Keep after it -- you're doing a great job!

September 5

Teachers,

I realize that next week is a short week. However, please try your best not to schedule a major test for next Friday, September 5. Our varsity football team is traveling to Sylacauga to play BB Comer, and I am sure that many middle school siblings will make the trip. The reality is that students will be attending school Friday after a late evening.

Please take this into consideration when planning your major assessments next week.

Also, Thanks for your assistance this morning with the severe weather. You are the best!

The Friday Memo

Happy Friday!

Thanks for a great start to the school year! You have done an absolutely fantastic job of helping us set the tone for a successful year - now let's work hard to keep the momentum going!

Here are some general announcements:

1. Please remember that we should never dismiss students from a class before the bell rings. Please continue to make sure that your classes are supervised at all times.
2. Absence forms are available in the Copy Room. These must be turned in to my box when you are absent for any reason.
3. The deadline for PTO teacher requests is Friday, August 29. Please submit your request to Mr. Neu.
4. Please make sure that you are posting tests to the calendars in the teacher workroom. I will begin posting these to the parent blog next Friday.
5. Remember PTO Open House next Tuesday evening. This will be a good opportunity to explain your classroom management plan to parents.
6. Remember that we have a fire drill Monday morning. This will be the only announced fire drill of the year. It is important that you remind your students of all emergency procedures periodically throughout the year.
7. Remember that we have a Pep Rally next Thursday. Notice that we will be running a special pep rally schedule and not our typical activity schedule.
8. I understand that it is a bit of an inconvenience, but please make sure that your classroom doors are closed and locked during the school day. The safety of our students needs to be our primary concern.

Next Week at a Glance:

Tuesday, August 26

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. MA (Home)

7:00pm - PTO Open House

Thursday, August 28

Pep Rally (Special Schedule)

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. Prattville (Home)

5:30pm - Tailgate Party

7:00pm - Varsity Football vs. St. James (Home)

Heads Up! Week of September 1:

Monday, September 1

Labor Day - NO SCHOOL!

Tuesday, September 2

5:00pm - MS Football @ ACA

Wednesday, September 3

School Pictures

Thursday, September 4

5:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. St. James/Kinston @ St. James

7:00pm - Varsity Football @ B. B. Comer

Kathy Pirtle has a quote on her classroom wall that is one of my favorite. Let's keep these words in mind as we approach our work each day:

"Nothing great was ever achieved without ENTHUSIASM!" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a GREAT Weekend!

Email Trouble

Teachers,

I am aware that some of you are still not receiving emails here at school, while they may be showing up on your computer at home. I have posted a notification to parents on my Principals' Blog explaining this.

We'll try to fix this problem as quickly as possible.

Pep Rally

Teachers,

There has been some confusion as to whether the Middle School is invited to the first pep rally of the year on August 28. The good news is WE'RE INVITED! Hopefully our kids will enjoy it.

On a similar note, I encourage you to try to make it to some of our Middle School athletic events - even if for just a few minutes. The kids notice when you are there, and it means so much to them. In fact, our volleyball team plays Catholic today at 4:30 in the Old Gym. Stop by if you can!

Smart Board Resources

Teachers,

I have enjoyed visiting your classrooms this week. You are all doing such an outstanding job! I have noticed the use of the Smart Board among our teachers and have found some resources that you might like.

Click here and you will be directed to a blog post where some "expert" Smart Board users have provided resources for the classroom. These lessons cover the entire K-12 area, so you may have to do some hunting for your particular grade level and subject. However, I believe you will find it well worth your while.

Please feel free to experiment with the use of our interactive whiteboards. They really speak the language of our children: technology and visual appeal.

Have a great day!

Forms, Forms, Forms

Teachers,

Please remember that we have some "opening of school" forms that need to be turned in to the office. You will see a specific list of these in last week's Friday Memo.

Please remember to turn these in after they have all been collected and placed in alphabetical order. Also, please remember to keep a good record of who has and has not returned these items.

I hope your week is a good one!

Friday Memo Correction

Teachers,

You only have to sign out/in when you leave campus for some reason during the day.

I hope you have a WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

The Friday Memo

Middle School Announcements:

1. Please remember to have your evaluation goals to me by Friday, August 29.
2. Test sign-up sheets are located in the Copy Room. Please consult these sheets when planning your tests. You must place your test date/subject on this sheet. There can be no more than two (2) major tests on any given day in the Middle School.
3. Please remember to wear your ID badges daily.
4. There are sign-in/out sheets in the office -- please use them daily (despite what I may have said during in-service).
5. Next week, let's remind students that they may only eat in Willett Hall or outside during break.
6. For the most part, the kids are doing well with dress code issues. the key here is to present a united front and point out any problems (especially un-tucked shirts) immediately.
7. Along the dress code line, there seems to be some confusion regarding which girls' shirts may be tucked in and which may be worn out. We will settle on this among the administrative staff (that's my way of saying "Let me talk to the ladies in the office . . .") and possibly follow up with a "fashion show" for teachers and students to clarify the issue.
8. Remember to give $20 toward the hospitality fund. You may make this payment in the Business Office.
9. Faculty meetings begin September 8 and will include the following rotation each month:
First Monday - K-12
Second Monday - Middle School
Third Monday - Departmental Meetings
Fourth Monday - Professional Development
Fifth Monday - Off
10. You are such a professional faculty! We're off to a great start -- now let's keep it up!

Next Week at a Glance:

Wednesday, August 20

Classroom Management Plans due to Coach Rags

Thursday, August 21

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. Catholic (Home)
Come out and support our girls!

Saturday, August 23,

MS Volleyball Capital City Jubilee
Time & Location TBA

Heads Up! Week of August 25:

Tuesday, August 26

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. MA (Home)

7:00pm - PTO Back to School Night (6-12)

Thursday, August 28

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. Prattville (Home)

5:30pm - Tailgate Party

7:00pm - Varsity Football vs. St. James (Home)

Friday, August 29:

Evaluation Goals Due

" . . . he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

Have a GREAT weekend!

We're Making News!

Teachers,

Check out this blog site and you'll find a neat article about our Middle School blogs here at Trinity. Frank Buck is an organizational "guru," and has been my primary mentor in the area of educational leadership. I highly recommend his blog for great tips on getting and staying organized. He has also published a book that is a tremendous help as well.

We'll be talking some in faculty meetings on how we can implement some of Frank's ideas here.

I hope that your first week is going well!

Keep up the good work!

First Day Announcements

Teachers,

Thanks for your attention in faculty meeting today. I also appreciate some of the excellent feedback that you have given me regarding some of our policies, etc.

I forgot to mention a couple of things (see, I told you I would!):

1. When taking up forms from your students, please do not send them to the office until you have a form from everyone. Also, please help the office staff by putting the forms in alphabetical order before they go to the front office. It is most important that we get back everything we give out, so please keep good records.

2. I failed to mention dress code, but let's be sure to get on that from the get-go. If we all are consistent in reminding our kids to keep those shirts in, from day one, we can keep a handle on this one.

3. Let's meet in Kathy Pirtle's room for just a few minutes tomorrow after the dust settles to debrief and give me an opportunity to go over anything that I have missed (I'm sure there will be something). I promise -- I won't keep you long!

4. One final thing - The new teachers who attended my classroom management seminar last Friday will receive CEUs. The form should be in your box. Please fill it out and return it to Diane Berney (you might want to make a copy for yourself as well).

Remember - You never get a second chance to make a first impression. If we get this year started out right, and remain consistent and unified, we'll have a great school year.

Thanks so much for all you do!

The Friday Memo

Teachers,

If you've been on campus this week, you've noticed the "buzz" in the air as we quickly approach the first day of school. Our 6th and 7th grade students now have their lockers, and the Wildcat Girls did an outstanding job of helping them find their classes. Our new teachers have been participating in orientation and seem excited about getting started next week.

Here are a few reminders as we approach the first day of school:

1. If you have not already done so, please remember to stop by the Business Office to pick up your PTO monetary gift. I'll be happy to pass along thank you notes to the appropriate people should you feel moved to write one.

2. Please check your class schedule carefully and make sure you have enough desks/chairs in your classroom. Due to some unavoidable conflicts, we have a few classes that are larger than we would like. We want to make sure we don't spring desk/chair requests on our outstanding maintenance staff at the last minute.

Next Week at a Glance:

Monday, August 11:

8:00 Continental Breakfast, Devotion, and No More Bullies Discussion - Fine Arts Hall

10:15 No More Bullies Discussion Groups (k-12)

12:00 Board Lunch - Fine Arts Hall

1:00 - 3:00 Work in Rooms

Tuesday, August 12:

7:45-8:30 PTO Back to School Breakfast and Devotional - Fine Arts Hall

9:00 Middle School Faculty Meeting (Location TBA)

11:30 Departmental Lunches

12:30 - 3:30 Work in Rooms

Wednesday, August 13:

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL (Ready or not!) - 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Thursday, August 14:

6:30pm - Pre-Season Football Scrimmage

Heads Up! - Week of August 18:

Thursday, August 21:

4:30pm - MS Volleyball vs. Catholic (Home) Come out and support our girls!

Saturday, August 23:

MS Volleyball Capital City Jubilee - Time and Location TBA

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us - Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)

Have a Great Weekend!

The Friday Memo

Teachers,

This is the first installment of what you can come to expect each Friday. "The Friday Memo" will include some "Middle School-specific" announcements as well as a look at the next two weeks. If I come across a link or two that I think would interest most of you, that will be included from time to time as well.

Announcements:

1. "Request for PTO Funds" forms will be handled the same as last year (ask a veteran teacher about this if you are new). You may pick up a form in the Business Office, and all requests will be returned to Mr. Neu. Please note that these requests for the first semester are due no later than Friday, August 29. I'll post some further reminders along the way.

2. All teachers are reminded to stop by the Business Office after August 6 to pick up your PTO monetary gift. This gift is provided to assist you with classroom preparation. It might be a good idea to send a thank you note to the PTO for their generosity. Should you decide to write such a note, I'll be happy to get it to the appropriate person for you.

Next Week at a Glance:

Please Note: This is a list of "events of note" for the next couple of weeks. You are not required to attend each of these events. For example, teachers are not required to attend the locker days, etc. This weekly announcement is designed to keep all of us"in the know" with regard to school functions and events. I hope you will find it to be helpful.

Monday, August 4:

--New Family Ice Cream Social (FAH) 7:00 p.m.

Tuesday, August 5:

--6th Grade Orientation/Locker Day (FAH) 10:00 a.m.

Thursday, August 7:

--Teachers may begin picking up PTO gift money in the Business Office

--New Teacher Orientation - Post next week will include specific times

--7th Grade Orientation/Locker Day (FAH) 10:00 a.m.

--New Student Orientation (FAH) 11:30 a.m.

Friday, August 8:

--New Teacher Orientation - Post next week will include specific times

"Heads-Up!" - Week of August 11:

Monday, August 11:

--Teacher In-Service

Tuesday, August 12:

--Teacher In-Service

Wednesday, August 13:

--FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! (Half-day)

Thursday, August 14:

--Football Pre-Season Scrimmage - 6:30 p.m.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men. Colossians 3:23 (NIV)

Have a GREAT weekend!

Supply Lists

If you have not already done so, please get a copy of your supply list for this year to me at your earliest convenience.  Our plan is to get these posted online before the upcoming tax-free weekend.

Welcome!

Welcome to the information site for Middle School teachers and staff at Trinity Presbyterian School in Montgomery, Alabama.  This blog will be used as a primary communication tool, and will be updated frequently.  Please subscribe to posts via RSS, or bookmark this page as it will become a vital link to important information and events daily.