Friday, April 8, 2022

WHS Staff News - Heading into Spring Break



Spring Break ... here we come! I hope everyone gets to enjoy some time off.  If you are going away have a great time, if you are staying local then just enjoy the time and relax!  I am off to Disney to have a MAGICAL time! I will relax when I get back! 

Construction Update: 
Things are starting to move along.  You might have already noticed more construction people around, then will only increase over the next few months.  The sequence of the work should be locked in over the next few weeks which I will share with everyone when it's set.  The contractor who was awarded the bid, thinks he can move the timeline along quicker then what was presented.  That would be amazing if possible, but we will see.  Supply chain issues was a big worry a few months ago, but according to the contractors we are in much better shape and they don't expect any major delays. 

Student Council Sprit Week take two! 
April 18th through April 22nd:
Spirit Week
Monday — Beach Day/Snowcone Monday
Tuesday — Dress Like A Teacher Day - Best Teacher Outfit Wins Prize (Teachers Dress Like Students)
Wednesday — White Lies Day
Thursday — Color Wars
Friday — Crazy Day (Shirt, Socks, Outfit)

**Sprit Rally will be Thursday, 4/21 at 2pm (Period 5).

Upcoming Events 
Bring your Child to Work Day - April 28th (Save the Date)
I could use some help in organizing the day so if anyone wants to help out please let me know.
 
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Tuesday, February 22, 2022

WHS Staff News - Week of 2/22/22


If you believe in things like certain dates matter, this might be one of those days ... 2/22/22.  Might be a good day to play the lottery! lol

I hope everyone had an enjoyable long weekend! March is coming quickly and hopefully, there will be some nice Spring-like weather here before we know it.  I don't know about you, but these cold temperatures are starting to get to me.  

Here are a few updates: 

State Testing Change for the NJGPA
My plan to test in the morning and afternoon for NJGPA is not allowed by the NJDOE. I tried! So the new plan is we will be testing for 4 straight mornings instead of 2 during the week of March 14. All other grade levels will follow a normal schedule. Penny is in the process of updating the proctoring schedule. Donna will update the Google Calendar. 

HIGH SCHOOL TESTING CALENDAR 21-22 SY 

AM Testing Only 8 - 9:55am (Approximately)

Tuesday, 3/15 - Day 3 (ELA Unit 1)
Wednesday, 3/16 - Day 4 (ELA Unit 2)
Thursday, 3/17 - Day 1 (Math Unit 1)
Friday, 3/18 - Day 2 (Math Unit 2)

Blog for parents - State Testing 

Senior Cut Days - FYI, I sent this to senior parents this morning:
Senior Parents/Guardians,

Over the last two weeks we have had two days where a large majority of seniors have taken the day off. Parents call the school letting us know that their child is taking part in senior cut day. Senior cut day is not an excused absence and is not something the school condones.

I understand the right of passage that seniors feel they are entitled to a senior cut day, but not multiple days throughout the year. We have an attendance policy that will be enforced and these days are not excused absences.

Keeping seniors motivated and on task as we head to June is always something we deal with. In the past when parents and the school work together on emphasizing the importance of finishing the school strong, we have seen great success.

There are a lot of senior events that will be coming up over the next few months and I don’t want any student to miss out because of attendance issues.
Heart Screening 
Heart screening will be done this year on Wednesday, 3/23 - Friday, 3/25.  This service will be offered to all 9th and 10th graders for free because of the Sean Fisher Memorial Foundation. More details will be shared with the students/families later this week. 

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Monday, January 10, 2022

WHS Staff News - 1/10/22



Finding the joy and purpose in the present moment. Yes, things are a mess right now with teacher's being out because of COVID-19, students absences, quarantine lists and the list goes on and on but lets try to find the joy. Use your time and energy to bring joy and smiles to yourself and others. We are all dealing with this pandemic, let's try to make the best of the moments.

Schedule change for Friday, 1/21. We will make up Friday's snow day (Day 3) and eliminate the all classes meet that was scheduled for 1/21. I believe most staff members are not fans of the all classes meeting anymore. Donna will update the calendar. 

For the month of January there will be no working Wednesday's.

PD Day on Monday, 1/17: Dianna and I will be posting the schedule this week but most of the time will be used for curriculum work. No new big incentives, just some collaborating, writing, organizing and using the time wisely.

If you did not receive an email or phone call on Thursday night (delayed opening) and/or Friday (school closing) please let Donna know.

Reminder - End of the 2nd marking period is, Friday 1/21. Laurie Cassidy will be posting the timeline for the second marking period grade submission. Make sure Gradebook is up to date.  It saves stress at the end of the marking period for you and the students.  Make sure you are communication with parents and they are aware of any struggles. 
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Tuesday, November 16, 2021

WHS Staff News - Week of 11/15/21


Mind Set Check-in
I used this form last year and it gave me some great insight into how everyone is feeling and handling the stress of the job. I wanted to check in with everyone as we get going with the 2nd marking period.

Me Looking in the Mirror 
This year has not been as smooth as things have been pre-COVID when it comes to student behavior and the types of issues we have been dealing with. We are not alone in seeing a spike in behavioral issues. This is a common theme around the county but it doesn't mean I like it or want to except it.  The majority of our students are still doing the right things, but a handful of students need some extra TLC and beyond. Mike and I met with the ScIP Committee on Monday and we brain stormed some ideas to help improve student behavior, which I will work on and roll out over the next few weeks. 

Duty Assignment Adjustments
Please review the tab for Duties as I made some changes related to location and responsibilities. No periods have changed just what your duty is. 
As a reminder, the teachers that have locker-room duty should be in the locker-room for the beginning and end of the period.  The middle of the period location is listed on the tab. 

The focus of the hall duty teachers:
First, monitor the bathrooms in your area. I will be posting a QR Code on the bathroom doors for students to check in (Like last year).  Each student is required to use the QR Code or you can submit the form for them if they don't have their phone.  I will share the sheet and form for the bathroom check-in with all duty teachers (This is what we did last year).
Second, get kids back to class as soon as possible.  If you see the same kids in the halls everyday, get their name and share it with Mike or I.  

Semester Assessments
With the changes we made for Semester Assessments, here is the draft of the what the 2nd Semester Assessment schedule would look like.  Feedback welcome. 
2nd Semester Assessment Schedule

Lockers
As of Friday, Student now have access to their lockers. If a student has an issue with the locker, there is a QR code in the office for them to scan and report what their issue is.


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Monday, November 8, 2021

WHS Staff News - Week of 11/8/21



I hope everyone enjoyed the four day weekend.  Time off is good for everyone! 

The first marking period is in the rear view mirror and we are moving forward. As we start the second marking period, please check in with your students to see how they are adjusting and give them a chance to share how things are going for them. You can hold one-on-one conversations or use a Google Form with a few questions.

Also, consider using the Focus 9 list to turn it back on students for them to self-reflect on their own effort.  Use the list to help get students refocused who are not fully engaged.

As grades are finalized I will be reviewing the failure list with the counselors and having one-on-one conversations with certain students. Team effort!

Please make sure you have your grades finalized by Wednesday, 11/10, at 9am. 

Semester Assessments
Based on the feedback from the DLC meetings, we are going to make an adjust and eliminate the 1st semester assessment; however, we will keep the 2nd semester exam with a modified schedule. We will run the old final exam schedule with two tests per day during the last few days of school. We have time to determine what those tests will look like, but they will not encompass a full year of material. 
The grading scale will need to be adjusted for this change.  Each marking period will now be 23% of the final grade with the 2nd semester exam accounting for 8% of the final average. 

I think this move is what's best for the students based on the how this school year is going. Thank you for the input on this topic.  I will be putting together a blog post for the students and parents. 

Monthly Calendar 


Fall Sports - Post Season Run

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Tuesday, October 19, 2021

WHS Staff News - Week of 10/18/21


I hope last week's staff meeting was informative and gave you some insight into how students are feeling and what they are dealing with.  Thank you Kim and Liz for presenting. Resources from the meeting:  
Presentation
Pronoun Doc

First round of testing is over!!! Thank you for all of your help and cooperation. 

Students working in the hallways during class time 
I love seeing students working in the halls, courtyard and some of our outside spaces. 
What I don't love is seeing students in the halls who should be working on class work playing on their phones, talking with passing students and disturbing other classes. 
When you have students working in the halls, my expectations are:
  • Monitor the students by walking around and checking on the groups 
  • Give clear expectations on what needs to be completed in the time they are outside of the room
  • Set guidelines for phone usage 
  • Be sure students understand not to bother other classes 

Moving forward, as administrators walk around during class time, the following will take place:  students who are off task, playing on their phones, or disturbing other teachers will be walked back to their teacher/room.  If certain students can't handle the freedom to work independently, then they will not be allowed to work in the hallways. 

Last Call for PDP's
On Friday afternoon I will be going into Genesis and signing off on all PDP's. Please make sure you have entered your goals and the school goal.

PDP info was shared in a previous Source Post. Link to post

Budget Item
Anyone who is interested in purchasing Big Ticket items for the 22-23 school year (digital resources, single large items over $100, furniture or program needs items not normally purchased through Ed-Data yearly from School Specialty/Staples etc.) needs to fill out the document below, attach a quote and send to their Building Principal by Thursday, October 28, at 8am. As it says in the form, submitting a request does not guarantee purchase.
Link: HS Big Ticket Items

Senior Picture on the Hill
The senior picture is scheduled for Friday, 10/22 at 2:15.  Seniors should report to their Period 6 class for attendance. At 2:15 please walk your students down to the turf.  Seniors will be dismissed from the field, so they should bring everything with them. 

Looking Ahead 
Monday, 10/25 - Picture Retake Day
Friday, 10/29 - Halloween Costume Day 
MP 1 Grading Information -  Email from Ms. Cassidy 

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Monday, October 11, 2021

WHS Staff News - Week of 10/11/21



Keep doing what you are doing! Focus on the students in front of you each period and give them your best.  Control what you can control!!! 

We are not alone. I talk to other Principals all the time, as I'm sure you talk with teacher friends from other districts. This year has been hard for everyone when it comes to behavior, student conflicts, HIB, TikTok Challenges, you name it, schools have been dealing with it.  We even had two streakers at a Football Game this year. Yep! Crazy!  It's obvious the transition back to "Normal" has been harder for a handful of students; however, there is so much good going on that we need to focus on that. The smiles and excitement on Friday during the spirit rally was great to see. Keep students engaged in your classes, talk with them, make the learning meaningful and continue to build those relationships.  I know the days are long, but the weeks are flying and before we know it, the December holiday break will be here. 
When you need a moment take it. When you need to vent, let it out! Your students need you at your best and that takes you being in the right mindset. I'm here for you! 

Start Strong Testing 10/12 - 10/15
See previous emails with Strong Info and Schedule 

PSAT - 11th Grade (10/13/21)
All classes will meet as normal with the exception of Junior level courses. Juniors will take the PSAT in the Cafeteria and the Media Center.  10/13 is a Day 1. Modified schedule is on the calendar. 

Working Wednesday 
We will meet as a staff on Wednesday 10/13 in the Little Theater

Looking Ahead
Friday, 10/22, at 2:15pm Senior Class Picture on the Hill 
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