December 2015

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

It has been such a pleasure to surprise so many well-deserving colleagues this month with Superintendent's Starfish Awards. Each peer nomination spoke of the care and dedication of the honoree and his/her love of students. I'm so grateful to work with inspirational professionals who go above and beyond to ensure that our students excel in all that they do. Thank you, Tanya Pugh, Yvonne Elgin, Renee Cowher, Robert Stout, Katherine Pace, Connie Bray, and Champ Hardie for reminding us all what it means to be a devoted educator!

We are also excited to honor our first Exabyte Challenge 2 winner this month. Bassett High School's Beth Jones and her French students will now be able to Tweet with their Parisian counterparts from a classroom iPad. Merci, Madame Jones for leading the way in meaningful technology integration!

Know Someone Who Deserves Recognition?

Nominate a colleague for the Superintendent's Starfish Award! Take a moment to honor the hard work of your peers - send your nomination(s) to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us by January 29.





How Do You Give?

As educators, we give of ourselves every day. Today is #GivingTuesday, part of a worldwide effort to "help good go viral."  How are you sharing good with our world? Join the conversation on Twitter or share ideas with students and their families - join the movement to encourage others by giving.


Update

As we move into the season of unpredictable weather and potential closings and delays, please take a moment to ensure that your contact information is up-to-date at your school. This will ensure that you receive important messages in a timely manner. Want to be the first to know about delays and closings? Follow @hcps_va on Twitter!




Are You Ready?

January's Teaching and Learning Conference presenters are preparing for a great day! We are excited to have Dr. Sherrell Fuller return to continue the discussion on equity in the classroom and to again have staff members sharing their expertise on a wide variety of topics. The day's program is coming to your inbox soon - mark your calendar...The Conference is Coming January 5!

 

Want to share great resources and/or announcements with HCPS colleagues? 

Send your recommendations to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us by the 28th of each month.

November 2015

photos from the Fall Games 2015 photo booth

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

In the daily practice of teaching and guiding students, we collaborate to shape who they are. Educators have enormous responsibility and ours can often be a stressful job, but being with students is also a great deal of fun! It is important for us to remember to enjoy our students and to enjoy time with our colleagues as well. Make an effort this month to enjoy some fun moments with the staff in your building so that you can approach every working moment with infectious happiness - silly hats and props optional.

Share Your Expertise

The January 5, 2016 Teaching and Learning Conference will be focused on What We Need Now. Do you have a technique or idea that could benefit your colleagues? Have you been to a conference lately? Click here to submit a proposal to present what works for you/what you've learned lately. Each session will run for 50 minutes. Proposal submission deadline: November 23.



Start Now 

Don't want to wait for January's Teaching and Learning Conference to enhance your skills? Check out these Professional Learning Opportunities on Twitter:
Standards Based Grading #SBG109  
Project Based Learning #PBL109    
Classroom Management #MGT109
Connected Educators  #ConEd109  
Disciplinary Literacy   #LDC109  
Special Needs Topics #Sped109
ePortfolios   #ePort109   
Doing Things Differently #DTD109   
Simply search the # and engage in the discussion.


Congratulations, JRSES!

During their Grand Opening Celebration, the staff at JoAnn Fabric and Craft Store (in Village at Martinsville) drew the name of one local school to win a gift of $2000 from the store. John Redd Smith Elementary was the school selected. Principal Cherie Whitlow and her staff will use the funds to purchase educational tools to support cooperative learning.




Thinking About PD? 

The Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy is a one-week all-expense-paid intensive professional development program for third- through fifth-grade teachers. The Academy offers a five-day program designed to provide third- through fifth-grade teachers with the knowledge and skills necessary to motivate students to pursue careers in science and math. Interested in attending? Visit http://www.sendmyteacher.com/





Did You Know?

Announcements 

 

  Want to share great resources with HCPS colleagues? Send your recommendations to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us.

October 2015

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

I was so proud recently to see groups of our students serving the community on United Way's Day of Service, the kickoff event for this year's community campaign, as they worked to clean up a local park and to distribute important fire safety information through neighborhoods in our community. Likewise, many of you dedicate time and resources each year to ensure that the members of our community have crucial education, financial, and health needs met. As your school or department begins to discuss ways to support our local United Way this year, I encourage you to participate in any way you are able - remember, no gift is too small to make a difference if we all #LiveUnited.

Teacher Reflection: Teaching with Poverty in Mind

This summer, I attended the Margaret Copenhaver Institute, a thought-provoking conference which highlighted implementing instructional practices with poverty in mind. Most teachers are not examiners of the brain but can easily process how the affects of one's environment can not only affect his/her physical environment, but also influence an individual's actions and thought process. One of the most vital concepts shared at the conference was the definition of poverty. Poverty, as defined through this Institute, is not a culture, but a chronic condition affecting the mind, body and soul resulting from multiple adverse risk factors. Therefore, students (as well as teachers) may suffer from these affects. It should be the goal of each teacher to acknowledge this challenge and remember these four keys to progression and student achievement:

1.  Brains physically change every day

2.  Targeted classroom instruction can make dramatic changes in days

3.  DNA does not determine DESTINY

4.  Teachers are the strongest change agent in students' lives
Katrina Perry teaches at Bassett High School


Now's Your Chance! Exabyte Challenge Part 2

Have you won an Apple TV for your classroom? Want an iPad as well? Create and submit a dynamic, technology-rich lesson plan involving our 4Cs: Critical thinking, Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity and show how your students can use technology to be connected globally. ITRTs will evaluate lessons in action and 30 teachers will be selected to receive an iPad to use with their students. 

Have You Noticed?

In addition to our website face lifts, there are two new features on each site that will benefit our school community. Let's Talk! is a two-way communication app. Teachers, parents, and students can use Let's Talk! to share feedback as we work to enhance the educational experience in HCPS. Translation is also now available on every school website. This feature allows the site visitor to translate all page content (excluding photos and attachments) into more than 10 languages - a fantastic feature for families whose home language is not English!

Coming Soon!

If you're not already using Remind, there's a great new reason to add it to your communication tool box. The developers at Remind have added Translate, an intelligent feature based on the language settings of the user's device. Once clicking “See Translation” above the message, users can select one of 6 languages to view translated content, and simply click “See Original” to switch back to the original message. Note, Translate will only be available to teachers, students, and parents on the Remind app.


Resource Room

Think It Up inspires public school students in grades 7-12 to pursue their passions through student-powered, teacher-led learning projects. Check it out!

Thinking about ways to further incorporate BYOT, social media and mobile devices in your classroom? Read one teacher's reflection on how to break barriers and facilitate a connected classroom.

Need some inspiration for boosting your daily classroom excitement? Learn how colleagues around the country keep their motivation high and share their infectious enthusiasm for educating today's youth. The 2015 state Teachers of the Year share their advice.

Know a fourth grader? Encourage him/her to get outdoors and see natural wonders and historic sites via the FREE Every Kid in a Park campaign. President Barack Obama created Every Kid in a Park so fourth graders and their families could discover our wildlife, resources, and history for free. Students, teachers, or parents can get a free pass on the campaign website and plan a trip to the park of their choice. #EveryKidInAPark






Announcements

 

SPCA Zombie Run details

September 2015

Learn more about the importance of attendance in the early grades here.

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

Many of us have spent the last few days thinking of Alison Parker and our friends Barbara, Andy, and Drew Parker. Our community is now making plans to rally around them to honor Alison's life and legacy through memorial scholarships at PHCC and James Madison University as well as funding regular performances of the Richmond Ballet in Martinsville through Piedmont Arts Association. As you continue to comfort one another and our students as they have questions about this horrific event, please continue to keep the Parker, Ward, and Gardner families in your thoughts. Should you desire to honor Alison's memory or extend condolences to the family, please consider donating to one of the funds.

Kudos for a Coworker

Is there someone you notice going above and beyond on a regular basis? You know, that school staff person who works hard to make your school great. Honor him/her with a Superintendent's Starfish Award! Nominations are now open for fall quarter awards. Send your nomination to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us by Wednesday, September 30.

Social Media Tips

Want to learn more about how to protect your privacy on-line? Follow these privacy tips to avoid social media concerns.

Supporting All Students

Thinking about ways to support ELL students and their families? HCPS is excited to migrate to a new school website format that will allow site visitors to translate into 20 different languages. As we work to assist students and their families with this new feature, it's important for each of us to learn more about English Language Learners as well. Check out this infographic to begin.

Strengthening the Home-School Connection

Looking for resources on how to develop meaningful partnerships with your students' families? Edutopia has a storehouse of ideas from teachers for encouraging family engagement.

A New Twist on Parent-Teacher Conferences

Thinking about ways to engage families in student support? Consider student-led conferences this year. Here's how some districts are using SLCs to strengthen home-school partnerships as teachers and families work to ensure student growth.

Let Your Voice be Heard

As we begin preparations for the January one-day Teaching and Learning Conference, we need to hear from you. What will be of benefit to you as you move into the second semester of 2015-2016? Please take a moment to provide feedback so that the conference is catered to your needs.

A Special Treat for Educators

Belk would like to offer a special discount to educators. Take this coupon and your HCPS ID to their store on September 3 for special shopping privileges.

Want to share great resources with HCPS colleagues? Send your recommendations to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us.

August 2015

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

Today is the day we've spent the summer planning and preparing for! In the words of Murray Banks, "It's Showtime!" The first day of school is a day of excitement...in all that you do today (and every day), remember the importance of who you are to the students in your classroom and how your motivation and excitement transfers to them. Have a fantastic first day - I'm excited to visit your classrooms to see meaningful learning and to work with you and your students as we make 2015-2016 the best school year yet!


 

Get your craft supplies and creativity ready! 

This year's holiday tree in the Governor's Mansion will be a celebration of Virginia's localities and Henry County wants your ornament design. Craft an ornament (6" or smaller) that depicts a unique feature of the county and submit it to Monica Hatchett by Friday, September 4. One ornament will be selected to be sent to the Executive Mansion as Henry County's submission.

Secure project funding

 

Looking for ways to fund some exciting learning experiences for your students this school year? Check out Edutopia's Big List of Educational Grants and Resources.

Share your feedback

The Virginia Department of Education is asking parents and other members of the public to complete a 16-item online survey on improving annual School Performance Report Cards for schools, school divisions and the commonwealth.

The survey takes 15-20 minutes to complete. Responses are anonymous.

The survey may be accessed at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/schoolreportcards and will remain active until Friday, August 14, 2015.

Make use of social media

Are you tweeting? Use these helpful tips from Education Week Teacher to help you get started and make use of this tool during the 2015-2016 school year.

Please join us

On Saturday,August 15, the Starting Strong Family Summit will take place at Jack Dalton Park from 10-12. Students and their families will join school representatives and school community partners to participate in fun activities and learn more about the student support services available for the school year. Please plan to drop by and visit!

Want to share great resources with HCPS colleagues? Send your recommendations to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us.

June Staff Newsletter

 

 From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

What a way to finish 2015! Our Sliding Into Summer family summit provided connections to summer learning for many of our students, we were able to honor our support staff by serving them at an appreciation luncheon, and our first Teaching and Learning Conference offered us all the chance to think deeply about what we do and how to improve our practice. As you enjoy a well-deserved break this summer and begin thinking about your 2015-2016 classes, remember to pull from the strategies your colleagues provided at the conference. Many of the conference resources have also been shared on the HCPS website for your reference. Enjoy your summer...we can't wait to hear about it in August!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the final 2014-2015 Exabyte Challenge winners! Ashley Cox, Daina Campbell, Nataline Coleman, Kasey Davis, Lisa Eanes, and Amber Adkins are now eligible for a flat panel TV for their classrooms. Want to earn an Apple TV and learn more about the next phases of the Exabyte Challenge? Visit the Tech This Out page today!

What a Great Idea!

Fourth grade teachers at Sanville facilitated student research and writing of autobiographies as students assumed the identity of a famous person. Students dressed up and shared a piece of history as peers from other grades and parents pushed a red button for them to talk and tell their stories. Josh Kendall, art teacher, also incorporated self portraits using symmetry into the project. What a great way to end the year with history coming to life!

Teacher to Parent Communication Pays Off!

Teachers who wonder if their messages to parents make a difference will be pleased to know that a new study justifies their efforts. Researchers at Harvard and Brown University have found that regular, personalized communications from teachers to parents can in fact have a significant impact on struggling students’ chances for success in their classes. Their study, part of a series on low-cost school improvement strategies, sought to “examine the effects of a light-touch communication intervention” aimed at helping parents better support their children in school. Parents were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) Receiving a weekly message on what students were doing well; (2) receiving weekly messages about what students needed to improve; and (3) a control group receiving no messages. Students of those receiving messages were 41% less likely to fail, with the highest passing rates recorded among those whose parents received messages about suggested improvements. (NSPRA)

Planning Effective Communication

Thinking about ways to engage families in supporting your students? "Millions of conversations on everything from behaviour to bullying are now happening online." Consider offering frequent communication via free apps like Class Dojo, Edmodo, or Remind. Learn more about using each of these (and some other fantastic communication tools) in your classes here.

Teacher Blog Connection

Summer. Time to take a few days to rest, rejuvenate and revamp for next year. The myth of summer vacation for teachers is one that many outside of education believe. What will you be doing this summer to prepare for 2015-2016? It is very likely that you will find yourself participating in at least some of what Heather Wolpert-Gawron describes in this Edutopia article: "The Myth of Having Summers Off."

Using Twitter for the first time this summer? Follow these tips.

Upcoming Events

July 28-30  New Teacher Orientation
August 1    Starting Strong Family Summit at Jack Dalton Park
August 3    Teachers Return to School
August 6    Back to School Night
August 10  First Day of School

Want to share great resources with HCPS colleagues? Send your recommendations to mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us.