April 2017

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

I've spent a great deal of time reflecting on the legacy of School Board member and retired HCPS educator Betsy Mattox recently. If you knew Mrs. Mattox personally, the mention of her name leads you to automatically think of her straightforward manner and passion for students. We will certainly miss her unshakable desire to do what's best for children (even if it meant adults were a little uncomfortable in the process). A model to us all, Mrs. Mattox lived each day to improve the future of Henry County by positively influencing the lives of all within her reach. My challenge to each of us as our school year begins to come to a close is to adopt Mrs. Mattox's philosophy of stepping outside of our comfort zones to challenge ourselves and our colleagues as we seek to support our students in reaching their dreams.



Important Calendar Update

Because we have had a very mild winter and experienced far fewer snow days than is typical, the 2016-2017 school year calendar is being adjusted to make May 25 a 1⁄2 school day (vs. a full school day) and May 26 a teacher work day so that teachers have the opportunity to complete grades and prepare for graduation in our high schools. Additionally, May 31 will now be a flex day, which is an optional day to work, for teachers who have completed all necessary end-of-year procedures and met the time obligation for that work day. Teachers should use the Flex Day form to document time worked for 3 Flex Days and 1 inclement weather day. This will adjust our May 30 Teaching and Learning Conference at Magna Vista High School to 1 day. A copy of the adjusted calendar is included below. 

Share Your Input

Each year, staff members are asked to participate in an anonymous climate survey powered by K12 Insight so that important feedback can be used in the continued work to make HCPS an even better place to work and learn. It is important to share your thoughts so that practices that impact you can be improved. A link will be shared via email so that you have the opportunity to share your thoughts during the month of April. Have questions about the staff survey? Email mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us today.

Food for Thought From Our Favorite Pirate

Interested in some inspiration from convocation speaker Dave Burgess? Check out his latest blog post on a current hot topic, homework: http://daveburgess.com/empty-kids-into-the-gift-shop/







Did You Know?

The American Legion Homer Dillard Post #78 in Martinsville provides several annual events for HCPS students. Interested in learning more about how you can help facilitate these activities for your classes? Email mhatchet@henry.k12.va.us today.

1. Scholastic and military excellence awards to JROTC students at Bassett and Magna Vista High
2. Two scholarships annually (Homer Dillard & Talmadge Dixon Scholarships)
3. American Legion High School Oratorical scholarship program
4. American Legion Boys State of Virginia program
5. American Legion Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Academy
6. American flag etiquette classes for elementary students
7. American flag retirement services in conjunction with local Boy Scout troops

Interested in Teaching Summer School?

Teach English and Math in summer school from June 5- June 22 (Monday-Thursday).  Teacher hours are 7:30-12:30. Student hours 8:00-12:00. The pay is $20.00 per hour.  Email jhylton@henry.k12.va.us for more details.

Practice good password management. Use a strong mix of characters, and don’t use the same password for multiple sites. Don’t share your password with others, don’t write it down, and definitely don’t write it on a post-it note attached to your monitor or computer.

Empower yourself with the technology available to you - Google for Education Training Center is a free, interactive, online platform that teaches educators about our tools and how to use them. You can even earn certifications online. Learn More Free, in-app G Suite Training G Suite Training is a Chrome extension that offers simple and interactive training lessons to get users comfortable with G Suite. Get up to speed fast with available PD on demand. Get Suite Training

From Our Community Partners

Greetings from the VCU School of Education!  In the Department of Teaching and Learning, we have created an online version of our Reading program, both the M.Ed. in Reading and Post-master’s Certificate for Reading Specialists degrees. For licensed teachers with three years of teaching experience, both degrees lead to the endorsement as a Reading Specialist K-12 in Virginia. Please learn more about our online program at this link: http://www.soe.vcu.edu/programs/vcu-reading-specialist-online/.  

We are recruiting to begin a cohort in August 2017 with TEDU 561: Reading Foundations for all Reading candidates and EDUS 607: Advanced Educational Psychology for M.Ed. in Reading candidates only. We are also offering an elective, TEDU 526: Word Study, in the summer, starting on May 22. 

Candidates may apply to graduate school this spring for Summer or Fall 2017 admission, but must apply before finishing 6 credit hours in the program. Go to this link for information on applying to graduate school at VCU:  http://graduate.admissions.vcu.edu/apply/

Please share this information with any colleagues who may be interested in pursuing these degrees. Contact me, Dr. Valerie Robnolt, Reading program chair, at vjrobnolt@vcu.edu or 804-827-2649 with any questions.