August 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

Welcome back! As you work this week to plan for students to arrive on August 10, I want to challenge you to think about what will excite you about the learning that is to take place in your classroom this year. Craft lessons that are engaging and exciting for you - your interest in the topic and activity will be infectious. I'm eager to collaborate with you this year as we work toward the goal of ensuring the growth and success of every student in HCPS. 

Communicating with families

Thinking about best practices for communicating with families this year? Consider Remind, Appletree or Google Voice to ensure that all families get the information they need to support their students in the learning process.

Looking for a tool that can help your students stay focused and improve cognitive function all while increasing physical activity? WELNET® Brain and Body Boosts is now available through the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). There will be several opportunities for training on the uses, features and capabilities of using this online resource for brain breaks in the classroom. Join either of the sessions listed below from the comfort of your classroom. We will also make a recorded version of the training available on the staff page of the HCPS website.

August 3 at 8:00am 

Click https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/373088917

Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (224) 501-3212 Access Code: 373-088-917 Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting Meeting ID: 373-088-917

August 8 at 4:00pm
Click https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/626276469
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone. Dial +1 (408) 650-3123 Access Code: 626-276-469 Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting Meeting ID: 626-276-469

Reignite your passion this upcoming school year by sharing an Inspired2Educate story

As you prepare for another school year, take a moment to think about of the teacher, administrator or school staffer who first inspired you to choose education as your life’s work: How did he or she influence your life, help you to overcome a challenge, or offer you help when you needed it most?

Hundreds of educators like you have shared stories of the people who inspired them to pursue careers in education through our Inspired2Educate program. Their stories can be read or watched here.

You, too, can share your story of the educator who inspired you, to honor those who set an example for you and to encourage the next generation of educators. You’ll also have a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship for your professional development, as well as a $1,000 scholarship for your school.

Share your story today.

Lifelong Learning

CNC Laser Students will use 2D design programs, 123D Make and Inkscape, to produce 2D products on a laser cutter. Projects include 2D and 3D puzzles, glass etching,  and wood cutting. Thursdays, August 4-25 (no class 8/11) 5:30-7:30 pm Tuition: $95, Materials Fee: $30 Click here to register

July 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

We are getting ready for 2016-2017! Building administrators and district staff came together for a three-day planning retreat in June and we are so excited about the great things to come in 2016-2017. Dr. John Almarode was with us to continue the discussion on visible learning and we spent some time with Apple Education's Dr. Eric Wood exploring ways to ensure that the technology we are using meets the focus of what we do each day. I hope each of you is enjoying a time of rejuvenation and focus on your family.


Understand Your Own Why:

One of the first things I ask teachers when I am helping them plan lessons is Why are you teaching this? Most times, teachers answer, “Because it’s in the curriculum.” If that is your only reason for teaching a lesson, it’s no wonder there is no joy in your teaching. Spend time this summer thinking about your own personal “why?” Are you teaching a unit on Shakespeare because you want students to taste the richness of his language for themselves? Are you teaching students how to convert decimals to fractions so they can be ready for algebra in a few years? Are you teaching students the life cycle of plants so that they can have a better appreciation for our planet and thus be better stewards of natural resources? Find your own why and use it to animate the lessons you plan and to feed your own passion for teaching them.

-Robyn Jackson, Mindsteps

Learning Never Stops

Opportunities for HCPS educators to enhance their skills are abundant. This month's feature Professional Learning Opportunity is Apple Education's Conquering Technology Course. Work at your own pace to learn more about the devices our students use and how to integrate them into daily instruction.

Make the Most of Summer in Our Area

June 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

Summer is here for HCPS teachers and students! I hope you enjoy some time during June and July to rest and recharge. Though HCPS will be closed on Fridays during the summer, our administrative staff will be working diligently to prepare schools for your return on August 1. We look forward to seeing you then and hearing about the great things you experienced during your well-deserved break. Be sure to join us August 2 at Bassett High School for convocation, where we will hear from Dave Burgess, author of Teach Like a Pirate, and begin what will be another great year in Henry County Public Schools!

Tell Us About Your Conference Experience

Please take a few moments to complete the survey here regarding your Teaching and Learning Conference experience. We will use the information you share to tailor future conference programming to the needs of our faculty and staff.



Looking for Learning Opportunities?

VDOE is offering a variety of six-week facilitated online Technology in Education Professional Development courses through a grant with Intel. These professional development courses are available to educators in Virginia at no cost. The courses are conducted all online (no face-to-face meetings needed) and take approximately 30 hours, or 5 hours per week, to complete. The courses are facilitated by Virginia educators. Participants will receive a certificate at the end that can be used towards 30 recertification points. Click here to learn more.


Secure Your Online Presence

Did you know that Google 2-Step Verification is available to all email accounts?  Google 2-Step Verification provides you with and extra layer of security to protect your account from unauthorized access.  Click here for more information.

Learn More About Cyber Security: Whether learning for your own purposes or preparing to share with students, these sites will provide necessary resources for increasing cybersecurity awareness: https://staysafeonline.org/      https://stopthinkconnect.org/

Know A Teen Who Deserves Recognition?

The Hasbro Community Action Hero Award recognizes outstanding young volunteers who show that you are never too young to make a difference in your local or global community. Click here to nominate a student you know who makes an impact.

May 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

This time of the school year is one of mixed emotions. It is almost summer - and it is testing time. We know that one test does not capture the growth a student has made during the school year, but we also know that our students are prepared. You have given them the tools they need to be successful this month as they navigate SOL tests and AP exams. As we allow our students to demonstrate the knowledge they've gained this year, remember to be proud of the investment you've made in the students you've encountered. They are ready, thanks to you!




Looking for a Good Read?

In the new ASCD book The Highly Effective Teacher: 7 Classroom-Tested Practices That Foster Student Success, teacher and professor Jeff Marshall introduces the Teacher Intentionality Practice Scale (TIPS), a framework for both supporting and measuring effective teaching. Taken together, the framework's seven TIPs provide a research-based, classroom-tested guide to help teachers

• Create coherent, connected lessons;
• Use strategies and resources, including technology, that truly enhance learning;
• Organize a safe, respectful learning environment;
• Develop challenging and rigorous learning experiences;
• Promote interactive, thoughtful learning;
• Nurture a creative, problem-solving classroom culture; and
• Deliver feedback and formative assessment that inform teaching and learning.

The Highly Effective Teacher is a guidebook for thoughtful, intentional teaching with one goal: success for all students, in every classroom.


Are You Ready for the Conference?

The Teaching and Learning Conference is fast approaching! Your colleagues have been planning exciting sessions to meet your professional learning needs as we begin to think about making 2016-2017 a year of enhanced instruction. May 31 will be a traditional conference day with featured keynote speaker Dr. John Almarode. June 1 will be an optional day for conference attendees. Following the EdCamp format, this day will be a collaborative day of exploration and discussion. Look for conference details in your inbox later this week!

What is EdCamp? Click here to learn more!

Exciting Opportunity

HCPS is proud to share the Sundance Film Festival sensation Most Likely to Succeed with our community on Monday, May 16. MLTS is a documentary on the student journey through project based learning at High Tech High. Faculty and staff are invited to join us for the film and a panel discussion that is certain to expand our thinking on teaching and learning. Teachers may earn 5 recertification points for attending the event and completing a reflection on PD360.

See You at the Park!

Our annual Sliding Into Summer Fun family event is THIS SATURDAY at Jack Dalton Park from 10-12. Encourage your students and their families to come sign up for summer learning opportunities with community partners, get information about summer reading from each of our schools, enjoy visiting with the animals of Infinity Acres, and complete a build and take activity with representatives from our maintenance department. Student raised plants will be for sale from the LPMS greenhouse as well. We hope to see you there!

Our Community Appreciates You!

May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week

May 6 is School Lunch Hero Day

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.

April 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

In HCPS, it is crucial for each staff member to share his/her thoughts so that we can continue to improve our practice. Each staff survey response is recorded anonymously and added into a school- and district-based graph for each point on the survey. Improving our performance hinges on the feedback shared in these surveys, and we want to hear from you. If you haven't completed the 2016 Staff Survey, please do so this week. Your voice matters!




Help Wanted

Henry County Parks and Recreation seeks an instructor to lead its annual art camp (9:00-11:00 for one week at the Henry County Administration Building). The instructor would be responsible for facilitating multiple projects each day, including, but not limited to: painting, clay molds, and drawing. Interested instructors should contact Daniel Reynolds, Recreation Programmer, at dreynolds@co.henry.va.us or 276-634-4645.

Make Something

Thinking about how to make learning relevant in the classroom and more fully engage students in daily lessons? Interested in implementing maker spaces in your classroom but unsure about where to begin? MakerEd has compiled a variety of resources for teachers and devised a Maker Space Playbook to guide educators in incorporating making into daily instruction.

Exciting Opportunity

HCPS is proud to share the Sundance Film Festival sensation Most Likely to Succeed with our community on Monday, May 16. MLTS is a documentary on the student journey through project based learning at High Tech High. Faculty and staff are invited to join us for the film and a panel discussion that is certain to expand our thinking on teaching and learning. Teachers may earn 5 recertification points for attending the event and completing a reflection on PD360.

FYI

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.

March 2016

From the Desk of Dr. Cotton

I am constantly inspired by the exciting things happening in our schools. This only occurs when we collaborate with others to develop engaging lessons and then reflect on our practice each day. So many of our teachers are doing this so well - thank you for constantly working to learn from and share with your colleagues to ensure that our students are motivated to do their best!



Share Your Expertise

The May 31 Teaching and Learning Conference is fast approaching. 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: March 24.



How's Your Motivation?

Do you find yourself doing the snow dance and/or wishing it was still the weekend? The duties of an educator can seem overwhelming at times. Expert Roxanna Elden asserts that there are Five Habits that Hurt Teacher Motivation, leading to a lack of enthusiasm and engagement in the classroom. Take her self-assessment as you reflect on your own practice this spring and consider ways to reignite your excitement for learning - it will be contagious!

Inspired to Learn?

Henry County Public Schools will be offering the following career and technical education courses during the spring semester. Registration began on Monday, February 8 and continue until classes are full. There is a $10 fee for each course, and registration will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.  To learn more or to register for the classes, you may call Deborah Stone at 634-4742 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.   

Introduction to iPads (Daina Campbell)

March 7 – April 5                                   Monday, Tuesday & Thursday                          Fee: $10.00

5:00-8:00 p.m.                                     Bassett High School                                        Room #Media Center

This class will provide students with the basic knowledge on how to use an iPad. Students will learn how to turn on the devise, download apps, adjust settings, connect to the internet, email, take photos, download music, and connect with others using various forms of social media. It is preferred that the student have his/her own iPad but not mandatory.

HVAC EPA Certification (Jerry Byrd)

March 10 – May 19                               Thursday                                                           Fee: $10.00

5:30-8:30 p.m.                                    Bassett High School                                           Room #67

Students will learn the basic use of Refrigeration Recovery equipment and information necessary to pass the EPA Section 609 Certification test that will include Core Type I, II, and III. There will be an additional $25 testing fee.

E-mail Refresher and Introduction to Google Drive (Heather Lankford)

March 7 – April 7                                  Monday, Tuesday & Thursday                          Fee: $10.00

4:30-7:30 p.m.                                    Mt. Olivet Elementary School                          Room #Computer Lab

This class will provide basic e-mail knowledge on navigating, sending, and attaching documents, as well as Google Drive knowledge of office features for beginners to intermediate level.

From the VEA

In response to a recommendation put forth by VEA’s Special Education committee, the Office of Teaching and Learning has developed a Special Education survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather input from educators regarding Special Education issues and concerns. VEA will use the data in discussions with the VDOE, the Virginia Board of Education, and Virginia legislators as well as other stakeholders. To access the survey, visit:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/VEASPED2016. It is important that information is gathered from all educators in Virginia including Special Education and General Education teachers as well as Education Support Professionals.  You need not be a member to complete this survey.  The survey will close Wednesday, March 30, 2016. 


Who Was Your Inspiration?

Inspired2Educate is a national recognition program that encourages current K-20 educators to honor the teachers or administrators who inspired them to embrace education as their life’s work. Tell your story in a video or in writing! Each month, PeopleAdmin will award one person with $1,000 for professional development and $1,000 for their educational institution. Submit your story here then follow the stories of educators across the country using #Inspired2Educate.

Food for Thought

For Your Information

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.