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- Manatee Musings, 10/21/24
Manatee Musings, 10/21/24
Week of 10/21 to 10/25/24
The Week Ahead

NOTE: TA’s and other support will be utilized throughout the week for MVPA Testing.
Important: Change in Fun Run Times
Due to the NC Read to Achieve Assessment for selected students, as well as trying to have the least impact to our lunch and enrichment schedules, Fun Run times have been changed for several grades. Please see below for your assigned Fun Run time. This is being shared with families today.

Checking In for the Week
We want to continue to support you in any way we can. Please consider “checking in” to let us know how you are feeling about the week ahead!
MVPA Testing (Grades 3-5)
To ensure that the lock down browser is functioning properly in Mastery Connect to deliver the MVPA assessment, please have students restart their Chromebooks as the extension has been force installed. Students should be going through Canvas to access the assessment.
Everyone will start testing as close to 8:00 AM as possible.
3rd grade: You will start testing at 8:00, run the session until 8:40, pause and go to Enrichment, pick up with assessment after Enrichment at 9:30 AM
4th and 5th grade: Teachers will be testing their homeroom in both subjects for MVPAs.

Updates & Information
![]() | Ms. Hay has requested 4 languages for interpreters on November 4th & 5th for parent teacher conferences. We have one interpreter for each language. All 4 languages are listed in this sign up, so please be careful in signing up for the slot to ensure you are reserving the correct language AND time needed. It would be helpful that your conference is confirmed before blocking the time to ensure a block is not taken for a potential no show. |

At Home in CMS
The Recruitment, Retention and Talent Development Division is excited to announce a brand new offering to all employees in the district! As part of our At Home in CMS initiative, we invite you to join us for our new informational series about all things housing.
Come for one session or come for the whole series:
Nov. 2: Community Homeownership Commitment® with Bank of America
Nov. TBD: Rental Opportunities with DreamKey Partners
Dec. 7: How Do I Save for a Down Payment? And Other Budgeting Tips with SECU
Dec. 14: Home Preservation and Home Repairs: What to Do When You Need Help with Habitat for Humanity
When educators decide to call Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools home, CMS commits to helping them secure a home of their own. At Home in CMS is our bold new initiative to provide our teachers and staff with valuable resources, guidance and support on all things related to housing needs. The strategy launched in June with our inaugural housing fair and is being expanded this year in a multi-phase community effort that responds to educators’ demonstrated needs.
For more information about the At Home in CMS suite of offerings, please visit our website here.
Connecting with Dr. Hill Endless possibilities start with Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and to ensure that stakeholders have a chance to share their thoughts, ideas and feedback, Superintendent Dr. Crystal Hill will meet with several advisory councils throughout the year. Functions of the councils and Virtual Connections with Crystal: —To be meaningful, purposeful, respectful and aligned with the district’s strategic work to achieve the goals set forth by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education. —To be a significant part of the cadence of the cascade of information in CMS. —To create CMS brand ambassadors while ensuring that all stakeholders have a sense of belonging and a voice that is valued. —To have a focused opportunity for district leaders to share proposed initiatives and gather feedback, suggestions and input. —To answer questions and address legitimate concerns that were not able to be addressed at the school level. —To allow the Superintendent connectivity with more CMS team members and visibility with more external stakeholders. |
Hourly, non-certified staff members will be able to meet with Dr. Hill through the first Virtual Connections with Crystal on Thursday, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. To ensure the meeting is purposeful and meaningful, staff are encouraged to complete this feedback form. The link to the meeting can be found here. Future dates: Jan. 9, 2025, at 1p.m; March 13, 2025, at 1 p.m; May 8, 2025, at 10 a.m. |
Updates from the Social Committee More Information & Updates from Social Committee Here: MHES Social Committee You’ve Been Booed! If you have been Boo’ed and do not wish to participate, please pass your boo on to someone else. If you have been Boo’ed and wish to participate, place an I’ve been Booed sign outside your door and Boo someone else.Will continue through the month of October.See Sally Merriman (4th Grade) if you have further questions. |
iReady PD For Teachers Schedule time with the iReady Expert team, to really dig into your data through analysis and establishing priority domains. Allow us to help you kick-start your year by showing you how to align the "Universal Screener Data" with your upcoming instruction and small group supports. Click here to review dates and times to sign up. |
Supporting the PTA Please consider signing up for the PTA. Not only does your membership provide funding to the PTA, it also helps show that our staff supports the PTA, an organization that supports every MHES teacher and student. Your $10 membership is an investment in our continued success. Let’s come together again this year to make an even greater impact. |
ParentSquare Resource
Not sure if it should be a post or a message? Check out this article from ParentSquare on when to use one or the other.
Good Things!
We want to say thank you to Brittney Oprea, who has stepped in to provide consistency and great instruction to a third grade classroom that does not currently have a teacher. Thank you for all you do for our school, Mrs. Oprea! Thank you to Madison Curlin for opening up her classroom to a new student in support of both that student and a colleague! Thank you to Madison Taylor, Katie Brower, Mandia Culp, Angela Hannan, Kimberly Deseve, Karissa McLaughlin, Emily Laden, Kelly Kramer, Ashley Raposa, Shannon Gretsuk, Janet Bevis, David Guion, & Sarah Norton for opening up their classrooms for a visit from our CKH Specialist Brooke Giles! | ![]() Thank you Stacy Hicks, Amy Marolf, & Elisa Mendez for organizing and implementing half-day planning sessions for classroom teachers! |
Community Events
Independence HS Trick or Treat Tailgate Independence HS’ annual "Trick or Treat Tailgate" will be held on Monday, October 28th, at the softball field from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Kids are invited to come out in costume and run the bases while collecting candy, play kickball, and meet our Baseball and Softball teams. It will be a fun night out for current and future Patriot families with music, games, and more! All kids 12 and under who come in costume will receive a free ticket to a home baseball/softball game this spring! | ![]() Butler HS Trunk or Treat |
School & District Resources
MHES Resources | CMS Resources |