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- Manatee Musings, 10/28/2024
Manatee Musings, 10/28/2024
Week of October 28 to November 1, 2024
Rick Mohrien
October 27, 2024
The Week Ahead
Please be on the look out for a link to sign up for MOY Tech Inventory Checks with Ms. Hollensteiner. She will need 30 minutes or so in your classroom at some point from November 4-November 20. Ideally, it would be a time when you aren’t in the classroom and students leave their devices on their desks/tables for the Quick Check. Here is the sign up link: MOY Device Inventory 2024. Reach out to Ms. Hollensteiner with any questions!
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!
PD Opportunity: Council Scholar Award Program
The Margaret Gragg Bissell Council Scholar Award Program recognizes the commitment of K-12 educators to international education in the greater Charlotte region. This program grants deserving educators a $3,500 award to support their participation in various international education opportunities abroad. These global experiences may include attending professional development conferences, teacher tours, and language immersion programs.
We take pride in celebrating the invaluable contributions of educators and nurturing their personal and professional growth in international education.
Council Scholars return from their international experiences with fresh perspectives and valuable insights on global education. They apply these newfound perspectives to enhance the classroom experience for their students, creating a more enriched and culturally diverse learning environment.
2024-2025 Council Scholars will receive:
Recognition at our 2025 World Citizen Award Dinner
Invitations to special WACC programs and dinner receptions
Lifetime WACC membership
The opportunity to coordinate seminars and roundtable discussions with past scholars
A grant of up to $3500 for:
Formal study abroad program or self-guided professional development itinerary with a teacher-centered and/or student-centered focus
International conference attendance
International seminars or workshops abroad
Professional development programs in another country
Teaching abroad (e.g., teaching English abroad, providing training for teachers in the developing world, etc.)
Language immersion classes or workshops in another country
Learn More from Recent Grant Recipients
Application Deadline: Friday, January 10, 2025
Submit Electronically to [email protected]
Click here for “Frequently Asked Questions” about the program.
PD Opportunity: PACE Winter Institute
Join us for the Personalized Academic Command of English (P.A.C.E.) Winter Institute hosted by the Learning and Language Acquisition department. This in-person professional learning opportunity, grounded in the P.A.C.E. Principles, will equip educators to successfully support equitable access for Multilingual Learners to core curriculum. Participants will engage in hands-on instructional strategies, effective ways to support the whole child, and long range planning to employ best practices for Multilingual Learner instruction.
The P.A.C.E. Winter Institute will be held at E.E. Waddell High School on Saturday, November 23rd, 8:30 - 3:30. To register, please reference our P.A.C.E. Winter Institute flyer and Course Catalog (bit.ly/PACEWinter24)
All current 10-month and 11-month certified CMS staff members are eligible to receive a stipend for their participation and completion of course requirements, as well as course credit through MyTalent.
Session topics include:
Accelerating English Language Growth with A.I.
Engaging Families in Literacy Development:
Equitable Scheduling and Grading Practices: The New CMS ML High School Grade Placement Guidebook
Giving New Meaning to Long-Term MLs
Supporting Newcomer Multilingual Learners
Utilizing Data & Effective Feedback to Support Multilingual Learners’ Growth with Authentic Linguistic Formative Assessment (ALFA):
Grant Opportunity: Meck County Farm Bureau
Mecklenburg County FARM BUREAU 2025 “Friend of a Farmer” Grant Program
Three Grant Options
Raised Garden and a Monthly Book Subscription
—Grant recipients will receive one 4’x8’ raised garden bed with soil installed in late January, and a year's subscription to the NC Farm Bureau ATIC monthly book program, The Book Planter, valued at $60.00 (one copy from The Book Planter will be sent to you each month).
Monthly Book Subscription
—Grant recipients will receive a year's subscription to the NC Farm Bureau ATIC monthly book program, The Book Planter, valued at $60.00 (one copy from The Book Planter will be sent to you each month).
Friend of a Farmer Open Resource Grant & Monthly Book Subscription
—Grant recipients will receive a check up to $150 that can be spent on classroom resources that support NC Agriculture education. Recipients will be required to email ([email protected] ) copies of receipts, along with an explanation of monies spent. It will also include a year's subscription to the NC Farm Bureau ATIC monthly book program, The Book Planter, valued at $60.00 (one copy from The Book Planter will be sent to you each month).
WHO SHOULD APPLY
Schools that serve elementary age (Pre-K thru 5) youth in Mecklenburg County
Must have administrative support and a site to garden in 2025 (if applying for the raised bed grant).
Must serve a minimum of 10 youth
Must submit documentation of grant implementation. Pictures of your projects in action (garden beds in use, reading book of the month in class, other agricultural project) should be emailed ([email protected] ) to be included in a slideshow during the annual meeting.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The goal of this grant is for your students to have a better understanding of the role that farmers play in their daily lives. Learning where their food and clothing comes from and what resources are used to grow or make them, will better equip your students to appreciate and be a “Friend of a Farmer”.
If chosen as a grant recipient, you are strongly encouraged to attend the Mecklenburg County Farm Bureau annual meeting in October 2025 where you will be recognized.
Grant recipients will be invited to a Teacher Appreciation Dinner that will be held in April 2025. If selected for the grant you will be notified of the date, time and location.
Deadline to apply is November 15, 2024.
Recipients of the grant will be notified by January 2025.
Grant period is January 1 – December 31. If you have any questions please email us at [email protected].
Click Here to apply
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
Join us for the second webinar in our series, Community Home Ownership Commitment® with Bank of America, on Saturday, Nov. 2, from 10-11 a.m.
If you’re curious about buying a home, join us to hear Bank of America industry experts share how families thrive through the power of homeownership: creating a family legacy and building a path to long-term wealth, making it easier to achieve life goals.
Participants will learn about solutions for homebuyers, including affordable mortgages, grant programs, resources, expertise and wide-ranging financial education tools.
RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Please register here.
For more information about the series and 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 & 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. FUTURE DATES: Jan. 9, 2025, at 1p; March 13, 2025, at 1p; May 8, 2025, at 10a. |
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. |
Good Things!
Thank you to our amazing Enrichment team of Melissa Carpenter, Amie Davidson, Kim DeSeve, Marcus Klusacek, Karissa McLaughlin, & Chris Pringle for their support of the Booster Fun Run huddles throughout the past week! The huddles are a huge part of Booster and we appreciate all you to do help make them happen! Shout out to Amy York for all she has done to support the students in Amanda Watkins’ first grade class! When Amanda had a last minute leave (congratulations!) Amy stepped up and has done an amazing job supporting the classroom in her absence! Thank you for all of your hard work, Mrs. York! Thank you to Lizzie Lambert, Samantha McMaster, Sarah Norton and their students for lending out their Chromebooks to students at Mint Hill Middle School. |  Thank you to our Kindergarten team of Katie Brower, Mandia Culp, Jordan Faulk, Shannon Gretsuk, Sharon O’Neill, & Madison Taylor for working with Sonja Payne to explore student and teacher connections and how to utilize positive relationships to impact student success! Thank you to our amazing AP’s, Ally Moore & Jennifer Mulherin, for all their hard work supporting cash receipting last week! |
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 |
MHES Resources | CMS Resources |