The Week Ahead

Pre-Order King of Fire Pizza!

King of Fire Pizza will be at MHES on Tuesday, November 26. If you’d like to pre-order, use the link below. A reminder—don’t park in the small lot on Tuesday (nearest the car line and Kindergarten wing) so that the Food Truck can set up there. Thank you!

Breakfast Updates & Information

We’ve received many questions about breakfast procedures. Here are the expectations for all staff and students:

• Students should eat within 8 minutes of sitting down

• Students may eat in the cafeteria between 7:15-7:40

• Starting at 7:40 we will send students to their class to eat breakfast

• Any late bus students will remain in the cafeteria and eat their breakfast

• Cafeteria should be cleared by 7:55, unless there is a late bus

MTSS Updates

This is friendly reminder to make sure you have put your students who are receiving supplemental or intensive interventions into branching minds, as well as in the MTSS Google Sheet. Without this information in branching minds, there is no documentation or record that these students are receiving interventions. Please let Karina know if you need any support or guidance in completing this task.

Winter Celebration Planning

We are asking that each grade level work together to plan a cohesive Winter Celebration, prior to Winter Break. Here are the guidelines that we are asking that each team follow: 

• Teams will schedule a Winter Party on the designated dates below: after their scheduled Lunch Time

  • PreK, K, 2, 4- Thursday, December 19

  • 1, 3, 5, SBS -Friday, December 20

(One representative from each team will complete this form with the specific time of party and if the grade level decision is that family members or volunteers are asked to attend. The goal is that each grade levels celebration is cohesive across the board for similar experiences.) 

MHES 24-25 Yearbook

Drop your pictures from this year in this folder so that they can be shared in our MHES yearbook!

Bus Dismissal Room Updates

In an effort to be equitable with wait times for the afternoon buses, we will be changing bus room colors for this quarter. Also, please be mindful of staff hours and remain on campus until the required time, even if you have an earlier bus. Make sure you are walking students all the way to the bus and remain with the bus until your group is on the bus. 

Please review the map linked below and make sure you know your new bus room color and support students with this change. With the exception of the 3rd /4th hallway (thank you to Mrs. McMaster and Mrs. Bevis for volunteering for the late buses), the colors just shifted one room down.

Social Committee Updates

Upcoming Performance Area Learning Walk

On Monday December 2nd, Mint Hill will be hosting a Performance Area-B Math Learning Walk in 2nd and 4th Grade. On this day 4^th  grade will need to follow a modified schedule as the learning walk will take place during their regularly scheduled Enrichment time. The leadership team is asking that on this day- 4^th and 5^th grade switch Enrichment times to allow for Mrs. Kee, Mrs. Holman-Jeremie and Mrs. Reill additional time for their math lessons as their will be approximately 20 math teacher leaders observing the amazing things they are currently implementing. 

• Modified Enrichment Times for December 2nd:

  • 5^th  Grade: (9:35-10:25) 

  • 4^th  Grade (10:30-11:20)

i-Ready Resources

Looking for resources for using iReady in your classroom and with your students? Use the link below for a variety of resources to ensure that iReady is a key focus of your classroom practice.

Fall Reading Challenge!

Copies of the fall reading challenge were distributed to team leads last week. Please hand them out to your students this Wednesday following our workdays. 

The challenge works like a Bingo board – make a line of four items in a row and return it to the library for a prize. Students can return them in the mornings during open checkout until Dec. 4^th, so they can use the boards throughout the Thanksgiving holiday to encourage reading, too. 

• Prize structure for students:

  • Four boxes completed in a row: one prize

  • Blackout board (all boxes completed): two prizes!

  • Teachers/staff who submit a blackout board can choose a $5 gift card as a reward!

FAC Notes & Updates

The FAC notes from the September/October 2024 meeting can be reviewed by using this link: September/October 2024 FAC.

Our next FAC meeting is December 11.  Please submit all concerns in writing to me or and FAC representative by December 10. You can also use this anonymous form.

Here are the notes from the first Performance Area Advisory Council (PAAC): Nov. 6 PAAC Meeting Notes

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)

Updates & Information