Manatee Musings: Week of 2/10/25

The Week Ahead

Week of February 10-February 14, 2025

Table of Contents

Upcoming Family Engagement Nights

We have two upcoming Family Engagement Night Events scheduled:

  • Family Math & Game Night: February 26 (Wed.) from 6-7:30 PM

  • Spring Fest: April 2 (Wed.)

As shared at the Staff Meeting, we are asking that staff, if possible, be present at both events, but you are only required to be at one of two events. We do ask that you work with your team to ensure there is proper coverage for both events from each team. Also, if you are interested in being a potential “dunkee” in the Dunk Tank at Spring Fest, let us know (in the sign up sheet below)!

Math Madness!

We are working to make the Math/Game Night Engagement Activity even less stressful for teachers. Instead of asking teams to come up with a presentation or event, we are creating several games that can be played throughout the school (in addition to regular board games during the event as well). More information is coming soon—but get ready to engage in some Math Madness on February 26!

Candy Grams on Sale Beginning February 10!

The MHES Student Council will be selling Candy Grams the week of 2/10 to 2/14 to help raise funds, in conjunction with the PTA, for a Heart Healthy Initiative at MHES! Sales will be daily from 7:15-7:45 AM at the bottom of the main stairs. Families may also purchase Candy Grams online at https://bit.ly/mhescandy25 from 2/10 to 2/12. Each Candy Grams is $1—or send a whole class Candy Grams for $20!

CMS AI Survey

The CMS Artificial Intelligence (AI) Survey is available now. Please take a few minutes to tell us what you think about AI, how it might enhance student success or improve our efficiency and more. Access the survey at https://bit.ly/CMSAISurvey. This survey is one part of our process for gathering input as we shape a vision for the use of AI in education. We want to ensure that we are using this emerging technology safely and responsibly to support our students and schools. The survey will be open until Friday, Feb. 21. To read more and follow our progress, visit cmsk12.org/ai.

Connections w/Crystal: Teacher Edition

We are excited to offer our first Teacher "Connectionss with Crystal" on February 10th at 5pm. Teacher "Connections with Crystal" is a time for Dr. Hill to meet with teachers from across our district and discuss matters that are impacting our students, staff and families. One of Dr. Hill's goals this year is to meet with more stakeholders and ensure all have a sense of belonging and a voice that is valued. We would like each meeting to be meaningful and purposeful.  Next week’s 2/10/25 Teacher Connection meeting will be held virtually.  Below is the TEAMS link.

Meeting ID: 214 418 278 847 ; Passcode: 9Ko6Z8uC

Future Teacher Connections with Crystal: April 23rd at 5pm 

Connections w/Crystal: Support Staff Edition

Thank you for your engagement and participation in our "Connections with Crystal" session that was held on Thursday, January 30th. Your active involvement and thoughtful questions demonstrate your commitment and dedication to Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools. Here is the slide deck from our presentation for your reference and future use. Here is the recording as well.

Your input is invaluable as we work to strengthen communication across our school system. We appreciate your dedication to this initiative and look forward to our continued collaboration. Please complete this link to share upcoming topics that you would like to hear more about in our next "Connections with Crystal." 

Future Support Staff Connection with Crystal: 3/13/2025 @ 1pm ; 5/8/2025 @ 10am 

Updating Dispersal Lists (K-3 Only)

Please support us in preparing for coverage shortages by ensuring your dispersal lists are updated. Please use the link below to update your list by the end of the day tomorrow, February 10.

Teacher Leader Pathway Pool Open

Are you an educator interested in earning more money while leading in your school, expanding your reach and gaining access to exclusive professional development? The Teacher Leader Pathway is a career advancement opportunity for educators who have demonstrated excellence in education. The annual Teacher Leader Pathway talent pool will open tomorrow, February 10. For more information, please visit bit.ly/CMSTEACHERLEADER.

Upcoming PTA Fundraiser: Read-a-Thon

On Friday, March 7th, we will have our first Read-a-Thon fundraiser, sponsored by the PTA. It will benefit the Media Center and general literacy projects throughout the school – like purchasing classroom sets of books. This will be a single day, in-class event.

In the three weeks leading up to event day, students and families will collect per-minute sponsorships online (like they do with Booster/Fun Run). In class on event day, students will complete 60 minutes of reading, broken into four 15-minute segments:

  • A guest reader – the Sign-up genius for that will go out soon

  • Teacher reading – your choice of book to suit your class

  • Two segments of students reading a book of their choice on their own (lower grades should feel free to do three ten-minute segments or extend the teacher reading time as needed)

Information was sent to families via Parent Square on Friday, February 14th. They will need to register their student(s) on the Read-a-Thon website. They will NOT need to track reading at home as all reading time will be done on event day. Every student will reach the 30- and 60-minute goals and receive the prizes for those goals.

PRIZES:

  • Parent sends ten text messages through the Read-a-Thon system = Pajama Day pass (This also enters the student into a nation-wide drawing across all participating schools for Spring 2025. The prize for that drawing is a trip for four to Disney World.)

  • Parent posts on Facebook through the Read-a-Thon system = a Pajama Day pass (yes, they can get 2)

  • Student reads 30 minutes = custom Mint Hill Manatee Read-a-Thon bookmark

  • Student reads 60 minutes = movie with popcorn and juice (movie will be classroom teacher’s choice on the afternoon of event day. If that time overlaps with Enrichment schedule, the Enrichment teacher will go to that classroom to supervise to allow the classroom teacher to keep their planning time.)

  • Student raises $100 = Lunch with the Librarian, date TBD

  • Student raises $250 = Be the Librarian for the Day, dates TBD

Compensation Study Update

We are pleased to announce that the Board of Education voted in favor of the recommendations from the Classified Compensation Study during their meeting on January 28, 2025. This approval marks an important milestone in aligning our compensation structures with current market conditions and reinforcing our commitment to equity, competitiveness, and excellence across CMS.

What Happens Next?
With this approval, we will move forward with the implementation of the study's recommendations as planned:

  • February Paychecks: Eligible employees will begin seeing the increases in their February paychecks, reflecting the approved adjustments.

  • Individual Notifications: By the end of February, all classified employees will receive an individual email detailing their placement within the new structure and how the changes will impact their compensation.

  • Increases Retroactive to July 1, 2024: Pay increases will be applied retroactively to the start of the fiscal year.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked through this process. Our team is committed to ensuring a smooth and timely implementation, and we are excited about the positive impact these changes will have on our workforce.

If you have questions after receiving your individual notification, please contact compensation at [email protected]. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to our students and community. This is another step forward in building a brighter future for CMS together.

This legal alert provides information impacting every CMS employee when they create, share, and destroy records. Public records policy and law affects everything from emails, to text messages, to lesson plans, and beyond. Because records management is a part of North Carolina law, make sure you are aware of the following wildly important facts that are linked below.

Clothing Support For Students (MHES PTA)

The PTA understands the importance of having clothing items readily available in classrooms to address students’ needs quickly and discreetly. This ensures that if a student has an accident and needs a change of clothes, they won’t have to walk to the front office in wet or soiled clothing to access the Manatee Care Closet.

The MHES PTA is committed to minimizing classroom interruptions and supporting you in addressing these situations effectively. To help, we will help provide essential 2-4 sets of clothing items that can be kept in your classrooms. To request clothing for your class, please complete the form linked below:

You can use this form to restock as needed throughout the school year. Since this is a work in progress, we may adjust the form based on your needs and feedback. While the MHES PTA will do its best to fulfill all requests, please understand that our ability to gather and distribute these items depends on donations, volunteer support, and available funding. We respectfully ask for your patience as we work to meet these needs.

We also strongly encourage you to remind families to include a change of clothes in their child’s backpack, regardless of grade level. The PTA will share this reminder in our weekly updates to help ensure students are prepared for unexpected situations. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to our students. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or if you have additional needs.

CMS Good News Submissions

Share good news with CMS Communications!  Did you win an award? Have a colleague you'd like to give a shout-out to? Or maybe you have a classroom strategy you think is unique? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you.

Reminder: Atrium Clinic for Staff 

As a reminder, our Atrium Virtual Health Clinic isn’t just for students—staff can utilize it as well! If you need to see a provider, please reach out to Rick and/or Nurse Haley.

MHES 24-25 Yearbook

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

FAC Notes & Updates

Previous FAC Notes

Here are the notes from the Performance Area Advisory Council (PAAC):

Updates & Information

MHES Resources
CMS Resources