Staff News and Announcements
Staff News and Announcements
Embedded Files
Shout Outs! (Sunday, October 6th)
Shout Outs! (Sunday, October 6th)
Chip Dobson is taking on the Current Global Issues course. He is getting up way too early so he can stay on top of current events and letting students lead the way as experts with their diverse backgrounds and global experiences.
Olivia Kinross: Olivia has been super helpful and VERY generous with her time. Her help and guidance has allowed me to smoothly transition into my (first!) long-term position and made me feel welcome at MHS.
Also, a shout-out to Mark McCormick. Mark has done much of the same for me in terms of the procedural and day-today tasks of teaching (and mastering Mason specific technology and software).
Sarah Branco - she is consistent, caring, hard working, and such an incredible support to me and my students in the classroom! She is a rock star EVERY DAY!
Diana Williams-for being so positive and willing to personalize learning and work with all students but especially for reaching out to work with IEP, 504 and Alternate assessment students in her classes. She is so patient, hard working and kind to all!
Aimee Hansen received the Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago. First year students nominate an educator who has influenced them along their path toward intellectual growth and one of our graduates nominated Ms. Hansen. Way to go Aimee!
Jill Puma—She is an incredible teacher, role model and friend. She connects, in an authentic way, with her students & colleagues EVERY day. Her lesson plans are impeccable; she is wicked smart! Love her : )
Katie Gabrelcik- She is an unsung hero at MHS. She cultivates meaningful relationships with her students, creating a safe space for overcoming adversity, and walks the walk EVERY day. She’s also a Math wiz!
Carol Huesing-She is always willing to drop anything to help where needed. She has remained committed to supporting students’ needs while grieving the recent loss of her mother. She is a great colleague & friend. MHS is a better place because of Carol : )
Laurie Brown - Whether it's offering to cover the front desk, work on budgets, help with a time consuming tedious project, or reconciling over 2,000 AP exam payments, Laurie's got your back! Her strong work ethic combined with a "small but mighty" attitude is motivating and greatly appreciated. Thanks for all you do Laurie!
Steve Mays used the windows in the computer lab to showcase the students projects on symmetry and they were AWESOME! What a great use of the space.
Rachel Pansing - Love the work she is doing by offering Mindfullness Monday's. Sharing resources with students including coping strategies and allowing them the time to try them out in the beginning of class.
Rob Matula—Delicious pancakes!! What a fun surprise, made my day! Thank you for including me,
Stacy Van Erp
Shout out to TJ Wilson for keeping relationship building a focus in his classroom on a daily basis!
Shout out to Mark Meibers for hi commitment to growth and genuine caring for kids!
Shout out to Tonay Affatato- What an incredible support for students and staff! Tony has a gift for connecting with all types of students and a genuine passion for doing what is best for kids.
Hannah Zimmerman- for tirelessly working on the new AP Art History course!!! This first time teaching something is always the hardest, and she is putting in SO much time and effort to make it a tremendous experience for our students!!! (AND working on her graduate school work too- WOW!)
Need to Know
Need to Know
Building Collaboration for the week:
- Monday, October 7th: Building Collaboration Meetings (7:05 AM)
- Wednesday, October 9th: Testing Training Meetings (Check Your Location Here)
- Friday, October 11th: Team of 8 Challenge Meetings (Team Connector will share information this week)
Tuesday, October 8th: Fire Drill during 6th Period
Tuesday, October 8th: Building Fusion Team Meeting (2:35 PM - in The Collaboratory)
Wednesday, October 9th: Freshman and Sibs are in Advisory, All other Grades are in Connect Session
Thursday, October 10th: MHS Cutlure Team Student Roll-Out PD Day
Thursday, October 10th: MHS Parent-Teacher Conferences (4:00 PM - 8:00 PM)
Thursday, October 17th: Bell Schedule for Lip Dub (CHANGED SCHEDULE FROM WHAT WAS SENT EARLIER)
Walk-Through Forms: We have begun using our updated walk-through form. You may receive a PDF attachment (via email) with feedback from a walk-through. In addition to the PDF feedback, we are also collecting data in different areas: formative assessments, summative assessments, collaboration, instructional delivery, student engagement, feedback provided to students, and classroom environment. We will share data from the walk-through for each 9 weeks. The form will help us see what we do well throughout the building and also show us any opportunities we have for growth. We see new practices everyday and continue to add to the form. Here is an example of what the form looks like. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Dodd or Ms. Jordan.
MHS Collaboration Time Calendar for October
Wondering what to focus your Building Goals or Personalized Goals on this year for your Professional Growth Plan? Here are the MHS OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) for the 2019-2020 school year which may provide some assistance. Here are the OKRs the district is working on this semester 2019-20 MCS OKRS for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2
Improve Your Instruction
Improve Your Instruction
- Teacher Collaboration Time -Are you looking for colleagues to collaborate with during Tuesday/Thursday Collaboration time? Wanting to share ideas, brainstorm, develop lessons, have meaningful discussions and connect with colleagues? Feel free to add to the wall if you have something that you would like to open up to others for collaboration. Just click on the plus sign under the date in which you are wanting to collaborate, and add the brief description and location.
- Do you want to push yourself to grow and improve? The Never-Ending Conference is a great way to follow your own professional growth trail. You are able to present an area of expertise or attend a session. The opportunity is yours. Don't miss out!
- Create Small Learning Communities with the Station Rotation Model - article on Station Rotation along with tips, visuals, pitfalls.
- Article : What Makes a Great Teacher: Pedagogy or Personality
- A Closer Look at Open Education Resources - OERs have gotten really good over the years, but you have to know how to determine the quality.
- The Pursuit of Excellence in the Creation Process- have heard so many great ideas from teachers this year, make it happen, don't wait for perfection!
- The Truth About College Admissions - From College Admission Deans
- Podcast: Succeeding with IEPs - solving 5 implementation challenges
Safety First
Safety First
- We will have a fire drill at the start of 6th Bell on Tuesday Oct. 8th.
- From the safety training, I have had some questions about doing a different alarm for something other than a fire drill. We will not be doing so, as we do not want to create any confusion on different alarms. If you hear a fire alarm, please plan as it is fire related. Any other crisis situation would be communicated via the PA such as in the gas leak.
- We have two spots available for staff to get further ALICE training, please let me know if you are interested.
Big Rock Connection
Big Rock Connection
Culture Team: The High School Culture team will be meeting on Thursday this week to continue to plan the R-Factor roll-out to students.
Inclusive Excellence Team: The IE team spent last Friday learning from Katrice Quitter from Hamilton County ESE, and are continuing to do work with strategies for stepping up to bias so we can better empower ourselves and each other. Please continue to fill out the scenario survey; we will use your ideas and experiences to further our own understanding as well as offering up anonymous summaries to each other to learn from. Seeking Classroom Scenarios.
Oct 8-9: Yom Kippur
Oct 15th: Hispanic Heritage Month ends
Oct 27 - Diwali. Learn ways to talk about Diwali in your classroom.
Personalized Learning Team:
We've posted previously about the importance of goals. Goals come to us from our standards, habits of mind, and simply asking the question "what do I want my students to know/do/try?" Of course, students can also be put in charge of asking the same question "what do I want to know/do/try?" when appropriate.
How exactly do we actually achieve those goals? That's where our Learning Pathways come in. Learning Pathways are one of our five Principles of Personalized Learning. Learning Pathways are the series of activities and experiences that allow students to master their goals.
There are a great deal of Learning Pathways - all of which have potential for turning ownership of decisions over to students. Many Pathways, you've heard of: Project Based Learning, Inquiry, Challenge Based Learning, Passion Projects, and more. In each of these Pathways, teachers and students can take mindful pauses to decide where students can take more ownership. Our Elements of Personalized Learning indicate some of the 7 parts of the lesson planning process that students and teachers can co-create together. Thus, while PBL, for example, has some natural student-ownership built-in, we can always be on the look out for other ways to co-create the learning experience.
Wellness Moment
Wellness Moment
Staff Wellness Opportunities
As the weather begins to change, you may be moving your fitness routine indoors or just thinking about starting a routine to become more active. Click here for a list of area facilities and wellness opportunities. Feel free to check back periodically, as we will continue to add additional opportunities and discounts. If you are aware of a resource that you would like to share with the district, please send the information to Michelle Dorsey at dorseym@masonohioschools.com.
Staff Training Opportunities
Learn at Lunch opportunities regarding mental health topics will be offered the following dates: 10/23 during lunch A,11/13 during lunch B, 12/3 during lunch C. During this time you will get a brief overview of a mental health topic. All sessions will be in the High School KIVA. Please RSVP below. We look forward to seeing you there! RSVP
Counselor's Corner
Counselor's Corner
The MHS School Counseling Department is excited to announce a wonderful opportunity this fall to help students and parents complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A completed FAFSA determines a student's eligibility for need-based financial aid and is an important step in the college process for students. The financial aid department at Miami University has graciously agreed to bring members of their staff to Mason High School to work with individual families to complete the FAFSA. Parents and students will be offered one hour appointments to come into the Harvard Room and complete the FAFSA with the support of a Miami University staff member.
The FAFSA workshop will be by APPOINTMENT ONLY. Dates for the workshop are Tuesday, October 22nd, Thursday, October 24th and Thursday, November 14th. The first appointment of the day will begin at 4:00 PM and the last appointment of the day will be 7:00 PM. Please follow the below link to schedule an appointment.
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