Class schedule/Pep rally

Well, you just can't have enough odds and ends, can you? 

My name is Meghan Starr and I am a new teacher in the Social Studies Department. I have a Bachelors from Oakland University and have done one year of teaching in Sterling Heights prior to this school year. I believe that personal relationships with the kids are the key to being a successful teacher and I look forward to building relationships with the students and staff of P-CEP this school year.

This school year I hope to develop meaningful relationships with my students and put an emphasize on differentiation in building curriculum throughout this year.

My boyfriend of 3 years, Blair, and I have just recently moved to the Novi area and are looking forward to exciting new adventures in the area. I am also blessed with four younger brothers and sisters that make me extremely proud on a daily basis and who allows me to spend much of my free time supporting them in their various activities. On top of these activities I enjoy hiking, skiing, watching sports, and spending time with my friends and family.

In my short time at Plymouth High School so far I have found the staff and students of Plymouth to be supportive, professional, compassionate, and all around accepting. It is never easy to begin working and moving to a new place, but I believe that I have been blessed by beginning my career here at Plymouth and I can't wait to see what the future has in store.

This past summer I decided to relive my childhood by rereading the Harry Potter series.

9th grade meetings: I apologize that this is so confusing! Tomorrow Salem and Canton students will report to their respective home schools during 3rd hour for 9th grade meetings.  Salem students report to the Salem auditorium and Canton students report to the Canton Gym (*this is a change from previous communication to go to different locations) Plymouth structured our 9th grade meetings differently by pushing into 9th grade classes so Plymouth 9th grade students should stay with you. 

Spirit Week/Pep Rally: Please wear your Wildcat gear tomorrow for our end of day pep rally. Students should attend their home school pep rally. The day's adjusted schedule may be found HERE. Also, during the pep rally, please supervise students by positioning yourself in the bleachers with kids. Kids will be sitting in the bleachers by grade so you can position yourself with the grade level that you teach most. 

Weekly cleaning schedule: This is the weekly cleaning schedule that was shared with my by Central Maintenance. It should what routine cleaning is done nightly, and what deep cleaning is done on each day of the week. 

Happy Monday!

In past years, we met with all 9th graders in the cafeteria during one period to welcome them to high school; introduce their support team; go over basic expectations, etc. This year, however, we changed it up a bit. The administrators have been pushing into 9th grade World History courses and running circles with students. This allows a much more personal connection with our 9th grades; something that is important to all of us! Check out a few pictures below. 

Upcoming events
Chromebook distribution continues this week. Please remind students to bring their signed user agreement. Click HERE for detailed information
Monday, September 25th:
Tuesday, September 26th: 
Wednesday, September 27th: PD for 1 hour after school 
Academic Eligibility Night @ 6:30 pm in PHS Cafeteria
Thursday, September 28th: 
Friday, September 29th: Pep Rally - Students report to their home gym. See detailed schedule below. 

Hi, my name is Mark Howson and I am a Counselor at Plymouth High School. This is my 5th year as a Counselor and the start of my first full year at Plymouth. I received my bachelor degree for Western Michigan and my Masters from San Jose State. I am very excited to start the school year and seeing and meeting so many new faces.

My wife Ashley and I, just passed our four year anniversary and have one daughter, Jane, who just turned 7 months old. Adding a child to the mix has made for a very busy time and a lack of sleep, but I have loved every minute of it.

Athletic/Activity Eligibility Check: Our first Athletic/Activity eligibility check of the school year is next Friday, October 6th. Please be sure that your grade books are accurate, up to date, and visible. It appears that there are grade books here and there that are either not set up yet or are not marked to be visible to students. Progress reports no longer get sent home, but parents are still notified and encouraged to login to MiStar and check their child’s grades at the mid-point of the quarter. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Class Schedule for Pep Rally 9/29:
1st hour 7:10-7:54 44 minutes
2nd hour 8:04-8:47 43 minutes
3rd hour 8:57-9:40 43 minutes
5th hour 9:50-10:33 43 minutes
4th hour 10:43-12:17 54 minutes of class
6th hour 12:27-1:10 43 minutes
Pep assembly 1:20-2:08 48 minutes

A lunch has lunch from 10:43-11:23 and class from 11:23-12:17
B lunch has lunch from 11:10-11:50 and class from 10:43-11:10 and 11:50-12:17
C lunch has lunch from 11:37-12:17 and class from 10:43-11:37

SkyZone Teacher Appreciation Day: Skyline is celebrating teachers and PTO/A members for their hard work and dedication to students and schools. On
Tuesday, October 3rd, from 4pm - 8pm all teachers, PTO/A members, and their immediate families will receive a FREE 60 MINUTE JUMP. NOTE: SkySocks are required to jump. Walk-in only. Availability may be limited. A waiver is required to jump. Waivers for jumpers under the age of 18 must be completed by a parent or legal guardian. You can check out their website for more information. 

Meet the Staff: Were you secretly hoping that I'd forget about this and not come back to it? 15 staff members filled this out the first time I put it in the odds and ends. To those 15 people - thank you! To the rest of you, we want to learn more about you, too! Please fill out the FORM. THANK YOU! 

Disciplinary Referrals: Please refer to this document for how to fill out a discipline referral. How to submit a referral

Field Trip documentation: Please see an example of the documentation that is required for Day Trips, Out of Country Trips, and Overnight Trips. 


Community Town Hall Meeting (Heroin & Opioid Prescription Epidemic): A Town Hall Meeting on Wednesday, October 4th from 6-8 pm, will provide information that is beneficial regarding the heroin and opioid prescription epidemic. Please see this FLYER for additional information.

Last minute afternoon absence: If you need to leave in the middle of the day, in addition to placing your absence in AESOP, please NOTIFY THE GENERAL OFFICE. If a sub does not pick up your afternoon absence in the system, we need to find building coverage. The general office has no way of knowing your absence was entered into AESOP after the initial reports are pulled around 6:15 am unless you let them know.

Happy third week of school!

Happy third week of school! 
I'd like to share an experience from last Friday. In an effort to truly understand what students experience walking from the far end of Plymouth to some of the furthest points of Canton or Salem, a few administrators walked to the other buildings with students during passing periods. In order to mimic students' experiences, they waited after the bell rang pretending to "pack" up their things, and then set off to the other schools. From 213A to CV9, it took 9 minutes and 43 seconds. From upper A pod in PHS to third floor Salem, it took 8 minutes and 43 seconds (in heels.) There are more examples, but you get the point. So, please continue to mark accurate attendance and encourage students to get to class on time! Share strategies like getting outside of the building as quickly as possible and to stay off of their cell phone. If you have students who repeatedly claim to not be able to make it, please let us know and we are happy to walk a day in their shoes with them. 

Upcoming events
Monday, September 18th:
Tuesday, September 19th: 
Wednesday, September 20th: PLC @ SHS @ 2:28 pm
Thursday, September 21th: Deadline for Juniors to register for PSAT/NMSQT
Friday, September 22th: 

Friday, September 29th: Adjusted schedule for Pep Rally.  Classes are approximately 43 minutes.  Schedule will be released soon. 

Hi, I’m Kelsey Onder and I will be teaching Math at PHS. I received my Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Michigan State University and completed my student teaching at East Middle School in Farmington, MI. After student teaching, I moved to New York City and began working at a middle/high school in The Bronx. I spent the last four years there and was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to serve as an instructional coach for the department. Although it was hard to say goodbye to the amazing students and staff, I am excited for all the new opportunities Plymouth High School will provide. 

This summer I took classes to become a PADI open water diver so a personal goal of mine is to complete the open water certification dives so that I can be PADI certified and enjoy scuba diving for many years to come. Being new to PHS this year, a professional goal of mine is to build relationships with my colleagues so that I can create a support group of individuals who push me to grow as an educator and challenge me to think about new ideas from a variety of perspectives.

I recently moved back to Michigan from New York City because of my fiancé, Nick, starting as an orthopedic surgical resident at The Detroit Medical Center. We are excited to be back near our parents, who live in Novi, and my brother and sister-in-law who also live nearby. I am especially excited to be working with my sister-in-law, Chelsea, this year! In my spare time, I love to hang out with my family and friends outdoors. During the warmer months I love to spend time on Torch Lake and in the winter I enjoy snowboarding up north. I also enjoy cooking, reading mysteries and memoirs, and trying out new fitness classes.

Five words to describe my classroom would be:Teamwork, Investigation, Supportive, Creative, Goofy

1)  College/Scholarship Fair: Infinite Scholars is conducting a College/Scholarship Fair at Canton High School on October 10th from 4 - 8 pm? The event is free - students will only have to register via the Infinite Scholars' website. Students are asked to bring multiple copies of transcripts, ACT/SAT test scores, letters of recommendation, an essay titled "Why I want to go to college", and a resume. Check out this FLYER for more information. The website is http://www.infinitescholar.org/

2) Four 1 hour professional learning meetings: This year we have four one hour professional learning meetings in lieu of a weekly staff meeting. The professional learning will include topics connected to the Framework for Teaching and our current theme of "Excellence for All." These one hour sessions will occur: September 27, November 29, February 28, and March 21. 

3) Building School Improvement team: Please send me an email if you are interested in participating on Plymouth's Building School Improvement team. 

4) Clubs and Activities: A reminder that all flyers advertising events need to be approved prior to being distributed. You can get approval out of the APAA office at PHS. Also, when posting flyers, please post them on the designated bulletin boards. 

5) Mandatory Training: You should have received an email from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools about the required training through Safe Schools. This year, you will need to complete both the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Prevention refresher course (13 minutes) and the Seclusion and Restraint Awareness Training (full course (33 minutes) These are due November 30th. Use your district address to login.  The link is on the right hand side on the web version. 

6) Guest Speaker/Educational Resource Form:
​Please remember to fill out the Educational Resource Selection and Use Information Sheet for any guest speaker, all movies/DVD’s/video tapes, etc. rated PG, PG-13, R, or unrated movies that might have been so rated by the rating system in place for that resource you plan to bring in. Please turn this form into Diane.  

Attendance

If students are not in class, then they cannot learn! It really is that simple. Today was the first day of hallway sweeps. The purpose is not to be a "gotcha" - it's to send the message that we care enough about our students, and their attendance, to hold them accountable for being present and on time to class. Our first question to students is likely the same question you ask them - Why are you late? Important to point out; however, is that a total of 70 students were stopped in the hallway for tardiness today and 46/70 (66%) were not marked tardy as of 4:00 pm. Please remember that you have a professional responsibility to take accurate attendance each day, for every period. The administrators heard loud and clear your concerns about attendance, but it takes a village and all of us need to do our part.  

Upcoming Events
Monday, September 11th:
Tuesday, September 12th: Fire drill @ 7:59 am; Fall Extravaganza @ lunch in bus loop
Wednesday, September 13th: Department meetings @ SHS @ 2:28 pm
Thursday, September 14th: Senior Meetings with counselors in Salem auditorium: 1st hour SHS, 2nd hour PHS, 3rd hour CHS 
Friday, September 15th:Last day for students to participate in 1:1 & sign up to receive a chromebook. Distribution schedule will resume on 9/21. More information to follow.

Hello, my name is Steve Rooney I am teaching chemistry. I have taught chemistry at the high school level for 12 years , and at the community college level for 5 years. I earned my degrees from the University of Illinois @ Chicago, and I am currently working on a PhD at Wayne State.

I recently picked up a motorcycle hat is in somewhat disrepair, my goal is to get it running during winter, and then go on a road trip over the summer. Professionally I would like to work towards becoming a Google Educator this year.

I have been married to Deb for 15 years , and we have two daughters Emily (14) and Abigail (11). Spare time... What is that? I am constantly working on remodeling projects around the house, recently finished a pergola and am currently working on a master bath/walk in closet. When not constructing/making/mending things I like to brew beer, and when that's done I like to lie in my hammock reading a book.

I have just started Ignition by John Clark,. The book is about the development of rocket fuels, good solid facts, but most importantly quite funny.

1) Voice amplification system: A friendly reminder that using the voice amplification system makes such a big difference! Several random parents stopped me during Open House to comment on how well they could hear teachers who used the "microphone." This is the only part of the 21st century classroom that has been shown to increase student achievement. It's not about how much louder it makes the sound; it's about how the system disperses the sound throughout the room.

2) Learning walks continued: The PHS administrative team loved getting into classrooms for learning walks last year. Remember that these learning walks serve as a valuable tool for us to dialogue about instruction, progress monitor our school improvement plan, and interact with students/staff - they are NOT evaluative - they're for our growth and learning! We plan to get into classrooms soon.

3) Chromebook distribution: Chromebooks are set to be distributed again out of Salem on 9/21. Set English classes will be assigned a date/hour for the pick-up. Students will need to bring their chromebook agreement form on their assigned pick-up day, and also have paid online for one of the insurance options (for free/reduced lunch the insurance option is either waived or reduced to $5)

4) Lunch duty: We are still looking for teachers who can help out on lunch duty. This pays 13.62/lunch period. Please fill out this FORM if you are interested. You can let us know on the form how many days a week you are interested in working. Also, you can sign up to sub.

5) Lowe's Small Toolbox for Education Grant Program: Educators and parent groups have less than three weeks to apply for $2,000 to $5,000 grants from the Lowe's Small Toolbox for Education grant program. The focus for the 2017–2018 funding cycle is school improvement centered on one of
four areas: technology upgrades, STEM programs, facilities improvements and safety enhancements.

6) Teens Using Drugs Series: This is a "free, ongoing resource designed to educate parents, families, teens and professionals about how to identify and help young people who may be experiencing problems related to alcohol/other drug use. When teens are in trouble in school, at home or in the community, alcohol/other drugs are often factors – and may the last factors to be seen. Early identification and intervention with substance-involved young people can often prevent serious, sometimes irreversible consequences. The “Teens Using Drugs: What To Know and What To Do” series provides a starting point for families struggling with teen alcohol/other drug use and professionals who want to help. Please click on the link above for more information and session dates/times.

Great job!

Job well done at last night's Open House! It's always so nice to hear all the compliments from parents as they travel from one room to another. They could not say enough good things about their experience in your class. Thank you for representing Plymouth High School so well!

Upcoming Events

Monday, September 11th:  

Tuesday, September 12th: Fire drill @ 7:59 am; Fall Extravaganza @ lunch in bus loop

Wednesday, September 13th: Department meetings @ SHS @ 2:28 pm

Thursday, September 14th: Senior Meetings with counselors in Salem auditorium: 1st hour SHS, 2nd hour PHS, 3rd hour CHS 

Friday, September 15th:Last day for students to participate in 1:1 & sign up to receive a chromebook.  Distribution schedule will resume on 9/21. More information to follow. 

My name is Erica Powell. I am new to Plymouth and the social studies department this year. I completed my bachelor's at Michigan State. I majored in History and minored in Psychology. I aim to create an open and accepting classroom that supports high tech and collaborative learning.

I value time with my family. My husband and I spend many weekends at his family cabin in Tawas. We have two nephews that we love spending time with. We adopted our first dog last year and she is very spoiled. I enjoy gardening and I grow sunflowers and harvest their seeds every year.

I just finished the book Finding Gobi by Dion Leonard. It is a must read for any dog lover!

1) EEF Grant Opportunity: EEF is the Educational Excellence Foundation serving Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. It is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that exists for the benefit of students in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools. They offer grants to teachers three times a year. The grant deadlines for the 2017-2018 school year are 10/6/17, 1/12/18, and 7/13/18. You can click HERE for the application.

2) Test days for classes on B lunch: If your class has B lunch and you are moving them for a test day, please have the students take A lunch. C lunch is already over crowded. Thank you!

3) Teachers' key card access: All teachers have programmed access from 5 a.m. - 7 p.m on your key card. If you need weekend access, please make a request 1-2 days in advance. to Diane Robertson.

4) Testing Center: The testing center has moved to room 719. As a reminder, the testing center is funded by special education and intended for use by students who have an IEP with an accommodation to provide an alternate testing environment or to have their test read to them. Since there is space in the room, students with a 504 testing accommodation or students who we have implemented this accommodation for RTI are also allowed to use the room. The room is NOT intended for general education test make-up. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

5) ​STS announcements​:  STS announcements began on 

Wednesday, September 6​th,

 with school news. If you have an announcement you'd like included in the announcements, please e-mail Janet Sutherland what you'd like read a day or two before you need it ​run. Announcements will continue to run on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week.

http://pcepvideos.pccsk12.local/ParkAnnouncements/previous-shows.html​

6) Chromebooks:  Please announce - students and their families can visit the 1:1 Initiative page links.pccsk12.com/parents to learn about the program and download the enrollment form. The deadline for insurance liability payments is 9/15. All students who would like to participate in the 1:1 program must make a liability payment by this deadline.

First Day of School

First day of school, first day of school . . . I can't say these words without chanting it like Nemo, probably because my girls watched Finding Nemo at least 1,052 times!

At any rate, this is it -THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! This is the day that nerves are tight (for both students and parents) and emotions run high. We know the importance of building a community in the classroom. We want students engaged in the real work of learning, but UNTIL we help them get comfortable, they really can't learn. You got this!  Best wishes for a wonderful start to the year!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, September 4th: NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, September 5th: 1/2 day of school - 10:13 am dismissal
Wednesday, September 6th: Full day of school - 2:08 pm dismissal
                                              Staff meeting at 2:30 pm in cafeteria
Thursday, September 7th: Open House 6-8:30 pm (arrive 5:30 pm)
                                      Senior Parent Meeting at 5 pm in the SHS Auditorium
                                     
Friday, September 8th:

Hi, my name is Ray Miller and I am entering my first year as a mathematics teacher at Plymouth High School. This year I will be teaching Geometry and Problem Solving. This will be my third year as an educator, prior to PHS I taught middle school and high school math at Trenton Public Schools. I graduated from Central Michigan University in 2015.

Personal goals of mine are to wake up every morning with a positive attitude, strive to improve my craft, make learning enjoyable, and put my students in the best possible situation for success.

Outside of teaching, I am the Head Coach for Plymouth's Boys Varsity Lacrosse team. Last season was my first season and I am proud that we accomplished the best record, highest end of the year ranking, and furthest playoff run in the 10 year program's history. In my spare time I enjoy playing sports, spending time with family/friends, and walking my two Siberian Huskies—Luna and Congo.

Five words to describe my classroom would be safe, caring, academic, enjoyable, and relatable.

1) Visibility: It's important to be in the  hallways (or greeting students at the door) all year round, but it's critical during the first few weeks of school.  Please do you best to be in the hallway during passing periods. 

2) Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award:  Congratulations to Casey Swanson, PHS teacher and IB Coordinator, on earning the Mary Beth Carroll Extra Miler Award. The award was presented to Casey at the 8/29 Board of Education Meeting. It was so nice to see Casey recognized for the extra care and effort he puts into everything he does!

3) The Henry Ford Educator's Open House: On September 23rd from 9 am - 3 pm,  Educators receive FREE admission + one FREE guest admission to Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.  If educators attend one of the Must See Viewing Sessions, they can receive FREE admission to Greenfield Village, Ford Rouge Factory Tour, and Giant Screen Theater. Check out this LINK for more information.

4) Best wishes & Welcome: Quinn Guernsey recently accepted a position at Howell High School. We are grateful for his contributions to PHS, including coaching and Link Crew Coordinator and wish him the best in his new school. Please welcome Megan Starr, who will be teaching in the Social Studies department. 

5) Fall Activities Extravaganza: P-CEP Congress is once again hosting a fall activity extravaganza on Tuesday, September 12th, during 4th hour in the P-CEP bus loop. Please promote this to students in your classes. This is a great opportunity for students to explore and sign-up for the the amazing clubs/activities that the Park has to offer. 

6) Lightning Grader:  David Fleming was one of the teachers who piloted this program last spring. If you have any questions, he said you are welcome to go see him for help. 

7) Web version shows links: There are regular links on this blog that can be viewed when you are in the web version. If you are reading this from your phone, there is a link at the bottom to view the web version of the "odds and ends." 

​