Thanks for your patience

Hello again, 
Thanks for your patience with the repeated changes to the fire drill time yesterday. The initial change was made to try and preserve some of the instructional time that has been lost in 5th hour due to testing. I appreciate your endless patience as the time got changed, and then changed again. 

A few odds and ends below . . .

1) Parent Teacher Conferences are 11/1: Parent Teacher Conferences are on Thursday, 11/1, from 3:30-8:30 pm. Staff elected this past June to have just one conference this year instead of 2 so this will be the only one, but it'll be longer. We are using PTC Fast again this year. Please keep an eye out for an email about a week prior so that you can schedule in some breaks. Please schedule up to (6) 5 minute breaks as you see fit throughout the PT time (30 min total). We expect it to go live for families to sign-up on 10/26. As always, if your spaces fill-up, please work with the family to come up with a mutually agreed upon way to conference about their child.

2) Central Office Classroom Visits: Members of Central Office will be at Plymouth High School visiting classrooms on Wednesday, 10/24, during 1st and 2nd hours! It will most likely be me, Hal, and Mike Bender who will be making the rounds. Please let me know if you'd like us to stop by. The classroom visits will be 5-10 minutes in order to get into as many classrooms as possible while they're here. 

3) Student Withdrawal Forms: Students need an exiting grade from P-CEP when they withdraw and move to another school. Please remember to assign students a grade on the withdrawal form within 2 days of their withdrawal. Thank you!

4) Review of Evaluation process: Teachers, please have your SLOs uploaded in OASYS by 10/22. In addition, you should have a goal setting meeting with your evaluating administrator by 11/2. First observations have already begun. Thank goodness - getting into classrooms is one of the best parts of an administrative job!  

 5) Distracted Driving Assembly: On November 8th we will be hosting a national speaker, Joel Feldman, who will present a dynamic program about distracted driving hours 2,3,5 & 6 in the Salem Auditorium. Please see the attached flier. If you are interested in attending with your students, please e-mail Janet Sutherland with the hour and number of students. Janet will confirm with you regarding your attendance. Thank you for sharing this important information with your students.

6) Take care of yourself: The end of October looks like it may be a tough week with Halloween on Wednesday and a long night of Parent Teacher Conferences on Thursday. Fridays are always a challenge for us to find substitutes, even when staff call in the absence the day before. This past Friday, we had 13 teachers out and 3 of them were unfilled. Please do whatever you usually do to keep yourself healthy - get extra sleep, stay hydrated, take vitamins, whatever it takes so that we have a full staff on that Friday, November 2nd. 😉

Happy Thursday!

I recently started reading the book Culturize by Jimmy Casas so I was thrilled to learn that RESA had booked him for their learning series this year. I got the opportunity to hear him speak yesterday. He started the day by asking us to scroll through the contact list in our phone and find someone we hadn't connected with in awhile. Then, he gave us 1 minute to send a message to this person. See, as Mr. Casas explained, this was an opportunity. Life is full of opportunities - either we take them or we miss them. By mid-day almost everyone in the room had heard back from the person they texted. It was a good reminder for me that we have opportunities every day to build the kind of culture we want to have in our class, and in our school. May we not only recognize but seize these opportunities around us.

The remaining two Wednesday meetings this month are listed below: 

• 10/17 PLC meeting 
• 10/24 Building meeting (CORE Team coming to PHS)

1.  Welcome to Amy Mullins! Please join me in welcoming Amy Mullins, our new  ASD teacher. Amy started this past Monday and is in room 104A. 

2.  Emergency Drill information: Tomorrow's emergency lock-down drill at 9:17 am is a shelter-in-place. A shelter-in-place lock-down may be used in the event of hazardous material or chemical incident outside of the building or any other threat when it is determined the safety of students and staff require that they remain in classrooms; however, instruction may continue. Please be sure to:

• Check hallways/bathrooms and bring in any stray students
• Take attendance, including students you brought into your room
• Lock and close the door
• Close any windows
• All staff and students should remain out of the hallway
• Do not write hall passes for any reason
• Call my office to report medical emergency or critical information (PHS 734-582-5602) during the drill
• You do not need to place the red/green card under your door. 

3. Fire Drill on 10/16 moved to the beginning of 3rd hour: This week's PSAT shortened the afternoon hours so in an effort to minimize the impact to 5th hour the fire drill next Tuesday is now at the beginning of 3rd hour. The drill will begin at 9:18 am. 

4. Safe School online training:  Please do not forget to complete the mandatory online training that is due on 10/31. You'll need to complete both the bloodborne pathogen (13 min) and seclusion/restraint awareness training (33 min). Here is the link - https://pccs-mi.safeschools.com/ Enter your Username: (district email address) Once you log into the site, click on a course title to begin the training. Thank you! 

5.  Open Media Centers after school: Like last year, the media centers will be open for student use from 2:30 -3:30 pm on the following days: Canton - Monday & Tuesdays; Plymouth - Mondays and Wednesdays; Salem - Tuesdays and Thursdays

6.  DNA illuminate answer sheets: You can print multiple answer sheets on one sheet of paper by clinking on Adv. Options link (above the generate tab). Click the 1st box that says "multiple answers sheet"

7. Sub lesson plans: If you are absent, please communicate your lesson plans to the substitute teacher either by uploading them into AESOP or making other arrangements for the plans to be given to the substitute. While you may choose to communicate with your students through google classroom or remind, please also provide the plans to the substitute. 

8. School Improvement Link: The School Improvement Link is included in the PHS SLO Presentation on slide 24 (shared with you in Google Drive) and HERE for your reference.  

Odds and Ends

Happy Tuesday!
We had an amazing homecoming week this past week! Thank you to Plymouth Congress, and their advisers Becky Kraft and Elena Girolamo, for all the planning and hard work that went into making the week so successful and fun. This stuff doesn't just happen on its own; there is a ton of behind the scenes work to make each event run smoothly. Also, thank you to the staff who participated in spirit week, the pep rally, attended the football game, or chaperoned the dance. I loved listening to the students talk about all the staff who participated. Such fun! 

Upcoming events: 
Wednesday, 9/26 - 1 hour PD 2:25 - 3:25 pm 
Thursday, 9/27 - later start 7:10 - 8:10 am 

October 2 - October 12 - 9th grade individual meetings with counselors

Small group circles with Freshmen

Spirit Week! 

Pep Rally

Football Game 

1) Wednesday Building Meeting & Late Start Thursday: There are 2 late start days on the calendar for this year that are combined with a staff meeting the Wednesday before to accommodate PD time. This year's late start dates are 9/27 and 2/28.  For this week's meetings, please plan to meet in the following locations:
    Wednesday, 2/26 -  2:25-3:25
    Cheri, Danielle, and Luke's evaluation groups - DLL
    Lauren and Ted's evaluation group - 401
    Thursday, 2/27 - 7:10-8:10 am  all staff meet in the DLL *please bring a device

2) MiStar and Athletic/Activity Eligibility Check: MiStar should be updated weekly unless you have a long-term assignment that requires additional time to grade. To this end, our first Athletic/Activity eligibility check of the school year is on Friday, October 5th. Please be sure that your grade books are accurate, up to date, and visible to parents/students. Progress reports are no longer 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.
  
3) Learning Walks: The PHS administrative team loves getting into classrooms for learning walks! 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 continue learning walks and get into classrooms later this week.   

4) Teachers' key card access: I've had a number of calls on the weekend to access the building so this is a good time to remind everyone that teachers have programmed access on their key card from 5 a.m. - 7 p.m Monday - Friday. If you need weekend access, please make a request 1-2 days in advance. 

5) 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 - http://www.infinitescholar.org/ 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. Representatives from some of the schools attending will be offering on the spot admission and scholarships. Some of the schools will also waive fees as part of onsite admissions. Check out this FLYER for more information. 

6) After-School Bus available: Like last year, there will be an after-school bus available on a first come-first served basis at 3:55 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning on October 9th. Students must be signed up by 3 pm on the day they want to take the bus. You can access the sign-up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4CAFAC2BA1FF2-tuesday

7) Student of the Month: REMINDER Don't forget to nominate a student of the month by this Friday. It's a nice way to recognize students for something positive. Here is the link again Oct. 2018 SOM Nomination Form

8) Mandatory Safe Schools Training: REMINDER You all received an email from Plymouth-Canton Community Schools about the required training through Safe Schools. You 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 October 31st. Use your district address to login. The link is on the right hand side on the web version.

Odds and Ends

Just like that we are back into the swing of things! I hope your school year has been off to smooth start. Please see below for some calendar items and odds and ends. 

Calendar: 
Wednesday, September 12th: Activity Extravaganza in the bus loop during lunch
Thursday, September 13th: Senior Class Meetings with counselors
                                         Canton - Little Theater
                                         Plymouth - Cafeteria
                                         Salem - Auditorium.
                                         1st hour is last names A-G
                                         2nd hour is last names H-O
                                         3rd hour is last names P-Z
Friday, September 14th: Cheaper by the 1/2 dozen - breakfast in media center @ 6:30 am 

Friday, September 21st: P-CEP Pep Rally (See schedule below)
                                    Plymouth Homecoming
Saturday, September 22nd:Plymouth Homecoming Dance 7-10 pm
September 27th: Late start day (Bell schedule linked HERE)

Pep rally schedule:
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*
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

1) Fall Activity Fair: Joining a club or activity at the start of the school year is a perfect way for students to meet friends who are interested in some of the same things. Our P-CEP Congresses are sponsoring a "Fall Activity Fair" during lunch in the bus loop tomorrow, September 12th, for students to check out many of the clubs/activities on campus. Please promote this event to your students. Click HERE for a list of clubs/activities.

2) New Vaping Ordinance in Canton: It is now illegal for a person under 18 years of age to possess or smoke vapor products or alternative nicotine products. An ordinance was passed in Canton Township this past summer (Article VIIII Sec. 46-506) that prohibits the possession or use in a public place by persons under 18. Students who are found in violation of the ordinance will be issued a school consequence and a misdemeanor ticket. We are communicating this via the website, announcements, newsletters, etc; however, please also communicate this to your students. 

3) Infinite College Fair: P-CEP is hosting a free scholarship fair on Wednesday, October 10, 2018. Some colleges will be accepting students and notifying about scholarships on the spot. The fair runs from 4-8 pm. Students need to bring copies of transcrips, ACT/SAT scores, letters of recommendation, an essay titled "Why I want to go to college," and a resume. Here is a link to a flyer

4) Mandatory training: You should have received an email from P-CCS safeschools online training with a link to the training module. The website is
 https://pccs-mi.safeschools.com/ and your district email is the username. All training is due by Oct. 31st. 

5) Colored Paper: Please ease up on the colored paper use. I've been notified that we are going through our supply at an alarming rate. Thank you!  

Link Crew 9th grade Orientation

Opening Football Game at the Big House!

First week of school classroom activities

P-CEP Rain Garden Project

6 finishers in the top 15 by PHS boys Cross Country!
New course record set by Carter Soloman with a 15:24

We held Plymouth High School's Honors Convocation the other night and it was nice to see students recognized for their achievements. Thank you to Nancy Gerst, Joyce Bauder, and Danielle Ramos for all the planning that went into making the night such a nice event for our students and families! 

There is definitely an air of excitement in the hallways as we approach these last few weeks of school. I laughed out loud when a teacher commented yesterday on how a roomful of high school students are bursting with added energy this time of year, but a roomful of teachers is more quiet and subdued due to the added demands and exhaustion that come with the month of May (and June) Enjoy this long weekend as you prepare for the homestretch. The end is in sight. June 15th is near - you can do it! :)

Upcoming Calendar 
5/25   Senior Skip Day
5/28 - Memorial Day 
5/31 - Seniors Last Day - Stop by the breakfast in the cafeteria 1st or 2nd hour            if you are able. 
6/1 -  Senior Prom @ Suburban Showcase 7-11 pm 
         Record of District Provided Professional Development due to evaluating 
         administrator (see below for more detail) 

Hi! I'm Sara Tebben. I teach French and sometimes I teach English. You can usually find me teaching the first level of French and the advanced French through the International Baccalaureate Program. I like having both the beginners and the advanced classes! I went to Michigan State for both my undergraduate and Master's degrees. Go Green! This year, I'm celebrating my 10th year in the classroom, with 5 years at the Park and 5 years at Fenton High School, where I also served as the IB Diploma Program Coordinator. I became a teacher because I wanted to change the world! Beyond teaching language, I like to believe that I'm teaching effective communication and relationship building, doing my small part to help people understand each other, which, in turn, makes for a better world.

I don't mind waking up early, so my personal goal is to take at least 30 minutes in the morning each to do what I want to do, such as read, write, or do yoga before the demands of school and two small children take over. Professionally, I am going to try to link all of my lesson plans electronically so I can have a breadcrumb trail for the years to come, leaving me more time to focus on the important part of teaching: the students!

I have two little ones: Anna, two years old, and John, born this past spring. They are such joys! Anna is very talkative and dynamic, and John is such a sweet, easy baby. My husband and I live in Plymouth and I love running into my past and present students around town. I love to read and travel.

Final Exam Schedule: A revised final exam schedule was emailed on 1/16 and a reminder sent out the other day. Please see the schedule below in case you missed it. 


District Provided Professional Development: Please remember to turn in a copy of your record of professional development to your evaluating administrator by June 1st. You can access directions on how to input the hours HERE. This year's PD is listed below for you to reference.

8/29/17 – 6.5 hours
8/30/17 – 3.25 hours
8/31/17 – 3.25 hours
11/7/17 – 6.5 hours
3/14/18 – 3.25 hours
3/15/18 – 3.25 hours
Four 1 hour staff meetings also count as PD: 9/27/17, 11/29/17, 2/28/18, and 3/21/18
Plus 3 additional work hours entered into RESA.

Chromebook Collection:  11th grade science, 10th grade social studies, and 9th grade English teachers - please review your specific assigned schedule/numbers/names of participating students, and remind students (or bring them if there are more than 10) to go to Canton 182 on your assigned dates/hours. Canton room 182 is located at the back of the media center. We all need to be diligent about this in order to get them all turned in. Thank you!

Meet the Staff:  So, (insert smiley face), I'm putting the FORM in here again for those of you who haven't filled this out. We want to hear about you! It shouldn't take a lot of time to complete. Thank you!

Canton Cup - The Canton Cup Soccer Tournament is this weekend. Last year, many of the cup spectators made their way into the buildings and we returned on Tuesday to a lot of messes. If you are up here this weekend, please do not unlock doors or let anyone enter the building. 

Event Management System (EMS): A friendly reminder to please email Marie Rogers for any scheduling needs for the building. Events need to be in EMS for a number of reasons 1) safety and security and 2) so that GRBS knows to circle back and re-clean the space. Thanks in advance!

Blue skies from here on out

Someone mentioned to me recently that, in the last two weeks, the people in  Michigan have seen snow, hail, rain, 76 degrees, 14 degrees, and an earthquake! Well, this may be true, but today was absolutely beautiful so I'll take living here in Michigan. I hope you had a chance to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather and sunshine. I'm choosing to take it as a symbol that it's blue skies from here on into June! 

Calendar:

4/24 - PSAT 9 make up

          SAT make up

4/25 - PSAT 10 make up

4/26 - M-STEP make up

          School Improvement meeting @ 2:30 pm @ SHS

Hello, my name is Cathy Kava and I am a Resource Room Teacher in the Special Education Department. I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Cognitive Impairments and my Masters degree in Special Education from Eastern Michigan University. This is the start of my 35th year of teaching. I believe that all students can and will learn, given the time and accommodations necessary to access the curriculum.

My personal goal is to live a healthy, loving, life with my children and grandchildren, surrounded by family. Professionally I have met my goals by not only teaching at all levels age 3-18, but also teaching at EMU to undergrads and graduate students.

I am number nine of eleven children and grew up in Livonia. I have three children who attended Salem High School; Kristen Dobias-2005, Justin Dobias -2007, and Anna Dobias- 2013. All of my children are out of the house and living on their own. Kristen is in Indiana with her husband and my two adorably cute grandsons; Lucas and Everett, Justin is in California avoiding the snow, and Anna is living on her own in Garden City. I enjoy traveling and spending time with my kids and grandkids. Each of my children took a different path in their lives after high school and I am passionate about supporting them in their choices. In my spare time I enjoy outdoor activities. I moved to a farm in the country a year ago and help my partner, Glen, grow and sell hay and goats. I have chickens who play hide-and-seek with their eggs, but when I find them I enjoy baking and cooking. I enjoy swimming and reading, and am anxious to get back to riding my bike.

Five words that describe Plymouth High school would be friendly, diverse, accepting, caring, and fun!

1. K12 Insight Student Survey: Students received a personal invitation and survey link in their school email account from the district’s survey partner K12 Insight. Please have students complete the survey using a connected device of any kind, including a smartphone, chromebook, or tablet during 3rd hour announcement time. The survey will take between 5 and 10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance!

2.  Entering District Provided Professional Development: You can access directions on how to input the hours HERE. This year's PD is listed below for you to reference.

     8/29/17 – 6.5 hours
     8/30/17 – 3.25 hours
     8/31/17 – 3.25 hours
    11/7/17 – 6.5 hours
     3/14/18 – 3.25 hours
     3/15/18 – 3.25 hours 

Four 1 hour staff meetings will count as PD: 9/27/17, 11/29/17, 2/28/18,     and 3/21/18

Plus 3 additional work hours entered into RESA.

3. Guest Speaker form: This is more formally called the Educational Resource Form. It's under the regular links on the right side of this blog. Please use this form for any guest speaker you are inviting to come in to your class. Thank you!

4.  Going through your closets? If you have any long shorts (i.e, basketball) you would like to donate then please send them to Rachelle. She has a supply of clothes for students who are in dress code violation.

5. Grant Opportunity: Please see the grant opportunity from the Meemic Foundation. Apply today for classroom funding with their $100 Back-to-School Supplies grant. Apply at: MeemicFoundation.org/BacktoSchool Need new books? Math manipulative?  Microscopes? Art supplies? A special school-wide speaker? Whatever the need, our second quarter Traditional grant provides funding up to $500. Apply at: MeemicFoundation.org/Traditional. Deadline for both grants is June 30th. 

6.  College Decision Day: As a reminder, College Decision Day will be celebrated on May 4th during 5th hour at the Varsity football field. The goal of College Decision Day is to recognize high school seniors for their post-secondary educational plans whether it's trade school, military, workforce or college. 

7.  Scholastic Book Fair: Warehouse sale is from June 6-June 16 at the Scholastic Book Fairs Warehouse at 41873 Ecorse Rd, Suite 260, Van Buren Twp, 48111. 

Spring Break!

Whether you're traveling or in town for the break, I hope you're getting a chance to do things that really feed your soul. This may be different for each of us, but you know what I mean - whether it's spending time with family and friends, sleeping in, or cleaning out that messy closet - I hope you're having the break that you need to finish strong. 

This week's calendar:
Tuesday, 4/10 - SAT (11th); PSAT (9th) 
                       Report card window closes @ 11:59 pm 
Wednesday, 4/11 - Workkeys (11th); PSAT (10th)
                           Adjusted schedule (CLICK HERE) for PM 

Upcoming
Monday, 4/16 - Lock-down drill
                       report cards distributed to 3rd hour
Tuesday, 4/17 - M-STEP (M-STEP ALPHA SCHEDULE) 
Wednesday, 4/18 -  M-STEP
Thursday, 4/19 - M-STEP
Friday, 4/20 - M-STEP make-up 

Hello, I am Henni Marek and I am a math teacher at Plymouth High School. I have been teaching at the Park for seven years. Teaching is a second carrier which started in England at Magdalen College School, Brackley (www.magdalen.northants.sch.uk/). This is my 15th year of teaching and a life long dream come true. After 'retiring' from opticianry I was a stay at home mom while pursuing a degree in mathematics and secondary education. Born and raised in Germany, I now have been living in the USA for more than 30 years, with the exception of living in Northampton, UK for about four years. There I was able to finish my studies, student teach and complete my first teaching assignment.

One of my goals this year is, when working with struggling students in my support class, to continue to integrate effective instructional strategies to engage all students in learning and reaching their potential.

My husband, David, and I have two grown sons. Philip, the oldest is living in South Carolina, where we like to visit him as often as possible, especially during the Michigan winter. Peter, our youngest son is currently living with us and we enjoy his company, he is an excellent cook. Traveling is one of our passions and keeps us connected with our families and friends. 

1. K12 Student Survey: The district is launching a K12 student survey on the morning of April 10th. Each student will be sent a direct link to their school email. The survey takes 10 minutes (maximum) to take and can be taken on a phone, chromebook, or computer. Please ask students to take this survey in your 3rd hour class on 4/24 and 4/26, utilizing the extra 10 minutes for announcements.  

2. PD Survey: Please provide feedback on the presentation on 3/15 by Max McGee. The survey link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W8QL8VB. The survey can be completed in 3 minutes or less. Also, here is a link to his presentation.

3. ASD Walk 2018 - This year's Walk for Autism will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2018. Come and celebrate Autism Awareness with food, raffle, and fun. All proceeds from this event go towards our Center Based ASD programs. Here is a link to a flyer