Principal's Corner -
Individual Student Meetings: After hearing from many of you over the last two weeks, and after ELA MCAS is completed this week, I will begin meeting with students who are failing classes to explain the consequences of not meeting the standards required in each course. Students for the last two years have had a "safety net," due to Covid-19, and I believe that they still believe that this "escape clause" will once again result in a passing grade. So if I call into a class and ask for a student, please understand it is for a long-term goal.
Lesson Plans in Google Classroom: If you need to be out and share your lesson plans through google classroom, the preferred method, please make sure that I am an editor so I can send them along to the other staff covering your classes.
Promoting the school to middle school families: The School Council has identified what they feel is a weakness in our communication process. They give us high scores for communicating with families once their children are accepted into our school community, but they believe we need to improve our promotion of school successes to the families and communities outside of the school.
I can use Horticulture's FFA floral team going to nationals as an example. We have and will promote that, but families have to like us on social media to know anything about it at this point.
- To that end, I can get stories to the local town papers and the southofboston.com page, but they will run the stories when they can, and as we all know newspaper readership is down.
- Therefore, I would like to get our stories out to the sending town's Facebook pages, of which each town usually has a few.
- I am looking for staff volunteers living in any of our sending communities who would be willing to share our big headline stories within their individual communities. As an example, I belong to the Plympton and Halifax pages and promote items to these pages. If you are willing to place this role in your hometown, please let me know.
Thank you
Mark
MCAS Schedule, March 22nd and 23rd
MCAS Tracking Form: We are employing a new style of tracking form. Please look it over prior to Tuesday if you could proctor the MCAS ELA test. The major change is the listing of the student names who have not finished the test in the regular window and require time in the extended location.
Guidance/Wellness: A reminder that there is no 9th-grade guidance and wellness class this week and there are no guidance and wellness class on Tuesday and Wednesday due to MCAS testing.
Student Support Email StudentSupport@ssvotech.org
The intention of the student support email is for you to raise awareness of a concern about a student. The appropriate member of the student support team will follow up with you about specific details. As you know from our Cyber Security training, school email is a part of the student record and a parent/guardian can request student records at any time. So, less is always more and student confidentiality should always be the focus. Remember that you are a mandated reporter. If a student has disclosed information that requires immediate attention then a member of the support team will guide you with the appropriate next steps. As always, if you’d like to discuss your concerns, please feel free to connect with a counselor or admin in person.
The Student Support Team triages concerns and needs every day, all day. We meet formally as a Team on Thursday afternoons to collaborate on the next steps.
Here are some examples of how to draft an email to student support.
Yes:
I have concerns about K. Berry in my class this week. She shared that she's tired from stuff at home. She is disengaged and this is impacting her grade. Would a counselor check in with her and let me know how I can help?
No:
I have concerns about K. Berry this week. She shared with me that her father's drinking has increased each night and she is worried about her little sister's safety.
Yes:
I'm worried about K. Berry and S. Baldner. They seem to be having intense conversations in the halls that are inappropriate. When I ask them to stop and get to class - they go. I'm concerned there is more to the story. Would someone check-in?
No:
I overheard K. Berry and S. Baldner talking in the halls about how they’ll be drinking and selling vapes at a party this weekend at K. Berry's house. Her parents are divorced and from what she tells me, no one is ever home. K. Berry showed her vapes to S. Baldner and said she gets the vapes from her aunt who picks her up from school.
Yes:
I heard that K. Berry's uncle passed away suddenly. She's not here today. Would someone please check-in?
No:
I heard that K. Berry's uncle died of an overdose last night. I think she found him. They were very close. She's not here today.
Cybersense
Please join our parent session should you find it interesting to you! Here's the information:
Wednesday, March 30th, 6:30pm - Join Adjustment Counselors Angela Chiarelli and Michelle Craig for a virtual presentation by Amanda Fowle (Assistant District Attorney for Plymouth County) on "Cyber Sense." Learn strategies to enable your student to have a healthier relationship with their smartphone and protect themselves on the internet. Please reach out to mcraig@ssvotech.org or achirelli@ssvotech.org with questions. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Advisory: March 18th was the RSVP deadline. At this time, departments should follow-up with advisors who have not responded. RSVPs are up-to-date in the master advisory list and indicate if the advisor will attend remotely, in-person, or not at all.
SkillsUSA Dates: Please keep these dates in mind when planning for class assessments.
April 14th is Leadership competition in person
April 29th in person Competition at BVT
May 13th all students who placed at Districts and States will be in Marlboro for an awards ceremony.
- Alexus Mitsiopoulos, Gyslaine Driscoll ,Taylor Walker & Isabella Perciavalle 1st place Floral Team and first team eligible to participate for SST at the FFA National Convention!
- Travis Morley 1st place Individual Demonstration
- Tyler Carini & Ryan McCosker 1st place Team Demonstration
- Lucas Salvucci & Chris White 2nd place Team Demonstration
- Gyslaine Driscoll 3rd place individual in Floral Design
- Alexus Mitsiopoulos 2nd place over all individual Floral Design
- Gavin MacVarish 3rd in Turf Management
- Alexus Mitsiopoulos, Gyslaine Driscoll, Caleb Hawkins, Gavin MacVarish1st in team Turf Management.
- Todd Egan, Caleb Hawkins, Gavin MacVarish, Jake Dolan 2nd place for Landscape Team.
