Playbook | February 2024

Principal's Playbook

heart.pngFebruary 2024


To Dos

  • 02/01 - 02/29: Black History Month Celebration: Celebrate Black History Month - activities should be in place.
  • 02/01 - 02/29: Plan your Master Schedule
  • 02/01 - 02/29:  American Heart Month Links to an external site.
  • 02/02: Wear Red Day: Plan an event to raise awareness for Women's Heart Health by participating in National Wear Red Day Links to an external site..
  • 02/15:  Progress Reports Sent Home
  • 02/16: RCSS District Professional Learning Day
  • 02/20:  PowerUp Asynchronous Learning Day
  • 02/28:  Administrator's Meeting: Leveraging for Excellence - School Allocations will be shared. 
  • 03/01:  Non-renewals due to Melissa Shepard
  • 03/02-03/07: Read Across America Week: Plan to celebrate reading and literacy milestones. Invite guests to read to your classes.

Important RemindersImportant Reminders

  • ACT/SAT Action Plan: Review your ACT/SAT action plan to make adjustments and plan for 2nd semester.
  • All County Band Concert:  February 6, 2024 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at Tubman
  • Attendance: Follow the RCSS Attendance Protocol Download RCSS Attendance Protocol and make sure parental excuses are turned in for any student absent during the week. Also, ensure the process is followed and send letters home to parents after two unexcused absences, and petitions are sent after five unexcused absences. Make sure you track attendance closely.  Monitor reports provided to P.O.C. (WPT, Parent Portal Processor, OLR, ScribTransfer, Attendance)
  • Be Visible: Make every effort to stay out of your office and in the halls. This is especially vital during class changes and during lunch times. Make rounds throughout the day to monitor instruction. Placing a desk or mobile office out in the hall will aid in trying to visible and keeping up with paperwork.
  • Cognia: Interviews - February 5, 2024
  • COVID: Continue to follow the guidance COVID Forms, Letters, Training Materials Links to an external site.
  • Events and Celebrations: Review and plan for your monthly Celebrations and Events 2023-2024.pdf Download Celebrations and Events 2023-2024.pdf
  • Formal Observations: Conduct pre-observation conferences, formal classroom observations, post-observation conferences, and conference summaries in alignment with evaluation instrument requirement (TKES). Develop a calendar to ensure observations are completed and are thoroughly done. Professional Development Plans should be completed on any deficiency noted and conferences should be held with staff members to inform them of the deficiencies immediately. Follow up with documentation periodically to check for improvement. Continue documenting if no improvement is shown.
  • GaDOE Resources: Check out these resources from GaDOE. Sign up to receive their monthly newsletter by creating your Community account.
  • HR: School Allocations to be shared at the Administrator's Meeting.  Please complete Non-Renewal packets by March 1, 2024.
  • Information Technology: 
  • Lesson Plans: Actively participate in planning sessions. Review plans looking for the items outlined in Richmond Ready 6.12.
  • Master Scheduling - it is time to plan for next year (assess your current schedule, consider course offerings, student needs, etc.)
  • New Teacher Academy (NTA): Lead Mentor facilitates monthly New Teacher Academy for 1st year Non-traditional Teachers and their Mentors. Stop by and join in on this great learning opportunity for your 1st year Non-traditional Teachers.
  • PBIS Schools: Continue to reference the RCSS School Wide Behavior Expectation Guide  Links to an external site. to help you with your individual school wide behavior plans.
  • School Climate:
    • Review GA Health Survey results Links to an external site. and update plans to include action steps for any red flags from the survey feedback
    • Review discipline data with a focus on the number of suspensions including special education students (USHA) and number of majors and minors (Spotlight) and share with leadership team
  • School Council:  Plan your School Council meeting - update your School Council membership list.  If your School Council members need training, please have them take the School Council course online Links to an external site..
  • School Improvement: Review your School Improvement Plan with your Leadership Team.  How are you progressing?  Are you meeting your objectives and goals?  Do you need to revise the plan?  Are you making sure to document your Leadership Team meetings?  Continuous Improvement Planning - work with your PLC to plan for school improvements.  How can student engagement be maximized in February? How can discipline referrals be minimized?
  • School Nutrition:  School Nutrition Program administrators will be discussing possible updates to breakfast serving models due to continued staffing issues and absenteeism. The breakfast carts that were introduced during COVID have been a great benefit to some schools in terms on increasing breakfast participation and providing multiple access points for meal pickup. For other schools, this model is not sustainable because use of the carts affect the nutrition team’s ability to prepare lunch for service due to the staff size.  We are open to discussing possible solutions that can be used in conjunction with students coming through the serving line to pick up breakfast.  For more information, please contact your SNP administrator or Cathy Johnson.
  • Sprigeo Tip Line:  Monitor reports and respond in the portal.  Send any names of anyone you want to have access to Dr. Gina Hudson.  Ensure students are aware of the Tip Line.
  • Spotlight: Please follow the Spotlight Download Spotlight timeline.
  • Title IX: Make sure that posters with current Title IX Contact information are visible around the building.  Review Title IX Tidbits for Administrators Links to an external site..

Instructional Look-Fors In All Content Area


Literacy

  • Click here for a one-pager that outlines the RCSS Literacy Instructional Expectations.Links to an external site.
  • Try a quick pre-read strategy called First Lines to help student comprehension. To learn more about First Lines click here. Links to an external site.
  • Review your media center plan. What adjustments need to be made during the 2nd semester to improve student access and circulation statistics? 
  • Additional resources to support literacy can be found on these pages: iReady or NWEA Map.  
  • Check our Beanstack page for videos and resources you can use with parents and teachers. Visit the Beanstack page to see at how many minutes our students read in the first semester!
  • Elementary Schools: Brian Jordan Reading Challenge . Check out pictures from his January visit now on the Beanstack page!
  • Middle and High Schools: Richmond Reads Challenge found in Beanstack

Grading and Assessments

  • Gifted Testing (Middle and High): January 8 - February 29, 2024 (contact Dr. Larina Thomas for more information)
  • CogAT (grade 2):  February 1 -15
  • Content Mastery Assessment #3:  February 26 - March 15 - Access the Content Mastery Assessment FolderLinks to an external site. to prepare for CMA #3. High School Administrators: Make sure that teachers have set up their trackers for their B sections. 
  • Visit the Mastery Connect Resource Page to find a brief video on how to understand the Teacher Created Assessment landing page. 
  • Review grade distributions for teachers and assignments in the gradebook to address any concerns after Progress Report #2 but prior to close of semester. Questions to consider: Are there enough assignments in each category? Is the teacher providing opportunities for students to relearn and reassess?
  • RCSS Assessment Calendar

Parent, Staff, and Community Communication


Data Integrity


Professional Learning

  • GACE Tutoring Support- Any Non-traditional ("Waiver") Teachers or Paraprofessionals that need support preparing for their upcoming GACE Assessment, contact Ms. Lezettra Saunders, Director of Teacher Development.
  • RCSS Literacy Expectations in Action Links to an external site.- Dynamic professional learning centered around read aloud, speaking/listening, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing instruction. The course is currently closed for registration, but participants on waitlist will be notified if openings occur. If you have any questions, contact Ms. Glenda Collingsworth, Director of Professional Learning.
  • CSRA RESA K-5 Paraprofessional Learning Series- CSRA RESA is excited to announce an upcoming session for K-5 paraprofessionals This face-to-face session will be engaging and interactive, and paras will leave with strategies that can be used in the classroom. Registration is open and there is no cost since we are a member district. The course is Diverse Learners: Strategies to Maximize Success Links to an external site. (March 5).
  • GADOE's Improving Outcome Series-Join the Improving Outcomes series as GaDOE staff focuses on a variety of topics and supports including effective PLCs, Tier 1 instruction, and sustainability of practices. School and district leaders will learn about key best practices as they work to improve outcomes for Georgia’s students.  Access Full Schedule Links to an external site. of  1-Hour Virtual Webinars.  Participants can access registration links for each webinar by clicking on the full schedule.  
  •  RCSS District Professional Learning Day- The next RCSS District Professional Learning Day is Friday, February 16 from 8:00 AM-4:00 PM- Professional Learning Schedule Links to an external site.  If you have any questions, contact Ms. Glenda Collingsworth, Director of Professional Learning.