It's Been Awhile . . . . . .

Hi all!

Yes, it sure has been awhile since I posted anything here.  Since we are not able to have regular department meetings, I am going to try and get back into the habit of posting an update every week or two.

Here is an update from the last department chair meeting on Tuesday, March 11.

• Mike Miller is putting together a proposal for next school year to go to the administration for approval.  The plan is to have first semester exams on Tuesday, December 16 through Friday, December 19, 2014.  We will return from break on Monday, January 5 and have four days of school before having the Records Day for the high school only on Friday, January 9, 2015.  Those four days could include work on new material that would be counted for a grade for the third quarter or material for inclusion on the second grading period.  The new semester would begin on Monday, January 12, 2015 (this is when second semester classes would begin) and the rest of the district will observe Records Day on Friday, January 16, 2015.  This plan would be in place for only one year and the plan is for the school year to begin one week earlier for the 2015/2016 school year.
• Because of the change in the calendar proposed for next year, there will be no holiday assembly.  Per Alli, I am going to look into the possibility of hosting something similar to the holiday assembly as part of one of our regularly scheduled concert events.
• All of the calendar dates we have discussed and planned for the 2014/2015 school year are on the google calendar.  I will now begin the process of scheduling the building for these dates.  We will need to improve the way we communicate our rehearsal schedules to the building and the custodians.  The custodians use the building calendar to determine how they use their time each evening.  We do not do a very good job at all in terms of letting people outside of our hallway know what is going on.  I would like to be put all the rehearsal times and dates on the calendar on a monthly basis as soon as possible. Please let me know the rehearsal schedules for your extra curricular ensembles for the month of April as soon as possible.
• The following is the proposed schedule for the seniors at the end of the school year:
• 5/21 - 5/23:  Senior exams - all seniors will be required to take an exam in every class;  exams will be given over those three days during the regular class period
• 5/27 - 5/29:  Senior activities throughout the day - no classes for seniors(senior executive committee is working with administration to develop these activities)
• 5/30:  Senior recognition and senior picnic
• 6/3:  Commencement
• Everyone should receive the date and time for their mini-conference and OTES rap up before they leave for spring break.  At these conferences, you must bring your SLO data for your two SLOs - pre/post test and playing/singing assessment.  You will have time during ERW on 4/16 and 4/23 to work on these items.
• I will be attending the den meeting for the Arts, Media and Design den on Tuesday, 3/18.  I will give you an update on what is going on following the meeting.
• This week, for ERW, we will again meet vertically with our peers.  Everyone will be at Roberts.  I will be floating between the work of the back directors and our choir friends.

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. :-)