Staff Newsletter

Dear Staff,

I can't believe that it is already December 1st. Thank you for all your hard work the first three months of school.

SIncerely,

Abby

As we have had staff out of the building for various reasons, it is extremely important that staff include a comprehensive substitute teacher plan. This helps to maintain consistency of learning and ensures a positive learning environment for all students. Below are four things to think about when creating sub plans. Remember that not all subs have been teachers, so the more detail is extremely helpful.

1. Continuity of Learning: A well-thought-out substitute teacher plan helps ensure that the learning process remains uninterrupted when regular teachers are absent. Students can continue to progress in their studies without significant disruptions, maintaining the momentum of the curriculum.

2. Effective Classroom Management: A detailed substitute teacher plan provides clear guidelines for classroom management, helping substitute teachers maintain order and discipline in the absence of the regular teacher. This contributes to a positive and conducive learning atmosphere.

3. Student Engagement and Motivation: Substitute teachers who are well-informed about the lesson plans and the overall classroom environment can better engage students in meaningful learning activities. This engagement is essential for keeping students motivated and interested in their studies.

4. Emergency Preparedness: A comprehensive substitute teacher plan serves as a vital component of the school's emergency preparedness. It ensures that the school is ready to address unforeseen circumstances, such as teacher illnesses or other unexpected absences, without compromising the quality of education.

(Maggie Grimm)- Maggie, thank you for your dedication to helping every staff member in the TCU district. Your ability to make sure staff members have what they need and more is so appreciated! While we may not all understand the complexities of your job, please know that your hard work does not go unnoticed!

(Deb Agrimson)Deb, your dedication to our students is truly amazing! Thank you for all the support you provide! We are so lucky to have you!

(JJ DePauw) JJ brings such a joyful energy to our building. He is always walking around with a smile on his face and ready to conquer the day! Thank you for being who you are!

(Shannon Sheehan) Shannon, thank you for stepping into a big role with such grace and positivity! Your upbeat energy brings a smile to all staff and students! We are so lucky to have you at TCU. Thank you for going the extra mile to form connections with those you work with and to show students that you care. THANK YOU!

(Audrey Dietz)Audrey shows up every day with a positive attitude. She sees the uniqueness that each student has to offer. We are so lucky to have her on our team!

(Margaret Johnson) Margaret does so many amazing things for our students here at TCU! She comes to work with such a calm and positive attitude and that can be felt throughout the students she interacts with. Margaret, you make TCU a great place to work!

(Sarah Tupy) Sarah does many great things for the students and staff here at TCU. He always brings a positive energy to school and it rubs off on everyone!

John- (Jay Frederickson) Jay, Dani is always fun and upbeat, but, we had been missing all of the Fredrickson joy in this building. Now that we have you here we are complete. Thanks for all you do for students and being FUN!

Saturday, December 16th, 5:00 - 9:00 at the Revival on Main in Montgomery.

Details:

• FFA Teacher Mike Reeser and the famous Bamasota BBQ, authentic wood fired, slow smoked BBQ and sides will provide Southern Pulled pork, slow fired and hand pulled as well as Texas Style Brisket, sliced.

• Bar will be open for drinks of choice

• Prizes drawn every ½ hour

• No cost

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/AKjUubUdogYkyTaM7

On December 8th, grades K-6 will be bussed over to the High School to watch a performance of the Nutcracker. Below you will find the schedule for the performance, I will communicate exact bus times, once I receive them. The play is an hour long. I tried to work around preps, lunch/ recess time, but it couldn't be completely avoided. If you work with these grade levels, paras and SPED teachers, please plan to attend to help support. If you aren't able to attend, please communicate this with me.

9:30 Showing: 4th, 5th, and 6th grade will attend.

12:45 Showing: Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade- Shannon and I will be covering your lunch time, so that you have a lunch break before we leave.

Each Friday night through the end of the year the Firefighters have asked if we would be interested in helping with their meat raffle at the White Front. Their meat raffle runs roughly from 5:30-7:30 and we would need two people to work. Staff that volunteer to help with this, will be able to help determine how the money is spent. We typically will make about $100 per night that the firefighters will give us as a donation.

Meat Raffle Sign Up

Below you will find a sign up for helping to supervise during concerts throughout the school year. If you are willing to help with these, please sign up. Staff that sign up, will receive flex time for the time that they spent helping. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Concert Supervision

This variety show fundraiser is on Saturday, December 2nd at The Revival on Main. Proceeds benefit the Montgomery Arts and Heritage Center.

If you need immediate help from maintenance please call the office and they will radio a custodian. All non immediate maintenance items, fill out a Facility Work Order.

It is that time of the year when anything can happen with the Minnesota weather! Please see the information below regarding winter weather and blended learning days.

Please make sure you have emailed your families a copy of the choice boards and send a hard copy home with each family.

With the cold weather approaching it is time to start planning for emergency weather closures. Mr. Babcock shared the School Closing Procedures this week. Be sure to review them.

K-6 Teachers- please take time in the next few weeks to look over choice boards and add them to our Blended Learning Folder in our one stop shop. Have these ready to go for our families prior to Thanksgiving Break. At conferences, if you know you have families that are new to TCU explain the process that we use. Hopefully, this will help eliminate any questions prior to a future blended learning day.

Steps for Referring a Student to MTSS:

1. Gather Data: Collect data on the student's academic performance or behavior, including assessment results, classroom observations, and relevant documentation. A baseline data helps us to know where the student is starting, so that when we are implementing an intervention we have a clear way of knowing if the intervention is effective.

2. Document Interventions: Keep records of any interventions that have been implemented in the classroom. We will want to know what exactly was tried, for how long, and what results you saw.

3. Consult with a member of the MTSS Team if you are unsure or have questions about your intervention that you are choosing: Cheryl, Kelly, and Emily are great resources for academic interventions. Shannon, Kira, Rachel, Adam, or myself are great resources for behavioral interventions.

4. Submit a Referral: If the MTSS team agrees that a referral is warranted, complete the referral form provided by the team and submit it.

5. Team Meeting: A meeting will be scheduled to review the referral, gather additional information, and make a determination about the appropriate tier of support.

6. Implementation: If the student is accepted into the MTSS program, targeted interventions will be developed and implemented. Progress will be closely monitored.

Your involvement in this process is crucial to identifying and addressing the unique needs of our students. Please remember that MTSS is a collaborative effort, and open communication between staff, parents, and students is essential.

If you have any questions or need guidance on the referral process, please don't hesitate to reach out to the myself or a member of the team. We are committed to ensuring that every student receives the support they need to succeed.

Primary Goal

The percentage of all students in grades 3-8 at Tri-City United Montgomery Pre K-8 with a valid fall STAR reading score who are At or Above in the STAR reading assessment will increase from 46% as of Oct. 1, 2023 to 49% in Spring of 2024 by using research based strategies and other best practice delivery methods.

Secondary Goal:

The percentage of all students in grades 1-2 at Tri-City United Montgomery Pre K-8 with a valid fall a-reading score who are at Low Risk or College Pathway in FAST aReading Adaptive Assessment will increase from 50% as of Oct. 1, 2023 to 53% in Spring of 2024 by using research based strategies and other best practice delivery methods.

Tuesdays - Wear a shirt with something positive on it or support a local business.

Wednesdays - Wear your College gear!

Fridays - Show your Titan Pride!

Please bookmark the below link so you have quick access to it. This will house all of our Montgomery documents for the school year. Hopefully, this will make it easy to access the documents you need for our building. This will be a working document that we will be developing throughout the year. I call it our ¨One Stop Shop¨ to help finding things a bit easier.

At TCU Montgomery Prek-8 we are dedicated to creating a safe nurturing learning environment where ALL students are offered opportunities that value and empower lifelong learners.

12/4- Grades 6-8 Choir Concert- 7:30 @ PAC

12/7- Staff Meeting

12/8- Grades K-6 Nutcracker Performance at the HS

12/11- 1/19- Swimming in Mr. Schmiesing's PE classes

12/13- BLT Meeting

12/13- Mid-quarter

12/14- PBIS Meeting

12/14- Grades 5-8 Band Concert- 7:00 @ PAC

12/15- 7/8 Team Meeting

12/16- District Staff Christmas Party 5:00-9:00

12/19- Instructional Strategy Group Meeting

12/20- New Teacher Meeting

12/20- Holiday Breakfast Potluck @ 7:20

12/21- Titan Pride Assembly

12/22-1/2- No school- Winter Break

1/3- School Resumes

1/19- End of Quarter 2

1/22-23- No School

1/24-2/9- Swimming in Ms. Gangl's K-6 PE classes

1/26- Glow Run- Sponsored by the PTO @ the American Legion- 6:00-9:00

2/16- No School

2/19- No School

2/27- Parent Teacher Conferences

2/29- 2 Hour Early Release

• Parent Teacher Conferences

Email: abrockway@tcu2905.us
Website: www.tcu2905.us
Location: 101 2nd Street Northeast, Montgomery, MN, USA
Phone: 507-364-8117