Curriculum Connection

The Curriculum & Instruction Department is committed to supporting high quality teaching and learning in all classrooms in Shelby County Schools. To support the mission and vision of our district, we work strategically and collaboratively to provide quality curricular resources and support. Curriculum Connection provides additional support through communication to building, district, and teacher leaders, to ensure all are receiving pertinent Curriculum & Instruction updates and reminders. As a reminder, Curriculum Connection is a monthly publication, posted to Leader Board the final Friday of the month. All editions are also available via the Curriculum Maps-Curricular Initiatives-Curriculum Connection folder.

SEA Professional Development

K-2 Specialized Education Assistants will be engaging in their last session April12th-14th. In this year’s monthly sessions, SEAs engaged in content for upcoming grade-level-specific Wonders lessons. SEAs have had opportunities to engage in phoneme articulation, phonics activities, comprehension interactive games, and much more. During the monthly sessions, strategies for Social and Emotional Learning are incorporated to equip SEAs with positive behavior management tools and strategies. Please share the information below with SEAs, regarding these final professional learning opportunities:

Kindergarten

April 12, 2022 @1-3pm

Click here to join the meeting

Grade 1

April 13, 2022 @1-3pm

Click here to join the meeting

Grade 2

April 14, 2022 @1-3pm

Click here to join the meeting

SEA Instructional Observations & Support

For the 21-22 school year, Advisors have been observing SEAs in action using the K-2 SEA Observational Tool. The tool describes SEA expectations during the 120-minute comprehensive literacy block as well as small group pull-out and RTI2.

Foundational Literacy Laureates engaged in their final monthly session for the 21-22 school year. FLL’s are expected to continue supporting K-2 colleagues focusing on the three high-yielding coaching practices: observation w/feedback, modeling, and school-based PD.

Literacy Workstations are opportunities for students to independently or collaboratively engage in a variety of meaningful, standards-aligned literacy tasks while the teacher works with a small group of students. The K-2 ELA Instructional Expectations state that K-2 workstations must have multiple stations engaging students in literacy tasks.

Students will rotate to online, offline, and teacher-led stations. This rotation model provides a consistent structure for students to learn, work, and practice independently and collaboratively in an interactive, digital environment. The model below only depicts three stations; however, K-2 teachers have the option to implement additional stations aligned with early literacy supports.

Hey, Teachers and Leaders! Are you looking for NEW blended learning station rotation ideas for the ELA block? Do you want to know more about the writing resources noted on the Reading Prescriptions? Well, NEW Spring sessions have recently been added. Join us for one of the Spring 2022 McGraw-Hill Wonders and Savvas myPerspectives sessions. Please make plans to attend!

Register today!

CLICK on the K-5 Wonders flyer HERE

CLICK on the 6-12 myPerspectives flyer HERE

The ELA Team is excited to bring poetry writing engagement opportunities to our secondary teachers and students. Starting in February, high school students can enter to win prizes for poetry writing and spoken word by participating in the Tom Lee Poetry and Spoken Word Prize, sponsored by Memphis River Parks Partnership. Flyers and posters have been shipped to high schools to assist teachers and students in getting started. Check out the contest FLYER to learn more.

Thank you for submitting student submissions to the Memphis Soul Prize! Stay tuned! Participating staff and students are eligible to win a variety of prizes, including gift cards, professional recordings, and performance opportunities. To learn more, teachers are leaders may go to www.memphissoulprize.org. Click here to learn more: Memphis Soul Prize Flyer

ELA TEAM CONTACTS

Hajar Nelson, Elementary Literacy, nelsonh@scsk12.org

Norie Cotton, Secondary Literacy, cottonn@scsk12.org

Nataria Smith, Clerk, smithn3@scsk12.org

Joyce Harrison, K-12 Literacy Manager, harrisonjr@scsk12.org

General Questions, ci_ela_team@scsk12.org

Attention Algebra 2 Teachers, Geometry Teachers, and School Leaders:

The final Savvas Open Lab will occur Thursday, April 14th. Join us, as we answer any questions and provide support with utilizing Savvas resources. Please share the QR code and link below, for access.

If you missed the PD or need to review the topics discussed, click the following link to view the recorded webinar: https://bit.ly/march8recording (Access Passcode: 12oZ?B?q).

Did you know that data from the district CFAs can be compared with the data from your formative assessments, within your MasteryConnect Trackers? The Tracker is a great tool that provides a comparison and the ability to see discrepancies between the formative data and the district benchmark data, to assist teachers in evaluating the impact of instruction.

Pre-Filled Districtwide PLC Protocols and supporting Annotated PBOs for the weeks of April 4 – April 25 are now available for Grades K-8, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. These resources can be accessed within the Curricular Initiatives folder on the 2021-2022 Curriculum Maps SharePoint.

The released Spring 2021 TCAP items are now available! These released items can be found in the Curriculum Maps Sharepoint-Mathematics-Grade Level Supporting Documents-Assessments folders (see visual below). These items were administered on Spring 2021 TCAP assessments. Included for each item is metadata such as Item Type, Key, and Standard alignment. This release comprises content and grade-level PDFs. Each item is presented as it would appear in paper test booklets with all answer choices.

Calculators & Batteries for EOC Please check all calculators and batteries in preparation for the TCAP End-of-Course assessments. Access the following link to the LiveBinder for other assessment updates: https://www.livebinders.com/b/2426642#anchor.

Participate in a focus group regarding math curricular and instructional materials, resources, and support beginning this month for the 2022-23 school year. The focus group provides an additional opportunity to provide feedback on current district initiatives, how Central Office can better support teachers, and opportunities to learn about enhanced resources.

If you would like to participate, complete this form by COB Monday, April 18. Additional details will be available upon completion of the sign-up. Contract C&IMath2022@scsk12.org with any questions.

The C&I Math Team has office hours available for teachers and school leaders to gain support regarding the implementation of Blended Learning Rotation Stations. Use https://bit.ly/CandIMathBooking to make an appointment today!

You may also contact the grade level Advisor or Manager, listed below, for additional support:

MATH TEAM CONTACTS

Elementary Schools (K – 5):

Dr. Sonia Barber, barbersp@scsk12.org

Tressa Jones, jonestb@scsk12.org

Middle Schools (6 – 8):

Dr. Camilla Horton, hortoncs@scsk12.org

High Schools (9 – 12):

Dr. Emily Barbee, barbeeeb@scsk12.org

TyWana Thomas Hill, thomast@scsk12.org

Manager:

Charmaniece Staples, bennettcm@scsk12.org

Quality Feedback is the Key to Improvement! All Science teachers have an opportunity to share their assessment of Quarter 3 Curriculum Maps beginning Wednesday, March 23rd – Friday, April 8th, using the following links:

Elementary, Grades K - 5

Middle School, Grade 6

Middle School, Grade 7

Middle School, Grade 8

High School, All Subjects, Grades 9 - 12

• Pre-Filled Districtwide PLC Protocols and Annotated Performance-Based Objectives are now available for Grades K-8, Biology, and Physical Science in the 2021-2022 Curriculum Maps Curricular Initiatives SharePoint folders.

• BrainPOP Science is available for all 6-12 Science teachers. This is not the traditional BrainPOP platform instead, is newly launched and tailored to three-dimensional Science instruction and includes investigations for practically every standard. BrainPOP Science is geared towards middle grades; however, is rigorous enough to serve as a supplemental resource for high school teachers. Yes, the traditional BrainPOP is also available for K-5 teachers. Teachers and students can access all BrainPOP products via Clever.

The C & I Science team in collaboration with the Educational Technology team will host a virtual science fair through the online portal Flipgrid for grades K-12. If your school is interested in participating, please follow the steps below:

Step 1: Communicate if your school will participate in the District Fair by completing the Microsoft Forms entry notification. In this form you will also indicate your school science fair coordinator. The C&I Science team will communicate directly with this person.

Step 2: Organize and host a school science fair by March 31, 2022.

Step 3: Submit school winners to the Microsoft forms school submissions.

Step 4: All projects must be submitted to Flipgrid by April 29, 2022, midnight.

SCIENCE TEAM CONTACTS

Elementary: Angela Deberry, pattersona@scsk12.org

Middle School: Kimberly Jackson, jacksonkd@scsk12.org

High School: LaShaudra Cox, coxl2@scsk12.org

Manager: Terilyn McChriston, mcchristontj@scsk12.org

Communication has been shared to designated Civics Leads and the Social Studies ILT Leads in each building with less than 50% passing, to provide assistance and request status updates. Social Studies Advisor, Brian Davis, is the district contact for assistance.

Teachers were provided a resource to use this month to support classroom activities. The team has also provided a professional development series titled, A Closer Look at Black History in the Bluff City.

The district has partnered with Tennessee Council for the Social Studies, to provide teachers with the opportunity to attend a special professional development that focuses on Tennessee history. Teachers are invited to an engaging Saturday session for a deep dive into our beloved state history.

The Social Studies team will assist in hosting the state council during the week of February 21st-25th. Thirty teachers and leaders will attend the TN Council for the Social Studies annual conference during this week. The conference will be both in person and virtual and provide the opportunity for teachers to network with colleagues across the state and build their content knowledge while expanding their tool kit of instructional strategies.

For individual teacher support, Social Studies Instructional Advisors have office hours that teachers can use to make appointments. Please contact grade level advisors for individual support:

• K-5: Chunmeka Wayne waynecc@scsk12.org

• 6-8: Rebecca Hobson hobsonrs@scsk12.org

• 9-12: Brian Davis davisbc@scsk12.org

• Humanities Manager: Sonya Porter porter@scsk12.org

The RTI2 team wants to ensure teachers and intervention providers are aware of the resources regarding the administration of assessments and facilitation of interventions aligned with the “Say Dyslexia” bill (Public Chapter 1058 of the Acts of 2016). Click here for an overview of upcoming professional learning opportunities.

Congrats to the winning zones for February:

CLICK HERE to see all the February winners!

Reading

1st Place: Zone 3 - Catherine Battle

2nd Place: Zone 2 - Janie Tankson

3rd Place: Zone 10- Kimberly Sanders

Math

1st Place: Zone 10 - Kimberly Sanders

2nd Place: Zone 2 - Janice Tankson

3rd Place: Zone 7 - Debra Fox

Congrats to the winning zones for March:

CLICK HERE to see all the February winners!

Reading

1st Place: Zone 3 – Catherine Battle

2nd Place: Zone 2 – Janice Tankson

3rd Place: Zone 10 – Kimberly Sanders

Math

1st Place: Zone 2 – Janice Tankson

2nd Place: Zone 7 – Debra Fox

3rd Place: Zone 10 – Kimberly Sanders

The Imagine Learning team is excited to announce that Jerrica Thompson at Melrose High School and Shamebrace Bagacay at Sheffield High School are the Imagine Learning Incentive Winners for the month of February.

Britannica School offers thousands of curated and curriculum-relevant articles, images, videos, audio clips, primary sources, maps, research tools, recommended Web sites, and three unique, but connected databases to meet every reading level (Elementary, Middle, and High School).

Britannica ImageQuest includes over 3 million royalty-free images from more than 60 leading collections that aren’t freely available on the Web. Users can search by keyword, collection, image type, and image ratio. The images come from 60 of the world’s most respected image libraries. ImageQuest can be used by students of all grade levels, from elementary to high school.

Britannica School and ImageQuest Login:
http://school.eb.co.uk/

School Access ID – shelby

School Passcode – county