Friday Memo - 10/7/22

Important dates
October 9 - Spirit Wear store closes
October 10 - Late Start Day!
October 11-14 - 6 Bravery to Camp Wyman
October 12 - 1st quarter grading window opens
October 18 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 4pm to 8pm (in person)
October 19 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 4pm to 8pm (in person)
October 20 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm (virtual)
October 24 - Late Start Day
November 8 - HXMS & WGHS PLC Mini Conference

Superintendent's Meeting
Thank you to the students and staff involved with making the area superintendents feel welcome at Hixson Middle School! Everything went REALLY well, and they were very impressed with our school. Thank you to Des Reichold, Shannon Marks, Sarah Magruder, Jordan Haddock, Eric Hayes, Michelynn Hunter, and the Chartwells staff for everything you did to create a beautiful experience for our guests. Also, thank you to the students in Voices with Vision and Sustainability class for showcasing your hard work. Thank you to our student greeters for being cheerful and showing our guests to the library.

125th issue of Hixson Happenings

Hixson Staff Recognition Form

Spirit Wear Store - CLOSES ON OCTOBER 9!

How to explain the importance of NWEA to students
As a follow up to the faculty meeting, here is something you could use when explaining the importance of NWEA to your students.  

"The NWEA test is important because it helps us determine what you are doing really well, and what additional academic support you need to be successful. As a staff, we look at the results from the test and decide how we are going to support you. This is why we ask you to do your very best on the test. If you rush through it or don't do your best, then we could end up trying to help you with something that you already know how to do. We realize that the test takes a lot of time and that some parts of it may be hard for you, but we definitely appreciate you doing your best and showing what you know! The NWEA test helps us better serve you."

Building Principal Survey

If you have a moment, please complete the short survey below by October 11, 2022. This survey asks you for feedback on my performance as the building principal of Hixson Middle School, and it will be a part of my evaluation process this year. Thank you!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W5RBJJ3

2022 District Administrator Feedback Surveys

Each school year, we request feedback from staff for our Building and District Administrators and their performance. This feedback is intended to help them grow as administrators and ensure continuing support and guidance for staff and students throughout the District. After a brief break of surveying staff due to the pandemic, we have reinstated surveys for all administrators for the 2022-2023 school year.

The following Central Office District Administrators are requesting feedback for the 2022-2023 school year. Please use the links below to provide feedback for these administrators by Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at 5:00pm.

Thank you for your support in ensuring our District Administrators can continue to learn and grow as professionals with the District!

• Superintendent - Dr. John Simpson
• Assistant Superintendent for Learning - Jason Adams
• Assistant Superintendent, CFO/COO - Pam Frazier
• Director of Technology - Bill Koulouriotis
• Director of Operations - Jason Mueller
• Assistant Superintendent, HR - Dr. Sandy Wiley Skinner
• Director of Learning Services Support - Tina Scott Clark
• Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Shane Williamson

Please note that building administrators will send out their feedback surveys directly to their building staff, so keep an eye out for those emails as well. Thank you for your feedback!

Panorama Student Survey Administration
The Panorama survey window for all surveys is October 3 - 14, 2022. The survey should be administered during Statesman Time just like we did last year. You can give the survey on any day within the window. If a student is absent on the day the survey is administered in your class, please afford an opportunity for the student to take the survey. The survey administration instructions are below. These instructions were provided to principals by Dr. WIlliamson, WGSD Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Before you begin: 

1. Decide which day you are going to administer the survey to your students during the survey window (Oct. 3- 14). There are three short surveys and it will take approximately 10 minutes for students to complete.

2. Check the opt out list to see if any of your students have been opted out of the survey by their parents/caregiver. OPT-OUT Please understand the "opt-out students" are able to enter their access code, thus please make sure they do not take the surveys. Also, if a student's family did opt them out of the survey, please also make sure they have a Chromebook during this time, so they do not feel excluded while other students are using a computer.

3. Write/post the survey website on the board/screen  https://surveys.panoramaed.com/webstergroves

4. Tell students their access code. Their access code is their WGSD full email address.

5. If a student is absent when you administer the survey, please schedule a different time for the student to complete the surveys.

Read the following introduction to your students (do not veer from this script): 

At Hixson, it is our goal to create a positive school community where all students feel safe, respected, and valued at school. In order to do this, we are asking for your feedback on your experience at Hixson. Please take a moment to respond to three short surveys through our Panorama survey platform. Your responses to the equity and school climate surveys are anonymous. Your responses to the Social, Emotional, Learning survey are not anonymous because we want to be able to provide each student what they need to be successful and feel valued. If you need help with the surveys, then a counselor, teacher, and/or administrator can work with you - just let us know. All survey questions are optional and you may skip any question. We value your experiences and hope that you will answer all of the questions, but if there is a question that you do not want to answer, then you may skip that question. Your feedback is very important to us because we want to provide the safest, most inclusive environment for all students to thrive and feel welcomed. If you choose not to take the surveys, then please work on homework or read quietly until we are finished.

Instruct students to do the following:

1. Open Google Chrome on your Chromebook.

2. Go to https://surveys.panoramaed.com/webstergroves

3. Enter your access code. Your access code is your WGSD full email address

4. You will see three surveys. Begin with the first survey, answer the survey questions, and take the next two surveys. Please make sure to take all three surveys.

5. Review your answers, then hit submit.

6. If you have questions, please ask me and I will help you.

Possible Service Projects for your Statesman Time
A friend and former colleague of mine (she is a retired high school math teacher) is very actively in volunteering with local non-profit organizations. She has passed along some service opportunities to me that could be great for your Statesman Time or other student groups students to do. Engaging students in service learning is a meaningful way to opportunities for students to demonstrate our core values of respect, positive relationships, and teamwork. Please read the opportunities below and let me know if your Statesman Time would like to participate. 

Stockings for Adults with Disabilities Living in Residential Homes (need approximately 50-60 but whatever you can do is appreciated) need by 12/3

• Buy or make a stocking and fill it up with fun, festive items.  Please include a sweet message or card or colored picture that is thoughtful and creative wishing them Happy Holidays.
• Other possible ideas include but not limited to- warm socks, gloves, travel size toiletries, lip balm, candy and/or some snacks, puzzle books like Sudoku, crossword, seek n find - large font encouraged. 
• Contact person: Elizabeth Vancil & her email: 4vancilfamily@gmail.com

Write letters to veterans who participate in the Greater St Louis Honor Flight. 

• For more information on the organization: https://gslhonorflight.org/
• Every veteran gets a packet of mail on the flight home - from family, friends, members of the community, etc and we write letters because some don’t have many family. 
• Copy of Mail Call Description.docx
• Mail Call Photos.docx
• Letter Templates

Webster Groves Foundation Innovation Grants

Message from PTO
This year, your PTO is working hard to create a sense of community. A big part of that is introducing ALL of you to our families in the "Getting to Know You" series. If you are interested, please take a moment to answer some of the questions on the Google form (below) so that Kelly Dunsford can write a profile about you and post it on the Hixson PTO Facebook page. You do not need to answer every question. These posts are loved by our families, and many parents have commented about wanting to see more! Thanks again for your time and work with our Junior Statesmen!

Google form (if interested)