The Office for Leading and Learning is hosting the fifth annual TEDx Pasco County Schools Event on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Center for the Arts at River Ridge.  Like last year, the opportunity will be open for students in grades 4 – 12 and the theme will align with the National History Day’s theme of “Triumph and Tragedy“. 

TEDx is a forum for student voices to be heard by an authentic audience. This is a showcase of student speeches and not a contest, thus awards will not be given. All students will be recognized for participating in this district-wide event. Please identify one person in your building to serve as your TEDx contact representative via this form so that more detailed communication about the information session can be shared directly with them.  

Each school should host a local TEDx event in order to choose one student to represent the school at the district-wide event. The student representing each school needs to be identified and submitted to OLL via this form by Friday, April 5, 2019. Instructional resources for TEDx can be accessed here, including rubrics, district event information, sample videos of prior talks, and the speaker release form.  If you would like support in planning or hosting your school-based TEDx Event, please contact Rachel Hatten,  Courtney Lough, Danielle Varcardipone, Evette Striblen, Cassie Hernandez, Emily White, Daniela Bruno, or Tressa Lima. 

Attached you will find the Spring 2019 Promotion to 4^th Grade Guidelines, which include all options for good cause exemptions. You will find details about portfolio options, alternative assessments, and the necessary forms that need to be completed when you have a student that scores a Level 1 on the FSA-ELA.  All Promotion to 4^th Grade resources can be found through the ARM Assessment Central (State) SharePoint page.   Please ensure you are having conversations with your 3^rd grade teachers about recording specific evidence in SchoolPace, monitoring Quarterly Check and Comprehension Check data, and determining which students already qualify for an exemption.  Please contact Courtney Lough if you have any questions or need any support.

January 29^th :  Grade 2 Module 6 Study

Welcome to this installment of our monthly Instructional Technology SMOREs that support teachers and students. In this issue, teachers and staff will find information on the Microsoft Excel program. Possibly the most under-utilized program in the Office Suite for Education, Excel can be of great benefit for teachers in performing calculations and analysis on student performance data. This SMORE details how to export data from myStudent, and import it into Excel. Once imported, data can be manipulated and visualized to assist with instructional planning. If teachers need more information, there is a link at the end for them to request additional support.

The next and final coaching conference of the year will take place on January 31st from 8:00am-3:30pm.  We are pleased to offer many sessions facilitated by instructional coaches and district staff.  Poster sessions are a new addition at this conference whereby instructional coaches can share in short 15 minute presentations on a topic of their choosing.  These poster sessions are in addition to the regular 1-2 hour sessions normally offered.  Please find the session descriptions below.  

January Coaching Conference Sessions.pdf.  (Topics shaded in green = REGULAR SESSIONS, Topics shaded in orange = POSTER SESSIONS).  Sign ups for sessions open this week for coaches to build their schedule for the day.  

*We highly recommend that you have discussions with your coaches about what to attend based on individual coach needs and current/future school success plans and goals. 

Celebrate Literacy Week is January 28-Feburay 1, 2019. The theme is Spreading Literacy, One View at a Time. With this theme in mind, we are encouraging all schools to participate in the Celebrate Literacy Week, Florida! and encourage students to help spread the love of reading and the importance of literacy.  Below you will find activities recommended by @PascoLiteracy.

Use #PascoCelebratesLiteracy and #PascoLiteracy to share the awesome things you are doing in your building.

Applications are open for Cohort 2 of the WIPRO Science Educator Fellowship

The TB Wipro SEF program is designed to foster teaching and leadership skills in those who have a minimum of three years of teaching experience and are committed to staying in the classroom within their school district for the next two years. Applicants do not need to have prior leadership experience. While many teachers may find these skills to be helpful for other avenues of leadership in the district, this program is not designed to facilitate the transition of a classroom teacher to becoming a school-based or district-based leader, such as a principal or superintendent. Up to twenty teachers from grades K-12 representing areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/environmental science will be selected to be a Fellow for two years beginning in August 1, 2019. This is a partnership between USF and Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties. Our first Cohort is completing their first round of learning presentations on January 26, 2019. The cross county design of the project has sparked numerous meaningful conversations.

Application and Information

Topic: Wipro Recruitment Information Webinar

Time: Jan 28, 2019 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/725389946