Library Media Services is happy to be rolling out the newest addition to our online resource offerings, our Follett Shelf eBook platform.  Follett Shelf works a bit differently from other digital subscriptions; it's like more like a physical library, in which you can check in and out individual copies of books.  Our starting collection is full of high-interest fiction and non-fiction titles for students to enjoy reading on any device of their choosing, with 24/7 instant access.  Just head to https://www.gofollett.com , use the drop-down menus to find your school, and log in with your Active Directory credentials.  Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Congratulations to the following librarians, who received TeacherPreneur awards to help them establish MakerSpaces for their students--we are so proud and excited to see these projects implemented!

Tommie Branscum, Green Magnet Academy

Karen Cragwall, Karns Middle

Viktoria Henderson, South Knox Elementary

Mica Johnson, Farragut Middle

Jennie Randolph, Vine Middle

Rachel Smith, Carter Middle

Brittany Witte, Farragut Middle

Congratulations also to the following librarians, who received Junior League Mini-Grants for various projects in their libraries!

Steve Davis, Powell Elementary

Viktoria Henderson, South Knox Elementary

Molly Moore, Beaumont Elementary

Kerstin Sisco, Bluegrass Elementary

February is National Magnet Month.  Magnet Facilitators at each school are working diligently to make this month exciting for students and staff.  Look for exciting events to celebrate your magnet theme at all nine KCS magnet schools.  

Do you know someone interested in attending a magnet school?  Our transfer window is currently open and will run through February 16, 2016.  You can access the online application here:  https://transapp.knoxschools.org/   For more information contact Casey Robison (casey.robison@knoxschools.org) or the Magnet Facilitator at the school of interest.  

Upcoming Open House Dates: 

If you are interested in new ideas for integrating your magnet theme into your classroom, look for sessions offered during the March 1 in-service.  Sessions will include: integrating math and the arts, flipping your classroom through media, engineering in a K-8 classroom, and incorporating career pathways into the classroom.  

• Best Wishes to all schools participating in the upcoming local National History Day competition!
• Congratulations to all social studies range-finders, bias review teams, passage reviewers, and AP Readers! We appreciate your contributions!

Upcoming PD:

• January 20, 2015 Kadie Patterson, State Social Studies Coordinator, presenting Social Studies: Pulling the Curtain Aside at SSPDTC
• January 28  For 5th and 11th grade teachers, sponsored by the East TN History Center, Teaching With Primary Sources: New Deal and the Tennessee Valley Authority, to register, please contact Lisa Oakley at 865.215.8828
• February 11, 2015, Katherine Petko, Social Studies Elementary Extended Writing Response, at Hardin Valley Elementary, 3:45-5:15 Registration is open on Randa PD
• Coming Soon: February, 2015 for folks who could not register for Kadie Patterson's PD on January 20, our department will offer a similar PD. The location, date, and time will be shared with teachers, instructional coaches, and administrators no later than Tuesday, January 26.

Calling all K-12 Social Studies Teacher Leaders!

• Please consider sharing your expertise with colleagues and leading a social studies session or two at the March 1 system-wide in-service. All teachers are welcomed and encouraged to lead. You may present solo or with a partner. For additional information, please contact Judy at judy.newgent@knoxschools.org. THANK YOU for considering this important request! Please respond no later than Friday, January 22.

Social Studies Curriculum and additional Resources on Schoolwires:

• All K-12th grade teachers are invited to submit lessons, activites, etc. for inclusion in the resource folders on Schoolwires. Please submit electronic copies to Katherine Petko at katherine.petko@knoxschools.org. Thank you.

Need social studies support? We'll come to you!

• If a PLC or grade level team needs additional social studies support, please contact either Judy or Katherine, and we'll be happy to support your needs!

Contact us at:

Judy Newgent, judy.newgent@knoxschools.org

Katherine Petko, katherine.petko@knoxschools.org

Vickie Beckers, Administrative Assistant, vickie.beckers@knoxschools.org

865.594.1730 (Office)

    C.A.R.E. TRAINING

            FIRST GRADE- January 26 OR January 28

            SECOND GRADE - February 4

            Reading Center (Knox Central location)

            3:30 -5:00 

            Please register on RANDA

     Teachers in K-2: Don't forget to preview the CANVAS COURSE for C.A.R.E.(link below)

      http://knoxschools.instructure.com/courses/395084

        Many thanks to the schools that hosted the TNReady Writing PD Sessions for grades 3-5

• Hardin Valley
• Brickey McCloud
• Adrian Burnett
• Lonsdale 
• Ball Camp
• Christenberry
• South Knoxville
• Carter
• Powell 
• Farragut Intermediate
• A.L. Lotts

      NUTRITION ESSAY CONTEST

      Kudos to the Knox County Nutrition Department and Bush Beans for collaborating with the Elementary Reading Department to support

      the annual Nutrition Essay Contest for fifth grade students. 

      Winners will be announced the last week in January, 2016

• 4 fifth grade girls and 4 fifth grade boys will receive bicycles and helmets
• Teachers of the winning students will receive gift cards to Barnes & Noble

       S.P.I.R.E. CANVAS COURSE

       If you were unable to attend the S.P.I.R.E. mid-year review, please consider participating in the Canvas Course.

       The purpose of this course is to familiarize coaches and teachers with the S.P.I.R.E. intervention curriculum. 

       Follow the link below.

       http://knoxschools.instructure.com/courses/365603

       LEADERS for READERS

       The following colleagues have volunteered to coordinate the Leaders for Readers. Great Schools Partnership with support from the Knox County                Mayors Office and Knox County Schools support this initiative.

       The program aims to help improve student reading by using volunteers to read with students on a weekly basis.

• Viktoria Henderson - South Knoxville
• Jen Carnes - Inskip
• Sarah Kosak - Green Magnet
• Melanie Stone - Ball Camp
• Lora Nanny - Lonsdale
• Olivia Davis - Lonsdale
• Amber Greene - West Hills

Video Streaming Options

As we have transitioned from using Discovery Ed Streaming, below are some options available. 

1. YouTube/Vimeo: Through Canvas you can use any course (even if you don’t have students using it) and go to Settings and add Vimeo and/or YouTube to the course. And YES, you can access on the network! Then you have FREE access to all videos that exist with no ads, suggested videos, etc. You can then just pull up the course in Canvas and project the video to the whole class. Here is how you add the App to the course (https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-2723) and here are directions to embed a video on a page (https://community.canvaslms.com/docs/DOC-1864). Please feel free to have your principal reach out to our EdTech liaison if you and your staff need training. 
2. Watch Know and Learn:  http://www.watchknowlearn.org/
3. Library Databases with Video Access: World Book, TrueFlix/FreedomFlix/ScienceFlix (depending on grade level), and Science/Resources/Biography in Context (availability for 6-12). See your library/media specialist or join their Online Course (https://knoxschools.instructure.com/enroll/4X4PKA) to find out more about them. 

Upcoming Professional Learning Opportunities

As always if you are interested in specific opportunities for your school, please visit https://www.knoxschools.org/edtech to request a session. 

The Knox County Schools AVID Department is excited to acknowledge both Bearden Middle School and Northwest Middle School as schools that have been invited to be a part of the inaugural class of AVID Schoolwide Sites of Distinction. An AVID Schoolwide Site of Distinction represents the highest level of AVID implementation fidelity demonstrating excellence in instructional practice and the promotion of college readiness schoolwide. These two schools are included in an elite group of candidate schools that represent less than 10% of all the AVID middle and high schools worldwide. The AVID organization will be making final reviews during the spring semester after which final awardees will be announced. We tip our hats off to the administration, site teams, and site coordinators for their leadership and hard work in leading their schools to this marker of excellence.

 Dates to mark on your calendars for upcoming district department PLCs are as follows:  February 1st, March 7th, April 4th, and May 2nd  

 If AVID site teams are interested in extending their training of AVID strategies in their school, we will be having a two-day training on March 4th & 5th titled, “Taking AVID Strategies to the Next Level”. Please email Heather Mounce for further information regarding this training and to see if it is an opportunity that you would like to explore.

 If AVID site teams are interested in sending individuals to Summer Institute using their school-based funds, registration opens February 16th.  If you are interested in attending a training with other KCS staff memebers, consider registering for the Tampa based traning. The dates for that training are June 13-15 and registration is $725 per registrant if registered prior to May 2nd.

 If you have any questions or needs for support at your AVID school, please feel free to contact Heather Mounce (heather.mounce@knoxschools.org) or Casey Robison (casey.robison@knoxschools.org).

Welcome New PE Teachers! 

Jacob Edwards:  Pond Gap Elementary

Amy Trull: Chilhowee and Sunnyview Elementary 

PE Portfolio Update  

Elementary PE teachers are working hard to complete their PE portfolio before the April deadline.  The "Practice Year" has been a learning experience for all of us.  A big thank you to our 4 PE Portfolio Mentors:  Kara Monk, Josh Van Pelt, Renee Graham and Elizabeth Stone.  

Upcoming PE Portfolio Work Sessions:

• Jan. 21:  PE GLADiS Lab time  SSPDTC Room 215  4:00-5:30
• Jan. 26:  4th Tuesday work session with mentor (required)  4:00-5:00
• Feb. 8:  PE GLADiS Lab time  SSPDTC Room 215  4:00-5:30
• Feb. 18:  PE GLADiS Lab time  SSPDTC Room 215  4:00-5:30

March 1 System-Wide In-Service

Watch for information about locations and sessions. 

"Let's Move"

Let's Move will be Saturday, May 8 at Victor Ashe Park.  If you are interested in setting up a booth, please contact Ramona Dew, Coordinated School Health or Carolyn Perry-Burst, Nutritionist

KOC Sports Medicine Day

The KOC Sports Medicine Day is set for Saturday, April 23.  Mark your calendars for a great day with our KOC partners!

Music and Dance Department Update #17.

Congratulations to all of the KCS high schools that had studends to audition for and be chosen to participate in the All East Tennessee and All State Jazz Band Clinic, the All East Tennessee and All State Concert Band and or Orchestra Clinic.

Congratulations to Malaika Guthrie, West African Dance Teacher at Austin-East and Vine Middle Magnet Schools on being selected as WBIR's Teacher of the Week.

The KCS Music Department is looking forward to the following upcoming events:

• The Knoxville Opera Company will present an abbreviated version of Humperdinck's "Hansel and Gretel" in several of the elementary and middle schools throughout Knox County. The performances will run from January 14 through February 1, 2016.

• The Knoxville Symphony will present it's Very Young Peoples concert on January 28, 2016.

• The All County Middle School Honor Concert Band Clinic will be held on January 28 and 29, 2016 at Bearden Middle School.  The concert will be on January 29th at 6:30 pm in the Bearden Middle School auditorium.

• The All East Tennessee Jazz Band Clinic will be held on January 29 and 30, 2016 at Walker Valley High School in Cleveland, TN.

• The All East Tennessee Senior Band and Orchestra Clinic will be held on February 4-6, 2016 at the Park Vista Hotel in Gatlinburg, TN.

• The All County Middle School Honor Choir Clinic will be held on February 23, 2016 at Northwest Middle School.  The concert will begin at 6:00 pm.

• The Knox County Schools High School Choral Showcase will be held on February 25, 2016 in the auditorium at Bearden High School.  The program will begin at 7:00 pm.

• The All County Middle and High School Honor Orchestra Clinic will be held on March 31, 2016 at Farragut High School.  The Concert will begin at 6:00 pm in the Farragut High School auditorium.

• The All County Elementary Honor Choir Concert will be held on April 24, 2016 at South-Doyle Middle School.  The program will start at 3:00 pm in the South-Doyle Middle School auditorium.