It’s time to celebrate the 4th Annual SEL Day. MSCS will promote SEL Week Feb. 27 - March 3. In our District, we want you to know that You Make the Difference! Let’s have a phenomenal week as you continue to uplift hearts and connect minds in our community.

Click here to view the SEL Week Activities Toolkit.

The Winter Elevate PERTS Survey runs from Feb. 28 - March 10 and allows students to share the extent to which they are having affirming learning experiences. The survey will be conducted in all Algebra I and English I classrooms and will be administered by teachers.

Teachers can view the training here.

The survey will take approximately five minutes. All 9th grade students enrolled in Algebra I and English I should take the survey in both classes. Questions? Email CI@scsk12.org 

Non-Tested Grades and Subject Teachers. Please be sure to log into your Portfolium Account to select your model and collections for SY2022-23. 

While there is no deadline for Point A Submissions, educators are strongly encouraged to submit their Point A and B Submissions prior to the 11:59 PM local time, May 1 deadline.  

Please note: Per the State, no further submissions will be allowed after the deadline. Any Portfolio missing any of the four collections will be marked Incomplete (I) and an LOE (Level of Overall Effectiveness) score will NOT generate for the school year. 

If any NGTS educator is having issues accessing the platform, has general questions about submissions, or has had job/role changes that do not require Submission of the portfolio, please contact the District Portfolio Lead, Ayodele Hall

The 2nd annual Tom Lee Poetry and Spoken Word Contest is for all students in 9th to 12th grades. Three winners will receive cash prizes - $300 for 1st place, $200 for 2nd place, and $100 for 3rd place. Teachers of the winning students will receive gift cards in the same amount as their students. 

Special posters and flyers about the Prize will be delivered to each school’s ELA department head during the week of Feb. 20, and they show the rules and details about the contest. In addition, this year, we have developed a detailed curriculum to help the study of Tom Lee’s example.  

Deadline for entries is March 31. Winners and their teachers will be honored at a special ceremony on or near Tom Lee Day (May 8).  

Questions? Email ci_ela_team@scsk12.org

Literacy Mid-South is seeking new members to join its LiteracyCorps this summer. LiteracyCorps provides programmatic support, including direct literacy interventions, for Literacy Mid-South’s programs and community partners throughout Memphis. Members receive a stipend, education award (for tuition or student debt), and professional development in the nonprofit and education sectors. Apply here!

The School Uplift 2023-24 cohort enrollment is now open! Upon completion of the cohort, each school will receive a minimum $10,00­0 grant and the opportunity to apply for up to $200,000 in building energy upgrade grants.

Click here to complete the participant agreement form.

Effective Aug. 1, in accordance with the Tennessee Literacy Success Act (2021), all educators who hold specific endorsements that allow them to teach reading in grades K-5 must complete an approved foundational skills course to renew their license. MSCS is working to ensure our educators, school leaders, and district staff meet this requirement. Please complete this brief survey and upload your certificate of course completion for either asynchronous ERT Course 1 or SLT Course 1.

For questions, please contact the Early Literacy Department at 901-416-4801 or email EarlyLiteracyDept@scsk12.org. For more information on the TN Licensure Requirement, click here.

In addition to helping our students lead academically rich lives, we want them to live long, healthy, and DRUG-FREE lives! That’s why the District is launching “You Don’t Want the Smoke: Be Smart! Don’t Start!,” a campaign that creatively reminds students of the dangers of drug use, smoking, vaping, and drug addiction.

During the weeks of Feb. 27 – March 10, schools will mobilize students, staff, families, and the community to help students understand drug use risks, feel comfortable asking questions, and learn how to refuse opportunities among peers. Please use this linked toolkit to plan your school's kick-off and promote student/staff participation. The School Counselor(s) or designee should serve as the DFC Coordinator.