The new calendar is here! After in-depth research and review by District staff, along with multiple layers of input and feedback from community stakeholders, the School Board approved Superintendent Ray's recommended 2021-22 instructional calendar during Tuesday's Business Meeting. Thousands of people provided input on the calendar via survey and stakeholder groups, which included teachers, principals, central office staff, education association representatives, Board Members, students and parents. The majority of responses align with the District’s recommendation. Based on the newly approved calendar, the 2021-22 school year will begin August 9 and end May 27. View the full calendar here.

Through innovation, determination, pride, heart, and soul, Shelby County Schools continues to transform the landscape of education. We are accelerating the implementation of our vision to REIMAGINE education, communities, and schools in the 901. Superintendent Ray will deliver his second annual State of the District address on Friday, April 16, at 9 a.m. During this special VIRTUAL event, we will reflect on an unprecedented year and its impact, dive deeper into the District's resiliency plan, and outline how stakeholders can serve as educational change agents in Shelby County. Stay tuned for a link to watch live!

To ensure all teachers and staff can watch Dr. Ray's important State of the District address, the agenda for District Learning Day has been adjusted. During the morning portion of the day, teachers will work to complete the last required Microsoft Teams course, CADRE966 – “Teams for Insights and Analytics to Support the Shift towards Blended Learning in Canvas,” and Cyber Security self-paced course. After lunch, teachers will join their live content/department sessions. View the full adjusted DLD agenda here.

The 2021 District Climate Survey for non-instructional staff ends TOMORROW. The department and school with the highest completion will win FREE LUNCH!

Friday, April 9, is the LAST DAY to let your voice be heard on the 2021 District Climate Survey. For the second year, SCS has partnered with Panorama Education to administer the survey so all non-instructional employees have an opportunity to provide meaningful employee feedback on improvements to our District culture and climate. If you did not receive your survey link from Panorama, please request one at support+shelbycounty@panoramed.com. The survey should only take about 15 minutes or less to complete.

This year's goal is at least 75% participation. As an incentive to meet this goal, the department and school with the highest participation rate will receive catered lunches! 

In partnership with Seeding Success and School Seed, SCS will host an Equity Town Hall Summit centered around creating a conspiracy of care.

Join us April 22 at 6 p.m. as moderator Dr. Michael Lowe, SCS Equity Officer, and Sam O'Bryant, Senior Director of Equity and Partnerships, discuss ways to advocate for racial equity and create and sustain a community of care for all marginalized scholars. Register here!

As part of the District's annual close-out process, the Finance team has implemented these year-end spending deadlines that MUST be strictly adhered to. You can also review this quick reference guide from Procurement Services for actions, timelines and approval details for all types of District purchases.

Coordinated School Health and Human Resources are partnering to help SCS employees stay active and healthy this spring. Every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, April 12 - May 20, employees can sign up for a variety of FREE group fitness classes, like yoga, zumba, and bootcamp/full body workouts. All workouts are held at Shelby Farms!

Did we mention there will be prizes? View the flyer to see what you can WIN! Register here.

Tennessee’s Emotional Support Line for Pandemic Stress is adding a new method for people to reach out for help. The free and confidential line now has the capability to offer assistance via text message. Tennessee healthcare workers, first responders and education employees can get help with feelings of stress, anxiety, sadness, or depression related to work can now call or text 888-642-7886 6 a.m. - 10 p.m. daily. For more information on the Emotional Support Line for Pandemic Stress, visit here.

The live Upward & Peer Feedback training is available for all Central Office & school-based non-instructional employees. Please sign up for PLZ course # 27179. Can't make the LIVE training or prefer to complete it on your own time? Great News! You can take the self-paced version in Canvas to complete at your convenience. For this option, sign up for PLZ course #27182.

Please Note: Only one option is necessary. If you decide to take the live training, you do not have to complete the self-paced training in Canvas. In turn, if you complete the self-paced training in Canvas, you do not have to attend the live training.

Important Reminder: The Upward & Peer Feedback process will open now. The deadline to complete both feedback forms in PLZ is May 31. If you have any questions or require additional assistance, please reach out to EPS at 416.2475 or eps@scsk12.org.

What is STAR12? A customized, self-paced professional development and training platform that offers a wide variety of eLearning courses, webcasts, and webinar recordings to enhance and maximize job performance, skills, and knowledge.

Who has access? All District supervisors and school administrators, as well as HR staff.

How do I login to complete PD offerings? Go to MySTAR12.com, and enter your active directory credentials to access thousands of FREE PD courses.

Questions? Please reach out to eps@scsk12.org.