We have continued to make progress toward our 22-23 School Improvement and Innovation Plan (SIIP) goals in the areas of academics, student wellness, and Portrait of a Graduate communicator skills. 

To support our academic goals, which support how students learn in English and Math, teams have been creative in meeting students where they are with the skills they need, and are doing so through 8th period opportunities.

• English teachers are providing direct support to students through a new 8th period opportunity called “English Work Time.” Students can opt in or teachers can assign students to sessions to support their analytic thinking, reading, and writing skills.
• Currently, English Work Time offers a flexible opportunity for students to seek help from any English teacher; moving forward, we hope to create sessions based on specific skills and topics that students need and request most.
• As 9th graders have moved from Research Statistics 1 in math to the next sequential math course, teachers continue to use ALEXS, a digital resource that provides personalized learning with immediate feedback on algebraic skills and concepts.
• Students taking TJ Math 1 and 2, recently completed the FCPS online math inventory to assess mastery of algebraic and geometric concepts. These assessment results combined with classroom-based assessments will inform teachers’ instruction moving forward.

We have multiple student wellness initiatives underway to enhance social and emotional learning, positive relationships between students and staff, and increased involvement through 8th period participation.

• Recently, advisory students and teachers provided feedback to assist us with developing meaningful and relevant advisory topics. Lessons during the months of March and April are being developed by student committees.
• In collaboration with the Mental Health Coalition (MHC), we have reintroduced Student Advocacy Guidelines in the form of a poster that each teacher displays in their classroom to share detailed information about how best to seek assistance from them.
• Looking ahead, the MHC is working closely with Class Council members to create activities for students that emphasize a sense of belonging at TJHSST.
• The Student Activities office has explored data on 8th period participation trends and absences. When students don’t select an 8th period activity, they are placed in a study hall by default. Assistant Principals plan to reach out to these students to support them in making selections for 8th period activities to increase their involvement and help them find something they enjoy.

IBEST Teams have been working with 9th grade students to develop their communication skills as an essential attribute of the FCPS Portrait of a Graduate. Students will apply these skills while working together with classmates on their IBEST project this spring. Some of these skills are:

• Research using the internet
• Planning a project using information from research
• Evaluating research materials for validity and reliability
• Communicating with group members and setting internal goals to meet deadlines
• Using passive and active voice when communicating
• Using research materials and collaboration to design an experiment that can answer a research question