Clifton's Classroom
Week of December 14th:
Final exams are this week. Please check the school calendar/website for the schedule. If you have specific questions about a certain exam, contact the teacher of that class. If you have some time between exams and are interested in joining in on an online event, check this out:
https://www.ncstudentconnect.com/cultural-arts-live
Due to the schedule and times of finals this week, I am combining conferences to 1 day and time, which will be Monday, December 14th at 12 pm. Please contact me prior to the conference if you have a specific skill/topic you would like me to review.
Also, on Friday, December 18th, please come to the school for a Winter Wonderland Event. Bring a canned/box food item to donate and enjoy the light show! The event is free and occurs between 5-6:30 pm. Hope to see you there!
Any Seniors applying to schools, here is a scholarship opportunity to check out:
https://www.goldenleaf.org/news/four-year-golden-leaf-scholarship-applications-due-march-1-2021/
Week of December 7th:
Two more weeks until break! Keep working hard! For those of you in semester classes, your finals will start this week and go into the week after. Please pay close attention to emails sent out by Ms. Vereyken and Ms. Cox regarding your testing schedule. Since there are numerous tests occurring over the next two weeks, I am combining my Monday and Wednesday conferences to Monday at 12 this week and next. I will also have tutoring on Monday at 12:30 this week and next. If you are struggling with anything, please let me know ahead of time and I will prepare a mini lesson for a topic of your choice. If you need help with anything, please reach out. I am here to help you!
Please remember that these next two weeks are very hectic and stressful. It gets this way every year. Stay focused and get your work done. Most teachers will be providing you with cut-off dates of when you can turn work in and those days are quickly approaching. The more work you do now the better your grades will be. Also, please remember that your final exams are at least 20% of your final grade for your class. Many of you struggle with tests so the higher your average before the test, the better.
Looking ahead:
Friday, December 18th, there will be a Winter Wonderland Drive Through Event at CGS from 5-6:30. Please plan of driving by. I'd love to see you and you'll get a sweat treat!
Important--register now! (event is November 17th)
https://www.facebook.com/events/265969531290751/?acontext=%7B%22source%22%3A5%2C%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22main_list%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22%5C%22[]%5C%22%22%7D]%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D
https://naturalsciences.org/calendar/event/stem-career-showcase-2-2-2/
Week of November 16th
This week progress reports are available to be picked up on Monday, November 16th. This gives you a good indication of where you currently stand for each of your courses. Please review the progress reports and get your work done! If you are concerned about a grade or assignment, please reach out to the teacher of that course as soon as you notice it. Having classes that are a semester instead of a year long is new for us so pay close attention to your average in your classes, especially the semester classes.
I will have CANVAS conferences on Monday and Wednesday at 12 and tutoring on Monday at 12:30. If there is a skill or topic you would like me to discuss/reteach/explain, please let me know so I can prepare for it!
As always, I am only a phone call, text, or email away. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Many thanks,
Mrs. Clifton
Important Announcement
CGS Athletic Important Announcement - MS/HS Basketball and Boys Soccer Try-out Process
Parents and Student-Athletes,
The CGS Athletic Department is going to begin the process for signing up to try-out for Middle School and High School Girls Basketball, Boys Basketball and Boys Soccer. Please know that due to COVID-19, this process will be much different than in the past. We are asking our CGS community to be patient and understanding as we embark on a very different year. There will be many different guidelines and protocols we will need to follow. We will need to communicate, be open to last minute changes and understand that everything we do has to keep our student-athletes, coaches, athletic staff members, and families safe at all times.
Please keep in mind when signing up to try-out, you MUST be eligible to try-out. Below is the CGS quarter grade policy, NC DPI and NCHSAA Semester Grade Policy AND CGS/NC DPI/NCHSAA Attendance Policy.
- Academics - In order to be eligible to participate in athletics, the student-athlete must pass at least 2 block classes and 2 period classes during the last quarter completed prior to the period of participation per Clover Garden School policy AND pass the equivalent of 3 full block classes during the preceding semester (Quarter 1 and Quarter 2) per the NCHSAA policy for high school and the DPI policy for middle school.
- Attendance - It is a policy of Clover Garden that every student-athlete attend school. Student-athletes must not miss 10 or more days in a semester or they will be ineligible for the next semester. If a student-athlete misses 10 or more days they may appeal their absences by filling out the Athletic Attendance Appeal Form. Medical documentation is needed to be eligible for an Athletic Attendance Appeal.
It is our current plan to begin Varsity Boys and Girls Basketball on Monday, December 21, Middle School Basketball on Monday, January 4, Varsity Boys Soccer on Monday, January 11 and MS Boys Soccer on Monday, February 1. I will send out try-out forms for sports offered in the spring at a later date.
Please look at the items below to sign up. Please let the CGS Athletic Director, Kelly Moyer, know if you have any questions. You can reach her via email at [email protected] or by phone at 336-586-9440 ext. 402.
Forms are listed below. You can print these off or pick them up in the front office from Mrs. Lassiter. Forms can be submitted by scanning the documents and emailing them to [email protected], dropped off in the front office to Mrs. Lassiter, or faxed to 336-586-9477 attention: Kelly Moyer.
- Parents must fill out the Mandatory Student Athlete Basketball and Boys Soccer Try-out Form - In order to get the process moving, we are requiring anyone in middle school or high school who plans on trying out for Girls and Boys basketball and Boys’ soccer to complete this form no later than Monday, November 16, 2020. You will not be permitted to try-out if the form has not been submitted by the due date. After the Athletic Director, Kelly Moyer, receives the forms, she will be contacting each of you via email for further directions on the mandatory packet of forms as well as the mandatory parent, athlete and coaches zoom meeting.
- NCHAA Athletic Physical - Please review the chart below about your son or daughters physical. Due to COVID and the extension date of the physical, everyone MUST complete the 1st two pages of the UPDATED physical form attached. If the student-athlete is in need of an updated physical, the doctor will fill out the 3rd The physical form will be due at a later date. However, you can submit them now if you wish. Please let me know if you have any questions. Most physicals that I have on file now are good. If you are unsure, please email me at [email protected] and I will let you know the status of your child’s physical.
Date of Current PhysicalRequirement for 2020-2021
Prior to 03/01/19Need valid, up-to-date physical prior to participating.
On or after 03/01/19 through 05/01/20Granted a temporary extension to participate through the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.
On or after 05/02/20Will participate based on the current policy of being “valid for 395 days”
Week of November 9th
This week includes a day (Wednesday) off of school. Please utilize your time wisely and check to ensure that you have completed your assignments for all your courses. Progress reports for your academic courses will be printed and distributed on Monday, November 16th. We're almost halfway through this quarter which means some of you are almost 3/4 of the way complete for your block courses. You can do it!
Week of November 2nd
Grades are updated in PowerSchool! Assignments are in your daily announcements for each class. Please check CANVAS and Powerschool to see what you need to do and how you have done. As always, I am only a phone call, text, or email away!
Week of October 26th
Hello everyone!
It's our second week back since break. Please make sure you get back into a routine and make sure you are checking each of your modules and announcements for each of your courses. You can check CANVAS and Powerschool to check and see what is completed and what is due. The 2nd quarter is the 2nd half of your semester courses. If you did not do well in the 1st quarter, you need to make sure you focus and get all of your work done this quarter! The time from now until our next break is critical for you and you much stay on top of what you need to do. A weekly message has been sent out by the school with the schedule for the week. Please make sure to read and follow that calendar as well as all the ones provided in CANVAS. Please utilize all the resources provided and complete assignments given. All of your teachers, including me, offer conferences for instruction as well as tutoring. I am only a phone call, email, or text away and am here as a resource for you.
Week of October 19th
Welcome Back! I hope everyone had a great break and enjoyed the beautiful weather. This is the start of a new quarter so make sure you are checking all of your courses everyday and staying on top of your work load! For the 2nd quarter we will be focusing on your transition goals and career exploration opportunities. Since the election is quickly approaching, we will be doing activities to make you more aware of the process and history behind it. Part of my job is to help you become citizens and aware of your civic duty as you become an independent adult and voting is part of the process. Please remember that I am NOT telling you WHO to vote for. I am telling you WHY you should vote and WHAT the process is for WHEN you are of age to vote. Literacy this week will incorporate the history of the democratic process and analytical written responses. The focus for math is "real life" math measurements and applying them at home or in the workplace. The instruction and activities I post are to help you work on your individual goals, fill gaps to access curriculum, and practice basic skills to stay "sharp" for those of you that aren't currently enrolled in English or Math. If you need any help in any of your classes, please let me know as soon as possible. I am here as a resource for you and your family! All of you have my email and cell phone number so you can contact me anytime (before 9 pm).
Many thanks and love!
Mrs. Clifton
Week of September 28th
Two more weeks until a break! This is exciting but also a great reminder that the quarter is almost over. If you have been procrastinating, now is the time to stop and get to school work! Teachers will be cutting off acceptance of late work this week so you need to make sure you get as much work done as possible. Remember, if we were in school in person, this would be the time where we would be discussing the importance of putting in the work now so you don't have to retake the class later. The same thing applies even though we are in distance learning. You need to put in the time and effort to complete the work so you can pass the classes and 1)not have to retake them and 2)have more room in your schedule for classes you choose OR to leave early later on in your school career when we return back to the building.
I am here as a resource for you. If you have a question about anything for my class or any other classes, please call, email, or text me. If I don't know the answer, I will find it out or get you in touch with someone who can. Your teachers don't know what you don't know unless you tell them so it's YOUR job to communicate with your teachers. If you struggle with this, I will help you but it is up to you to reach out for help.
I do not know how you are doing in a class unless you tell me so I have to trust and rely that you are communicating with your concerns. Please let me know how I can help.
Many thanks!
Mrs. Clifton
Our EC Face to Face conferences will occur next week using Zoom, a web conference platform that allows for video conferences as well as phone in capabilities.
As a reminder, please RSVP to the appropriate grade level sign-up if you would like to meet with your child’s EC Teacher/Related Services Personnel. Please RSVP by 9/18/20 so that a specific meeting schedule can be generated. A conference is optional and not required. Conferences are being made available to you in order to remain in communication and support the learning of your child as we approach the end of the first nine weeks.
Once RSVPs are collected, you will receive a specific meeting time between 6:00-7:00 for the appropriate day according to your child’s grade level. You will receive access information with instructions for participating in the meeting either through video conference or by phone.
All conferences will take place using Zoom between 6:00-7:00 p.m. on the following dates:
High School Thursday 9/24
If you would like to RSVP to this, please email [email protected] and she will send you a link to the sign up.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Garrison
EC Coordinator, Clover Garden School
Week of September 14th
Welcome back! Each of you received a schedule to help you keep track of when you should be working on each subject and your meeting schedule. Please make sure you are using this to help you keep track of what you should be doing. This week will be a little different in terms of your assignment. You need to complete the activities listed in the Grizzly Social module, which is located at the top of the Modules section. After we get used to completing those, we will go back to our traditional transition activities as well as the Grizzly Social activities. I meet with my students at 12 on different days. Check your ANNOUNCEMENTS or individualized schedule to see which day(s) we meet. See you there! Please let me know if you have any questions.
As always, I am only a phone call, text, or email away if you need anything!
Mrs. Clifton
Week of September 7th
Hello everyone! Welcome back from a much needed break. This week, we will be working on summarizing informational text, adding and subtracting negative numbers, and starting/engaging in work place appropriate small talk. We resume our Zoom or Canvas conferences scheduled this week so make sure to check the announcements and your email for the invite or link!
Tip of the week: If you have questions about the content of a course, contact the teacher of that course. If you have an issue with logging into CANVAS, email [email protected]. If you have an issue with your laptop, contact [email protected].
As always, I am only a phone call, text, or email away. Let me know how I can help.
Many thanks,
Mrs. Clifton
Week of August 24th
Hello everyone!
This is our last week before break. Be prepared to work hard this week so you can relax the week after! Please make sure your parents have completed the emergency paperwork for your 1st period/Homeroom class. They cannot complete it through the observation Parent App so you will need to help them complete the paperwork on your account. These forms are important and need to be completed as soon as possible.
Schedules-Please remember you must attend your CANVAS conferences. The teachers are providing instruction during these conferences and it is important that you attend. If you need help determining when your conferences are with each teacher, please let me know!
Assignments for each of your classes are listed in the modules for each of your courses. Please make sure you are checking your announcements daily as well as going into each course on the assigned days. For your block courses, the work load will be higher than the year long courses because they will be over after the 1st semester. You can't afford to get behind on your work so remember to check your courses daily and work hard!
Instruction and assignments for my class are in this course in the module "Week of August 24th" They are labeled with the area of instruction and the day of the week you should work on it (Tuesday or Thursday) as stated in the CGS distance learning plan however, if it is easier in your schedule, you may work on them on other days. The topics for this week include:
Self-Awareness, Linear Equations, and Determining the Central Idea and Supporting Details
Tip of the week--You can't rely on the "to do list" as the only way to determine what you need to do. You must go into each module and click on each assignment for that week. Many times there are instructional videos as part of the assignment that tell you how to complete the task you are given.
As always, I am only a phone call, text, or email away if you need anything.
Many thanks and love,
Mrs. Clifton
PSA--Your internet may be running slow and it's OK! If you try to get into CANVAS and it doesn't work, just wait a little bit and retry again. Many school systems across the state (K-12 AND Post-Secondary) are starting classes this week with the same platform so the system is adapting. If you continue to have difficulties and miss a conference just email the teacher and let them know. Also, please be patient because sometimes even the teachers have difficulty getting into the system. We are in this together and it will be okay!
Week 4 August 17th
Hello parents and students!
I hope everyone had a good week and is enjoying this cool(er) weather. Here are some updates/reminders
-Go to your Canvas Conferences for each of your classes! You should have at least one Canvas Conference a week with each of your teachers (So if you have 6 classes, that would be at least 6 conferences a week) If you haven't been going or don't know how to get to them, reach out to that teacher.
-If I am YOUR 1st period class, I am your Homeroom teacher. You need to get your parent to fill out ALL of the paperwork/forms listed in the Parents Corner Module. Your parent should ONLY have to complete this ONCE since you are only doing this for your homeroom teacher. If you have a different 1st period teacher and your parent has completed the paperwork for you for that class, they DO NOT need to do it again for mine.
-Based on feedback, I have changed the modules. Instead of having to go to the reading, transition, and or math modules separately , I made a module and labeled it with the week. Everyone needs to complete the transition activities listed for this week's module. If you receive reading service, you will need to complete the reading and transition activities for this week's module. If you receive math services, you will need to complete the math and transition activities for this week's module. If you receive reading and math services, you will complete all the activities listed in this week's module. There are due dates to help you pace yourself but if you want to work ahead or pace yourself differently, that is fine. The assignments need to be done by Sunday, August 23rd, 11:59 pm.
-My Canvas conferences are Monday and Wednesday at 12 pm.
Life Tip:
Although assignments are not considered "late" until Sunday, you need to look closely at what the teacher is asking you to do and why. For example, in Mr. Cheek's math classes, the activities he is asking you to watch and complete are to learn information that you will have a quiz on Friday. It is best practice to learn and practice material before you take a test on it so it makes the most sense to complete a majority of the activities BEFORE your quiz on Friday. The idea behind learning and testing is to learn the information, practice working with it, then be assessed on it so you should aim to complete the work by the due dates they have given to help pace and prepare you for the assessment.
How does this relate to the real world? Would you want a dentist to fill a cavity as his final "test" on you if he hasn't learned how to do it in school yet or practiced the procedure before? I would rather have a dentist working on me that has completed the class, practiced the procedure he is doing, and preferably done it many times, before doing the procedure on me!
If you have any questions or concerns, please remember I am a phone call, text, or email away.
Many thanks and love,
Mrs. Clifton
Week 3 aUGUST 10th
Hello Students!
Hard to believe that within a week, there has been a hurricane, tornado, and earthquake in the state of North Carolina! This week we start our CANVAS conferences. As I mentioned last week, they will be Mondays at Wednesdays at 12. If you receive reading services, attend on Monday. If you receive Math services, attend on Wednesday. If you receive both......attend both days! This will be a time that we are reviewing the assignments for my class but also when I can help with questions you have from lessons in your other courses as well. Also, there are assignments in 3 modules (Transition, Math, and Reading) Make sure you are completing assignments for my courses as well as all your other courses.
I have already started to be included in emails from teachers sent to you regarding not completing work for some of you. Please make sure you are:
-emailing your 1st period teacher EVERY DAY
-Checking YOUR email EVERY DAY
-Checking YOUR inbox in CANVAS EVERY DAY
-Logging into CANVAS and checking ALL of your courses EVERY DAY (even if it's just to read the announcements!)
-Check each module to ensure you have completed what you were supposed to complete and submitted it
-Write down your CANVAS meeting schedule and go to your CANVAS conferences.
This year is different from how we ended last year. You are responsible for learning NEW information and need to attend the CANVAS conferences. Teachers are sharing new content that you need to learn and will be tested on. You are being graded on assignments. There are due dates. You will receive grades for your work. I know this is new to everyone but you do not want to get behind!
As always, I am only a phone call, text, or email away.
Many thanks and love,
Ms. Clifton
Week 2--August 3rd
Whew! We made it through the first week. Thank you for your patience as well all navigate through this together. This week we will start getting into the work. The way my course is set up is that there will be 3 modules (Transition, Math, and Reading) within the course. You will be expected to complete the activities listed in the Transition Module by the end of the week every week. Depending on your other service area(s), you will need to complete the Math and/or Reading activities listed in the modules by the end of the week every week. For example, if you receive services for reading, you would complete assignments in the transition and reading modules. If you receive services for reading and math, you would complete assignments for all three modules. The work assigned is specifically created to help you reach your goals. If you are unsure of which areas you receive service in, please email me and I will let you know.
This course is listed as a year-long course on your schedule so you should be working on it on your B days (Tuesday/Thursday) but if it works better in your schedule to work on it a different day, you may. Please just remember to submit your work by 11:59 Sunday Night.
I am still new to this so it may not be perfect, but the assignments in the module should be posted in the order they should be completed.
Please remember to take your time to check each of your courses to ensure you are completing all assignments in all your courses.
I am only a phone call, text, or email away if you have any questions!
Many thanks,
Jennifer Clifton
Remember:
-Check in with your 1st period teacher EVERY DAY (even on A days)
-Check your CANVAS inbox AND your school email to ensure you don't miss any emails
-Check ALL the possible activities/modules/pages for ALL of your courses
My conference schedule with you will be determined once all the other staff/student schedules have been determined. Your CANVAS conferences with each of your teachers should start this week or next. The expectation is that each classroom teacher will have 1 CANVAS conference a week with each of their classes AND 1 ZOOM conference at least every other week (which may be a grade level conference).
Week starting 7/28
Dear families,
What an exciting start to the new school year! Working with students is the teachers favorite part of our job. Think about when you were a little kid and how excited you would get the night before Christmas or party. Usually you don’t sleep well the night before due to the anticipation and excitement of the upcoming events. The night before the first day of school is the same way for teachers. Although this year we will be starting it online, please know that teachers still have those butterflies and are eagerly awaiting the beginning of school and we love you. I will be serving as your case manager/ teacher. My schedule in PowerSchool is still under construction so I may not be currently listed on your schedule as the teacher for your resource class, but I will be your teacher. At this time, my courses are loaded in CANVAS so they should show up on your dashboard in CANVAS. You should receive a prompt inviting you to my course. Please be sure to accept it. If you do not see a Course for my class, please notify me. The assignment for the next 5 days in my class is the exact same assignment that you have for your other courses, which is the Getting Started Module. In addition, please respond to this email telling me your class schedule for the year. Please complete the Getting Started Module and any related assignments individual teachers include as part of that module for each of your teachers for the next 5 days (this means you should be completing the Getting Started Module at least 6 times-1 time for each class). The modules are designed to help you understand the learning process for the year, get to know your teachers, and for your teachers to get to know you. It is very important that you put in the time now to truly understand CANVAS and the distance learning process we are currently participating in. I will contact you again to notify you of our virtual meeting schedule, new assignments, and any updates. As we all navigate through this process together, please remember I am a phone call, email, or text away and I am here as a resource for you.
Many thanks,
Jennifer Clifton