Diario Camino del Río

Week of October 31

 

Hello Estrellas Brillantes,

As we enter into November,  I would like to take a minute to breathe and be grateful for all of your hard work. Already this year, there is so much that you have accomplished in the face of a fairly adverse start of the year. Each week, I have seen you come together and be positive in the face of difficulties. You must be recognized for the amazing job you have done.  We have so much to offer our families and cannot forget how valuable our dual immersion experience is for our students.  You are providing them with a tremendous gift and do so in a loving and caring way.  This week during our El Día de Los Muertos event take a moment to breathe and show respect and admiration for each other and the children we serve.   The days of the dead are truly a celebration of life.  When children dance with caricatures of death, eat skull sugar molds and learn to respect that life is brief, they learn there is a circle to life and to not fear death and then are free to enjoy and appreciate every moment. Help them embrace this understanding and have joy in the moment with them.

Announcements and Important  Items

•Teaching for Biliteracy  PD Day  October 31

Teachers feel free to dress up in a costume.

Work day schedule for academy day: 8:00 AM -4:00 PM

8:00- 8:20 – Breakfast

8:20-9:00- Creativity Activity with Jay Breslow

9:00-12:00- Teaching for Biliteracy with Edward Olivos and Audrey Lucero

12:00-1:00- Nancy’s Baby Shower Potluck, Bring something yummy and for her baby.

1:00-2:00- Wrap up with Audrey and Edward on biliteracy.

2:00-4:00- Planning time

 

• Conference Sign Up– Do not forget to keep up on your conference sign ups if you received some manual paper forms back. Here are the links to your Sign Up Genius pages if you need it.

Bucklew

Brougher

Hellman

Barnes

Skoubo

Randall

Jones

Flores

Reckers

Piper

Murphy

Garcia

Screen

•YouTube and Classroom Instruction – One item on the Elementary Principals’ Meeting agenda this Tuesday is in regards to limiting and/or cutting off access to YouTube for staff and students. Principals were asked the following:

• How does NOT having access to YouTube inhibit instruction?
• What are the risks of having open access? Benefits?
• If teachers have open access, does the benefit outweigh the risk? • Would you be willing to take on and work with staff to mitigate the risk? 

The feedback I’m planning to give is that staff MUST have YouTube access to support instruction in a variety of subject areas.  This is especially true for finding Spanish (or other immersion programs) language resources. 

I also believe it is a direct violation of teacher’s academic freedom to limit such resources:

EEA CBA 12.5 ACADEMIC FREEDOM:

1. The District and the Association agree that academic freedom is essential to the fulfillment of the purpose of the District, and they acknowledge the fundamental need to protect unit members from any censorship or restraint that might interfere with their obligation to pursue truth in the performance of their teaching functions.

Let me know if you have agree/disagree or have additional thoughts on this you’d like me to share. 

• Thanksgiving Classroom and School Setting Reminder – As we enter November, I thought I should send out my annual reminder regarding how Thanksgiving is taught in classrooms. Keep in mind that student perceptions of Native Americans often come from classroom activities around the First Thanksgiving. The conception of Native Americans gained from such early exposure is often both inaccurate and potentially damaging. When planning activities, be aware that what some of us learned in school about the “Pilgrims” and “Squanto” and the “First Thanksgiving” is a mixture of both history and myth. Thanksgiving activities should avoid reinforcing historical myths and should avoid stereotypes (ie. NO warbonnets). It’s best to shift the focus away from the “First Thanksgiving” and instead focus on items children can be thankful for in their own lives and on their families’ celebrations of Thanksgiving. Some resources on what to avoid and what to teach can be found at Teaching Tolerance and Education World.  Also, the 4J Natives Program is a resource that is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture. Consider calling Brenda Brainard at 541-790-5900 for assistance. When decorating  the school environment please feel free to decorate with agricultural themes and cornucopia.  You could also ask students to share what they are thankful for in art projects.  However, decorations of stereotypical Native Americans and Pilgrims are discouraged in the school setting.

•Discipline and Major vs. Minor Referrals:

How do you define discipline? This is what guides my philosophy on discipline in our school and all schools where I have worked within PBIS.

As principal, I hope to:

• Promote positive behavior and reduce problem behavior
• Comply with federal and state law
• Coordinate behavior support efforts
• Ensure safe and effective environments
• Get students access to needed supports

In the last few weeks, some have noticed that students are sometimes acting in a more defiant way or are having a harder time complying with adult requests.  Level 2 referrals should help you in this discipline process to help you teach appropriate behavior. Remember that a Level 2 referral is a teaching tool and a tool to document consequences. You as the supervisor or teacher have control over the situation. And in fact, you have more power than the child does. You have a wide variety of consequences and teaching opportunities you can utilize at the time of the behavior.  It is also very important to make a home-school connection about behavior. Parents want to know how their child is doing. Call them, as it is expected in the discipline process.

So, how do I decide if it is a Level 2 or Level 3?

• Teachers have the authority to manage problem behavior in class (or with a partner)
• You can provide a break within your class during class time for level 2 behaviors.
• You should not take away recess as a consequence.
•  You can provide Think-Time
•  You can provide a Time Out in any setting including the bus zone. We will need to define that as a staff.
•  You can use an office referral if a problem behavior (a) interferes with on-going education of others, (b) threatens safety, or (c) is of a severity requiring more extended intervention (e.g. more than 1 min).
• Note that in-class interventions may also be included in the on-going data collection system… and are useful for decision-making and implementing FBA/BSPs.
• In short, you as the educator have to power to control the situation. Use it!

What is Think Time and how do I use it?

• Used for students who engage in attention-maintained problem behavior in the classroom.
• Major goal is to reduce reward for problem behavior
• Relies on two teachers collaborating
• Establish an open desk in each room
• Build a “problem solving form”- We have one I or Jennifer can give you.
• Ask: What did you do?
• Ask: What could you have done differently?
• Ask: How will you handle this situation in the future?
• Teach the “think time” routine to all students before the incident occurs
• Maintain data on application of Think Time using a Level 2 referral and inform Jennifer or Joel if needed.

 

Teaching and Professional Learning in a Bilingual Environment

Math and ELL Article: Mathematics is regarded as one of the core content areas that all students are expected to master as they progress through school. Mathematics instruction, however, has changed in the past several years. Some might mistakenly think math is easier than other subject areas for English learners as it is about numbers and computation. However, math is a language-rich, complex subject area that necessitates language analysis skills in addition to computational skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

•The Journey:

 Please take a few minutes to watch this heartfelt video. It is why we are here at El Camino del Río.  It is why we believe in the immigrants that make us resilient and innovative as a school and a country.

 

Written by Andrew S. Vargas |

 

If you’re familiar with authentic Mexican food, you probably don’t need an excuse to love Jarritos. Founded over 60 years ago, the iconic Mexican soft drink has likely washed down billions of tacos across Mexico and the United States, and its distinctive color scheme is an essential design element in any Mexican restaurant. But in many ways, Jarritos’ hard-fought niche in the US market is a lot like any immigrant success story, and in recognition of this fact, they’ve imagined their latest ad campaign as an homage to the US immigrant experience.

But the folks at Jarritos and their ad agency WALO Creative weren’t content merely making a statement, flashing some colorful glass bottles, and calling it a day; so they brought in some heavy firepower in the form of Diego Luna, and had him direct what amounts to a rousing short film. Luna, of course, is not the same Charolastra heartthrob you grew up with, and the warm reception of his latest directorial endeavor Mr. Pig has only further solidified his reputation as a multi-talented artist-activist.

Entitled “The Journey,” Luna’s two-minute spot for Jarritos connects images of Mexicans crossing the desert with archival footage of European immigrants arriving to American shores generations ago. Driven along by an emotive guitar score, a narrator extolls the virtues of “those with minimal resources, but with hearts full of dreams,” as we see images of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds living out their version of the American dream. In the end, “The Journey” emerges as much more than a commercial; it’s a much-needed reminder that even in these difficult times, there is more that unites than divides us.

Calendar for El Camino del Río Staff: What is ahead?

Week of October 24

“Fullness of knowledge always and necessarily means some understanding of the depths of our ignorance, and that is always conducive to both humility and reverence.”

-Robert A. Millikan, 1923 Nobel Prize Physicist

Hello shining star community,

I am sorry this is coming out to you a bit late.  This week will be a fairly regular week. Remember that next week is the first Academy day with Edward Olivos and Audrey Lucero. Please skim or read Chapter 4 in anticipation of doing some work on biliteracy at this event.

I am so impressed that our community was able to raise over 8,000 dollars. See you in the morning when I wake up from camping on the roof!

Upcoming Events and announcements:

• Elementary Math Adoption Open House Nov. 1st & 3rd 4:00-6:00 – Next week, on Nov. 1st and 3rd, 4:00-6:00, families, staff, and community members are invited to the Ed Center Auditorium for a self-guided preview (no formal presentation) of curricula & materials of the math curriculm being considered for adoption and to also provide feedback. See the linked Open House Flyer for details and feel free to share this with families.

• 11/01/16, Elementary Principals Meeting, 8:15-11:15, Parr Rm
• 11/01/16 and 11/03/16 Elementary Math Adoption Open House, 4:00 pm-6:00 pm, Ed Center Auditorium (more information under Elementary Other)
• 11/17/16, LEL B@Charlemagne
• 01/12/17, Trauma Informed Practices: 8:15-11:30, Lane ESD
• 01/03/17: PD Day – 5.5 hours of science PD, 2 hours of uninterrupted planning for all elementary teachers
• 04/03/17: – 5.5 hours of science PD for all elementary teachers, 2 hours uninterrupted planning
• 05/05/17: PD/Planning Day – Up to 7.5 hours of PD (flexible). 5.5 hours of math curriculum training for all elementary teachers

Camino Specific:

• PLT Meeting: We will be meeting with Abby Lane to discuss our Dual Immersion Program and how it fits within 4J.  This is part of the Immersion Task Force work.
• Mod Squad this Week.  Lots of kids to talk about and support in our school. Do not forget to fill out an RFA if you need help. Document what you have tried already on the RFA form.
• Keep working on those goals.  I am still missing goal forms from several of you. Do not forget that you need to sign the goal twice.
• No Halloween costumes on October 28 or November 1st.  Teachers should choose to dress how they like on the Academy Day, 10/31.
• Peer observations are not far off: Nov. 1,2,3,4.  Please send me an email with your preferences on how to structure peer observations this round. Some prefer their own grade while others like to see grades above or below them.

Teaching and Learning Resources:

Staff Calendar

Week of October 24

Week of October 31

Week of October 17

Being bilingual builds bridges in your brain!

Hello Shining Stars,

This week is very exciting week in the construction zone. Some of you may have noticed that the new building contractor has started to erect steel.  Our new space is really starting to take shape. With the weather changing they slowed down a bit on Thursday but they should be back at it next week adding more steel and framing out the classroom wing.  This week we also have a special safety drill. We are participating in the great American Shake out on October 20 at 10:20 with everyone else on the west coast participating.  Tell me if you feel it!

Important Announcements of the Week:

•Special Data Conversation on Thursday October 20.  On Thursday we will be having an hour long conversation about data and using Common Formative Assessments. The first half hour will be focused on school data at th 20,000 foot level.  We will examine SBAC Data, the school report card, enrollment data of the North Region and our school, and also discuss how our DLI program that support students achievement in math and literacy. The second half hour, we will focus on formulating a reasonable plan for using common formative assessments (CFAs) to regularly measure progress in our school in our professional learning communities.  We will use the same schedule as our last IIPM Data Meeting. Here is a Google Drive Link to the Data Folder we will be looking at closely if you are interested in previewing the data.

Below is the schedule:

•Earth Quake Drill on Thursday October 20 at 10:20 AM: (Evacuation Drill will occur after 60 seconds of “shaking”)

Be sure to review a little about what an earthquake is so students understand it.  Here is a set of multimedia resources that can help.

Earthquake Safety Video Series Learn how you can stay safe from shaking in a variety of situations. (YouTube, captions in English, Spanish, and French)

• Fundraiser  Awards Assembly is Friday October 21st at 2:00 PM, Please review the behavior expectations for assemblies in class. We will call grades down in an orderly manner beginning at 1:45.

• Student Care Team Referrals – The Student Care Team will be meeting in two weeks, which means student/family referrals to the team are due this Friday. DHS has been great about helping quite a few of our families, pointing them towards resources for a variety of different situations (homelessness, assistance with bills, incarcerated parents, counseling resources, and many others), so please consider referring a student or family in need. Try to get a signature on the 4J Release Form (PDF or DOC) so we will be able to openly discuss the student(s) by name and also so DHS can research the family situation to see what services they would qualify for. If there’s a situation where you can’t get a signature for whatever reason, you can refer “hypothetical” student or family situations. Let me know if you have any questions about potential referrals, but if it’s a situation that’s on your mind, it’s probably a worth referring to the team.

•Diversity Celebration at Kelly Middle School this Friday –Come celebrate with us at Kelly Middle School our first Diversity celebration this Friday, October 21st from 5:00 to 7:30pm. The Event is called “Diversity, Beauty, Strength” and it is a way to honor the Hispanic Heritage Month and our diversity at Kelly. In the morning students will attend an assembly to listen to our guest speakers from the Latino, Muslim and Japanese American communities. The evening event will feature food from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Mexico. There will be music and art tables with materials to create diversity pieces during the event. The highlight of the evening is a performance by the Gospel Choir from the U of O.

• FREE BOOK: Closing Circles: 50 Activities for Ending the Day in a Positive Way – I placed a copy of Closing Circles: 50 Activities for Ending the Day in a Positive Way  in each classroom teacher’s box plus a few others. It’s filled with great ideas for ways to close the end of each school day and it fits very perfectly into the Caring for Kids/Caring School Community curriculum. I received a number of copies from downtown  and placed on in each of your boxes!  Enjoy!

• $50 – $500 Mini-Grants – Mini-Grants are available for classroom projects, clubs, supplies, and other uses from the Adrienne St. Clair Group at Berkshire Hathaway Realty. The application deadline is Thursday, October 27th. See the linked flyer for information or visit their website to apply.

• Staff School Pictures – With picture day this Thursday, I wanted to ask staff to have your picture taken too so I can get our staff webpage updated. There are quite a few generic Shining Star pictures on there and I would like to update with real photos.

•Synergy Training for Grade Book: Register for a Synergy Grade Book PD. Whether you are brand new to Grade Book or need to hear the details again, this workshop will get you on your way. We will enter assignments and scores (rubric 0-4) that will transfer to the Synergy Report Card. Although Grade Book is easy to use, it can feel daunting at first. It is rare to have someone understand the full process with one session, though you will learn enough to get started. Be ready to step out of your comfort zone and persevere.

ESL/ ELD Educational Resources for Teachers:

The Best Videos Illustrating Qualities Of A Successful Language Learner.

Here are the qualities, along with an example of a video on the list demonstrating perseverance:

An appetite for learning, perseverance

Being willing to take risks

Being willing to make mistakes and learn from them

Wants to help and teach others

Check out this awesome dog video that represents how to persevere in an amazingly fun way.  Your students will really enjoy it.

Duolingo’s chatbots help you learn a new language is from TechCrunch.

Latino Students: A Portrait In Numbers is from NPR. This is a great news article on the new 25%.

10 Activities – Using Pictures in Class is from ELT-Connect. I’m adding it to The Best Ways To Use Photos In Lessons.

The British Council has a number of printable worksheets. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Free ESL/EFL Hand-Outs & Worksheets.

Successful Coteaching: ESL Teachers in Mainstream Classrooms is from TESOL.

Calendar of Upcoming School Meetings and Events:

The Week of October 17:

The Week of October 24:

Thanks for reading and have a great week!

Best, Joel Lavin, Director

Week of October 10

Hello Shining Stars,

I want to put out a big thank you to our teachers, volunteers and parent group for making the Caminata such a big success. It was a great way to end the week.

Reminders and Announcements:

Teaching and Learning:

Materials on Hurricane Matthew: This has been a devastating storm to people in the United States and Haiti. Learn more about it and share so our students understand this natural phenomenon better.

Here Are Resources On Helping Victims Of Matthew (& Learning About Hurricanes) With devastation already in Haiti, and millions evacuating coastal areas in the United States, Hurricane Matthew appears to be a terrible storm. How to Help Victims of Hurricane Matthew is from NBC in Los Angeles. Here’s additional info on how to help from The Weather Channel.

 Equity and Inclusion:

Calendar for the next two weeks:

Calendar for the Week of October 10:

Calendar for the Week of October 17:

District Dates for Elementary:

Relevant Upcoming Events and Dates for Elementary

10/18/16, Elementary Principals Meeting: 8:15-11:15, Parr Rm

10/18/16, Entering Discipline Incidents Training: 9:00-11:00, Tower Rm

11/01/16, Elementary Principals Meeting: 8:15-11:15, Parr Rm

11/08/16, FBA II Training: 8:15-11:30, Lane ESD

11/17/16, LEL B@Charlemagne

01/12/17, Trauma Informed Practices: 8:15-11:30, Lane ESD

01/03/17: PD Day – Up to 7.5 hours PD, including 5 hours of science PD for all elementary teachers

04/03/17: – 5 hours of science PD for all elementary teachers, 2 hours uninterrupted planning

05/05/17: PD/Planning Day – Up to 7.5 hours of PD.5 hours of math curriculum training for all elementary teachers

Thanks for reading.

Have a great week Shining Stars,

Joel

Week of October 3

Hello Shining Star Staff,

This week is going to be an exciting week.  We have much to look forward to: an assembly to kick off the Caminata,  the Walk and Bike to School Day, and the Caminata itself.  It should be a fun filled week.  Also, Myka is working on an estimate to get t-shirts with our new emblem.  We think we can keep the cost down to 5 or 6 dollars per student.  We will also be doing a special order for staff.  Enjoy the week and the crisp feeling of fall in the air.  It’s going to be a great week.

• Attendance Awareness Kick Off: This week we are kicking off an attendance awareness week. The attendance letter will be sent out to all families on Monday. In addition, we are sending out our first attendance letter 1 to all families who may have been absent a lot or tardy often.  We are also doing several kick off related activities including sending students home with a sticker.  Talk to Jennifer about more details. Our attendance team includes: Yasmin, Myka, Joel, Jennifer, Nancy, and Jennifer. We will be discussing chronic attendance issues in MOD Squad and data team.

• Staff Meeting Agenda for October 4, 2:45-3:45

Recorder: Bucklew         Facilitator: Joel

1.Science Curriculum Update

2. Conferences Sign Up Explanation

3. Leadership Plan Share and Vote

4. PBIS  Share Out

5. BEST Information

• Staff Lounge Duty: This week, is team ROJO: David B (team leader),Erin S, Rita, Michelle, Ingrid, Joel.

• Safety  Focus for the Week:  Room Clear Procedures in your classroom.  Please practice at least once this week. Wednesday is the suggested day but you can choose at your leisure. Also, we will be doing the Geat American Shake Up on October 20.  That is our next Evacuation Drill.

If it becomes necessary to clear your classroom due to the extreme disruption of another student, follow the procedures below:

Instruct your students to exit the classroom, in an orderly fashion (quietly and single file) to the appropriate classroom. Students should exit (a) through the exterior door; (b) the hallway door.

Students should enter the classroom, QUIETLY, by moving to the perimeter of the room and waiting for further instructions.

The teacher in the receiving classroom should contact the office (either personally or via a responsible student), immediately.

Room Clear Assignments:

Each grade level teaching partner will support the other during room clears

Gym goes to library

Library goes to gym

Room (title) goes to room 16

Room (sped) goes to room (12 Skoubo)

• Licensed Shared Building SMART Goals, Due Oct. 15 – For licensed staff, you need to complete your Goals Development Form in TalentEd by October 15th. I also need to meet with each of you for the “Standards Overview Conference” this month. Please let me know a time that works for you to meet. I can meet before, after, or during school. If you offer to meet during a prep time, I promise to keep the meeting short. I should be able to meet most anytime that you don’t see me in a meeting on the calendar at the bottom of my announcements.

This is an example of some SMART Goals created this year, link. They do not have goals related to Spanish, ELL, SPED or other goals we might have.  Use this as a guide in case you need help formulating your goals. I suggest meeting in blends, grade levels to write these goals. It fits nicely in the PLC work for the week. The two student growth goals are for math and reading using easyCBM and the professional goal is around science. We could also write a PPG on Teaching for Biliteracy since every teacher is studying that area. Of course specialists might have a different professional focus. These goals are not achievement goals like we have tried to do in the past. They are growth goals. Note that they are written in bands of growth.

• Sub Folders Updates – For both classified and licensed staff, please create a sub folder.  Myka has some materials available for you to use. Work on them this week and be sure to give your completed sub folders to Myka. If it helps in completing your folder, linked here is a list of suggested sub folder information/items HR said staff should consider when making lesson plans. Myka has extra folders if you need one.

• State In-Service Day, Friday, Oct 14th – Friday, October 14th is State In-Service day. This is a regular work day for administrators and 192 & 196-day classified staff. This is a non-contract day for licensed staff. For classified staff, this would be a good day to take any accumulated comp time. Let me know if you have any questions about this day. And a reminder for all staff, if you are ever wondering about work year dates, most all of your questions can be answered on the 4J Employee Work Year Calendars webpage. See Myka if you need to mark your comp time in the next week.

• 211 App – Here is a great app designed to help families in our community. You probably already know about the 211 website, which is great for directing families towards different community resources, ranging from housing, to food, to counseling, to just about every possible social service. The app does the same thing, but I could see it being very handy if you’re ever talking to a parent and you quickly want to reference potential resources to share.

• Teaching Culture Resources: Here are three resources about the world’s different cultures.

Photos of millennials’ bedrooms around the world are a peek into global youth culture is from Quartz.

Calendar

Click on the link to enlarge.

Click on the link to enlarge.

Thanks and have a great week!

Best,

Joel