Week of November 5, 2018
Hi shining stars,
It is hard to believe that we are already gearing up for conferences. But here we are. Thanks to those of you who said you would do your formal observations this week. I know it is a lot of extra pressure to do this during this week. On Tuesday, I hope we can finalize the leadership plan in the staff meeting. I would like to get the proposal submitted to JCAC by Friday. Last Thursday night was a beautiful moment for our community.
I have been to 5 Dia de Los Muertos celebrations at our school. But this year, having parents lead most of the event was very special. Our community has much to be proud of and the hard work put in by all involved showed. A special thanks goes to Alicia who orchestrated so much behind the scenes for these parents.
Here are some news items for the week:
• Thanksgiving Classroom Reminder – As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, I wanted to 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 most 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. Here is a good article with a Native American perspective on Thanksgiving as well as one on The True Story of the First Thanksgiving. Also, the 4J Natives Program is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture.
• Conference Items –
a. Reminder: Check in with Aline about your Title 1 compacts. They should be in your boxes with instructions.
b. Reminder: Parent conferences are a little different in our building. Remember that we are focused on collecting information from the parent about the child not just telling the parent where we think the child is at. You should be using the form provided to learn more about the student. It is an equalized conversation. Try not to enter the conversation as expert but more as partner in the child’s success.
• Dreambox at Home Flyer – There’s a canned letter on the Dreambox website teachers could share with families (English and Spanish) for how to access Dreambox from home. You can find it and other resources by logging onto Dreambox > Resources > Parents & Family. If you’d like me to run a class set for you, just let me know.
• Robotics Opportunity – If any parents, students, or school staff are interested in robotics, check out the Mckenzie River Gathering of the Robots (MRGR) at the UO Ford Alumni Center Saturday, Nov. 10th, 10:00-5:00. It’s casual, free, includes light refreshments, and with lots of demos to get people excited about robotics!
• Brings Clay Artist into your Classroom for FREE – The Clay in Education program brings potters into classrooms for free demonstrations, workshops, and art projects. See the linked flyer for details or email them at education@clayfest.org
Here are the major events in the coming weeks:
November 5 (M)
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
4:00-5:30, Joel at k-12 immersion principals meeting.
November 6 (Tu)
ELECTION DAY
3:15-4:00, Staff Meeting, Must vote on leadership plan
4:15-6:00, Jennifer and Joel to the District Equity PD session
7:00-8:30, EL Camino del Rio Know Your Rights sessions being held at ECDR.
November 7 (W)
NO PLT Meeting
Family / Teacher Conferences, 4:00-8:00 PM
Dinner provided at 5:30.
November 8 (Th)
Family / Teacher Conferences, 8:00 AM-8:00 PM
Dinner provided at 5:30, Lunch on provided by Horace Mann!
November 9 (F)
Regular Work Day for Classified Staff
No School, Teacher Compensation Day for Family Teacher Conferences
November 12 (M)
No School, Veteran’s Day
November 13 (Tu)
Joel at La Cosecha- Tom Maloney guest principal.
3:15-4:00, Equity Meeting A, Zelene leads.
November 14 (W)
No PLT Meeting
Joel at La Cosecha
November 15 (Th)
Joel at La Cosecha
3:15-4:00, Guardians of the Galaxy Meeting
November 16 (F)
8:30-9:00, Junta de la escuela- Virtudes presented.
Joel at La Cosecha
PLC Session- cancelled
November 19 (M)
Regular Day
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
November 20 (T)
11:00-12:00, Special Thanks Lunch Session in Cafeteria
5:00-6:00, Site Council- Indistar Indicator Questions
6:00-7:15, Parent Group Meeting- Focus:Understanding Math Lessons at El Camino del Rio.
November 21 (W)
3:15-3:45, PLT Meeting (Conference Room)
November 22 (Th)
No School, Thanksgiving
November 23 (F)
No School, Thanksgiving
November 26 (M)
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
November 27 (Tu)
8:00-12:00, Joel at Elementary Principal Meeting
November 28 (W)
3:15-4:00- PLT Meeting
November 29 (Th)
Health Screening
Picture Retakes
November 30 (F)
8:30-9:00, Junta de la escuela
December 3 (M)
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
2:00 PM, Fire Drill Tentative
December 4 (Tu)
3:15-4:00, Staff Meeting
December 5 (W)
3:15-4:00, PLT
December 6 (Th)
Joel out all day to do Dual Language Observation at Kelly and North
December 7 (F)
8:30-9:00, Junta de Escuela
2:00-3:00, Behavior Framework PD for all staff #6
3:00-4:00, Teacher Prep Time
6:30-8:30, Family Movie Night
December 10 (M)
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
Regular Day
December 11 (Tu)
8:30-12:00, Joel at the All Admin Meeting
4:45-5:45, Site Council
6:00-7:15, Parent Group
December 12 (W)
3:15-4:00, PLT
December 13 (Th)
Regular Day
December 14 (F)
8:30-9:00, Junta de Escuela
2:00-4:00, Double Prep Day
December 17 (M)
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
December 18 (Tu)
8:00-12:00, Elementary Admin Meeting
3:15-4:00, PBIS- Whole Staff Meeting
December 19 (W)
3:15-4:00, PLT
December 21 (Th)
Regular Day
December 22 (F)
8:30-9:00, Junta de Escuela
2:00-3:00, Spanish Language Development Discussion Time- Cld Learners/ SPED with Karen Apgar
4:00, Winter break begins!
That is all for the week.
Joel
