http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=10081
Hello Holt Staff,
Here’s the first of my regular weekly staff announcements, which I usually send out Sunday mornings.
Nine items of note for this week:
• Building Access Updates – Principals received an HR Email with some building access related updates and clarifications from the guidelines I shared in last week’s staff announcements:
• Normal Business Hours – Staff who wish to come in before your report back date are encouraged to come during normal business hours, 7:30-3:30. This assists custodial staff and allows for more careful contact tracing and adherence to protocols.
• “No Visitors” Clarification (kids & family included) – All school facilities are closed to volunteers and visitors. This unfortunately includes family members helping set up classrooms or work spaces. This also includes staff not bringing children into buildings while they are working in their classroom, office, or other location.
• Notify Allan if you’re sick – If you do become sick with COVID-19 symptoms (flu-like symptoms) and have been in the building, contact me immediately, so I can contact HR administrator, Dawn Strong. This applies both now and also after the school year starts.
• Badge Entry Point Restrictions – The district is implementing restricted card access entry points at all schools. This makes it so staff badges will only work after you’ve first swiped it at the main entrance (with the exception or kitchen and custodial staff). Facilities has also temporarily changed the Holt Security Zones so that Zone 2 (gym & cafeteria) can only be disarmed at the main entrance or the kitchen entrance.
• A & B Wing Use – SSD Staff are using Kelsey’s Room (A01) to conduct special education testing for Sheldon Region students between now and when teachers report back. They are working Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, so if anyone is planning to go into that side of the building, be sure to give this group a wide berth.
• Technology Updates – Principals received a few updates from the 4J Technology Department:
• Student Device Distribution – The Tech Department purchased enough full-sized iPads over the summer for every K-5 student in 4J can borrow a device. Linked here is the iPad Case Model purchased for the K-2 devices. Hotspots will also be available. Distribution will happen in early September, but final dates are to-be-determined. Tech Department staff will be in charge of the device distribution this time and will not require building staff to assist, although staff may help if you’d like.
• Staff iPads – The school district now also has iPads available for staff who will be teaching or assisting with Comprehensive Distance Leaning (CDL) and who do not have devices. This includes both classified and licensed staff. These will be distributed after students have gotten their devices first, but there are a limited number of devices, so let me know as soon as possible if you do not currently have a device (or have an iPad 2 or older) and I’ll notify the Tech Department to put in your request.
• School Start Updates – I’m never sure if I should share this info or not since it could still change through negotiations with EEA and OSEA or new guidelines from the state, but I figured I’ll share current plans.
• In-Service Week – Mornings will be dedicated to professional development and afternoons will be for planning. There will be some training for all staff and there will be some for just licensed or just classified and others for specific positions.
• K-8 Conferences First Week – The week of September 14th will be dedicated to connecting with students and families for a start of the year conference. Format, details, and logistics (scheduling, translators, a pre-survey, etc.) are still to be determined.
• Student School Supplies – I’ve had quite a few staff and also families asking about school supplies. It’s sounding like downtown is going to purchase school supplies centrally for all students, which will be distributed to students, but an official decision has not yet been made. Stay tuned on this one.
• Teacher Evaluation & TalentEd Update – 4J is moving last year’s 4J Framework Pilot to the next stage this year. This means that all teachers receiving a summative evaluation will use the Framework. However, with Comprehensive Distance Learning HR is working on how teachers will receive on-going feedback and support while teaching in a virtual environment. If your’e not familiar with 4J’s Instructional Framework: Five Dimensions of High Quality Instruction, it is largely based on a multiyear research effort at the University of Washington. 4J’s twist was to add some equity components that were missing from the original rubric.
• UPDATE: Staffing Updates – The 4-hour and 3-hour Title 1 EA positions close Tuesday and our 0.5 FTE Essential Skills Coordinator (ESC) position is currently posted internally and will go external next week if less than two internal staff apply. If you know of anyone good out there who’d like to come to Holt, please encourage them to apply!
• REPEAT: Interview Committee Volunteers? – I’m planning to conduct interviews for the Title 1 EAs and ESC positions the week of August 24th. If there are any classified and/or licensed staff who’d like to volunteer their time to help hire our newest staff members, just let me know.
• REPEAT: Report Back Dates– Most staff report back the first week of September. Here are the report back dates:
• Elem Secretaries – Wednesday, August 12
• Licensed Staff – Tuesday, September 1
• Classified Staff – Wednesday, September 2 (196-day on 8/27)Linked here are the complete Employee Work Year Calendars.
• Editable “Meet the Teacher” Slideshow – Whether you are teaching online or in-person, you’ll need to introduce yourself to students and their families. WeAreTeachers made an Editable Teacher Slideshow that may come in handy. FYI – It didn’t open right for me in Chrome, but it did in Keynote and LibreOffice (I’m cheap and refuse to pay for Office for myself).
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are a few events of note for the next few weeks:
August 17 (M)
Staff Allowed Back in BuildingsAugust 24 (M)
ESC and Title 1 EA Interviews (tentative)
8:30-12:30, New Teacher Induction (Zoom)August 25 (T)
ESC and Title 1 EA Interviews (tentative)
8:30-12:30, New Teacher Induction (Zoom)August 26 (W)
ESC and Title 1 EA Interviews (tentative)
8:30-12:30, New Teacher Induction (Zoom)August 27 (H)
ESC and Title 1 EA Interviews (tentative)
196-Day Classified Staff Report BackSeptember 1 (T)
Licensed Staff Report BackSeptember 2 (W)
192-Day (most) Classified Employees Report
8:00-12:00, Back to School Staff Meeting (tentative)September 7 (T)
Labor Day – No SchoolSeptember 14 (M)
First Day of School
Please reach out if there’s anything I can do for you and see you soon!
Allan