September 14, 2020

By Allan  

 

Hi Everyone,

After two weeks of being slammed with PD and trainings, let’s take this week to catch our breath and use this time to get the nuts and bolts of distance learning ready to go.

Twenty items of note for this week:

• Inservice Week #3 Schedule – Linked here is the Sept. 14-18 Inservice Week Calendar. Downtown is giving building principals more autonomy this week, so I’m planning to minimize meeting time and maximize prep time. Do attend the Content Collaboration Meetings if the sound useful (I heard the plan is for SDS and TOSAs to model synchronous lessons), but for the Tech PD, only attend the session that are relevant to you if you have other prep that is more pressing. The one required building meeting will be a Staff Meeting on Tuesday, 8:00-9:00, which is a time change from the original 3:00-4:00 time so that it won’t conflict with the afternoon Tech PD. Here’s a breakdown for the week:

September 14 (M)
8:00-12:00, Building Time/Prep
10:00, Class List/Teacher Welcome Emails Sent
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-4:00, Building Time/Prep

September 15 (T)
8:00-9:00, Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)
9:00-6:00, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
9:00-12:00, Licensed Collaborative Planning District Wide (4J Zoom)
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-4:00, Licensed & Classified Instructional Tech PD (4J Zoom)
1:30-3:00, Allan to Elementary Principal’s Meeting (Zoom)

September 16 (W)
8:00-12:00, Licensed & Classified Instructional Tech PD (4J Zoom)
9:00-6:00, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-4:00, Licensed Collaborative Planning District Wide (4J Zoom)

September 17 (H)
8:00-12:00, Licensed & Classified Tech Office Hours (4J Zoom)
9:00-3:30, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
11:00-11:00, Holt Night Out – Papas Pizza
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-2:00, IF NEEDED – Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)
2:00-4:00, Protected Planning

September 18 (F)
8:00-12:00, Allan to Admin PD
8:00-4:00, Protected Planning
9:00-3:30, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)

September 21 (M)
First Day of School

• Classroom & SPED Teachers Collaboration Log – I’m adding this to the staff meeting because this is an important one to make sure we’re in compliance with. The Student Services Department (SSD) is having classrooms teachers complete a Weekly Collaborative Planning Log for Sped and 504.

Logs are to be completed each Monday by 5:00pm for the previous week of lessons. You will complete a separate entry each week for reading, writing and math instruction (for the entire week, not for each daily lesson). One response is required for each content area you teach, in which students with disabilities are receiving specially designed instruction or 504 accommodations. If you do not have any students with a 504 or IEP related to reading, writing, or math, you do not need to complete this form.

The emphasis from ODE is to provide access to general education classes, with gen education teachers delivering substantial amounts of of specially designed instruction (SDI) via collaboration logs and collaborative planning.

You might want to look at the logs now before you start teaching, but when you do respond to the narrative sections, don’t feel you need to write a novel. A quick one sentence description or some key words is sufficient.

If you want more information on this, linked here is an SSD Slideshow that was gone over with principals.

• Staffing Updates – Our current TSS, James, is moving getting more time at Sheldon and will begin transitioning our new TSS, Brian Lambert, to take over the next few weeks. Brian is new to 4J, but has 20 years of experience in tech and network support at Peace Health. Please welcome Brian to the team!

Also, the interview committee for our Essential Skills Coordinator (ESC) position decided not to select anyone from this pool (it was three and one of them dropped out to teach a pandemic pod), so we’ve reposted the position. Feel free to recruit anyone you know who would be good!

Lastly, and I mentioned this at a meeting last week, but I just asked my boss at a principal meeting about EOA and staff shifting. She said EOA is fully staffed and there will be no more teacher movement at this time.

• Attendance Update – The Instruction Department sent principals an Updated Attendance Guidelines Slideshow, which has just one change for elementary, which is that in TeacherVUE there will be only one absence code (ABS), meaning that the student was absent from both the synchronous and asynchronous portions of learning. When teachers take attendance in the morning for the prior day’s attendance, students who participated either synchronously and asynchronously (does not have to be both) are considered present. Those who did neither are considered absent.

• Non-Attending Students – Once classes start, if teachers have students who are regularly non-attending, teachers should reach out to families to find out if there are any extenuation circumstances and then also follow-up with Darla or myself if you’d like support from us if you’re not successful getting students to regularly attend.

As I’ve said before, I think the key is investing A LOT of time up front building relationships with kids, building a classroom community, and keeping it fun is will keep kids coming back. If they feel connected to their teacher and want your approval, they’ll keep coming back.

• Return to Work Guidelines Confirmation – Linked here, attached to my email, and in staff mailboxes on Monday are Return to Work Guidelines Confirmation forms (PDF and DOC) that I need all staff members to sign and return to me. This document affirms that you attended and understood the Return to Work Presentation I gave the first day staff reported back. If you do have questions on anything in the presentation, please let me know.

• Family Needs from Conferences – For when teachers hold conferences next week, if you find out any families are in need, wether it’s with food, housing (staying with a relative or couch-surfing), daycare, transportation, an incarcerated family member, or other challenges, please let Darla or myself know so we can help direct families to the appropriate community resources.

• Conference Schedules and Google Form Surveys are Optional – There are a number of resources for conferences I shared earlier (they’re all on the Holt Quick Links), but know that they are all optional. Teachers can use whatever approach works best for your style. These are simply optional resources.

• Specialist Zoom Link Templates – I shared a sample Specialist Zoom Link Template for how students could easily leave their virtual homeroom Zoom, go to a specialist (Title, SPED, ELL, etc.), and then come back to their homeroom easily. My above link has minimal directions and a pretty basic specialist page template. Linked here is a SUPER Detailed Specialist Zoom Link Template the principal at McCornack made that you might like to use as an alternative or at least use her super details directions. I’ve added these to the Holt Quick Links doc, but we’re not doing small groups for a couple weeks, so no rush on getting these ready right away, but let me know if you’d like any help setting up your slide or getting the link ready in Clever.

• Zoom and Clever Resources – I also put these on the Holt Quick Links Sheet, but here are:

• Building Level Student Codes (Single Sided) – Link in email, not on blog (these are being passed out at iPad distribution)
Zoom for Students with 4J iPads (K-12) (Updated)
Clever for Teachers: Getting Started (For Teachers)
Logging in to Online Tools with Clever for Students (Elementary) (Great Visual Handout to share with students)
Logging in to Online Tools with Clever for Students (Elementary in Spanish)

• HR Info on Subs and Student Teachers – HR emailed principals with info on how subs and student teachers will work during CDL:

• Putting in for a Sub – HR has a group of subs trained in Zoom and Seesaw should anyone require a sub. Here’s how the process will work during CDL:

1. Teachers put their absence in AESOP and notify the office they are absent and who they would like be their substitute if they have a preference.

2. Office staff assigns the preferred substitute to the absence. The system does the rest. If no preferred substitute is known or available, office staff contacts subdesk@4j.lane.edu and HR will select one for the absence.

3. All Guest Teachers will report to the building to work. There is no telework arrangement for substitutes. They have been trained on the safety protocols.

4. Once the Guest Teacher signs in, office staff will direct them to a work station for the day. This could be the library or computer lab or other space. They will need a district computer to do their work. If the absence was not pre-arranged, the Guest Teacher may need to be added to the teacher’s SeeSaw by the principal or tech support.

5. HR is in the process of getting ZOOM accounts for preferred substitutes. If you have a list of preferred substitutes, please send those names to Sonja ASAP (subdesk@4j.lane.edu) so we can get them accounts.

HR realized this probably doesn’t cover all situations, so if you have questions, send them my way and I’ll pass them along to HR.

• Student Teachers – Student teachers are classified as volunteers, so there are many steps they must go through before doing any student teaching activities. Once they have gone through the HR intake process, they will get a 4J email address and can be a teaching assistant in SeeSaw and have access to our all of our digital resources. They can also co-host/host ZOOM meetings (under the supervision of their cooperating teacher), but they will not have their own ZOOM accounts. Student teachers are not required or encouraged to report to the building.

• Blue & Green Time Clarifications… Coming Soon! – It’s become pretty clear at the districtwide content Zoom meetings that there is a lot of misunderstanding over what’s expected during the “Blue” and “Green” times. The best explanation of these times can be found on the Elementary Student Schedule Explained, which includes an audio explanation if you view the slideshow in presentation mode, but downtown is going to send something out on Monday in writing that will provide additional clarifications. Please check in with me if you are unsure about about what is expected or if you realized you and colleagues have differing views of what’s expected.

• Zoom Dos & Don’ts… Also Coming Soon! – A number of principals asked for clarification this week on what is and is not allowed while Zoom (i.e. Can you work 1:1 with a student? Can classified staff be in breakout rooms with students? etc.) The answer we got is that JCAC is meeting next week and will provide us with clarification on the dos and don’ts of Zoom.

• SEL Lessons Update – There is now a video for teachers in the SEL Resources Folder (the one with the grade level Second Step lessons I shared on Sept. 3rd) that explains how to use the lessons in that folder. Each of the lessons docs are intended to last a full week, including songs and activities, which will take some time to go through.

• SSD Info – As an FYI, below are two items that were shared with SPED teachers and principals, if you’re interested:

• SSD Newsletter – Highlights from the SSD Newsletter include info on how case managers should response if families request tutors, in-person instruction, and how to conduct IEP meetings during CDL, as well as info on communication logs.

• Parent Communication – Linked here is an SSD Parent Communication regarding SPED services curing CDL. There is mention of “some limited, targeted on-site supports for some individual students or small groups” but this is EXTREMELY limited and there are no current plans for on-site instruction at Holt. Instead, we will continue to host Sheldon Region SPED testing out of the Conference Room and A02 (that location may chance once our ESC and Student Success Coordinator start).

• 4J Wraparound Newsletter – I’m not sure if this was shred with staff last spring, but the 4J Wraparound Smore has been updated for the fall, which contains resources for teachers to share with families and is updated daily.

• REPEAT: Papa’s Pizza Fundraiser, 9/17 – The first Holt Night Out Fundraiser of the year is scheduled and it will be at Papa’s Pizza on Thursday, September 17th. It’s good for dine-in or take-out, but not deliveries. Mark your calendars, bring a flyer, and spread the word!

• Classroomscreen.com – This was shared in one of the content Zooms and it’s something I’ve recommended to teacher before in brick nd mortar teaching, but it might actually be really good for teaching over Zoom and sharing your screen during live teaching. A teacher from the Netherlands made a simple tool with all their favorite digiboard widgets. It used to be fully free and look like it’s now monetized, but the free version of classroomscreen.com is still really good. For synchronous distance learning, just share you screen and you can:

• choose a background
• type your instructions in the textbox
• choose a work symbol
• set a timer or show the clock
• use the traffic light
• pick a random name
• do some simple math
• draw in-screen or full-screen
• generate a QR-code
• drag and drop the icons in the right place

It’s a pretty cool simple tool for interactive white boards or screen shares!

• 22 Unique Ways to Introduce Yourself to Your Students, In Person or Online – See this WeAreTeachers Article for fun ideas on how to introduce yourself to students this coming week. The also have a related article on 15 Ways To Virtually Welcome Kids Back to School.

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

September 14 (M)
8:00-12:00, Building Time/Prep
10:00, Class List/Teacher Welcome Emails Sent
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-4:00, Building Time/Prep

September 15 (T)
8:00-9:00, Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)
9:00-12:00, Licensed Collaborative Planning District Wide (4J Zoom)
9:00-6:00, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-4:00, Licensed & Classified Instructional Tech PD (4J Zoom)
1:30-3:00, Allan to Elementary Principal’s Meeting (Zoom)

September 16 (W)
8:00-12:00, Licensed & Classified Instructional Tech PD (4J Zoom)
9:00-6:00, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-4:00, Licensed Collaborative Planning District Wide (4J Zoom)

September 17 (H)
8:00-12:00, Licensed & Classified Tech Office Hours (4J Zoom)
9:00-3:30, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
11:00-11:00, Holt Night Out – Papas Pizza
12:00-1:00, Lunch & Planning Time
1:00-2:00, IF NEEDED – Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)
2:00-4:00, Protected Planning

September 18 (F)
8:00-12:00, Allan to Admin PD
9:00-3:30, iPad Distribution (Front Entrance)
8:00-4:00, Protected Planning

September 21 (M)
First Day of School

September 22 (T)
3:00-4:00, PBIS Meeting (Gym & Zoom)

September 23 (W)
Regular Day

September 24 (H)
Regular Day

September 25 (F)
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting (Zoom)

September 26 (SA)
9:00-12:00, Holt Clean Up Day

Take advantage of this unexpected extra week of planning & prep to get ready for the start to the most unusual school year of any of our careers in education!

Allan