http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=10272
Howdy Holt Staff,
Twenty-three items of note for this week:
• Staffing Updates – We’re still in the hiring process for our 3-hour Title 1 EA vacancy, but for our 4-hour Title 1 EA position, please welcome back Andrea Fox! Andrea is a longtime Holt teacher who retired at the end of last year, but we were lucky enough to bring her back to team. Andrea will start Monday, so please welcome her back to Team Holt!
• Office Hours for Spanish Speaking Families – Thanks fo some additional Title 1 funds we received, Holt staff member Jason Martinez is now available for Spanish speaking families each day 7:30-8:30 Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and 4:00-5:00 on Thursdays. Jason is available to assist adults with classwork questions, technical support, communicating the other Holt staff, and other family needs (assistance with food, childcare, bills, etc.).
• Student Supplies Distribution, Wed. & Thurs. – Thank you to those who signed up to help with supply distribution on Wednesday and Thursday, 8-12 and/or 12-4. We still have a few open slots and could particularly use more help Thursday morning if any staff available to help at that time. Please sign up on the Supply Distribution Sign-Up Google Sheet.
• Friday Info (Regular Workday for Classified Staff) – There is no school this Friday for State In-Service Day. This is a non-contract day for licensed staff , meaning this is a non-work day, but this is a regular work day for Classified Staff, who should stay tuned for online PD information that should be coming early this week.
• Staff Meeting Update – Besides the Leadership Plan discussion and SMART Goals, I’ve added a few agenda items to Tuesday’s Staff Meeting; Site Council Licensed Reps (there are two openings), October 29/30 Conference Info (yep, they’re happening), LearnZillion Packets & Supply Distribution (if they’re delivered partway through supply distribution, do teachers want them passed out to some student and not all?), and an iPad/Zoom Student Renaming Deadline (Do we want to make a deadline for students to add their name to Zoom?).
• Optional Shared Building SMART Goals – Speaking of SMART Goals, licensed staff can feel free to use the linked Optional Shared Building SMART Goals and cut-and-paste these into TalentEd. In creating theses, our thinking was to make goals around things we’re already doing (such as easyCBM reading benchmarking and for the professional goal figuring out student engagement during CDL) as opposed goals that add to teachers’ already full plate. The percentages on these are merely suggestions and teachers can feel free to adjust as you see fit. Goals are due by the end of October, but let me know if you have any questions on this.
• TalentEd Task Reminder – All staff, both classified and licensed, need to complete a Self-Reflection/Assessment Form in TalentEd.These were due at the end of September, but I also know everyone is extremely taxed and stretched as you re-invent yourselves and instruction in CDL. Please take time complete this form by the end of next week, 10/16.
• REPEAT: Leadership Plan Survey – As of Saturday night, there are only six responses to the Leadership Plan Survey. Please fill this out if you haven’t already, but I’ll plan to move forward on the assumption that those who did respond are representative of licensed staff as a whole, though I would like to hear from more licensed staff if possible. For your reference, linked here is the 2019-2020 Holt Leadership Plan.
• Wednesday Office Hours – I emailed Brooke for an update, but haven’t heard back, so for now I think we just go with a building arrangement where grade level teams agree to offer something similar to families so we’re consistent.
• REPEAT: Family Needs – If you discover any families with needs (food, shelter, bills, etc.) please complete Darla’s linked Student Supports/Needs 2020-2021 Google Form.
• Small Group EA Assistance – As interventionists start up small groups, we may end up with some classified staff with empty slots in their schedule. If classroom teachers would like an extra adult for small groups or for other purposes during synchronous learning times, send me an email and I’ll start compiling a list of days/times teachers could use extra help.
• Newly Enrolled Students & Specialists Seesaw – Let me know if you have any students tell you they cannot see PE, Music, or Counselor Seesaw assignments. Justin Huntley let principals know that only homeroom teachers are automatically rostered through Synergy, and new students need to be manually entered for specialists. I’ll plan add any students newly enrolled, but let me know if you discover any students were missed and I’ll get it fixed.
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program – Holt and two other elementary schools now quality for the Federal Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Program (FFVP). During CDL, this means additional fruits and/or vegetables will be added to the sack lunches given out daily. Once we’re back in brick-and-mortar, it means that classrooms will be given a daily snack of fresh fruit or vegetables you can give students for a snack.
• SafeYouTube/VideoLink Issues – The Tech Department has worked with SafeYouTube/VideoLink and resolved the current issues by having the old SafeTube links now automatically redirect to the new VideoLink URLs. So staff do not need to update any links at this time, but know that these link redirects may not work indefinitely. The Tech Department recommend that you update your links by changing “safeyoutube.net” to “video.link”. For example, if your link is https://safeyoutube.net/w/u2U8, you should change it to https://video.link/w/u2U8. The rest of the URL will not change, so you could use a search and replace function (they recommend Notepad++) to replace all links within one or multiple files on your hard drive. If you have links to replace online, you could use the Find and Replace Text feature.
• ULD Slide Show w/Voiceover – If you’re interested, linked here is the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Slideshow we did earlier in the year, but now with VoiceOver. A second slideshow will be coming out soon.
• SPED/Classroom Collaboration Slideshow w/Voiceover – Linked here is a Collaboration Practices Across General Education and Special Education Google Slideshow that includes voiceover by Marlee Litten. Expectations are still the same as what I’ve shared before regarding SPED/Gen Ed Collaboration and also the Collaboration Log, but this has some expanded explanations of why we’re having to do this (mainly ODE requirements) if you want to listen.
• Journeys Links in One Document – Tired of going through ThinkCentral for the Journeys teacher guide, audio, weekly tests, lessons, the student reader, vocabulary cards, leveled readers, etc? See this Journey’s All-Grade Links Document which contains easy to access links to EVERYTHING! Credit for this document goes to Awbrey Park teacher Patrick Chesterman, who I had the pleasure of working with when I was principal at Yujin Gakuen.
• REPEAT: EEF Grant Proposals Due Wednesday – I haven’t heard from anyone about EEF Grant proposals, so grants are wide open if anyone wants to apply. If you have a grant idea, let me know by Wednesday. Completed grants aren’t due until Oct. 25, but all I need by Wednesday is a grant title and a brief description (which you can tell me in person) for Site Council to rank order. Let me know if you have any questions.
• Add Apps to Student iPads – Know that if you need any apps added to student iPads, we have the ability to remotely add apps to student iPads. All apps need to be approved (mainly for ADA compliance). See the linked List of 4J Approved Apps (you’ll need a VPN to check from home), but if you are wanting to add an app not on the list, you can request an app on the same above link.
• 4J Wraparound Smore Newsletter Update – Maria Covernali, the 4J Wraparound Coordinator, shared the latest 4j Wraparound Smore Newsletter. She made some updates to include tutoring and childcare resources she just learned about. Feel free to pass along this blog or any of these resources to families.
• The Library Lowdown – Amy Page, the 4J District Librarian, shared the latest issue of The Library Lowdown with principals if you’d like to read about a menu of services, such as books talks, tech support, and other resources.
• 3 Keys to Effective Instructional Videos – When using videos with students, remember that we actually need to teach students how to use instructional videos. See this Teacher2Teacher Article on what one educator learned last spring for making instructional videos effective during distance learning. The short version is to keep videos six minutes or shorter and super focused on the learning target, take full advantage of tools that enable you to check whether students are still with you, and ask questions aloud in the video to help kids learn that they need to actually listen to you speak.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
October 5 (M)
9:30, Allan Reading to Class
2:30-4:30, Allan to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)October 6 (T)
3:00-4:00, Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)October 7 (W)
Regular DayOctober 8 (H)
7:30-9:00, OPTIONAL Webinar: A School and Home Collaboration: A Pathway to Support the Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Needs of Student (Library or Gym)
5:00-6:00, Site Council (School Garden & Zoom)
6:00-7:00, PAHS Meeting (School Garden & Zoom)
7:00-7:30, Holt Family Tech Training! (Zoom)October 9 (F)
No School — Statewide In-Service Day
Classified Regular Work Day
Licensed Non-Contract Day
8:00-4:00, Classified PD (Time is TBA)
9:00-10:15, Allan to Physical Distancing Site Coordinators PD (Zoom)October 12 (M)
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Speech Small Groups Begin
Fall Benchmark Testing Window OpensOctober 13 (T)
3:00-4:00, Leadership Team Meeting (Gym & Zoom)October 14 (W)
Regular DayOctober 15 (H)
Regular DayOctober 16 (F)
Regular Day
Have a good week, everyone!
Allan
