http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=10286
Howdy Bolts,
We had a great turnout for the supply distribution and and the shave ice was a nice moral boost for everyone, kids, parents, and staff. We’ll have to do that again!
Fourteen items of note for this week:
• COVID Protocol Updates & Reminder – As there have been a few COVID cases in 4J schools, here are a few updates and reminders regarding Return to Work protocols.
• Home Visit Approval Required – Home visits are allowed, but require prior approval from downtown, so let me know if you need to visit a family and I will seek approval. At another school, there is one staff member now in quarantine after a 20-minute contact with a parent on a home visit.
• Deliveries to Families Not Allowed – Schools are no longer allowed to deliver supplies, devices, or food boxes to families. If this is a need, there is a ticket system for principals to request a delivery. Let me know if you have a need.
• Shared Equipment – One outbreak at an elementary school was the result of transmission by staff sharing equipment that had not been disinfected. Try not to share equipment, but when you do use shared equipment, like a copier or paper cutter or even a refrigerator, disinfect it after you’ve touched it.
• Face Coverings – Face coverings are worn over your mouth and nose, are required upon entry to school, when completing the sign in/out process, and when working and moving about in common areas. You are not required to wear a face covering when working privately in an office or classroom. However, when working with colleagues, a face covering must be worn if the 6’ physical distancing requirement cannot be met. If another employee asks you to wear a face covering while interacting at a distance greater than 6 feet apart, you are encouraged to follow their reasonable request. Employees may choose to wear a face covering at all times if they so desire. Face shields may be an additional (optional) barrier of protection but must be accompanied by a face covering. Linked here is additional information on face coverings.
• Sign-In Log – Please write your name legibly (I’m an offender on this one) and also be sure to use your legal name and not a nickname, so if downtown needs to contact trace, they know who contact.
• Notify Allan of COVID Symptoms or Exposure – If you are experiencing COVID-like symptoms, are being tested for COVID, or have potentially been exposed to someone who possibly has COVID, call, email or text me. What then happen is I’d ask the staff member to telework and would notify the appropriate district staff.
• Weekend Access – The building is open to staff on weekends, but you must continue to follow all the same protocols as you do during the work week (i.e. sign-in/out, face masks, no visitors, etc.).
• Family Technology Agreement & Expectations – Downtown has created a Family Technology Appropriate Use and Protection Letter that will be distributed to families soon, which now has three-strikes type of rule for lost or damaged devices. I’m waiting for the Spanish translation before sending it out. The letter includes points for teachers to take note of, such as expectations that students not record the teacher or others or take screenshots without permission.
• Classified Subs and AESOP – Absence Management has been updated so that when any classified staff member enters an absence, you will now have the option to specify if a sub is needed or not. If a sub is needed, you will be able to assign a sub or let the system find an “available” substitute. Clerical and EA subs must have received COVID-19 trainings before they are listed as “available” in Absence Management. Human Resources is asking everyone to really think if you need to call in a sub before you make the request. Is the work something that could be done by another person in the building? Is there anyone in the building doing non-urgent work who could fill in? If the work cannot be divided up, then a classified sub may be appropriate and in those situations, the Holt will pay for the cost of the sub. Linked here is the email sent to principals, but please let me know if you have any questions or if you have questions about whether a sub is needed or not.
• Crazy Hair Day, Oct 22nd! – Next week on Thursday, October 22nd is Crazy Hair Day. Mark your calendar, start planning your crazy hair, and get your kids pumped! These are the thinks that will keep kids coming back to virtual school. :)
• Journeys Links All Grades Updated – Linked here is an updated Journey Links for All Grades that Kellyclare Gardner sent me (a few links on the prior doc was not linking correctly). Feel free to click the individual links and copy the address from the URL bar to share with students on Clever or Seesaw. Kellyclare also reminded us to not post the entire page on any public sites or share directly with families since the content is copyrighted. This link will also be on the Elementary Learning Hub on the K-5 Technology Resource Page.
• Classified Staff Meeting, 10/22 – There was interest expressed at Site Council to hold a Classified Staff Meeting, so I have put one on the schedule for next week, Thursday, October 22nd at 1:00.
• UPDATE: Shared Building SMART Goals – In light of Rob Hess’ Email regarding the new ODE Guidelines for goals and evals, licensed staff can still use the linked Optional Shared Building SMART Goals and cut-and-paste those into TalentEd if you’d like, but it may be better to instead focus on 4J Sample SEL Goals as suggested by ODE and the district.
• REPEAT: Allan Reading to Classes – Something I like to do every year is introduce myself to students and read a book to each classroom at the start of the year. I’d like to continue to do this during CDL, so if classroom teachers can let me know a date and time I could read to your class online, that would be great!
• Free mini yoga classes for kids during virtual learning! – If you’re looking to mix up your movement breaks, a friend shred with me that the owner of a local yoga studio, Hardcore Yoga, made two yoga videos (one for elementary and one for middle/high) for kids during distance learning. The elementary one is 10 minutes minutes. It’s combination of mindfulness and movement. She said she’d do more if people like them. More free classes and resources can be found on their Instagram account.
• 4J Student Services Newsletter – If your’e interested, linked here is a copy of the latest 4J Student Services Newsletter that was sent to SSD staff and principals.
• Oct. 23rd Professional Development/Planning Day – Details are still coming for what this day will be. It may be district led Zooms or it may be me doing more “PowerPoint Karaoke” and presenting someone else’s slideshow. Stay tuned!
• Focusing on Student Well-Being in Challenging Times – Wellness strategies like positive self-talk and mindfulness practices can help students feel calmer and more in control in this difficult year. See this Edutopia Article for details on how to promote student well-being during a crisis by doing the following:
• Focus on connections
• Place students at the center of mindfulness and social and emotional learning
• Incorporate music and movement
• Breathe
• Introduce positive self-talk
• Encourage social engagement and activism• FREE COOKIES! – Here’s your reward for making it to the bottom of my announcement. All October long at Insomnia Cookies on campus (632 E 13th Ave), all teachers & school-staff get 1 FREE 6-Pack with any in-store purchase when you show any proof of employment at an educational facility (school I.D., paystub, etc.) to their in-store staff. Offer valid in-store only. exp. 10/31!
• 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 12 (M)
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Speech Small Groups Begin
Fall Benchmark Testing Window Opens
12:30-3:00, Title 1 EA Interviews (Library)
5:00, Gaming & Roblox Talk w/Mrs. ReichOctober 13 (T)
3:00-3:15, Stand-Up Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)
3:00-4:00, Optional Leadership Plan Meeting (Gym & Zoom)October 14 (W)
8:30-9:00, Student Council (Zoom)
3:30, Allan to SPED Evaluation Planning MeetingOctober 15 (H)
Regular DayOctober 16 (F)
Regular DayOctober 19 (M)
1:30-4:00, Allan to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)
4:00-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Zoom)October 20 (T)
3:00-4:00, Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)
7:00, All About Pets Zoom! w/Ms. Kim McManus! (Zoom)October 21 (W)
4:00-8:00, Holt Night Out Fundraiser – Chipotle Mexican Grill
6:30, Drawing w/Ms. Potter! (Zoom)October 22 (H)
Crazy Hair Day!
1:00-1:30, Classified Staff Meeting (Gym & Zoom)October 23 (F)
No School — Professional Development/Planning Day
7:30-8:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Board Meeting (Zoom)
And if you want to join in on this month’s virtual assembly video and watch me eat a gross salad selected by students during supply pick-up (spinach, hot sauce, Taki’s, Cheetos, pickles, Goldfish, etc., stop by the cafeteria on Tuesday at 8:30!
Allan
