http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=10841
Howdy Holt Bolts,
Last week seemed to go well and I think it shows that class size matters. And the break of sorts on Wednesday was quite nice.
Eight items of note for this week:
• Staffing Updates – Four staffing related updates:
• 2021-2022 Staffing Plan & Expo Updates – With 4th grade going down one classroom, Ashley Wolf is planning to apply for an opening at the Job Expo. HR requires all current staff to be placed in open positions, so for the first round of the Job Expo, Holt will have a kindergarten and music opening. If Ashley gets a job at another building, we will have a 5th grade opening in the second round of the Job Expo. Linked here is a copy of the 21-22 Staffing Plan, which includes all FTE and funding sources.
• CLC EA Interviews Thursday – SPED staff are lined up to help with interviews to fill Clay’s vacancy, but if any other staff are interested in joining the interview committee, we”re conducting interviews this Thursday, 1:30-3:30 on Zoom. Let me know if you’d like to join.
• Hybrid Utility EA – Sharon Alberts has officially been hired as our Hybrid EA. She’s been subbing in the position up until this point, but is now officially with us through the end of the school year.
• Part-Time Night Custodian – Facilities changed their mind and Mark Elmore did start with us last week as our part-time night. Mark is currently Edgewood’s night custodian and is at Holt only a couple hours later in the evening, but please give Mark a “Howdy” if you happen be working late one night.
• Hybrid & Hybrid-SSO Handbook Updates – Fourteen hybrid updates and updates made to the Holt Hybrid-SSO Handbook:
• NEW: Hand Washing Before AND After Meals – Students are now supposed to wash their hands both before AND after they eat meals. This was shared with principals at Friday’s COVID Site Coordinator Meeting (lined here are the complete meeting notes).
• No Student Teacher Supervisors in Building – Also new as of last week, supervisors of student teachers are not considered essential visitors and are not allowed inside schools (see email for details). Student teachers will instead need to record themselves in some manner (ZOOM or camera) so university supervisors can evaluate the candidates.
• C-Wing Door Update – Facilities is going to re-key door near the gym that C-Wing is using as an entrance/exit to be opening with a classroom key. That’s the short term fix. For the long term they agreed to install a card reader, but that will likely be a summer project, though it could happen earlier depending upon the complexity of the install, crew workload, and parts availability.
• Child Face Coverings – If any students are wearing gaiters, face covering that are too loose, or need a replacement mask for any reason, the office has disposable child sized masks we can give students the day. Linked here is the 4J Mask Requirements.
• Recess Restroom Badges – Facilities wasn’t crazy about the restroom badges having multiple door access, so the new plan is for students on the playground to enter through the main front entrance, which will also allow for office staff to supervise students.
• Kickball at Hard Play Only – At the staff meeting I said we could do kickball at both soft and hard play in the grass, but after looking at the space they were closer than I thought, so soft play will not have kickball, but we will allow kids to play in the grass as long as there is sufficient supervision.
• Hybrid Model – FAQ’s – Downtown shared the Elementary Hybrid Model – FAQ with principals earlier, but we were told not to share it. However, we are now allowed to share it. They will continue to update the FAQ as regulations change. I’ve added this link in the left column of my blog under District & State Links.
• TAG During Hybrid – Debbi already connected with teachers who have students referred for TAG testing, but if others are interested, linked here is the TAG Email Update from the district TAG Coordinator.
• 24 Day Student Quarantine if COVID Positive Parent – If a student has a parent or family member who tests positive for COVID, they must quarantine for 24 days. They will be marked as an excused absence for contact tracing purposes, but the school should still provide instructional opportunities, which would be what we already do for off-site days and for on-site days providing them with some form of teacher directed learning, whether that a choice board types of activity (i.e. Dreambox, Lalilo, independent reading, etc.) or something else the teacher decides.
• REMINDER: Notify Allan of Positive COVID Cases – With case counts rising, remember to notify me if you become aware of any students or family member who have tested positive for COVID.
• REMINDER: Notify Office of Cohort Close Contacts – If students from different cohorts come into close contact with one another (i.e. within 6-feet for more than 15 minutes), contact the office so we can document this in Synergy.
• STAFF MEETING REPEAT: Late Arrivals Enter at Office – All doors will close at 7:55 this week and any students arriving after that point should enter through the office so we can begin recording tardies.
• STAFF MEETING REPEAT: Guest Teacher Start Time, 7:15AM – Normally 7:30 is our start time for subs, but now that students come into class at 7:40, please put 7:15 into AESOP for the sub hours start time. Katie has set 7:15 as the default start time, so make sure your sub plans match accordingly.
• STAFF MEETING REPEAT: Meals into Classroom Garbage Cans – Ryan was originally going to order more garbage cans, but decided instead that he’ll empty classroom garbages each morning after breakfast and after school for lunch.
Sound On and click image for video!
• Virtual Artist in Residence – LaneArts is offering for free to Title 1 Schools a virtual artist in residence. How it works is they have recorded lessons ready to go that teachers can do with their class in-person or push out as async work. Linked here is the ArtStream Access Instructions for Teachers.
They only ask that we DO NOT share the log-in information and that we DO only share the lesson URL with students and families.
• Teacher Observations – Now that we actually have children in the building, I’m going to start teacher observations. For teachers on the observation cycle this year, I’ll start with informal observations and later this week will email a proposed date & time for formal observations. For the second informal observation, I may just do an async Seesaw lesson, which won’t require anything on the part of teachers.
• District Admin Updates – Principal shuffling season has begun. The Adams principal, Teresa Martindale, is moving to be the principal at Family School, and the Family School/Chinese Immersion School principal, Jen Hebard, is following Chinese Immersion for when they relocate to Kennedy Middle School next year. Chris Benz, the current assistant principal at Kennedy MS, will be the new principal at Adams. For full details, see this email, which includes some secondary principal appointments of interim principals who are now permanent and some assistant principal shifts.
• COVID-19 Surveillance Project – Would you like to find out if you have Covid-19 antibodies now and again this summer? Linked here is an opportunity through the Oregon Health Authority to do a prick test to learn about your antibody load and help OHA learn more about Covid-19 antibodies around Oregon.
• “Why teachers should “go slow to go fast” – Despite pressures to focus on rigor and academic progress over the past year, educators should take time to rebuild relationships, establish communities and make connections, asserts the author of this EdSurge Opinion Piece. In this commentary, they suggest educators “go slow to go fast” and assert these foundations for learning will improve outcomes for students.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
April 12 (M)
1:30-3:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)April 13 (T)
2:30-3:15, Allan to Referral Review Meeting
6:30, Holt Kindergarten Orientation for Fall (Zoom)April 14 (W)
8:15-9:00, Virtual Coffee w/the Principal (Zoom)
9:00-11:00, Allan to Elem Pool Interviews (Zoom)
12:30, Lunch Bunch w/Ms. Darla (Zoom)
1:40-2:40, Leadership Meeting (Library & Zoom)April 15 (H)
1:30-3:30, CLC EA Interviews (Zoom)April 16 (F)
Regular DayApril 19 (M)
National Volunteer Appreciation Week
4:00-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Zoom)April 20 (T)
Regular DayApril 21 (W)
Administrative Professionals’ Day
8:30-9:00, Student Council (Zoom)
9:00-9:45, Virtual Coffee w/the Principal (Zoom)
9:30-10:00, KG Data Team – Tier 3 10:40-11:10, 1st Grade Data Team – Tier 3 12:00-12:30, 2nd Grade Data Team – Tier 3
12:30, Lunch Bunch w/Ms. Darla (Zoom)
1:40-2:40, Staff Meeting (Library & Zoom)
2:40-4:00, PD/PLC Time – SEL – Anti-Racism TrainingApril 22 (H)
Take Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day
3:00-7:00, Allan to Job Expo (Zoom)April 23 (F)
7:30-8:30, Allan to 4JMAPS Board Meeting (Zoom)
Have a good week, everyone!
Allan
