http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=12205
Hey Holt Bolts,
Hard to believe it’s already October.
Twenty-one items of note for this week:
• Job Postings Update – I submitted requisitions last week for a fourth 1st grade teacher and for an additional SPED EA. I’m hoping they get posted this week, but when I checked the approvals in NeoGov this weekend, no action had been taken by HR and Finance, so I sent an email to the HR admins in charge of classified and licensed hiring for them to see why approvals didn’t happen and that I want these posted ASAP. Hopefully they post this Tuesday or Wednesday. UPDATE: 1st Grade Job Posting is now live and closes 10/11 and the SPED EA Job Posting is also up and closed 10/12.
• REPEAT: Monthly Potlucks, MONDAY! – The first Monday of the month is when we celebrate staff birthday for that month. Cake is provided by Sunshine in the Staff Room and anyone can add their name to the Potluck Sign-Ups Google Sheet if you’d like to share something.
• Optional Shared Staff Goals Committee, WEDNESDAY @2:45 – Third time’s a charm. Wednesday at 2:45 in the library is an optional meeting to develop shared building goals staff can cut-and-paste into TalentEd before the Oct. 31 deadline. I drafted a few SEL Related SMART Goals to get the conversation going, which I tried to base on things most teachers are already doing.
• Friday PD: Staff Choice – Downtown hasn’t shared the plan for this Friday. They said they planned to share info last week, but that they are “responding to feedback and making some adjustments,” so stay tuned.
• REPEAT: EEF 2022-2023 Grant Applications DUE FRIDAY – Applications will due October 7th and EEF did not say anything about Site Council rank ordering grants, so just submit you grants on the EEF 22-23 Grant Application. Below is a graphic to their funding priorities. Let me know if you have any questions or care to discuss grant ideas.
• Library Schedule Reminder – We start our new library schedule this week. “Week #1” classes will have two sessions of library this week. “Week #2” classes will have one session of library this week. Groups will flip flop next week, with Week #2 classes having two library sessions and Week #1 classes having one library session. Highlighted time on the linked 22-23 Library Schedule are the times you’ll have Library every week. The non-highlighted sports are the library times you’ll have every other week. I’ve noted on the Staff Zimbra Calendar which week we’re on if anyone forget and note the calendar on page two of the above linked scheduled.
• Picture Day, Oct. 13th – Since our Leadership Plan is not yet finalized, we do not have an official “Scheduler” to make the Picture Day for Thursday, October 13th. Pictures will be in the morning and in the gym, but I’ll see what we can do about getting a schedule out by next week.
• October 14th PD/Planning Day – The only details principals have at this point for the Oct. 14th PD/Planning Day is what’s on the 4J 22-23 PD Calendar, which says “Lang Arts Adoption (5.5 hours).” There were some times on there earlier, but they have since been taken off.
• Site Council Rep. Openings – Site Council is coming up next week and we have 1 classified opening (Jackie finished her term), 1 classroom licensed opening (Liz’s term ended), and 1 licensed specialist opening (Jenny’s term ended). Here’s the current list.
Admin Rep: Allan Chinn
Classified Rep: Cheryl Yorges (year 2)
Classified Rep: Lisa Goff (year 2)
Classified Rep:
Licensed Rep (classroom): Candace Lovato (year 2)
Licensed Rep (classroom): Geoff Parks (year 2)
Licensed Rep (classroom): Lesli Harmon (year 2)
Licensed Rep (classroom):
Licensed Rep (specialist):
Parent Rep: Billie Jo Rodriguez (year 2)
Parent Rep: Jill Ritz (year 2)
Parent Rep: Sallie Lees (year 2)Outgoing and past reps are welcome to re-join, but let me know and/or add your name to the 22-23 Team Sign-Up Sheet if you’re willing to volunteer your time to serve on Site Council. If there are multiple staff members interested, those folks can talk and/or those stakeholder groups can hold a vote.
• Gaga Ball Rules & Pit Opening Date – The Gaga Ball Pit is closed until all classes at your grade level have reviewed the linked Gaga Ball Pit Rules. I’m available to go over rules with classes, but teachers can also review the linked Gaga Ball Rules Slide Show. Try to find time to review the rules by the end of the week, but have your grade level let me know once all classes have reviewed the rules and I will notify recess supervisors that the Gaga Ball Pit is open!
• Holt Bolt, Wednesday, Oct. 19th – Linked here are the PAHS Holt Bolt Planning Notes from their last meeting. Highlights are:
• Teachers will pass out a raffle tickets. Tickets will be awarded for returning their envelope, earring a Holt shirt, running 1 lap, and bringing a water bottle.
• School prizes will be:
• $5,000 Costume Bingo (this is a gimme, since it is already planned)
• $10,000 Mr. Chinn will wear a funny costume
• $15,000 Tape Mr. Chinn to the wall
• $20,000 Buddy Dance Party
• $35.000 Buddy Dance Party extreme with Special Guests
• Class Prizes are not certain yet but will be things like Slime Party, Extra recess for a week, Lunch with the Irish, Kitchen Helper for a day, Host an Assembly with Ms. Reich…Let me know if you have questions on any of this or if you have feedback you’d like passed along to PAHS or think we should discuss as a staff.
• EA Workshop Sign-Up – This SPED EA PD Email was sent to all folks currently on SSD’s email distribution list, but principals were asked to share this just in case they are missing anyone. These trainings will be on the No-Student PD Days on Oct. 14, Jan. 3, & April 3. These are required for SPED EAs and are optional for other EAs, though Title 1 EAs will have a different required workshop. See the above email or 4J Classified Pathways Sign-Up Link for details. Let me know if you have any questions, but a few of these workshops actually sound pretty good.
• Nightly Cleaning Resumes – The Facilities Dept. has adjusted the nightly cleaning closer to normal cleaning, so all classrooms will resume their nightly sweeping and garbage collection.
• Need a Volunteer Expedited? – If you have volunteers you want to start APAP, but who are still waiting for their 4J background check to clear, let me know and I can tell downtown to prioritize those volunteers. They have literally have thousands of backlogged applications.
• How to Access Wit & Wisdom via Clever – This was emailed to teachers earlier, but in case you missed it, here are directions How to Log Onto Wit & Wisdom Via Clever (slide show or video directions).
• Student Headphones – I’ve been asking about this since last spring, but the latest answer if downtown will provide students with headphones is that the Tech Department is working on it and that they have some headphones available if schools need any now, so if any teachers need them, let me know ASAP so I can get them before they get scooped up by anyone else.
• 4J TOSA List – I asked downtown for a list and job descriptions of all the TOSAs. This is only the instructional TOSAs and does not include all of the other SSD, equity, and manager positions. They said they are working on job descriptions, but here’s a list if you ever need to reach out to any of them for assistance:
SIA – Leah Willow, Sara Justice, Eileen Thomas, Liz Johnson – Reading Specialists
Title – Midge Greentree and Rebecca Boyd – SDS with 1/2 time reading specialist / SEL
SSD/Instruction – Jocelyn Mendelssohn – TAG/Health
Instruction .5 – Maggie Cline – Science
Instruction – Jamie Tait – Math
Instruction – Sarah Knudson – Humanities
SIA – Katie Stiles – K-3 Literacy
SIA – Mandy Brooksheer – SEL
Grant – Tana Shepard – EWEB/Sustainability
Instruction – Kellyclare Gardner – Tech• Classroom Buddies Sign-Up – If you haven’t already, please complete this short (3 questions) Classroom Buddy Survey. The survey was set close last Thursday but sneak in your response ASAP if it’s still open or let Lesli know your preference.
• REPEAT: TalentEd Goals and Self Assessment – The self assessment/reflection in TalentEd for all staff was due last week, but please finish it soon as you can if you haven’t already. Licensed Staff Goals are due at the end of October, but you can feel free to use the cut-and-paste goals we’ll made at Wednesday’s optional meeting or you can use ODE’s Sample Educator Goals.
• Tapping Into Compassion When Students Push Your Buttons – Our brains are wired for knee-jerk responses—so how can you keep compassion and empathy front of mind? This Edutopia Article suggests looking behind the behavior, trying to learn something about every student, reaching out to the family, and also realizing that you are ther other half of the equation in these situations. See the article for additional details.
• 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 3 (M)
Library Week #1 Classes
SPED Staff Room Duty
School Custodian’s Day (ALL)
Pastini Fundraiser Continues (Sept. 12 – Oct. 16)
Fall Benchmarking Continues
8:15, Allan to Truancy Hearing (Zoom)
10:40-12:40, Staff Potluck Luncheon (Staff Room)
3:45-5:15, Allan to Elem Principals Meeting (McCornack)October 4 (T)
Title Starts, 1st – 2nd
Yom Kippur (Major Religious Holiday)
8:05, Allan Reading to Class
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)
5:00-6:30, 4J Health Insurance In Retirement Presentation (Zoom)October 5 (W)
Yom Kippur (Major Religious Holiday)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
8:15, Allan Meeting w/Parent (Office)
2:45-3:15, Optional Building SMART Goals Meeting (Library)October 6 (H)
8:05, Allan Reading to Class
9:00-9:30, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)October 7 (F)
1:25-2:25, Friday PD – Staff Choice (Zoom)October 10 (M)
Library Week #2 Classes
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Pastini Fundraiser Final Week (Sept. 12 – Oct. 16)
Fall Benchmarking Continues
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
4:00-5:30, Allan to Admin Equity PD (Ed Center)October 11 (T)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL/Equity Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)October 12 (W)
7:00-9:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)October 13 (H)
School Picture Day
5:00-6:00, Site Council (Cafeteria)
6:00-7:00, PAHS (Parents at Holt School) Meeting (Cafeteria)October 14 (F)
No School – PD/Planning Day
Lang Arts Adoption (5.5 hours)
Five-day week this week and a four-day week next week!
Allan
