http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=13345
Hi Everyone,
Twenty-three items of note for this week:
• Danceability Assembly, MONDAY – Correction on the grade levels from last week for Monday’s DanceAbility assembly, which will be grades 1/2/3 and K/4/5. We’ll put out grade level cones for where to site and times are:
1/2/3 Danceability Assembly – 8:30-9:10
K/4/5 Danceability Assembly – 9:30-10:10See Ashley’s Email for a teacher’s guide, teachers may be wise to prepare their students for seeing differently-abled people perform. Since Holt no longer has a Life Skills program, our students likely have had very little exposure to people with disabilities, so to prepare students ahead of the assembly and to prevent any inappropriate responses, teachers might want to show a video the the Danceability Video Webpage. This short dance video seemed like a good one to help kids get an idea of what to expect.
On a related note, the Caring School Community program has lessons on Preparing for Assemblies, which help teach kids about appropriate assembly behaviors. It’s actually a really well-done lesson if you haven’t checked it out.
• Data Team Meetings TUES & WED – Data Team Meetings are next week. See Carla’s email for details, but dates & times will be:
Tuesday, Dec. 5:
4th – 10:55-11:55
2nd – 12:05-1:05
KG- 1:15-2:15Thursday, Dec. 7:
1st – 8:00-9:00
5th – 9:10-10:10
3rd – 10:45-11:45
• Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day, WEDNESDAY – The first Wednesday of each month is Walk & Roll Day, so encourage students to walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to school.
• Wednesday PD: Building System – Wednesday will be a time to review building systems and structures (requests for assistance, team structures, referral processes, etc). Principals got information about the “Intervention Team” (see last week’s announcements) which is somewhat different from the past. My general thinking is we hold monthly IPBS meetings for Tier 2 and 3 behavior support as we have in the past (now compensated), PBIS meetings to address Tier 1 school wide behavior, Data Team for Tier 1 & 2 academics, and possibly look at creating an old school SST team to specifically manage and track SPED referrals, with changes in Tier 3 services (Title and SPED) being discussed during Grade Level Team meetings, connecting with appropriate staff during those times. If there are specific systems you want to make sure we discuss, let me know ahead of time, but I think this is the main one we want to get agreement around.
• Holiday Shopping Committee Meeting, WEDNESDAY – If you’d like to help with planning the annual Holiday Shopping Event, we’re meeting this Wednesday following the Wednesday PD for anyone willing to volunteer their time. We’re tentatively planning for the annual Holiday Shopping Program for Thursday, Dec. 15th (4:00 – Pick up students, 4:30 – Papa’s Pizza 5:30 – Target, Holt hot cocoa/cookies and wrapping, 8:00 – Kids should be home). It’s tentative because we didn’t get confirmation from the church until last week they were going to be able to sponsor the event. Also, they aren’t doing their annual collection until 12/11, so we won’t know until the week of the event how much students will be able to spend on their families, so we are planning to play it safe and do an invitation-only model, which one student per classroom. For anyone new to Holt who this may be new, see the above-linked overview.
• Fire Drill, THURSDAY @1:15 – We have a fire drill scheduled for Thursday at 1:15. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. If we get rained out, I’ll reschedule for early next week.
• Holt Staff Annual Gingerbread House Event, THURSDAY @5:30 – See Debbi’s Email (and the NEWER EMAIL) for details, but mark your calendars for this Thursday at 5:30 for the annual Staff Holiday Party. See you there!
• Holt Night Out Fundraiser – Papa’s Pizza, 12/11 – Monday, Dec. 11 is a Holt Night Out Fundraiser at Papa’s Pizza on Coburg Road, so remind your students to bring the flyer and Papa’s Pizza will donate 50% of all purchases to Holt! Take out and dine in only. Beverages and delivery orders are excluded. See you there!
• Wednesday PD: Post Winter Break Team Planning – I’ll call it out. We’re all going to be super tired that last week before winter break, so let’s just make this day a time for teams to plan for what you’re going to do when kids return after winter break. Teams choose if it’s more useful to work as a group or individually.
• Holt Spirit Day – Pajama Day, 12/15 – Friday, Dec. 15 is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Pajama Day! Tell your students to wear their comfy PJs, sweats, or robe, or just wear their Holt spirit gear!
• Spirit Assembly 12/15 @8:20 – The December School Spirit Assembly is on Friday, Dec. 15 in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. Stay tuned for details!
• Jan. 2 PD Info and Sign-Up – See the Jan. 2 PD Email for details, but here is a link to the Licensed PD Info and the Classified PD Info, which is where you can register for which sessions you would like to attend. Times are locations are:
Licensed Staff, Gilham, 8:00-1:00
Classified Staff, Holt, 8:00-1:00Sign up now before the good sessions fill up!
• School Choice Sessions – January is school choice month and downtown is having schools do one daytime presentation & tour, one eventing presentation & tour, and one Zoom presentation. Holt’s tour dates will be:
Wed., Jan. 10, 6:00 PM 7:00 PM – Zoom
Thurs., Jan. 18, 6:00 PM 7:00 PM – Evening
Thurs., Jan. 25, 9:00 AM 10:00 AM – DaytimeI’ve started working on updating our School Choice Tour Slideshow and will share that next week for any feedback
• Elementary Curriculum Updates – The linked Elementary Curriculum Updates emailed to principals didn’t have anything new or pressing, but if you’d like to be in the know there is info on the 4J Discipline Matrix that’s almost ready to roll out, the Math Adoption Meeting Schedule, and a reminder about the Jan 2 PD Registrations (Classified and Licensed)
• 4J Librarian Items – Three items I wanted to highlight from 4J Librarian Amy Page:
• Eugene Public Library Cards – Principals were emailed that all 4J elementary students will be given a library card. However, the cards schools will be given don’t have the students’ names on them and we need to cross-reference them with a list of student names and numbers to make sure we get the right card to the right kid, so it may take some time to get them out to folks. See the above email for details.
• 4J Holiday Choice Boards Collection – If you missed it in the last Library Lowdown, linked here are some terrific Holiday Choice Boards Collections you can use with students.
• 4J Virtual Field Trips – Amy Page will do the leg work for you in connecting you to live professionals specific to your curriculum for a virtual field trip. For reference, here are some Past Virtual Field Trips. Just reach out to Amy if you are interested!
• EA Paid Time for Childcare at Jan. 4 PTO Meeting – For our January 4th PTO meeting, will pay two classified staff members who are willing to oversee childcare from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the gym. Should be a pretty easy time since there are usually only about 10 kids at most. Let me know if you are interested.
• ‘Gnome’ and Away – Walking Challenge Starts Soon – Grab your co-workers and have your team join the “I’ll be Gnome for the Holidays” challenge in the Walker Tracker App. Once you’re in the app, find your school and join. Make sure you open the app daily to log your steps!
• Frozen Playground Surfacing Hazard – Facilities Emailed principals that playground areas are to be closed if bark chip surfaces are a solid frozen crust. See the email for details, but principals discussed this at our meeting last week and made the decision we’ll close structures if they are icy, but we don’t need to close soft play bark chip areas. See the above email for details.
• Honoring Individual Teacher Prep Times – The EEA contract states that prep time will “generally be used for individual planning and/or collaboration at the member’s discretion.” This means the general practice is for individual planning during protected prep times and although some staff choose to use this time to collaborate with colleagues, this is not every teacher’s preference, so be sure to ask “Is now a good time?” if connecting with someone during their planning time.
• De-escalating the Hulk Brain – Dealing with a student’s crisis behavior challenges just about any teacher. In the new issue of EL, Meredith McNerney, an expert in addressing escalated behavior, refers to those crisis moments as Hulk brain reactions. Learn how to defuse the student’s “downstairs” brain—the part that lacks the ability to make rational decisions—and how to activate the “upstairs” brain—the rational, empathetic part that will guide the student, with the teacher’s support, in repairing the harm. See this ASCD Article for details.
•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:
• Erin’s Law & Second Step Child Safety Unit – All classroom teachers should use the Second Step Child Protection Unit to meet the state Erin’s Law requirements. For each grade level, there are six lessons, which are to be covered at three points in the school year, with lessons 1-4 before winter break, lesson 5 right before spring break, and lesson 6 right before summer break. Each grade level has its own kit, but linked here are Child Protection Unit Scans of the teacher guides (here’s a District Link that has additional files) if that makes things easier. Erin Gaston Emailed this info to licensed staff during conferences.
• Computer Science Education Week Dec. 4-8 – Resources for Computer Science Education Week and the Hour of Code include The Hour of Code Games, Minecraft, Star Wars, Frozen, Angry Birds, The Grinch, Google Hour of Code Activities, Microsoft MakeCode Arcade, Minecraft Education Edition Hour of Code Escape Estate, and Khan Academy. Also, check out the Library Connection Coding Choice Boards.
• Mandatory Bus Training – Final reminder. Next week I’ll start bugging individuals. The Annual Bus Safety Training is due by the end of December. Teachers should review the following two handouts:
• Riding the School Bus Safely in English and Spanish
• Emergency Exits HandoutLet me know the date you reviewed the handouts, so I can add it to the completion form I need to submit downtown. There are videos teachers can show in addition to the handouts.
• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Child Abuse Reporting – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Child Abuse:
Child Abuse
Any employee of the district who has reasonable cause to know or suspect that a child has been subjected to abuse or neglect, or who has observed the child being subjected to circumstances or conditions that could result in abuse or neglect will immediately report these observations to the counselor and/or principal, completing the DataPort Online Reporting Form. School employees are mandated reporters and should contact the Department of Human Services with their observations/concerns, immediately (within 24 hours) or the EPD Non-Emergency line:Oregon Child Abuse Hotline, 1-855-503-7233 (SAFE)
Eugene Police Department Non-Emergency number, (541) 682-5111
*Skip to the front of the DHS line, once you hear the recording start, press 6 and then 1School employees should not contact the child’s family, or any other persons, to determine the cause of the suspected abuse or neglect. It is not the responsibility of the school employees to determine or prove that the child has been abused or neglected.
•Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
December 4 (M)
2nd Grade, Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
8:30-9:10, 1/2/3 Danceability Assembly (Gym)
9:30-10:10, K/4/5 Danceability Assembly (Gym)December 5 (T)
10:30-2:30, Data Team Meetings (4th, 2nd, KG)
4th – 10:55-11:55
2nd – 12:05-1:05
KG- 1:15-2:15
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
12:00, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:30, SSD Admin SPED Visit/Observation
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting (Calming Room)December 6 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
7:30-9:00, Allan to MAPS Meeting (Zoom)
8:00-8:30, Allan to Upbeat Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Building Structures
2:40-3:30, Holiday Shopping Committee Meeting (Calming Room)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)December 7 (H)
8:00-11:45, Data Team Meetings
1st – 8:00-9:00
5th – 9:10-10:10
3rd – 10:45-11:45
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-9:40, Safety Committee OSHA Training (Office)
1:15, Fire Drill
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)
4:30-6:00, BEST Open House
5:30-7:00, Holt Staff Annual Gingerbread House Event (Katie’s House)December 8 (F)
National Pretend to be a Time Traveller Day4th Grade Salmon Release (Benavides & Longoria)December 11 (M)
3rd Grade, Staff Room Duty
7:30-8:30, Allan Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
11:00-11:00, Holt Night Out – Papa’s Pizza Fundraiser
2:45, IPBS Meeting (Calming Room)
3:00-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)December 12 (T)
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
12:00, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:30-3:30, Allan to IEP Meeting (Emily’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team MeetingsDecember 13 (W)
National Cocoa Day1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Post Winter Break Team Planning
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)December 14 (H)
International Monkey Day8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Kendallyn’s Room)December 15 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Pajama Day
8:30, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPoC Staff Affinity GroupDecember 16 – January 1
No School – Winter BreakJanuary 2 (T)
National Science Fiction Day
4th Grade, Staff Room Duty
8:00-1:00, Licensed & Classified PD (Various Locations)January 3 (W)
Classes Resume
10 days until winter break!
Allan
