http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=13630
Greetings Bolts,
A few shoutouts. First to Holt’s Golden Apple Nominees, Caitlin, Sheryl, Katie G., and me. There are, of course, many many talented and deserving staff members, but thank you all for making Holt a special place and for making us look good!
And a second shoutout, just last Friday I learned that Tuesday, April 9th is Library Worker’s Day, so a shoutout to Robbie for all his work keeping the Holt Library Running and being part of 4J’s pilot of full-time licensed librarians in elementary schools! Thank you, Robbie!
Twenty-six items of note for this week:
• Electronics Recycling Competition Drop-Off Week – Remind students about the annual BRING Recycling Electronics Recycling Competition.Anything with a plug or that takes batteries can be dropped off at Holt this week. The school with the most “e-waste” collected wins a $500 gift certificate and a Next Step Robot made by a local artist.
• Solar Eclipse MONDAY at 10:30 – We get a rare opportunity to observe a solar eclipse (it’s actually a partial eclipse) during school hours on Monday, April 8, starting at 10:30, peaking at 11:20 or 11:30, and ending at 12:15. Linked here are Directions for Making a Solar Eclipse Viewer and some notes about Eye Safety During an Eclipse. We’ll have recess as normal and I’ll remind student on Monday announcement “Don’t stare at the sun!” and also put a note in the Quick News, but also remind your kids the dangers of staring at the sun.
There’s also the Great North American Eclipse 2024 eBook highlighted in the most recent Library Connection.
• Data Team Meeting K-5, TUESDAY – We’ll hold grade level Data Team Meetings this day with roving subs. See Carla’s Email for details, but the schedule will be:
8:10-8:40 – 4th
8:50-9:20 – 2nd
9:40-10:10 – 5th
10:20-10:50 – 1st
11:00-11:30 – 3rd
11:40-12:10 – K
• Wednesday PD: Science OSAS & Accommodations – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library we’ll review the Science standards and assessment, as well as go over how to input student accommodations into TIDE.
• Holt Night Out, Bangers & Brews, WEDNESDAY, 3:00-8:00 – Wednesday, April 10th is a Holt Night Out at Bangers & Brews! Remind kids to stop by Bangers & Brews at 2506 Willakenzie Road, across from Sheldon High School, between 5:00-8:00 pm, and just mention Holt when ordering for our school to get a percentage of all sales.
• Accessible Education Parent Group, THURSDAY @5:30 – Emily and Carla have started up an Accessible Education Parent Group to give families of student with IEPs voice and support, which will meet for the first time on April 11 at 5:30 in the library.
• Midterm Grading Day, FRIDAY – This is a non-student day and the expectation from downtown is staff are to report to the building and be available to colleagues on this day. For classroom teachers, 3.75 hours is dedicated to ELA planning and 3.75 hours is for “Strategic Family Outreach.” Downtown hasn’t given guidance on what this outreach is supposed to be, but I’d suggest using this time to call, email, or text families you need to connect with for various reasons; improvements, progress and/or struggles with attendance, academics, behavior, relationships, etc.
There’s no expectation you’re reaching out to all families, but target parents of a few key students you work with. Principals last week brainstormed a few ideas:
• Positive postcards home
• Positive phone calls
• Phone calls about attendance
• Make phone calls or have meetings
• SEAL Phone Call Invitation for Summer School w/registration link email to follow
• Have meetings with families who have struggling students
• Tier 2 and 3 behavior
• EA Assistance FRIDAY Sign-Up – There is the optional EA Pathways PD, but for any EAs working int he building , add your name to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. Teachers add anything you can use help with.
• Volunteer Appreciation Week Sign-Up – The week of April 15 is Volunteer Appreciation Week. If you haven’t already, talk with your team and sign up to bring some treats or snack on the Volunteer Treat Sign-Up Google Sheet Elizabeth sent out earlier.
• Fire Drill, 4/16 @9:25 – I’m taking advantage of a couple classes being gone on a field trip to have our fire drill at a different time. The April Fire Dill on Thursday, April 16 at 9:25. 1st grade will be lined up outside already at the end of their recess and by the time the drill is over, 2nd and 3rd graders can just go straight to their 9:30 recess. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. We’ll reschedule if we get rained out, but right now the forecast looks good.
• Fire Drill Reminder, Close Doors – Several classroom doors were left open during the last fire drill, so remember to close them this time around. Keeping the doors closed helps prevent a fire from spreading.
• Scholastic Book Fair Opens, 4/19 – Watch for details from the PTO and Robbie about hours and preview scheduling, but the Book Fair will open on Friday, April 19th and will also be open during the School Carnival. The Book Fair will run through Thursday, April 25th.
• Sheldon Mama Mia Performance, 4/19 – The Sheldon High School Drama Department will perform an abbreviated version of their current musical, Mama Mia, on Friday, April 19th. The time is TBA, but we will share it with staff once Sheldon staff confirm. It’s tentatively at 1:15.
• Holt PTO School Carnival, 4/19, 5:30-7:30 – The Holt PTO has been hard at work on this year’s annual School Carnival. It will be Friday, April 19th from 5:30-7:30 in the cafeteria, gym, and playground. They’ll have games, food carts, the car bash, and this year are adding a silent auction. Remind your class and get them pumped to attend!
• Earth Day, 4/22 – If you missed it in the Eco Experience newsletter, Earth Day is Monday, April 22 and they shared a number of resources, including the EarthDay.org and the 4J Elementary Earth Day Resource Page, which includes classroom presentations on various topics by Eco Chick, so sign up now!
And few other fun resources:
Subject to Climate Earth Day Resource Guide
Earth Reminder: Earth Day Activities
Nat Geo Kids: Earth Day
ACT now Climate Action Super Heroes
• Cafeteria Sign In Help – A few notes from Kim for lunchtime:
• Thank you to everyone helping out as kids learn their number and input them into the system.
• Teachers – for your 5-minute time in the cafeteria, please continue helping kids through the line / salad bar.
• Teachers – one teacher should help students at the computer (next to Deb.) This doubles our ability to get kids through the line.
• K-1-2 – Popsicle sticks will be in your mailing boxes on Monday morning. They include your student name, barcode, and an identification system to help Kim sort them at the end of lunch for the day. You will pick these up each morning. NOTE: the system requires Deb to pick up the scanner gun and click it to read the barcode, so:
• Prepare students to hand the stick to Deb who will scan it and keep it.
• If one teacher could assist with scanning, that would be helpfulThanks everyone!
• Wash Your Hands! – Remind kids to regularly wash their hands. We had quite a few stomach bug issues last week and I do not want to end the year having to follow norovirus protocols.
• Elementary Assistant Principal Pool – I’m still hoping we get to post a Holt specific position where me and staff can holt interviews and have say who is hired, but an Elementary Assistant Principal Pool went up over spring break if you know of anyone good out there you might tell them to apply.
• No Food on Playground – I’m going to announce this at Monday Zoom Announcements, but remind kids that they may ONLY eat food on the curb (AM recess only) and not at hard play or soft play or anywhere else. If kids are caught eating food anywhere else or at lunch recess, they will have to sit on the curb the rest of that recess. There’s been a lot of litter and food waste scattered around the playground lately.
• All Visitors Through Main Entrance – A staff member or student let an adult visitor in via the Calvin St. side entrance last week. Remember, all visitors must enter the building through the front office so they can sign in through the Raptor system, which cross references visitors with multiple criminal background sites. If someone is trying to enter through another entrance, do not open the door, but point them in the direction of the office. The also applies to district staff, who are also supposed to sign in through the office before entering the building. It was just a visitor from Holt International last week, so no real threat, but it’s not something we should do in the future.
• PTO Updates – If you’re interested, linked here is the PTO Meeting Slideshow and PTO President Notes from last week’s meeting.
• Proposed 24-25 Calendar – The school board last week took a first look at a Proposed Two-Year Calendar for 24-25 and 25-26. Staff gave feedback on the initial draft and they made some changes, which I feel some are good and some are bad:
• GOOD: Conferences 2 Days – They made conferences 2 days again and the Wednesday of Thanksgiving is simply a non-contract day.
• GOOD: Transition and Midterm Grading Days – These didn’t really make sense for elementary since kids don’t transition and teachers don’t do mid-term grades. Transition days were eliminated and the Midterm Grading days are now half PD and half Midterm Grading, which for elementary I’m guessing means half PD and half prep. In my opinion, they should movie the April 18 Midterm Grading/PD day to Monday, March 31 after the break.
• BAD: No Prep Day after Spring Break – This wasn’t on the draft calendar either, but there has almost always been a PD and/or Planning Day after spring break.
• BAD: Mon. & Tues Last Day of School – Probably lots of absences these days and not sure how productive of days they will be.
• BAD: June 1/2 Day Grading Day – They moved the grading day from falling after the last day of school, but it’s now a half day instead of a full day and it’s also on the Friday before the last Monday and Tuesday, which doesn’t seem nearly enough time to get report cards written and prepped, unless they are planning on mailing them again.
• April Heart of Teaching Newsletter – Linked here is the April The Heart of Teaching, which has info on the Math Adoption, April 1st PD Slides, Social Studies PD opportunities, Info about workbook ordering for Fundations next year, and much more from PE, TAG, Health, Library, and other subjects.
•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:
• EEF Grants Open 4/8 – EEF Grants are opening soon. They have not announced a deadline for applications, but usually, it’s about a month-long window. EEF prioritizes grants that focus on Enrichment (ex. STEM, arts, experimental learning), Ready to Learn (ex. literacy, SEL, accessibility solutions), and Pathways (ex. CTE, SPED, TAG). The application link is not live yet, but linked here is a PDF I made of the form from earlier this year.
Schools can submit as many grants as they want, so feel free to start writing! I saved a PDF version of Last Year’s EEF Grant Application if you want to start now. And remember that AI (MagicSchool.AI and ChatGPT) can save time doing a lot of the writing for you!
• Multi-Factor Authentication Starts This Week – See the MFA Email about how to set up your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Principals has had to do this since February, so let me know if you need any help setting this up. And if you were wondering what the “Hardware Key” is, for people do not install the authenticator app, it’s a USB drive you’ll have to insert into your computer each time you log onto your email. Rob said the switchover will probably happen Tuesday Night or Wednesday Morning and he’ll be at Holt Wednesday morning if anyone needs help.
• 100+ Philosophical Questions to Enrich Classroom Discussions and Boost Critical Thinking – This Educators Technology Article caught my eye in the April Ed Tech Update. It’s a great set of questions to prompt interesting class discussions, such as:
• Should You Always Tell the Truth?
• What Makes You Grow Older?
• Is Seeing Believing?
• Can You Be Brave and Scared at the Same Time?
• Can You Control Your Emotions?
• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Buddies – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Buddies:
Buddies
Student:
Each year classes from different grade levels are matched as buddy classes. This goes along with our Caring for Kids (Caring School Community) curriculum. Once classes are matched, it is up to them to determine when to meet and what activities do. The goal is for classes to meet at least once a month, but you are welcome to meet more frequently if you and your buddy wish. You also may use ideas from Caring for Kids (Caring School Community) Cross Grade Book and/or do whatever works best for your classrooms and buddies.
•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 8 (M)
SPED/Inst. Coach Staff Room Duty
Electronics Recycling Competition Drop-Off Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
7:30, Allan Monthly Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
9:00-10;30, Allan to 4J BAT Meeting (Zoom)
10:30-12:15, Partial Eclipse
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)April 9 (T)
Library Worker’s Day
Talent Show Application Due
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
8:10-12:10, Data Team Meeting K-5 (Old Counseling Office)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting (Calming Room)
6:30-7:30, 3rd Grade Cultural Heritage Night (Gym & Cafeteria)April 10 (W)
7:30, Allan to 4J MAPS Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – OSAS Science & Accommodations PD (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
3:00-8:00, Holt Night Out – Bangers & BrewsApril 11 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)
5:30-6:30, Accessible Education Parent Group (Library)April 12 (F)
No School – Mid-Term Grading Day
8:30-11:30, EA Pathways PD
4:30-6:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity MeetingApril 15 (M)
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Volunteer Appreciation Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
2:40, Talent Show Auditions (Reich’s Room)
3:30-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)April 16 (T)
9:00-1:00, 4th UO Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Reich & Longoria
9:25, Fire Drill
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:40, Talent Show Auditions (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team MeetingsApril 17 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 4J Behavior Matrix (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)April 18 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-1:00, 4th UO Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Benavides & Cobb
2:45, Leadership Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
5:30-6:45, Kinder Reading Night (Classes & Cafeteria)April 19 (F)
Scholastic Book Fair Opens
1:15 (tentative), Sheldon Mama Mia Assembly/Performance (Cafetetorium)
5:30-7:30, School Carnival (Gym, Cafeteria, Playground)
Just 2 months until summer!
Allan
