http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=13656
Hey, Totally Rad Bolts,
Was last week a doozy or what? Drug busts, intense DHS involvement, EPD SWAT Team, 4J Safety Team visits, and the annual School Carnival. Not that it’s a competition but this week HAS to be more mellow. Though Holt has a pretty incredible team for navigating all these wild times. You all are the best and glad to be handling these crazy times with you all!
And speaking of the best, it’s Administrative Professionals’ Day this Wednesday, so a HUGE shoutout to Sharon and Keri for navigating and managing the craziness that passes through the hold office on a daily (okay, hourly) basis, and making it look effortless. I have no idea how our school would run without you!
Twenty-four items of note for this week:
• Book Fair & Library Lessons – There will be no checkout this week, but Robbie will come around to classrooms for Library Lessons. BOGO Book Fair will be open to students and families before school and after school this week, Monday through Thursday. Friday will be the Book Fair pack-up day.
• Earth Day – Holt Clean Up Day! MONDAY – Monday is Earth Day and the Student Council invites classes to help clean up the school to celebrate. See Ashley’s Email for details, but sign your class up on the linked Earth Day Clean-Up Google Sheet.
• Book Nook TUESDAY This Week & May 2 Cancelled – Some of the Book Nook Volunteers are on field trips on April 25th and the May 2nd, so they are moving this week’s Book Nook to Tuesday and canceling Book Nook for May 2nd.
• Preventative Building Inspection, TUESDAY – Risk Management is coming out to Holt Tuesday, 9:00-9:45 for a preventive building inspection. The three main areas to check for are:
• Twinkle Lights – Unless they are special models that meet fire code, they are not allowed.
• 3-D paper Decorations – Fold-out snowflakes or paper lanterns and such, which is a new rule to me, are no longer allowed. In the past, it was only if these were hanging from the ceiling or lights they would cite us, but the new rule is all combustibles (i.e. paper, cloth, etc.) need to be flush with the wall.
• 3-Feet Egress – Make sure there is no furniture blocking doors. You should have a clear path where you can easily walk while holding a yardstick.
• Administrative Professionals’ Day, WEDNESDAY – Formerly known as Secretaries’ Day, this Wednesday is Administrative Professionals’ Day, so get ready to celebrate Sharon and Keri!
• Classified Staff Meeting WEDNESDAY @1:30 – Since there is not a licensed staff Wednesday PD this week, we will hold a Classified Staff Meeting to discuss Self Managers and the 4J Behavior Matrix. I’ve also added master schedule feedback to the agenda. Let me know if you have any additional agenda items.
• Wednesday PD: Team Collaboration – We haven’t had a Wednesday without a meeting for some time, so let’s set this time aside for teams to connect and collaborate and/or take care of whatever teachers need to get done.
• Self-Manager Applications DUE FRIDAY – Round #1 of the Self-Manager Application Forms are due to me this Friday. Forms should be returned to my mailbox or desk.
• Holt Spirit Day – 80’s Day, FRIDAY – Friday, April 26 is the monthly Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s 80s Day Day! Just wear neon, bright colors, 80’s style clothes, or wear school colors or gear!
Related, I’m thinking we need to play 80s TV and movie classics all week long in the Staff Room, starting off with Mork & Mindy on Monday. Sure it started in the 70s, but whatever.
• Spirit Assembly FRIDAY@8:20 – The April School Spirit Assembly is on Friday, April 25th 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!
• BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly FRIDAY @9:00-9:40 – Friday, April 25th at 9:00 (yes, following the Spirit Assembly) will be the BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly on hard play. I haven’t heard from the assembly folks what their setup will be, but I imagine we’ll be circled around their performance, so stay tuned for details.
• Fiddle Artist in Residence Schedule – Linked here is the Fiddle Artist in Residence Schedule, which will run for three weeks, April 29 – May 17. The location will be one week in the Music Room, one week in the Gym, and one week int the Calming Room. Ashley, Alex, and Kim are working on which week will be in each location and we’ll have that info in time for next week.
• Student Support Team (SST) Meeting 4/30 – The May SST meeting will be on Tuesday, April 30 (yes, weird), where the team will screen potential referrals for SPED evaluations and for SST members to do a monthly check-in on students currently in the evaluation process. Use the Request for Student / Classroom Support Form to make a referral to the team. An agenda will be emailed to teachers needing to attend the meeting.
• Wednesday PD: SAEBRS Spring Testing 5/1 – The spring SAEBRS testing window is May 1-31, so we will meet at 1:30 in the library to use the May 1 Wed. PD time for a quick review of the SAEBRS protocols and winter data, and then time for K-5 teachers to input individual student assessments as we did for the winter benchmark window.
• 24-25 Master Schedule Survey, Due FRIDAY – As we get ready to work on next year’s master schedule, take a moment to complete the 2024-2025 Master Schedule Survey if you’d like to weigh on some ideas being considered.
• Master Schedule Timeline – We reviewed the process for creating the master schedule at the last Staff Meeting and I’ve not attached dates to that process, which I ran by Leadership last week. Below and on the Staff Zimbra Calendar are the dates and timeline.
Friday, April 26 – Survey Due
Monday, May 6 – Skeleton Schedule Shared
Thursday, May 9 – Feedback on Skeleton Schedule
May 9 – 14 – Teams Fill in Schedule
Wednesday, May 15 – Reps Meet to Discuss Schedule
Wednesday, May 22 – Meet if needed
Thursday, May 23 – Staff Meeting to Discuss Schedule
*3 weeks buffer after that week
• Class List Process – I’ll run this by folks at the next Staff Meeting, but ran it by Leadership and think we’ll stick with last year’s process for making class lists. Below is the timeline I’ll propose and linked here is the Class List Google Sheet format we’ve used for the past two years.
May 8 (W) – Pre-List Team Meetings (Team Meetings in Library)
– Sending & Receiving Grade levels meet to share thoughts, ideas, and preferences before draft class lists are made (i.e. siblings/families preferences, etc.)
– Teams begin creating class lists on Class List Google SheetMay 23 (T) – Deadline to complete Class Lists Google Sheet
May 23 – June 4 – Specialists, Classified Staff, and prior grade levels review class lists
– Spreadsheet available for staff
– Classified and licensed review lists
– Share feedback with sending & Receiving TeamsJune 5 (W) – Sending & receiving teams do a final review of lists at Wednesday PD
• Elementary School Calendar 2024-25 & 2025-26 – The board approved the Elementary School Calendars for the next two years and I think I’m mostly happy with them. PD/Prep Days are after winter and spring break, conferences are only two days with Wednesday as part of the Thanksgiving Holiday, and second semester grading day is now a week before the last day of school.
• Over the Edge Event – Former Holt teacher Jacque Barton emailed me to see if any staff were interested in putting together a team for CASA of Lane County’s Over the Edge Fundraising Event coming up on June 15. Folks could challenge another school to raise money to send their principal or another staff member(s) to rappel down the Hyatt at Oakway. Here is a promo video.
• 4J Process and Procedure for Assisting Students with Toileting – Principals were asked to share with staff the 4J Approved Process and Procedure for Assisting Students with Toileting. They want to make sure staff are aware of this language.
• Summer STEM Training for Elementary Teachers – The Lane STEM Team would like to announce a great summer opportunity for K5 teachers in our county: a 4-day paid workshop on ELA-Science integration. Dara Brennan, TOSA from Springfield is leading this workshop based on her successful experience in her district, and bringing it to the rest of Lane County.
When: July 15 to July 18
Where: Lane ESD
Stipend: $1200Check out the PD Flyer and Register HERE. This application closes on May 1.
•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:
• EEF Grants Due May 3 – EEF Grants are opening now and are due May 3. 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.
• PTO Childcare EA Help May & June – Are any EAs interested in helping with childcare at the May 2 and/or June 6 PTO meetings, 5:30-7:30? The PTO will pay extended contract or I can offer trade time if you’d rather bank some hours for a future non-student day. Let me know if you are interested.
• District Admin Updates – The annual admin shuffle has being. Principals were emailed that the Kennedy MS principal, Laura Clark, is leaving at the end of the year for a job at Cottage Grove Middle School.
•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 22 (M)
Title Staff Room Duty
Scholastic Book Fair Open Before & After School
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
8:30, Allan to Formal Observation
9:00-10;30, Allan to 4J BAT Meeting (Zoom)
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
3:00-5:30, Allan to SCIP All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)April 23 (T)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-9:40, Preventative Safety Inspection
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Calming Room)April 24 (W)
Administrative Professionals’ Day (formerly Secretaries’ Day)
8:30, Allan to Formal Observation
1:30, Classified Staff Meeting (Library)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Team Collaboration Time
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
3:00, Allan Picking Up Cereal SnacksApril 25 (H)
Scholastic Book Fair Last Day
9:05, Allan to Formal Observation
10:15-12:30, 5th Grade Hult Center Field Trip
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)April 26 (F)
Self Managers Application Deadline
Holt Spirit Day – 80s Day!
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:00-9:40, BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly (Hardplay)
10:00-10:30, Allan Meeting w/Colt Gill (Office)
2:45-3:30, Attendance Team Meeting (Office)
4:00-6:00, Allan to 4J Kidner Welcome Event (River Road)April 29 (M)
Kindergarten Staff Room Duty
Artist in Residence Begins
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:30-4:00, Girls on the RunApril 30 (T)
2:45-3:30, SST Meeting (Calming Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team MeetingsMay 1 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SAEBRS Spring Testing (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)May 2 (H)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
10:45-12:45, 5th Grade Hult Center Field Trip
11:00-12:00, Allan to IDEA PD (Zoom)
2:45, Equity & Inclusion Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
4:00-9:00, ACE Awards – Tentative (Ed Center)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library)May 3 (F)
Holt Kinder Transition Day
9:30-11:30, 5th Grade Monroe Visit
9:45-12:15, 1st Field Trips Magical Mooombah (The Shedd)
And now, enjoy some educational programming 1980s style from Mr. Wizard’s World below. :)
Allan
@sluggnetwork Call a professional next time! #mrwizardsworld #80s #genx #80sflashback #lifelessons #learning #education #80skid #generations #science #donherbert #nickelodeon #legend #family #dad #father #familytimes #brother #building