http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=3240
Howdy Everyone,
I originally expected to have a short list of announcements for our last full week of the year, but instead the list steadily grew over the course of the week.
Sixteen items of note this week:
• Last Days of School Calendar & Schedule – Attached and at the bottom of this post is an updated calendar of events for the last two weeks of school. It’s mostly the same, but with a couple new additions.
• Year End Checklist – Year End Checklists were put in staff mailboxes last week (if you are responsible for an area). It’s pretty much the same checklist that’s been used in the past, but let me know if you have any questions.
• Staff Technology Summer Checkout – Related to the above items, if you are taking home any of your technology (laptop, iPad, etc.) over the summer, be sure to fill out and turn in a copy to the office of the 4J Technology Equipment Checkout Contract.
• Field Day Sign-Up, Station Directions & Student Cards – Field Day is this Friday, so any staff who are not working with students 10:00-11:15 should sign-up to help run a station for the 3rd-5th grade Field Day. My sister changed a three stations after realizing some equipment was lost during the mouse poop purge of the PE closet this fall, so the sign-up sheet in the mail room has changed a bit. 5th graders will run most stations at the first session, but we could also use a few adults to run the cargo net and rope swing for the first group.
Field Day station directions and Field Day student cards will be placed in teacher mailboxes later this week. Let me know if you have any questions.
• Last Call for Staff Summer Book Picks! – If you would like to share your taste in books with your coworkers, send me a book or books you’d recommend or ones you’re planning to read this summer. Feel free to include any comments. I’ll include the list in next week’s announcements, so send your picks by the end of this week!
• New TSS Hire for Howard, Kelly and River Road – James let me know that CIS has hired our new TSS III for Howard, Kelly and River Road. His name is Justin Denley and he and his family are coming to us from the Central Point/Medford area. He has worked 10 years in technology support, has a degree in Management Information Systems, and is MCSA certified. James said perhaps most importantly he is a very bright and personable young man who he believes will be able to pick up what we are doing very quickly. Justin will begin work in July. James is still working on a schedule, but expects ~10-12 hours a week at River Road, ~14 hours a week at Howard, and ~14 hours a week at Kelly (for a total of 30 hours on the Kelly/Howard campus).
• June Fire Drill, Thursday at 12:30 – We’ll hold our last Fire Drill of the year this Thursday at 12:30. A number of classes will be out on field trips at this time, so this should be our least disruptive fire drill of the school year. ;)
• Snacks, Anyone? – There are quite a few Go-Gurts and String Cheese left over from OAKS testing in the staff room refrigerator if any of you would like to give them to your students for any reason. First come, first serve!
• 2014-2014 Instructional Calendars – These may change, but here is the Elementary 2014-15 instructional Calendar approved by the board last week. Please note a few things:
• Employee work year calendars will go out by the middle of this week, and they will answer the most commonly asked questions about employee report dates and work years.
• Our first day with students is the Wednesday after Labor Day, September 3, 2014.
• The calendars presume a full instruction and work year for teachers and do not include any furlough days. Furlough days are under discussion as part of contract negotiations. Accordingly, as in prior years, it is possible that the board may issue amended calendars at a later point.• Free ebooks for the summer through MyON – The ESD offered this free ebook program earlier in the year, but they are bringing it back for staff, students and families over the summer. See this email, link or parent flyer (in Spanish and English) for details.
• Science Fair at the Fair! – Here is an opportunity in July to showcase K-12 school STEM posters and projects at the Wheeler Pavilion during the Lane County Fair. See the flyer for details.
• More District Admin Updates – Sarah Brown is the new Director of Human Resources and will start on June 18, 2014. She began her career in education as a teacher (Florida) and has since served as a building principal in an international school (Venezuela), a program director (Florida), as well as 7 years in human resources (California). Admin vacancies yet to be filled are at Awbrey Park, Spencer Butte, South Eugene, Technology Director, Teacher Quality Administrator and the Federal Programs (Title 1) Coordinator.
• Staff Summer STEM Course – Here’s some some information on a free summer course that came from Kim Finch:
In thinking at “STEM”, a principle that is emerging nationally is how to inspire creativity and problem-solving in students, both in classrooms and in informal learning locations. There is a course that was just recommended to me that is on-line and free this summer. The unfortunate part is that is is summer. However, you might have colleagues that are looking at how STEM fits into more traditional curriculum and courses, and this could continue the interesting discussion you have started at the elementary level. Eugene is taking off with the idea of “maker-spaces” which equates to tinkering in industry (software, environmental solutions, sustainability) using math, science and engineering principles. This course might be a way to look at how classrooms could invite students into that world.
• 5 activities for the last day of class – “On the last day of school, I like to keep things light, but I also think it is important to have them reflect on their classroom experience,” writes ASCD EDge community member Ryan Thomas. In a recent blog post, Thomas shares a few activities educators can use to keep their students engaged on the last day of school. This comes from a secondary person, but these could easily be adapted for elementary.
• Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program (Free Books for Kids!) – I’m sure this is a marketing ploy, but the Barnes & Noble’s Summer Reading Program only requires kids to fill out a Reading Journal (available in both Spanish and English) of what they read and who they would recommend that book to, and then they can redeem their completed journal for one of the free books listed in the journal.
• Schedule of Events for the Week – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for this and next week:
June 9 (M)
EasyCBM Reading Progress Monitoring 14
Last Day for ELD Groups
9:00-10:00, 4th Grade Play Practice (Cafeteria)
2:30-5:00, Allan to Elementary Principals’ MeetingJune 10 (T)
9:00-10:00, 4th Grade Play (Cafeteria)
11:00-12:30, Birthday Lunches with the Principal, June/July (Room 2)
2:30-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Room 4)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Q’s House)June 11 (W)
Last Day of Title & LC Groups
All Library Books Due
10:00-11:00, End of the Year Kindergarten Celebration (Gym)
3:00-4:00, Allan to IEP MeetingJune 12 (H)
9:00-1:00, 3rd, 4th, and 5th to Splash
12:00-1:45, 1st and 2nd Grade to Park
12:30, Fire Drill
2:30-4:30, Howard Design Team Meeting (Library)
2:30-3:30, Collaboration Time
6:00-7:00, 4th Grade Play (Cafeteria)June 13 (F)
8:30-9:45, Field Day, K-2 (Gym/Outside Gym)
10:00-11:15, Field Day, 3-5 (Gym/Outside Gym)
1:00-1:30, 5th Grade Tug-of-War (Field by Gym)
1:30-2:00, Tail Feather/water balloon launch (Baseball Diamond)June 16 (M)
Last Day for Kindergarten and 5th Grade
1:00-2:00, 5th Grade Graduation (Gym)
2:00-2:05, Clap Out (East Wing Hallway)June 17 (T)
Last Day for Students
“Grab & Go” Sack Lunch (see times below)
11:05, Dismissal
11:30-12:00, Staff End-of-Year Ice Cream Celebration (Cafeteria)
12:00-4:00, Staff Checkouts with Allan“GRAB & GO” SACK LUNCH SCHEDULE
10:00 1st grade
10:15 2nd grade
10:30 3rd grade
10:45 4th gradeStudents will enter the cafeteria through the doors closest to the office. They will put together their own sack lunch, assembly line style. As students pass through the line, they should form a new line at the doors exiting to the breezeway. Once all the students have gotten their lunches, the class can leave the cafeteria. This process should take 5-8 minutes.
If staff, not supervising students, are available to help during this time, that would be terrific ☺.
June 18 (W)
Last Day for Staff (Classified and Licensed)
7:30-4:00, Staff Checkouts with AllanJune 19 (H)
Budget Reduction/Unpaid Furlough DayJune 23 (M)
Being a Writer Training SessionJune 24 (T)
Being a Writer Training SessionJune 25 (W)
Being a Writer Training SessionAugust 20 (W) TENTATIVE
Being a Writer Training Session
6 1/2 days to go!
Allan
Here’s this year’s 5th grade class photo, courtesy of Mr. Nelson.
