http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=4687
Hi Everyone,
I hope you all had a relaxing weekend after last week’s unusual placement of Veterans Day. Early last week I tried to convince Cheri that it was not going to be like having two Mondays in one week and it would be like getting two Fridays, but later in the week I had to admit she was right and it did feel more like two Mondays. It’ll be nice to be back on a regular 5-day week schedule before our conferences/Thanksgiving Holiday week coming up.
Eleven items of note this week:
• Last Call for Missing Journeys Materials (Tuesday Deadline) – Susan Penrod, the district ELA administrator, is placing a final order for any missing Journey’s materials. Let me know by 3:30 on Tuesday. Just tell me what you’re missing and how many you need. I know 4th grade is still waiting for some student books, but outside of that I don’t know of any other missing Journeys materials. Let me know ASAP!
• Fire Drill, Thursday at 1:30 – If the weather cooperates we’ll hold our November Fire Drill on Thursday, November 19th at 1:30. If we’re rained out, we’ll try Friday morning at 8:15.
• Thanksgiving Classroom Reminder – As Thanksgiving approaches, I though I should send out my annual reminder regarding how Thanksgiving is taught in classrooms. Keep in mind that student perceptions of Native Americans often come from classroom activities around the First Thanksgiving. The conception of Native Americans gained from such early exposure is often both inaccurate and potentially damaging. When planning activities, be aware that what most of us learned in school about the “Pilgrims” and “Squanto” and the “First Thanksgiving” is a mixture of both history and myth. Thanksgiving activities should avoid reinforcing historical myths and should avoid stereotypes (ie. NO warbonnets). It’s best to shift the focus away from the “First Thanksgiving” and instead focus on items children can be thankful for in their own lives and on their families’ celebrations of Thanksgiving. Some resources on what to avoid and what to teach can be found at Teaching Tolerance and Education World. Here is a good article with a Native American perspective on Thanksgiving. Also, the 4J Natives Program is a resource that is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture.
• Care Team Meeting Referrals Due This Week – The Student Care Team will be meeting in a couple weeks, so let me know if any of you have student or family situations you’d like to refer. If you can get a parent/guardian signature on the 4J Release Form (PDF or DOC), we will be able to openly discuss the student by name and DHS will be able to do some research into the family and situation to see what services they would qualify for and share any history. You can also refer “hypothetical” student or family situations if you’re unable to get a signed release form. We have one family who’s signed a release to be discussed at this meeting, but there is space for one or two more to be added.
• 2015 Winter Holiday Resources – This came from our Care Team DHS contact and I’ll share this in our next newsletter, but if families or students happen to ask you about assistance over the holidays, see the attached 2015 Winter Holiday Resources flyer, which has information on food boxes, meals sites, holiday gift programs and holiday celebrations. DHS is currently working on getting a translated version to us.
• New Building Updates – I wasn’t at last week’s meeting since it was Veterans Day, but attached are the minutes from the last Owner/Architect/General Contractor (OAC) Meeting and below are a few items of note:
• Packing and Moving Materials – If people are interested in starting to box any items up, we have the boxes, labels and packing directions. Carefully read over the packing directions. If your boxes are not labeled correctly, they will not be moved. 4J is planning to move as many items into classrooms in the new building as staff are ready to send over. The more you can send over early, the better. Staff are getting two extra paid days this summer to pack on June 20th and 21, but if you have all you stuff packed before then you are welcome to start your summer early and still get paid for those two days, so try to send as much as you can come spring break. Labels are in Lori’s office and Crystal has the boxes if you’re ready to start. And on a related note, always be keeping an eye out for old files and materials that can be recycled now.
• Packing and Moving Calendar – Related to the above, attached is the Packing & Moving Calendar. The main dates are on the building calendar, which are the library closing early to pack, the district salvaging reusable furniture and other items (June 17th), extended contract packing days (June 20 & 21), asbestos abatement begins east wing (June 22), asbestos abatement begins west wing (June 24), and demolition begins (July 5th). It’s not on this calendar yet and there is not a firm date at this point, but it will likely be early to mid-August before staff can begin working in the new building. We’ll have a better idea of the date once we get closer, but it’s dependent upon when we get the occupancy permit from the city.
• Classroom Assignments Map – Attached is a map with the classroom assignments that staff decided upon last school year (5th grade is still deciding who get the corner room, so that’s TBA). Let me know if you have any questions on this. And since we currently have space in the new building, we’ve also tentatively added a “STEM Room” which Allison is writing grants to outfit with some state of the art science equipment, which would be available for use to all staff. We figure this space could also be used for teachers to store their science kit materials.
• School Garden Beds and Layout – The school garden folks were asking about the layout of the school garden area in the new school, so to share with everyone, linked here is a map of the school garden. There will be raised beds like we have now, though our new ones will be recycled plastic raised garden beds by eartheasy.
• Winter Road Improvement – I read a note in the minutes saying there will be improvements made to Howard Ave. this winter. Since I wasn’t at the meeting, I’m not sure the extent of the road work or what it will entail, but I’ll find out and let people know if it’s something that’s going to be disruptive. Hopefully it won’t.
• More Housing in Howard Attendance Area – I mentioned this a few weeks ago, but if you didn’t catch it in last Sunday’s Register Guard, the City of Eugene if moving forward with purchasing the field next to Dairy Mart at the intersection of Howard Ave. and River Road for low income housing. They are planning for 50-60 units and for the complex to opening three to five years. So we won’t see more student from this in the immediate future, but we certainly will a few years from now.
• Return & Use Beep, Beep Drawing Prize Cards – The Beep, Beep Drawing Prize Board in the office is getting rather thin, so be sure to return the prize cards as soon as students have redeemed them and/or encourage your kids use them if they haven’t done so yet.
• Website Staff Photos – Kind of a silly item, but I updated the Staff Directory photos on the Howard website to include photos of staff who didn’t already have a photo. If anyone out there has an old photo on the website that you really dislike, just tell me and I can put up a new one. I thought I’d ask since I changed my own (my hair was too long and I was doing a fake smile).
• Performing at Gateway Gardens – If anyone is feeling especially musical, Gateway Gardens Adult Residential Facility is inviting classes to sing or perform for their residents, who they say really enjoy watching youth performances and socializing with young people. And although the email I received specified music, I bet they would likely welcome most any other type of visit as well; sharing books, technology, any type of performance or other kid created stuff. They said if you would like to bring some joy to the Gateway Gardens family, contact the Gateway Gardens Activities Department at (541) 302-1370.
• Code.org embeds coding lessons in Star Wars-themed game – For The Hour of Code the week of December 7th – 11th, Code.org has announced a coding tutorial using characters from the new Star Wars movie in advance of the third annual Hour of Code campaign scheduled to launch during Computer Science Education Week. In the game, students use code to help the characters perform tasks
• Schedule of Events for the Week – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
November 16 (M)
Progress Monitoring Week 3
1:00-2:15, Allan to Super Boundary Meeting (Ed Center)
2:30-5:00, Allan Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)November 17 (T)
2:30-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)
4:00-5:30, Allan to 4J Nutrition Services Community Meeting (Ed Center)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library)November 18 (W)
Dental Screening and Fluoride Varnish (Gym)
9:00-11:00, Allan to OAC Meeting (Construction Trailer)
1:30-2:15, PERS Financial Advisor Info Session (Library) – see email
1:45, Allan to Goals Meeting
2:30, Allan on Conference CallNovember 19 (H)
1:30, Fire DrillNovember 20 (F)
10:45-12:30, Birthday Lunches with the Principal (Library)
1:15, Tail Feather Reward (Track)November 23 (M)
4:00-8:00, Conferences
5:00, PTO Provided Dinner (Staff Room)November 24 (T)
8:00AM – 8:00PM, Conferences – No StudentsNovember 25 (W)
Conferences Comp. Day, No Students
Regular Work Day for Classified StaffNovember 26 (H)
Thanksgiving Holiday – No SchoolNovember 27 (F)
Thanksgiving Holiday – No School
Enjoy you last five day week for a while!
Allan
I was talking to someone about this last week, so just for fun, if you want to feel old, here’s a cool website about Mosquito Ringtones. which are ringtones kids can download to their phones that play at a sound frequency kids and teens can hear, but adults cannot. I can still hear the 24 & Younger ringtone at 18khz, but couldn’t hear anything below that.
