http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=7195
Hello Everyone,
We survived Halloween and a full moon last week. Good thing we have a 4-day week this week.
Fourteen items of note for this week:
• Staffing Updates – I’m pleased to announce that Zach Stone is joining the 4th grade team, job-sharing with Carla, and will start Monday. Zach moved to Eugene from North Carolina, where he recently got his teaching license and his last teaching job was in a 4th grade classroom. Zach has been working at Creative Care this year, and in the past has worked as a nanny, a camp counselor, and a surf instructor. Please welcome Zach to the Amazing Howard Team! No update on the 2nd grade job-share position at this time, but hopefully we’ll have an announcement later this week.
• Classroom Audio Issues – Ever since the AMX people did a software update to fix an issue with the 8-button panels, a number of classrooms have had problems with the audio systems and other AMX related systems. The company is sending someone out on Monday. He is planning to check on Rooms 1, 11, and 24, who already submitted tickets, but if you are experiencing any problems related to the audio, video, the 8-button panel, or other AMX related systems, submit a ticket as soon as possible to 4jdesktop@4j.lane.edu and put AMX in the subject line.
• Seesaw Teacher Resource – Quite a few classes are using Seesaw, so I thought I’d share that they now offer Free Online Professional Development Courses every month and also have a robust library of recordings. Whether you’re a beginner or a total pro, you’ll find a session to pique your interest, across all grade levels and subject areas.
• Wacky Wednesday, Favorite Sports Day – This Wednesday is Favorite Sports Day, so start planning your outfit that has your favorite sports team and/or gear for your favorite sport. I found an excellent bowling shirt I think I might wear.
• PTO Meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 14 – Not this week, but next week on Tuesday, November 14th is the November PTO meeting. Meetings are now back to the small group of dedicated regular parents, so it’s great if staff can volunteer their time to come to the meeting to show support. This is the meeting where they’re finalizing plans for staff meals during conferences later this month!
• Safety Week Feedback – Please send me feedback on any of the safety drills we practiced last week. I’d particularly like to hear any “what if” types of questions that may have come up for you or for students that we should address. Principals are supposed to get more information at an all admin meeting later this month regarding reunification sites for Lockdown: Evacuation Drills, so hopefully I’ll have more information to share on that soon.
• Energy Assistance Programs – The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) opened in Lane County Wednesday, November 1st. Linked here is the LIHEAP Program Flyer (English and Spanish), the LIHEAP Agency Contact List, and an Income Limits Quick Reference Guide. To get on the list, families can call an LIHEAP agency or they can go on-line and place themselves on the list (which is the faster of the two).
• Staff North Eugene Visioning Process, Wednesday, 4:00-6:00 – I CC’d staff on a parent email regarding the next steps for the North Eugene Visioning Process, but I did not include in that email information on a Staff Only North Region Visioning Staff Event happening this Wednesday, November 8th, 4:00-6:00 at North Eugene High School. See the Facebook Event Page or the linked flyer details.
• Staff Directory Photos – If there’s anyone who likes their new school picture better than the one posted on the Howard Staff Directory, let me know and I can update it.
• TaeKwonDo Demonstration Team Assembly? – The same TaeKwonDo group who performed for us last year are offering to again come again if teachers are interested. See the linked TaeKwonDo Demo Team Flyer for details about their motivational assembly for students with a traditional demonstration of TaeKwonDo. If I hear from enough teachers who’d like to attend this assembly, I’ll go ahead and schedule them to come.
• REPEAT: Nov. 8 Number Talks Change for LEL & Math Info – Wednesday’s Number Talks trainings was moved and instead I’ll be presenting information downtown wants principals to share regarding the LEL (Learning About Learning) visit we’ll have next week on Wednesday, November 15th. There is also an extended Math Teacher Leader update downtown asked to be shared, which we’ll also do at this same meeting.
• REPEAT: Artist in Residence – I shared this back at the start of the year, but the Eugene Rotary is working with downtown to bring Artists in Residence to the ten schools in 4J with the highest poverty. The only thing they ask for in return is that schools (or at least some classes) make a larger project instead of individual ones that the Rotary Club can auction off at a future Art Spark fundraiser to continue supporting artists in schools annually. Please take a look at the Lane Arts Artist in Residence website for artists we might want to select and also think about when you might want them to come. In the past we’ve scheduled artists toward the end of the school year, but if we have time at Wednesday’s meeting, I’d like to make a decision on this.
• Quick Classroom Exercises to Combat Stress – See this Edutopia article for how these brain breaks and focused-attention practices can help students cope with stress and trauma and better focus on their learning.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
November 5 (SU)
Daylight Savings Time – Fall BackNovember 6 (M)
2:30-3:30, 2nd Grade Job-Share Interviews (Conference Room)
5:30-7:30, North Region Visioning Community Engagement Event (Madison)November 7 (T)
8:15-11:15, Allan to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
2:30-3:30 IPBS Meeting (Mellissa’s Room, Room 23)November 8 (W)
Wacky Wednesday – Favorite Sports Day
2:30-3:30, Teacher Team Time Meeting (Ashley’s Room, Room 25)
4:00-6:00, 4J Staff: North Region Visioning Staff Engagement Event (NEHS)November 9 (H)
9:00, October Book Winners (Conference Room)
2:30-3:30, TLT Meeting (Angela’s Room, Room 24)November 10 (F)
Veterans Day – No SchoolNovember 13 (M)
TAG Testing Window Opens (Nov. 13-17)November 14 (T)
11:50-1:45, 3rd Grade to Symphony (Hult Center)
12:00, Allan Covering Classroom
3:00-7:00, 4J First Aid Class (Library)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Community Room)November 15 (W)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
8:00-3:15, Learning About Learning (LEL) Visit (Community Room)
9:00, Deadline for Conference Spanish Translations
2:30-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Rae’s Room, Room 1)November 16 (H)
3:30-5:30, 4J Kinder Core Team Meeting (STEAM Room)November 17 (F)
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting
5:00-8:00, PTO Family Night (Cafeteria/Gym)
Enjoy the Halloween photos below. I love that during our “serious” picture there is still a fair amount of mischief going on when you look close.
Have a great four-day week, everyone!
Allan
Serious
Silly
