http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=8939
Happy Staff Appreciation Week,
This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, which is a week to give explicit thanks to teachers and I’d like to take the opportunity to recognize ALL of our awesome staff and what you do for students each and every day. It’s not just teaching kids to learn to read and write, but it’s all the other things you do for kids that aren’t in the standards or in the adopted curriculum or on the state assessment. It’s teaching kids how to be good little humans, it’s giving them a safe place when they need it, it’s making them laugh with a corny joke, it’s making them feel happy to come to school. With so many staff who value and take the time to do all these things is what makes Howard such a special place. You all are the best and I’m so happy and proud to be part of our amazing team!
The PTO is working to recognize ALL Howard staff, classified and licensed, this week, so look for goodies in the Staff Room this week!
Thirteen items of note for this week:
• 2019-2020 Staffing Updates – With Katie becoming full-time CLC next year, SSD has placed Emmanuel Gemorra into our half-time Learning Center position. Emmanuel is currently teaching in the K-2 behavior classroom at Fox Hollow, and next year will be 0.5 with Howard and 0.5 at Buena Vista. Emmanuel will be at Howard in the morning and BV in the afternoons since Howard is on the early start and BV is on the later start time. Also, our TSS, Peggy, will be leaving us next year to spend more time supporting schools and staff with WordPress and our TSS for next year will be Jyllian Martini, who is currently at Kelly, Twin Oaks, Family School, and ECCO, but next year will be at Kelly, Howard, and River Road. Jyllian was heavily involved with Kelly’s iPad rollout this year so she’s very familiar with schools with 1:1 iPads. Please welcome Emmanuel and Jyllian to the excellent Howard Team!
On a related note, SSD is not placing anyone into our 3-hour Learning Center EA position, so that job should get posted soon, possibly as early as this week. If you know anyone good who’d be good or interested, be sure to tell them to apply. I’ve asked HR to post it through May 28th.
• Classified Staff May 8th Plan – See Charis’ email for details on the plan for classified staff on May 8th, but the short version is this is a regular work day for classified staff. All classified staff are to report to the school first and then to ATA by 10:30 for professional development (unless you have made alternate plans with me). See the linked May 8th PD Schedule and also the Registration Directions for how to sign-up for sessions at http://4jpd.net Let me know if you have any questions.
• 2019-2020 Consumables Order: Please Complete by May 17 – Teachers were sent and email regarding consumable order for next year for Being a Writer, Journeys, LearnZillion, and FOSS Science. All order must be completed by the end of next week. Here’s a direct link to the Google Spreadsheet.
• Grade Book Training & Report Card Marks – Brooke emailed principals and asked us to share the following information:
Dear Teachers,
For those interested, the district will be having some additional Elementary GradeBook training for the second semester grading period, please be on the look out for an email from Tammy Christensen with specifics about dates and times.
In addition, we have some clarification of the report card marks, we want to make sure staff are clear about the percentages and marks 1-4. The 1-4 marks are not rubric scores.
This image shows the percent ranges the Elementary Report Card Sub-Committee assigned to each mark. Note the percent range necessary to earn each mark on the report card.
For a more detailed explanation of the report card marks, watch this video (You must be on a school network or VPN to view this page). The percentages in this video have been rounded. The percentages listed above are more accurate.
After watching the video, please direct your questions to sis@4j.lane.edu.
Thanks
Brooke
• 2019-2020 Master Schedule Survey Results – The results of the Master Schedule Survey are in and a majority of responses favored doing a 15 minutes morning recess with a 35 minute lunch/recess (15 minutes lunch and 20 minutes recess) and a 10 minute movement break and/or recess supervised by teachers (which would not be required on Fridays). 70% wanted the above plan, 25% wanted the current schedule, and 5% wanted a 15/30/15 minute split. For Math Booster, with Title 1 no longer being able to support math with our current budget, a majority of staff favored eliminating this from the schedule, with 65% in favor of eliminating, 30% in favor of keeping (including one vote to keep it if there are any grades Title 1 can serve), and 5% who could go either way. We’ll share a draft master schedule soon for feedback and adjustments, but as always, the schedule will never be prefect or all things to all people.
• Wacky Wednesday – Tie Dye Day, May 15 – Not this week, but next week is a Wacky Wednesday and it’s Tie Dye Day, so get your students excited to wear their tie dye clothes and/or multicolored clothes this day!
• Student Care Team News – Two items related to the Student Care Team:
• Expanding Looking Glass at Howard – At our last meeting, it came up how we have many students needing ongoing counseling, but a limited number of spots. Since that meeting I’ve been working with Lynn Booth (our former LG counselor who is now in charge of LG counselors in schools). Lynn told me last week that she’s gotten support from her supervisor for a second full-time counselor at Howard next year, who could potentially serve both Howard and Kelly students. It’s not a completely done deal, but it’s quite likely our current LG counselor, Audra Steinberg, will have a colleague working here next year. Stay tuned!
• Courage Kids Summer Camp Sign Up – Courageous Kids offers a free 4 day/3 night camp for youth grades 1st-12th who have experienced the death of a loved one. Space is limited so register quickly. See the linked flyer for details about this year’s camp and please share with any students or families who you think would benefit.
• REPEAT: May Artist in Residence Schedule – Noah Philpot (and Fooble the Dragon) is starting his Puppetry and Storytelling artist in residency this Monday. Linked here is the Artist in Residency Schedule, which is unchanged from last week. Noah will keep his materials on a cart in the Staff Room and his plan for this four days with each class will be:
Day 1: Intro to puppetry with “Fooble the Dragon” and drawing designs for puppets
Day 2: Coloring the socks and cutting out parts from craft foam (we will need class scissors)
Day 3: Assembly and gluing, completing the puppets
Day 4: Puppet Show! Fooble the dragon will return and interview each of the students puppets. Feel free to film for classroom use, and invite parents to observe.• REPEAT: Friday Early Release PD: CANCELLED next two weeks – This Friday is a make-up day for the missed hour of prep on May 3rd, so there will be no Friday Early Release meeting this week.
• REPEAT: Don’t Touch the OAKS Testing Snacks – Remember that the snacks in the Staff Room (Bananas, GoGurt, String Cheese, Granola Bars) are for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during state testing. They are NOT up for grabs.
• New study suggests that greeting students with a positive message yields benefits – The study suggests that teachers should greet students individually by name, as well as use a non-verbal greeting, and make positive and pre-corrective statements encouraging good behavior or suggesting how the student should begin the day. See this Education Dive article for details.
• 17 Things You Can Do While Actively Monitoring a Standardized Test – Testing season is here! And that means active monitoring. Okay, this is not a serious article, but WeAreTeachers have some ideas that will keep your mind and body occupied without breaking any testing rules.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:
May 6 (M)
Staff/Teacher Appreciation Week
Artist in Residence – Puppetry and Storytelling Begins
Children’s Book Week
OSAS (formerly OAKS) Testing Continues
Spring Benchmark Testing – easyCBM Begins
Walk & Roll to School Challenge Begins (2 weeks)
8:45-5:45, 5th Grade to Outdoor School
12:00-2:00, Allan to Title 1 Coordinators’ Work Session (Ed Center)
3:30, Allan to Truancy Hearing (Office)May 7 (T)
8:45-5:45, 5th Grade to Outdoor School
9:00-12:00, Corliss to Nearby Nature Field Trip
10:15, Allan leading Head Start KG Transition Tour
11:10, Allan to Formal Observation
4:30-5:30, 4J PERS Presentation (Ed Center)May 8 (W)
Day of Action – No Students
Non-Workday for Licensed Staff
Regular Workday for Classified and Admin Staff
10:00, Allan Meeting with School Garden Project (Office)
11:00, Allan Meeting with Smarty Ants Rep (Office)May 9 (H)
7:20-5:15, 2nd Grade to Oregon Zoo
12:00-12:30, Allan Covering ClassroomMay 10 (F)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting
1:25-2:00, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:00, Allan Meeting w/Parent (Office)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – CANCELLED Make-Up for 5/3May 11 (SA)
10:30-1:00, MEDIA EVENT: EWEB Live Test of the Emergency Well (Small Soccer Field/Parking Lot)May 12 (SU)
Mother’s DayMay 13 (M)
Last Week for Library Checkout
Artist in Residence – Puppetry and Storytelling Continues
OSAS (formerly OAKS) Testing Continues
Spring Benchmark Testing – easyCBM Continues
Walk & Roll to School Challenge ContinuesMay 14 (T)
8:30-12:00, Allan to All Admin & Elem Princpals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
8:30-12:30, LCC Dental Clinic
9:00-12:30, Fluoride Varnish (Community Room)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Erin’s Room, RM22)
3:00-5:00, BEST Spring Showcase (Cafeteria)
4:00-8:00, First Aid Class (Library)May 15 (W)
Wacky Wednesday – Tie Dye Day
Last Day to Order Using Purchase Orders
11:00-1:00, United Way Visiting Preschool
2:45-4:45, ESSA Meeting (Conference Room)May 16 (H)
7:00-8:00, BEST String Concert (tentative)May 17 (F)
Last Day for OAKS Testing
Licensed Interventionists (Title & SPED) PLC – Virtual Meeting
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Math PLC (Library)
Be sure to get out in the sun this week!
Allan
