http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=9426
Howdy Roadrunners,
Hope you all had an enjoyable four days off of school.
Fourteen items of note for this week:
• Balancing the Holidays in Your Classroom/School – While teachers are guaranteed a certain level of academic freedom in what they teach, we want to balance that with being inclusive of all students and families, so please be mindful of your class activities and displays. The constitutions of the United States and the state of Oregon require school districts to take a neutral position concerning religion. This Teaching Tolerance Article serves as a nice reminder, where the author writes that each year at this time, teachers are faced with a dilemma: How to balance the holidays to create the most inclusive environment? As Hanukkah and Christmas approach, many teachers will decorate with candy canes and construction-papered dreidels, but there are more holidays being celebrated this month. Muharram begins this month, the liturgical new year of the Islamic calendar. Meanwhile, Buddhists celebrate Bodhi Day this month. December also marks Kwanzaa, the Hindu family holiday Pancha Ganapati, and Yule for pagans. Many secular people either have winter solstice parties or observe no holidays at all. “By opening our hearts and minds to all religious traditions, we are serving the greater good and our connections with others grow deeper.” See the above link for more related articles and this link for additional resources. Winter themed activities, such as these WeAreTeachers Winter Craft Ideas, are always an option as well.
• CLC Staffing Updates – We originally posted for one additional CLC EA position, but given the level of need in the CLC this year, SSD approved hiring two new EAs and we have hired Tyler Connor, currently a Howard CLC 1:1 EA for a 5th grade student, and also Amber Callier, who comes to us from Georgia where she was a special education EA. Amber will start on Wednesday and tith Tyler shifting positions in the CLC, I’ve submitted to post for his CLC 1:1 EA position, so keep your eyes peeled for that position and let any good candidates know they should apply.
• PBIS Team Survey – See Mellissa’s PBIS Email for details, but the PBIS team wants your feedback on our Tailfeather Challenge to help planning for the future. Follow this link to the Tailfeather Challenge Feedback Form.
• Friday Early Release PD & Feedback – Also mentioned in Mellissa above email, this Friday’s Early Release PD is designated as a Behavior Framework work session and we’re looking for teacher feedback. Downtown suggested some items in the above email, which are also below, but we want to know from teachers what would be useful to you. What are some areas of concern, topics needing discussion, or even ways we can support one another related to our Tier 1 Behavior Systems here at Howard? Let me and Mellissa know your thoughts by Wednesday so we can make this time productive for staff.
• Share and discuss your SWIS data
• Share and discuss your climate survey data from last year
• share and suits your school’s Kindness Project efforts
• Share out your school’s PBIS Action Plan (or finalize it if not done)
• Get feedback from grade level (or other) teams on this year’s action plan and/or other items (drafts of documents, discipline flow charts, etc…)
• Use data plan for reteaching and boosters following Winter Break• December PBIS Focus: Generosity – The December PBIS monthly focus is Generosity. The PBIS team created a PBIS/Caring School Community Cheat Sheet that matches our monthly PBIS themes with corresponding Caring School Community class meeting lessons, which is a nice way to tie the two activities together.
• Fire Drill, Tuesday, December 10th @1:10 – Not this week, but next week on Tuesday, December 10th at 1:10 will be the December Fire Drill.
• Oregon State Library Information System user name and password (OSLIS) – Attached in my email, but not on my blog is a handout you can use for yourself or with students. Please remember, the user name and password may NOT be posted on any web site. When connecting to OSLIS from inside the school district buildings, there is no need for a user name and password. From outside the school district, students must log in.
• SPLASH! Grants Due Friday – As in the past, the City of Eugene is providing their SPLASH! curriculum this school year along with grant funding for instruction in science. Applications are due this Friday. See the SPLASH Email sent to teachers earlier this month or the SPLASH! Website for details. To apply go to the Grant Application Site.
• App Approval Request Form – A reminder for teachers if you want an app added to student iPads, there is a new App Approval Request Form that needs to be filled out when requesting apps that are not the Approved Apps List. This is to be done before sending an email to 4jdesktop@4j.lane.edu. The Tech Department is trying to make sure they are compliant with Federal Laws, particularly around accessibility. If you’re following these links at home, you’ll need to use the 4J VPN.
• Hour of Code 2019 Next Week! – Next week, December 9-13 is Computer Science Education Week / Hour of Code. Let me know if any of you are doing something cool for the Hour of Code. I’d love to see if we can get some media coverage for some of our activities during Computer Science Education Week. See the above links for some fun and easy online actives for all grade levels. Khan Academy also has quite a few quality activities and Edutopia has quite a few links as well.
• UO International Cultural Service Program (ICSP) – I shared about ICSP earlier in the year, but the new ICSP Online Brochure is now available. They offer free presentations and classroom visits by specially trained international UO students. They can give educational and cultural presentations, participate in panel discussions, and introduce a wide array of activities such as music, dancing, storytelling, religious ceremonies, and martial arts. You can request ICSP students to do presentations through this the ICSP Registration Website or send an email to icsp@uoregon.edu. For more information, please visit the ICSP Website.
• REPEAT: 2019-2020 Mandatory Elementary School Bus Safety Training – Gold start to who have already done this! As required by OAR 581-53-002, all students must receive instructions on bus safety before the end of December 2019. Linked here is an updated Bus Training Info Sheet (English and Spanish) which can be used to help with bus safety instruction, but all classroom teachers need to do is show one of two 12-minute bus safety videos (the Newer Bus Evacuation Training Video or the quaint 1990s classic The Safest Way Out) and then tell Lori the date you showed it.
• What Mister Rogers taught us about communication – When Fred Rogers talked, people listened and understood because he was always truthful, precise and gave people time to process his message, writes Chet Wade, a consultant who teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University. “What made Fred so effective was when he talked about bad things, he also talked about how to deal with them,” Wade writes. This Forbes Article is about leadership, but I think it also applies to working with students. See above linked article for the complete list of 10 lessons that can be learned from Mr. Rogers, which includes Speak to individuals, not groups, Appreciate the power of the pause, and Be yourself.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events for the next two weeks:
December 2 (M)
PBIS Monthly Theme – Generosity
TAG Testing Window Opens
Artist in Residence – Glass-Fusing Fun! w/Rachell Jarvis Continues
10:30, Junior Achievement Presentation (Kreider)
1:15, Junior Achievement Presentation (Niccum)
3:45-5:15, Allan to Elementary Principal Meeting (Ed Center)December 3 (T)
8:40, Allan to Formal Observation
11:25, Allan to Formal Observation
2:45-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Matt’s Room, RM25)December 4 (W)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
Monthly Walk + Roll to School Day
2:30, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Committee Meeting (Ed Center)December 5 (H)
2:30, Allan to Parent Meeting (Office)December 6 (F)
Popcorn Friday!
SPLASH! Grants Due
1:30, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title Room, RM26)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Behavior Framework (Library)December 7 (SA)
9:00-2:00, Howard Holiday Bazaar (Gym & Cafeteria)December 9 (M)
Computer Science Education Week / Hour of Code
Artist in Residence – Glass-Fusing Fun! w/Rachell Jarvis Continues
10:30, Junior Achievement Presentation (Kreider)
1:15, Junior Achievement Presentation (Niccum)December 10 (T)
9:00-10:30, Allan to All admin Meeting (Ed Center)
12:15, Allan to Formal Observation
1:10, Fire Drill
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Matt’s Room, RM25)December 11 (W)
11:10-2:30, Data Team Meetings (Conference Room)Kinder 11:10-12:10
3rd Grade 12:20-1:20
5th Grade 1:30-2:30December 12 (H)
8:00-2:00, Dental Screening Team, Varnish + Sealants (Community Room)
8:10-11:55, Data Team Meetings (Conference Room)2nd Grade 8:10-9:10
1st Grade 9:30-10:30
4th Grade 10:55-11:55December 13 (F)
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – PLC (Library)
Make it a great start to December, everyone!
Allan
