http://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=9474
Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a pleasant breaks and were able to connect with friends and family. My break started with everyone in my house except me getting sick, though everyone was fine by Christmas. We spent the new year in Yachats, I also grew a ridiculous horseshoe mustache, and finished season 1 of The Wire, which I highly recommend.
Twenty items of note for this week:
• REPEAT: January 6th PD Day – For details, see David Jacobsen’s Jan. 6 PD Email, the List of PD Sessions & Schedule and TalentEd Develop (TED) Registration Directions. Here’s the short version:
Classified: 8:00-10:30, register online at TalentEd Develop (TED) for a menu to training opportunities being offered at Chavez, ATA, and the Ed Center. 10:30-1:30 is travel, lunch, and prep time. 1:30-4:00 Behavior Framework focused on disproportionality and bias in discipline practices, as well as other building PD topics (hoods-in-school rule included).
Since this schedule is 8-hours, classified staff can choose to attend the half of the day that you feel would be more valuable to you or you could also work extra hours this day as Trade Time to be used on Friday, January 31st for Grading Day.
• Licensed: 8:00-10:30, register online at TalnetEd Develop (TED) for a menu to technology training opportunities at Churchill High School. If you get into a session that’s not what you wanted, vote with your feed and go to a different one. 10:30-1:30, is travel & lunch (1-hour) and protected prep time (2-hours). 1:30-4:00 Behavior Framework focused on disproportionality and bias in discipline practices, as well as other building PD topics (hoods-in-school rule included).
• Hoods in School Decision – One building item for Monday’s afternoon meeting will be a decision around whether we want to keep or change our current school rule about hoods only being worn outside. We’ll discuss at the meeting, but the reasons I’m hearing for keeping or changing the rule are primarily around issues of EQUITY (here are two articles that made me think and reconsider some: Hoodies, Hats, and Cultural Nuance and ‘Take Your Hood Off’ and Other Teacher Microaggressions), SAFETY (District policy does allow clothing restrictions if it affects participation in the educational program or threatens the safety of others), and RELATIONSHIPS (Is enforcing this rule worth the potential loss of relationship capital with a student?).
One compromise I’ve heard from a number of folks on both side of the issue is to allow hoods in class with teacher permission, but not in common areas inside the building, which does address the safety concerns, since if a teacher can’t differentiate the identities of students they’ve had in class for months, there’s a bigger problem than “hoodies” going on. Hidden headphones may still happen, but that seems to be fairly rare.
• PBIS January Rules Review Tues. & Wed. – A reminder there will be a PBIS Rules Review at morning recesses Tuesday and Wednesday. This is also a good time for classroom teachers to review the PBIS Back-to-School Refresher Google slide show.
• January PBIS Focus: Be Your Best – The January PBIS monthly focus is “Be Your Best.” The PBIS team created a PBIS/CSC 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.
• CLC EA Interviews Tuesday – We will conduct interviews for a CLC 1:1 EA position this Tuesday at 2:35-3:30 if any staff are interested in joining. Just let me know and I’ll print you an interview packet.
• Friday Early Release PD – This Friday’s Early Release PD is designated as a PLC work session. Grade level teams will continue their work from last month’s PLC meeting.
• EA Supervisors Meeting Moved – The January EA supervisors meeting was originally scheduled for this Friday, but I had to move it to the following Friday, January 17th, due to a conflict.
• Family Science Night Friday! – This Friday is a PTO Family Science Night. Pizza and science experiment supplies will be provided by Title 1 Parent Involvement Funds, so it will be a completely free event. The PTO is planning on having six different stations for families to conduct science experiments. Be sure to get students pumped for this event!
• School Choice Visitation Week & Info – School Choice season has begun and the Annual School Showcase will be this Saturday at the Ed Center, 10:00-12:00 if any staff are interested/willing to help me brag about our school. This event is for families to learn about all 4J schools in one place at the same time. Although Howard is already packed to the gills and already closed to all transfers, it is a chance to for us to retain families considering other schools. Breakfast is provided for staff helping at the event. Let me know if any of you are interested/willing to help promote Howard and tell families why they should come to our amazing school!
Three related items:
• School Choice Visitation Week – Next week, January 13-17, is the first School Choice Visitation Week, so be prepared for families to drop by classrooms over the course of the week. The second visitation week is Jan. 27-30.
• School Choice Evening Presentations – I’m holding two school choice evening presentations/tours. The first will be Thursday, January 16th 6:00-7:00 and the second will be Tuesday, January 28th 6:00-7:00, if any staff are interested/willing in helping me talk about our awesome school.
• School Choice Window, Jan 1-31 – The deadline for school choice applications at the end of the month, January 31st. Students who live outside of 4J may apply March 1–31. More details on all of this can be found on the 4J School Choice Webpages.
• January PTO Meeting, Tuesday, Jan. 14 – Not this week, but next week on Tuesday, January 14th at 6:00 in the Community Room is the January PTO meeting if any staff are able to attend.
• BJ’s Resturant Fundraiser, Jan. 15 – Wednesday, January 15th is the January PTO Resturant Fundraiser and it’s at BJ’s Resturant. For this fundraiser you need to bring a digital or printed copy of the Fundraiser Flyer.
• Fun Friday, Jan. 17 – Career Day, – Not this Friday, but Friday, January 17th is a Fun Friday and it’s Career Day, so start planning you dress-up ideas and get kids jazzed to come dressed up as astronauts, doctors, and ninjas!
• Kids in the Game for Sports Registration Fees – Feel free to share with families, and we’ll include this in the next school newsletter, KIDS in the GAME is a nonprofit that provides financial assistance to low income families for sports registration fees. Kids, ages 4-18 on a Free & Reduced Lunch plan qualify, which is all Howard students since we are a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school. See additional information on the above website or flyer.
For CEP schools, families need to upload one of the following with their Online Application:
• SNAP
• WIC
• Foster care letter
• Student ID card – with name, school year, and school connected to application
• Student report card – with name of student, date, and school connected to applicationAll documentation must contain the athletes name, date/s, and school.
• Reminder: Lunchtime Hand-Washing – Downtown let me know a parent posted on the district Facebook Page over the break their child was not being allowed to wash their hands before lunch. I let them know this is odd since there are two sinks right in the cafeteria, but said I would remind teachers to prompt students about hand washing before lunch if they didn’t already in the classroom.
• District McKinney-Vento Student Data – Linked here is the district-wide McKinney-Vento Student Report. These totals represent students for the entire school year, not necessarily who’s in buildings now. As in the past, Howard serves more homeless students and families than any other elementary, middle, or high school in 4J. If you do the math, almost 10% of Howard students qualify as McKinney-Vento.
• REPEAT: SSA Survey, Phase 2 Closes TUESDAY — Make sure your opinions are heard on the 4J Student Success Act Survey – Phase 2. The survey closes Tuesday.
• REPEAT: Saudi Arabian Educators – I emailed teaches earlier, but if you are willing to host an educators from Saudi Arabia taking classes at the UO winter and spring term you can get paid $300 per term. There are two cohorts looking for placements. One group is fluent in English and would work in classrooms 20 hours per week both winter and spring term. The second group would work in classrooms on Fridays winter term and then transition to 20 hours per week spring term. They are hoping to start January 13th, so let me know as soon as possible if you’re interested.
• Take it to the Court for Education School Grant – The Trail Blazers Foundation is providing $150,000 in grants to schools across Oregon. Schools may apply for up to $10,000 in support of their academic, art, athletic and community programs. Application are due Sunday, January 12th. Click here to view the application and official guidelines.
• 2019 Education Research Highlights – Does doodling boost learning? Do attendance awards work? Do boys and girls process math the same way? This Edutopia Article looks at the big questions that researchers tackled this year, which includes:
• To remember something, draw it (but be careful with doodling)
• Awards don’t boost attendance – teachers do
• Cut the arts at your own risk
• Fewer warnings for black students
• Studies on disability emphasizes early intervention• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events for the next two weeks:
January 6 (M)
No School – PD/Planning Day
8:00-12:00, Allan to Title IX Training (Ed Center)CLASSIFIED
8:00-10:30, Classified Trainings – Various Times (Chavez, ATA, Ed Center)
10:30-1:30, Travel, Lunch, and Planning
1:30-4:00, Behavior Framework & Building PD (Cafeteria)LICENSED
8:00-10:30, Licensed Tech Training (Churchill HS)
10:30-1:30, Travel, Lunch, and Planning
1:30-4:00, Behavior Framework & Building PD (Cafeteria)January 7 (T)
PBIS Monthly Theme – Be Your Best
PBIS Rules Reviewed – AM Recess (Playground)
9:00, Allan to Truancy Hearings (Conference Room)
2:30-3:30, CLC EA Interviews (Conference Room)
2:45-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Ashley’s Room, RM25)January 8 (W)
PBIS Rules Reviewed – AM Recess (Playground)January 9 (H)
Regular DayJanuary 10 (F)
Popcorn Friday!
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – PLC (Library)
5:30-7:30, PTO Family Science Night (Cafeteria)January 11 (SA)
School Choice Showcase (Ed Center)January 13 (M)
School Choice Visitation Week #1
3:45-5:15, Allan to Elementary Principal Meeting (Ed Center)January 14 (T)
9:00-11:30, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Matt’s Room, RM21)January 15 (W)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No GroupsKG 11:10-12:10
3rd Grade 12:20-1:20
5th Grade 1:30-2:3011:10-2:30, PLC Meetings – KG, 5th, 3rd (Conference Room)
12:10-1:10, BRING Classroom Presentation (Kreider)
1:15-2:15, BRING Classroom Presentation (Peterson)
4:00-10:00, PTO B.J.’s Resturant Fundraiser
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Community Room)January 16 (H)
8:10-11:55, PLC Meetings – 1st, 2nd, 4th (Conference Room)2nd 8:10-9:10
1st 9:30-10:30
4th 10:55-11:5510:25-11:25, BRING Classroom Presentation (Niccum)
1:15-2:15, BRING Classroom Presentation (Charpie)
6:00-7:00, School Choice Evening Presentation & Tour (Library)January 17 (F)
Fun Friday! – Career Day
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting
1:30-2:00, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Rest & Recovery Room (Library)January 20 (M)
No School – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
And if you missed it the week before winter break, Howard was in the Register Guard again for The Hour of Code!
Allan
