November 13, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/11/11 09:47 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Video  |  Comments Off on November 13, 2023

 

Hi Everyone,

My 98-year-old dad peacefully passed away Friday morning. My mom and I had the idea of playing him Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade, one of his favorite songs from his youth (he saw them live many times in 1930s NYC), and as the song ended he quietly passed. Thank you, all, for understanding my having to leave unexpectedly last week. I’ll be back to work Monday and don’t feel you need to treat me with kid gloves. Feel free to pile on, just like normal, which is what works best for me. 

Fifteen items of note for this week:

• Lead Water Testing, MONDAY/TUESDAY – A 4J environmental consultant, PBS, will be onsite this week to conduct ODE-required drinking water lead testing throughout the school. PBS will arrive Monday evening before testing to place “Do Not Use” tags on fixtures to ensure water stays stagnant for the required 8-12 hours before sample collection. They will then return Tuesday morning to conduct testing on the required fixtures. All tag placement and sample collection will be completed during off hours, so it should have no impact on fixture use throughout the school day. See this email for details, but unless you’re staying late or arriving early, you won’t even notice.

 

• Grade Level Team Meetings, TUESDAY – The first two Tuesdays of the month on non-Staff Meeting weeks are dedicated Grade Level Team Meeting times. Teams should:

• Meet in their wing so specialists can connect if needed
• Take care of any needed team business
• Complete the Team Meeting Minutes Form (make a copy) and email it to holt_staf@4j.lane.edu

The Team Meeting Minutes Form can also be found on the Holt Staff Dashboard.

 

• Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, TUESDAY – Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is Tuesday so please encourage your kiddo to walk, roll, or carpool this day. Shared earlier are some resources including the Day of Dialogue Teachers’ Project Guide to Supporting Changemakers.

 

• Holt Night Out – Panda Express @VRC, THURSDAY – Thursday is a Holt Night Out Fundraiser at Panda Express at Valley River Center, so be sure to talk it up to your students. Bring the Panda Express Event Flyer (English or Spanish), paper, or smartphone, when you order, or use the fundraiser code “363024” if ordering online. The PTO also wants folks to save their receipts and submit them at shopandlog.com/VRC or turn them in at the office for the PTO School Cents Fundraiser (English or Spanish).

 

• Holt Spirit Day, FRIDAY, Backwards Day! – Friday is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Backwards Day! Get kids excited to wear everything backward; backward shirts, pants, hats, backpacks, etc. or kids can simply wear their Holt spirit gear (maybe backward).

 

• Magic & Balloon Sculpting Assembly, FRIDAY – The November monthly School Spirit Assembly is a combo assembly with a fun Magic & Balloon Sculpting Assembly this Friday The K-2 assembly is 8:05-8:55 and the grade 3-5 assembly is 9:05-9:55.

 

• Conference Info – Since we didn’t meet this past Wednesday regarding conferences, I wanted to highlight the following:

• Individual Contact of Non-Scheduled Families – Teachers should make individual contact with any families not signed up for a conference yet. A phone call or text would be best. Google Voice or TextNow are good options if you don’t want to text using your real cell number).

• Share w/Families “Conscious Discipline Parent Nights” – If it comes up at conferences that parents are struggling with behavior at home, share with them the parent education series coming up in January being led by Jenny, Kendallyn, and Keri Sage called “School to Heart to Home – Conscious Discipline Parent Nights.” We’ll put some fliers in the staff room for folks to have on hand, but it will be every Tuesday for 8 weeks, Jan. 9 – Feb. 27. Parents should reserve a spot by contacting Jenny at (541) 790-6173 or potter_je@4j.lane.edu or teachers can pass parent contact info to Jenny as well.

• Prep for Kids & Siblings – Make sure you have some toys, paper, drawing/coloring, games, or other materials outside your classroom to occupy any students and/or siblings who come to conferences.

• Zoom Option – I’m still not advertising Zoom, but I am putting a note in the Quick News that this is the only time we are offering conferences, but for families to contact their child’s teacher if they cannot attend on either of these dates so alternate plans can be made. If families do reach out saying they cannot come on these dates, that’s when teachers offer them Zoom, but just so we’re all on the same page, we are not to meet with families outside of Nov. 20 and 21. Interestingly, NYC exclusively did Zoom conference last year and saw a 40% drop in parent participation according to this ChalkBeat Article.

 

• Know Your Role During Inclement Weather – Principals were asked to share the 2023–24 Hazardous Weather Conditions Information (i.e. snow days). The short version is school cancellations will be made on the 4J Website, Facebook, X (@4Jweather & @4Jschools), and local news stations, though FlashAlertEugene always seems to announce it first. If there is no announcement, it means school is happening like normal. If school is canceled, only the principal, secretary, and custodial staff report to work. Let me know if you have any questions on this.

 

• Harassment Reporting Forms – If you ever wondered, “Where do the Harassment Forms on our technology desktops ‘go’?” This HR Email says the forms are reviewed at the district (Instruction) and then routed to the building principals for action/follow-up.

 

• Exploding Whale Date Correction – My calendar last week was incorrect. The infamous Exploding Whale Incident happened November 12, 1970, so Sunday is the official day to celebrate this important day in Oregon history. This article points out it’s also the same date infamous Oregonian figure skater Tonya Harding was born.

• Join the Holt Walker Tracker Team! – I’ve been using the Walker Tracker app (iOS and Android) for a while to complete against other 4J staff on who can get the most steps, but I just realized there’s a Walker Tracker Holt Team, so if you’re so inclined, join the team and let’s compete in the “Where’s Waldo” challenge that starts today (Nov. 12). Winning teams get $300 for their school and one category is simply which team signs up the most new members, so sign up today!

 

• Thanksgiving Lessons Reminder  – Here’s my annual reminder about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Staff should keep in mind that student conceptions of Native Americans often come from classroom activities around the First Thanksgiving. These conceptions of Native Americans gained from such early exposure are 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 also avoid stereotypes (ie. no warbonnets) It’s often 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 at home. Some resources on what to avoid and what to teach can be found at the National Museum of the American Indian, Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), and Education World. This Google Doc links to a ton of read-aloud stories, primary sources, sites, and other information about Native and Indigenous People. Here is a good article with a Native American Perspective on Thanksgiving as well as one on The True Story of the First Thanksgiving. Also, the 4J Natives Program is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture. See last week’s announcements for links on American Indian Heritage Month.

EDIT: Added a few more resources. 4J Indian Education-SB13 Tribal History, History and Culture of the Mashpee Wampanoag, Brittanica School Wampanoag Article (log on through Clever), critically reviewed selection of books at Social Justice Books and North Central Regional Library.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• Fall Conferences Reminders – Several conference-related items:

• EMAIL Conference Schedules to Office – Email office staff a list of your conference dates and times. Parents often forget their time and call the office. Teachers should export their times in Calendly by logging onto their account, clicking SCHEDULED EVENTS, and then clicking EXPORT to get an XLS file you can email the office.

• Items to Review at Conferences – Teachers should review the Title 1 Compact, the Annual Permissions Form, and the Student Tech Contract (K-2 and 3-5) if you haven’t already, and if you would like, you can also use the Synergy Family Report, which has attendance, benchmark, and OSAS info. I’ll run these for teachers on Wednesday. 

• Language Link Phone Translations – See the 4J Language Link Interpreting Service webpage for step-by-step directions on how to do translations for in-person meetings, phone meetings, or Zoom meetings. The “cost center number” for Holt is 270.

• Conference Confirmation Form – Geoff shared this last year, but linked here is a Conference Confirmation Form I updated for this year, which teachers can use to remind families of their conference time.

• EA Assistance During Conferences Sign-Up – If teachers could use any help with prep or other tasks, add your name and the task to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. EAs should also add your name to the tasks you’d be willing to take on

• Staff Not in Conferences – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are regular work days for all staff who are not part of conferences and should work their regular hours at school. However, if you pre-arrange trade time with me to not work Wednesday, email me your plan ahead of time. HR Emailed principals they are also making a one-time exception to allow personal days on Wednesday for classified staff.

• Allan Available to Attend Conferences – Teachers can let me know if you have any tricky conferences you’d like me to attend. Send me a date & time (and a Zoom link if it’s on Zoom) and I’ll be there!

• Resources for Families – Should any families request assistance with food, clothing, housing/rental assistance, hygiene products, SNAP (food stamps) Benefits, Insurance, counseling, and such, please have them fill out the linked Helping Hand Online Form or contact Holt Family Resource Coordinator, Felicia LaCuesta, at lacuesta_f@4j.lane.edu or call her at (541)790-6174.

• Mandatory Bus Training – The Annual Bus Safety Training is due by the end of December. Teachers should review the following two handouts:

• Riding the School Bus Safely in English and Spanish
• Emergency Exits Handout

Let me know the date you reviewed the handouts, so I can add it to the completion form I need to submit downtown. There are videos teachers can show in addition to the handouts.

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Threats by Students – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Threats by Students:

Threats by Students
Schools are required to notify the parent of a student when another student makes threats of violence or harm or the student’s name appears on a targeted list that threatens violence or harm to the students on the list. The law requires verbal notice within 12 hours of learning of the threat and written notice within 24 hours, so staff should report threats to the principal as soon as possible.

 

•Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

November 12 (SU)
Exploding Whale Anniversary (KATU & Raw Meaty Footage)

November 13 (M)
Kinder, Staff Room Duty
7:30, Allan Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
9:00-2:00, 4th Fish Creek Field Trip (Benavides & Cobb)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

November 14 (T)
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
November Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
8:00, Allan Meeting w/Angela Crum (Office)
9:00-2:00, 4th Fish Creek Field Trip (Longoria & Reich)
9:30-12:10, 3rd Grade Music Field Trip
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

November 15 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Conferences Prep
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

November 16 (H)
Holt Night Out – Panda Express @VRC
Picture Retakes (Library)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
12:05, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Team Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

November 17 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Backward Day
8:05-8:55, K/1/2 Balloon & Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:05-9:55, 3/4/5 Balloon & Spirit Assembly (Gym)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity Meeting (Roosevelt)

November 20 (M)
ALL STAFF, Staff Room Duty
8:00-8:00, No School – Conferences

November 21 (T)
8:00-8:00, No School – Conferences

November 22 (W)
No School – Conference Comp Day

November 23 (H)
No School – Thanksgiving Holiday

November 24 (F)
No School – Thanksgiving Holiday

 

Hope everyone had a good 3-days off!

Allan

 

@gerrybrooksprin

Good try, but no! #parent #parenting #parentingtips #booktok #books #education #schoollife #funny #fun #delta #candy #sweet #sweets #swifties

♬ original sound – Gerrybrooksprin

 

November 6, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/11/04 20:33 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Equity, P.D., Video  |  Comments (1)

Hi Everyone,

We survived Halloween and are now being rewarded with a nice short week. 

Twenty-one items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – Two staffing updates:

• New Title 1 EA (Timmy Beick) – Timmy Beick has been hired as our new 4-hour Title 1 EA, filling Carol’s position, which he’s been subbing in for the past couple weeks. And if you didn’t know, Timmy is the son of SPED EA Molly Beick and also plays volleyball with our Family Resource Coordinator, Felicia, so we are keeping it in the family. Please welcome Timmy to the team!

• SPED EA Job Posting – I’ve modified our 7-hour SPED EA job posting to 6.5 hours and have shifted 30-minutes of that vacancy to Denice, who expressed interest in moving to 7-hours instead of 6.5 hours. I’ve asked HR to simply modify the job posting, but they may require us to post all over again, which will stretch the hiring process out longer, but Tiffany is planning to continue to subbing in this vacancy and is also planning to apply once it goes up.

 

• Stop, Walk, Talk Lesson 1 & 2 This Week – Teachers this week should teach Lessons #1 and #2 of the Stop Walk Talk Bully Prevention Lessons. The subsequent lessons are optional. The first lesson is on how to use Stop, Walk, Talk (you can skip the candle portion of the lesson) and the second lesson is on how to respond when someone tells YOU to stop. I forgot to share a Lesson 1 & 2 Slideshow shared last year, which anyone can feel free to use. Linked here is the Stop Walk Talk Resource Folder that’s on the Staff Google Drive, which has the poster I’ll get up around the school and other items.

 

 

 

• TAG Testing TUESDAY – Caitlin will notify teachers if you have any students who will be tested, but district TAG testers will be here Tuesday to conduct testing. I’m still working on a space for testing, but it may end up being in my office.

 

• Wednesday PD: 11/8 Staff Meeting – Wednesday at 1:30 will be a Staff Meeting instead of PE since we had to shift the November Leadership Meeting around due to all the non-school days. Let me know if you have any agenda items.

 

• Mid-Term Grading Day, THURSDAY – Downtown shared with principals that for Nov. 9, staff are expected to report to the building and be available to colleagues, with 3.75 hours of ELA Planning and 3.75 hours of Assessment and Conference Planning On a related note, their plan for the April 12 Mid Term Grading Day is for 3.75 hours of ELA Planning and 3.75 hours of Strategic Family Outreach.

 

• Nov. 9 Assistance Requests (EAs, Add Your Names) – If staff are needing assistance from EAs with anything on the Mid-Term Grading Day, add those tasks to the Nov. 9 EA Assistance Form. Last time around, most all EAs ended up being required to attend PD, but this time downtown is not pulling as many staff.

 

• Classified Staff Meeting, THURSDAY @9:00 – I’ll hold a Classified Staff Meeting at 9:00 to review Stop, Walk, Talk, do a supervision checking (make sure we are aligned on rules), and any other topics the group would like to discuss. Let me know if you have any agenda items. I know there is a district PD during this same time, but I’ve heard most EAs are not signing up for it since many EAs have already gone though Conscious Discipline and the others are Life Skills focused, but let me know if you are attending because I will reschedule the meeting to a later time if a number of staff are attending.

 

• Grade Level Team Meetings, Nov. 14 – The first two Tuesdays of the month on non-Staff Meeting weeks are dedicated Grade Level Team Meeting times. Teams should:

• Meet in their wing so specialists can connect if needed
• Take care of any needed team business
• Complete the Team Meeting Minutes Form (make a copy) and email it to holt_staf@4j.lane.edu

The Team Meeting Minutes Form can also be found on the Holt Staff Dashboard.

 

• Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, Nov. 14 – Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is Tuesday, Nov. 14, so please encourage your kiddo to walk, roll, or carpool this day. Share earlier are some resources including the Day of Dialogue Teachers’ Project Guide to Supporting Changemakers.

 

• Holt Night Out – Panda Express @VRC, Nov. 16 – Thursday, Nov. 16 is a Holt Night Out Fundraiser at Panda Express at Valley River Center, so be sure to talk it up to your students. Bring the Panda Express Event Flyer (English or Spanish), paper or smartphone, when you order or use the fundraiser code “363024” if ordering online. The PTO also wants folks to save their receipts and submit them at shopandlog.com/VRC or turn them in at the office for the PTO School Cents Fundraiser (English or Spanish).

 

• Holt Spirit Day, Nov. 17, Backwards Day! – Friday, Nov. 17 is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Backwards Day! Get kids excited to wear everything backwards; backwards shirts, pants, hats, backpacks, etc. or kids can simply wear their Holt spirit gear (maybe backwards).

 

• Magic & Balloon Sculpting Assembly, Nov. 17 – The November monthly School Spirit Assembly is a combo assembly with a fun Magic & Balloon Sculpting Assembly on Friday, Nov. 17. The K-2 assembly is 8:05-8:55 and the grade 3-5 assembly is 9:05-9:55.

 

• Elementary Admin Curriculum Updates – The linked 4J Elementary Admin Curriculum Updates aren’t required reading for staff, but if you’re interested, there’s info on upcoming LETRS Trainings (now including a Nov. 9 PD date), a  SWIS CICO (Check In Check Out) Zoom Training, and K-5 Health PD offerings on Jan. 2.

 

• Behavioral Support Shared Drive – The District Behavior Team compiled an impressive Behavior Support Folder of Resources for buildings to assess and support behavioral and SEL needs. They only gave principals access, but I downloaded a copy of it that I put in the PBIS folder on the Staff Google Drive for anyone interested. 

 

• ODE 2022-23 School Profile Reports – If you’re interested, ODE At-A-Glance School and District Profiles are available on the 4J website, which include data on school enrollment, class size, student and teacher demographics, teacher retention, assessment info, and other details from the 2022–23 school year, but due to a technical issue, the staff data in the reports are not accurate. Corrected reports will be published when they become available.

 

• Mandatory Bus Training (tell Allan when completed) – I was thinking downtown forgot about this again, but the Transportation Dept. Emailed principals about the required annual bus safety training, which is to be given to all students, even non-bus riders by the end of December. In the past teachers were asked to show a video, but this year teachers are being asked to review the following two handouts:

• Riding the School Bus Safely
• Emergency Exits Handout

If teachers choose, they may also show students the videos on the 4J Transportation Website. Sadly, this no longer includes the quaint 90s bus safety relic, The Safest Way Out. Let me know the date you reviewed the handouts, so I can add it to the completion form I need to submit to downtown.

 

• Remind Families to Sign Up for Conferences – This week, teachers should send a whole class reminder to families about signing up for conferences. I will have a reminder in the Quick News as well.

Next week, teachers should follow up with individual outreach to families, preferably a text or phone call, but email works as well. And if you’re like me and do not like to share your personal cell number for texting, Google Voice is a good option, which allows you to kill off your Google Voice number at any point and then get a fresh one. Google Voice is unfortunately turned off as a feature for 4J, so you have to use a personal Google account. There are other apps you can also use for anonymous texting, such as TextNow, that do the same thing, but I prefer Google Voice since you can easily do it on your laptop.

 

• October SSD Newsletter – If you’re interested, here is the November SSD Newsletter, which has info about ELD teachers in IEP meetings, when to consider reevaluation, where BSPs “live,” and how DHS caseworkers participate in special education meetings/processes. See the Newsletter Archive for past newsletters.

 
• American Indian Heritage Month – Last Wednesday was the first day of American Indian Heritage Month. The latest Library Lowdown has some good resources, including a curated list of titles available in Sora and a collection of resources in Destiny Discover. The Eugene Public Library has a great list of books too. Other resources are:

 
•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• Fall Conferences Reminders – Several conference-related reminder:

• Conference Schedules to Office – Give office staff a list of your conference dates and times. Parents often forget their times and call the office. Teachers should export their times in Calendly by logging onto their account, clicking SCHEDULED EVENTS, and then clicking EXPORT to get an XLS file you can email the office.

• Items to Review at Conferences – Teachers should review the Title 1 Compact, the Annual Permissions Form, the Student Tech Contract (K-2 and 3-5) if you haven’t already, and if you would like, you can also use the Synergy Family Report, which has attendance, benchmark, and OSAS info.  NEW INFO: I’ll have copies of the compact, permission form, and Synergy report in teacher’s mailboxes before the Nov. 15 Wed. PD Conference Prep time. I won’t print the Tech Contract since I don’t know who’s done it and who has not, but teachers should print it or I can print it if you let me know you need it. 

• Language Link Phone Translations – See the 4J Language Link Interpreting Service webpage for step-by-step directions on how to do translations for in-person meetings, phone meetings, or Zoom meetings. The “cost center number” for Holt is 270.

• EA Assistance During Conferences Sign-Up – If teachers could use any help with prep or other tasks, add your name and the task to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. EAs should also add your name to the tasks you’d be willing to take on

• Staff Not in Conferences – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are regular work days for all staff who are not part of conferences and should work their regular hours at school. However, if you pre-arrange trade time with me to not work Wednesday, email me your plan ahead of time. HR Emailed principals they are also making a one-time exception to allow personal days on Wednesday for classified staff.

• Allan Available to Attend Conferences – Teachers can let me know if you have any tricky conferences you’d like me to attend. Send me a date & time (and a Zoom link if it’s on Zoom) and I’ll be there!

• Resources for Families – Should any families request assistance with food, clothing, housing/rental assistance, hygiene products, SNAP (food stamps) Benefits, Insurance, counseling, and such, please have them fill out the linked Helping Hand Online Form or contact Holt Family Resource Coordinator, Felicia LaCuesta, at lacuesta_f@4j.lane.edu or call her at (541)790-6174.

• Scientist Guest Speaker, Nov. 17 – I have one taker so far, but let me know if anyone is interested in having a scientist guest speaker. A friend from high school, Luke Wackler, is in town Nov. 17 offered to speak to any class that’s interested. He’s worked on NASA satellites, Mars rover analysis, GPS satellites, communication satellites, and electronics systems.

 

•Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

November 6 (M)
Title Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up

November 7 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting

November 8 (W)
TAG Testing Day
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Staff Meeting (Library)

November 9 (H)
Exploding Whale Anniversary (KATU News & 10 min. of raw meaty footage)
No School – Mid-Term Grading Day
8:30-11:30, EA Pathways PD
9:00-10:00, Classified Staff Meeting (Library)

November 10 (F)
No School – Veterans Day (Observed)

November 13 (M)
Kinder Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
9:00-2:00, 4th Fish Creek Field Trip (Benavides & Cobb)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

November 14 (T)
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
November Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
9:00-2:00, 4th Fish Creek Field Trip (Longoria & Reich)
9:30-12:10, 3rd Grade Music Field Trip
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

November 15 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Conferences Prep
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

November 16 (H)
Holt Night Out – Panda Express @VRC
Picture Retakes (Library)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Team Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

November 17 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Backward Day
8:05-8:55, K/1/2 Balloon & Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:05-9:55, 3/4/5 Balloon & Spirit Assembly (Gym)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPoC Staff Affinity Meeting (Roosevelt)

 

Start planning your 3-day weekend!

Allan

 

October 30, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/10/28 20:46 Posted in Announcements, Articles, P.D., Science  |  Comments Off on October 30, 2023

 

Hi Everyone,

Just one more full week until a nice short refreshing 3-day week!

Twenty-two items of note for this week:

• Additional SPED EA – SSD gave Holt an additional 7-hour SPED EA, which will make permanent the Temp SPED EA position Tiffany Chambers is currently filling. I’ve submitted a job requisition and hopefully, it will go up later this week.

 

• Safety Week Info, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3 – We’ll hold our Safety Week this week to practice the various school safety procedures.

• Monday: Evacuation (fire) Drill @1:15
• Tuesday: Room Clear & Hold @teacher choice
• Wednesday: Secure Drill @10:00 & Playground Emergency Whistle
• Thursday: Lockdown @1:15
• Friday: Shelter (earthquake) & Fire Drill @8:20

See Last Week’s Announcements for details.

 

• Halloween Costume Reminder – Remind your students on Monday the rules for costumes:

• NO props
• NO masks (except with teacher permission in class)
• NO especially scary or gory costumes (i.e. no blood, wounds, etc.)
• NO inflatable costumes
• NO dressing as another race, ethnicity, or culture

 And keep your costume on after school for our annual staff picture!

 

• Grade Level Team Meetings, TUESDAY – The first two Tuesdays of the month on non-Staff Meeting weeks are dedicated Grade Level Team Meeting times. Teams should:

• Meet in their wing so specialists can connect if needed
• Take care of any needed team business
• Complete the Team Meeting Minutes Form (make a copy) and email it to holt_staf@4j.lane.edu

The Team Meeting Minutes Form can also be found on the Holt Staff Dashboard.

 

• Wednesday PD, 11/1: Stop, Walk, Talk & Translation Conference Scheduling – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library we will go over Stop, Walk, Talk and how we will roll this out to students. See last week’s announcements for details, but we will also use this time to schedule conferences for families needing Spanish translations. District translation staff said to plan to use Language Link (see item under conferences) for translation of any language besides Spanish. Not on my blog but attached to the email is a list of all the families who indicated Spanish is the parent’s home language. Teachers on this list should plan to stay longer at the Wednesday meeting to schedule double-session conferences. I’m thinking we try to schedule all of them on Monday.

 

• Title 1 Math Groups Begin THURSDAY – Title 1 Math Groups will begin Thursday, Nov. 2.

 

• Wednesday PD: 11/8 Staff Meeting – Wednesday at 1:30 will be a Staff Meeting instead of PE since we had to shift the November Leadership Meeting around due to all the non-school days. Let me know if anyone is willing to volunteer their classroom.

 

• Nov. 9 Mid-Term Grading Day – 3.75 hours will be ELA planning and 3.75 hours of planning for conferences. Downtown said they will provide guidance for teachers, but it’s optional, so do what is most useful for you this day.

 

• Nov. 9 EA Pathways PD is Optional – The EA Pathways PD Email that went out to classified staff wasn’t super clear, but signing up for this PD appears to be optional, since it says, “If you… would like to register.” The Conscious Discipline PD is probably a good one if you haven’t had it already, though the others look more Life Skills-focused.

 

• Nov. 9 Assistance Requests (EAs, Add Your Names) – If staff need assistance from EAs with anything on the Nov. 9 PD Mid-Term Grading Day, add those tasks to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. Last time around, most all EAs ended up being required to attend PD, but this time downtown is not planning any PD for EAs.

 

• Scientist Guest Speaker – I have a friend from high school, Luke Wackler, who’s in town Nov. 17 and offered to be a guest speaker to any classroom that’s interested. He has a pretty interesting background, having worked on NASA satellites, Mars rover analysis, GPS satellites, communication satellites, and electronics systems, and in the Navy was a nuclear chemist, mechanic, fireman, and medic. Let me know if anyone is interested and can get him scheduled.

 

• DanceAbility Assembly Dec. 4 – Over a month out, but we’ve scheduled an assembly Dec. 4 (8;30-9:10 for 1/2/3 and 9:30-10:15 for K/4/5) that’s probably one of my all-time favorite assemblies by a local disability advocacy group DanceAbility, who’s mission is to create opportunities for people with and without disabilities to dance and move together.

 

• Fall Conferences Reminders – Several conference-related items:

• Send Conference Email Wednesday @3:00 – Send your Calendly conference sign-up link to families this Wednesday at 3:00. Below and linked here is a Sample Conference Email (since copying from my blog doesn’t work for some reason) teachers can feel free to use or adapt or ignore completely. If you would like students at the conference or if you would rather they stay home, you can add a sentence about that. Remember to block out lunch (11:00-11:40 – K-2, 2:20-12:00 – 3-5), dinner (5:00-5:40 – 3-5, 5:20-6:00 – K-2), and end of day clean-up/set-up time (7:40-8:00). The above link also has the time blocks for conferences if you need a reminder.

SUBJECT: Fall Conferences Sign-Up

Dear Families,

Parent/Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Monday, Nov. 20 and Tuesday, Nov. 21 from 8:00 am-8:00 pm. There will be no school for students this week.

Conferences are in-person and families should sign up for one of the open slots on the link below:

ADD CALENDLY LINK HERE…

Building strong parent-teacher partnerships is important in reaching our common goal: helping your child get the best education possible.

Thank you,
TEACHER NAME

• Conference Schedules to Office – Give office staff a list of your conference dates and times. Parents often forget their times and call the office. Teachers should export their times in Calendly by logging onto their account, clicking SCHEDULED EVENTS, and then clicking EXPORT to get an XLS file you can email the office.

• Items to Review at Conferences – Teachers should review the Title 1 Compact, the Annual Permissions Form, the Student Tech Contract (K-2 and 3-5) if you haven’t already, and if you would like, you can also use the Synergy Family Report, which has attendance, benchmark, and OSAS info.

• Language Link Phone Translations – See the 4J Language Link Interpreting Service webpage for step-by-step directions on how to do translations for in-person meetings, phone meetings, or Zoom meetings. The “cost center number” for Holt is 270.

• Conference Confirmation Form – Geoff shared this last year, but linked here is a Conference Confirmation Form I updated for this year, which teachers can use to remind families of their conference time.

• EA Assistance During Conferences Sign-Up – If teachers could use any help with prep or other tasks, add your name and the task to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. EAs should also add your name to the tasks you’d be willing to take on

• Staff Not in Conferences – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are regular work days for all staff who are not part of conferences and should work their regular hours at school. However, if you pre-arrange trade time with me to not work Wednesday, email me your plan ahead of time. HR Emailed principals they are also making a one-time exception to allow personal days on Wednesday for classified staff.

• Allan Available to Attend Conferences – Teachers can let me know if you have any tricky conferences you’d like me to attend. Send me a date & time (and a Zoom link if it’s on Zoom) and I’ll be there!

• Resources for Families – Should any families request assistance with food, clothing, housing/rental assistance, hygiene products, SNAP (food stamps) Benefits, Insurance, counseling, and such, please have them fill out the linked Helping Hand Online Form or contact Holt Family Resource Coordinator, Felicia LaCuesta, at lacuesta_f@4j.lane.edu or call her at (541)790-6174.

 

• Ems Reading Program Assembly – We couldn’t get our first choice of December, but I did book it for right after winter break on Friday, January 5th from 8:10-8:40.

 

• Fire Marshal Inspection – We got the results of our Fire Marshall Inspection and did pretty well. There were primarily only three things they cited us for, though across multiple rooms:

• Twinkle Lights – Unless they are special models that meet fire code, they are not allowed.
• 3-D paper Decorations – Fold-out snowflakes or paper lanterns and such, which is a new rule to me, are no longer allowed. In the past, it was only if these were hanging from the ceiling or lights they would cite us, but the new rule is all combustibles (i.e. paper, cloth, etc.) need to be flush with the wall.
• 3-Feet Egress – Make sure there is no furniture blocking doors. You should have a clear path where you can easily walk while holding a yardstick.

I’ll be connecting with folks next week to make sure violations are corrected. Another new twist to this year’s inspection is schools are being fined if violations are not corrected and it comes out of building funds.

 

• Elementary Curriculum Updates (Science Kits) – See this week’s 4J Elementary Curriculum Update that was sent to principals, which the main point of this edition was that there are 3 kits for teachers to use during fall, winter, and spring terms (which are located in the custodial hallway) and to free to reach out to Science TOSA Maggie Cline if you need assistance.

 

• District Admin Updates – Misael Flores Gutierrez, Director of Student Support Services, has accepted a position at ODE. His position not being replaced and his duties are instead being assigned to other district admin.

 

• School Safety and Emergency Management Transition – Kari Skinner, Director of School Safety and Emergency Management, has accepted a position in Beaverton, and downtown emailed principals they will likely have a temp assigned to her position until a “reimagined role” can be decided on and hired.

 

• Strategies for Students With Scattered Minds – Teachers can help students strengthen their brain’s executive function with “workouts” in which they practice pausing, prioritizing, improving their working memory, and mapping their options. See this Edutopia Article for details.

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• Licensed Optional SMART Goals, Due Nov. 3 – Here are Optional Licensed SMART Goals teachers can cut-and-paste into TalentEd if you would like.

• Sunshine Committee Dues – See Elizabeth’s Email for details. Full-Time Licensed Staff: $30.00 and Classified Staff: $20.00. There’s a money envelope in Elizabeth’s mailbox or you can Venmo @elizabethcobb1

• Elementary Inclusive Beliefs Survey – Teachers, if you haven’t already, complete a 10-minute Elementary Inclusive Beliefs Survey. This is a joint 4J and EEA effort.

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Physically Moving/Restraining Students – This week’s highlight (a repeat from last week because I somehow deleted the into and it ended up in the reminders section) from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Physically Moving/Restraining Students. Restraint should be a last resort required to keep students and adults safe. It should only be done by MANDT Trained staff, but untrained staff are allowed to restrain a student in cases of an immediate threat (i.e. about to run in front of a car):

Physically removing/restraining:
• Physically removing/moving/restraining a student is never allowed unless there is an imminent threat to a person. Should be a trained staff member except in extreme situations. If you need assistance with a student call the office using the intercom on the wall or phone

How to get help (immediate):
• If available, use a radio to request help. If not, use the intercom button, or use the phone and dial 6100. If a staff member is nearby, you may also request them to get help for student behaviors

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

October 30 (M)
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Safety Week Begins
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
1:15, Fire Drill

October 31 (T)
Halloween!!!
Room Clear and Hold Drill @Teacher Choice
Kindergarten Hearing Screening
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

November 1 (W)
Ewok Appreciation Day
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
10:00, Secure Drill
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Stop, Walk, Talk Rollout (Library)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

November 2 (H)
Title 1 Math Groups Begin
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting
1:15, Lockdown Drill
2:45-3:30, Equity & Inclusion Team Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)
6:00-7:00, Holt PTO Meeting (Library)

November 3 (F)
8:20, Earthquake & Fire Drill

November 6 (M)
Title Staff Room Duty
TAG Testing Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up

November 7 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting

November 8 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

November 9 (H)
No School – Mid-Term Grading Day
8:30-11:30, EA Pathways PD

November 10 (F)
No School – Veterans Day (Observed)

 

Have a good week, Bolts!

Allan

 

October 23, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/10/21 20:35 Posted in Announcements, Articles, P.D., SEL, Video  |  Comments (1)

 

Hello Bolts,

Twenty-five items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – Two staffing updates:

• 4-hour Title EA Interviews – We’ll hold interviews for our 4-hour Title 1 EA this Friday after school. Let me know if you are interested and I’ll send you the interview materials. We had 18 applicants, which is pretty darn good for a 4-hour position.

• 6.5-hour Title EA (Stephanie Chan) – I’m pleased to announce we’ve hired Stephanie Chan as our newest Title 1 EA, taking Lisa Phillips’ position, which Adrian Monty has been filling the past few weeks. Stephanie was previously a Life Skills EA as Gilham, but took time off to raise her kids, who are Holt kiddos in 3rd and 5th grade. Please welcome Stephanie to the Holt Team!

 

• Scholastic Book Fair THIS WEEK – Starting Monday, the book sale will be open from 7:30 to 7:50 in the morning and after school from 2:30 – 3:30. During the day, students can come down during recess or anytime there is free time during class. Robbie will continue to teach Library Lessons this week in classrooms.

 

• Wednesday PD, 10/25: SafeSchools/Vector Modules & Elementary Inclusive Beliefs Survey – I owe staff one more Wednesday to complete your SafeSchools/Vector Modules, which are due next week on Nov. 1. Principals were also tasked with giving staff time to complete a 10-minute Elementary Inclusive Beliefs Survey.

The Inclusive Beliefes Survey is a joint 4J and EEA survey intended to gather baseline data on current staff beliefs surrounding inclusive education in our district. In order to better develop guidance and training around what inclusion should look like in 4J, district and union leadership have agreed that it is necessary to have a current and comprehensive picture of the current state of inclusion in the district. In my opinion, I love the collaborative relationship between general education and special education staff here at Holt, which is not something you see in all buildings.

 

• Holt PTO Costume Bingo & Trunk-or-Treat, THURSDAY – The Holt PTO’s  Trunk-or-Treat Event (5:30-6:15 on the blacktop) and Costume Bingo Night (6:15-7:30 in the Cafeteria) is this Thursday, so get kids pumped and feel free to join yourselves!

 

• Spirit Assembly FRIDAY @8:20 & Thriller Flash Mob Sign-Up – Our monthly School Spirit Assembly is this Friday in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. See the Assembly Map and Directions for details, but get your kids excited for prizes, games, and fun! And don’t forget to add your name to the Thriller Flash Mob Sign-Up if you’d like to join in a little extra fun.

 

• Holt Spirit Day, FRIDAY, Wacky Hat Day! – This Friday is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Wacky Hat Day! Dig out your favorite or wildest hat or headwear this day to show your school spirit!

 

• Safety Week Info, Oct. 30 – Nov. 3 – Next week we’ll hold our Safety Week, which is a good way to bring awareness to staff, students, and families about the various school safety procedures.

• Monday: Evacuation (fire) Drill
• Tuesday: Room Clear & Hold
• Wednesday: Secure Drill & Playground Emergency Whistle
• Thursday: Lockdown
• Friday: Shelter (earthquake) & Fire Drill

Teachers should pre-teach the drills to students ahead of time and can either use the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Poster, which should be posted in every classroom (let me know if you don’t have one and I’ll get you one) or you could use the linked Safety Week Slide Show, which I plagiarized from another school. For your own edification, here is a link to the Complete SRP Guide and the SRP Folder on the Staff Google Drive. With the exception of Monday’s Fire Drill, I will plan to get on the intercom to give a brief overview of each drill.

MONDAY @1:15 – Evacuation Drill (fire drill): We’ve already done one Fire Drill this year and I will simply pull the alarm to start the drill. Linked here is the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line Map. Teachers should explain that an Evacuation Drill can be more than a fire drill and that there are times we might need to evacuate to a specific locations, such as an announcement saying, “Evacuate! To the church across the street.” or to another location or part of the building. Staff should remember to lock and close doors behind you.

TUESDAY (or any day this week teachers choose) – Room Clear (for a danger in the classroom) & Hold (for when students need to stay in classroom for minor issue outside): These drill will be pracitced and reviewed with students anytime this week, but there are no other drill scheduled for Tuesday. Room Clear Drills will happen at a time determined by classroom teachers. Students should know where to go in the event of a situation requiring a room clear, either another classroom, the commons areas, the library, or other nearby space, preferably supervised, since in most cases the teacher would need to remain in the classroom while the rest of the students move out of the room.

A Hold is used when there is a situation in the hallway, such as a medical emergency or an escalated student, and we want students to remain in their classroom continuing business as usual. 

WEDNESDAY @10:00 – Secure Drill (for a danger outside the building) and Emergency Playground Whistle: For the Secure Drill (formerly knows as a “lockout”), I will announce “Secure! Get Inside, Lock outside doors.” All exterior doors are to be locked. No one will be let in or out of building. It will be business as usual inside the building until the all-clear signal is given, which I will do 5 minutes into the drill. This drill is done if there was something unsafe in the neighborhood.

For the Emergency Playground Whistle, cafeteria supervisors at lunchtime will remind students if they hear one long continuous whistle at recess, they need to FREEZE and then LOOK AT AN ADULT for directions. This will be practiced at lunch recess. 

THURSDAY @1:15 – Lockdown Drill (for a danger inside the building): I will announce, “Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.” Classroom doors are to be locked, curtains closed, lights turned out, and students moved out of sight. Classrooms should appear unoccupied and remain locked until a first responders unlock doors. For the drill, myself or staff will unlock classroom doors to announce all clear. In a real emergency situation where there is an immediate threat, staff and students would in almost all situation want to self-evacuate.

FRIDAY – Shelter (earthquake) & Fire Drill @8:20: For the Shelter/Earthquake Drill, teach students to “Drop, Cover, Hold,” meaning drop to the ground (so you don’t fall over), cover yourself by going under a desk (to protect yourself from falling objects), and hold onto the desk legs (so you stay under cover and don’t get bounced out). There are many resource on The Great Oregon Shake Out website for you to teach students about Drop, Cover, Hold and earthquake preparedness. See the above linked Evacuation Map & Lines for where classes should line up for the Fire Drill following the Earthquake Drill when you hear the fire alarm go off.

Please let me know if you have any questions or suggestions.

 

• Wednesday PD, 11/1: Stop, Walk, Talk Rollout – Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 1:30 in the library go over Stop, Walk, Talk and how we will roll this out to students. Last year staff decided last spring to teach Stop, Walk, Talk for common language for kids to solve minor (non-physical) problems on their own, but if people want to teach this to student earlier, we we agreed to use lessons 1 and 2 of the Stop, Walk, Talk Bully Prevention Lessons. Lesson 1 takes about 50 minutes and lesson 2 takes about 30 minutes. Lessons 3, 4, and 5 offer additional practice for specific situations (Gossip, Inappropriate Remarks, and Cyberbullying) if teachers would like to cover these as well.

I’m also a fan of this short Stop, Walk, Talk YouTube Video done in the style of a silent film to teach kids how to use it. 

 

• Title 1 Math Groups Being 11/2 – Title 1 Math Groups will begin Thursday, Nov. 2.

 

• Formal Observations – I’m going to start making the rounds for Formal Observations, so if you are probationary or are a contract teacher on an observation year, watch for an email later this week to set up a time to observe a Wit & Wisdom lesson.

 

• Assisting Escalated Students (ask if they need assistance first) – Walking down that hall and spotting a staff member working with an escalated student is not uncommon, and while we appreciate folks willingness to help, we ask folks to first check with the staff member working with the escalated student if they need help before intervening. Giving the staff member a silent thumbs-up to ask if they need help is a good unobtrusive way check if they need help or not.

 

• Grab-and-Go Breakfasts Available – If students did not get breakfast in the cafeteria in the morning, they are welcome to walk to the office between 7:55-8:00 to get a Grab-and-Go Breakfast. Even if the kids who grab one of these don’t eat them, it can be a nice way to build up a classroom stash of extra snacks.

 

• Leadership Team Minutes – Linked here are last week’s Leadership Team Meeting Minutes. Several items will be brought to this week’s Staff Meeting to be decided on, including Gingerbread Houses Holiday Party, Student Technology Agreements, Conference Logistics, and Hallways & Pod Expectations.

 

• Monday Morning Announcement Recordings – Leadership discussed whether we wanted to continue doing Monday Morning Announcements on Zoom or switch to pre-recorded announcements or switch back to using the PA system. It’s nice to see all the classes, so for now we’ll continue Zoom, though I’ll also drop a recording of the Zoom into the Staff Google Drive in a folder labeled Monday Morning Announcements (if I remember to hit record).

 

• HEPA Filters Off at Night – I recently learned that the HEPA Filters are not meant to be turned off at the end of the day, so staff who have one of these in your room should turn them off before you leave each day.

 

• Student Tech Contract (K-2 and 3-5) – If you haven’t already gone over these with students, linked here and on the Holt Staff Dashboard are the K-2 Holt Student Technology Contract and the 3-5 Holt Student Technology Contract. Teachers should review this document with students, using it as a teaching tool, and then have students and parents/guardians sign the agreement (conferences are a good time for that).

 

• Staff Photos – Anyone hate their school picture on the Holt Staff Webpage? If you do, I have access to digital versions of this year’s schools photo if you’d like me to update your picture or if you want to first take a peek at this this year’s photo.

 

• Grant Approval Form Update (only for $5,000+ grants again) – Downtown thankfully saw reason, and we are going back to only using the Grant Approval Form for larger grants, which according to the 4J Grants Webpage is for grants $5,000 or more.

 

• 4J SEL Resources – Three resources that have been shared before, but I wanted to re-highlight are the Second Step Pacing Guide (don’t fee bad if you’re behind, but it is a good way to make sure you’re hitting each topic area), Morning Meeting, Engagement Strategies, and Closing Activities on the 4J Learning Hub, and also the 4J SEL PE Booster Plan & Resources 2023-2024, which has a bunch of links on Morning Meetings, Closing Meetings, and other class SEL resources.

 

• Elementary Curriculum Updates – The Elementary Curriculum Update sent to principals didn’t have anything too critical, but if you are interested it has info about 504 Meetings and Conferences, the Elementary Teacher VOICE Survey on the math adoption, Math Workbook print orders, Eugene Science Center opportunites for 3rd and 5th grade, Library Resources, and MANDT trianing opportunities.

 

• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) PD Opportunity – See the ASIST Outreach Letter if there are any licensed or classified staff are interested in attending this 2-day training Nov. 2 and 3. Registration is first come, first serve and space is limited.

 

• WREN Newsletter & Paid PD Equity Zooms – The latest WREN Newsletter has a Zoom PD titled “Bystander Intervention for Educator” in December. I attended two Zoom PDs this month and it was kind of like listening to a good podcast, except you got paid $60 at the end! See the above linked newsletter for how to sign up!

 

• Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day Resources – It’s not until Nov. 14, but the Day of Dialogue Teachers’ Project Guide to Supporting Changemakers has lessons teachers can use to coincide with Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

 

• JUST FOR FUN: New Words – The online Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary regularly adds new words based on usage and 690 words were recently added. Here is just a sample list of them, including new slang and words made popular by online culture, like edgelord noun, slang : someone who makes wildly dark and exaggerated statements (as on an internet forum) with the intent of shocking others. Also the word “hallucination” has an new definition meaning “a plausible but false or misleading response generated by an artificial intelligence algorithm.” Worth checking out to stay in the know, especially if you’re an aging uncool Gen-Xer like me.

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• Licensed Optional SMART Goals, Due Nov. 3 – Here are Optional Licensed SMART Goals teachers can cut-and-paste into TalentEd if you would like.

• Sunshine Committee Dues – See Elizabeth’s Email for details. Full-Time Licensed Staff: $30.00 and Classified Staff: $20.00. There’s a money envelope in Elizabeth’s mailbox or you can Venmo @elizabethcobb1

• Sunshine Requests – Please take a second to fill out the Sunshine Requests Form if you have drink/snack requests for the staff room!

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Physically Moving/Restraining Students – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Physically Moving/Restraining Students. Restraint should be a last resort required to keep students and adults safe. It should only be done by MANDT Trained staff, but untrained staff are allowed to restrain a student in cases of an immediate threat (i.e. about to run in front of a car):

Physically removing/restraining:
• Physically removing/moving/restraining a student is never allowed unless there is an imminent threat to a person. Should be a trained staff member except in extreme situations. If you need assistance with a student call the office using the intercom on the wall or phone

How to get help (immediate):
• If available, use a radio to request help. If not, use the intercom button, or use the phone and dial 6100. If a staff another member is nearby, you may also request them to get help for students behaviors

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

October 23 (M)
SPED/Inst. Coach Staff Room Duty Staff Room Duty
Scholastic Book Fair Begins
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
1:00-2:00, Allan to Synergy Training (Zoom)
2:45, Allan to Parent Meeting
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

October 24 (T)
9:15-1:00, KG Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden

October 25 (W)
7:30-8:30, Allan to MAPS Meeting
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SafeSchools & Elem Inclusive Beliefs Survey
4:30-6:30, SPED Parent Info Session (Ed Center)

October 26 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)
5:30-6:15, PTO Trunk or Treat (Blacktop)
6:15-7:30, PTO Costume Bingo (Cafeteria)

October 26 (F)
8:00-11:00, OSEA Membership Drive (Staff Room)
8:20, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)

October 30 (M)
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Safety Week Begins
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
1:15, Fire Drill

October 31 (T)
This is Halloween!!!
Room Clear and Hold Drill @Teacher Choice
Kindergarten Hearing Screening
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

November 1 (W)
Ewok Appreciation Day
10:00, Secure Drill
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Stop, Walk, Talk Rollout (Library)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

November 2 (H)
Title 1 Math Groups Begin
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting
1:15, Lockdown Drill
2:45-3:30, Equity & Inclusion Team Meeting (Library)
6:00-7:00, Holt PTO Meeting (Library)

November 3 (F)
8:20, Earthquake & Fire Drill

 

Just one more 5-day week after this week and then we get a nice 3-day week to look forward to!

Allan

 

October 16, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/10/13 20:47 Posted in Announcements, P.D.  |  Comments Off on October 16, 2023

 

Salutations Bolts,

Sixteen items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – Three staffing updates:

• 4-hour Title EA Job Posted – Our 4-hour Title EA Job Posting is now posted and closes Tuesday. Please encourage any awesome people to please apply!

• 6.5-hour Title EA Update – We had some solid candidates we interviewed on Monday and we’re still waiting for HR to make a job offer. Hopefully it happens soon!

 

• BEST Begins, MONDAY – BEST begins Monday. Students will report to the cafeteria. And a big thank you to Elizabeth for being willing to take on the BEST Academic Coordinator position!

 

• ESYO String Class Begins MONDAY – The Eugene Springfield Youth Symphony (ESYO) String Academy 1 Class for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Classes are Monday and Wednesdays right after school. I haven’t gotten a list of who all is signed up, but I will give that to teachers if I get one between now an then.

 

• Wednesday PD: Upbeat & Data Team Follow-Up – We will not meet this Wednesday and this will be time for teachers to complete your Upbeat Survey and the Teacher Data To Review section of the 100% Data Team Meeting Sheets from last Wednesday’s meeting. Links to those docs can be found on the Data Team Slideshow.

On a related note, remember that the Upbeat Survey is about our building and not about district policy, PD, support, communication, etc. Also, the survey window closes on Friday.

 

• Book Nook Starts THURSDAY – Just like last year, Book Nook will be during first recess in the cafeteria. Kids can bring in a gently used book to trade for another or can bring in 25¢ to buy a book.

 

• Holt Night Out: MOD Pizza, THURSDAY– Remind your kiddos Thursday is a Holt Night Out at MOD Pizza on Coburg Road. They just need to bring the MOD Pizza Fundraiser Flyer when they order or use the coupon code “MODGIVES25” if ordering online. 25% of purchases will go to the Holt PTO.

 

• Scholastic Book Fair 10/23-27 – The Scholastic Book Fair starts next week. A student and teacher preview will be on Monday, Oct. 23. The Fair will be open from 7:30 to 7:50 in the morning and after school from 2:30 – 3:30. During the day, students can come down during recess and anytime there is free time during class.

 

• Nov. 9 Mid-Term Grading Day – The short version is this is essentially a planning day. The longer version principals were told at our meeting last week is that 3.75 hours will be ELA planning. It will be self-directed and admin are not allowed to provide PD or ask people to gather as a larger district-led group. Downtown will provide resources and guidance but people don’t have to follow it. Teaches will also have 3.75 hours of planning for conferences.

 

• Leadership Positions – The Holt Leadership Plan is now complete. I connected with the folks involved and the TBA positions will be filled by:

PBIS & SEL Collaborator (K-2) – Lisa Z.
Grade Level Team Leader 2nd – Jenny B.
Student Voice/Council/Leadership Collaborator – Debbi
Girls on the Run Coordinator – Heidi
Girls on the Run Coordinator – James

JCAC will review plans on Oct. 26th, so we’ll know after that if it’s approved or if we have to revise anything. 

 

• Student Affinity Groups – Mandra has stepped up and offered to run a Holt BIPOC student group. I have reached out to the 4J Affinity Coordinators for guidance on starting up our group. More info to come!

 

• Licensed IEP/504 Time Log (2023-24) – A reminder that teachers should use the IEP/504 Time Log to request payment for up to twelve hours of additional compensation for participating in IEP or 504 meetings during planning days, prep time, or outside the workday. You’ll need to be logged onto your 4J Google Account to view the form.

 

• Annual Permissions Form – Downtown finally has the 23-24 Annual Permission Forms, which usually come out in August with the Back-to-School Policy Memo, which we still haven’t gotten this year and I wonder if we’ll get at all this year. We’ll plan to print the permission sections for teachers to share at conferences.

 

• District Admin Update – Director of School Safety and Emergency Management Kari Skinner will be leaving 4J at the end of this month to take on the role of public safety administrator at Beaverton School District. Her last day with 4J will be October 26. See this email for details.

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• Licensed Optional SMART Goals, Due Nov. 3 – Here are Optional Licensed SMART Goals teachers can cut-and-paste into TalentEd if you would like.

• Holt Resource Map (add your info) – Add your info to the Holt Staff Resource Map, which Downtown wants all school to complete, listing all licensed staffs’ degree, endorsements, certifications, areas of expertise, etc.

• Join the Superintendent’s New Advisory Committees – If you have opinions you’d like to share, downtown is looking for 4J staff to serve on advisory committees convened by the superintendent to hear from both classified and licensed staff. Apply Here!

• Sunshine Committee Dues – See Elizabeth’s Email for details. Full-Time Licensed Staff: $30.00 and Classified Staff: $20.00. There’s a money envelope in Elizabeth’s mailbox or you can Venmo @elizabethcobb1

• Sunshine Requests – Please take a second to fill out the Sunshine Requests Form if you have drink/snack requests for the staff room!

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Grade Level Meetings – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Grade Level Team Meeting, which we’ll resume now that we have team leaders:

Grade Levels
Meetings:
Grade levels hold meetings on Tuesdays after school. No other meeting should be scheduled on Tuesdays to the greatest extent possible to avoid disruption to the team meeting and planning schedule

Meeting Template:
All grade levels should fill out the template each week and share with the staff following their meeting. (Team Meeting Minutes Template – make a copy)

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

October 16 (M)
ELD/Speech/Counselor/Library Staff Room Duty Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:25, BEST Program Begins (Cafeteria)
2:25, Strings Academy Begins (Music Room)
3:30-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

October 17 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, PBIS / SEL Meeting (Library)

October 18 (W)
1:10, Strings Academy Begins (Music Room)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Upbeat Survey & Data Team Follow-Up
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

October 19 (H)
Holt Night Out – MOD Pizza
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Team Meeting (Library)

October 20 (F)
Upbeat Survey Closes
7:30-8:30, Allan to MAPS Meeting (Zoom)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPoC Affinity Meeting (RMS)

October 23 (M)
SPED/Inst. Coach Staff Room Duty Staff Room Duty
Scholastic Book Fair Begins
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:30-3:30, IPBS Meeting (if we get into from downtown)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

October 24 (T)
9:15-1:00, KG Pumpkin Patch Field Trip
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden

October 25 (W)
7:30-8:30, Allan to MAPS Meeting
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Stop, Walk, Talk Rollout (Library)

October 26 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)
6:00-7:30? PTO Costume BINGO Night (time is TBA)

October 26 (F)
8:00-11:00, OSEA Membership Drive (Staff Room)

 

If any of you have grumbled about last week’s PD, remember, it could have been worse. You could have been teaching on Friday the 13th!

Allan

 

October 9, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/10/07 19:11 Posted in Announcements, Equity, Grants, P.D.  |  Comments Off on October 9, 2023

 

Hello Holt Bolts,

Twenty items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – Three staffing updates:

• Small SPED FTE Increase – Sheryl was previously 0.5 FTE at Holt and 0.25 FTE at EOA, but part of her EOA time is being shifted to Holt, so she is now 0.65 at holt and only 0.10 at EOA

• Carol Leaving Us – Carol let me know last week she is resigning from her Title EA position, so I have submitted to HR to post for her vacancy, which I think should go up this week. Carol’s last day will be this Friday, so be sure to wish her well!

• Title EA Interviews, MONDAY – Jenny, Lisa G., and I are interviewing three candidates (we had 30 applicants!) this Monday after school for Lisa P.’s replacement. Let me know if any of you are interested in joining us and I will email you the interview materials.

 

• Wednesday PD: 100% Data Team Meeting – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library, we will participate in our first 100% Benchmark Data Review Meeting. The primary purpose will be to engage with your grade level team to assess how likely it is your core instructional materials (Heggerty, Fundations, and Wit & Wisdom) will meet your students’ needs and then make a plan together about where to focus your time and energy. Next you’ll get a chance to look at your classroom and student data to determine which students are likely to succeed with just core instruction and who may need more time and targeted support to be successful. The goal is to then connect you with the resources and support you need to best meet the needs of your group of students.

 

• Friday PD Day Schedule – On the Staff Zimbra Calendar and linked here is the October 13 PD Schedule, with times and locations. For specialists, refer to the emails from your presenter.

 

• UPDATED (Title EA PD Info): Oct. 13 Assistance Requests (EAs, Add Your Names) – If staff are needing assistance from EAs with anything on the Friday PD day, add those tasks to the Oct. 13th EA Assistance Form. Kinder and BBSAs, please add your name to the sheet where you can help and connect with the requesting staff member. Title and SPED EAs are scheduled to attend PD.

 

• 4J Professional Development Expectations – Downtown asked principals to share the following. Principals were also told we’re to help take attendance after all breaks and lunches during the Friday PD:

Professional Development is a major component of your continued growth as an educator. Professional Development is where you not only get the opportunity to continue your learning, but it is the beginning of shifting from learner to professional practice. Because of that, you will be expected to display professional behaviors during professional development training.

Professional behavior is also a component of your supervisor’s evaluation of your performance during the school year and therefore directly related to your advancement and continued employment in Eugene School District 4J.

Eugene School District 4J would like to introduce the following principles and expectations for professional behavior during all district and building-based professional development experiences:

1. Attendance and punctuality: arriving before the appointed time; registering your attendance; being prepared to engage as a working professional; providing your administrator prompt notification of tardiness or absences.

2. Respectful demeanor and interactions: demonstrating respect and deference to a speaker(s)/peers; conducting oneself in a manner consistent with the values and ethics of our district and the professional standards.

3. Professional language and communications: demonstrating professional oral and written (including electronic) communication skills; using discretion and appropriate professional language in addressing speaker/peers; “filtering” language to limit emotional reactivity/content; being very selective in communicating, during the training, with individuals outside of the regular training (emails).

4. Appropriate effort and initiative: collaborating with one’s peers to identify and complete training activities and expectations. Following through on appointed tasks and activities; showing a genuine interest, initiative, and engagement on the day’s topic(s) while demonstrating intellectual and professional curiosity and insightfulness.

5. Accountability and integrity: being accountable to the trainers and training participants; completing tasks and activities in a professional, high quality, and timely manner; maintaining professional integrity and honesty in all activities/interactions; accurately documenting training hours worked and tasks completed.

6. Emotional self-regulation: attending to one’s emotional reactivity and triggers; taking responsibility for one’s feelings/behavior and avoiding blame; managing the expression of raw emotions; being personally and professionally centered when engaging with the speaker(s) and other attendees; using appropriate professional language (spoken and written) to filter emotional content; demonstrating a willingness to resolve difficult conversations, relationships and modify one’s behavior accordingly.

7. Responsiveness to feedback: demonstrating non-defensive receptivity to feedback and suggestions; showing a willingness to be self-reflective and self-corrective.

 

This message makes me think I must have missed some fiery, emotionally charged PD sessions!

 

• BEST Begins, 10/16 – We’ve sent invites to families and will communicate out who is officially enrolled in BEST, but the start date is still Monday, Oct. 16th. We’re still looking for an Academic Coordinator, so let us know if anyone is interested in a little extra cash!

 

• Wednesday PD, 10/18: Upbeat Survey – We will not meet Wednesday, Oct. 18 and this time will instead be time for staff to complete the Upbeat Survey, which should be emailed out this week.

 

• Book Nook Starts 10/19 – The PTO is starting Book Nook Thursday, Oct. 19. Just like last year it’ll be during first recess in the cafeteria. For folks new to Holt, “Book Nook” is a book exchange run by our parent group. Kids can bring in a gently used book to trade for another. Kids can also bring in 25¢ to buy a book.

 

• Holt Night Out: MOD Pizza, 10/19 – Remind your kids that Thursday, Oct. 19 is a Holt Night Out at MOD Pizza on Coburg Road. They just need to bring the MOD Pizza Fundraiser Flyer when they order or for online orders use the coupon code MODGIVES25. 25% of purchases will go to Holt!

 

• Leadership Positions – Linked here is the Holt Leadership Plan I’ll submit to JCAC, which will include names of the folks assigned to each position. On the Leadership & Teams Sign-Up Sheet, we had a few positions with more than one name, so I will connect with those individuals this week before making a final decision. Positions so far are:

Equity & Inclusion Facilitator – Emily
Equity & Inclusion Facilitator – Carla
Equity & Inclusion Collaborator (Primary) – Lesli
Equity & Inclusion Collaborator (Intermediate) – Marissa
Equity & Inclusion Collaborator (SPED) – Kelsey
Equity & Inclusion Collaborator (Specialist) – Jenny
Equity & Inclusion Collaborator – Lisa Z.
Equity & Inclusion Collaborator – Kendallyn
Assembly & Enrichment Activities Coordinator – Ashley R.
Non-Monthly School Wide Assemblies – Ashley R.
Student Voice/Council/Leadership Coordinator – Ashley R.
Parent Group Liaison – Leslie
PBIS & SEL Collaborator (K-2) – TBA
PBIS & SEL Collaborator (3-5) – Geoff
Building Scheduling Facilitator – Lesli
Communications Coordinator – Debbi
Sunshine (Staff Wellness) Coordinator – Elizabeth
TAG Coordinator – Caitlin
Grade Level Team Leader KG – Lesli
Grade Level Team Leader 1st – Heidi
Grade Level Team Leader 2nd – TBA
Grade Level Team Leader 3rd – Kendallyn
Grade Level Team Leader 4th – Ashley R.
Grade Level Team Leader 5th – Liz
Specialist Team Leaders (SPED Rep & Other Licensed Specialists) – Kim
Specialist Team Leaders (SPED Rep & Other Licensed Specialists) – Kelsey
Literacy Leader – Leah
Sunshine (Staff Wellness) Collaborator – Robin S.
Student Voice/Council/Leadership Collaborator – TBA
Attendance/Family Outreach Coordinator – Kim
Girls on the Run Coordinator – TBA
Girls on the Run Coordinator – TBA
Girls on the Run Collaborator – Kim
Evening Family Event Coordination – Jenny
Evening Family Event Coordination – Kendallyn

 

• Student Affinity Groups – Please let me know if there are any staff interested in running a monthly BIPOC student affinity group. There is a $1,000 stipend for elementary schools, which can go to one person (classified or licensed) or can be split between two or more staff members. If I don’t hear from anyone by the end of the week, I’ll plan to reach out to the LaneESD for assistance starting a group.

 

• Send Home Fruit & Veggies DAILY – A reminder teachers are to send home the fruits and vegetables from FFVP home with students at the end of each day. Do not hold them over until the next day. If you have left overs, feel free to pass out extras as kids leave or just send the entire bag home with one lucky kiddo.

 

• Holt PTO Updates – The PTO met last week (here’s the agenda), approving funding three school-wide assemblies for later this year, sharing Budget updates, approving the PTO Bylaws, and sharing out committee reports. Their next big event  will be Costume BINGO Night, which will also feature a Trunk or Treat. One reminder that came out of the meeting is if teachers have requests for funds to support enrichment activities, contact Lesli and she will connect with the PTO for approval.

 

• Employee Report: Aggressive Student Behavior – Principals were emailed the new Aggressive Student Behavior Form that is to be used to document threatening interactions and extreme behavior by a physically aggressive student. Related, if a staff member sustains injuries beyond basic first aid, an Incident Report needs to be completed as well. Both forms are on the HR Forms Webpage and the Holt Staff Dashboard. All completed forms should be submitted to me.

 

• Join the Superintendent’s New Advisory Committees – There is no shortage of opinions here at Holt and people willing to share them, so if you missed it in the latest 4J Educator News, downtown is looking for 4J staff to serve on advisory committees convened by the superintendent to hear from both classified and licensed staff. Apply Here!

 

• October Library Lowdown Choice Board – In case you missed it, the October Library Lowdown Choice Board has some good resources for Fire Safety Week, Bully Prevention Month, Halloween Activities, and more.

 

• October SSD Newsletter – If you’re interested, here is the October SSD Newsletter, which has mostly nuts-and-bolts SSD info, with Abbreviated School Day info being the main one of interest. See the Newsletter Archive for past newsletters.

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• EEF Grants Due FRIDAY – EEF Grant Applications are due Oct. 13 deadline. EEF prioritizes grants that focus on Enrichment (ex. STEM, arts, experimental learning), Ready to Learn (ex. literacy, SEL, accessibility solutions), and Pathways (ex. CTE, SPED, TAG).

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Oct. 9 – Monday, October 9 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day is Monday and many can be found at NEA, WeAreTeachers, The Smithsonian, Educators 4SC, and this 4J Doc.

• National Hispanic Heritage Month – It’s the last week of National Hispanic Heritage Month and a couple resources are Learning for Justice and also the 4J K-5 Social Studies Newsletter.

• Sunshine Committee Dues – See Elizabeth’s Email for details. Full-Time Licensed Staff: $30.00 and Classified Staff: $20.00. There’s a money envelope in Elizabeth’s mailbox or you can Venmo @elizabethcobb1

• Licensed Optional SMART Goals, Due Nov. 3 – Here are Optional Licensed SMART Goals teachers can cut-and-paste into TalentEd if you would like.

• Holt Resource Map (add your info) – Add your info to the Holt Staff Resource Map, which Downtown wants all school to complete, listing all licensed staffs’ degree, endorsements, certifications, areas of expertise, etc.

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Communication – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Communication:

Communication
Office Staff:
Notifying the office staff of changes in your schedule, field trips, guest speakers, any classroom activity that is “out of the ordinary”, etc. will allow the office to support your activities and better address questions that may arise.

All Staff:
Email is our primary mode of communication so checking your email “in box”, daily, is important. Our school website is another resource that not only includes information for the general public, but it contains links for both our learners and our staff.

Our website is http://holt.4j.lane.edu

Bertha Holt has a group agreement that if action is required by staff members and the notification is sent through email, staff should have 24 hours notice lead time on the action. Staff also recognizes that occasionally this will not be possible. The goal is to avoid same-day notification and action items

A leadership role has been designated to facilitate communication with all staff

Parents:
Please provide the office with a copy of all written and electronic communication (ie newsletters) sent home with your class (this does not include notes to individual parents). This will enable office staff to answer parent questions in an intelligent and informed manner. It is highly recommended that, prior to sending written communication home, a minimum of one other person proof the document. Any note that may cause controversy should be shared with the principal prior to distribution. Please keep parents informed frequently of what is happening at school and in your room. Each classroom teacher is responsible for providing regular updates to parents

Teachers should do their best to ensure each parent receives either a written note or a telephone call at least once during each report period.

FERPA – Under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), parents shall have access to their child’s educational records. FERPA regulations presume equal access for both parents, unless there is a court order or legal document to the contrary. If a non-custodial parent requests records or a conference, the principal or principal’s designee will inform the custodial parent that the school will grant the request unless the custodial parent produces the required document. If a non-custodial parent requests copies of report cards, newsletters, etc., teachers may request stamped, self-addressed envelopes from that parent. However, if parents have joint custody, the law states the school must provide copies to both parents.

Administration:
Weekly, the Parent Board, in conjunction with the Principal will generate a school newsletter (Quick News) that will be emailed to families on Mondays, in both English and Spanish. If teachers need hard copies for families without internet, the teachers alert the office.

Translating:
We will translate school-wide correspondence in Spanish, if possible.

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

October 9 (M)
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
5th Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:30-3:40, Title 1 EA Interviews (Library)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

October 10 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden

September 11 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 100% Data Team Meeting (Library)
4:30-7:00, Allan to Bias & Triggers PD (Zoom)

October 12 (H)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)
4:30-6:00, Allan to Bystander Intervention PD (Zoom)

October 13 (F)
No School – PD Day
EEF Application Deadline
8:00-1:30, Licensed Staff PD
1:30-2:00, Travel Time
2:00-4:00, Planning Time
2:00-4:00, Allan to MAPS Meeting (Zoom)

October 14 (SA)
5k/Fun Run for 4J- EEF Event

October 16 (M)
ELD/Speech/Counselor/Library Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
3:30-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)
2:25, BEST Program Begins (Cafeteria)

October 17 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, PBIS / SEL Meeting (Library)

October 18 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Time for Upbeat Survey
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

October 19 (H)
Holt Night Out – MOD Pizza
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Team Meeting (Library)

October 20 (F)
Regular Day

 

Enjoy your four-day week, now with a bonus early-release Wednesday!

Allan

 

Meme credit to Lisa G.

October 2, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/09/30 21:47 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Equity, P.D.  |  Comments Off on October 2, 2023

 

Hi Everyone,

Twenty-one items of note for this week:

• Title EA Job Posting – Lisa Phillips, currently student teaching in Robin Seno’s classroom, is planning to sub after she gets her teaching license, so she has resigned her EA position, which means we’ve posted her position. If you know anyone good out there looking for a 6.5 hour Title EA job, the Title EA Job Posting closes this Wednesday.

 

• Back-Up TalentEd Info by Tuesday – Super late notice from downtown on this, but they are performing BusinessPlus updates starting Tuesday and will continue to Oct. 8. During this time, downtown is asking everyone to not upload any new information into their TalentEd accounts. They do not anticipate any information being lost during the updating process, but out of an abundance of caution, they recommend people save, print, and/or download any recent information already completed (e.g., Self-Assessment, Goals) in the event information becomes unretrievable. Because of this, the Self-Assessment deadline has been extended to Oct. 30 and the deadline for Goals to Nov. 3.

 

• Walk+Roll to School Day, WEDNESDAY – Remind your kiddos that Wednesday is Walk+Roll to School Day, where all students are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to school.

 

• Wednesday PD: SafeSchools/Vector Modules – Wednesday’s PD will be time for staff to complete the SafeSchools/Vector Modules. Unless something super pressing comes up, I’ll plan to give staff one more Wednesday to complete the modules.

 

• Picture Day & Health Screening Schedule, THURSDAY – This Thursday is picture day for all grades and also health screening for kindergarten. See the linked Picture Day-Health Screening Schedule Lesli created for these two events.

 

• Spirit Assembly FRIDAY @8:20 – Our first monthly School Spirit Assembly is this Friday in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. See the Assembly Map and Directions for details, but get your kids excited for prizes, games, and fun!

 

• Kona Shave Ice, FRIDAY (@1:30 for bus riders) – Kona Ice is coming one last time and it’s short notice, but it’ll be this Friday and the same as in the past. They’ll be here after school, but bus riders can come out early at 1:30 if they have money. We have some free tokens if you have any kiddos you think will feel left out, so just let me know if you’d like one.

 

• Leadership & Team Sign-Ups, DUE FRIDAY – Now that staff approved our Leadership Plan and are awaiting for a stamp of approval from JCAC, licensed staff can add your name to the Leadership & Team Sign-Up Sheet (2023-2024), which I updated to add our new PBIS and Girls on the Run Collaborator positions. Deadline to add your name is this Friday. I will connect with folks early next week.

For Team Sign-Ups (scroll down lower), Site Council can still use 3 classified reps and 3 licensed reps. Site Council is separately compensated for licensed staff and classified staff can bank these meetings to trade time.

 

• Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Oct. 9 – Monday, October 9 is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, replacing Columbus Day in Oregon and most of the country. If you’re looking for resources, many can be found at NEA, WeAreTeachers, The Smithsonian, Educators 4SC, and this 4J Doc.

 

• Oct. 13 – Classified Staff Training – Title EAs and BBSAs will have training available this day. Additional details to follow. Other EAs will have time to complete building tasks (see next Item) as well as time to the Upbeat Survey (if it gets sent out), Vector Training, and the TalentEd Self-Reflections.

 

• Oct. 13 EA Assistance Requests – If staff could use help from EAs with anything on the Friday, Oct. 13th PD day, please add tasks to the Oct. 13th EA Assistance Form. I already added a task for one or two EAs to help box up 4th and 5th grade ELA materials that are swapping around.

 

• Book Nook Starts Oct. 19th and is now Thursdays – The PTO is worried with shorter recesses on Wednesday kids won’t have enough time to pick a book, so they are moving Book Nook to Thursdays. They are also changing the start date to Thursday, Oct. 19th.

 

• Halloween Costume Blurb – Here’s what I’ll plan to put in the Quick News mid-October. Let me know if you have any suggestions to make things more clear.

Halloween Dress-Up Rules

Tuesday, October 31st is Halloween and students are allowed to come to school dressed up, but the following costume dress code will be enforced:

• NO props
• NO masks (except with teacher permission in class)
• NO especially scary or gory costumes (i.e. no blood, wounds, etc.)
• NO inflatable costumes
• NO dressing as another race, ethnicity, or culture

Individual teachers will determine if parties will take place in their classrooms. A fun alternate activity will be provided for any students who do not celebrate this holiday.

 

• Phone Times (not clocks) for Specials & Recess – Mentioned at last week’s Staff Meeting, go by the time on your phones and not the building clocks for dropping off and picking up classes from recess and from specialists. Clocks are not consistent throughout the building and they also “drift” over the year, needing to be reset multiple times a year.

 

• Grant Approval Form – The new Director of Finance emailed that he is requiring ALL grants to get approval from the Finance Department and sumbit a Grant Approval Form. In the past it was only $5,000 grants or larger that required approval (which is what’s still on the 4J Grants Website). EEF grants are the only exception. I asked if this even included $250 mini grants and it does (a waste of time and resources IMO). Note that DonorsChoose are not considered a grant, so this form is not required there.

Staff now need to email the form to finance@eugene4j.freshservice.com at least 2 weeks prior to the grant application deadline for review & approval. This form is not on the 4J website, but I have added a link to the Holt Staff Dashboard.

 

• Great Body Shop Student Magazines – Downtown’s current student numbers may be different from the forecasting numbers from last Spring, so if you are short student magazines email Jocelyn Mendelssohn at mendelssohn_j@4j.lane.edu and provide how many you need.

 

• Don’t Slap Parking Signs – Another of our Pause Parking Signs has bit the dust thanks to boys needing to jump up and tap high things. Please remind students not to jump up to touch or slap the parking signs or door frames for that matter.

• National Hispanic Heritage Month – I shared earlier that Sept. 15-Oct. 15 is National Hispanic Heritage Month, but a couple additional resources are Learning for Justice, a great landing page for teachers to learn more about celebrating the month, and also the 4J K-5 Social Studies Newsletter.

 

• October is Dyslexia Awareness Month – Downtown asked principals to share this flyer for opportunities to watch some great films about literacy and science of reading. Need inspiration around literacy instruction? You should definitely come see one or all of these films!
 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• Sunshine Committee Dues – See Elizabeth’s email for details. Full-Time Licensed Staff: $30.00 and Classified Staff: $20.00. There’s a money envelope in Elizabeth’s mailbox or you can venmo @elizabethcobb1

• Math Adoption Survey – Have your say on this Math Adoption Survey emailed to teachers earlier.

• EEF Grants Due Oct. 13 – EEF Grant Applications are due Oct. 13 deadline. EEF prioritizes grants that focus on Enrichment (ex. STEM, arts, experimental learning), Ready to Learn (ex. literacy, SEL, accessibility solutions), and Pathways (ex. CTE, SPED, TAG).

• Holt Resource Map (add your info) – Add your info to the Holt Staff Resource Map, which Downtown wants all school to complete, listing all licensed staffs’ degree, endorsements, certifications, areas of expertise, etc.

• Principal Visits to Classrooms – Let me know a 5-10 minute block of time I can come visit sometime this month to introduce myself and read a story to your class.

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

October 2 (M)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:45, Allan & SPED Team Meeting w/SSD Admin

October 3 (T)
8:15, Allan Meeting w/SMART
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meeting

October 4 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SafeSchools/Vector Modules
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

October 5 (H)
Picture Day (Gym)
Health Screening (Gym)
9:00, Holt Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
5:00-6:00, Site Council Meeting (Library)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library)

October 6 (F)
Fall Benchmarking Window Closes
8:15, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)

October 9 (M)
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

October 10 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden

October 11 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 100% Data Team Meeting (Library)
4:30-7:00, Allan to Bias & Triggers PD (Zoom)

October 12 (H)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)
4:30-6:00, Allan to Bystander Intervention PD (Zoom)

October 13 (F)
No School – PD Day
8:00-1:30, Licensed Staff PD (Locations TBA)
1:30-2:00, Travel Time
2:00-4:00, Planning Time
2:00-4:00, Allan to MAPS Meeting (Zoom)

 

One more 5-day week until we get a nice 4-day week, which I’m calling a 3-day week since Wednesday is now the early release day.

Allan

September 25, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/09/23 20:25 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Grants, P.D., Technology, Video  |  Comments Off on September 25, 2023

 

Hi Holt Bolts,

I think the above quote describes Holt’s school culture pretty darn well! This was especially evident this past week with everyone pitching in to help with our many challenging new students. I loved hearing from a first-time sub last week who said, “I love working here. I feel so welcome and feel like I can just be me.” Go, Team Holt!

Twenty-four items of note for this week:

• Curriculum Night, TUESDAY – Holt Curriculum Night and the Title 1 Annual Meeting is this Tuesday, with childcare provided in the gym and free pizza from 5:30-6:30.

5:00-5:25, Grades K/1
5:30-5:55, Grades 2/3
6:00-6:25, Grades 4/5

 

• Wednesday PD: Leadership Plan – I’m postponing the Stop, Walk, Talk review I’d originally planned and instead this Wednesday at 1:30 in the library we’ll look at our Draft 23-24 Leadership Plan and see if we can come to a 75% agreement on a plan to forward to JCAC for final approval. The above linked doc has a new tab (Draft 9-27) with the feedback from JCAC. The jobs highlighted in green are approved. Those in yellow need revised. Many schools has similar leaderships jobs, so to calibrate duties and compensation, they created a Common Jobs spreadsheet, which I also added to the above spreadsheet.

Most Holt jobs match the 4J Common Jobs, but there were a few where I added additional details to the job description that I think will justify our slightly larger compensation. The only two that I had trouble with were Communications and Girls on the Run, where I wasn’t sure what duties to add to justify our larger allocations, so let me know now or on Wednesday if you have ideas or if you have ideas how to reallocate the difference ($2000) to other positions or have ideas to create new positions (possibly adding collaborator positions?). I added this as an agenda items for Thursday’s Staff Meeting if we need more time. We can also push a final decision to the following Wednesday if needed.

 

• Leadership Role Sign-Ups – HR said teams for approved positions can start meeting right away once we have people assigned to those positions. I tweaked the Team Sign-Up Sheet (2023-2024) to include the compensated leadership positions if anyone wants to put your name down for any of these positions. There may be some changes in level of compensation and/or job descriptions after we meet this week, but I figured we can get the ball rolling. If more than one person is interested in a position, it’s ultimately the principal’s decision, though I will plan to connect with individual staff to discuss if there are multiple folks really wanting a position. Let me know if you have any thoughts or questions on this.

 

• DoughMo’s Cookies Fundraiser, THURSDAY – Remind your kids this Thursday is a Holt Night Out Fundraiser at DoughMo’s Cookies. Owned by a Holt family and located in Downtown Eugene at 980 Oak St. under the Overpark Parking Garage (free parking), grab some cookies and just mention Holt when ordering and a percentage of your purchase will go back to Holt!

 

• Friday Assembly Moved to Next Week – We are postponing this Friday’s assembly until next week, Friday, Oct. 6th. Sorry for the short notice, but stay tuned for assembly details. UPDATE: Ultimate Holt Spirit Day is still this Friday. Will announce this on Monday Zoom announcements. 

 

• Carla’s Instructional Coaching Request Form – Carla has created a Request for Instructional Coaching survey if you are in need of an instructional partner. The survey lists all the ways in which Carla can help with Instructional Practices and Student Learning. The survey is linked here and is on the Holt Dashboard and in the Care Team’s Request for Assistance. Carla is excited to be at Holt and to work with both licensed teachers and Educational Assistants.

 

• Possible Meetings Next Week – If our teams are in place by next week, we can start some of our regular meetings:

• Team Meetings, Oct. 3 – The first two Tuesday of the month on non-Staff Meeting weeks are dedicated Team Meeting times. If we have our Grade Level Team Leaders in place in time, teams should:

• Meet in their wing so specialists can connect if needed
• Take care of any needed team business
• Complete the Team Meeting Minutes Form (make a copy) and email it to holt_staf@4j.lane.edu

The Team Meeting Minutes Form can also be found on the Holt Staff Dashboard.

• Equity & Inclusion Team Meeting, Oct. 5 – If we have our Coordinators and Collaborators in place by Thursday next week, we’ll plan on Thursday, Oct. 5th at 2:45 in the library.

 

• Walk+Roll to School Day, Oct. 4 – Remind your kiddos that Wednesday, Oct. 4th is Walk+Roll to School Day, where all students are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool or ride the bus to school. If kids live a long way from school, they could park a ten minute walk from school and walk the rest of the way. Older students can walk on their own. Younger students will need to walk or bike with an adult. The goal of this day is to reduce traffic and pollution around our school and to promote physical activity for our students. Students who ride the bus are doing their part by participating in the biggest carpool of all!

 

• Book Nook Starts Oct. 4 – The PTO is starting Book Nook Wednesday, October 4. Just like last year it’ll be during first recess on Wednesdays in the cafeteria. For folks new to Holt, “Book Nook” is a book exchange run by our parent group. Kids can bring in a book and trade it for another. They can also bring in 25¢ to buy a book. If kids want to buy or trade a book, they just send them down the hallway to the cafeteria when it’s your morning recess time.

 

• October 13 PD Day – All classroom teachers will have Wit & Wisdom writing PD from 8:00-1:30. SPED staff (both classified and licensed), Title teachers, counselors, PE/Music, etc. will also have PD this day. The 8:00-1:30 time will include a 30 minute lunch on your own. You’ll have 30 minutes of travel time from 1:30-2:00 and then planning time from 2:00-4:00. Downtown said they will have more specific details about the locations soon.

 

• Inside Recess Plan – I spoke to some Holt veterans how inside recess was covered for combined 2/3 and 4/5 recesses in the past, which has EAs circulating between classrooms, so the plan will be:

2nd and 3rd Recess
Rabourn / Gullekson – Margaret
Norton / Bemiller – Kelly
Talley/ Harshbarger – Annie
Ball – Lisa P. Sub

4th and 5th Recess
Reich/ Cobb – Margaret
Benavides / Longoria – Annie
Ayres / Parks – Tasha
Heinrich – Carol

There will always be at least four staff members on these recesses, but if additional staff are available, we may be able to get more coverage.

 

• Licensed Optional SMART Goals – Here are some Optional Licensed SMART Goals related to class morning meetings teachers can feel free to cut-and-paste into TalentEd if you would like. The target population for one goal must be for ALL students in your class and the second goal can be for a subgroup of students (i.e. students with IEPs, BIPOC students, student in Title, etc.). This means your goals to be exactly the same, but only change the target population on the second goal. Teachers can also choose to have two different goals. There are also two choices of professional goals. One is related to morning meeting and the other is a more general of SEL goal (the same we used last year). Feel free to cut-and-paste, make changes, or to come up your goals.

 

• COVID Protocols Really are Gone – I shared earlier that COVID protocol are gone (no quarantine, no notifications, etc.) and we are back to it simply being if staff feel ill, stay home. HR clarified with principals this means COVID positive staff can come to work as long as they do not have a fever or are vomiting and may return when they are fever-free (greater than 100.5) and have not thrown up for 24 hours without medication.

 

• Golden Ticket Table, Thursday & Fridays – The Cafeteria “Golden Ticket Table” will be out on Thursday and Fridays for students who win this reward or who earned it by saving up 10 Zaps.

 

• BEST Academic Coordinator (Classified or Licensed) – If you missed it in Levi’s BEST Email, Jenny agreed to take on the data coordination portion of the Academic Coordinator, but were still looking for the day-to-day small group coaching portion of the Academic Coordinator position, which can be filled by either classified or licensed staff. The position is 1.5 hours a day, but only requires consistent physical attendance at BEST from 3:15-4:15 Monday through Thursday to oversee small group instruction. Let me or Levi know if you might be interested or have any questions.

 

• Mandt Training Opportunity – The Mandt Training are being held each month this year, both the 1-day recertification and the initial 2-day training. This is open to any staff who are in need of Mandt Training (SPED staff, EAs, teachers, etc.). Here is the 2-day Initial Mandt Training Sign-Up. The link will allow you to chose a date that works for you. Subs will be provided and if you have any questions about the training let me know.

 

• Fire Drill Reminder, Close Classroom Doors – Remember to close you classroom and office doors when we have a fire drill. When we swept the hall for any stragglers, we found a few rooms with open doors.

 

• EEF Grants Now Open – EEF grants are now open with an Oct. 13 deadline. EEF prioritizes grants that focus on Enrichment (ex. STEM, arts, experimental learning), Ready to Learn (ex. literacy, SEL, accessibility solutions), and Pathways (ex. CTE, SPED, TAG). They do have a new online application that requires you to set up an account, but it looks like they’re asking for pretty much the same info they have asked for in the past. Linked here is PDF I made of the form if you want to take a peek. Schools can submit as many grants as they want, so feel free to start writing! See the EEF 2023-24 Grant Application Webpage for details.

 

• Social Studies Materials Coming Late Fall – As part of a grant from ODE, downtown has social studies materials that will be coming to buildings soon. Downtown said they know that for some teachers, this is a welcome addition to their instructional materials while for others this might bring with it some concerns about when to make space for these materials. For now, they want people to have the materials and those who want to use them can and those who don’t can set them aside for now. Teachers will receive an email in late fall with more information about the materials. Downtown is also working on creating PD for January related to implementing the materials. For K-3, there are 5-10 lessons throughout the entire year while for 4th and 5th there are more resources and lessons.

 

• OSHA Inspections – The Feds made a substantial investment of over $16 million into OSHA and workplace safety, underscoring his commitment to employee safety. This commitment is becoming increasingly evident as there have been hefty fines imposed on major corporations for safety violations just this month. What’s more, it has come to 4J’s attention that Oregon OSHA has been undercharging, and we’ve heard from Brown and Brown that OSHA fines are set to surge by a staggering 3000%—yes, you read that correctly.

Brown and Brown anticipates that OSHA will be conducting inspections in every city with an OSHA office, including Eugene, and any city housing sizable businesses, such as 4J. To proactively mitigate risk and safeguard district finances, downtown is planning to participate in as many site-based safety committee meetings as possible, to provide support tailored to each building’s specific needs. Furthermore, downtown is taking proactive steps to ensure that all secretaries are well-prepared in the event of an OSHA visit and will have access to a concise 16-minute video that guides them on the appropriate actions to take when OSHA inspectors arrive.

 

• Teacher uses AI for conversations with historical figures – This WGBH Article shares how some educators are embracing artificial intelligence tools in the classroom, including Character.AI, an app that allows students to have simulated conversations with notable figures. I set up a free account and think could be a pretty engaging way for teachers to let your class to “interact” with a historical characters (Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King), fictional characters (Hermione Granger, Super Mario), and other personalities (Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey).

On a related note, the AI I shared last week, MagicSchool.ai, added a new tool where you can paste in a YouTube link and it’ll give you a one paragraph summary of the video!

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• TalentEd Self-Assessment Due FRIDAY – All staff, both classified and licensed staff, need to complete the Self-Assessment/reflection in TalentEd by this Friday.

• SELCO’s Educator Grants, Due FRIDAY – SELCO’s SPARK! Creative Learning Grant Program offers grants up to $1,000, which are due Sept. 30th.

• Kid Art for CASA of Lane County – Email Jacque Barton <jacqueb@casa-lane.org> or she can pick-up kid artwork CASA of Lane County would like to use for thank you and holiday cards . See Jacque’s Email for details.

• Holt Resource Map (add your info) – Add your info to the Holt Staff Resource Map, which Downtown wants all school to complete, listing all licensed staffs’ degree, endorsements, certifications, areas of expertise, etc.

• Principal Visits to Classrooms – Let me know a 5-10 minute block of time I can come visit sometime this month to introduce myself and read a story to your class.

• Rainy/Smokey Arrival Plan – We have rain in the forecast, so take note that our Rainy Arrival Plan is:

KG & 1st in Cafeteria
2nd & 3rd in the Gym
4th graders Library
5th under covered play area (or Library if smokey)

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Staff Room Agreements – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Staff Room Agreements. I’ll plan to add who has Staff Room Duty to the Zimbra Calendar later this week, but the rotation for the year is posted in the Staff Room now.

Staff Room:
The staff room is available for teachers, guest teachers, and visiting volunteers. Students should not eat or be in the staff room.

Cleaning schedule:
The communications leadership member will create a staffroom duty schedule. The schedule is posted and emailed at the beginning of the school year. Cleaning the staff room involves wiping tables, loading, starting, and unloading the dishwasher daily, cleaning the microwaves and sink. Notify office staff if cleaning supplies are low. The team in charge will be responsible for a 1 week period.

Agreements:
• Everyone should assist in keeping the staff room areas clean by:
• Staff should rinse their own dishware and add to the dishwasher
• Grey bucket upside down means the washer is ready for loading; grey bucket right side up means washer is running and dishes may be rinsed and added
• Covering food in microwave; wipe up own spills
• Remove their own leftover food and drink from the refrigerator before it spoils
• Teachers may use the outer tables to display unwanted materials. They may be displayed for 1 week, after which the teacher is required to remove all leftover items. (Discuss this policy)

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

September 25 (M)
Dynamos/Title 1 Groups Begin (tentative)
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
8:15, Allan Reading to Class
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

September 26 (T)
Dynamos/Title 1st & 2nd Reading Groups Begin
5:00-6:30, Curriculum Night
⁃ 5:00-5:25, Grades K/1
⁃ 5:30-5:55, Grades 2/3
⁃ 6:00-6:25, Grades 4/5
⁃ 5:30-6:30, Pizza in the Cafeteria

September 27 (W)
Happy Birthday to Me!
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Leadership Plan (Library)

September 28 (H)
Dynamos/Title 3rd-5th Reading Groups Begin
Holt Night Out – DoughMo Cookies
10:15, Monday Announcer Tryouts (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)

September 29 (F)
8:00, Allan Reading to Class
2:45, Allan & SPED Team Meeting w/SSD Admin

October 2 (M)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up

October 3 (T)
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meeting

October 4 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SafeSchools/Vector Modules
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

October 5 (H)
Picture Day (Gym)
Health Screening (time is TBA)
2:45-3:30, Equity & Inclusion Team Meeting (Library)
5:00-6:00, Site Council Meeting (Library)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library)

October 6 (F)
Fall Benchmarking Window Closes
8:05, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)

Here we go, team!

Allan

 

September 18, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/09/16 17:37 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Equity, P.D.  |  Comments Off on September 18, 2023

 

Hello Holt Staff,

It was a long week, but we’re building up our stamina, right?

Twenty-seven items of note for this week:

• New Building Behavior Support Assistant, Julie Zybach – We’re pleased to announce that Julie Zybach will be our new Building Behavior Support Assistant (i.e. Behavior EA), who many of you already know from a long-term sub job last year and this year subbing for Lisa P. in Title. Julie is also a Holt parent of a 5th grader, so we have a new member of the Holt Parent/Staff Member Club. Julie’s first official day in her new position will be Wednesday and Jenny and I are working on securing another EA Sub to take over. Please welcome Julie to Team Holt!

 

• Wednesday PD: Shared Staff Goals Development – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library will be an optional meeting to brainstorm shared building goals teachers can cut-and-paste into TalentEd as your goals for the year if you choose. With the district push for morning meetings at the elementary level, I was thinking that could be one area of focus. We might also possibly look at some of our equity based goals on our SCIP. I’ll try to draft a few ideas ahead of the meeting to get the ball rolling, but let me know if any of you have ideas as well.

 

• Fire Drill, FRIDAY, @8:20 – This Friday at 8:20 will be our first Fire Dill of the year. It’s fine for teachers let students know about the drill ahead of time to do pre-teaching before it happens, since this is our first one of the year.

See the Holt Staff Handbook for complete details on Fire Drill Procedures, but highlights are:

• Students and staff clear the building, following the Evacuation Routes Map.
• Teachers should take their Emergency Binders (let me know if you do not have one).
• Classes walk single file to their marked spot at soft play/playground (see map).
• Students at specialists (PE, Music, Title, ELD, SPED, etc.) return to their homeroom teacher for attendance
• Teachers take attendance and raise their green card once all children are accounted for.
• Notify the admin or designee or of any missing/additional children in your line by raising the red card.
• Admin or designee running the drill will announce the all-clear when classes may return to the building.

On a related note, I’m planning on holding a “Safety Week” the week of Oct. 30th to review all the most common safety drills.

 

• Dynamo Math Groups Delayed – Due to staffing issues, the start of Dynamos math groups will be delayed until late October or early November. Dynamos reading groups start:

1st-2nd grade start Tuesday, Sept. 26
3rd-5th grade start Thursday, Sept. 28
Kinder will start mid-October

 

• School Spirit Assembly, Sept. 29 @8:05 – We’ll have our monthly School Spirit Assembly on Friday, Sept. 28 in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:10, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:05. Stay tuned for details! The first spirit day theme will be “Ultimate Holt Spirit Day” where we encourage kids and staff to deck themselves out in Holt Colors (purple and green) or Holt Gear!

 

• PTO Updates – Here is the PTO Event Calendar for the year. The first big event is the Costume BINGO & Trunk-or-Treat event for Thursday, October 26th, which will take place during the Book Fair. They might also have some food trucks come. The Spring Carnival is planned for April and the Holt Bolt Jog-a-Thon will be in May (so we can better avoid fall rain or bad air quality)

 

• YMCA Student Roster – Not on my blog, but attached to my announcements email is a list of all the students enrolled in YMCA.

 

• Hispanic Heritage Month Resources – Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month. Helpful resources can be found on the Library Lowdown Hispanic Heritage Month Slide, Hispanic Heritage Month Collection on Sora, Common Sense Media, and the US Gov Hispanic Heritage Month Teacher Site.

 

• Stop, Walk, Talk Reminder – Staff decided last spring to teach Stop, Walk, Talk for common language for kids to solve minor (non-phsycial) problems on their own. I’ll put this on a futrue Wednesday PD to review with teacher, but if people want to teacher want to review this with student earlier, we we agreed last year to use lessons 1 and 2 of the Stop, Walk, Talk Bully Prevention Lessons. Lesson 1 takes about 50 minutes and lesson 2 takes about 30 minutes. Lessons 3, 4, and 5 offer additional practice for specific situations (Gossip, Inappropriate Remarks, and Cyberbullying) if teachers would like to cover these as well.

I’m also a fan of this short Stop, Walk, Talk YouTube Video done in the style of a silent film to teach kids how to use it. 

 

• Visitors & Volunteers – With COVID restrictions on visitors and volunteers gone, I’d asked for clarification on the current 4J Volunteer/Visitor Policy and I got the answer I was hoping for, which is that any parent, guardian, or adult coming into the building (whether a visitor or volunteer) needs to sign-in at the front office and also have completed a background check.

For volunteers, we are no longer limited to volunteering only for safety or instruction.

For visitors, a change from pre-COVID rules is we are no longer allowing the flood of parents in the morning to walk their children to class or breakfast, without first signing in at the office and having a completed background check on file.

The only exception to this is for scheduled meetings (IEP, 504, conferences, etc.) or large school events (open house, curriculum night, family night, PTO meetings, school carnivals, book fairs, etc.).

 

• Student Head Injury Reporting – Not new, but a reminder that 4J policy requires parent notification for all student head injuries. Linked here is the Head Injury Notification Letter and below are the steps to follow:

1. Student experiences head injury
2. Staff member completes letter and notifies guardians.
3. School nurse receives email notice of letter to guardian
4. If child is diagnosed with concussion or activity restrictions, guardians notify school.

More info can be found on the 4J Students with Concussions Webpage.

 

• FREE White Board Easel (broken wheel) – Does anyone want a free white board easel? The only catch is it has a broken wheel, so it probably needs to be stationary for the most part.

 

• School Board Policy AAC: Racial Harassment – Schools are required to inform and instruct students on School Board Policy ACC – Racial Harassment. District staff are working to take the policy and turn into a kid friendly presentation for elementary schools to use with students. More info can be found on the 4J Hate & Bias Resources Webpage.

 

• Use 4jdesktop or Freshservice for Tech Support – Please do not grab Rob in the hallway if you need tech support. Instead, put in a ticket by emailing 4jdesktop@4j.lane.edu or using the 4J Freshservice Website. This documents what all is being asked of Rob at Holt and is what determines future TSS staffing levels at our building. On a related not, Erica Bowman is taking over for Rob this week. She may not be on site as much, but if you put in a ticket, she will come out if it’s something she can’t take care of remotely from downtown.

 

• Raptor Alert App on Pause – For folks not at the Staff Meeting or who missed it in the minutes, principals were emailed last week that use of the Raptor Alert App is on pause to address some tech issues. I’l keep folks posted for when we’re ready to try it again.

 

• Raptor Alert on Personal Devices – It was asked during inservice week the rules around installing the Reptor Alert App on personal vs. school devices. Principals were told building staff can choose to add this app to their personal device, however it is not a requirement. In my opinion, the app loses most of its usefulness since staff do not carry their laptop or iPad with them at all times, and even if they did you’d lose wifi as soon as you left the building. Downtown is working on a new training for staff on Raptor Alert, so we’ll see if they address this issue or not, but I’m thinking reunification situations would most likely rely on paper/paper and not the app.

 

• Equity & Inclusion Administrator Draft Job Description – If you’re interested, here is the Draft Equity & Inclusion Administrator Job Description, which takes the place of SSD Admins, though Angela Crum is still the district admin for Sheldon Region.

 

• Kid Art for CASA of Lane County – Former Holt teacher Jacque Barton is looking for student artwork that could be used for thank you and holiday cards for CASA of Lane County. See Jacque’s Email for details, but the short version is:

Thank-You Ideas: Ocean scenes, birds, cats and dogs, family, nature, abstract, etc.

Holiday Art Ideas: Fall trees, pumpkins, scarecrows, winter scenes, snowmen, penguins, mittens, hot coco, etc.

No Pokemon, but email artwork to Jacque Barton <jacqueb@casa-lane.org> or she can pick-up them up at the office.

 

• 4J Air Quality Info – Downtown emailed principals the current air quality guidelines they are following. Nothing seems different than before except I noticed they said schools will provide staff with N95 masks for any staff wanting one when AQI goes over 100.

 

• WREN Newsletter & Workshops – The latest WREN Newsletter has several new PD opportunities for both classified and licensed staff. Most of them are virtual and most of them offer a stipend if you attend. Check them out!

 

• UO Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Study – See this flyer if you’d be interested in doing a 30-60 minute Zoom interviews on DEI and then receive a $25 Amazon gift card for completing the interview.

 

• Holt Resource Map (add your info) – I’ll put this on a future Wednesday PD or Staff Meeting, but downtown wants all school to complete a “Resource Map” that lists licensed staff members’ degrees, endorsements, certifications, areas of expertise, etc. If you’re so inclined, add you info now to the Holt Staff Resource Map.

 

• SSD September Newsletter – If you are interested, here’s the September SSD Newsletter that was send to SPED teachers and principals. Lots of info in this one on info about Abbreviated School Days, meeting types, IEP timelines, mental health, and a newly created position.

 

• MagicSchool.ai Educator AI Tool – Here’s an educator specific AI tool called MagicSchool.ai. You can use it to help lesson plan, differentiate, write assessments, create rubrics, write IEPs, communicate clearly, and more. I tired it asking “Raina” to write a SMART Goal for elementary morning meetings and got a far better result than I did from ChatGPT.

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• TalentEd Self-Assessment & Goals – All staff, both classified and licensed staff, need to complete the Self-Assessment/reflection in TalentEd by Sept. 30.

• PBIS Common Area Rules Review – If you haven’t already, review the PBIS Common Area Rules Review Slideshow with your class.

• Principal Visits to Classrooms – Let me know a 10 minutes block of time I can come and visit sometime this month to introduce myself and read a story to your class.

• SELCO’s Educator Grants, Due 9/30 – SELCO’s SPARK! Creative Learning Grant Program offers grants up to $1,000, which are due Sept. 30th.

• Holt Spirit Gear Sale Deadline, TUESDAY – See Ashely’s Email for details, but the limited edition Holt Spirit Gear Sale ends Sept. 20.

• Team Sign-Ups – Feel free to add you name to the Team Sign-Ups Spreadsheet.

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Inside Recess – Since we very nearly had to do inside recess last week due to poor air quality, this week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook seemed timely, which is on Inside Recess. Teachers should note of posting above your door your inside recess expectations/choices for students:

Inside Recess:

Indoor recess takes place in individual classrooms under the supervision of EA personnel. Having quiet activities available to students (board games, cards, coloring materials, hopscotch, manipulatives, etc.) is important.

Expectations:
• Students may not go in the cubbies
• No electronics. This includes iPads or classroom computers
• Students should choose a seated activity
• Games and activities should be provided and taught
• Students must stay in their own classroom
• Permission is needed by supervision staff to use the bathroom
• When the lights turn off turn and look at the adult by the door
• Classroom expectations/choices should be posted above your classroom door
• A trial plan is in place for allowing some access for under cover supervision during recesses
• Classroom teachers will have expectations in Guest Teacher binder and post on the wall (near or above the door) what room expectations are.
• All certified staff will teach their students what appropriate activities are prior to the first indoor recess.

Supervision:
• EAs and additional staff will be assigned to hallways and classrooms for supervision
• Teachers will take inside recess as their regular break time and are not required to supervise classes

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

September 18 (M)
Dental Packets Due
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
9:00, Allan to Parent Meeting
2:45, Allan to 504 Plan Meeting

September 19 (T)
Talk Like a Pirate Day
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Team Meeting (Library)

September 20 (W)
7:30-8:30, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Optional Staff Shared Goals Planning
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

September 21 (H)
Regular Day

September 22 (F)
Regular Day

September 25 (M)
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

September 26 (T)
Dynamos/Title 1st & 2nd Reading Groups Begin
5:00-6:30, Curriculum Night
⁃ 5:00-5:25, Grades K/1
⁃ 5:30-5:55, Grades 2/3
⁃ 6:00-6:25, Grades 4/5
⁃ 5:30-6:30, Pizza in the Cafeteria

September 27 (W)
Happy Birthday to Me!
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Stop, Walk, Talk Review

September 28 (H)
Dynamos/Title 3rd-5th Reading Groups Begin
Holt Night Out – DoughMo Cookies
10:15, Monday Announcer Tryouts (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)

September 29 (F)
Regular Day

 

And we’re three weeks away from our first four-day week, but who’s counting?

Allan

 

September 11, 2023

By Allan  |  2023/09/09 21:02 Posted in Announcements, Assessment, P.D.  |  Comments Off on September 11, 2023

 

Hello Team,

We made it through our first week of school in one piece!

Twenty-one items of note for this week:

• Staff Shout Outs! – We’ll share Staff Shout Outs at the start of Staff Meetings once again, so complete the Staff Shout Out Google Form to recognize or show appreciation for a colleague. The link can always be found on my blog and on the Holt Staff Dashboard.

 

• Morning Announcements, Monday @8:00 – I’ll start doing Monday morning announcements this week at 8:00 on Zoom. The Zoom link is on the Staff Zimbra Calendar. I’ll do them at this time each Monday until we have our usual student news crew in place. I’ll do a few short announcements and end with the Pledge of Allegiance. Add you name to the Pledge of Allegiance Sign-Up if you’d like some students from your class to lead the pledge.

 

• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Begins Monday – The FFVP program will start Monday. 5th grade student volunteers will deliver snacks to classes in the morning. Nutrition Services never gave me the official procedures, but going off past experience with the program:

• Raw fresh fruits or vegetables will be delivered each morning in bags.
• Staff or students passing out snacks should wash hands or wear gloves.
• Fruits or Vegetables should be served daily (not saved overnight)
• Leftovers should be sent home with students

There were some supply chain issues last year that resulted in no snacks on short weeks, but I haven’t heard if that’s the case this year or not, but there’s a short week Oct. 9, so we’ll find out in a four more weeks.

 

• N.E. Parking Lot on Monday – Be aware that four spots in the north eastern part of the parking lot along Calvin St.will be coned off for Facilities and EWEB work on an underground water pipe leak. I can’t remember the exact amount (Jeremy knows), but it’s a pretty massive amount of water continuously leaking.

 

• Short Recesses on Wednesdays – A reminder, now that Wednesday is our early release day, this is also the day we have shorter 15-minute recesses, so remember to blow the while and to pick up your classes 5-minutes early.

 

• Wednesday PD: SafeSchools Modules – I’ll probably keep our Wednesday PD times limited to business times until our Leadership Plan is officially approved and the Equity & Inclusion Team and Leadership Team have time to plan our PDs for the year. This Wednesday will be one of three Wednesdays where staff will be given time to complete the Vector/SafeSchools training modules. PRO-TIP: If you didn’t know already, the modules allow you to take the test first, if you’re feeling cocky. ;)

 

• Behavior EA Interviews Wednesday – I’m screening candidates this weekend and will set up interviews for this Wednesday after school if anyone would like to help in hiring our second Building Behavior Support Assistant (BBSA). We had 19 applicants, so that’s hopeful for finding someone good!

 

• Wednesday PD Next Week: Optional Staff Shared Goals Planning – Wednesday next week will be time for any staff interested in drafting shared licensed SMART goals folks have the option of cuttting-and-pasting into TalentEd. For reference, here are the 22-23 Optional Shared Staff Goals, which were a little light on the “Measurable” part of SMART, but we had an okay from the Licensed HR Admin since SEL was still a mandated focus from ODE.

 

• CORRECTION: Fall Benchmark Testing – See Debbi and Jenny’s Emails for details, but the short version is Title 1 EAs will begin pulling students next week to administers individual easyCBM assessments for falll benchmarking, though teachers can choose to begin testing earlier on your own.

CORRECTION on EasyCBM fall benchmarking:
Week of Sept. 11-15: Title EAs pull last year’s Title students to hallway for Title screeners (NOT EasyCBM)
Week of Sept. 18-22: Title EAs monitor classrooms while teachers pull all students to hallway for EasyCBM testing one on one

Remember to check 504s and IEPs for accommodations. A schedule for for the week of Sept. 18 is coming soon.

 

• Title EA Support – Be aware that although Title 1 groups have not started yet that EAs are scheduled for push-in and other duties. It’s fine to ask someone on the fly for help, but be aware they may need to say, “Sorry, I can’t help, I’m supposed to be doing ______ right now.”

 

• Building Meetings Prior to Leadership Plan Approval? – I put this on the Thursday’s Staff Meeting Agenda, but do we want to go ahead and hold meetings such as Leadership and PBIS/SEL before knowing if our Leadership Plan has been approved and before we officially know who’s on those teams? I’m fine either way, cancelling until the plan is approved or going ahead and meeting with interested staff, but I wanted folks to know our first of these building meetings are on the calendar for next week with PBIS/SEL on Tuesday and Leadership on Thursday.

 

• EA TEAC3H Training Opportunity – Shared at the Back-to-School Classified Staff Meeting, there’s a PD opportunity for EAs to learn strategies for student behavior support. It is asynchronous, takes 20-25 minutes a month for STEP 1 and 2 for each module (there are 8 modules over the course of the year). Step 3 and 4 are practice-based and take about 5 minutes each within Canvas (outside of “practicing” the skill with kids). It takes 2-3 weeks to complete each module. Participants will receive a $40 (VISA or Amazon) gift for a pre-and post-survey, as well as a $20 (VISA or Amazon) gift if you do a brief interview in the spring. See the Pilot Program Intro Video for details and let me know if any of you are interested.

 

• Request for Student / Classroom Support – A reminder we combined our assistance forms, so staff should complete the linked Request for Student / Classroom Support Form to request a CARE TEAM staff member to connect with you about a student’s attendance, academics, behavior, classroom management, instructional support, mental health, counseling, basic needs, etc. Also, Kim sent out the Scheduled Break Sign-Up Form to set up scheduled breaks, which will start the week of Sept 18, though right now most of Calming Room team is currently occupied with some new high flyer friends.

 

• Mental Health Therapist for Elem Schools – Based on current needs, downtown is prioritizing elementary schools for their Care & Advocacy (C&A) efforts to provide direct, on-site, mental health support one day a week. The C&A team will be providing mental health case consultation with administrators and counselors, meeting with referred students up to 3 times to help them build skills and strategies that will support their return to learning, and advocating for community resources as needed. I’ll keep folks posted when this will start, but referrals can be made through the Request for Student / Classroom Support Form.

 

• DHS Abuse/Neglect Reporting on Dataport – As a reminder, staff are to use Dataport to report all incidents of child abuse and/or neglect. This link can also be found on the Holt Staff Dashboard. Do note that you cannot view Dataport unless you are connected to the 4J Network at school or logged on with a 4J VPN from home. Step-by-step instructions for reporting can be found on the 4J Instructions and Forms for Reporting to DHS Webpage, but directions are more clear on the 4J Student Safety Website, which actually links to Dataport. Linked here are DHS Reporting Training Slides that were presented to counselors. And don’t forget the DHS Call Pro-Tip for skipping the long hold time. When you call, once you start hearing the recording, press 1 and then 6, which will skip you ahead in line to the next screener.

 

• Start of the Year Feedback – The first week of school seemed to fairly go well besides some high intensity new friends, but let me know your thoughts on anything we should do different so I can make note of that for next year.

 

• Free LGBTQ+ Books – District admin shared with principals you can Request a FREE Set of LGBTQ+ Affirming K-12 Books from GLSEN. There are four grade-range options: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, or 9-12. LGBTQ+ students at schools with an LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum, which includes LGBTQ+ affirming books, have higher GPAs, are less likely to hear anti-LGBTQ remarks at school, and are less likely to report missing school due to feeling unsafe. Resources are limited and will be prioritized in part on a first come, first served basis.

 

• Staff Walk-Up Song Quiz RESULTS! – Ashley R. is the lucky winner who correctly guessed the most Staff Walk-Up Songs with 6 right answers! Here’s a Spotify and YouTube playlist of all the songs and here is everyone’s song picks in the order of submission. Thanks for playing along, everyone!

1. Allan Chinn – No More Mr. Nice Guy (Alice Cooper)
2. Allan Chinn – The Boss (James Brown)
3. Lesli Harmon – Almost There (Princess and the Frog)
4. Ben Duncan – I Still Believe (Tim Cappella)
5. Annie Carpenter – HYFR (Drake)
6. Katharine Ankeney – Roam (B-52’s)
7. Katie Gulewich – Welcome to the Jungle (Guns N Roses)
8. Desiree Talley – if I were a fish (Olivia Barton)
9. Jenny Potter – Beautiful Day (U2)
10. Kim McManus – The Champion (Carrie Underwood)
11. Tracy Zehner – Crowd Chant (Joe Satriani)
12. Leah Willow – ME (Taylor Swift)
13. Caitlin Benavides – Energy (Beyoncé)
14. Caitlin Benavides – Come on Eileen (Save Ferris)
15. Ashley Reich – September (Earth, Wind & Fire)
16. Kelsey Hicks – Let me Clear My Throat (DJ Kool)
17. Emily Henson – Lip Gloss (Lil Mama)
18. Sharon Alberts – Treat People with Kindness (Harry Styles)
19. Lisa Zluticky – Don’t Stop Me Now (Queen)
20. Debbi Henrich – What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger (Kelly Clarkson)
21. Molly Beick – Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Cyndi Lauper)
22. Ben Duncan – Triumph Song (Wu-Tang Clan)

 

• Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details, but take note of:

• PBIS Playground Rules Round-Up MON & TUES – The Playground Rules Round-Up will be Monday at 8:15 for 1st and 2nd grade and Tuesday at 1:45 for 3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade. See the station assignment and maps for where classes start and the rotation order.

MONDAY, Sept. 11 @8:15
5-Minute Rotations (4 min. talk, 1 min. transition)
Classes start at:

1. Structures (Gori)
2. Swings & General rules (Willow)
3. Hard Play, Boundaries (Zluticky)
4. Four Square, Kickball, Wallball, Gaga Ball (Bemiller, Rahborn)
5. Equipment, Lining Up, Restrooms (Gulleckson, Norton)

TUESDAY, Sept. 12 @1:45
5-Minute Rotations (4 min. talk, 1 min. transition)
Classes start at:

1. Structures (Ball, Harshbarger)
2. Swings & General rules (Talley, Longoria)
3. Hard Play, Boundaries (Benavides, Cobb)
4. Four Square, Kickball, Wallball, Gaga Ball (Reich, Heinrich)
5. Equipment, Lining Up, Restrooms (Parks, Ayres)

Reviewing the stations are #1 Vicki, #2 Ben, #3 Felicia, #4 Allan, and #5 Annie, though other available staff can come out to help review the Playground & Recess Supervisors Guidelines.

• PBIS Common Area Rules Review – If you haven’t already, review the PBIS Common Area Rules Review Slideshow with your class.

• Principal Visits to Classrooms – Let me know a 10 minutes block of time I can come and visit sometime this month to introduce myself and read a story to your class.

• SELCO’s Educator Grants, Due 9/30 – SELCO’s SPARK! Creative Learning Grant Program offers grants up to $1,000, which are due Sept. 30th.

• Holt Spirit Gear Sale Deadline, Next Week – See Ashely’s Email for details, but the limited edition Holt Spirit Gear Sale ends September 20th.

• Team Sign-Ups – Feel free to add you name to the Team Sign-Ups Spreadsheet.

• Insurance Open Enrollment Deadline, FRIDAY – Choose your insurance plan by September 15th or else you will lose your health insurance benefits for this year. See the 4J Open Enrollment 2022-23 Website for details.

• Love Food Not Waste Resources – Kids are doing pretty good sorting food in the cafeteria, but it would be great if teachers can review the food waste sorting route by showing the 3-minute video 4J Loves Food Not Waste. If it’s helpful, there’s also a Teacher One-Pager and also a Slideshow, which can all be found on the 23/24 Elementary Love Food Not Waste Resources Folder. 

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Monday Mailers – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Monday Mailers:

Monday Mailers:
• All school based flyers MUST go home on Mondays. Do not send school information home on other days of the week. This is to provide consistency for families.
• Flyers will be in staff boxes by Friday at noon if they are intended to go out the next week
• K-4 will use same Monday envelope; 5th will use a folder in their binder

 

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Holt Staff Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:

September 11 (M)
Fall Benchmarking Window Opens
Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP) Begins
Library Lessons Begin
8:00, Morning Announcements Begin (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
8:15-8:45, PBIS Rules Round-Up, 1st & 2nd (Playground)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

September 12 (T)
10:35, Allan Reading to Class
1:45-2:15, PBIS Rules Round-Up, 3rd, 4th, 5th (Playground)

September 13 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SafeSchools/Vector Modules
1:30-2:45, Behavior EA Interviews (Library)

September 14 (H)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)
6:00-7:00, Holt PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

September 15 (F)
OEBB Open Enrollment Deadline

September 18 (M)
Library Checkout Begins
Dental Packets Due
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
8:05, Allan Reading to Class

September 19 (T)
Talk Like a Pirate Day
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Team Meeting (Library)

September 20 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Optional Staff Shared Goals Planning
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

September 21 (H)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Library)

September 22 (F)
Regular Day

 

Let’s get ready for our first full week of school, everyone!

Allan