April 15, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/04/13 22:59 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Arts, Assessment, Grants, P.D., Video  |  Comments (0)

 

Hi Everyone,

A shoutout to Emily for organizing the Accessible Education Parent Group last Thursday! I think this is going to be a great support for families of students with IEPs and 504s and is a group that’s going to grow. Thank you, Emily!

Twenty-five items of note for this week:

• Self-Managers Rollout – Staff decided at last week’s Staff Meeting to bring back Self-Managers. The plan will be:

THIS WEEK:
• Teachers go over the Self-Manager Slideshow with kids

BETWEEN NOW & APRIL 26:
• Kids nominate themselves by filling out Self-Manager Application and get the required signatures (specialists, recess/lunch supervisors, attendance, principal, classroom teacher)
• Classroom teachers check the attributes on the form.
• Nomination forms will normally be due the first Friday of the month, but for this rollout will be due 4/26, 5/17, and 6/6
• Teachers can use the form as a teaching tool for students not qualifying for this round

I’ll leave a stack of copies of the Self-Manager Form by the mailboxes. Also, if you’re reading this on Sunday, the slideshow isn’t updated yet, but will be by Monday.

For folks not at the staff meeting, primary grades will have Junior Self-Managers, with fewer special privileges, and older grades will have regular self-managers with more special privileges, which may include:

• Purple self-manager badge and a lanyard (older grades)
• Name on announcements
• Group picture each month
• Pre-printed Postcard Home
• Walk to lunch or specials ahead of class
• Use a bathroom or drink at any time
• Library reading time
• Self-Manager Table at lunch
• Other jobs/tasks
• Possible: Inside classroom recess
• Possible: Help in Buddy Classroom
• Special Self-Manager Recess
• Self-manager salute in Assembly and/or sel-manager section

I’ll schedule a time to go over this with EAs at a later date.

Students can lose their Self-Manager status. Any major or minor referral results first in a warning. A second referral would mean losing Self-Manager privileges for a week. A third referral would mean losing their badge altogether and they would need to reapply.

 

• Orange Ticket Buddy Recess Reward – Kids met their Orange Ticket goal and we will reward them with an extra Buddy Recess. Calming Room staff and I will cover the 30-minute recess, but it would be great if teachers could help out in 15-minute shifts. The schedule will be:

Monday, 1:40-2:10 – 1st & 5th
Tuesday, 1:40-2:10 – 2nd & 4th
Thursday, 1:40 -2:10 – KG & 3rd

 

• Volunteer Appreciation Week Sign-Up – This is Volunteer Appreciation Week. Make sure you’ve brought in your treat listed on the Volunteer Treat Sign-Up Google Sheet.

 

• Fire Drill, TUESDAY@9:25 – I’m taking advantage of a couple classes being gone on a field trip to have our fire drill at a different time. The April Fire Dill is on TUESDAY at 9:25. 1st grade will be lined up outside already at the end of their recess and by the time the drill is over, 2nd and 3rd graders can just go straight to their 9:30 recess. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. We’ll reschedule if we get rained out, but right now the forecast looks good.

 

• Fire Drill Reminder, Close Doors – Several classroom doors were left open during the last fire drill, so remember to close them this time around. Keeping the doors closed helps prevent a fire from spreading.

 

• Wednesday PD: 4J Behavior Matrix – We will see this Wednesday to go over the 4J Behavior Matrix. If you’d like a preview, linked here is the Holt Discipline Flowchart for Teachers, which is actually a generic district template except for slide #3 where I added some Holt specific information, the 4J Minors/Major Behavior Definitions for Staff, and for minor incidents there is the Revisiting/Strengthening Classroom Climate & Practices and Implementing Classroom-level Interventions documents. Here’s a link to the 2023-2024 Behavior Matrix (longer version) that was shared with principals and if you’re interested, here’s the Admin Behavior Matrix Slideshow that was presented to building admins. 

 

• Scholastic Book Fair Opens, FRIDAY– Watch for details from the PTO and Robbie about hours and preview scheduling, but the Book Fair will open on Friday, April 19th and will also be open during the School Carnival. The Book Fair will run through Thursday, April 25th.

 

• Sheldon Mamma Mia Performance, Friday @1:15- The Sheldon High School Drama Department will perform an abbreviated version of their current musical, Mamma Mia, on Friday at 1:15. They will perform in the cafeteria and linked here is an Assembly Map with younger grades in the front and older grades in the back.

 

• Holt PTO School Carnival, FRIDAY, 5:30-7:30 – The Holt PTO has been hard at work on this year’s annual School Carnival. It will be Friday, April 19th from 5:30-7:30 in the cafeteria, gym, and playground. They’ll have games, food carts, the car bash, and this year are adding a silent auction. Remind your class and get them pumped to attend!

 

• Earth Day – Holt Clean Up Day! 4/22 – Monday, April 22nd is Earth Day and the Student Council invites classes to help clean up the school to celebrate. See Ashley’s Email for details, but sign your class up on the linked Earth Day Clean-Up Google Sheet.

 

• Administrative Professionals’ Day, 4/24 – Formerly known as Secretaries’ Day, Wednesday, April 24th is Administrative Professionals’ Day, so get ready to celebrate Sharon and Keri!

 

• Wednesday PD: Team Collaboration – We haven’t had a Wednesday without a meeting for some time, so let’s set this time aside for teams to connect and collaborate and/or take care of whatever you need to get done.

 

• Holt Spirit Day – 80’s Day, 4/25 – Friday, April 26 is the monthly Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s 80s Day Day! Just wear neon, bright colors, 80’s style clothes, or wear school colors or gear!

 

• Spirit Assembly 4/25 @8:20 – The April School Spirit Assembly is on Friday, April 25th in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. Stay tuned for details!

 

• BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly 4/25 @9:00-9:40 – Friday, April 25th at 9:00 (yes, following the Spirit Assembly) will be the BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly on hard play. I haven’t heard from the assembly folks what their setup will be, but I imagine we’ll be circled around their performance, so stay tuned for details.

 

• 24-25 Master Schedule Survey, Due 4/26 – As we get ready to work on next year’s master schedule, take a moment to complete the 2024-2025 Master Schedule Survey if you’d like to weigh on some ideas being considered.

 

• Master Schedule Guidance – Related to the above item, downtown provided updated Instructional Minutes Master Schedule Guidance for different subject areas. As with last year, there are not enough minutes in the day to meet the suggested minutes, which are also missing a time for Tier 3 math and the PE BEPA time, so again, this is merely a suggestion for grade levels to follow. I’ll put this on a future Staff Meeting agenda to review a couple of pieces on here that teams may want to consider.

 

• Fiddle Artist in Residence Schedule – Linked here is the Fiddle Artist in Residence Schedule, which will run from April 29 – May 17. Let me or Lesli know if you spot any conflicts.

 

• SAEBRS Spring Testing Window, May 1-31 – A reminder that we have the SAEBRS spring testing window coming up May 1 – 31, so I will schedule a future Wednesday PD to give teachers time to complete the teacher portion of the assessment. See the previously shared SAEBRS Slideshow if you want a refresher ahead of time.

 

• PTO Childcare EA Help May & June – Are any EAs interested in helping with childcare at the May 2 and/or June 6 PTO meetings, 5:30-7:30? The PTO will pay extended contract or I can offer trade time if you’d rather bank some hours for a future non-student day. Let me know if you are interested.

 

• Volunteers for District-Wide Kindergarten Event 4/26 – Principals were asked to forward an email to classified staff to recruit volunteers to assist with this second annual district-wide Kindergarten event on April 26th.

 

• SSD April Newsletter – If you’re interested here is the April SSD Newsletter. Topics include ESY, manifestation determinations, and timelines. The SSD Newsletter Archives has all prior newsletters.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• EEF Grants Due May 3 – EEF Grants are opening now and are due May 3. 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). The application link is not live yet, but linked here is a PDF I made of the form from earlier this year.

 

• Meeting Students’ Needs for Emotional Support – A new survey finds that a large percentage of students don’t feel that they have an adult to turn to at school when they’re troubled. See this Edutopia Article for details, but try to be that person kids feel comfortable going to. They suggest seeing if your students are ready and willing to talk by asking these questions:

“Have you talked to anyone about what’s bothering you?”
“Do you want to talk to somebody about this?”
“Whom can you talk to about this?”
“When do you plan to talk to them about this?”

Asking these questions helps ensure that an action plan can be put in place.

 

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

April 15 (M)
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Volunteer Appreciation Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
2:40, Talent Show Auditions (Reich’s Room)
3:30-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

April 16 (T)
9:00-1:00, 4th UO Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Reich & Longoria
9:25, Fire Drill
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:40, Talent Show Auditions (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

April 17 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 4J Behavior Matrix (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

April 18 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-1:00, 4th UO Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Benavides & Cobb
2:45, Leadership Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
5:30-6:45, Kinder Reading Night (Classes & Cafeteria)

April 19 (F)
Scholastic Book Fair Opens
1:15 (tentative), Sheldon Mamma Mia Assembly/Performance (Cafetorium)
5:30-7:30, School Carnival (Gym, Cafeteria, Playground)

April 22 (M)
Title Staff Room Duty
Scholastic Book Fair Continues
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
8:30, Allan to Formal Observation
9:00-10;30, Allan to 4J BAT Meeting (Zoom)
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
3:00-5:00, Allan to SCIP All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

April 23 (T)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Calming Room)

April 24 (W)
Administrative Professionals’ Day (formerly Secretaries’ Day)
8:30, Allan to Formal Observation
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Team Collaboration Time
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

April 25 (H)
Scholastic Book Fair Ends
9:05, Allan to Formal Observation
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
10:15-12:30, 5th Grade Hult Center Field Trip
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)

April 26 (F)
Self-Managers Application Deadline
Holt Spirit Day – 80s Day!
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:00-9:40, BMX Anti-Bullying Assembly (Hardplay)

 

And if you didn’t catch it already, check out this year’s hype video for state testing! Thank you to everyone who participated in the video and thank you to Ashley for putting it together!

Allan

 

April 8, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/04/06 21:51 Posted in Announcements, Articles, P.D., Science  |  Comments (0)

 

Greetings Bolts,

A few shoutouts. First to Holt’s Golden Apple Nominees, Caitlin, Sheryl, Katie G., and me. There are, of course, many many talented and deserving staff members, but thank you all for making Holt a special place and for making us look good!

And a second shoutout, just last Friday I learned that Tuesday, April 9th is Library Worker’s Day, so a shoutout to Robbie for all his work keeping the Holt Library Running and being part of 4J’s pilot of full-time licensed librarians in elementary schools! Thank you, Robbie!

Twenty-six items of note for this week:

• Electronics Recycling Competition Drop-Off Week – Remind students about the annual BRING Recycling Electronics Recycling Competition.Anything with a plug or that takes batteries can be dropped off at Holt this week. The school with the most “e-waste” collected wins a $500 gift certificate and a Next Step Robot made by a local artist.

 

• Solar Eclipse MONDAY at 10:30 – We get a rare opportunity to observe a solar eclipse (it’s actually a partial eclipse) during school hours on Monday, April 8, starting at 10:30, peaking at 11:20 or 11:30, and ending at 12:15. Linked here are Directions for Making a Solar Eclipse Viewer and some notes about Eye Safety During an Eclipse. We’ll have recess as normal and I’ll remind student on Monday announcement “Don’t stare at the sun!” and also put a note in the Quick News, but also remind your kids the dangers of staring at the sun. 

There’s also the Great North American Eclipse 2024 eBook highlighted in the most recent Library Connection. 

 

• Data Team Meeting K-5, TUESDAY – We’ll hold grade level Data Team Meetings this day with roving subs. See Carla’s Email for details, but the schedule will be:

8:10-8:40 – 4th
8:50-9:20 – 2nd
9:40-10:10 – 5th
10:20-10:50 – 1st
11:00-11:30 – 3rd
11:40-12:10 – K

 

• Wednesday PD: Science OSAS & Accommodations – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library we’ll review the Science standards and assessment, as well as go over how to input student accommodations into TIDE.

 

• ​Holt Night Out, Bangers & Brews, WEDNESDAY, 3:00-8:00 – Wednesday, April 10th is a Holt Night Out at Bangers & Brews! ​Remind kids to stop by Bangers & Brews at 2506 Willakenzie Road, across from Sheldon High School, between 5:00-8:00 pm, and just mention Holt when ordering for our school to get a percentage of all sales.

 

• Accessible Education Parent Group, THURSDAY @5:30 – Emily and Carla have started up an Accessible Education Parent Group to give families of student with IEPs voice and support, which will meet for the first time on April 11 at 5:30 in the library.

 

• Midterm Grading Day, FRIDAY – This is a non-student day and the expectation from downtown is staff are to report to the building and be available to colleagues on this day. For classroom teachers, 3.75 hours is dedicated to ELA planning and 3.75 hours is for “Strategic Family Outreach.” Downtown hasn’t given guidance on what this outreach is supposed to be, but I’d suggest using this time to call, email, or text families you need to connect with for various reasons; improvements, progress and/or struggles with attendance, academics, behavior, relationships, etc.

There’s no expectation you’re reaching out to all families, but target parents of a few key students you work with. Principals last week brainstormed a few ideas:

• Positive postcards home
• Positive phone calls
• Phone calls about attendance
• Make phone calls or have meetings
• SEAL Phone Call Invitation for Summer School w/registration link email to follow
• Have meetings with families who have struggling students
• Tier 2 and 3 behavior

 

• EA Assistance FRIDAY Sign-Up – There is the optional EA Pathways PD, but for any EAs working int he building , add your name to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. Teachers add anything you can use help with.

 

• Volunteer Appreciation Week Sign-Up – The week of April 15 is Volunteer Appreciation Week. If you haven’t already, talk with your team and sign up to bring some treats or snack on the Volunteer Treat Sign-Up Google Sheet Elizabeth sent out earlier.

 

• Fire Drill, 4/16 @9:25 – I’m taking advantage of a couple classes being gone on a field trip to have our fire drill at a different time. The April Fire Dill on Thursday, April 16 at 9:25. 1st grade will be lined up outside already at the end of their recess and by the time the drill is over, 2nd and 3rd graders can just go straight to their 9:30 recess. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. We’ll reschedule if we get rained out, but right now the forecast looks good.

 

• Fire Drill Reminder, Close Doors – Several classroom doors were left open during the last fire drill, so remember to close them this time around. Keeping the doors closed helps prevent a fire from spreading.

 

• Scholastic Book Fair Opens, 4/19 – Watch for details from the PTO and Robbie about hours and preview scheduling, but the Book Fair will open on Friday, April 19th and will also be open during the School Carnival. The Book Fair will run through Thursday, April 25th.

 

• Sheldon Mama Mia Performance, 4/19 – The Sheldon High School Drama Department will perform an abbreviated version of their current musical, Mama Mia, on Friday, April 19th. The time is TBA, but we will share it with staff once Sheldon staff confirm. It’s tentatively at 1:15.

 

• Holt PTO School Carnival, 4/19, 5:30-7:30 – The Holt PTO has been hard at work on this year’s annual School Carnival. It will be Friday, April 19th from 5:30-7:30 in the cafeteria, gym, and playground. They’ll have games, food carts, the car bash, and this year are adding a silent auction. Remind your class and get them pumped to attend!

 

• Earth Day, 4/22 – If you missed it in the Eco Experience newsletter, Earth Day is Monday, April 22 and they shared a number of resources, including the EarthDay.org and the 4J Elementary Earth Day Resource Page, which includes classroom presentations on various topics by Eco Chick, so sign up now!

And few other fun resources:
Subject to Climate Earth Day Resource Guide
Earth Reminder: Earth Day Activities
Nat Geo Kids: Earth Day
ACT now Climate Action Super Heroes

 

• Cafeteria Sign In Help – A few notes from Kim for lunchtime:

• Thank you to everyone helping out as kids learn their number and input them into the system.
• Teachers – for your 5-minute time in the cafeteria, please continue helping kids through the line / salad bar.
• Teachers – one teacher should help students at the computer (next to Deb.) This doubles our ability to get kids through the line.
• K-1-2 – Popsicle sticks will be in your mailing boxes on Monday morning. They include your student name, barcode, and an identification system to help Kim sort them at the end of lunch for the day. You will pick these up each morning. NOTE: the system requires Deb to pick up the scanner gun and click it to read the barcode, so:
• Prepare students to hand the stick to Deb who will scan it and keep it.
• If one teacher could assist with scanning, that would be helpful

Thanks everyone!

 

• Wash Your Hands! – Remind kids to regularly wash their hands. We had quite a few stomach bug issues last week and I do not want to end the year having to follow norovirus protocols.

 

• Elementary Assistant Principal Pool – I’m still hoping we get to post a Holt specific position where me and staff can holt interviews and have say who is hired, but an Elementary Assistant Principal Pool went up over spring break if you know of anyone good out there you might tell them to apply.

 

• No Food on Playground – I’m going to announce this at Monday Zoom Announcements, but remind kids that they may ONLY eat food on the curb (AM recess only) and not at hard play or soft play or anywhere else. If kids are caught eating food anywhere else or at lunch recess, they will have to sit on the curb the rest of that recess. There’s been a lot of litter and food waste scattered around the playground lately.

 

• All Visitors Through Main Entrance – A staff member or student let an adult visitor in via the Calvin St. side entrance last week.  Remember, all visitors must enter the building through the front office so they can sign in through the Raptor system, which cross references visitors with multiple criminal background sites. If someone is trying to enter through another entrance, do not open the door, but point them in the direction of the office. The also applies to district staff, who are also supposed to sign in through the office before entering the building.  It was just a visitor from Holt International last week, so no real threat, but it’s not something we should do in the future.

 

• PTO Updates – If you’re interested, linked here is the PTO Meeting Slideshow and PTO President Notes from last week’s meeting.

 

• Proposed 24-25 Calendar – The school board last week took a first look at a Proposed Two-Year Calendar for 24-25 and 25-26. Staff gave feedback on the initial draft and they made some changes, which I feel some are good and some are bad:

• GOOD: Conferences 2 Days – They made conferences 2 days again and the Wednesday of Thanksgiving is simply a non-contract day.
• GOOD: Transition and Midterm Grading Days – These didn’t really make sense for elementary since kids don’t transition and teachers don’t do mid-term grades. Transition days were eliminated and the Midterm Grading days are now half PD and half Midterm Grading, which for elementary I’m guessing means half PD and half prep. In my opinion, they should movie the April 18 Midterm Grading/PD day to Monday, March 31 after the break.
• BAD: No Prep Day after Spring Break – This wasn’t on the draft calendar either, but there has almost always been a PD and/or Planning Day after spring break.
• BAD: Mon. & Tues Last Day of School – Probably lots of absences these days and not sure how productive of days they will be.
• BAD: June 1/2 Day Grading Day – They moved the grading day from falling after the last day of school, but it’s now a half day instead of a full day and it’s also on the Friday before the last Monday and Tuesday, which doesn’t seem nearly enough time to get report cards written and prepped, unless they are planning on mailing them again.

 

• April Heart of Teaching Newsletter – Linked here is the April The Heart of Teaching, which has info on the Math Adoption, April 1st PD Slides, Social Studies PD opportunities, Info about workbook ordering for Fundations next year, and much more from PE, TAG, Health, Library, and other subjects.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• EEF Grants Open 4/8 – EEF Grants are opening soon. They have not announced a deadline for applications, but usually, it’s about a month-long window. 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). The application link is not live yet, but linked here is a PDF I made of the form from earlier this year.

Schools can submit as many grants as they want, so feel free to start writing! I saved a PDF version of Last Year’s EEF Grant Application if you want to start now. And remember that AI (MagicSchool.AI and ChatGPT) can save time doing a lot of the writing for you!

• Multi-Factor Authentication Starts This Week – See the MFA Email about how to set up your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Principals has had to do this since February, so let me know if you need any help setting this up. And if you were wondering what the “Hardware Key” is, for people do not install the authenticator app, it’s a USB drive you’ll have to insert into your computer each time you log onto your email. Rob said the switchover will probably happen Tuesday Night or Wednesday Morning and he’ll be at Holt Wednesday morning if anyone needs help.

 

• 100+ Philosophical Questions to Enrich Classroom Discussions and Boost Critical Thinking – This Educators Technology Article caught my eye in the April Ed Tech Update. It’s a great set of questions to prompt interesting class discussions, such as:

• Should You Always Tell the Truth?
• What Makes You Grow Older?
• Is Seeing Believing?
• Can You Be Brave and Scared at the Same Time?
• Can You Control Your Emotions?

 

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

Buddies
Student:
Each year classes from different grade levels are matched as buddy classes. This goes along with our Caring for Kids (Caring School Community) curriculum. Once classes are matched, it is up to them to determine when to meet and what activities do. The goal is for classes to meet at least once a month, but you are welcome to meet more frequently if you and your buddy wish. You also may use ideas from Caring for Kids (Caring School Community) Cross Grade Book and/or do whatever works best for your classrooms and buddies.

 

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

April 8 (M)
SPED/Inst. Coach Staff Room Duty
Electronics Recycling Competition Drop-Off Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
7:30, Allan Monthly Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
9:00-10;30, Allan to 4J BAT Meeting (Zoom)
10:30-12:15, Partial Eclipse
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

April 9 (T)
Library Worker’s Day
Talent Show Application Due
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
8:10-12:10, Data Team Meeting K-5 (Old Counseling Office)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting (Calming Room)
6:30-7:30, 3rd Grade Cultural Heritage Night (Gym & Cafeteria)

April 10 (W)
7:30, Allan to 4J MAPS Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – OSAS Science & Accommodations PD (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
3:00-8:00, Holt Night Out – Bangers & Brews

April 11 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)
5:30-6:30, Accessible Education Parent Group (Library)

April 12 (F)
No School – Mid-Term Grading Day
8:30-11:30, EA Pathways PD
4:30-6:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity Meeting

April 15 (M)
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Volunteer Appreciation Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
2:40, Talent Show Auditions (Reich’s Room)
3:30-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

April 16 (T)
9:00-1:00, 4th UO Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Reich & Longoria
9:25, Fire Drill
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:40, Talent Show Auditions (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

April 17 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 4J Behavior Matrix (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

April 18 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-1:00, 4th UO Museum of Natural & Cultural History, Benavides & Cobb
2:45, Leadership Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
5:30-6:45, Kinder Reading Night (Classes & Cafeteria)

April 19 (F)
Scholastic Book Fair Opens
1:15 (tentative), Sheldon Mama Mia Assembly/Performance (Cafetetorium)
5:30-7:30, School Carnival (Gym, Cafeteria, Playground)

 

Just 2 months until summer!

Allan

 

April 1, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/03/30 14:43 Posted in Announcements, Equity, Grants, P.D.  |  Comments Off on April 1, 2024

 

Howdy Everyone,

Hope you have a good spring break. I mostly stayed around town, but did go to the coast for a few days and found a novelization of Shafts Big Score and Zardoz at a funky Lincoln City used bookstore, so that was $3 well spent. Also picked up the out-of-print autobiographies of Mary Pickford and Ingrid Bergman and a first edition of Myrna Loy’s autobiography. And if you don’t recognize those names, do I have some movie recommendations for you!

Twenty-one items of note for this week:

• Library Restored to Full-Time – The school board is requiring district admin to reinstate the 3 full-time librarians at the pilot schools, which means Robbie will be full-time again next school year instead of being part-time at Holt and part-time at Chinese Immersion.

 

• April 1 PD Info – Here’s all the info for the Monday, April 1 PD:

Classified Staff:
BBSAs – Join SSCs from 8:30-1:00 at Holt Library
Kinder & Gen Ed EAs – Gen Ed EAs are invited to join SPED EAs at a screening of “The R Word” a Churchill HS, 8:30-10:00, but can also assist with prep work on the sign-up sheet linked HERE.
SPED EAs – Attend either the Mental Health and Learning Strategies (registration is closed, so only if you already registered) or attend a screening of “The R Word” at Churchill HS, 8:30-10:00.
Title EAs – Join Title Coordinators from 8:30-1:00 at Chavez.

EAs can also use some of this time to complete Vector trainings and/or the Self-Assessments in TalentEd if you haven’t already.

Licensed Staff:
Classroom & Instructional Coaches – Howard, starting at 8:30 (Info Here)

Schedule for April 1 for Classroom Teachers & Coaches:
8:00 – Meet at your building and get into carpool groups.
8:20 – Arrive at Howard Elementary
8:30 – 9:50 – Session #1
9:50-10:05 – Break/Transition
10:05-11:25 – Session #2
11:25-11:40- Break/Transition
11:40-1:00 – Session #3
1:00-2:00 – Travel back to your building and lunch on your own
2:00-4:00 – Planning Time

Elementary Licensed Specialists – Various locations, starting at 8:30 (Info Here)

 

• EA Assistance April 1 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.

 

• Title 1 EA Interviews, 4/1 @1:30 – Jackie, Jenny, Lisa and I are holding interviews on Monday at 1:30 if anyone is interested in volunteering their time to help. Let me know if you are interested and I will email the interview materials.

 

• 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.

 

• Student Support Team (SST) Meeting 4/1 – The April SST meeting will be on Tuesday, April 2nd, where the team will screen potential referrals for SPED evaluations and for SST members to do a monthly check-in on students currently in the evaluation process. Use the Request for Student / Classroom Support Form to make a referral to the team. An agenda will be emailed to teachers needing to attend the meeting.

 

• Wednesday PD: Equity & Inclusion – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library will be the Equity & Inclusion Team’s follow-up to last month’s PD.

 

• Spirit Assembly 4/5 @8:20 – The April School Spirit Assembly is on Friday, April 5th in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. Stay tuned for details!

 

• Electronics Recycling Competition Drop-Off Week – Remind students and get them pumped for the annual BRING Recycling Electronics Recycling Competition. They can drop off old electronics (Anything with a plug or that takes batteries. Cell phones, monitors, computers, phones, cables, etc. They’ll take it all!) at NextStep (245 Jackson St. now until April 30 (making sure they tell them it’s for Holt) or drop them off at the collection site in front of the office the week of April 8 – 12. The school with the most “e-waste” collected wins a $500 gift certificate and a Next Step Robot made by a local artist.

 

• Solar Eclipse April 8th at 10:30 – We get a rare opportunity to observe a solar eclipse (it’s actually a partial eclipse) during school hours on Monday, April 8, starting at 10:30, peaking at 11:20 or 11:30, and ending at 12:15. Linked here are Directions for Making a Solar Eclipse Viewer and some notes about Eye Safety During an Eclipse.

 

• Data Team Meeting K-5, 4/9 – We’ll hold grade-level Data Team Meetings this day with roving subs. Watch for details coming soon from Carla.

 

• Wednesday PD: Science OSAS & Accommodations – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library we’ll review the Science standards and assessment, as well as go over how to input student accommodations into TIDE.

 

• ​Holt Night Out, Bangers & Brews, 4/10 – Wednesday, April 10th is a Holt Night Out at Bangers & Brews! ​Remind kids to stop by Bangers & Brews at 2506 Willakenzie Road, across from Sheldon High School, between 3:00-8:00 pm, and just mention Holt when ordering for our school to get a percentage of all sales.

 

• Accessible Education Parent Group, 4/11 @5:30 – Emily and Carla have started up an Accessible Education Parent Group to give families of students with IEPs voice and support, which will meet for the first time on April 11 at 5:30 in the library.

 

• Midterm Grading Day, 4/12 – This is a non-student day and the expectation from downtown is staff are to report to the building and be available to colleagues on this day. For classroom teachers, 3.75 hours is dedicated to ELA planning and 3.75 hours is for “Strategic Family Outreach.” Downtown hasn’t given guidance on what this outreach is supposed to be, but I’d suggest using this time to call, email, or text families you need to connect with for various reasons; improvements, progress, and/or struggles with attendance, academics, behavior, relationships, etc.

 

• EEF Grants Open 4/8 – EEF Grants are opening soon. They have not announced a deadline for applications, but usually, it’s about a month-long window. 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). The application link is not live yet, but linked here is a PDF I made of the form from earlier this year.

Schools can submit as many grants as they want, so feel free to start writing! I saved a PDF version of Last Year’s EEF Grant Application if you want to start now. And remember that AI (MagicSchool.AI and ChatGPT) can save time doing a lot of the writing for you!

 

• Penny War Results – This was announced over the PA, but here are the final results of the Penny War:

 

• Vanilla Crunchies in Workrooms – I signed Holt up for the free cereal program offered by Food for Lane County, where schools can get free cereal snack packages of Vanilla Crunches to give students. There are two boxes in each of the workrooms, so feel free to grab what you want for your classrooms (specialists too). I remembered the boxes being larger, so I only ordered four, but for our April order, I’ll order a lot more.

 

• 6th Place on Walker Tracker Challenge – Did you see Holt got 6th place on the Walker Tracker Challenge out of 60 teams? We’re moving up the ranks! Download the app and start tracking your daily steps to help the Holt team with the next challenge!

 

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

Cafeteria Expectations:
Staff members will supervise students while entering the cafeteria, walking them along the stage or the window side. Do not release students at the doors. Grade levels sharing lunch periods may employ other structures to help the flow (example: 2 classes use the stage side & 2 other classes use the window side). Staff is expected to supervise for 5 minutes following the official start of the lunch period, or until their students are settled.

I would add, now that we are having students enter Lunch PINs, for teachers to help students enter their numbers until they have it down. 

 

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

April 1 (M)
April Fool’s Day!
No School – Professional Development/Planning Day
8:00 – 1:00, PD Sessions (Various Locations)
1:30, Title 1 EA Interviews
2:00-4:00 – Planning Time

April 2 (T)
Classes Resume
3rd Grade Staff Room Duty
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
2:45-3:30, SST Meeting (Calming Room)

April 3 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
10:40, 4th Grade Storyteller
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Equity & Inclusion Team (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00-9:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

April 4 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
2:45, Equity & Inclusion Team Meeting, Rob Hess attending (Kelsey’s Room)
5:00-6:00, Site Council (Library)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

April 5 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Sports Day
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:30-1:30, 3rd Grade Eugene Science Center Field Trip

April 8 (M)
SPED/Inst. Coach Staff Room Duty
Electronics Recycling Competition Drop-Off Week
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
7:30, Allan Monthly Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
9:00-10;30, Allan to 4J BAT Meeting (Zoom)
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

April 9 (T)
Talent Show Application Due
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
Data Team Meeting K-5
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting (Calming Room)
6:30-7:30, 3rd Grade Cultural Heritage Night (Gym & Cafeteria)

April 10 (W)
Holt Night Out – Bangers & Brews
7:30, Allan to 4J MAPS Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – OSAS Science & Accommodations PD (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run

April 11 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)
5:30-6:30, Accessible Education Parent Group (Library)

April 12 (F)
No School – Mid-Term Grading Day
8:30-11:30, EA Pathways PD
4;30-6:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity Meeting

 

Aren’t we lucky this year that April Fool’s Day doesn’t fall on a school day?

Allan

 

March 18, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/03/16 21:32 Posted in Announcements, Arts, P.D., Technology  |  Comments Off on March 18, 2024

Hello Everyone,

Just 5 days until Spring Break!

Sixteen items of note for this week:

• Erin’s Law & Second Step Child Safety Unit, Lesson #5 – All classroom teachers should use the Second Step Child Protection Unit to meet the state Erin’s Law requirements. For each grade level, there are six lessons, which are to be covered at three points in the school year, with Lessons 1-4 in the fall, lesson 5 right before spring break, and lesson 6 right before summer break. 4J purchased only one kit per grade level, but linked here are Child Protection Unit Scans of the teacher guides if that makes things easier.

 

• PTO Penny War Begins, MONDAY – The PTO is trying a penny war fundraiser. Grades will compete against each other and the winning grade will receive a popcorn party!

Rules:
1. All grades will have a separate jar and placed in the hallway by the front office.
2. There will be a Rainbow tracker with Leprechauns racing to the pot of gold in the hallway to let grades know where they stand after each count.
3. Money will be counted daily and points updated.
4. All money must be placed in the designated jars by 8am on Friday, March 22 to allow for a final count and announcement of winner. Popcorn party will be awarded to the winning grade that afternoon, prior to the end of school day.

Earn (+) points: Place pennies and dollar bills in your grade’s jar to earn points for your grade:

Penny = +1
$1 bill = +100
$5 bill = +500
$10 bill = +1000
$20 bill = +2000

Lose (-) points: Place silver coins (nickel, dimes, quarters, half dollars, and silver dollars) in other grades’ jars to make them lose points:

Nickel = -5
Dime = -10
Quarter = -25
Half Dollar = -50
Silver Dollar = -100

 

• Girls on the Run Begins, MONDAY – Girls on the Run begins this week, and will be on Mondays (2:30-4:00) and Wednesdays (1:30-3:00), ending May 27th. See the linked Holt Girls on the Run Info for details.

 

• Music Dress Rehearsal, MONDAY & TUESDAY – Monday and Tuesday from 1:00-1:45 will be the music performance rehearsal. Monday is for 1st, 2nd, and 4th grade and Tuesday is for KG, 3rd, and 5th grade (5th will be at recess until 12:05). This falls right in the middle of kinder and 1st grade music times, so teachers missing your regular music can take your kids out to the playground for a 30-minute recess during your regular music time instead. See Ashley’s Email for details.

 

• 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.

 

• Wed. PD: – 24-25 Staffing Plan Announcement & Team Collaboration Time – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library I will announce the 24-25 Staffing Plan I’ve submitted to HR. Following the announcement will be grade-level collaboration time.

 

• CORRECTION: Holt Spirit Day – Sports Day, FRIDAY – This Friday is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Sports Day! Wear your favorite team gear, sports gear, or simply wear your Holt spirit gear. Movie nerd point to anyone who knows the movie reference to what I’ll be wearing below:

• April 1 PD for SPED EAs – SSD has scheduled PD for SPED EAs at Churchill High School Auditorium, 8:30-10:00, showing the film “R Word.” The “R-Word” unravels the history and lasting effect of this word, ultimately making the case for why the conversation surrounding people with intellectual and developmental disabilities needs to change. When not in the “R Word” showing, please finish your vector trainings.

 

• Links for April 1 PD Day – Please review the session offerings here and sign up for your top 3 choices here. All other licensed staff: Please review your PD plan for April 1st here.

Classroom EAs will not have PD this day, but Title EAs, SPED EAs, and BBSAs will have a job-alike meeting.

 

• EA Assistance April 1 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.

 

• Title 1 EA Interviews, 4/1 @1:30 – Jenny and I are holding interviews on Monday, April 1st at 1:30 if anyone is interested in volunteering their time to help with interviews. Let me know if you are interested and I will email the interview materials.

 

• Spirit Assembly 4/5 @8:20 – The April School Spirit Assembly is on Friday, April 5th in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. Stay tuned for details!

 

• 4J Grow Your Own Program – Application is NOW OPEN!  The application window is from March 1, 2024 – April 5, 2024. To learn more about the Grow Your Own Program and 4J’s commitment to providing pathways to licensure please visit the Grow Your Own webpage by clicking HERE. To apply for the Grow Your Own program click HERE. If you have any questions you can reach out to: Chemika S. Bolden

 

• Lightspeed Flexmike Mute Button Damage – The Tech Department is seeing a spike in tickets about damaged Lightspeed Flexmike mute buttons, so they asked principals to forward the linked Email and Microphone Quick Start Guide. The short version is on the top of the Flexmike there is a small white button that is technically labeled as a Power button but in reality, the Flexmike doesn’t need to be powered on and off. This button should be thought of and used as the Mute/Unmute button.

 

• New Walker Tracker Challenge – “Put Some Spring Into Your Steps” challenge in the Walker Tracker app for a chance for our team to walk away with $300 or, for the four highest stepping individuals, an annual Oregon State Parks pass. The goal is for each individual on a team is to reach 49,000 steps (or 7,000 each day). Three teams also can win a $300 prize by accumulating:

1. Most steps through walking or physical activities.
2. Highest average steps through walking or physical activities.
3. Most picture points through uploading photos into the app that capture the spirit of spring. Teams receive one point for each photo that includes at least one team member, and three points for each photo with three or more team members.

 

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

March 17 (M)
St Patrick’s Day

March 18 (M)
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
5th Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
1:00-1:45, Music Dress Rehearsal – 1st, 2nd, 4th (Cafeteria)
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

March 19 (T)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
11:00-12:00, 4th School Garden Lesson
1:00-1:45, Music Dress Rehearsal – KG, 3rd, 5th (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
5:00, PERS OPSRP (Tier 3) Info Session
5:30, Feed Hope Food Box Prep (Gym)
6:00, 5th Grade Outdoor School Parent Night (Library)

March 20 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 24-25 Staffing Plan Decision & Team Collaboration Time (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
1:40, Allan & SPED Team Meeting w/Seth & Jeff
3:30, Allan to Admin Mentor Meeting
6:00, 1/2/4 Music Performance (Cafeteria)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

March 21 (H)
Building Staffing Plans DUE
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00, K/3/5 Music Performance (Cafeteria)

March 22 (F)
Regular Day

March 25-29
Spring Break

April 1 (M)
April Fool’s Day!
No School – Professional Development/Planning Day

8:00 – Meet at your building and get into carpool groups.
8:20 – Arrive at Howard Elementary
8:30 – 9:50 – Session #1
9:50-10:05 – Break/Transition
10:05-11:25 – Session #2
11:25-11:40- Break/Transition
11:40-1:00 – Session #3
1:00-2:00 – Travel back to your building and lunch on your own
1:30, Title 1 EA Interviews
2:00-4:00 – Planning Time

April 2 (T)
Classes Resume
3rd Grade Staff Room Duty
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
2:45-3:30, SST Meeting (Calming Room)

April 3 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
10:40, 4th Grade Storyteller
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Equity & Inclusion Team (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
7:00-9:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

April 4 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
2:45, Equity & Inclusion Team Meeting, Rob Hess attending (Kelsey’s Room)
5:00-6:00, Site Council (Library)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

April 5 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Sports Day
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:30-1:30, 3rd Grade Eugene Science Center Field Trip

 

It’s practically just two months until summer!

Allan

 

March 11, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/03/09 21:46 Posted in Announcements, P.D.  |  Comments Off on March 11, 2024

 

Hello Bolts,

Nineteen items of note for this week:

• Sheldon Region Noche de Familia, TUESDAY @5:30 – Tuesday from 5:30-7:00, Holt will hold a Sheldon Region Noche de Familia. We are targeting Latino families, though all families are invited. I’ll be running the following article in the next two weeks in the quick news and will also ask other Sheldon Region elementary schools to do the same. same.

 

• Wednesday PD, 24-25 Staffing – Staffing will be shared with principals on March 8. I’ll email staff the allocations and potential staffing scenarios that same day, as well as a survey for share their thoughts on the scenarios. Wednesday, March 13 at 1:30 in the library will be our first discussion as a group regarding 24-25 staffing. Any remaining time this day will be dedicated time for Vector Training.

 

• Bike Repair Day at Holt, WEDNESDAY – Safe Routes to School is putting on a Bike Repair Day event at Holt on Tuesday, March 13 after school from 1:15-3:45, by the bike racks. Let kids know they’ll be there to provide free basic bike repairs including Flat Tires, Brakes, Shifting, Bike Fitting, and Safety Checks.

 

• Chipotle (at Gateway) Holt Night Out, WEDNESDAY – Let your kids know the next Holt Night Out is Tuesday, March 13th, from 4:00-8:00 at the Gateway Chipotle location (not the Coburg Road location). Just show the flyer or use the promo code N69HTLD if ordering online. Click HERE for additional details.

 

• Fire Drill, THURSDAY @1:15 – Our March Fire Dill will be this Thursday at 1:15. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. We’ll reschedule if we get rained out, but right now the forecast looks good.

 

• Spring Living Materials Orders Due THURSDAY – Remember that spring living materials orders are due this Thursday. Linked here is the Living Materials Order Form and here is the 2024 Life Science Update.

 

• Girls on the Run Begins, 3/18 – Girls on the Run begins this week, and will be on Mondays (2:30-4:00) and Wednesdays (1:30-3:00), ending May 27th. See the linked Holt Girls on the Run Info for details.

 

• Music Dress Rehearsal, 3/18 & 3/19 – Monday, March 18 and Tuesday, March 19 from 1:00-1:45 will be the music performance rehearsal. Monday is for 1st, 2nd, and 4th grade and Tuesday is for KG, 3rd, and 5th grade (5th will be at recess until 12:05). This falls right in the middle of kinder and 1st grade music times, so teachers missing your regular music can take your kids out to the playground for a 30-minute recess during your regular music time instead.

 

• Grade Level Team Meetings, 3/19 – 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.

 

• Wed. PD: – 24-25 Staffing Plan Announcement & Team Collaboration Time – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library I will announce the 24-25 Staffing Plan I’ve submitted to HR. Following the announcement will be grade-level collaboration time.

 

• Erin’s Law & Second Step Child Safety Unit, Lesson #5 – All classroom teachers should use the Second Step Child Protection Unit for meeting the state Erin’s Law requirements. For each grade level, there are six lessons, which are to be covered at three points in the school year, with Lessons 1-4 in the fall, lesson 5 right before spring break, and lesson 6 right before summer break. 4J purchased only one kit per grade level, but linked here are Child Protection Unit Scans of the teacher guides if that makes things easier. 

 

• April 1st PD Day – Teachers will receive an email Monday inviting you to sign up for PD sessions on April 1st. One of the three sessions is required, the math adoption session, but the other two are your choice. Sign up early before the good sessions get filled.

Classroom and SPED EAs will not have PD this day, but Title EAs and BBSAs will have a job-alike meeting.

 

• PTO Meeting Updates – Linked here is the March PTO Meeting Slideshow if you’d like details on the PTO Budget, Upcoming Board Position Vacancies, and future fundraising activities (Chipotle, Bangers & Brews, Carnival Silent Auction, PTO BottleDrop, a St. Patrick’s Week Penny War, and Holt Bolt Jog-a-thon).

 

• SSD March Newsletter – If you’re interested here is the March SSD Newsletter. Topics include the recent ODE visit to 4J, required IEP participants, program changes across the district, and more. The SSD Newsletter Archives has all prior newsletters.

 

• Elem Principal Upbeat Survey – If you’re curious, linked here is the Elementary Principal Upbeat Survey Results. The comparison column is comparing elementary princpals to middle & high school admins. I think our group is more disgruntled than building staff!

 

• WREN Newsletter New Paid PD Session – Linked here is the latest WREN Newsletter, which has another 3-hour Zoom PD you can sign up for and get $150 for attending. I signed up and have done several now. It’s easy money! There are also affinity groups, SPED educator groups, and community resources in this edition.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• 24/25 Staffing Survey – If you haven’t already, please complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey.

• Golden Apple Award Nominations Open, March 1–31 – Nominate a Holt staff member or volunteer for a 4J Golden Apple Award (taking the place of the ACE Awards). Nomination deadline is Sunday, March 31. Here’s the Nomination Form.

 

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Staff Room – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Staff Room. Remember to wipe tables, load, start, & unload the dishwasher daily, and clean the microwaves and sink.:

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:

March 11 (M)
4th Grade Staff Room Duty
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
7:30, Allan Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up

March 12 (T)
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
10:00-11:00, Allan to HR Job Expo Meeting (Zoom)
9:30-12:10, 4th Grade/BEST Hult Center Field Trip
9:30-12:30, Allan Covering Music
12:05, 4th and 5th Grade Lunch/Recess Time Swap
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting (Calming Room)
9:30-12:10, 4th Grade Hult Center Field Trip
5:30-7:00, Noche de Familia (Gym & Cafeteria)

March 13 (W)
7:30-9:00, Allan to MAPS Meeting
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD: Staffing Discussion #1 and Vector Time (Library)
1:15-3:45, Bike Repair Day at Holt (Bike Racks)
4:00-8:00, Holt Night Out – Chipotle

March 14 (H)
Pi Day
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
8:45-9:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Parks (Gym)
10:45-11:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Henrich (Gym)
1:15-2:00, 5th Portable Planetarium, Ayres (Gym)
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)
3:30, Allan to TAG Meeting (Zoom)
5:00-6:00, 24-25 Kinder Orientation (Library & Zoom)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

March 15 (F)
8:45-9:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Parks (Gym)
9:00-10:00, Allan to 4J Behavior Meeting (Zoom)
10:45-11:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Henrich (Gym)
1:15-2:00, 5th Portable Planetarium, Ayres (Gym)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity Meeting
5:00-8:00, 4 Strength in Neurodivergence Festival (Sheldon)

March 17 (M)
St Patrick’s Day

March 18 (M)
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
5th Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
1:00-1:45, Music Dress Rehearsal – 1st, 2nd, 4th (Cafeteria)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

March 19 (T)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
11:00-12:00, 4th School Garden Lesson
1:00-1:45, Music Dress Rehearsal – KG, 3rd, 5th (Cafeteria)
2:30-4:00, Girls on the Run
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
5:00, PERS OPSRP (Tier 3) Info Session
5:30, Feed Hope Food Box Prep (Gym)
6:00, 5th Grade Outdoor School Parent Night (Library)

March 20 (W)
Building Staffing Plans DUE
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD: 24-25 Staffing & Team Collaboration Time (Library)
1:30-3:00, Girls on the Run
1:40, Allan & SPED Team Meeting w/Seth & Jeff
6:00, 1/2/4 Music Performance (Cafeteria)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

March 21 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00, K/3/5 Music Performance (Cafeteria)

March 22 (F)
Regular Day

March 25-29
Spring Break

April 1 (M)
No School — Professional Development/Planning Day

April 2 (T)
Classes Resume
3rd Grade Staff Room Duty
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
2:45-3:30, SST Meeting (Calming Room)

Just two weeks until spring break!

Allan

 

@schooledbyarturo

IB mega_momoffive on IG #teachersoftiktok #teachertok #teacherlife #teachersbelike #teacherproblems #teacher

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March 4, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/03/03 00:16 Posted in Announcements, Arts, Assessment, Equity, P.D., Video  |  Comments Off on March 4, 2024

 

Hello Holt Bolts,

It’s Classified Appreciation Week and I want to give a TREMENDOUS shoutout to Holt’s truly amazing classified staff. Our school would not function without you and I cannot imagine coming to school without the talented and fun team of classified folks we’re lucky enough to have here at Holt! You all are the best!

Eighteen items of note for this week:

• Classified Appreciation Week MONDAY Goodies  – Holt Classified Staff are ROCK STARS! Licensed staff, remember to bring your goodies for the Baked Potato Bar on Monday! Also, watch for some extra treats in your mailbox this week from me.

 

• K-3 Artist in Residence Begins MONDAY – The K-3 Clay Artist in Residence begins this week with Lily Hamilton teaching 5 Clay Friends. Linked here is the Artist Schedule that was shared earlier and is also on the Staff Zimbra Calendar.

 

• 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.

 

• Student Support Team (SST) Meeting TUESDAY – The March SST meeting will be this Tuesday, where the team will screen potential referrals for SPED evaluations and for SST members to do a monthly check-in on students currently in the evaluation process. Use the Request for Student / Classroom Support Form to make a referral to the team. An agenda will be emailed to teachers needing to attend the meeting.

 

• Wednesday PD: OSAS Annual Training – Wednesday at 1:30 in the library will be the 3/4/5 OSAS Training and also a K/1/2 ELA CAT Practice Test.

 

• Sheldon Region Noche de Familia, 3/12 @5:30 – Tuesday, March 12th from 5:30-7:00, Holt will hold a Sheldon Region Noche de Familia. We are targeting Latino families, though all families are invited. I’ll be running the following article in the next two weeks in the quick news and will also ask other Sheldon Region elementary schools to do the same.

Región deSheldon, Noche de Familia
March 12th 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm

Región de Sheldon, Noche de Familia is open to all K-5 families within the Sheldon region. This event is completely free! It’s a perfect opportunity to connect with other families in the community. We would be delighted to have you join us for this special evening of celebration and togetherness. Questions? Email ball_k@4j.lane.edu

• Free burritos to the first 100 people
• Food trucks to purchase additional items
• Free fruit and pan dulce
• Kids’ crafts and activities
• Raffle and photo booth
• Information booths (Spanish and English)
• Performance by Ballet Folklórico Colibrí

 

 

 

• Wednesday PD, 3/13: 24-25 Staffing – Staffing will be shared with principals on March 8. I’ll email staff the allocations and potential staffing scenarios that same day, as well as a survey to share their thoughts on the scenarios. Wednesday, March 13 at 1:30 in the library will be our first discussion as a group regarding 24-25 staffing. Any remaining time this day will be dedicated time for Vector Training.

 

• Bike Repair Day at Holt, 3/13 – Safe Routes to School is putting on a Bike Repair Day event at Holt on Tuesday, March 13 after school 1:15-3:45, by the bike racks. Let kids know they’ll be there to provide free basic bike repairs including Flat Tires, Brakes, Shifting, Bike Fitting, and Safety Checks.

 

• Chipotle (at Gateway) Holt Night Out, 3/13 – Let your kids know the next Holt Night Out is Tuesday, March 13th, from 4:00-8:00 at the Gateway Chipotle location (not the Coburg Road location). Just show the flyer or use the promo code N69HTLD if ordering online. Click HERE for additional details.

 

• Don’t Prop Exterior Doors – A reminder, for safety reasons, do not prop exterior doors unless you are standing right next to the door and for a very short duration of time.

 

• Discipline Matrix Input – I shared the 4J Discipline Matrix in prior announcements, but haven’t gone over it at a meeting yet. That may be good because some principals have raised concerns in the areas of:

1) Major technology violations
2) Racial Harassment
3) Skipping & tardies (engagement)

District admin are seeking input from building Equity & Inclusion Teams, which Holt’s team will look at this Thursday. Let me or any of the Equity & Inclusion Team reps know if you have any thoughts on this topic.

 

• Summer School SEAL Info – If you’re interested, linked here is a SEAL Overview Slideshow as well as the SEAL Referral Process.

 

• Apply Now for 4J Summer Jobs – Current classified and licensed employees can apply for 4J Summer Jobs (see link for complete list) by using this Application Form. The application deadline is Saturday, March 9. Applications will receive an email response regarding their status by Friday, March 15. Email seal@4j.lane.edu if you have any questions.

 

• Elementary Curriculum Updates – If you’re interested, linked here are the latest Elementary Curriculum Updates that were shared with principals, which has info on TAG, Math, and 4/5 Wit & Wisdom. The part probably most interesting to staff is about Dreambox usage, which states

Dreambox data is helping students close the gap in their math learning! Our data is showing that students who are completing 2-4 lessons per week have made a half year’s growth in their math knowledge. Even better, students who are playing 5 or more lessons per week since September have made, on average, a full year’s growth. We have several schools who are using this program and seeing results. Way to go, Awbrey Park, EOA, WIllagillespie, Spring Creek and River Road/El Camino. Keep up the good work! Have all of your students taken the placement test in Dreambox? Let me know how I can support your staff and students. Jamie Tait, Elem Math Specialist

Dreambox may not be as gamified as Prodigy and other math apps, but it’s pretty darn effective if you have your students do it for a little bit each day.

 

• 4J Grow Your Own Program, Professional Development Application – Principals were asked to share the following:

Our 4J Grow Your Own Program – Application is NOW OPEN!

The application window is from March 1, 2024 – April 5, 2024. To learn more about the Grow Your Own Program and 4J’s commitment to providing pathways to licensure please visit the Grow Your Own webpage by clicking HERE. To apply for the Grow Your Own program click HERE.

If you have any questions you can reach out to:

Chemika Bolden
HR Administrator, Grow Your Own Program
bolden_c@4j.lane.edu

 

• Golden Apple Award Nominations Open, March 1–31 – Make Holt look good and nominate a Holt staff member or volunteer for the new 4J Golden Apple Award (taking the place of the ACE Awards). Nominate someone now through Sunday, March 31, by completing and submitting this Nomination Form.

 

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• 24/25 Staffing Survey – Please complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey to help me prep for next year’s staffing plan. I’d like to hear from both classified and licensed staff. I’d like to know staff members’ plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan, master schedule, or any other thoughts or feedback. 

 

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

March 4 (M)
Classified Appreciation Week
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Begins
3rd Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
9:00-1:30, OSEA Membership Drive (Staff Room)
10:30-1:00, Potato Bar Classified Appreciation Lunch (Staff Room)
2:30-3:00, Allan Meeting w/SSD & Elem Directors (Ed Center)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

March 5 (T)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
2:45-3:30, SST Meetings (Calming Room)
5:00, PERS OPSRP (Tier 3) Info Session
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

March 6 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
9:00-11:00, Allan to Learning Walk (Gilham)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 3/4/5 OSAS Training, K/1/2 ELA CAT Practice Test (Library)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

March 7 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
2:45-3:30, Equity & Inclusion Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
3:30, Allan to TAG Meeting (Zoom)
5:00-6:00, 24-25 Kinder Orientation (Library & Zoom)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

March 8 (F)
Staffing Allocations Given to Principals
2:45, Allan to IEP Meeting (Zoom)

March 11 (M)
4th Grade Staff Room Duty
K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Continues
7:30, Allan Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up

March 12 (T)
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Meeting (Calming Room)
9:30-12:10, 4th Grade Hult Center Field Trip
5:30-7:00, Noche de Familia (Gym & Cafeteria)

March 13 (W)
7:30-9:00, Allan to MAPS Meeting
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Staffing Discussion #1 and Vector Time (Library)
1:15-3:45, Bike Repair Day at Holt (Bike Racks)
4:00-8:00, Holt Night Out – Chipotle

March 14 (H)
Pi Day
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
8:45-9:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Parks (Gym)
10:45-11:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Henrich (Gym)
1:15-2:00, 5th Portable Planetarium, Ayres (Gym)
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)
3:30, Allan to TAG Meeting (Zoom)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

March 15 (F)
8:45-9:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Parks (Gym)
9:00-10:00, Allan to 4J SAT Team Meeting (Zoom)
10:45-11:30, 5th Portable Planetarium, Henrich (Gym)
1:15-2:00, 5th Portable Planetarium, Ayres (Gym)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity Meeting
5:00-8:00, 4 Strength in Neurodivergence Festival (Sheldon)

 

And if you missed it, here’s our Reading Buddy Event on KEZI and also on the 4J Facebook (Video and Photos) and Instagram (Video and Photos)

Allan

 

 

February 26, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/02/24 22:31 Posted in Announcements, Arts, Equity, P.D., Video  |  Comments Off on February 26, 2024

 

Howdy All,

Nineteen items of note for this week:

• Holt Night Out – McMenamins on 19th, TUESDAY – This Tuesday is the February Holt Night Out Fundraiser, which is at McMenamins on E. 19th. The PTO is getting a really good percentage on this one, with 50% of purchases, so pump this one up! Dine-in or pick-up. Just mention the fundraiser. Plus, it’s conveniently located across the street from Prince Pucklers for after-dinner ice cream!

 

• Wed PD: Student Climate & Culture Survey, DUE WEDNESDAY– The K-2 Climate Survey and 3-5 Climate Surveys are due this Wednesday, when we will have our next Equity & Inclusion PD. We will look at the data to help guide our next steps. When completed, feel free to put them in Carla’s mailbox for safekeeping or keep them yourself and bring them to the Wednesday PD.

 

• Dental Clinics THURSDAY and FRIDAY – Nurse Hanna Emailed staff we will hold our fluoride and sealant clinics this Thursday and Friday. They will start around 9:00 and end around 1:30. If a student is receiving fluoride, it should take around a minute, and if they are receiving sealants, it should take around 15 minutes. A staff member will come to each class to pull students who have signed permission slips.

 

• SAEBRS 2-5 Self-Eval Due THURSDAY – 2nd through 5th grades students should complete the SAEBRS self-evaluation by this Thursday. Don’t sweat it if you miss the deadline, but try your best to have students complete the assessment by this date. See the SAEBRS Slideshow for details.

 

• Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event, FRIDAY, 8:15-8:35 – A bit last minute, but Leadership planned a fun short activity this Friday to Celebrate Read Across America. Here’s the plan:

WHEN: Friday, 8:15-8:35 (buddies will read for 15 min.)
WHERE: K/3 in D wing, 1/2 in A wing, 2/4 in library office hall

We’re hoping we can get some news media to come out and originally planned for kids without publicity permission to go into the Calming Room, but I pulled the list and there are only 3 students without permission. Not here, but the publicity permission list is attached to my announcements email and the 3 NO students are at the top.

 

• Classified Appreciation Week, March 4-8 – Holt Classified Staff are AMAZING! Monday next week at lunchtime will be a delicious Potato Bar in your honor! Also, watch for some extra treats in your mailbox this week from me. Licensed staff, be sure to add your name to the Potato Bar Sign-Up if you haven’t already.

 

• Grade Level Team Meetings, 3/5 – 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.

 

• Student Support Team (SST) Meeting 3/5 – The March SST meeting will be on Tuesday, March. 5, where the team will screen potential referrals for SPED evaluations and for SST members to do a monthly check-in on students currently in the evaluation process. Use the Request for Student / Classroom Support Form to make a referral to the team. An agenda will be emailed to teachers needing to attend the meeting.

 

• Revised K-3 Clay Artist Schedule – This artist requested her final session happen two days after the first 3 sessions, so we had to adjust the K-3 Clay Artist in Residence Schedule. Let me or Lesli know if you see any issues.

 

• 24-24 Staffing Timeline Revision – Leadership made a few changes to the Staffing Timeline. When I email the initial allocations I’ll now include a survey of potential scenarios that I will share the results of on 3/13. Also, following our second staff discussion, I’ll send a second survey, in case anyone changes their mind from the first survey, and at the 3/20 Wed. PD I’ll announce the staffing plan I’m submitting to HR and the rest of that PD time will be staff collaboration time.

Feb. 29 – Staff Meeting: Staffing Priorities & Grade Level Needs
Mar. 8 – HR gives principals 24-25 allocations
Mar. 8 – Allan emails allocations & draft scenarios w/survey
Mar. 13 – Wed. PD: Staffing Discussion #1
Mar. 14 – Staff Meeting: Staffing Discussion #2 w/early release for the second survey
Mar. 20 – Wed. PD: Announce Final Discussion & Collaboration Time
Mar. 20 – Staffing Plans Due to HR

 

• Perfect and Near-Perfect Attendance Awards – If any teachers would like me to recognize your students with perfect attendance for the first semester (no tardies or absences) or near-perfect attendance, let me know and I can give a 30-second award presentation to perfect attendees in your classroom. Just give me a date and time to come in and I can make a big deal about regular attendance. Attached in my email is a list of all the students with perfect attendance first semester. Also, if you know of any kids with “near perfect” attendance who you’d like to recognize, let me know and I can award them as well. I’ll plan to do the same at the end of the school year for perfect second-semester attendance and students with perfect attendance all year. I’ll also plan to give a shoutout at Monday Morning Announcements.

 

• Bells Off by Over 1 Minute – I put in a Tech Ticket almost a month ago, but our bells have drifted almost 2-minutes away from Cupertino time, so we should be flexible in the mornings for those students running to the doors when the bell rings until downtown gets the bells fixed.

 

• Book Nook Reminder – Remember the Book Nook Coupons are the only currency students should use for Book Nook.

 

• Lunch Codes Coming – Deb has been holding off Nutrition Services for us, but 4J is transitioning back to students having to use Lunch Codes. Later this year 4th and 5th grade will start using their 6-digit PIN, which is also their 6-digit password. The timeline is to test it out later this year with older kids and then start in the fall K-5. The reason for this is to be a precaution for students with food allergies because after students type their PIN (or scan a card, which is also an option) health alerts will pop up on the screen to alert staff, which I can understand schools need to do for liability reasons.

 

• Future PD and BEPA/SEL Survey – Erin Gaston Emailed staff a PD Input Survey (for all licensed staff) and a PE Minutes Survey (for classroom teachers). Friday, March 1 is the deadline. For the BEPA and Morning Meeting survey, if the results are that people are not doing them, I’m guessing there is going to be additional PD and master schedules more micromanaged.

 

• Teaching Children to Save Lessons with Banner Bank – The Eugene Downtown Banner Bank emailed me offering a free 30-minute lesson for elementary students on the importance of self saving and having safe savings spaces. They are available anytime after March 5th, so if you are interested, let me know or email Daniella Zapien Flores <Daniella.ZapienFlores@bannerbank.com> directly.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• 24/25 Staffing Survey – Please complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey to help me prep for next year’s staffing plan. I’d like to hear from both classified and licensed staff. I’d like to know staff members’ plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan, master schedule, or any other thoughts or feedback.

• Equity and Inclusion Student Team – More names have been added, so last call to add names of students who would like to participate in the Student Equity & Inclusion Team.

• Women’s History Month – March is Women’s History Month. Here’s a WeAreTeachers Article I shared last week and here is the latest 4J Library Connection which has a section on Women’s History Month resources.

• Free Class Snacks! – Send your kids to the office in the morning for a grab-and-go breakfast (who didn’t get a breakfast earlier that morning), which is a great way to build up your supply of snacks for kids.

 

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Confidentiality – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Confidentiality. With so many staff members who are also parents, it’s important to be aware before and after school when there are little ears about:

Confidentiality

Building Spaces:

When having conversations (i.e. emails, etc.) please be aware of your surroundings and choice of words at school, at home, and in public. Staff personnel/personal issues and individual student issues are always considered confidential.

At school, the confidential conversation should take place behind closed doors and not in any communal place like the staff room, library, office, etc.

Contact teams in another setting if you have a concern or question.

Cum folders:
Staff may look in a child’s CUM folder, though it MUST stay in the office. Parents requesting to view their child’s cumulative file should make this request through the school office. The office will then arrange an appointment with the parent, and the principal, to go over the file. This affords the teacher and the office time to go through the file to make sure appropriate information is contained therein. Cums MUST REMAIN IN THE OFFICE AREA AT ALL TIMES.

 

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

February 26 (M)
2nd Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

February 27 (T)
Holt Night Out – McMenamins on 19th
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 28 (W)
8:30-9:10, Allan to SEAL Meeting (Zoom)
9:00-10:30, Allan to 4J BAT Team Meeting (Zoom)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Equity & Inclusion Team (Library)

February 29 (H)
SAEBRS Grade 2-5 Due
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-1:30, Dental Clinics (Lost & Found Area)
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

March 1 (F)
Women’s History Month
Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event
8:15-8:35, Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event
9:00-1:30, Dental Clinics (Lost & Found Area)

March 4 (M)
Classified Appreciation Week
4th Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:45, Allan Meeting w/SSD Admin (Office)

March 5 (T)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
2:45-3:30, SST Meetings (Calming Room)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

March 6 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 3/4/5 OSAS Training, K/1/2 ELA CAT Practice Test (Library)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

March 7 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
2:45-3:30, Equity & Inclusion Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
3:30, Allan to TAG Meeting (Zoom)
5:00-6:00, 24-25 Kinder Orientation (Library & Zoom)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Library & Zoom)

March 8 (F)
Staffing Allocations Given to Principals

 

Four weeks until spring break!

Allan

@schooledbyarturo

#teachersoftiktok #teachertok #teacherlife #teachersbelike #teacherproblems #teacher

♬ Vogue (Edit) – Madonna

February 19, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/02/17 21:55 Posted in Announcements, Equity, P.D., Technology  |  Comments Off on February 19, 2024

 

Hi Everyone,

I attended an excellent professional development this weekend. I originally only went because there was extended contract offered and I figured I could use the time to work on this week’s staff announcements (which I also did), but it was a really energizing and engaging experience. The keynote speaker, Jimmy Casas, was a bit of a motivational speaker, but I really liked how he talked about school culture, which I think Holt is doing pretty darn well on. Not to get too mushy, but I’m super glad to be working with you all here. 

Twenty-two items of note for this week:

• Grade Level Team Meetings, 2/20 – 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: SAEBRS SEL Student Screener – I reshuffled Wednesday PD topics and this Wednesday at 1:30 in the library will be on the new SEL student screener all schools are now starting. I will give staff an overview of how it works (the short version is K-5 teachers complete a short checklist on each of your students and grades 2-5 have students complete an online survey form), but most of the PD time will be for teachers to complete the teacher-student screener. See my Feb. 5 Announcements for additional information on SAEBRS.

 

• Fire Drill, THURSDAY @1:15 – We’ll reschedule our missed fire drill this Thursday at 1:15. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. I’m also considering if there are a TON of kids gone on Monday, I might do a surprise drill that day.

 

• Holt Spirit Day – Animal Day, FRIDAY– Friday, Feb. 23 is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Animal Day! Tell your kids to dress up as an animal, wear some animal print, a shirt with animals on it, make some ears, or just wear some spirit gear!

 

• Spirit Assembly FRIDAY @8:20 – The February 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. Stay tuned for details!

 

• Holt Night Out – McMenamins on 19th, 2/27 – Tuesday, Feb 27th is the February Holt Night Out Fundraiser, which is at McMenamins on 19th. The PTO is getting a good percentage on this one, with 50% of purchases, but pump this one up. Dine-in or pick-up. Just mention the fundraiser!

 

• Student Climate & Culture Survey, DUE 2/28 – Our Equity Team leaders emailed teachers the linked K-2 Climate Survey and 3-5 Climate Survey. The target completion date is Wednesday, February. 28, when we will have our next Equity & Inclusion PD. We will look at the data to help guide our next steps. When completed, feel free to put them in Carla’s mailbox for safekeeping or keep them yourself and bring them on the 28th.

 

• Wednesday PD: Equity & Inclusion Team, 2/28 – Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 1:30 in the library will be an Equity &. Inclusion Team meeting to review the above survey data and plan next steps.

 

• Dental Clinics 2/28 and 2/29 – These clinics were set up by our prior school nurse, but I just noticed this on the calendar and haven’t checked in with our school new school nurse, Hannah Green, to make sure this is still happening. The original plan was for these to be on Feb. 28 and 29, starting at 9:00 and running through the end of the day in the Lost & Found Area. Stay tuned for more info.

 

• Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event, 3/1 – I’ll put this on this Thursday’s Leadership Team Agenda to solidify a plan for this year, but this is on the calendar not this week but next week, so stay tuned. 

 

• Women’s History Month – March is Women’s History Month. Here’s a WeAreTeachers Article with activities and ideas to celebrate this month. If you know of other good resources, let me know and I can share them in future announcements.

 

• PTO Meeting Updates– I forgot to include this last week, but linked here is the February PTO Meeting Slideshow if you’d like to know what the PTO is up to; updates on budget, non-profit status, future Holt Night Outs, spring carnival (April 19), and Holt Bolt (May 17).

 

• Reteach with STOP, WALK, TALK – A reminder to folks when you are processing and reteaching with students to coach them to use Stop, Walk, Talk.

Student reports a problem:
“Did you ask them to stop?”
Yes. “Did you try walking away?”
No. “You need to first tell them to STOP so they know you don’t like what they are doing.”

Student reports saying STOP did not stop the problem:
“Did you try walking away?
Yes. “Good job telling them to STOP and trying to WALK AWAY. Let’s go take care of ___________.”
No. “Remember that walking away also usually fixes the problem.”

It’s also important to remind students when not to use STOP, WALK, TALK if an incident involves safety issues, physical aggression, or discriminatory remarks (i.e. racist, sexist, etc.) and instead IMMEDIATELY tell an adult.

 

• MFA with Google Authenticator – To head off more hacking, the 4J Tech Department is upgrading email security with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Principals all now have to use it and it will be rolled out to all staff in the coming weeks. You’ll log in just as you do now with your username and password, but will then also have to enter a one-time 6-digit code from a Google Authenticator App you’ll need to download to your phone or tablet. Linked here is an MFA with Google Authenticator Quick Sheet, which I also put on the Staff Google Drive in the Tech folder.

 

• Free Class Snacks! – Several classes already do this, but send your kids to the office in the morning for a grab-and-go breakfast (who didn’t get breakfast earlier that morning), which is a great way to build up your supply of snacks for kids. Keep them from getting hangry!

 

• First Aid/CPR Training – Downtown is scheduling First Aid/CPR training for staff who are required to be trained (which is 5th grade teachers for Outdoor School) and are asking if there are additional staff who’d like to be trained. Let me know by Wednesday if you’d like to be trained and I’ll add you to the list.

 

• Free Bike Locks, Helmets, & Replacement Bikes – 4J Safe Routes to School received a grant for bike locks, helmets, and replacements for bikes stolen from school for students. Any staff member can fill out the Lock, Helmet & Replacement Bike Request Form to request on behalf of students you work with.

 

• Teaching Children to Save Lessons with Banner Bank – The Eugene Downtown Banner Bank emailed me offering a free 30-minute lesson for elementary students on the importance of saving and having safe savings spaces. They are available anytime after March 5th, so if you are interested, let me know or email Daniella Zapien Flores <Daniella.ZapienFlores@bannerbank.com> directly.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• 24/25 Staffing Survey – Please complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey to help me prep for next year’s staffing plan. I’d like to hear from both classified and licensed staff. I’d like to know staff members’ plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan, master schedule, or any other thoughts or feedback. 

 • 24-25 School Supply Suggestions – Downtown is planning to provide school supplies again. This is their Elementary School Supply List. Let me know by the end of the week if there are any other items you think should be on this list. Headphones are one I’m adding. If there are items we want that don’t make the list we are allowed to ask families to provide them.

 • Equity and Inclusion Student Team – There are a few names already added, but if you have students who would like to participate in the Student Equity & Inclusion Team, please add their names to the Student Equity & Inclusion Team Spreadsheet.

 

 • HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Translating – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook is on Translating. Most school-wide communication falls on me, but for those occasions, when anyone needs to translate something, DeepL is a more accurate translation service than Google Translate.

Translating:
We will translate school-wide correspondence into 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:

February 19 (M)
1st Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:45, Allan Meeting w/SSD Admin (Office)

February 20 (T)
8:45-9:20, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Parks)
9:20-10:00, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Ayres)
10:15-10:45, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
10:40-11:10, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Henrich)
1:40, 3rd Grade Delgani Strings Assembly (Cafeteria)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 21 (W)
Girls on the Run Registration Opens
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SAEBRS Screener (Library)
7:00, School Executive or Regular Board Meeting (Zoom)

February 22 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:15, Fire Drill
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

February 23 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Animal Day!
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)

February 24 (SA)
10:00-1:00, Eugene Youth Math Festival (Mac Court @UO)

February 26 (M)
2nd Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Prinicpals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

February 27 (T)
Holt Night Out – McMenamins on 19th
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 28 (W)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Equity & Inclusion Team (Library)

February 29 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-2:25, Dental Clinics (Lost & Found Area)
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

February 30 (F)
Women’s History Month
Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event
9:00-2:25, Dental Clinics (Lost & Found Area)

 

We may have lost our 3-day weekend, but we can make it the next five weeks until spring break, right?

Allan

 

February 12, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/02/10 23:05 Posted in Announcements, Equity, SEL  |  Comments Off on February 12, 2024

Hi Everyone,

Man, I was really looking forward to that 3-day weekend.

Sixteen items of note for this week:

• Title EA Job Posting – Holt’s Title 1 EA Job Posting to find a replacement for Annie is now up. I’m asking HR to extend the closing date to be closer to when we get staffing allocations, so applicants would have a better idea about the stability of the position beyond this school year.

 

• Report Card Send-Home Day, MONDAY – Reports cards and inserts will go home in Monday Mailers this Monday.

 

• Friendship Day, WEDNESDAY – Teachers and teams should communicate to families your plan for Friendship Day. The staff agreement is to do Friendship Day as opposed to celebrating Valentine’s Day, though some grade levels did traditional card exchanges. February 14th should be referred to as “Friendship Day.” Grade levels need to have general agreement around what they will do, bring, create, etc. and arebe responsible for communicating expectations to families.

 

• All-School La Bomba Dance Party – WEDNESDAY @9:28 – Kids will receive a FREE pair of Bombas Socks on Wednesday to celebrate thanks to our friends at Hope Project and Bombas! Socks will be delivered to all classrooms this week. On Wednesday morning, you can hand out the socks. Kids can put them on right away or save them for later. At 9:28, I will announce it’s LaBOMBAS time, where can join in on an all-school dance party.If you need to swap out a size, text or call Ashley and will have students ready to deliver.

 

• Staff Pet Kahoot – To add onto the Friendship Day fun, Elizabeth made Holt Bolt’s Friends (Pet Kahoot!!) you can do with kids on Wednesday if you’d like. Let Elizabeth know if she missed anyone’s pet.

 

• Wednesday PD: Vector Training Time – This Wednesday will be one of two times for teachers to complete the second rounds of Vector trainings. If you’re wondering why there were new trainings, HR told principals the state and their insurance carrier mandated additional trainings this school year, which these cover.

 

• Fire Drill, THURSDAY @1:15 – We’ll reschedule our missed fire drill this Thursday at 1:15. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. If we get rained out, I’ll reschedule for early next week.

 

• Grade Level Team Meetings, 2/20 – 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: Equity & Inclusion Team, 2/21 – Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 1:30 in the library will be an Equity &. Inclusion Team focused meeting. Stay tuned for details and if you didn’t get a chance to read it before, check out Emily’s email on Encouraging High Standards.

 

• Holt Spirit Day – Animal Day, 2/23 – Friday, Feb. 23 is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Animal Day! Tell your kids to dress up as an animal, wear some animal print, a shirt with animals on it, make some ears, or just wear some spirit gear! And if you want to be secretly funny, feel free to do a Where the Wild Things Are theme in your classroom this day. “Let the wild rumpus start!” 😉

 

• Spirit Assembly 2/23 @8:20 – The February School Spirit Assembly is on Friday, Feb. 23 in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. Stay tuned for details!

 

• 24-25 Staffing Timeline – Downtown is promising to give schools all of our allocations at once this year; licensed and classified, SSD, ELD, and SIA, but did not mention Title, which I’m following up on. They are only giving us 1 week and 3 days to process our staffing plan. Last year we had 4 weeks. This seems way too short and I also plan to follow up with district admin about this, either giving more time to process or at least giving us classroom FTE ahead of time. However, if these dates stand, below is the timeline I’ll follow for the staffing process. I’ll plan to run this past staff for approval, but feedback beforehand is welcome.

Feb. 29 – Staff Meeting: Staffing Priorities & Grade Level Needs
Mar. 8 – HR gives principals 24-25 allocations
Mar. 8 – Allan emails allocations & draft scenarios
Mar. 13 – Wed. PD: Staffing Discussion #1
Mar. 14 – Staff Meeting: Staffing Discussion #2
Mar. 14 – Mar. 19 – Anonymous Google Survey
Mar. 20 – Wed. PD: Final Discussion
Mar. 20 – Staffing Plans Due to HR

 

• 24-25 School Supply Suggestions – Downtown is planning to provide school supplies again. This is the district’s Elementary School Supply List. Let me know by the end of the week if there are any other items you think should be on this list. Headphones are one I’m adding. If there are item we want that don’t make the list we are allowed to ask families to provide them.

 

• SSD January Newsletter – If you’re interested here is the February SSD Newsletter. Topics include the Neurodiversity Town Hall, Job Expo, IEP Amendments, and more. The SSD Newsletter Archives has all prior newsletters.

 

•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:

• 22/23 Staffing Survey – To help me with next year’s staffing plan, I’d like staff, both classified and licensed, to complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey. I’d like to know staff members’ individual plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan, master schedule, or other thoughts. All answers will be kept confidential and let me know if you have any questions.

• Random Act of Kindness Week – Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week February 11-17! If you’d like to do something with kids, HERE, HERE, and HERE are some activity ideas.

 

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

February 12 (M)
Kindergarten Staff Room Duty
Random Act of Kindness Week
Artist in Residence – Larry Meyers (4th & 5th Grade)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
Report Cards Sent Home
7:30, Allan Monthly Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
3:30-5:30, Allan to SCIP Meeting (Ed Center)

February 13 (T)
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
8:45-9:20, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Parks)
9:20-10:00, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Ayres)
10:40-11:10, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Henrich)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Team Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 14 (W)
Holt Friendship Day – Bomba Sock Day
9:28, All-School La Bomba Dance Party
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Vector Training Time (Library)

February 15 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-11:40, 2nd Grade (Bemiller/Rabourn) Jordan Schnitzer Field Trip
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:15, Fire Drill
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)
6:30-7:30, 4th Grade Invention Project Night (Gym)

February 16 (F)
9:00-11:40, 2nd Grade (Norton/Gulleckson) Jordan Schnitzer Field Trip
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPoC Staff Affinity Meeting (Churchill)

February 19 (M)
1st Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)

February 20 (T)
10:15-10:45, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
1:40, 3rd Grade Delgani Strings Assembly (Cafeteria)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 21 (W)
Girls on the Run Registration Opens
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Equity & Inclusion Team (Library)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

February 22 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)

February 23 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Animal Day!
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)

February 24 (SA)
10:00-1:00, Eugene Youth Math Festival (Mac Court @UO)

 

30 school days until spring break! [grits teeth]

Allan

 

February 5, 2024

By Allan  |  2024/02/02 21:47 Posted in Announcements, Assessment, Grants, P.D.  |  Comments Off on February 5, 2024

 

Hi-Diddily-Ho, Holt Bolts!

This week is National School Counselor Week, so I’d like to take a moment to give a shout-out to Megan. Although new to Holt this year, she’s jumped right in and become a vital part of our team for supporting students, staff, and families! Thank you for all you do, Megan! 

Be sure to give Megan a thank you and some appreciation this week!

Twenty-three items of note for this week:

• Staffing Update: SPED EA (Annie Carpenter) – I’m pleased to announce that Annie, who has been subbing in SPED that past few weeks, has been hired as the newest member of the primary grade SPED team. This means we will have a 6-hour Title 1 EA vacancay, which I have sumbitted a requisition to post. 

 

• 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.

 

• Student Support Team (SST) Meeting 2/6 – The February SST meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb. 6, where the team will screen potential referrals for SPED evaluations and for SST members to do a monthly check-in on students currently in the evaluation process. Use the Request for Student / Classroom Support Form to make a referral to the team. An agenda will be emailed to teachers needing to attend the meeting.

 

• Wed. PD: 100% Data Team Meeting – This Wednesday at 1:30 in the library will be our 100% Data Team Meeting following winter benchmark scores.

 

• Myah’s Baby Shower, THURSDAY – Myah’s baby shower is this Thursday after school! See the email from Robin and the Sunshine Committee for details!
 

• Report Card Reminders – I emailed this earlier, but as a reminder:

Send-Home Date Monday, Feb. 12 – Downtown gave the okay for us to send home report cards on the date we’d originally planned and had on the calendar for parents.

Parent Reports in Mailboxes – Parent Reports from Synergy, with easyCBM, OSAS, and attendance info, are in teacher mailboxes and should be included in report card envelopes.

You May Print Now – Sharon has completed the attendance steps in Synergy, so teachers can print report cards when you are ready.

Use AI to Help with Comments! – Stuck on tricky language for comments for a particular student? AI can give you some very nice language as a starting point. Most folks like ChatGPT, but I prefer the education-focused MagicSchool.ai.

 

• Random Act of Kindness Week, 2/11 to 2/17 – Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Week February 11-17! If you’d like to do something with kids, HERE, HERE, and HERE are some activity ideas.

 

• Friendship Day 2/14 – Teachers and teams should communicate to families your plan for Friendship Day. The staff agreement is to do Friendship Day as opposed to celebrating Valentine’s Day, though some grade levels did traditional card exchanges. February 14th should be referred to as “Friendship Day.” Grade levels need to have general agreement around what they will do, bring, create, etc., and are responsible for communicating expectations to families.

 

• Fire Drill, 2/14 @1:15 – We’ll reschedule our missed fire drill for Thursday, February. 14 at 1:15. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. If we get rained out, I’ll reschedule for early next week.

 

• 24/25 Staffing Survey – Principals haven’t gotten a 24/25 staffing timeline yet, but I imagine we’ll get our staffing for next year around the end of this month, so to help me with next year’s staffing plan, I’d like both classified and licensed staff to complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey. I’d like to know staff members’ plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan, master schedule, or other thoughts. All answers will be kept confidential and let me know if you have any questions.

 

• Presidents Day/Make-Up (no official update, but likely day off) – District admin said they were going to decide last week if this date would be a make-up day, but nothing has been shared with principals. Since that date is so soon and since there was nothing in the latest 4J Parent News, I’m guessing this will stay a holiday. June, 14, 17, and 18 are still on the calendar for make-up days, so stay tuned for a decision on those dates.

 

• Equity and Inclustion Student Team – See Emily’s Email for details, but teachers should add the names of 1 student per class who are interested and/or you think would be good representatives on our Equity & Inclusion Student Team. Consider students of color, LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, students with food allergies, students who struggle with mental health, students who are learning English as a second language or whose parents speak another language at home.

 

• Safety Committee Items – Meeting minutes are in the Staff Google Drive and posted in the Staff Room, but two Items we wanted to highlight for staff:

Fire Drill (close doors) – Doors were left open during the last fire drill. Keeping the doors closed helps prevent a fire from spreading.

Remind Kids DO NOT press ADA Button – Remind your students to NOT press the ADA button near the bike cage exterior door. Tell them this created a safety concern because we do not want to give strangers access to get inside the building. This should also result in a referral. A minor the first time and a major for a repeat.

 

• Grant Approval Form Required (for awarded grants) – Downtown does not need a Grant Approval Form to approve/disapprove grant applications, but Financial Services does need this form to set up an account for any grant funds you are awarded, so if you are awarded a grant that awards funds (not stuff), complete the above form and give it to Sharon. I’ve added a link to this form on the Holt Staff Dashboard. 

 

• Girls on the Run Preview – Our Girls on the Run Head Coaches, Heidi and Leah, will share info at a future staff meeting, but if you’d like a preview, linked here is the current Holt Girls on the Run Plan, which will be March 18 through May 27 on Mondays and Wednesdays after school for girls in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade.

 

• SEL Student Screener, SAEBRS – I’m putting this on the next staff meeting agenda, but below is info on a new SEL screener 4J is doing K – 12. Teachers will complete a 2-3 minute screener on each student and then students in grades 2-5 will complete an online version of the same questions. Here is the email sent to principals and below is the text we were asked to share:

Our district will be administering the SAEBRS (Social, Academic, and Emotional Behavior Risk Screener) universal screening tool in two windows throughout the 2023–2024 school year. SAEBRS is a brief, norm-referenced tool for screening students to identify areas of potential school-wide growth. This universal screening tool is built to align academic and socio-emotional learning opportunities and interventions to increase well-being and developmental competencies. The initial screening window is between January 3rd, 2024 – February 29th, 2024. SAEBRS is administered by teachers or counselors in grades K–12 and takes approximately 2–3 minutes to complete each student assessment. MySAEBRS is the student version of the same assessment given to students in grades 2-12.

This survey is a valuable tool for schools to identify patterns and opportunities to teach lagging skills, and areas of growth to support social, academic, and emotional outcomes. We will be administering SAEBRS two times in the following windows January 3rd, 2024 – February 29th, 2024 and May 1st – May 31st, 2024. This data should be utilized to inform an understanding of school-wide social and cultural aspects that inform interventions that are not singularly student focused.

4J Background Research and Training Materials for SAEBRS

There’s a fair amount of info to wade through, which is why we’ll go over this at a Staff Meeting and provide staff a Wednesday to complete the teacher screener portion, but I figured some folks would want a preview ahead of time.

 

• Elem Principal Meeting Items – I’d added several questions to the meeting “Parking Lot” last week that I thought staff might find interesting, with the answers in blue:

4J Truancy Officer – Has a replacement for Mark Barr been hired? Are we able to submit a request for someone to go out to families of truant students? *No one has been hired. Earlier in the month, Kat and a few others were working on identifying a solution to this current need. We will see if there is an update.

Smart Start Planning – Is there a plan for a team of teachers and admins to plan Kinder Smart Start for next fall? *Plans to launch a K Smart Start team (made up of various stakeholders), will be shared as soon as we solidify a date for February. More details to follow in the coming weeks.

Staffing Timeline – Do we have a timeline for 24/25 staffing? *We hope to have more clarity on this timeline later this week to be able to share with principals.

Enrollment Projections – Can principals be emailed our enrollment projections by grade level for next year that staffing will be based on? *We can bring this up and share with the Data Team and HR as a request for staffing/budget season. [I’ll share this with staff if/when we get it]

 

• Monday Announcements Videos – A reminder that if you ever forget to log onto the Monday Morning Student Announcements, the videos are on the Staff Google Drive under HOLT STAFF DOCUMENTS > MISC > MONDAY MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS. And don’t forget to sign your class up to lead the Pledge of Allegiance if you have some kiddos who would like to do that.

 

• ESOL and DL Scholarship for Teachers, FREE! – See this email for details, but it’s an opportunity for teachers to add an ESOL Endorsement and/or Dual Language Specialization at no cost thanks to a grant. All courses are online. The deadline to apply is April 3, 2024.

 

• More Black History Month Resources – The latest Library Lowdown has some updated Black History Month Resources Slide along with the following links:

• GALE Celebrates Black Artists in History with activities and lesson plans
• NEA K12 Lessons and Activities
• We Are Teachers: 34 Activities for Black History Month
• Black History Month Podcasts
• Black History Month Choice Board

 

• Discounted Tickets for Ducks Education Day – The annual UO Education Appreciation Day for Men’s and Women’s Basketbal is offering folks who work in schools discounted tickets on on Feb. 10 (men’s basketball) and Feb. 16 (women’s basketball). Click the images below to order your tickets.

 

 

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

Housekeeping:
• Students should pick up scraps, books, pencils, etc. off the floor before being dismissed each afternoon.
• Similarly, chairs should be stacked each afternoon and all trash cans should be placed outside your door.
• No stickers should be placed on desks, chairs, books, cubbies, etc.
• Student work habits often reflect their surroundings. Maintaining a neat and tidy classroom serves as a positive model for children to emulate.
• While seemingly unimportant, housekeeping details can make a difference in school appearance and students’ respect and attitude toward learning.
• Trash cans should be placed outside the room each night.

 

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

February 5 (M)
Title Staff Room Duty
National School Counselor Week
Artist in Residence – Larry Meyers (4th & 5th Grade)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:50, OBOB Battles (Library)
3:30-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

February 6 (T)
8:45-9:20, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Parks)
9:20-10:00, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Ayres)
10:15-10:45, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
10:40-11:10, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Henrich)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
2:45-3:30, SST Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
4:00-5:30, Allan to District PBIS Meeting (Zoom)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 7 (W)
International Clash Day
Monthly Walk + Roll to School Day
7:30-8:30, Allan to MAPS Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 100% Data Team Meeting (Library)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

February 8 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:50, OBOB Battles (Library)
2:45, Myah’s Baby Shower (Library)
6:00, PTO Meeting (Library)

February 9 (F)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:50, OBOB Battles (Library)

February 12 (M)
Office/PE/Music Staff Room Duty
Random Act of Kindness Week
Artist in Residence – Larry Meyers (4th & 5th Grade)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
Report Cards Sent Home
7:30, Allan Monthly Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
11:00-11:30, OBOB Battles (Library)
11:30-11:00, OBOB Battles (Library)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

February 13 (T)
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
8:45-9:20, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Parks)
9:20-10:00, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Ayres)
10:40-11:10, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Henrich)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL Team Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)

February 14 (W)
Holt Friendship Day – Bomba Sicks Day
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – 4J Behavior Matrix (Library)

February 15 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-11:40, 2nd Grade (Norton/Gulleckson) Jordan Schnitzer Field Trip
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:50, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:15, Fire Drill
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)
6:30-7:30, 4th Grade Invention Project Night (Gym)

February 16 (F)
9:00-11:40, 2nd Grade (Bemiller/Rabourn) Jordan Schnitzer Field Trip
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:50, OBOB Battles (Library)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPoC Staff Affinity Meeting (Churchill)

February 19 (M)
No School* — Presidents Day (possible school closure makeup day)
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

 

Two weeks until our next 3-day weekend!

Allan