Week of April 4
Hello Estrellas Brillantes,
This last week I was very proud of our teaching staff. The work we did together on peer observation raised the level of quality in instruction several fold. In addition, we are getting noticed as a progressive group of educators. The activities, methods, and focus on instruction that we have is looked upon by district level staff with great interest and possible as a model of adult professional culture. THIS is where we want to be! We are supporting our emerging bilinguals and Spanish learners with a very high quality education and things are coming together for them. Thank you for your hard work to make this program the best dual language program in the Willamette Valley. We have many talented staff here at El Camino del Río, so it’s always nice to see some of our staff getting district-wide recognition.
That being said, now is the time to support our intermediate staff. They have been working hard all school year. Now, our students are about to enter SBAC Testing. Please rally behind them and give them the support they deserve. State testing is a stressful time for both the students and their teachers. Lend a hand and give support to this amazing group of teachers.
Here are some news items and resources of note:
• Charis McGaughy, 4J Assistant Superintendent, Visiting Howard Tuesday – Charis, our Assistant Superintendent, is visiting El Camino del Río on Tuesday from 12:45-2:40. Just like when Gustavo visited in December, Charis doesn’t need to attend a staff meeting and will instead walk around un-escorted after meeting with me for a quick check-in, so don’t be surprised if Charis stops by your classroom.
• Staffing Update – I was told Gustavo has indicated that no additional staffing will be added until late June (if any) and later in August or start of the year. We will have Katie Hynes Petty (0.6 FTE) back next year as well was Michelle Williams as our EA for 4.5 hours. We are still waiting for official music and PE staffing though I am guessing that we will maintain David Adee in our building year long. I think this also means we should wait to tell families next year’s class lists until Fall rather than the start of Summer. This has actually been our practice the last three years. Waiting would also allow us to re-balance classes for move-ins and move-outs over the summer. However, we should make our class lists this Spring before leaving for the Summer.
• Draft 4J School Calendar, 2016-2017 – This isn’t official yet, but linked here the DRAFT 4J School Calendar for the 2016-2017 school year that was in the last School Board minutes. Tuesday, August 30th will be the first day back for most staff. Students will start on the Wednesday, September 7th, the week of Labor Day. There are three district PD Days scheduled in January, April and May. Once the district calendar is official and approved by the School Board, we’ll start building our meeting calendar for the following year. I have been hearing that Science will be the main focus for PD on the District days so we will have a discussion about how to implement PD this year with academy days and some other possible strategies.
• Weyerhaeuser Community Giving Grants – Weyerhaeuser is accepting grant applications now through August 31, 2016. The minimum grant amount awarded is $1,000. For those of you writing larger EEF grants, which you need to tell me about before the April Site Council meeting, you can mostly cut-and-paste your EEF grant into the Weyerhaeuser grant along with some additional information they ask for which I can provide to anyone wanting to apply. Just let me know if any of you are applying and need that additional info.
• Field Trip Reminders – With field trip season fast approaching, Risk Management wanted to share a few important reminders:
• The field trip guide is available on the Google Risk Handbook (look for revisions in the Fall);
• Non-Local trip forms must be completed and approved prior to taking the trip;
• The chaperone guide is also available on the Google Risk Handbook.
Please spend some time reviewing the handbook and you’ll find many valuable resources. Let me know if you have any questions.
• Local Apple Event: Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – At the Ed Center on Wednesday, May 11 from 2:30-4:00, Apple will be presenting a free hands-on event where you’ll see how educators can use iPad and Mac laptops to create and deliver engaging STEM content. Follow this link to register. And you’ll learn how digital content can personalize learning and help students of all learning styles grasp challenging concepts. Participants will:
• Use a range of engaging STEM apps on iPad that enable anytime learning.
• Explore a variety of Multi-Touch textbooks and learning materials available for iPad.
• Learn how educators are using iTunes U, an ever-growing collection of free educational resources, to deliver an amazing array of interactive STEM content.
• Experience a variety of tools for developing STEM projects for your students.
• Discover why iPad and Mac are the ideal tools for creating and sharing STEM content.
• Don’t miss this opportunity to discover how Apple products can enhance STEM learning.
• District Title 1 Newsletter – Here is the latest district level Title 1 Newsletter that went out to Title 1 Coordinators and principals. As usual, this month’s newsletter is mostly coordinator specific information and tasks, but there is an interesting TEDTalk by Peter Benson entitled “Sparks: How Youth Thrive.” Dr. Peter Benson shares the idea that sparks (a child’s hope, meaning and a purpose are in life) will impact his or her future.
• District Admin Updates – As I shared earlier, Tom Maloney, current principal at Camas Ridge, will retire in June. Wes Flinn, current principal next-door at Kelly Middle School, will replace Tom as principal of Camas Ridge. In addition to being a South region parent himself, Wes has a passion for project-based learning, which is an important component of the Camas Ridge program. Juan Cuadros, principal at Buena Vista, will be Kelly’s new principal. Juan is a veteran bilingual/bicultural school leader with dual language program expertise, middle school experience, and even relationships with some Kelly families since he stepped in as River Road/El Camino del Río principal in 2013–14. This leaves building principal vacancies at Buena Vista, Cal Young and Churchill.
• Google Kid Safe Search Engine: Kiddle – Although certainly not foolproof, Kiddle is a visual search engine for kids that is powered by Kiddle editors and Google’s safe search, allowing kids to do a Web, images, news or video searches. Once a child enters a query into the search bar, Kiddle will pull up a list of related links. The first one to three results will include safe sites and pages that are written specifically for kids that are handpicked and checked by the editors. The next four to seven results will feature sites that include content that is written in simple language so that young children are able to comprehend what they are researching. These too are handpicked and checked by the editors. Results eight and onward include sites written for adults that are still filtered by Google safe search but are a bit harder for children to comprehend.
• Bloom’s, SAMR, and Beyond: A Practical Guide for Tech Integration – Using technology to redefine learning tasks and get students engaged in higher-order thinking need not be a lock-step progression through pedagogical frameworks. Discover user-friendly tips in this ASCD article to get students choosing how to creatively showcase their knowledge.
Schedule of Events for the Next Two Weeks
April 4 (M)
7:30-8:00- Joel in Summative Meeting
3:00-3:30, Joel in Summative Meeting
3:30, Joel meets with parent.
4:00-5:00, Joel to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)
5:00-6:00, Joel and Myka meet on finance.
April 5 (T)
9:00-11:15-SBAC testing begins.
7:30-8:00- Joel in Summative Meeting
12:40-2:40, Charis McGaughy, 4J Assistant Superintendent, Visiting ECDR
2:55-3:45, Staff Meeting
3:45- Joel in Summative Meeting with at teacher.
Agenda-
1. ALICE Debrief and next steps (25 minutes)
2. Professional Development Planning for 16-17 (20 minutes)
3. 16-17 Calendar (5-10 minutes)
4. Guanajuato Visit questions (5 mins)
April 6 (W)
7:30-8:00- Joel in Summative Meeting
9:00-11:15-SBAC testing
1:45-2:45, PBIS
1:45-2:45, 4th Grade ELD Service Model Planning
1:45-2:45, PLC Time for Math Planning
4:00-6:30- CIF Agenda Planning with Jennifer and Joel
April 7 (H)
Many staff at Carrying It Forward
Gig Nelson is our guest principal.
9:00-11:15-SBAC testing
April 8 (F)
Many staff at Carrying It Forward
Gig Nelson is our guest principal.
9:00-11:15-SBAC testing
April 11 (M)
National Library Week
National Volunteer Week (AKA Volunteer Appreciation Week)
Guanajuato Visit- Expect 30 students, teachers and administrators from Mexico throughout the building. Many students will be in your rooms to help for 2-3 hours. They will need some direction. Be prepared.
9:00-11:15-SBAC testing
9:00-1:30-The Reality Kitchen- Maestra Marcela
2:30-5:00, Joel to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
April 12 (T)
SBAC testing
9:00-1:30-The Reality Kitchen- Maestra Tracy
April 13 (W)
9:00-1:30-4th Grade Trip to Emerald Park Nikita Brougher’s class
SBAC testing
4:00-5:00, Joel to North Region Principal’s Meeting (River Road)
April 14 (H)
9:00-1:30-The Reality Kitchen- Maestra Bucklew
SBAC testing
8:30-8:40, Fire Drill and Lock Down Practice
3:00, Karen’s Baby Shower (Staff Lounge)
April 15 (F)
9:00-11:30, Joel at University of Oregon for PDAT Curriculum planning with Charles Martinez
SBAC testing
Have a good week, everyone!
Joel
