Week of September 17, 2018
There is more to education than the academics.
Hello Shining Stars,
I hope you had a great weekend. The office and I are trying to get more efficient at newsletters. We actually got them printed before Friday afternoon. I intend to continue that pattern so we can get them out to you early Friday or first thing Monday morning. In addition, the office is trying to work less on the weekend. I am working on this blog entry on the weekend. However, it is my intention that you read it on Monday during your prep time. I am going to try my hardest to not work next weekend. Either way, I am going to begin the practice of NOT sending emails on the weekends. I ask that you do that as well. Please wait on the weekends from sending emails to each other. It can wait until Monday. Be kind to each other. Be kind to your self. Rest and relax with your family. The kids need you fully charged for Monday!
Tuesday we will have a staff meeting with much to accomplish. We need to review the agenda for PBIS, discuss the proposed Leadership Plan, set times for goals meetings, and review the PLC logistics for Fall.
• Friday Early Release Meeting @2:00 – This Friday’s Early Release meeting will be Part 4 of the PBIS Behavior Framework. This meeting is for all licensed staff. I also encourage the classified staff to attend because this module is on Active Supervisor and has some good reminders about the 3 Keys to Active Supervision: Moving, Scanning, and Interacting. We will meet in A210.
• Optional SMART Goals– Related to the above, linked here are Optional 4J SMART Goalsaround math and our PLC work, which classroom teachers can enter into TalentEd. The percentiles, the assessment used to measure growth, the timeline, and the target group are left blank, but I’d advise choosing something related to your grade level’s focus, so it’s something you’re already doing and you’re not making extra work for yourself. My other advice would be to have one of your two smart goals be for your entire class (the state requires at least one be for all of your students) and the second goal be exactly the same as the first except that you change target population to a subgroup. Teachers are, of course, welcome to create your own goals, but I know folks have appreciated this in the past. Here is a sample version of the above 2018-19-PLC-SMART-generic goal. Non-classroom licensed staff are welcome to adapt the language of the above SMART Goals for any of your own related work, but please let me know if I can be of any assistance in crafting goal for anyone.
• Updated LearnZillion Curriculum Pacing Guides– Linked here are the updated LearnZillion Pacing Guides. These can help teacher know where you should be in the math curriculum so that you’re able to get through all of the units by the end of the year. There will understandably be units that take longer and others that are shorter (along with other interruptions throughout the year), which will take people off schedule, but do pay attention to the curriculum pacing guide to make sure you’re on track to get all of the material covered. These guides can also be found on the 4J Google LearnZillion Drive.
• Resources on 4J LearnZillion Google Folder– As a reminder to teachers, there are quite a few resources on the 4J LearnZillion website, but there are even more on the 4J LearnZillion Google Folderrun by a number of the SDS staff. It includes the updated curriculum/pacing guides, assessment materials, Dreambox resources, exit tickets, parent communications, grade level specific resources, PDFs of the student workbook, and much much more.
• 2018-2019 Mandatory Elementary School Bus Safety Training– As required by OAR 581-53-002, all students must receive instructions on bus safety before the end of December 2018. The intent of the rule is to reach the occasional riders who find themselves on a bus because of a field trip, activity trip, etc. Linked here is Bus Training Info Sheetsent to principals, but all classroom teachers need to do is show one of two bus safety videos and then tell me the date you showed it. There is a new video option for elementary schools this year, so you can choose between the Newer Bus Safety Video or the quaint 1990s Bus Safety Video. I have set the day to do this during safety week. You can complete it before that date if you like.
• BEST EA Job Opportunity– I just saw that the 4J Jobs webpage is a posting for After School BEST EA positionsif any classified staff are interested. They typically like to hire current building staff for these positions, so if you’re interested, you’ll most likely get the job! The posting closes Tuesday.
• District Admin Updates– Dr. Rob Hess is the new Staff Growth and Effectiveness Administrator, taking the place of Tryna Luton, who recently took a state level position. Rob has worked as a teacher, principal, superintendent and education consultant for more than three decades at all levels. Justin Huntley will serve as Interim Curriculum Administrator for Instructional Technology this year, as Kim Finch is retiring. (She is actually working until December) Justin brings over a decade of school administration experience, most recently serving seven years as a high school principal in Sutherlin, as well at teaching high school social studies for several years before becoming a school administrator. He has strong experience with instructional technology and online learning programs.
• SELCO Spark! Learning Educator Grants– SELCO Credit Union has rebranded their mini grants to Spark! Learning Educator Grantsand have also upped the amount educators can apply for to $1,000. See the above link on how to apply, as well as the scoring criteria. The deadline to apply is September 30th.
Schedule of upcoming events at El Camino del Río
September 17 (M)
Weekly Office Meeting- Office 7:30-7:50
Center for Teaching and Learning Meeting with Ruby, Britt, Ghisleli, Arturo, Aline, and Joel
September 18 (Tu)
3:10-4:00, Staff Meeting (Room A210)
- PBIS tasks
- Leadership Plan presentation
- Standards Overview for all teachers
- Sign up for Goals meetings
- PLC Logistics Upcoming dates in October.
September 20 (H)
3:15-4:00, GOTG Team
September 21 (F)
8:45, 1st Fire Drill, TAKE ATTENDANCE QUICKLY AND ACCURATELY
2:00-3:00, Early Release PD – Behavior Framework Module 4 (A210)
September 24 (M)
7:30-7:50, Weekly Office Meeting- Office
September 25 (Tu)
3:15-4:00, Staff Health Update- (Media Center) (all staff should attend for safety of students)
September 26 (W)
3:15-4:00, Priority Leadership Team (Conference Room)
September 27 (Th)
3:15-4:00, Equity Meeting (Zelene’s Classroom)
5:30-7:30,Curriculum Night
Dinner served at 5:00-6:00= Provided for all families.
Session 1 at 6:00-6:25 (Students are encouraged to attend.)
Principal Session in the Media Center at 6:30-6:50
Session 2 at 7:00-7:25
September 28 (F)
2:00-3:00, Collaborate to work on SLD on A210. Please come work together and get instructions.
October 1 (M)
Safety Week
Safety Week and Bus Safety Lesson
PLC 1/2 day AM Session in grades 3,4,5
Staff Meeting- Vote on Leadership Plan, PLC Vision, Presentation on Natives Program
October 2 (Tu)
Erin’s Law Lesson
PLC 1/2 day session in PM in Grades k/1/2
October 3 (W)
Fire Drill
October 4 (Th)
Room Clear Practice and Stranger Danger
3:00-4:00, GOTG
October 5 (F)
Lockdown Discussion (Not a drill)
Caminata 8:45-1:30
Suggested times: (Please provide input at the staff meeting.)
8:45-9:15 Kinder
9:20-9:50- 1st Grade
9:55-10:25- 2nd Grade
12:15-1:00-3/4/5
It is going to be a great week. I can feel it. Let’s do this!
Best,
Joel
