Assessment

September 9, 2019

By Allan  |  2019/09/07 19:34 Posted in Announcements, Arts, Assessment, Equity, Grants, P.D.  |  Comments Off on September 9, 2019

Greetings Roadrunners,

Nice work welcoming kids and families back and making our first week such a good one! And again, awesome job, everyone who was on hand and able to step-up to help out during Thursday’s unexpected events! (◔_◔)

Twenty-Nine items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – A few staffing announcements.

• Added Kindergarten EA – Downtown approved adding a 5.5 hour Kindergarten EA since we’ve added a third kindergarten classroom. We’ll start with a sub on Monday until we can hire someone, but the job posting should go up hopefully this week if you know of anyone good who might be interested. We’re thinking the hours will be 8:15-2:30 MTWH and 8:15-1:15 Fridays.

• Added Looking Glass Counselor – I shared last year that Looking Glass is adding a second counselor to our building this year given the level of need and Sarai Barrera will be joining our current Looking Glass counselor, Audra Landry. Audra will be going on maternity leave soon and Sarai will take over her caseload, but once Audra returns, we will have two therapists available for Howard and Kelly students. Audra will work out of the current Looking Glass office upstairs and Sarai will take over Matt’s old counselor office.

• New Kitchen Staff – Nutrition Services hired Christine Fogle as our newest Food Service Assistant in the kitchen. Christine should start this week.

• Enrollment Update – On a related note, Howard is now over 500 students and is 70+ students over our projection, so I’m continuing to advocate with downtown for additional staffing. Numbers-wise, our current enrollment and staffing ratio should equate to us having one more full-time teacher, not even taking into account that we typically add 30-50 students over the course of the school year. My current thinking if we received another teacher to is to add a fourth 2nd grade classroom.

• Friday Early Release PD – This Friday’s Early Release PD is designated as a Behavior Framework PD session. Principals are to receive more information on Monday, but I believe it’s a behavior Tier 1 booster.

• EA Supervisors Meeting Notes – Several items of note from last Friday’s EA Supervisors Meeting

• Friday Recesses 5-Minutes Shorter – A reminder to classroom teachers that BOTH recesses on Friday are 5-minutes shorter than recesses Monday – Thursday. These are the hours laid out by the Standard School Schedule, where students are to have 60-minutes of recesses/lunches/passing times MTWH and 50-minutes on early release Fridays.

• Please Pick-Up at Recess On-Time – Many recesses supervisors are scheduled for other duties immediately follow their recess duty, so it’s important that classroom teachers be one the playground when recess bell rings.

• Future PBIS Rules Round-Up Thoughts – It was great having teachers coming out for the rules round-up on the playground so students know everyone is on the same page. However, it was a grueling process to review the rules over a three day period, so a couple suggestions for future round-ups were to have teachers review the rules with students on their own out on the playground the first day of school or to do the rules round-up as we did this year, with EAs doing the teaching with teachers staying with their classes, but with quick 2-3 minute rotations to cover all of the playground areas, possibly at a time different than regular recess times.

• Team Sign-Ups Google Sheet – I decide instead of an old fashioned chart paper sign-up, we’ll move into the 21st century and do a Google Sheet sign-up instead. Please follow the link to the 2019-2020 Howard Teams Google Sheet. I actually just added a tab to our Leadership/Building Rep. Positions Google Sheet, so click the Teams tab to add your name to a team you’d like to volunteer to be a part of; Equity, Garden, IPBS, PBIS, Safety, Site Council (one open classified spot), Social, or Tech (TLT).

• You’re a LIFESAVER! – Take note of Mellissa’s email stating that you’ll find a little note with a lifesaver in your mailbox and to please take a moment at some point this week or two to drop someone a positive thank you note for being a “lifesaver” during these tough first days of school.

• Friday at Four at Jenny’s! – This Friday will be our first Howard Staff Social of the year. Jenny is hosting the event at her house, now conveniently located within walking distance of Howard at 1663 Rosy Turn. Bring your own beverages and maybe a snack to share. Hope to see you there!

• PBIS Reminders – Two reminders for PBIS activities still happening.

• PBIS Back to School Refresher – By the end of the week, all classrooms should review the rules for the common school areas by reviewing the PBIS Back to School Refresher Slide Show or other means the first three days of school. Teaching these rules in each of the locations is best. Complete the checklist by Thursday, September 12th, return it to Mellissa’s mailbox, and your class earns a special reward!

• Golden Tail-feather Challenge! – If a class earns 19 golden tail feathers that can be earned on the playground or cafeteria the first eight days of school, they will earn Otter Pops at a lunch recess!

• Principal Visits to Classrooms –I’d like to again visit every classroom sometime during the first few weeks of school to meet students. I’ll read a favorite story to your class and chat with the kids a bit. Teachers, please let me know a good 10-15 minutes block of time I can come and visit.

• 3/4/5 ESYO (Strings) Recruitment Assembly 9/20 @8:40 – The Eugene Springfield Youth Orchestra Program (ESYO) is opening up Strings Academy I classes up to 3rd graders this year, so 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms are invited to attend the annual ESYO Strings Recruitment Assembly. See the linked Assembly Map & Directions for details.

• Library Notes – From our library leader, Julie, …

Are we ready? First full week and library classes start! Kids are excited they keep asking when they are able to come in :). We will go over expectations and routines this week.

Kinders– I will come to you and read in class for now :)
1st– story time/story cove expectations. Practice coming in and sitting down…..
2nd – Library/story cove expectations and routines – sending shelf markers back to class for them to decorate
3rd– Library/story cove expectations and routines – sending shelf markers back to class for them to decorate
4th – Main library expectations and routines – possible check out if time allows. :) 1 book
5th – Main library expectations and routines – check out 1 book this week )

Grades 1-5 Will meet me lined up on the gray wall outside the story cove :)
It’s easier to start out side the story cove for expectations on entering the story cove….

Have a great week!

Julie

• Howard PTO Happenings – Three PTO related items of note:

• PTO Meeting Tuesday – This Tuesday, 6:00-7:00 in the cafeteria will be the first PTO Meeting of the year. It’s typically the best attended meeting of the year by families, so it would be great if any staff can volunteer their evening to come show support for parents who are making time to be involved in their child’s school. Mark your calendars and hope to see you there!

• PTO Teacher Funds – Linked here are the 2019 PTO Teacher Funds this year. Specialists will again get $125 each and classroom teachers will get $10.25 per student and grade levels will get $300 each for enrichment activities. As was last year, the two criteria for accessing the enrichment funds are:

• Enrichment – The funds are to be used for an enrichment activity. This can be a field trip or it can be brining a presenter or other guest into the classroom to lead an enrichment activity.

• Grade Level Agreement – The funds are for a grade level activity and are not to be different classroom to classroom. For example, all classes at a grade level don’t all have to go on a field trip the same day, but they do all have to be going on the same field trip.

• New PTO Board Members – We have an excellent PTO Board for the year, which is a mix of new and returning board memebers. Here are the our fabulous parent volunteers:

• President – Abbie Stillie
• Vice President – Beth Moir
• Secretary – Paige Walker
• Treasurer – Tichelle Carlson
• Communications Manager – OPEN
• Volunteer Coordinator – Holli Breshears
• Fundraiser Coordinator – OPEN
• Parliamentarian – Christy Garland
• Staff Liaison – Christina Wagner

• UPDATE: 2019-2020 Master Schedule – There’s been some more minor tweaks to the 2019-2020 Master Schedule. See the linked file on the Howard Shared Drive for the most current iteration of the schedule. Anyone affected by changes already knows.

• 4J Instructional Materials Overview – This may have gotten lost amongst the many links in Sue Wilson’s email earlier this week, but I wanted to highlight the new 4J Instructional Materials Overview, which has links to many tools such as websites, scope/sequences, login information, DreamBox student login info, etc. which may come in handy. Pages 6 & 7 have a very useful table of digital resources (i.e. Dreambox, LZ, Second Step, Journeys, FOSS, Clever, etc.) and their corresponding student and staff log-ins. Page 8 has concise directions for printing student rosters usernames and passwords as well as how to print Clever badges.

• Optional Building SMART Goals Meeting, Tuesday – Teachers are, of course, welcome to create your own goals, but I know folks have appreciated having shared building goals focused around the year’s planned PD activities, so this Thursday at 2:45 in the Conference Room will be an optional meeting to discuss potential building wide SMART Goals. Linked here are Last Year’s Building SMART Goals.

• Optional Leadership Plan Development Meeting – This Thursday at 2:45 in the Conference Room will be an optional Leadership Plan Development Meeting. The current contract gives us 22 teacher release days not to exceed 7 teachers. Linked here is Last Year’s Leadership Plan, which compensated teachers for School Climate, Technology, Math, ELA, and Equity leadership roles. If you’d like to share your thoughts on a potential Leadership Plan, you may attend this meeting or email me your thoughts. I’ll plan to share Leadership Plan proposals at the September Staff Meeting and then vote on a plan at the October Staff Meeting.

• TSS Schedule – Jyllian has solidified her schedule for her three schools (Howard, Kelly, and River Road). She’ll be at Howard five days a week, 7:30-10:30 MWF and 10:30-1:30 TH. As always, please send requests to 4jdesktop@4j.lane.edu

• Updated SPED Referral Process – On the Howard Shared Drive and linked here is the updated Steps for 4J Special Education Referral Review Process and the updated Special Education Referral Packet. I got this from Matt, who got it from Cassidy, so I haven’t seen official information on the new forms from SSD, but at an admin meeting SSD shared that the process is pretty much the same as last year, but that the referral packet is more streamlined and clear about who fills out which part.

• Classified Trade Time Forms – A few classified staff spoke to me this week about working longer days to help with start of the year craziness or to attend meetings, which is very much appreciated, but remember that you now need to complete the 4J Trade Time Approval Form and have it pre-approved by me before you can accrue trade time hours. Don’t worry about this past week, but be sure to use this form if you want to use trade time in the future.

• Music & PE Specialists and Prep – Principals were emailed the following, that when a teacher misses a prep slot during a student day, the prep should be made up. If students missed PE or Music, it is made up with a replacement slot. If students attended PE or Music but a teacher missed a prep (for a meeting or other admin-assigned reason) then the prep should be paid for at the teacher’s per diem rate. Administrators should initiate an extended contract form. Specialists’ missed prep time should also be made up or paid at per diem. If these preps are missed because there was no school (holiday, grading day, PD day, etc.), they will not be made up.

• Medical Cell Phones – Our school nurse, Robin Wellwood, shared earlier that all school nurses were issued a district cell phone, so make sure ALL phone or text communication with Robin is done using her new phone number. This is being done to address privacy concerns. SSD’s urgency is in moving texting and picture taking of injuries and students to district phones instead of personal phones.

SSD also issued the first round of building medical cell phones, which Howard received and is being kept in Lori’s office. These phones are to be used for any and all calls of a medical nature that seem appropriate. They can even be used to text a family their student is sick and needs to be picked up. These are also how staff can text our school nurse sensitive medical information. Linked here is the email that was sent to principals regarding this, but let me know if you have any questions.

• Insurance Open Enrollment Deadline SUNDAY – If you have not participated in Open Enrollment yet please do so. We do not want you to lose your 4J health insurance benefits. The deadline is Sunday, September 15th!

• REPEAT: easyCBM Testing Begins Monday – Fall Benchmark easyCBM testing starts Monday. Same routine as usual, but see Mellissa’s email for details.

• REPEAT: Artist in Residence Survey: DUE FRIDAY – Classroom teachers, please complete the linked Artist in Residence Google Form and that way I can bring a proposal ahead of time to the September Staff Meeting for a quick decision. See the Lane Arts Artist in Residence webpages for details on each artist and let me know if you have any questions. Survey responses due this Friday.

• Behavior EA Job Duties – Downtown is kind of building the airplane while they’re flying it with the new Behavior EA positions, which at our building is Jeff, but they are solidifying some dos and do nots for the position. Some highlights include:

Roles and Responsibilities:

• This EA is a Tier 2 facilitator. Meaning they will help to run Tier 2 behavioral interventions for students identified for through your schools IPBS/Tier 2 & 3 Team.
• Any student receiving Tier 2 support from the behavior EA, must be identified through your school-wide data source, teacher referral or have been receiving Tier 2 last year.
• We will provide specific and ongoing training for Check In Check Out, Social Skills Instruction, and PASS.
• Limited recess duty. We understand that there is always the need for more staff supporting recess, and recommend that the behavior EA be used to support students who need Tier 2 intervention support or social skills instruction at recess.
• We anticipate this person attending IPBS/Tier 2 and 3 meetings.
• Since this person is a Tier 2 support, they are not expected to respond to individual student crisis, unless it is part of an individual student plan or as a brief de-escalation strategy to help a student from escalating further (i.e. 5 minute walking break)

Other Important Information:

• The Behavior EA should NOT be running in-school suspension rooms or handling discipline concerns that occur throughout the day. Those should still be processed through the school-wide system.
• They will not independently add students to an intervention without being processed through the schools IBPS/Tier 2 & 3 team.

However, since this is a new position and we have a pretty sharp IPBS Team, I bed we could probably propose some of our own ideas as well.

• Papa’s Pizza Achievement Awards – I know teachers sometimes like to use the Papa’s Pizza Achievement Awards as an incentive for students, so I contacted Papa’s Pizza last week to get some awards. The awards can be given students for any sort of academic achievement and will entitle kids to a free pizza. Awards will be located in the front office in the filing cabinet next to Elizabeth’s desk.

• 4-H School Visit Opportunity – Lane County 4-H offers free presenters, who are 4-H staff, volunteers, and teen members from their Lane Leadership Team. Presentations can be one of two types: Informational (explaining about 4H) or a more interesting hands-on educational experience that could be around animal science, leadership, healthy meal preparation, getting physically active, agriculture, natural science, gardening, art, and more. If you are interested, linked here is a 4-H Sign-Up and Info Sheet teachers to fill out and submit to their office. Once you have submitted a form, their staff will contact you to set a time for your presentation.

• FREE Architects in Schools Program, 3-5 – For over 40 years, the Architecture Foundation of Oregon’s Architects in Schools program has matched professional architects and engineers with 3rd through 5th grade teachers for a FREE 6-week classroom residency. The curriculum uses architecture and engineering concepts to teach math, science, social studies, language arts and other disciplines, includes sustainable design concepts and can incorporate the engineering and design standards. Follow this link for Additional Information or this flyer and follow this link to the Teacher Application webpage. Deadline to apply is October 4th.

• Educator Grant From Teaching Tolerance – Do you have an idea for a project to help make your school or district more welcoming? Apply for a Teaching Tolerance Educator Grant! Their grants support projects designed to bring anti-bias principles and practices to classrooms, schools and districts. Awards range from $500 to $10,000 and are selected on a rolling basis. Apply today!

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

September 9 (M)
Fall Benchmark easyCBM Testing Begins

September 10 (T)
8:30, Allan to All Administrator Meeting (Ed Center)
2:45-3:15, Optional Building SMART Goals Meeting (Conference Room)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Cafeteria)

September 11 (W)
2:30, Allan to Eligibility Determination Meeting (Conference Room)

September 12 (H)
2:45-3:15, Optional Leadership Plan Development Meeting (Conference Room)
4:15-5:15, Student Success Act Staff Conversations – Phase I (North Eugene HS)

September 13 (F)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Behavior Framework PD (Library)
4:00, Howard Staff Social – Friday at Four at Jenny’s House (1663 Rosy Turn)

September 15 (SU)
INSURANCE OPEN ENROLLMENT DEADLINE

September 16 (M)
Title 1 Individual Diagnostic Screener Assessments
BEST Invites Go Home
3:45-5:45, Allan to Elem Principal Meeting (Ed Center)

September 17 (T)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Mellissa’s Room, RM23)

September 18 (W)
Lori’s Birthday!
2:45-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Rae’s Room, RM1)

September 19 (H)
Talk Like a Pirate Day
4:00-6:00, 4J K-2 Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Trainings (Ashley’s Room, RM25)
4:15-5:15, 4J Student Success Act – Staff Conversations – SPED (Cafeteria)

September 20 (F)
8:45-9:15, 3/4/5 ESYO (Strings) Recruitment Assembly (Gym)
2:30, Early Release PD – PLC
5:30-7:30, PTO Family Night – Secret Life of Pets 2 (Cafeteria/Gym)

Have a fabulous week, everyone!

Allan

 

September 2, 2019

By Allan  |  2019/08/31 23:20 Posted in Announcements, Arts, Assessment, Grants, P.D.  |  Comments Off on September 2, 2019

Howdy Roadrunners,

It was great seeing everyone last week and exciting to welcome all of the new folks to our amazing team!

Twenty-eight items of note for this week:

• PBIS Reminders – A few PBIS items of note:

• Rules Round-Up – See Mellissa’s PBIS Email for complete details, but the short version is:

• Teacher Tasks – ALL classrooms review the Howard Playground Expectations before recess the first day of school. Also, review all the rules for the common school areas by reviewing the PBIS Back to School Refresher Slide Show or other means the first three days of school. Teaching these rules in each of the locations is best. Complete the checklist by Thursday, September 12th, return it to Mellissa or Allan’s mailbox, and your class earns a special reward of Mr. Chinn reading to your class!

• Recess Round-Up – For the first three days of school for grades 1-3 and the first two days of school for grade 4-5, teachers walk classes to the playground and and stay with their class for the first 5-minutes of recess to review a few specific playground areas each day.

• Cafeteria Round-Up & Reminder – Classroom teachers during regular lunches are to walk their classes into the cafeteria and stay with them until the cafeteria line is moving. For the PBIS Cafeteria Rules Round-Up, teachers should walk students into the cafeteria and stay with their classes the first day of school at the following times:

8:20-8:40 5th Grade
8:40-8:55 3rd Grade (only C/D)
8:55-9:10 4th Grade (only C)
9:10-9:30 3rd Grade (only A/B) and 4th Grade (only A/B)
9:30-9:50 1st Grade
9:50-10:10 2nd Grade Andress

• Golden Tail-feather Challenge! – If a class earns 19 golden tail feathers that can be earned on the playground or cafeteria the first eight days of school, they will earn Otter Pops at a lunch recess!

• Classroom Playground Line Numbers – Recess Supervisors and myself have revamped recess lines where classes should line up in the morning. To help with class spacing and line flow, classes will line up at the spots below. We think 1st grade should stay with these same numbers for all recess, but other grade are welcome to choose other spots for your class to line-up at morning and lunch recess as long as they are not under the covered area if other classes are on the playground.

1st Braud – #14
1st Corliss – #15
1st Ward – #16
2nd Kerins – #10
2nd Larsen – #11
2nd Pond – #12
3rd Charpie – #1
3rd Kreider – #2
3rd Lawson/Peterson – #3
3rd Niccum – #4
4th Chunn – #18
4th Groshong – #19
4th Zimmerman – #20
5th Callihan – Sidewalk Crack #1
5th Cortez – Sidewalk Crack #2
5th Rock – Sidewalk Crack #3

• Friday Recess Reminder – Teachers, remember that on Fridays recesses are 5-minutes shorter than MTWH recesses, so make sure you are on the playground in time to pick up your class earlier than usual on Fridays.

• Friday Early Release PD – This Friday’s Early Release PD is designated as a Building Goals day for the topic, so I will designate this time for teachers to complete your SafeSchools and TalentEd Goals and Self Assessment. See below for details regarding SMART Goals.

• UPDATE: Classified & Licensed Goals and Self Assessment – All staff, both classified and licensed, need to complete a self assessment before the end of September in TalentEd. Two updates, licensed staff need to also complete SMART Goals, which teachers can decide for themselves or if you’d like to participate in building wide goals, a committee will meet on Tuesday, September 10th at 2:45 in the Conference Room to decide on a building focus, which will likely align with our CIP goals. For classified staff, we’re realized that the website is not compatible with older computer operating systems and isn’t letting staff submit documents. If you do not have access to a newer computer, I’d suggest borrowing a newer student iPad while you’re at school.

• REPEAT: Meet Your Teacher 9/3 – During Meet Your Teacher on Tuesday,1:00-2:00, non-classroom staff will direct families, passing out school maps with highlighters to help guide families, and also passing out a First Day/Parking Lot Flyers. We’ll also give staff a complete set of class lists to be used this day and also on the first day of school.

• REPEAT: First & Second Day of School Plan 9/4 & 9/5 – We will continue having all-hand-on-deck to help at 7:25 on Wednesday and Thursday to help direct students and families before and after the first bell. Here is the plan:

• Students will enter in at 7:25 to eat breakfasts.

• Non-classroom staff, starting at 7:25, will be in front of the building, the front hallway, the cafeteria, and the playground to help supervise and to help guide students and families. All staff will be given class lists to help guide students as well as a handful of building maps to pass out. See the map below for where people are stationed.

• Kindergarten and 1st grade students will have a designated area in the cafeteria to eat breakfast. 2nd through 5th grade students will eat breakfast and go out to the playground.

• 2nd – 5th grade students at 7:50 rings will line up (T-square classrooms signs will be posted to help students know where to line up) and will be dismissed one class at a time to go to their classrooms. Non-classroom staff will have assigned areas to help with student flow and for students arriving late. Staff will be stationed at the front entrance, cafeteria, the hallway corners of the library, and one person in each wing (upstairs and downstairs). See map below.

• Kinder and 1st grade students at 7:50 will wait in the cafeteria to be met by classroom teachers and walked to class.

• We will follow this routine the first two days of school and on Friday will begin our usual routine of 1st through 5th grade students on the playground and will not have as many staff members posted around the school, although extra hands are always appreciated.

Staff helping direct students and families should hold onto their class lists and maps from Meet Your Teacher for the first and second day of school. Linked here is the First & Second Day Directions and an UPDATED First & Second Day Map of where staff will be stationed. Anyone who can’t flex their hours to come in earlier these two days, please let me know so I can adjust where people are stationed.

• Howard Staff Handbook Review – Linked here is the updated Howard Staff Handbook. All staff must review the handbook and sign & return the Acknowledgement Form to the office by Monday, September 30th. Both of these can also be found on the Howard Team Drive > MISC > Handbooks I’ll place hard copies of the acknowledgement form in mailbox on Tuesday. No changes this year other than the date. Let me know if you have any questions.

• District Mandatory Policy Review for all Staff – Linked here is this year’s District Back-to-School Memo, which covers a variety of district rules, policies and guidelines. Section 1 is the portion that staff are required to review. I covered key points at the BTS staff meeting, but as I said at the there, all staff must review the memo and sign & return the Check List Acknowledgment Form to signify that you have read and understand the memo. Forms should be returned to me no later than Monday, September 30th. I’ll place hard copies of the acknowledgement form in staff mailboxes this week. Looking over this year’s memo and let me know if you have questions on any of this.

• 2019-2020 Field Trip Process – I reviewed some of the changes to the district field trip policy at last week’s Back-to-School Staff Meeting, but principals have since then received a more detailed Field Trip Policy Email from HR. Complete information can be found on the HR Travel and Field Trips webpage. The Field Trip Reference Guide has the link to the Field Trip Request Form. I’ve added both links to my blog under State & District Links. High points regarding the new policy are:

• Field Trip Request Form – After approval from the building principal, all field trips are required to be vetted through the online field trip process. The only exceptions are Walking Field Trips (within 10 blocks of the school). The Field Trip Request Form must be submitted 30 days prior to the field trip. Linked here is a Preview of the Field Trip Form, which includes need to have your ducks in a row for volunteers, transportation, money, student health plans, SPED accommodations, etc. HR said they are not at all wanting to discourage field trips, but are needing to ensure student safety.

• District Field Trip Permission Slip – The District Field Trip Permission Form is now required for all trips, including Walking Field Trips, outside 10 blocks of the school, for a parent/guardian signature, and must be kept on file for one year. No custom or site specific trip forms will be accepted.

• UPDATE: 2019-2020 Master Schedule – Linked here and on the Howard Google Shared Drive is a slightly Updated 2019-2020 Master Schedule. Anyone affected by any changes already knows.

• Classroom Schedules & Classroom Buddy Info to Lori – Speaking of schedules, as teachers solidify your daily schedules, remember to give a copy to Lori. Also be sure to let her know who is your Buddy classroom. This helps the office find classrooms.

• Classified Overtime, Comp Time, and Trade Time – HR send an email to principals about a new process for classified overtime, comp time, and trade time. The main difference is that classified staff now have to complete a 4J Comp Time Approval Form or a 4J Trade Time Approval Form. The trade time form is what Howard staff would most often use, unless you’re working over 40 hours in a week. See the above linked email and forms for details and let me know if you have any questions.

• Library Notes – Library announcements from our fabulous librarian, Julie!

Welcome Back! I hope everyone was able to rest over the weekend :)

Just a quick note… Library classes will begin the first full week of school. Our first week: I will do a read-a-loud in the story cove (k-3rd) go over routines :) and a few more guidelines and expectations. (4th-5th) We will begin with guidelines, routines and expectations and then a Scavenger Hunt to get them antiquated with the library…. Check out will begin the following week. I will email more details to each grade level :)

When we are going over hallway guidelines would you mind reminding kids when entering and leaving school they are to walk around the library on the concrete pathways :). Thank you so much….

• Library Book Sale – The Friends of the Eugene Public Library are holding a sale meant just for teachers and their pupils. There will be hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs, along with a large collection of teacher resource materials. Most items are $1. The sale is in the downtown library on September 9th from noon to 6 PM.

• easyCBM Testing Begins 9/9 – Fall Benchmark easyCBM testing will start the week of September 9th. This way kids can get acclimated to school before testing. Also, Title 1 staff are helping in Kindergarten this week and will be able to assist classes with testing next week.

• 2010-2020 Leadership Plans – HR emailed principals this year’s Elementary Leadership Plan Process, which are due to HR by November 8th. The process is a similar to how it’s worked in the past. The current contract gives us 22 teacher release days not to exceed 7 teachers. Linked here is last year’s plan, which compensated teachers for School Climate, Technology, Math, ELA, and Equity leadership roles. I’ll hold an optional Leadership Plan Development Meeting on Thursday, September 12th, 2:45-3:15, so please attend that meeting or email if you’d like to share your thoughts on this year’s plan. I’ll plan to share Leadership Plan proposals at the September Staff Meeting and then vote on a plan at the October Staff Meeting.

• Second Step Materials & Pacing Guide – I’d intended to sort the Second Step materials this past Friday, but was kept busy with other things, so I’ll deliver materials to teachers on Tuesday. Linked here on the Howard Google Team Drive is the Second Step Year-Long Pacing Guide.

• Staffing Updates – I’ve requested to re-post our 3-hour Learning Center EA position. It should hopefully go up next week, so please encourage any good people you know to apply. 3-hour positions aren’t too attractive, so maybe if you know a Howard parent who might be interested, feel free to recruit them because that might be a good way to find someone good who’d want to work here for even a short part of their day. We’re also waiting to hear from SSD regarding an additional 6.5 hour Life Skills EA position.

• Technology Department Updates – Three items of note from the 4J Technology Department:

• 3/4/5 iPad Counts – The Technology Department is assuring me they are watching enrollment counts in Synergy and are planning to shift devices between schools based on enrollment. They told me on Friday we would have enough devices by the first day of school.

• Instructional Technology Website – Check the new Instructional Technology Website where there are lots of resources on Apps and the App Request form, Digital Citizenship, Assistive Technology resources, a plethora of resources including lesson ideas, how-to’s video tutorials, and on and on. It is a work in progress, but still a good collection of resources.

• Tech Orders & Reimbursements – All technology related purchases now have to first go through Technology Department and be approved. Schools can no longer reimburse staff for technology purchases that were made without first going through the Technology Department.

• Howard Staff Gear – Five shopping days left if you want some Howard Staff gear! You get a sweatshirt, t-shirt, pullover, pull under, hat, or tie to Jenny by Friday, attaching your name and $7.00 and she will take them to be embroidered and returned to you!

• Artist in Residence Survey – Howard is again getting two artists in residence this year, thanks to The Eugene Rotary, EEF, and ArtSpark. This year they are requiring one artist to be first semester and one second semester. Classroom teachers, please complete the linked Artist in Residence Google Form and that way I can bring a proposal ahead of time to the September Staff Meeting for a decision. Please look at them Lane Arts Artist in Residence webpages for details on each artist and let me know if you have any questions. Survey responses due the Friday, September 13th.

• Morning Announcements Start Monday, 9/9 – I won’t do morning announcements the first three days of school, but we will start regular morning announcements the first full week of school on Monday, September 9th with a couple 5th graders who were trained up at the end of last school year.

• BEST and YMCA Job Opportunities – BEST and YMCA asked principals to let folks know they are actively recruiting applicants for after school jobs. Linked here is the BEST EA Job Posting and the YMCA Jobs Webpage.

• UPDATED: Class Name Plate Template – Last week I shared the linked generic Classroom Name Plate Template for staff to post something outside your classroom door, but linked here is a Fancier Name Plate Templates (including their associated fonts) that Erin Gaston made and passed along to me to share.

• Support Howard with eScrip, SmileAmazon, Fred Meyer Rewards! – An easy way you all can support Howard is by signing up for eScrip, Smile Amazon, and Fred Meyer Rewards. With eScrip, you link you debit and/or credit cards and when you make purchases around town at places like Market of Choice, Sizzle Pie, El Tapatio, or Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, it supports Howard. eScrip also supports purchases through a number on online retailers including Best Busy, Target, and Amazon if you first go through escrip.com. And speaking of Amazon, if you link your Amazon account to the “Howard Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization” through Smile Amazon, a small percentage of you Amazon purchases support Howard. Fred Meyer also has their own rewards program that Howard is a part of. Sign up for the Fred Meyer Community Reward Program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Howard Elementary School. You can search for us by our name or by our non-profit number #88934.

• Northwest Community Credit Union Mini Grants – The goal of the NWCU Mini Grant Program is to help educators create learning experiences for kids that might not otherwise be funded by school budgets. Educators submit their funding needs/wishes (up to $1,500) to NWCU through a competitive, submission process. Submissions are being accepted now through October 10, 2019 with winners awarded in December. Grants can be for supplies (e.g.,calculators, dissection specimens, art materials, basic school supplies, etc.), books & materials (e.g., books for classroom libraries or to support curriculum, funding for field trips, etc.), technology (e.g., iPads, Chromebooks, Boogie Board e-writers, headphones for listening centers, etc.), and more. Follow the above link to submit your grant.

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

September 2 (M)
Labor Day – No School

September 3 (T)
8:00-10:00, Potential Staff Meeting (Cafeteria)
10:00, Q&A Session for New Staff – Optional (Allan’s Office)
1:00-2:00, Meet Your Teacher

September 4 (W)
Classes Begin
PBIS Monthly Theme – Safety
PBIS Rules Round-Up

September 5 (H)
Regular Day

September 4 (F)
1:30, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:30, Early Release PD – SafeSchools/TalentEd
4:00, KG Class Lists Posted

September 9 (M)
Fall Benchmark easyCBM Testing Begins

September 10 (T)
8:00, Allan to All Administrator Meeting (Ed Center)
2:45-3:15, Optional Building SMART Goals Meeting (Conference Room)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Cafeteria)

September 11 (W)
KRA Testing May Begin

September 12 (H)

2:45-3:15, Optional Leadership Plan Development Meeting (Conference Room)

September 13 (F)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Behavior Framework PD (Library)

Let’s rock this first week with kiddos!

Allan


2019-2020 Back to School Staff Announcements

By Allan  |  2019/08/14 22:36 Posted in Announcements, Assessment, P.D.  |  Comments Off on 
2019-2020 Back to School Staff Announcements

 

Welcome Back Howard Roadrunners!

I hope this finds you still enjoying your summer and not thinking about school yet. My summer was mostly short little trips and relaxing, which was my request to my family this year, since last year I felt like I never got a chance to relax at home. So this year I got more time to read books (best book was The Thirteenth Tale), watch movies (best movie was either the remake of True Grit or the 4-hour documentary Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin’ Down a Dream), and watch TV shows (best show was The Haunting of Hill House)

I’ll keep this first blog post of the year short and will send out a longer one the first week back. In the meantime, feel free to let me know if you have any questions or if there’s anything I help you with.

Eight items of note before you return:

• Staffing Updates – We have several new staff members joining us this year, some of which were announced at the end of last year and some who joined us over the summer. This year we’re joined this year by Emmanuel Gemora (Learning Center), Jyllian Martini (Technology Support), Paige Toro (Life Skills EA), Jasmine Ward (1st grade), Josh Ward (Night Custodian), and Cynthia Wenks (ELL). Emmanual is our new 0.5 Learning Center teacher, taking over for Katie, who is now full-time CLC. Emmanual has previously taught the K-2 behavior classroom at Fox Hollow. Jyllian takes over for Peggy as our TSS. Jyllian was previously the TSS at Kelly, Twin Oaks, Family School, and ECCO and this year will be split between Howard, River Road, and Kelly. Paige comes to the Life Skills program with experience working at EC Cares and Bridgeway House. Jasmine was hired over the summer to teach 1st grade with Jessy. Jasmine student taught here at Howard and last year did a long term sub job in both Carla and Justine’s classrooms. Josh was hired at the end of last school year to be our 12-month night custodian, coming to us from Holt where he was the Nigh Custodian for the past five years. Cynthia is our new ELL teacher, who comes to us from Buena Vista and who also worked with Corianne at ATA. Please welcome these folks to the Rockin’ Howard Team!

I’m still going back and forth with district folks about our staffing and enrollment. It does sound like we’ll get at least one additional classroom teacher, but I’m meeting with district admin Thursday to discuss staffing and which grade levels will get additional support. I’m still making the case that we should be owed more staffing, but I’ll keep folks updated.

Still to be hired are a Project Pass Coordinator (i.e. a Tier II & IIII behavior support EA), which I did group interviews with another principal earlier this week and hopefully will have an announcement soon, a 3-hour Learning Center EA, which Bryan and I are interviewing for on Tuesday, August 20th 9:00-11:30 if anyone would like to join us, and a PE Teacher, as Michelle is moving to teach PE at Corridor/YG. The PE Job Posting is now up and closes on Monday, so please feel free to share if you know of any good candidates. I’m tentatively planning to hold interviews Friday morning next week if anyone would like to join. I’m waiting on downtown administrators to conduct interviews for our new BEST Coordinator and our 10-month night custodian. Also, Looking Glass is planning to add a second counselor to our building. Below is a list of the gen ed classroom teaching assignments and linked here and also on the Google Team Drive is a complete 2019-2020 Staff List (with all 80 people working in our building) as well a Classroom Map. Hopefully I didn’t miss anyone.

KG: Shelly Silver, Robin Vaughan
1st: Jessy Corliss, Jasmine Ward
2nd: Nicole Kerins, Angela Larsen, Ashley Pond
3rd: Charissa Charpie, Allison Kreider, Rhonda Lawson/Stephanie Peterson, Natalie Niccum
4th: Justine Chunn, Jenny Groshong, Carla Zimmerman
5th: Lupe Callihan, Imelda Cortez, Suzy Rock

 

 

• In-Service Week Schedule – The calendar of events for the first two weeks of school is at the end of these announcements and the complete calendar for the school year is on the Howard Staff Google Calendar, but below are details for in-service week.

August 27 (T) – Planning Day – Teachers report back and this is a protected planning day. I’ll have some breakfast goodies, coffee, and drinks in the Staff Room at 8:30 to welcome folks back and to meet new staff members.

August 28 (W) – Building PD Day – Classified staff report back this day and we’ll start the day with everyone in the cafeteria. Breakfast burritos will be available 7:30-8:00 for folks who placed orders and the Back-to-School Staff Meeting with everyone will begin at 8:00. This meeting will be focused on building and some logistical items and I’ll hopefully be able to keep things brief.

August 29 (H) – Planning Day/Optional 4J BTS Event – The 4J Back-to-School Event at South Eugene High School is this morning, 8:30-10:30. Attendance is encouraged, but optional. Following that, there will be multiple required trainings for some licensed and classified staff (primarily specialists, such as PE, Music, Library, Counselors, etc.), so look for emails from the folks running those sessions for details. I’ll share more information once I receive it.

August 30 (F) – Half-Day PD/Half-Day Planning – All staff, classified and licensed, will meet in the cafeteria and will have a 3-hour training on supporting student behavior. Following that there will be a 1-hour training for licensed staff focused on introducing the Instructional Framework and a PLC reboot.

September 2 (M) – Labor Day, No School

September 3 (T) – I have a placeholder Staff Meeting from 8:00-10:00 scheduled this day if anything comes up that can’t wait until our first regular staff meeting. At 10:00, I’ve scheduled a Q&A Session for new staff members to meet with me in the office to answer any questions you might have. I can get busy durning in-service week and am not always easy to find, so I’ve set this time aside. Also, “Meet Your Teacher” will be from 1:00-2:00, when families can come see their classrooms, drop off supplies, and meet staff.

September 4 (W) – The big show begins! We are not doing the big gathering in the gym this year and will have student follow our normal morning routine, but we will still have people stationed around the school to direct students before and after the first bell to help direct traffic. I’ll include more details in my first regular staff announcements.

• Breakfast Burrito Orders Due 8/26 – We’ll continue our welcome back Breakfast Burrito Gathering tradition before the Back-to-School Staff Meeting in the cafeteria. If you’d like a burrito, please complete linked Breakfast Burrito Order Google Form by Monday, August 26th at 9:00. You’ll need to log onto your 4J Google Account to complete the form. I’ll also bring some donuts and bagels and other breakfast goodies if burritos aren’t your thing.

• Master Schedule Updates – Linked here (XLS and PDF) and on the Howard Google Team Drive (Howard Elementary School > Schedules > 2019-2020) is the 2019-2020 Master Schedule. There are a lot of moving parts with creating a master schedule, so it will never be the perfect schedule for everyone and will never be all things to all people, but let me know if you spot any mistakes or have any suggestions. I’m certainly open to ideas if you see a way to improve things that don’t create problems elsewhere in the schedule.

• Class Lists – For making any changes to class lists, please ignore the Google Sheet Class Lists we used to create class lists in the spring. Instead, go by what’s in Synergy, which is what is being updated for students who have moved away and when new students are enrolling and/or returning. If we need to make any adjustments to class lists, please let me know and we will get them updated. Class lists, with the exception of Kindergarten, will be posted Friday, August 30th at 12:00.

• Summer Classroom Availability – Crystal and Josh have been hard at work and ALL classrooms are ready for any staff wanting to come in early to begin setting up your space.

• Assessment Pilot Opportunity – If any teachers are interested in piloting FastBridge or MAP this year instead of using easyCBM, see the above links for summaries of each program. If you are interested, you would attend a 90-minute training on 8/23 or 8/26 (extended contract available) and one more during the school year. Let me know ASAP if you’d like to pilot.

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

August 26 (M)
9:00, Breakfast Burrito Orders Due!

August 27 (T)
Licensed Staff Report Back
8:30, Welcome Back Breakfast Gathering (Staff Room)

August 28 (W)

Classified Staff Report Back
7:30-8:00, Welcome Back Breakfast Burrito Gathering (Cafeteria)
8:00-12:00, Back-to-School Staff Meeting (Cafeteria)
1:00, PBIS Team Meeting (Rae’s Room, RM1)

August 29 (H)
7:30-8:30, District Back-to-School Breakfast & Social (SEHS Lawn)
8:30-10:30, District Back-to-School Event (SEHS Auditorium)
10:30, Specialist Staff In-Services (Various Locations)
12:30-1:30, Recess Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)

August 30 (F)
8:00-12:00, Behavior Support & PLC PD (Cafeteria)
12:00, 1st-5th Class Lists Posted

September 2 (M)
Labor Day – No School

September 3 (T)
8:00-10:00, Potential Staff Meeting (Cafeteria)
10:00, Q&A Session for New Staff – Optional (Allan’s Office)
1:00-2:00, Meet Your Teacher

September 4 (W)
Classes Begin
PBIS Monthly Theme – Safety
PBIS Rules Round-Up

September 5 (H)
Regular Day

September 6 (F)
1:35, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:30, Early Release PD (Volunteer’s Classroom)
4:00, KG Class Lists Posted

Keep playing and we’ll see you in a couple weeks!

Allan

May 6, 2019

By Allan  |  2019/05/04 15:13 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Arts, Assessment, P.D.  |  Comments Off on May 6, 2019

 

Happy Staff Appreciation Week,

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, which is a week to give explicit thanks to teachers and I’d like to take the opportunity to recognize ALL of our awesome staff and what you do for students each and every day. It’s not just teaching kids to learn to read and write, but it’s all the other things you do for kids that aren’t in the standards or in the adopted curriculum or on the state assessment. It’s teaching kids how to be good little humans, it’s giving them a safe place when they need it, it’s making them laugh with a corny joke, it’s making them feel happy to come to school. With so many staff who value and take the time to do all these things is what makes Howard such a special place. You all are the best and I’m so happy and proud to be part of our amazing team!

The PTO is working to recognize ALL Howard staff, classified and licensed, this week, so look for goodies in the Staff Room this week!

Thirteen items of note for this week:

• 2019-2020 Staffing Updates – With Katie becoming full-time CLC next year, SSD has placed Emmanuel Gemorra into our half-time Learning Center position. Emmanuel is currently teaching in the K-2 behavior classroom at Fox Hollow, and next year will be 0.5 with Howard and 0.5 at Buena Vista. Emmanuel will be at Howard in the morning and BV in the afternoons since Howard is on the early start and BV is on the later start time. Also, our TSS, Peggy, will be leaving us next year to spend more time supporting schools and staff with WordPress and our TSS for next year will be Jyllian Martini, who is currently at Kelly, Twin Oaks, Family School, and ECCO, but next year will be at Kelly, Howard, and River Road. Jyllian was heavily involved with Kelly’s iPad rollout this year so she’s very familiar with schools with 1:1 iPads. Please welcome Emmanuel and Jyllian to the excellent Howard Team!

On a related note, SSD is not placing anyone into our 3-hour Learning Center EA position, so that job should get posted soon, possibly as early as this week. If you know anyone good who’d be good or interested, be sure to tell them to apply. I’ve asked HR to post it through May 28th.

• Classified Staff May 8th Plan – See Charis’ email for details on the plan for classified staff on May 8th, but the short version is this is a regular work day for classified staff. All classified staff are to report to the school first and then to ATA by 10:30 for professional development (unless you have made alternate plans with me). See the linked May 8th PD Schedule and also the Registration Directions for how to sign-up for sessions at http://4jpd.net Let me know if you have any questions.

• 2019-2020 Consumables Order: Please Complete by May 17 – Teachers were sent and email regarding consumable order for next year for Being a Writer, Journeys, LearnZillion, and FOSS Science. All order must be completed by the end of next week. Here’s a direct link to the Google Spreadsheet.

• Grade Book Training & Report Card Marks – Brooke emailed principals and asked us to share the following information:

Dear Teachers,

For those interested, the district will be having some additional Elementary GradeBook training for the second semester grading period, please be on the look out for an email from Tammy Christensen with specifics about dates and times.

In addition, we have some clarification of the report card marks, we want to make sure staff are clear about the percentages and marks 1-4. The 1-4 marks are not rubric scores.

This image shows the percent ranges the Elementary Report Card Sub-Committee assigned to each mark. Note the percent range necessary to earn each mark on the report card.

For a more detailed explanation of the report card marks, watch this video (You must be on a school network or VPN to view this page). The percentages in this video have been rounded. The percentages listed above are more accurate.

After watching the video, please direct your questions to sis@4j.lane.edu.

Thanks

Brooke

• 2019-2020 Master Schedule Survey Results – The results of the Master Schedule Survey are in and a majority of responses favored doing a 15 minutes morning recess with a 35 minute lunch/recess (15 minutes lunch and 20 minutes recess) and a 10 minute movement break and/or recess supervised by teachers (which would not be required on Fridays). 70% wanted the above plan, 25% wanted the current schedule, and 5% wanted a 15/30/15 minute split. For Math Booster, with Title 1 no longer being able to support math with our current budget, a majority of staff favored eliminating this from the schedule, with 65% in favor of eliminating, 30% in favor of keeping (including one vote to keep it if there are any grades Title 1 can serve), and 5% who could go either way. We’ll share a draft master schedule soon for feedback and adjustments, but as always, the schedule will never be prefect or all things to all people.

• Wacky Wednesday – Tie Dye Day, May 15 – Not this week, but next week is a Wacky Wednesday and it’s Tie Dye Day, so get your students excited to wear their tie dye clothes and/or multicolored clothes this day!

• Student Care Team News – Two items related to the Student Care Team:

• Expanding Looking Glass at Howard – At our last meeting, it came up how we have many students needing ongoing counseling, but a limited number of spots. Since that meeting I’ve been working with Lynn Booth (our former LG counselor who is now in charge of LG counselors in schools). Lynn told me last week that she’s gotten support from her supervisor for a second full-time counselor at Howard next year, who could potentially serve both Howard and Kelly students. It’s not a completely done deal, but it’s quite likely our current LG counselor, Audra Steinberg, will have a colleague working here next year. Stay tuned!

• Courage Kids Summer Camp Sign Up – Courageous Kids offers a free 4 day/3 night camp for youth grades 1st-12th who have experienced the death of a loved one. Space is limited so register quickly. See the linked flyer for details about this year’s camp and please share with any students or families who you think would benefit.

• REPEAT: May Artist in Residence Schedule – Noah Philpot (and Fooble the Dragon) is starting his Puppetry and Storytelling artist in residency this Monday. Linked here is the Artist in Residency Schedule, which is unchanged from last week. Noah will keep his materials on a cart in the Staff Room and his plan for this four days with each class will be:

Day 1: Intro to puppetry with “Fooble the Dragon” and drawing designs for puppets
Day 2: Coloring the socks and cutting out parts from craft foam (we will need class scissors)
Day 3: Assembly and gluing, completing the puppets
Day 4: Puppet Show! Fooble the dragon will return and interview each of the students puppets. Feel free to film for classroom use, and invite parents to observe.

• REPEAT: Friday Early Release PD: CANCELLED next two weeks – This Friday is a make-up day for the missed hour of prep on May 3rd, so there will be no Friday Early Release meeting this week.

• REPEAT: Don’t Touch the OAKS Testing Snacks – Remember that the snacks in the Staff Room (Bananas, GoGurt, String Cheese, Granola Bars) are for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during state testing. They are NOT up for grabs.

• New study suggests that greeting students with a positive message yields benefits – The study suggests that teachers should greet students individually by name, as well as use a non-verbal greeting, and make positive and pre-corrective statements encouraging good behavior or suggesting how the student should begin the day. See this Education Dive article for details.

• 17 Things You Can Do While Actively Monitoring a Standardized Test – Testing season is here! And that means active monitoring. Okay, this is not a serious article, but WeAreTeachers have some ideas that will keep your mind and body occupied without breaking any testing rules.

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:

May 6 (M)
Staff/Teacher Appreciation Week
Artist in Residence – Puppetry and Storytelling Begins
Children’s Book Week
OSAS (formerly OAKS) Testing Continues
Spring Benchmark Testing – easyCBM Begins
Walk & Roll to School Challenge Begins (2 weeks)
8:45-5:45, 5th Grade to Outdoor School
12:00-2:00, Allan to Title 1 Coordinators’ Work Session (Ed Center)
3:30, Allan to Truancy Hearing (Office)

May 7 (T)
8:45-5:45, 5th Grade to Outdoor School
9:00-12:00, Corliss to Nearby Nature Field Trip
10:15, Allan leading Head Start KG Transition Tour
11:10, Allan to Formal Observation
4:30-5:30, 4J PERS Presentation (Ed Center)

May 8 (W)
Day of Action – No Students
Non-Workday for Licensed Staff
Regular Workday for Classified and Admin Staff
10:00, Allan Meeting with School Garden Project (Office)
11:00, Allan Meeting with Smarty Ants Rep (Office)

May 9 (H)
7:20-5:15, 2nd Grade to Oregon Zoo
12:00-12:30, Allan Covering Classroom

May 10 (F)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting
1:25-2:00, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:00, Allan Meeting w/Parent (Office)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – CANCELLED Make-Up for 5/3

May 11 (SA)
10:30-1:00, MEDIA EVENT: EWEB Live Test of the Emergency Well (Small Soccer Field/Parking Lot)

May 12 (SU)
Mother’s Day

May 13 (M)
Last Week for Library Checkout
Artist in Residence – Puppetry and Storytelling Continues
OSAS (formerly OAKS) Testing Continues
Spring Benchmark Testing – easyCBM Continues
Walk & Roll to School Challenge Continues

May 14 (T)
8:30-12:00, Allan to All Admin & Elem Princpals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
8:30-12:30, LCC Dental Clinic
9:00-12:30, Fluoride Varnish (Community Room)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Erin’s Room, RM22)
3:00-5:00, BEST Spring Showcase (Cafeteria)
4:00-8:00, First Aid Class (Library)

May 15 (W)
Wacky Wednesday – Tie Dye Day
Last Day to Order Using Purchase Orders
11:00-1:00, United Way Visiting Preschool
2:45-4:45, ESSA Meeting (Conference Room)

May 16 (H)
7:00-8:00, BEST String Concert (tentative)

May 17 (F)
Last Day for OAKS Testing
Licensed Interventionists (Title & SPED) PLC – Virtual Meeting
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Math PLC (Library)

Be sure to get out in the sun this week!

Allan

January 28, 2019

By Allan  |  2019/01/26 21:12 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Assessment  |  Comments Off on January 28, 2019

Hi Roadrunners,

Wow! We had a massive turnout for our PTO Harry Potter Family Night! We’d planned on around 200 kids attending, but we had way more than that and Ollivander’s ran out of custom wands in about the first 15 minutes. The PTO told folks they will post directions for all of the craftiviites and recipes for the potions and butter beer. And a big thank you to all the Howard staff who also turned out for the event. It’s was an awesome way to end the week.

Fourteen items of note for this week:

• Life Skills Staffing Update – SSD added an EA to our Life Skills program and we have hired Kristina Meister, who started partway though last week. You may have already seen Kristi around the building this year, subbing regularly in Life Skills and the CLC, but also in the kinder wing where her daughter attends in Katrina’s class. Kristi is a former CLC EA who I worked with when I was principal at Corridor/YG, but she took time off to be a mom and is now ready to get back into the game. Kristi also holds a degree in special education. Please welcome Kristi to the Rockin’ Howard Team!

• Report Card Grading Day, Licensed Staff – For licensed staff, Friday’s report card grading day is a regular work day. HR allows teachers to work from home if you notify your administrator (me) in advance, but be sure to plan ahead if you need to collaborate with any colleagues on grading. Also, be sure to use this time for grading and not use it to run errands around town. Teachers are highly visible members of the community, so keep in mind public perception. HR has said that if working off-site on grading days is abused, we will not be allowed to continue the practice.

• Friday Early Release Compensation – Related to the above, something I shared in an earlier announcement, but thought I’d repeat, is that to make up for teachers’ missed hour of prep this Friday the Early Release PD on Friday, February 15th is cancelled.

• REPEAT: Report Card Comments & Deadlines – Speaking of report cards, don’t forget about the resources on the 4J Elementary Report Card Website, including the Report Card Bridge Document shared at Math PLCs, as well as guidelines on individual student comments. Also remember that all of 4J is sending report cards home a week from Friday on February 8th. If you need comments translated, the deadline to get comments to Elizabeth is Monday, Feb. 4th.

• UPDATE: EA Extravaganza Friday, February 1 – This Friday is the Elementary EA Extravaganza. See the linked Extravaganza Email and Registration Directions for details. Session offerings are listed when you follow the TalentEd Registration Link. Let me know if you have any questions.

• 2019-2020 Staff Survey, Due Feb. 15th– Principals will receive staffing allocation for next school year on Tuesday, February 19th, so to help me in planning potential staffing scenarios for next year, I’d like staff to complete the linked 2019-20202 Google Form Staff Survey or on the linked Word File. 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 and master schedule. Please complete the survey by Friday, February 15th. All answers will be kept confidential and please let me know if you have any questions.

• Don’t forget about Level IIs – At last week’s PBIS Meeting when looking at SWIS data we noticed that since winter break, only five Level II have been written. Referrals are down in general this month (Yeah!), but we wanted to remind staff to not to forget about using Level IIs, which can be a good way to address repeated low level behaviors by both reteaching and contacting families.

• Major/Minor Behavior Matrix – Related to the above, linked here is the 4J Elementary Behavior Matrix, which includes a handy grid on pages three and four with guidelines on when we should respond to misbehavior with a Redirect/Reteach (Uh-Oh/Level 1), a Minor Referral (Level 2), or a Major Referral (Level 3). For example, for Disrespect/Noncompliance, a Level 1 is appropriate for passive refusal to participate, with very slow response to request, a Level 2 is appropriate for ignoring a reasonable request with a prolonged refusal to participate, and a Level 3 would be appropriate for repeated refusal that leads to substantial and ongoing disruption. And as we all know, the referral forms mean nothing and it’s all in our reteaching, reinforcing, and consistency that helps to improve student behavior.

• Political Activity & Use of District Equipment and Time – HR asked principals to remind staff that district policy prohibits employees from using district time and resources (including email, photocopiers, computers, network, etc.) for political purposes. This prohibition is broad and encompasses not only the advocacy for specific initiatives, but also advocacy for political action during work time. District materials and equipment will only be used for school purposes. See the linked email for details.

• REPEAT: School Choice Visitation Week & Info – This week is School Choice Visitation Week #2, so be ready to see families coming through the building and into classrooms this week. I’ll also hold a school choice evening presentations and tour on Tuesday, 6:00-7:00 for families who can’t come to one of the daytime tours. Let me know if any staff are interested/willing in helping me talk about our awesome school. I’ll buy you a drink from Espresso ETC!

• Teaching Tolerance with Literature Workshop – Short notice on this, but the linked flyer for detail about the Teaching Tolerance with Literature Workshop presented by the Lane County Literacy Council (formerly Emerald Empire Reading Council) for educators K – 8. Classroom activities as well as bibliographies will be shared. The workshop will be Monday, January 28 at 4:15-5:45 at McCornack Elementary School. 1.5 PDUs will be earned by participants. Cost is free to LCLC members and $5.00 for non-council members. Snacks will be provided.

• Why Every Classroom Needs Jigsaw Puzzles – I loved seeing this recent WeAreTeachers Article because I always had a jigsaw puzzle out in my classroom. I put mine on a giant tray, so I could easily move it off the kidney table, and I’ll gift my old tray to the first teacher who asks for it. Jigsaw puzzles offer benefits for all ages, and teachers can use them in a variety of ways, some of which may surprise you.

• Making Connections With Greetings at the Door – Research shows that greeting students as they come into class bolsters a feeling of belonging and readiness to learn. See the Edutopia video below for details.

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:

January 28 (M)
School Choice Visitation Week #2
Artist in Residence – Nicole Hummel – Functional Pottery Continues
2:40-3:30, Site Council (Conference Room)

January 29 (T)
9:45-10:45, School Choice Tour
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Erin’s Room, RM22)
6:00-7:00, School Choice Presentation & Tour (Library)

January 30 (W)
8:30-12:15, Data Team Meetings (Conference Room)

1st – 8:30-9:30
2nd – 10:00-11:00
5th – 11:15-12:15

3:30-5:00, Allan to ESSA Meeting (Ed Center)

January 31 (H)
8:00-11:20, Data Team Meetings (Conference Room)

8:00-9:00 – 4th
9:10-10:10 – KG
10:30-11:20 – 3rd

2:45-3:30, TLT Meeting (Angela’s Room, RM24)
7:00, BEST Strings Concert (Kelly MS)

February 1 (F)
No School – Grading Day
PBIS Monthly Theme – Cooperation
7:45-3:00, EA Extravaganza

February 4 (M)
National School Counseling Week
Artist in Residence – Nicole Hummel – Functional Pottery Continues
Report Card Comment Translations Due to Elizabeth

February 5 (T)
8:00-11:30, Allan to TalentEd Committee Meeting, Travis Sheaffer subbing (Cal Young)

February 6 (W)
2:30-4:30, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Committee Meeting (Ed Center)
4:00-5:00, Allan to North Region Administrator Meeting (NEHS)

February 7 (H)
8:10-8:40, 3rd Grade Delgani String Quartet Assembly (Gym)
10:00-11:30, School Garden Project Work Party (Howard Garden)
5:30-7:00, Early Childhood Open House (Cafeteria & SPED Classrooms)

February 8 (F)
Report Cards Sent Home
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
1:25, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Math PLC (Library)
2:30-3:30, Licensed Interventionists (Title & SPED) PLC – Virtual Meeting

If you missed it last week, Howard’s BEST Program was in the newspaper, where a number of students received free bikes. See the linked article and excellent pictures below of some faces I’m sure you’ll recognize.

Allan

November 12, 2018

By Allan  |  2018/11/09 10:06 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Arts, Assessment, Equity, P.D.  |  Comments Off on November 12, 2018

Howdy All,

Hope you all had a relaxing and refreshing Veterans Day weekend!

Sixteen items of note for this week:

• Friday Early Release PD – This Friday’s meeting is scheduled for Math PLC work. However, principals have not been given direction on what to present/discuss at this meeting. There’s an elementary principals’ meeting on Tuesday, so I may get direction then. I will plan to email teachers following that meeting regarding the status of Friday’s meeting.

• ESC Job Posting – I’m going to post for a 0.6 FTE Title 1/ESC position, which should show up on the 4J Jobs website soon, so if you know any fabulous potential candidate who’d be good for running Data Team Meetings, OAKS, benchmark testing, and teaching some Title groups (no reading endorsement required), please encourage them to apply. Our plan is for this person to start in December.

• MORE Artist in Residence Updates – The ceramics artist ended up not being available in November, but a different ceramics artist, Nicole Hummell, may be available in January (our 2nd choice for dates). For the puppet artist, Noah McLain in May, I’m still waiting for confirmation from Lane Arts.

• easyCBM Assessment Feedback– I’m part of a district assessment workgroup that’s meeting Tuesday to discuss what is and is not working with easyCBM. I have my opinions, but I’d also like to share other staff member opinion if you want to let me know before Tuesday afternoon.

• Hour of Code is Coming! – Dec. 3-7 – As a Technology Immersion School, coding activities are a great activity for students to do all year long, but particularly during the first week of December during Computer Science Education Week. The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science during Computer Science Education Week, intended to demystify “code”, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science. How do you participate in the Hour of Code? Start planning here by reviewing their how-to guide. Code.org has many great resources as well and if you’re in grades 3-5, the new iPads will run Apple’s completely self guided (and excellent) coding program, Swift Playground.

• Student Care Team Referrals – The Student Care Team will meet in two weeks, but we have two short weeks in a row, which means referrals to the team are due the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Referrals can include situations of homelessness, assistance with bills, incarcerated parents, counseling resources, medical needs, and many others. Try to get a signature on the 4J Release Form (English or Spanish). Linked here is a Student Care Team Flyer you can share with families you might refer (we’re working on a Spanish version). You can also refer “hypothetical” student or family situations if you can’t get a signature. Let me know if you have any questions about potential referrals.

• PTO Family Science Night Wednesday – The first PTO Family Night will be this Wednesday, and the PTO is promising an evening of fun and freaky Science Experiments.

• PTO Meeting Tuesday, Nov. 20 – Not this week, but next week on Tuesday, November 20th will be the November PTO meeting, so if you’re able to volunteer your time to come to the meeting, I know they appreciating having staff attend.

• Don’t Let in Kidsports! – You may think you’re being helpful, but DO NOT let in any Kidsports kids, parents, or coaches. They need to be let in by night custodial staff after they have made sure the rest of the building is secure (i.e. keeping people out of the Music Room, PE Office, Cafeteria, Front Office, Library, Classrooms, etc.).

• REPEAT: Wacky Wednesday: Sports Day! – This Wednesday is the November Wacky Wednesday and it is Sports Day! Get your students excited to wear their sports gear or favorite team gear. And if you were curious as to the answer to my movie nerd question last week, my fake sports team outfit will be the Baseball Furies from writer/director Walter Hill’s 1979 cult classic The Warriors (which all y’all should watch).

• REPEAT: 2018-2019 Mandatory Bus Safety Training – Thank you to teachers who have already done this, but remember that between now and winter break all classrooms must show one of two bus safety videos, a Newer Bus Safety Video or the quaint 1990s Bus Safety Video (both are about 12 minutes), and let Lori know that date you showed it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xPFw8PyaAo

• REPEAT: United Way Campaign DUE FRIDAY – If you’d like to donate, United Way Campaign forms are due in my mailbox by this Friday.

• Teacher Appreciation with the Ducks – The UO is holding two teacher appreciation games on 12/15 (Vs. Boise State) and 2/10 (Vs. Stanford). Tickets are at a discounted rate starting at $11 a seat. To redeem your discount, click here and enter promo code “2019TEACH”. At these games they’ll also be offering an on-court photo post game to the first 50 education staff that sign up!

• Dos and Don’ts of Classroom Decorations – What you put on your classroom walls can affect your students’ ability to learn. Classroom walls should feel warm and lively but not overcrowded. This Edutopia article cites research suggesting teachers keep 20 to 50 percent of the wall space clear and fill the rest by:

• Displaying student work.
• Featuring inspiring role models.
• Avoiding clutter.
• Visual aids—like anchor charts, maps, and diagrams—are OK.
• Avoiding displays of student scores or grades.
• Leting in natural light.
• Balancing wall colors.

• Checking Yourself for Bias in the Classroom – To create equitable classrooms, educators must acknowledge their own biases and take steps to confront them. Unconscious bias can shape the responses of even the most well-intentioned educators. In this Teaching Tolerance article, one teacher shares how you can check yourself for bias in the classroom.

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:

November 12 (M)
Veterans Day – No School

November 13 (T)
School Psychology Awareness Week
8:30-12:00, Allan to Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Erin’s Room, RM22)
4:00-7:00, Allan to 4J Assessment Adoption Workgroup (Ed Center)
4:30-8:00, 4J First Aid Class (Library)
4:30-6:00, 4J Science Teacher Leader Meeting (STEAM Room)

November 14 (W)
Wacky Wednesday – Sports Day
6:00-8:00, PTO Family Night (Cafeteria/Gym)

November 15 (H)
2:45-3:30, TLT Meeting (Angela’s Room, RM24)

November 16 (F)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
United Way Pledge Forms Due
Tech Trot PJ Day & FREE Popcorn Reward Day!
1:30-2:30, PBIS Meeting Meeting (Rae’s Room, RM1)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Math PLC (Volunteer’s Classroom)
2:30-3:30, Licensed Interventionists (Title & SPED) PLC – Virtual Meeting

November 19 (M)
9:25, Natives Presentation – Stone/Cortez (STEAM Room)
10:55, Natives Presentation – Rock/Callihan (STEAM Room)

November 20 (T)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Cafeteria)

November 21 (W)
Regular Day

November 22 (H)
Thanksgiving Break – No School

November 23 (F)
Thanksgiving Break – No School

Have a good 4-day week, everyone!

Allan

September 3, 2018

By Allan  |  2018/09/01 21:38 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Arts, Assessment, Caring for Kids, Grants, Literacy, Math, P.D., Technology, Video  |  Comments Off on September 3, 2018

 

Hi Everyone,

This weekend I put up our #whyiteach speech bubbles, and not to get too sappy, I felt so proud of our staff as I read each reason why each of us are here working with kids. Howard has an incredibly caring, thoughtful, and inspiring staff and I couldn’t be more happy to have everyone here on our team. I actually stopped in the middle of putting them up to type this. You all are AMAZING human beings!

Thirty-three items of note for this week:

• Updated 2017-2018 Master Schedule – A few more tweaks to the schedule and anyone effected already knows, but linked here (XLS and PDF) and also on the Howard Google Team Drive is the updated master schedule.

• Recess Schedule, 5-minutes shorter Fridays – Speaking of schedules, remember that with the new district Common School Schedule, we elected to do a 5-minute shorter recess on Fridays, so teachers need to remember to pick-up your class five minutes earlier at the end of both morning and lunch recess on Fridays.

• PE & Music Start Date – Siera and Michelle have said they are ready to start seeing classes the first day of school, but they also understand if teachers want to wait a few days before starting. Please let them know if you WILL NOT be going to specialist times this week.

• Missed Specialist Time Note – The Joint Contract Administration Committee (JCAC) will be addressing this in late September, but in the short term we will make-up PE/Music classes interrupted by events like assemblies/drills that are planned, using some of our open spots built into the schedule.

• Friday Early Release PD Meeting – Principals were recently told that on the early release Fridays (1:10 dismissal) schools have flexibility to decide if we want to do the protected one-hour of uninterrupted prep first (1:30-2:30) followed by the early release PD (2:30-3:30) or we can flip-flop the two. I’ve made a quick two-question Early Release Google Survey for teachers to state their preference. Our first meeting is this Friday and principals have not been give direction on what to present at this meeting, so at this point it will be a quick one-item agenda to decide if we want to meet each Friday at 1:30 or 2:30.

• Second Step Items – To editorialize for a moment, I’m hoping the adoption of Second Step, along with this year’s focus on the Behavior Framework and the prior rollout of the Caring School Community curriculum, signals a pendulum swing back towards valuing taking the time to build positive students relationships. Know that it’s always okay take time out of the “regular” curriculum to address the social emotional needs of students. But two items of note:

• Need More Posters? – Classroom teachers, let me know by the end of the week if you’d like me to order you any additional Second Step posters. One poster was sent with each kit and downtown sent principals an email that they are doing a one-time purchase of these posters, so let me know if you want one.

• Scans of Story Cards and Lessons – The Second Step website has the story card photos, videos, and songs that go with each lesson, but do not have the lessons themselves. The 5th grade team added scans of each lesson to the Google Team Drive to better facilitate sharing of the curriculum. If your grade level would like the same, give me your story cards and notebook and I’ll add them as well. To see 5th grades lesson, go to Howard Drive > Curriculum/Instruction > Social Emotional Learning (SEL) > Second Step > 5th Grade Scans

• Howard Staff Handbook Review – Linked here is the updated Howard Staff Handbook. All staff must review the handbook and sign & return the acknowledgement form to the office by Friday, September 28th. Both of these can also be found on the Howard Team Drive > MISC > Handbooks I’ll place hard copies of the acknowledgement form in mailbox on Tuesday. For Howard veterans, I made a few PBIS updates to match our current practices and a few other minor tweaks, but it’s mostly the same as in the past. Let me know if you have any questions.

On a related note, the District Back-to-School Policy Memo is still being finalized, so watch for that coming soon.

• easyCBM Benchmarking & Title 1 Updates – Four updates for teachers.

1.) Testing starts Monday, September 10th and goes through Friday, September 14th. Please get as much done as possible that week so Title staff can get the diagnostic testing completed the following week to form groups. I’ll be working with EAs on Friday, Sept. 21st to create the initial groups.
2.) Your easyCBM papers with labels will be in your mailbox early this week.
3. Try to finish math testing first so we can target BEST invitations to go our Friday, Sept. 14th.
3.) For KG and 1st only, keep track of whether or not kinders and 1st graders know their initial sounds, which we do using the phoneme segmenting assessment.
4.) If everything goes as planned, Title groups will start September 24.

• PBIS Rules Review – The PBIS team met and came up with a start of the year teaching plan, so PBIS Team Members can let me know if I’m not capturing any of this correctly.

Before the first recess on Wednesday, teachers should use the Playground Rules 18-19 Google Slide Show to review rules. In the days following, teachers should use the attached Quick Minute – Recess Rules Round-Up, where you’ll talk more in-depth about one piece of playground equipment each day, September 6th through 18th. The slideshow can be found at Howard Drive > Meetings/Teams > PBIS > 2018-2019 > Playground Rules 18-19

AdditionallyTeachers should also review our PBIS Rules for common school areas (i.e. restrooms, cafeteria, hallways, arrival/dismissal, etc.) sometime this first week, working off of the Howard PBIS Matrix, the PBIS Start of Year Lessons (taken from the staff handbook), or the Google Slides PBIS Back to School Refresher.

And a Google reminder, you’ll need to log into Google using your full 4J email username (i.e. chinn@4j.lane.edu) and 4J email password to connect to the Howard Team Drive.

• No More Clip-Up/Clip-Down Charts – Speaking of PBIS, downtown has officially forbade Clip-Up/Clip-Down Charts. I don’t remember seeing many of these in our school anymore, but let me know if you have any questions on this.

• Principal Visits to Classrooms – I’d like to again visit every classroom sometime during the first few weeks of school to greet students. I’ll read a favorite story to your class and chat with the kids a bit. Teachers, please let me know a good 10 minutes block of time I can come and visit. Thank you!

• School Bus PBIS & Positive Slips – Bus drivers have their own version of a PBIS positive slip, which teachers should honor just the same as our PBIS positive Beep, Beeps for weekly class drawing, which will start the first full week of class. FYI, linked here is an email describing the procedures of the Transportation PBIS Program.

• Tech Subscriptions – As a reminder to staff, Howard has paid subscriptions to the following online resources. Students can link to these by going to the Howard Website and clicking their grade-level’s “Links for Learners.” If there are any links your grade level would like added or removed, just let me know and I’ll get it updated.

• BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr., and BrainPOP Espanol – Animated Educational Site for Kids; Science, Social Studies, English, Math, Arts & Music, Health, and Technology.USER: howardschool PASS: roadrunners

• Dreambox – 4J purchased a K-5 subscription to the adaptive math program Dreambox, which has a unique link on the Links for Learners. Log-in with your 4J email and username to set up your classroom.

• SpellingCity – We have paid subscription for grades 3-5. Let me or your TLT reps know if you need assistance setting this up.

• RAZ-Kids – An online guided reading program with interactive ebooks, downloadable books, and reading quizzes.

• TumbleBooks – The link on our Links for Learners take you to our subscription website.

• World Book Online – World Book Online Reference Center includes World Book Encyclopedia in English and Spanish and is available to 4J staff and students and their families. A district-supplied username and password are required for home access. Building TSS’ should be able to provide these for you. UPDATE: 4J cancelled their subscription

• FastMath & FractionNation – Adaptive math software program for students in Grades 4-8.

• Class Buddies – Teachers, if you haven’t already, let me know who you Buddy Classroom will be for this school year.

• Staff Parking Areas (not the front row) – Starting this week, I’d like staff to go back to using designated staff parking areas, which is anywhere in the parking lot except for the front row of parking spaces, which I’d like to reserve for families. With 93 adults working in our building this year and 94 parking spots it’s a pretty tight fit.

• No Scents, Fragrances, Perfumes – Please do not wear any scents, body sprays, perfumes, or such at school. We have a number of students and staff with allegories who can have serious potentially life-threatening allergic reactions.

• Classroom Newsletters – I’d love to have copies (email is best) of classroom newsletters when teachers send/email them home to families. This helps me get school events on the building calendar, keeps me up to date on what’s happening or going to happen in classes when families ask, and it also lets me know details of any class activities that I might be able to get the local media to come out and cover. I love promoting our school!

• Google Permission Forms – If you have students who do not have permission to use Google apps such as Google Classroom, linked here is the 4J Google Permission Form (English and Spanish). The forms can also be found online at the 4J Instructional Technology Resources & Links webpage.

• Voicemail Set-Up – Teachers, if you changed rooms this year or are new to Howard, please take time to set-up your voicemail by using the linked Quick Start Voice Mail User Guide. If you have questions, please contact Peggy at 4jdesktop@4j.lane.edu or call (541) 790-7777.

• Custodial Storage – Crystal has made some space in the custodial storage area is people have supplied needing storing, but two notes before you drop anything off. One, store things only on an open shelf, not on the workbench or other areas. And two, do not leave boxes or anything on the floor, so we can maintain clear walkways.

• Morning Announcements Start Monday, 9/10 – I won’t do morning announcements the first three days of school, but we will start regular morning announcements the first full week of school on Monday, September 10th with a couple 5th graders who were trained up at the end of last school year.

• Enrollment Updates – If you’re curious what our enrollment looks like, we’re below our projection by about 30something students, but district-wide elementary schools are about 580 students below projection and no elementary schools are above projection, so it’s a rather anomalous year for low enrollment. Our K-5 projection was originally for 474 students, but I convinced downtown to up our projection closer to our end-of-year enrollment of 500 students and to add another teacher. As of Friday we have 465 students fully enrolled (along with a few packets still out). Grade level totals currently are KG (53), 1st (70), 2nd (89), 3rd (73), 4th (86), and 5th (89).

• REPEAT: Meet Your Teacher – During Meet Your Teacher on Tuesday, September 4th at 1:00, I’d like to repeat what we did last year, having all non-classroom staff available to direct families, passing out school maps with highlighters to help guide families, and also passing out a flyer about the first day of school and parking lot procedures. We’ll also give staff a complete set of class lists to be used this day and also on the first day of school.

• REPEAT: First Days of School – Our first and second day of school routine has worked well the past two years, so we’ll once again want all-hand-on-deck to help at 7:25 on Wednesday, September 5th and Thursday, September 6th. Here’s the plan for the first and second morning with students:

First Day

• Students will come in at 7:25 and get grab-and-go breakfasts. The wall separating the cafeteria and gym will be open.
• Classroom teachers, also at 7:25 when the doors open, will be in the cafeteria, gym, and courtyard to meet students. Each teacher will have tall t-square signs with teacher name and room number (except for kindergarten, who’s doing something different this year). 1st – 4th grade will meet in the Gym. KG and 5th will meet in the cafeteria &courtyard.
• Non-classroom staff, also starting at 7:25, will be at the front entrance, the gym, and the cafeteria to help guide students and families. All staff will be given class lists to help guide students as well as a handful of building maps to pass out.
• After the first bell at 7:50 rings, Allan will make a brief announcement from the stage and then dismiss classes to go to their classrooms. Non-classroom staff will have assigned areas to help with student flow and for students arriving late. Staff will be stationed at the front entrance, cafeteria & gym, the hallway corners of the library, and one person in each wing (upstairs and downstairs).

Second Day
• Starting this day, students will follow our normal routine, but non-classroom staff should still to be available one more day 7:25-7:50 to help students with that routine of breakfast, 1st – 5th to the playground, and lining up right before the 7:50 bell (I’ll put out the T-square classrooms signs to help students know where to line up). After the 7:50 bell rings, non-classroom staff should again take their same places as the day before to help guide any lost students or families.

Staff helping should hold onto their class lists and maps from Meet Your Teacher and the first day to help guide families on the second day. Linked here is the First & Second Day Map & Directions for where people will be stationed. Anyone who can’t flex their hours to come in earlier these two days, please let me know so I can adjust where people are stationed.

• REPEAT: Technology CTL Reps K/1 and 4/5 – To support teachers with the transition to all iPads, the Technology Department has developed a 2-year PD plan. The first step in the plan is enlisting CTL reps similar to reading, math, and science. Schools will select three Technology Teacher Leaders (K/1, 2/3, and 4/5) who will attend district meetings/trainings to bring information and PD back to their schools. I had one volunteer for the 2/3 position, but let me know if you’re interested in being the K/1 or 4/5 rep. See the linked

• REPEAT: K-3 Smarty Ants Pilot Opportunity – Here’s a very cool opportunity! Susan Penrod asked if any Howard K-2 (and possibly 3rd grade) teachers are interested in piloting an online foundational reading program to accelerate students towards mastery (similar to DreamBox) called Smarty Ants. Although intended for K-2, they said it may also be useful for below grade level 3rd graders. Susan would provide a training on how to use the program later in September or October, but this sounds like a great independent reading activity for students during Reading Tier II or Tier III times. Let me know by the end of the week if you’re interested/willing to be part of the pilot.

• REPEAT: Artist in Residence Survey – Howard is again getting two artists in residence this year, thanks to The Eugene Rotary, EEF, and ArtSpark. This year they are requiring one artist to be first semester and one second semester. Classroom teachers, please complete the linked Artist in Residence Google Form and that way I can bring a proposal ahead of time to the September Staff Meeting for a decision. Please look at the Lane Arts Artist in Residence webpages for details on each artist and let me know if you have any questions. Survey responses due the Friday, Sept. 14th.

• Support Howard with eScrip, SmileAmazon, Fred Meyer Rewards! – An easy way you all can support Howard is by signing up for eScrip, Smile Amazon, and Fred Meyer Rewards. With eScrip, you link you debit and/or credit cards and when you make purchases around town at places like Market of Choice, Sizzle Pie, El Tapatio, or Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, it supports Howard. eScrip also supports purchases through a number on online retailers including Best Busy, Target, and Amazon if you first go through escrip.com. And speaking of Amazon, if you link your Amazon account to the “Howard Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization” through Smile Amazon, a small percentage of you Amazon purchases support Howard. Fred Meyer also has their own rewards program that Howard is a part of. Sign up for the Fred Meyer Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to Howard Elementary School. You can search for us by our name or by our non-profit number #88934.

• Insurance Stuff – Two insurance relating items:

• OEBB Mandatory Open Enrollment – You’ve likely gotten multiple cards and emails, but OEBB will end all current medical, vision, and dental plans effective September 30, 2018 unless you enroll before the deadline on September 15th. See the 4J Employee Benefits webpage to enroll. With the Sept. 15th deadline, it might be wise to do it now before you get caught up in the start of the school year craziness.

• Almost Free Sunglasses! – Here’s something fun I just learned about. Most of the vision insurance plans provide a glasses frame allowance each year, covering up to $70 once every 12 months that can be applied towards non-prescription sunglasses if you go through VSP. I wasn’t quite clear if there was a $20 deductible.

• Lane 4-H Offers New Educational Resource (chicken egg incubators!) – Lane County 4-H are opening the Embryology program that brings a chicken egg incubator and fertile chicken eggs into the classroom to be hatched! It provides a hands on learning opportunity, and has been adapted for all age ranges (K – 12). See the flyer for details and if you’re interested. I will cover the $45 fee. Just let me know if you want to sign up.

• Free Clay & Ceramics Courses at Georgie’s – Georgie’s Ceramics and Clay is offering free classes Sept. 22, Oct. 27, and Nov. 17 from 10am-4pm, with a free lunch provided. We have our own kiln here at Howard that staff can use if you’re trained, so if you’re interested in getting trained, see the linked flyer. They offer both basic and advanced classes.

• Northwest Community Credit Union Mini Grants – The goal of Project Community is to help educators create learning experiences for kids that might not otherwise be funded by school budgets. Educators submit their funding needs/wishes (up to $1,500) to NWCU through a competitive, submission process. Submissions are being accepted now through October 8, 2018 with winners awarded in December. Grants can be for supplies (e.g.,calculators, dissection specimens, art materials, basic school supplies, etc.), books & materials ((e.g., books for classroom libraries or to support curriculum, funding for field trips, etc.), technology (e.g., iPads, Chromebooks, Boogie Board e-writers, headphones for listening centers, etc.), and more. Follow this link to submit your grant to the NWCU Mini Grant Program.

• Math Workshop Resource – At last Friday’s PD, I attended a session on Math Workstations that shared a video from Dr. Nicki Newton, an education consultant who works with schools and districts around the country on elementary math curriculum, where she had some great advice on how to set-up math stations at the start of the school year.

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:

September 3 (M)
Labor Day – No School
Possible EWEB Work – Limited Power to Building

September 4 (T)
9:00-10:00, Homework Committee Meeting (Conference Room)
10:00, Q&A Session for New Staff – Optional (Conference Room)
1:00-2:00, Meet Your Teacher & PTO Welcome Back Event

September 5 (W)
Classes Begin
PBIS Monthly Theme – Safety
7:30-8:00, Cup of Joe with the PTO (Front of School)

September 6 (H)
Regular Day

September 7 (F)
Bianca’s Last Day
10:15, Allan Reading to Lupe’s Class
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD (Volunteer’s Classroom)
4:00, KG Class Lists Posted

September 10 (M)
easyCBM Benchmark Testing Beings
Operation School Bell Forms Available

September 11 (T)
8:30-12:00, Allan to All-Admin and Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
2:40-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Erin’s Room, RM22)

September 12 (W)
2:40-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Rae Room, RM1)

September 13 (H)
4:00-5:00, Parenting Now Presentation (Library)

September 14 (F)
easyCBM Benchmark Testing Ends
2:00-3:00, Medication Training by Nurse Robin
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD (Volunteer’s Classroom)

Have a great first week back and enjoy the Photo Safari pictures from last week below!

Allan

Photo Safari!

Team Charissa

 

Team Davina

Team Imelda

Team Jenefer

Team Racheal

Team Tyler

June 11, 2018

By Allan  |  2018/06/09 22:05 Posted in Announcements, Assessment, Literacy, P.D., Technology  |  Comments Off on June 11, 2018

Hi Everyone,

We’ve made it! The final week of the school year! Thank you, everyone, for making Howard such a great school for our students and families (and for us to work at). And thank you to everyone who was able to come out to help support our wet school carnival on Friday, which despite the rain had a great turnout. Here’s the final announcements of the school year.

Twenty-five items of note for this week:

• End of Year Ice Cream Celebration – After kids leave on the last day of school at 11:30, we’ll have our annual end-of-the-year ice cream celebration in the cafeteria. There will be root beer floats, ice cream sundaes with all the fixings, and it will also be a chance for us to wish well those staff members leaving us this summer, which is a fair number of folks this year, with Allison S. Chelsea, Esther, Jackie, Jill, Linda K. (again), Mariah, Megan, Melva, Sam, Tami, and Zach bidding us farewell. See all you there!

• PE and Music Updates – Downtown has finally decided how PE and Music will work for next year, which is that students will get two PE classes and two Music classes each week, all year long. For Howard, that means we get to have a full-time PE and full-time Music teacher all year long, and we are also lucky that we will get to keep Michelle and Siera as out PE and Music specialists for next year.

• Master Schedule Updates – Now that PE and Music is settled and the Common School Schedule was finally approved last week, we can in earnest get to finalizing next year’s master schedule. At the optional master schedule meeting a couple weeks ago, we agreed to generally follow the Draft Sample Master Schedule regarding the time allocated for each subject area, which is pretty close to what we already do. We also discussed creating a 60-minute “Integrated Studies” block of time that could be used for writing, science, art, social studies, or another subject area. I do have a draft master schedule that’s not quite ready for prime-time, but I do hope to have something to share before people leave for the summer. Most years we’re able to start working on the schedule much earlier and have it finished by this point, but we’re much further behind than usual this year due to the above mentioned factors. More info to come soon!

• Fire Drill Tuesday at 10:00 – While a few classes are away on field trips, we’ll hold our June Fire drill at 10:00.

• Field Day, Wednesday & Tech Trot Reward – Field Day is this Wednesday, with K-2 starting to the field 8:30-10:00 and grades 3-5 going 10:15-11:45. PE classes are cancelled this day. Linked here is a Field Day Map of the nine stations and where each classroom should start. There are a couple differences in stations between the K-2 and 3-5 stations. Classes will rotate by number, so if you start on 1 you’ll go to 2 and so on. PTO is providing Otter Pops at the end of each Field Day session. If any classrooms are missing your morning recess and want to make it up, please have your classroom join your Buddy Classroom’s recess time, which should cover all missed morning recesses.

Also, the Trot brought in enough money for students to give a whip-cream-pie-in-the-face to a staff member, which will be done out on the track as soon as Otter Pops have been passed out. Natalie, Suzanna, Julie, Zach and myself volunteered for this and we’ll have protective garbage bags to protect your clothes (hair may be another matter). Let me know if there are any other willing victims.

• Homework Committee Update – We had a good mix of grade levels reps at the homework committee meeting last week and we came up with the following guiding beliefs:

• All classes will send a weekly reading/math log of some sort. Teacher are welcome to come up with their own method of collecting this information, but we’ll create a half-sheet teachers can use to send home.
• Teachers may send games or other activities home for students to optionally do with their families.
• Classes may send worksheets home with all students, but may not have an expectation that students return the work.

The main thing we DO NOT want is for students in one class to be getting something significantly different from another class. We’re currently editing a draft letter that we’ll do final approval on in the fall.

• Class Lists Review & Transition Meetings – Class Lists should all be finalized by this point, so non-classroom teaching staff, please review the linked 2018-2019 Class Lists. If you see anything that you think may be an unwise placement, please let me or the sending grade level teachers know of your concerns. Also, if receiving grade levels would like to meet to discuss incoming student class lists, please contact the sending grade level to set up a time to meet. My suggested time would be Tuesday after school where I originally had a placeholder Staff Meeting on the calendar.

• 2018-2019 Leadership/Building Rep. Positions & Memberships – We’re still looking for a PBIS and Social Committee Leader. If you are interested, visit the Leader/Building Rep. Google Sheet to add your name. Also, if you’d like to be a member of one of our building teams or committees, add your name to the sign-up sheet in the Staff Room.

• Library News from Julie – The bulk of the inventory has been completed (shelves are still closed for the summer). Thanks to a few very helpful volunteers! The library will no longer sound like a game show. ha-ha It appears we have a few books that have escaped the library & Ms. Lawson’s classroom and are currently on an adventure. As we are cleaning and packing up, emptying book boxes and desks please keep an eye out for any sneaky library books. They usually turn up in interesting places. If you are a 3rd, 4th or 5th grade teacher and would like to check out George for the summer, I will have copies available by the middle of the week. Thank you and have a great summer. Relax with a good book! – Julie

• Room Move Updates – Linked here is a 2018-2019 Classroom Assignment Map. The moves are:

• New 5th Grade Teacher to ELL/YMCA (Room 22)
• Carolyn/YMCA to Rhonda (Room 22 to Room 17)
• Rhonda to Becky (Room 17 to Room 19)
• Becky to Erin (Room 19 to Room 27)
• Erin to ECT (Room 27 to Room 21)
• Imelda/Jill and Katie swapping rooms (Room 6 and Room 7)

One note on the ECT Room (Room 21), SSD is currently deciding where to relocate this team, so they are going to be in the building through the end of July and there’s a remote possibility they will stay if SSD can’t find a location, although last I spoke with SSD they had a couple of strong leads on possible locations at some under-enrolled schools.

• Summer Program Classroom Use – I shared earlier where KITS (Preschool, FRC, Community Room), ESY (all other downstairs classrooms), and EEP (upstairs blue wing) will be over the summer, but a two items of note:

• Technology Needs – Classrooms hosting ESY will need to leave out your HDMI cables and adapters. Document cameras and ENZO keyboards should be locked up. Classroom hosting EEP can lock all tech up.

• Furniture Labels – I’ve heard from another school that furniture moves around a fair amount during summer school, so put a room number on any furniture you want to make sure makes it back to your classroom.

• 5th Grade Interviews, Monday 3:00-5:30 – Imelda, Lupe, and Suzy and I will be conducting interviews this Monday from 3:00-5:30 in the Conference Room. If any staff would like to join in on the interviews, let me know so I can have a packet of interview questions ready for you.

• Facilities Updates – Here are two building updates:

• Light Issues & Window Tinting – The darker tinting that was piloted in Erin’s classroom made a marked improvement, so over the summer Facilities will be installing the darker tinting to the two windows closest to the whiteboard in all south-facing classrooms.

• Conference Room Echo – Sound paneling was installed on the ceiling of the Conference Room this past Friday. If this doesn’t fix the echo in the room, Facilities is going to add additional sound paneling on west wall.

• 2018-2019 PLC Info & Free Book! – At our final Academy Day a couple weeks ago, I shared with teachers about the Professional Learning Community (PLC) model teachers will be participating in next school year. Principals have been reading the book Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, and if there are any teacher interested in also reading the book to learn more about the process, I thought I’d offer to purchase the book for you for your summer reading list. Let me know by the end of the week if you’d like a copy of the book and I’ll get it ordered for you. On a related note, to support the PLC rollout across the district, downtown added another Staff Development Specialist (SDS), which has made for some SDS re-shuffling, so for next year Rebecca Boyd has been assigned to our school.

• Summer Lego Robotics PD at Lane ESD – Teachers, there is a summer professional development around Lego Robotics and Coding happening at Lane ESD, August 1-3. If our building sends at least one teacher all three days and fills out the paperwork on your plan for how to use it with students, our school will get a complete LEGO EV3 Core Set (a $400 value)! I would be able to cover the refundable $50 registration fee to reserve your spot. If any teachers are interested, let me know by the end of the week. See this workshop link for additional information.

• 4J book giveaway June 11-13 – Library Services is moving out of their space at the Ed Center and has hundreds of gently used ex-library books to give away. There are books for all age levels, from preschool through high school, fiction and nonfiction. This is a great opportunity for teachers to add to their classroom libraries. When: Mon-Wed June 11-13, 1:00-5:00 Where: Library Services, Ed Center (straight from the main door, jog left, follow the signs) What: books, bookends, posters

• Care Team Summer Resource – Linked here is a List of Summer Family Activities sent to me by our contact at DHS. The document is in both English and Spanish.

• Changes to District TAG Identification for 18-­19 – Sarah Prater Eichner, the District TAG Coordinator, let Building TAG Coordinators and principal know about some changes coming next school year. Her email has all of the details, but the short version is that next year there will be a fall TAG testing window for students to be referred for testing, similar to what Howard has already done the past couple years. There will also be a spring testing window for students scoring in the 97% on OAKS. Sarah is also planning to visit schools to share information about the process for identification of underrepresented populations. And lastly, linked here and on the Howard Google Team Drive is the Revised Student TAG Plan, which has updated language and format, which focuses on differentiation strategies in the classroom for TAG students based on current level and rate of learning.

• District School Improvement and Professional Development Surveys – Downtown is surveying licensed, classified, and administrators regarding district professional development and school improvement plans. Linked here is the Classified Staff Survey and Licensed Staff Survey.

• Survey on the future of assessment in 4J – Oscar Loureiro sent an email to teachers and Title 1 EAs earlier, but if you haven’t already, please complete the linked Criteria to Choose a Universal Screening Assessment for 4J. One of the district goals on the 4J Vision 20/20 Strategic Plan is to have a balanced system of assessments that supports effective teaching and learning, informs continuous improvement, and promotes equity in student access and outcomes. See the above linked email for additional details.

• REPEAT: 5th Grade Clap Out – The clap out for 5th graders will be the day of their promotion ceremony this Thursday. It will run the same as last year. 5th graders will start their walk in the cafeteria, walk around the courtyard gate to the 1st grade wing, past the library, and out the front entrance. Linked here is the Clap Out Map and Directions (the map isn’t so pretty, so let me know if you have questions where your class should stand). Here are the details:

• Thursday, June 14th, classes begin lining up in their spots at 1:50
• At 1:55, 5th graders will begin their final walk through the 1st grade hallway.
• Students should clap and cheer appropriately as the 5th graders walk past.
• Staff members not assigned to students are invited to join and give a final farewell.
• Once the 5th graders have made their way to the end of the clap out line, remaining students can be dismissed.

• REPEAT: “Grab & Go” Sack Lunch Schedule, Friday – For lunches on the last day of school, Friday next week, students will enter the cafeteria as usual. They will put together their own sack lunch, assembly line style. As students pass through the line, they should form a new line at the an exit door of the teacher’s choosing. Once all the students have gotten their lunches, teachers can walk students back to class. This process should takes about 5-8 minutes.

10:00 KG grade
10:10 1st grade
10:20 2nd grade
10:30 3rd grade
10:40 4th grade
10:50 5th grade

If staff not supervising students are available to help during this time, that would be terrific!

• REPEAT: End of Year Checklists (with Summer Tech Checkout Link) – Linked here is the End-of-Year Checklist for staff who are in charge of a classroom or other area. This form needs to be completed and signed off by me before you start your summer. Outside of some date changes, this is the same form as last year. A sign-up sheet for checkout dates and times is in the Staff Room and copies of the checklist are under the staff mailboxes. If you need any boxes, just let Crystal know. For checking out technology over the summer, please visit the Google Technology Equipment Checkout Contract 2017-18 Form.

• District Admin Update – Peter Tromba is returning to 4J to be principal of Spencer Butte Middle School, as Tasha Katsuda departs for a role as a district curriculum director in Bethel. Peter has been principal at North, Monroe, and at Spencer Butte nearly 20 years ago. He’s also been the 4J Technology Director before he was recruited to work at ODE. His son also goes to school with my kindergarten daughter at Adams.

• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:

June 11 (M)
easyCBM Testing Closes
3/4/5 Artist in Residence Continues (STEAM Room)
3:00-5:30, 5th Grade Interviews
3:00-6:00, Bike Rodeo – Bike Safety Activities (Cafeteria & Gym)

June 12 (T)
All staff library books due back to the library
Silver & Vaughan to Emerald Park
9:15-1:00, SPLASH Field Trip for Grades 3/4/5
10:00, Fire Drill
2:30-3:30, Grade Level Transition Meetings

June 13 (W)
Wacky Wednesday – Day at the Beach
Preschool’s Last for Students
8:30-10:00, K-2 Field Day (Track)
9:55-10:10, 5th Recess w/3rd Grade
10:15-11:45, 3-5 Field Day
11:50, 3rd Grade Lunch w/4th Grade and Recess w/5th Grade

June 14 (H)
PE Classes Outside
9:00, Monthly Book Winners (Conference Room)
10:30, KG Family Picnic (Front Grass)
12:00-12:15, 5th Grade Lunch
12:15-12:35, 5th Grade Recess
12:45-1:45, 5th Grade Graduation (Gym)
1:50, Clap Out for 5th Grade

June 15 (F)
Last Day for Students, Early Release
Last Day for 192 & 196 Day Classified Employees
Sugar field to Emerald Park
10:00, Grab-n-Go Sack Lunches (Cafeteria

“Grab & Go” Sack Lunch Schedule
10:00 Kindergarten
10:10 1st grade
10:20 2nd grade
10:30 3rd grade
10:40 4th grade
10:50 5th grade

11:05, K-5 Dismissal
11:30, Staff Last Day of School Root Beer Float & Ice Cream Sundae Party and Staff Farewell Celebration (Cafeteria)

June 18 (M)
Last Day for Licensed Staff
2:00-4:00, Allan to ILT Meeting (Ed Center)
4:00-5:30, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

June 28 (H)
Allan’s Last Day

July 26 (H)
Allan Reports Back to Work

August 28 (T)
Licensed Staff Report Back

August 29 (W)
Classified Staff Report Back
Howard Staff Back-to-School Staff Meeting

On Monday, look in the Staff Room for nachos! I heard the PTO is planning to unload carnival leftovers.

Also, please enjoy Staff Summer Book Picks below!

Have a fabulous summer everyone and I’ll look forward to seeing you all in the fall!

Allan

 

 

 

Staff Summer Book Picks!

Ashley

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State by Michelle McNamara

Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines

The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule

Unf*ck Your Habitat: You’re Better Than Your Mess by Rachel Hoffman

The 38 books Judy Davies just gave me

Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker by Christianne C. Jones

Coco Chanel (Little People, Big Dreams) by Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Maybe Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight if I have time.

 

Carolyn

Professional reading:

Literacy Essentials for English Language Learners: Successful Transitions by Maria Uribe and Sally Nathenson-Mejia

How the ELL Brain Learns by David Sousa
A note re. How the ELL Brain Learns: “This is not just a ‘how-to’ book. It is a ‘why-because-how-to’ book.” It’s loaded with strategies, including subject-specific, but explaining the principles behind the strategies also allows teachers to understand what works and why so that they can adapt their teaching to be successful.

Why Do English Language Learners Struggle with Reading? Distinguishing Language Acquisition from Learning Disabilities by Janette Klingner, John Hoover, and Leonard Baca

English Language Learners: Differentiating Between Language Acquisition and Learning Disabilities by Janette Klingner and Amy Eppolito

 

Corianne

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Kim Barker

 

Erin

All the Little Lights by Jamie McGuire

Mathematical Mindsets: Unleashing Students’ Potential through Creative Math, Inspiring Messages and Innovative Teaching by Jo Boaler

 

Jill

George by Alex Gino

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins

 

Julie

OBOB books, I would recommend reading George :)

The Littlest Bigfoot by Jennifer Weiner (Book 1 and Book 2)

Nemesis by Catherine Coulter

 

Justine

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

 

Katie

Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

 

Linda K.

Last Bus to Wisdom by Ivan Doig

 

Natalie


The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante
It is the second novel in the Neopolitan quartet. I read My Brilliant Friend last summer, and it was wonderful. Apparently, HBO is making a miniseries of the book, so I am anxiously awaiting that!

 

Robin V.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

 

Rhonda

Fiction
Meg: A Novel of Deep Terror by Steve Alten.
A thriller about a deep sea diver and a megalodon shark. The movie is due to be released in August. My favorite movie of all time is Jaws, so we’ll see how this one compares!

Nonfiction:
Creative Quest by Questlove
The bandleader/drummer of Jimmy Fallon’s late night show writes about how to unlock your creativity.

Professional:
Kids First from Day One: A Teacher’s Guide to Today’s Classroom by Christine Hertz and Kristi Mraz
love anything published by Heinemann.

 

Suzy

 

Option B by Sheryl Sandberg & Adam Grant Sheryl
Sandberg is the COO of Facebook. A few years ago, her husband died suddenly leaving her a widow and her children without their father. Her “Option A” was gone and she had to figure out what to do what she was left with, “Option B”. She co-wrote the book with her friend who’s a psychologist. She writes about her own personal experiences, but also touches on how people (including children) can build resiliency and eventually joy in life-changing experiences. I think this is a must read for anyone who has lost someone or knows someone who’s lost someone and are trying to figure out how to best support them. This book is also for teachers who are working to help our students build resiliency in adverse circumstances (which I know we hardly have any of here at Howard :).

The Dry by Jane Harper
This is a suspense novel that had me hooked from the very beginning. The story takes place in rural Australia. It’s about a murder-suicide that takes place when a husband (Luke) kills his wife, child and then himself, but leaving one child left alive. His friend, Aaron, who is a federal agent comes back home to the funeral, but soon realizes that the case might not be as it seems. The story goes back and forth between what happened with Aaron 20 years ago that made him leave his hometown, as well as him working towards solving his friend’s possible murder. A great read!

Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
Another book I couldn’t put down and I kept thinking that there was no way it could be a true story! But it is, and it’s written about an unknown hero, Pino Lella. The story takes place in Italy during WWII. Pino is sent by his parents to live in the Alps during the war to keep him safe. There in the Alps, he ends up secretly (and with his own mountaineering skills) getting many Jews to safety on the other side to Switzerland. It also then follows him back in Milan when he is old enough to be a soldier. In Milan, he ends up becoming the personal driver to a General who is very close to Hitler. He then realizes that this is a perfect opportunity to spy for the Allies. In Milan he also falls in love with a girl named Anna whom he had met years before. If you’ve read the book Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, which I personally nicknamed “Unbelievable” since it was so hard to believe that one person could go through so much and survive, then this book is for you.

Leopard at the Door by Jennifer McVeigh
The story takes place in British occupied Kenya after WWII. Rachel has been sent back to England for 6 years after her mother suddenly dies. She has always longed to return back home, but when she arrives she finds that the father she knew, as well as the country she loves, have both changed drastically. It is during this time in Kenyan history that a secret group called the Mau Mau plan an uprising to unite native Kenyans and overthrow the whites. Rachel struggles during this time to find her own voice in a place that is no longer what she once knew.

 

Zach

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

The Song of the Dodo: Island Biogeography in an Age of Extinctions by David Quammen

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight]

The Month that Changed the World: July 1914 and WWI by Gordon Martel

 

Allan

2000 AD Back Issues
I’m almost a year behind on this British weekly sci-fi comic book anthology series I subscribe to and need to catch up on. Judge Dredd is the most famous character to come out of 2000AD, but if there are any comic book nerds out there, major comic book writers like Grant Morrison, Mark Millar, Ian Edginton, and Alan Moore all got their start at 2000AD.

George by Alex Gino
My older daughter, Grace, is very interested in reading this book, but I’m making her read Charlotte’s Web first since the plot of George hinges on the title character wanting to play Charlotte in the school play.

Ghost Walk by Brian Keene
Brian Keene is a an unabashedly pulpy horror writer and whenever I read his books, I cannot put them down until I’ve gotten to the end. This is the second book in his Levi Stoltzfus Series, which is an occult detective series of sorts. Keene is not for all tastes, but I like his books.

Tropic of Kansas by Christopher Brown
I’ve always been kind of obsessed with the 1980s movie “Red Dawn” and this story of the US degenerating into warring territories has a similar vibe that intrigues me.

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
And one that I’ve read a few times and I’d say is my all-time favorite book. A Pulitzer Prize winning novel that you’ll either love or abhor. I read this in a UO 20th Century Literature course and the class was deeply divided over the book, with half loving it and half hating it, and we eventually figured out it boiled down to whether you were rooting for the main character (those who loved it) or if you found him an awful human being (those who hated the book). Read if you dare!

And some from prior summers I intended to read, but didn’t

Z-Burbia by Jake Bible
A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3) by George R. R. Martin
The Explorers Guild: Volume One: A Passage to Shambhala by Kevin Costner, Jon Baird, Rick Ross

April 23, 2018

By Allan  |  2018/04/21 07:37 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Assessment, Grants, Math, P.D., Technology  |  Comments Off on April 23, 2018

 

Hello Superstar Howard Staff,

This Wednesday is Administrative Professionals’ Day where we recognize the dedicated work of office staff, and Howard is incredibly lucky to have the AMAZING Lori and Bianca on the front lines for our school. From blood, barf, tears, anger, and occasional life coaching, on top of all the typical office duties you’d expect in a normal office environment, we have a pair of rock stars in the Howard office looking out and taking care of us each an every day. Thank you, Lori and Bianca!

Sixteen items of note for this week:

• Job Expo Update – Imelda Cortez was offered and accepted our 5th grade position. Imelda is currently teaching 4th grade at Adams, where she’s worked the past five years (Ms. Cortez is who my 3rd grader at Adams wanted next year), and has previously taught primary grades at River Road for eight years and kindergarten at Howard for one year. Imelda is also a former Howard student, which now makes five of us in the exclusive Former-Howard-Student-Now-Employee Club. Please welcome Imelda to the Awesome Howard Team!

• Summer Programs at Howard – Howard will be hosting three programs in our building this summer; SSD’s Extended School Year (ESY) program, Kids in Transition to School (KITS), and the Early Education Summer Program (EEP). ESY will use thirteen classrooms and will run 8:30-11:30, TWH from July 10 through August 2. KITS will use the Preschool, Family Resource Center (RM1), and the Community Room for 16-20 student & families and will run 9:00-11:00, TWH from July 2 through August 23. EEP will use three classrooms and will run 8:30-4:30, MTWHF from July 9 through August 17. The general plan is to primarily use first floor classrooms, but we may need to use an upstairs wings as well. I’ll do a walkthrough with the facilities before the end of the school year to help determine where all of the programs will be located and will notify staff who are effected (so you can lock up and cover your stuff!). I don’t have much more information than this, but l’ll let people know more once I get details.

• Don’t Touch the OAKS Testing Snacks – If you notice the snacks on top of and inside the Staff Room refrigerators, these are for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during state testing, so know that they are NOT up for grabs. 3/4/5 teachers, there are four different snacks (with some extras for make-up day on Friday), so help yourself to a class set of each when you are ready for them.

• May 4th Math PD Day – Not this Friday, but next Friday is a 4J Math Professional Development Day. Jaimee Massie sent the linked May 4th PD Day Flyer with details. For licensed staff, teachers grades 3-5 and Title/SPED teachers will meet 8:00-11:15 at Holt, and teachers grades K-2 will meet 12:00-3:15 at Holt. For classified staff, there will be an EA Extravaganza this same morning. Details on that event are coming soon.

• PTO Meeting Updates – The PTO had a good turnout for this meeting, which was great because we were seeking nominations for new board members and most every position had someone sign up! Other items worth noting are that the PTO is working on Staff Appreciation Week, May 7-11, the Tech Trot jog-a-thon fundraiser, and the “Beep! Beep! Best Day Ever!”

• Dreambox Staff Meeting Follow-Up – Here are some links from the webinar that may be useful during your implementation of DreamBox Learning:

• Client Success – Linked here is the Dreambox Support Site, which is full of helpful articles on all the tools and features DreamBox offers, including troubleshooting steps if you have any difficulty. Their support team can be contacted by phone at 877-451-7845, ext. 3 or by email at support@dreambox.com

• Other Resources – In the Resources section of your Dashboard are videos, certificates for students, calendars, and the Teacher Tools to use with classes.

• Webinar Recording – Here’s a link to a recording of the Dreambox Webinar from our staff meeting.

 

• Return Cafeteria Trays & Snack Tubs by 12:50 – Please remember to return all cafeteria trays and snack tubs to the cafeteria by 12:50 each day. If you have students eating in your classroom, send their trays back before this time. The same goes for the FFVP snack tubs. They need to be returned by 12:50 daily because this is when the last load gets cleaned by our dishwasher before she has to leave for another job.

• Library Items of Note – Two announcements from Julie:

• Library Available During Testing – I would like to offer an option for students who are done testing for the day. Please feel free to send students that may need a place outside class to work on projects or classwork to the library. I am happy to help, please let me know if there is anything else the library can do. I am out of the library 9:25 -9:45 and 11:40-12:20 for duties. :) Linked here is the Library Schedule.

• Staff Use of Library Browsers – If staff use the computers in the library for checking email or other tasks, remember to close out your search or email when finished along with your secure login. Staff are likely best off opening a “Private” or “Incognito” window, which will automatically delete your logins and passwords once you close the window.

• UDPATE: Strings Academy Next Year – I spoke with the director of the Eugene-Springfield Youth Orchestras (ESYO) and we may be able to continue our String Academy program next year for students free of charge. She said the main expense is paying the teacher, which is about $5,000 a year and they already have half of that covered from a donor who wants to support the program specifically here at Howard. She is going to speak to the ESYO board to see if they will provide funds to cover the difference. They really want to support the Howard program since we’ve always had the highest participating rate and that we’ve always been so supportive of the program. I’m also thinking I may write an EEF grant for the program, although since it’s a lot of money for a smaller group of kids, Site Council will likely rank it lower on our list of grant priorities.

• REPEAT: Journeys & Being a Writer Materials Order (DUE May 18) – Grade level teams should meet to decide what Journeys and Being a Writer materials you want to order for next school year. See the linked Piktochart from the staff meeting for details. Complete this Survey Link before Friday, May 18th and let me know if you have any questions.

• REPEAT: PBIS Kindness Challenge & Assembly – See Rae and Jill’s emails for details, but linked here is the Assembly Map & Directions for the PBIS Kindness Extravaganza on Wednesday. K-2 is 8:45-9:10 and 3-5 is 9:20-9:45.

• REPEAT: EEF Grant Applications Due MONDAY – Grant proposals are due to me by Monday before Site Council. All I need before the meeting is a title and brief description. See the linked EEF website or linked email for details.

• REPEAT: Tech Trot Prizes/Incentives Volunteers? – We have a few staff volunteers for the Tech Trot Incentives, but it would be fun to have more. Let me know ASAP if any of you are willing to do the following:

• Be a special guest at a fun lunch with 2 kids from each class
• Get a whip cream pie in the face at an assembly
• Get duck taped to a wall or post
• Do a lip synch battle at an assembly

• Seesaw Tips – Remember there are a ton of Seesaw Resources to help teachers, including specific ideas you can use tomorrow. You can also check their schedule of online professional development webinars (PD in your PJs) for teachers every month.

• Every student is a mathematics language learner – While the need for language supports – both content and context specific — for English language learners in math classes is increasingly evident to educators, it is also important for educators to realize how much these semantic supports benefit many of their other students as well. See this ASCD article for more.

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

April 22 (SU)
Earth Day

April 23 (M)
EEF Grants Due to Allan
May School Newsletter Articles Due
3/4/5 OAKS ELA Performance Task
8:30-2:30, Allan to Report Card Revision Team Meeting (Ed Center)
2:30-3:30, Site Council Meeting (Conference Room)

April 24 (T)
3/4/5 OAKS ELA Performance Task
8:15-11:15, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
8:30-12:30, LCC Dental Clinic
2:30-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Mellissa/Mariah’s Room, RM23)

April 25 (W)
Administrative Professionals’ Day
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
3/4/5 OAKS ELA Performance Task
8:45-9:10, K-2 PBIS Kindness Extravaganza (Gym)
9:20-9:45, 3-5 PBIS Kindness Extravaganza (Gym)
2:30-3:30, Student Care Meeting (Conference Room)

April 26 (H)
3/4/5 OAKS ELA Performance Task
Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day
11:00-1:00, Allan to ILT Meeting (Ed Center)
2:15, Allan to IEP Meeting (Conference Room)

April 27 (F)
3/4/5 OAKS ELA Performance Task
9:00-12:00, 1st Grade Near By Nature Field Trip – Chunn/Kerins
11:00-12:50, April Birthday Lunches With the Principal (Community Room)

April 30 (M)
Children’s Book Week
Children’s Book Day
3/4/5 OAKS ELA CAT

May 1 (T)
3/4/5 OAKS ELA CAT
PBIS Monthly Theme – Positive Attitude
Better Hearing & Speech Month 2018
9:00-12:00, 1st Grade Near By Nature Field Trip – Corliss

May 2 (W)
3/4/5 OAKS ELA CAT
9:20, 5th Grade Group Photo (front of building)
2:30-5:00, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Meeting (Ed Center)
4:00-5:00, Allan to North Region Principals’ Meeting (NEHS)

May 3 (H)
3/4/5 OAKS ELA CAT
12:00-3:00, Allan to ILT Meeting (Ed Center)

May 4 (F)
No School — Professional Development/Planning Day (Math)
8:00-12:00, EA Extravaganza! (Time is Tentative)
8:00-11:15, SPED/Title/Grades 3-5 Teachers Math PD (Holt)
12:00-3:15, Grades K-2 Teachers Math PD (Holt)

Have a good week, everyone!

Now enjoy some snarky Administrative Professionals’ Day memes.

Allan

 

 

 

 

March 5, 2018

By Allan  |  2018/03/03 21:28 Posted in Announcements, Articles, Arts, Assessment  |  Comments Off on March 5, 2018

 

Greetings Roadrunenrs,

This week is Classified Appreciation Week, which is an annual event to recognize the many and varied contributions by Howard’s AMAZING Classified Staff! You all make a difference every day in the lives of our students & families. Teachers often get the glory, but classified staff have the numbers and are the ones who keep our school running. Our classified folks are a truly talented group and we would not be the school we are without you! Thank you, all, so much for your work and dedication, and please look for some treats in your mailboxes each day this week. It’s the lease we can do for you AWESOMENESS!

One other celebration, Literacy Night was a huge success! We had a great turnout and we ordered enough pizza this time (almost 800 slices). Families got to see lots of great literacy projects and see what a great school their kids attend!

Eight items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – We’re unfortunately still waiting for classified SPED, ESC, PE, Music, TSS, and BEST allocations, so the update is we do not have any updates. I’ll be meeting with teams this week to discuss classroom configurations, but will let staff know once I get additional information.

• Artist in Residence Schedule – I didn’t get a chance to update the artist schedule over the weekend, but will work on it Monday and Tuesday to better work around workshop times. Also, the artist cannot come in Thursday and Friday this week, so classes scheduled those days will be pushed out. More to come soon…

• Care Team Resources – The Student Care Team met last weekend here are a few resource of note that were shared at the meeting:

• Mentoring Program: A Family for Every Child – They offer a mentoring program and do an excellent job of finding mentors who are a good match for individual kids. They started as a program focused on foster children, but have expanded. They also offer a variety of other programs including a family preservation program and family support groups. They are on W11th and can be reached at 541-343-2856 or https://www.afamilyforeverychild.org/

• The Child Center Collaborative Problem Solving Classes – Free classes and dinner for parents of a children with challenging behaviors, who have tried everything with little to no success, and are frustrated and searching for solutions. The Collaborative Problem Solving Classes are an exciting model that teaches parents and children skills that will reduce meltdowns, increase positive relationships, and improve communication. To sign-up, call 541-726-1465 or visit http://www.collaborativeparent.com/

• Triple P: Positive Parenting Program – Parenting resources and online classes. The free monthly Triple P Newsletter features Triple P Online highlights, upcoming family events in Lane County, and the latest parenting blogs from the Triple P team. Triple P Online (TPOL) is an online learning program made up of sections, designed for parents of children up to 12 years of age and is free for families on the Oregon Health Plan. The newsletter and registration for classes can be done at the following website: http://www.lanekids.org/triplep/

• Success for Children and Families Project – Do you struggle with your child’s disobedience? Aggression? Fighting? Tantrums? Misbehavior in public? Help is at hand! To find out if you qualify and to get more information, call the Success for Children & Families Project at 541-434-1551, email at: success@ori.org, or visit on the web: http://www.ori.org/succes

• Revised STEP Brochure for SNAP clients (formerly SNAP 50/50) – Linked here is a revised listing of the SNAP Training and Employment Partnership (STEP) services and providers. This is for families who say they would like help with training or job search. This revision includes a few changes in the contact information. For DHS staff, primarily BEWS’s and Family Coaches, this document is used to alert SNAP clients about employment and training services available locally through a contract between the DHS central office and our local providers. It’s designed to be given directly to customers, and the customers are free to contact any of the providers based upon their employment and training needs.

• Wacky Wednesday – Crazy Sock Day – Not this week, but Wednesday next week is Crazy Sock Day, so start getting kids excited to show off their wacky and/or mismatched socks next week (as well as planning for your own crazy socks).

• Staff Role in Opt-Out Process – Generally speaking, we do not want students opting out of testing. Any student who opts out automatically counts as a DOES NOT MEET.

If parents/guardian ask about the opt out process, staff can let them know that OAKS scores have no consequences for student grades or advancement to the next grade, although most middle schools do use scores for course placement (i.e. low, middle, or advanced math classes). To graduate with an Oregon Diploma, high school students need to meet graduation requirements in reading, writing, and mathematics through the state tests. If they do not meet the requirements in this way, students have to demonstrate their proficiency through an alternative assessment. The new SAT format also matches the Smarter Balanced testing format, so OAKS is a good practice to get ready for that assessment. OAKS also provides more information about their students’ progress toward being ready for the next school level, college, and careers.

If families have additional questions about OAKS, please encourage them to contact me.

• Building 4J’s Future, Online Survey – If you’d like to share your thoughts on the upcoming bond measure being considered by the school board, linked here is a new 4J Bond Measure Community Survey for community members to share their views on priorities and how to proceed on the potential bond measure for the November 2018 ballot.

• Why Students Forget – and What You Can Do About It – Our brains are wired to forget, but there are research-backed strategies you can use to make your teaching stick, including peer-to-peer explanation, the spacing effect (revisiting topics), frequent practice tests, interleave concepts (mixing up instead of grouping like problems), and combining text with images. See this Edutopia article for more info!

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

March 5 (M)
Classified Employees Appreciation Week
1:15, Allan to Formal Observation
2:30, Allan Meeting w/KG Team, Staffing Input (Room 2)
3:00, Allan Meeting w/1st Grade Team, Staffing Input (Room 11)

March 6 (T)
8:15-11:15, Allan to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
9:00-12:00, OSEA Site Visit (Staff Room)
10:50-12:05, 5th Grade Human Growth & Development
2:30, Allan Meeting w/2nd Grade Team, Staffing Input (Room 23)
3:00, Allan Meeting w/3rd Grade Team, Staffing Input (Room 18)

March 7 (W)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
9:00, February Book Winners (Conference Room)
10:50-12:05, 5th Grade Human Growth & Development
1:30-2:00, EA Supervisors Meeting/Staffing Input Meeting (Room 26)
2:00-3:30, 4J Elementary EA Behavior Workshop (Ed Center)
2:30-5:00, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Meeting (Ed Center)
5:00-8:00, University of Oregon Science Class at Howard (Rooms 16 & 20)

March 8 (H)
10:50-12:05, 5th Grade Human Growth & Development
1:00-2:00, Allan to Listening Session with ODE (Ed Center)
2:30, Allan Meeting w/4th Grade Team, Staffing Input (Room 27)
7:00-8:30, School Bond Spanish Family Forum (Library)

March 9 (F)
2:30, Allan Meeting w/Licensed Specialists (SPED, ELD, Title, PE, Music, etc.), Staffing Input (Room 10)

March 10 (SA)
9:00, OBOB Lane County Regional Tournament (Thurston HS)

March 11 (SU)
Daylight Saving Time – Spring Forward!

March 12 (M)
Penny War Begins
Artist in Residence Continues
2:30, Allan Meeting w/5th Grade Team, Staffing Input (Room 9)
4:00-5:30, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)

March 13 (T)
2:30-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Mellissa/Mariah’s Room, RM23)
3:00, Allan to Title 1 Budget Review Meeting (Ed Center)

March 14 (W)
Wacky Wednesday – Crazy Sock Day
2:30-3:30, PBIS Team Meeting (Rae’s Room, RM1)
2:30-3:30, Allan to Wrap Around Meeting (Conference Room)

March 15 (H)
Staffing Plans Due to HR
12:00-3:00, Allan to ILT Meeting (Ed Center)

March 16 (F)
Regular Day

Three weeks until spring break!

Allan