September 21, 2020

By Allan  

Howdy Bolts,

This Monday is going to be the strangest and quietest first day of school ever this Monday. We may not have this whole CDL thing completely figured out, but if you make kids smile and feel welcome, count this week a success! :)

Twenty-six items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – We held interviews on Friday for our Essential Skills Coordinator (ESC) and HR did a nice job pushing the hire through quickly and were able to hire we Gloria Speasl. Gloria has worked in 4J the past 15 years as a Title 1 Coordinator and ESC (and also as an ESC when it went by other acronyms), so we got a good one on our second round of interviews!

Also, our new Student Success Coordinator, Kim McManus, is finally being released by her school district and is set to join Holt starting Wednesday, September 30th.

Please welcome Gloria and Kim to Team Holt!

• PE/Music Updates– Late last week downtown give principals some PE/Music Guardrails, which game some clarity around PE and Music specialists during CDL. Here’s how those guardrails look for Holt:

• Slow Rollout PE/Music Schedule – PE and Music teachers are also doing a slow rollout that will look like:

⁃ Week #1 – Introduce selves to students in short video recorded or live at class meeting.
⁃ Week #2 – Asynchronous lessons and possibly live synchronous lessons if they are ready.
⁃ Week #3 – Full PE and Music schedules begin

• Full PE/Music Schedule – Linked here is the PE and Music Schedule for when we are past the slow rollout. Alex and Tim are scheduled to join classes on a rotating basis for SEL/Morning Meeting activities. In the afternoons, they will see all students twice a week. In order to do that, Alex and Tim are seeing entire grade levels at a time for synchronous lessons. Wednesdays will be additional slots for SPED or SEL in the mornings and the afternoons will be a bonus synchronous lesson taught jointly by Alex and Tim for students to join at one of the three slots.

The above schedule will start October 5th. PE will start on the Week A schedule and Music will start on the Week B schedule. After that they will flip flop ever other week.

• Attendance Updates – Three items of note regarding attendance:

• New Present/Absent Criteria – To be more aligned with the ODE definition of present, mark students present if students submitted ANY online work or if licensed or classified staff had ANY communication with the student or parent/guardian via chat, text message, email or other mode of communication. Linked here is the New Attendance During CDL Slideshow, but this is the main update.

• Specialists and Attendance – Part of downtown’s above guidelines for PE and Music is that they will not take attendance, but ELD, Title, and SPED are expected to keep track of attendance. If downtown does not provide guidance, I will work with ELD, Title, and SPED teachers on how we will do this.

• How to take attendance in Zoom – Zoom Hosts can take attendance in following your meeting by logging onto your Zoom account in a web browser. Linked here are the complete Attendance Directions with graphics, but simply go to Zoom -> My Account -> Reports -> Usage -> Select a date or date range -> Search -> Find the correct meeting and scroll all the way to the right. The number of participants is clickable and will generate a list of everyone who logged in.

You can also export the information. I recommend using the “Show Unique Users” so it condenses everyone into single units, otherwise you’ll get duplicates of people who got kicked out or left and came back.

• SPED Slow Rollout – SSD staff has already communicated with SPED staff (at least they told principals they had), but the plan for SPED is to collect baseline data and connect with families the first two weeks of school, begin to pushing into some classes the week of September 28th, and then run full groups beginning the week of October 5th.

• UPDATE: Classroom & SPED Teachers Collaboration Log– There were a few questions at last week’s Staff Meeting regarding the Weekly Collaborative Planning Log for Sped and 504.

To first review, logs are to be completed each Monday by 5:00pm for the previous week of lessons (Sept. 28 will be the first day classroom teachers complete the log). You will complete a separate entry each week for reading, writing and math instruction (for the entire week, not for each daily lesson). One response is required for each content area you teach in which students with disabilities are receiving specially designed instruction or 504 accommodations. If you do not have any students with a 504 or IEP related to reading, writing, or math, you do not need to complete this form.

• 504 Documentation – Since 504 Plans are typically not content area specific, if a teacher completed at least one log entry for a student with an IEP in any content area, that will cover the requirement for students with a 504 Plan.

• Social Skills Only IEP Goals – If classroom teachers are delivering the Specially Designed Instruction (SDI) to meet social skills goals, they would fill out the log form, but in most cases it is SPED staff delivering social skills instruction and they will be the ones documenting this SDI on their own log.

• Grade Level Content Specializing? – If one teacher at a grade level is creating the math lessons for the entire grade level, they can also fill out the log for their entire grade level IF (and this is a big IF), all of the teachers at that grade level are proving the same accommodations (since IEP accommodations can vary widely).

• Parent Initiated 504 Response (new process) – 4J is seeing an uptick in the amount of parents requesting 504 evaluations. In response to this, all requests for NEW 504 evaluations be routed through the District 504 Coordinator. If you receive a call from a parent for a NEW 504 evaluation (their child is not currently on a 504), explain to the parent we are centralizing the referral process and that you will route the call to SSD (541-790-7800). SSD staff have been trained on the procedures to complete child-find obligations and will work with the District 504 Coordinator to that end. In addition, district-initiated referrals are also being routed through the District 504 coordinator. The linked Centralizing New 504 Request Process Document articulates the process for both parent-initiated and district-initiated 504 requests.

• Conference Reminders – We start conferences this week and a few reminders to classroom teachers:

• Contact Non-Responders – If you have families who haven’t respond to conference sign-ups, please follow-up with a phone call, email, and text. I’ve suggested to a few teachers to try texting when emails and phone calls don’t get a response. I’ve often had better luck getting a responses in these situations with texts. Google Voice or other free apps like TextNow, which will hide your real phone number, are how I usually text families.

• REPEAT: Survey Doc is Optional – The Google Form for teachers to use during conferences is optional. Teachers can use whatever method works for you do document information shared by families.

• Family Needs – If you discover any families with needs (food, shelter, bills, etc.) please complete Darla’s linked Student Supports/Needs 2020-2021 Google Form. And if you want a tip on how to ask families if they are in need, try something like, “Our counselor has some resources around food and housing supports. Would you like her to get in touch with you about those?”

• Non-Responding Families for Conferences – If you have families you’ve been unable to reach to schedule a conference, please continue to reach out.

• Allan Available for Conferences – If teachers have any tricky conferences you’d like some back-up on, just let me know and I can join you. Also, if anything comes up during a conference, feel free to send me a text and I can hop onto your Zoom if I’m available.

• Conference Flex Time – Teachers can use flex time if families can only meet in the evening. We are not allowed to use trading time, but we are allowed to use flex time during Week #1. As we work toward the other three times this school year – we will look at the calendar – more to come since we are really only focused on this first week conferences.

• Tips on How to Do Virtual Parent-Teacher Conferences – This Albert.io Post goes over the whys, how-tos, and best practices of how to run a successful virtual parent-teacher conference.

• Latest Instructions Regarding Guest Teachers – HR sent principals a Licensed Sub Email Update with a few new items of note. See the link for complete details, but the three points:

• Sub Needed or Not – When reporting an absence, teachers should use the feature to state whether a sub is needed for the absence and what hours the substitute coverage will be needed.

• Entering Sub & Teacher Absence Hours (not always the same) – Subs are entered into AESOP either in 4 or 8 hours increments, though teachers may enter different hours for the amount of time you will be absent. For example, if you have a 3-hour doctor appointment from 8:00-11:00, you’d record your absence as 8-11, but would enter the substitute report times as 8:00-12:00.

• Sub Seesaw Access – At this time, HR is not creating SeaSaw accounts for subs unless directly requested by a teacher or administrator. Most subs have not been adequately trained on these platforms, but HR does have some long term subs who already have accounts.

• easyCBM Testing – First off, testing is going to very unusual and the validity of the results is going to be highly questionable, but we will do what we can to follow guidelines and try our best to make it useful infomation. I attended all three of the easyCBM trainings this past week and there was new and evolving information each time, so imagine what I’m sharing now might change before we begin testing next week, but here are some highlights:

• Benchmarking Timeline – No testing should happened Week #1, but we are planning to begin testing mid-Week #2. Since testing will be much slower going than in brick-and-mortar, the deadline to complete fall benchmark testing has been extended until November 2nd.

• easyCBM Resource Folder – The easyCBM Training and Information Documentation Folder is a folder maintained by the 4J Data Team. I’m only sharing this link because the docs inside keep getting deleted and new ones uploaded almost daily, as they get questions and feedback. Key document to review here are:

• EasyCBM- Testing Students Online Comprehensive Distance Learning (TEACHER VERSION)
• EasyCBM- Introduction Message to Parents

I’m planning to send home the parent sheet in next week’s Holt Quick News, but teachers can feel free to share this information as well.

• Support for Testing – Jenny emailed teachers earlier, but please let her know if you’d like support from Title 1 staff with benchmark testing. We’re hoping classroom teachers can administer the group assessments (Math, Reading Comprehension, and Vocabulary), but we can help with the 1:1 test administration. However, principals were just recently told EAs cannot go into breakout rooms 1:1 with a student unless it has been prearranged with a student, though they can if it’s with 3 or more students, which is possibly how we will administer these tests. I suspect there will be more to come on testing logistics later this week. See below for new Zoom guidelines.

• Assessment Resources – For information about ALL assessments, not just easyCBM, you can go to the 4J Assessment Resources Google Folder.

• FYI – Even though everyone in 4J spells easyCBM with a capital, I stubbornly insist on doing it without since that’s how they write it out on the Official easyCBM Website. Yep, that’s the kind of person I am!

• Zoom Dos & Don’ts – Here are a couple new district guidelines on Zoom.

• EAs and Breakouts (DO) – Teachers can send students into a breakout groups with EAs.

• EAS and 1:1 or 1:2 Breakouts (DON’T) – Do not send students into a breakout room with EAs 1:1 or 1:2 with students unless it’s predetermined and previously communicated with parent/guardians. Three or more students in a breakout room if fine without parent/guardian permission.

• Students in Breakout w/out an adult (DO, BUT CAUTION) – Teachers are allowed to have students in a breakout room without a staff member, this being likened to having students work in the hallway and teachers being able to “join” a breakout room at any point. However, do not let students be in a breakout room alone for more than 2-minutes. That was the district guidance to principals, but in my own opinion, I would stay away from putting students in a breakout room without a staff member and feel we’re better off putting them into breakout rooms by themselves or into the waiting room.

• Recording Student Sessions (DON’T) – No recording of live lessons this time due to FERPA concerns. However, this is being bargained and may change. In my opinion, I think it would be fine to record a teaching session if a teacher used the “Spotlight” feature, although you wouldn’t be able to interact with students as much, but for now, no recording.

• Allan Reading to Classes – Something I like to do every year is introduce myself to students and read a books to each classroom sometime the first month of school. I’d like to continue to do this during CDL, so if classroom teachers can let me know a date and time I could read to your class sometime over the next few weeks, maybe during your SEL time, that would be great!

• SSC Virtual Break Space – Kim McManus, our Student Success Coordinator, shared with me a Bitmoji Classroom Virtual Break Space she created if any of you would like to link to it if you’ve made a Bitmoji Classroom yourself or would like to link it on your Clever page.

• iPad Distribution Update – We did really good on iPad distribution with only about 40 something students who did not pick up a device. We’ll see on Monday if we can generate a report on which students did not borrow a device and will let teachers know.

• New Students in Seesaw – If teachers have a new student join your classroom over the next few days, Synergy will automatically populate this student to your classroom overnight, so you do not need to add new students manually.

• Lalilo instead of SmartyAnts – Multiple staff have asked about renewing SmartyAnts, but I found out last week downtown does not want school purchasing this and instead want us to use Lalilo, which teachers will need to create an account for and set up your classroom. Linked here is the Lalilo Interactive Teacher Handbook.

• RAZ Kids Plus – I just found out the district purchased RAZ Kids Plus. RAZ Kids isn’t as good as Dreambox (IMO), but maybe it’s worth using if kids seem to be getting bored with Dreambox.

• Student Supplies Non-Update – I think the moving target on tech distribution due to air quality ate up downtown admin planning time for student supply distribution planning, so stay tuned for for dates, times, and logistics for how this will happen.

• OSTA/WSTA Joint Virtual Fall Conference – Former Holt Bolt Jaimee Massie reached out to principals and see if we had a teacher in our building (such as a past Science Teacher Leader) who would be particularly appreciative and interested in an upcoming science PD . Tana & Jaimee attended the OSTA/WSTA Conference in person last year and it was very good at focusing our work on NGSS for ALL students though an equity lens. This year it will again be on October’s inservice day but virtual. While we would not pay extended contract for the teacher’s time, we would reimburse the cost of the registration. The conference registration includes a one year membership to the Oregon Science Teacher Association, a great resource. The keynote speaker wrote the book Science in the City and has a wise outlook on science education. If you are interested, let me know by Wednesday. If multiple folks are interested, I’ll simply draw a name out of a hat.

• Inappropriate Seesaw Posts – If you ever get an inappropriate Seesaw post by a student, the Tech Dept. is able to trace it back to its original location and IP address if teachers DO NOT hold off on approving or deleting the post. We recently learned this over an inappropriate post over the summer.

• 4J Student Services NEWSLETTER – If your’e untested, linked here is a copy of the latest 4J Student Services Newsletter that was sent to SSD staff and principals.

• How to make remote lessons more inclusive – See this Education Dive Article for tips on making remote lessons more inclusive (i.e. Universal Design for Learning). The Cliff Notes version is PRESENTATION and CHOICE.

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

September 21 (M)
First Day of School
3:30, Holt Bolt Meeting/Assembly

September 22 (T)
11:00-12:00, Title 1 Staff PD (4J Zoom)
3:00-4:00, PBIS Meeting (Gym & Zoom)

September 23 (W)
1:00, Allan to District Wraparound Meetings (4J Zoom)

September 24 (H)
1:30-3:00, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (4J Zoom)

September 25 (F)
HOLT BOLT SPIRIT DAY!
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting (Zoom)

September 26 (SA)
9:00-12:00, Holt Clean Up Day

September 28 (M)
Regular Day

September 29 (T)
Regular Day

September 30 (W)
Regular Day

October 1 (H)
Regular Day

October 2 (F)
Custodian Appreciation Day

Remember to have fun with kids this week!

Allan