February 15, 2021

By Allan  

 

Howdy Bolts,

Five weeks until spring break. Let the countdown begin!

Nine items of note for this week (though one if really long):

• Staffing Updates – We held interviews for our two EA postings last week and have hired Connie Gilhuber for the 5.25-hour KG EA positions and Ben Duncan for the 4-our Title 1 EA position. Connie has been subbing at Holt a fair amount this year and is a former Holt EA. Ben is a current Holt EA, but is now moving into position with more hours and more instructionally focused, so we I’ve submitted a posting to hire for his 3-hour Recess Supervisor position. We’re glad to have both of you as part of Team Holt!

We have three Holt Bolts retiring at the end of the year, our librarian Theresa Garnsey, secretary Katie Mackey, and music teacher Tim Walter. All three are finishing out the the school year, but please congratulate Theresa, Katie, and Tim as they set out on their retirement adventures. Also, staff should start beating the bushes to recruit for an excellent new librarian, secretary, and music teacher! Tell your educator buddies they want to come to Holt!

• Hybrid/SSO/COVID Updates – Eleven hybrid/SSO/COVID items of note:

• Updated Hybrid/SSO Slide Show – Linked here is an Updated Hybrid/SSO Slide Show I’ll share with families in the Monday Quick News. I updated last week’s Quick News on the website to this version, but on Monday I’ll delete the slide about the changing pathways since the deadline will have passed.

• Arrival/Dismissal Planning Committee, Feb. 23 @2:00 – Not this week, but Tuesday next week on February 23rd at 2:00 I’d like to meet with anyone interested in drafting an arrival/dismissal plan for when students return. We’ll need to discuss which entrances and and exits we want to use, where we want students to link up, and how we will supervise and move cohort groups to and from various locations (buses, car pick-up, crosswalk, etc.). Let me know if you’d like to join and also let me know of other issues this group might want to discuss and plan for.

• PE & Music Online – PE and Music will be online during hybrid. Downtown is still working out schedule details (times, days of the week, teaching which cohorts, etc.). It’s sounding like PE and Music will see students on their off-site days, but that’s not officially decided yet.

• Building Space Updates – 4J is having all schools clear out gyms for after school childcare. I’m checking with YMCA to see if they might be able to provide additional child care before school and/or during the day for students on their off-site days.

• Nutrition Services Updates – Once hybrid is in full swing, walk-up meal distribution will end. All students will get additional food to take home for their off-site days. More details are coming.

• Daily Visual Screening – Once students return, teachers will use the linked Visual Screener & Questions with students daily. This is already being used at secondary for LIPI. Classroom teachers will first do a Visual Screening for symptoms (see below) and if symptoms are observed will ask the two follow-up questions. You can ask more questions, but these two are required.

Visual Screening (observation only):
Unusual color
Unusual behavior (behavior change, lethargy, unusual fatigue)
New or significant coughing
Respiratory symptoms not typical for student (noisy breathing, voice changes, nasal dripping)
Shortness of breath
Chills (shivering, teeth, goosebumps)
Appearing ill (sweating, sunken eyes)
Vomiting

Screening Questions:
1.) Are you feeling OK today?
2.) Have you felt anything that’s different for you in the last few days?

• iPad Carts Coming to Classrooms – Brian is wiring old computer carts with chargers for each classroom. Teachers should start thinking about where you want your cart. It will need to be near an outlet and can be either inside your classroom or outside in the commons area. Each cart will have one spare iPad as a back-up if a student’s iPad fails.

• Holt Testing Center Ending – Once hybrid starts, Holt will no longer be the Sheldon Region testing site and school psychs will resume testing students are their regular schools.

• COVID Protocol HR Updates – Principals peppered HR with a number of procedural questions regarding COVID protocols. Karen Hardin Emailed principals a number of follow-ups. Here are three of the most interesting:

• Students Arriving Early – Transportation will work hard to schedule buses to not arrive early. Early parent drop off will happen and schools will need to plan some supervision for those that arrive early (perhaps 10-15 minutes before the doors open). At Friday’s walk through at Howard, this topic was discussed. Facilities is working to determine an appropriate method to mark 6 foot distances outside the entrances to communicate to parents/students how to wait for doors to open.

• Face Shields – These were sent to all schools to have on hand should an employee request one. These may not be worn in place of a mask, but are to be worn in addition to a mask.

• 2nd Dose on Fridays – This one isn’t in the above email, but HR has arranged for all of the second dose clinics to happen on Fridays so that if staff do have an adverse reaction the vaccine they will have the weekend to recover.

• Safety Drills During Hybrid – Three items here:

• Drill Resume During Hybrid – Principals learned that once students return, within 10 days we will have to resume required safety drills (monthly fire drills, one earthquake and one lockdown/lockout drill before the end of the year). We also have to do the drills for each cohort group, meaning we’ll do two fire drills a month. If you’re interested, linked here is the Oregon Fire Marshal Guidance for Safety Drills as well as Kari Skinner’s Email to principals.

• Post New Evacuation Poster – Downtown gave schools evacuation maps to post in every classroom and offices, which should be posted near doorways. I’ll put these in staff mailboxes this week

• Safety Drill Instruction – Most schools are not in compliance with this, but Oregon State Law requires that we provide 30 minutes of instruction per month on fire safety. This will need to start once students return. Linked here is the State Fire Marshal’s Website, which provides age appropriate activities for teachers to use, though I’m thinking it may be easiest to find a different video each month and have a short discussion before and after.

• Have a Hybrid Instructional Question? – Elementary principals were given a Google Form link for us to submit questions to the Operations Committee regarding hybrid and SSO instruction, so if you think of something you’d like asked, let me know and I’ll submit it to the group.

 

 

• Wednesday PD/PLC Time – Principals got some clarity on Friday about Wednesday PD/PLC topics. This week is an Anti-Racist PD Slide Show presentation. The presentation was created by Misael Flores Gutierrez the 4J Equity, Instruction & Partnerships Administrator. He is also planning to offer an optional PD exclusively for the staff of color this same day. It will be an affinity space where staff of color can engage in conversations from a non-dominant standpoint. Staff of color may choose to attend this optional PD instead of attending the building-led PD.Next week will be Hybrid PD focused on a lot of nuts-and-bolts hybrid protocols (more procedural and less instructional), which was originally planned for this Wednesday. See you on Zoom at 2:40!

• Jump-a-thon, March 10th – At last week’s PAHS meeting some details were worked out for this year’s Jump-a-thon. The event will be March 10th at 1:00, about when the first Wednesday bonus PE/Music class starts. If teachers have office hours during this time, you can cancel them this day. Staff and students will wear their Holt shirts that we’ll give out at the March 4th Supply Distribution, along with their jump ropes. The plan will be for 15 minutes of jumping and 10 minutes of awards/live drawings. There will be a pre-made Seesaw lesson for classroom teachers to push out on Friday, March 5th to promote the event and also for students to make a submission, which is where winners will be drawn from. Stay tuned for more details as we get closers.

• Lottery Update & Kinder Orientation/Registration – The school choice lottery for next year is being done mid-February (a little later than normal) and downtown is wanting schools to hold Kindergarten Orientation Zoom events during the first three weeks of March. More information is coming regarding how registration will work, so stay tuned.

• Video Adapters for New Laptops – A number of teachers got new laptops this fall, but we’ve realized not every teacher got a new adapter to go with it. Since we’re inching closer to in person teaching again, please check to make sure you have the adapter you need for your classroom AV set-up.

• REPEAT: 2021-2022 Staff Survey, Due MONDAY – To help prep for 2021-2022 Staffing, please complete the linked 2021-2022 Staffing Survey by this Monday.

• DonorsChoose Matching for SEL Projects – ODE Announced that DonorsChoose is currently matching donations towards new social and emotional learning projects. You can visit the DonorsChoose Help Center for instructions on how to take advantage of this valuable offer for your students. Submit your project by March 5th, 2021

• A Simple Way to Self-Monitor for Bias – Teachers concerned that they might be showing bias against students in marginalized groups can use a short checklist for self-assessment. Those five areas are Discipline, Calling on raised hands, Cold calling, “This kid is in the wrong class,” and Good Times. See this Edutopia Article for further explanation.

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

February 14 (SU)
*DANCE BATTLE* Virtual Assembly Videos Due

February 15 (M)
Regular School Day – Presidents Day
2:00-3:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)
4:00-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Zoom)
5:30, This Week in Sports w/Mr. Cole (Zoom)

February 16 (T)
3:00-4:00, Staff Meeting (Zoom)

February 17 (W)
8:30-9:00, Student Council (Zoom)
8:40, Allan Reading to Class (Zoom)
9:00-9:45, Virtual Coffee w/the Principal (Zoom)
9:30-10:00, KG Data Team – Tier 3
10:40-11:10, 1st Grade Data Team – Tier 3
12:00-12:30, 2nd Grade Data Team – Tier 3
2:40-4:00, PD/PLC Time – District Anti Racist PD (Zoom)
4:30, Poetry Club w/Ms. Katharine (Zoom)
6:30, Cheer with the Ducks – Holt Virtual Event! (Zoom)

February 18 (H)
11:00-10:00, Bo & Vine – Holt Night Out Fundraiser
2:00-3:00, IPBS CDL Meeting (Zoom)

February 19 (F)
12:00-1:15, Lunch Bunch – KG 12:00, 3/4 12:20, 1/2 12:40, 5th 1:00 (Zoom)

February 22 (M)
11:30, Allan to CICO Planning Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-3:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)
5:30, This Week in Sports w/Mr. Cole (Zoom)

February 23 (T)
No Dynamos Groups – Title Staff at SIPPS Training
12:30-1:30, Allan to Attendance Meeting (Zoom)
2:00-3:00, OPTIONAL Arrival/Dismissal Planning Meeting (Zoom)
3:00-4:00, PBIS Meeting (Zoom)
6:30, “Pictionary With the Ducks!” – UO Athlete/Holt Virtual Event (Zoom)

February 24 (W)
9:00-9:45, Virtual Coffee w/the Principal (Zoom)
9:30-10:00, 3rd Grade Data Team – Tier 3
10:40-11:10, 4th Grade Data Team – Tier 3
12:00-12:30, 5th Grade Data Team – Tier 3
2:40-4:00, PD/PLC Time – District Hybrid Information (Zoom )

February 25 (H)
PAHS Holt Staff Appreciation Day at The Human Bean
2:00-3:00, IPBS CDL Meeting (Zoom)

February 26 (F)
Fancy Day – SPIRIT DAY!
7:30-8:30, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting (Zoom)
9:00-10:00, Allan to Physical Distancing Monthly Meeting (Zoom)
12:00-1:15, Lunch Bunch – KG 12:00, 3/4 12:20, 1/2 12:40, 5th 1:00 (Zoom)

If you’re reading this on Sunday, Dance Battle videos are due today! Here’s my ridiculous dance, which I posted onto TikTok to the shock and horror of my own children. I believe the word “cringy” was used to describe my dancing.

Allan