May 3, 2021

By Allan  

 

Howdy Friends,

It is Teacher Appreciation Week this week, but I’d like to give a shout out to ALL staff for your hard work and dedication during this awful school year. As strange as it has been to work in schools this year, Holt really does have a pretty great team who’ve made this year go just about as smooth as you could expect during a global pandemic. Go, BOLTS!

PAHS is planning to do some appreciations for staff this week, though their original plan got upended on Friday because of some new Financial Services oversight (since PAHS funds are run through the school, there are limits on buying food for staff), but I do expect there will be some goodies for folks in the Staff Room each day this week.

Twelve items of note for this week:

• Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week! – A note from PAHS…

This week is teacher appreciation week and boy do we truly appreciate you all!

Throughout the week you will receive sweet surprises from PAHS, but we wanted to give students a chance to share their love and appreciation too. Next week at your discretion you can complete this activity on paper or digitally.

In your Mailbox you will find a copy of a “Thank You for being such a great teacher page.” You can choose to make copies for your students and use it as “homework,” a classroom morning activity or make it digital on seesaw and use it as an optional asynchronous activity to be worked on at home.

A touch of time at the copy machine is hopefully worth the messages and heart felt thank you notes that you will receive through this activity.

Looking forward to spoiling you all soon!

PAHS

Monday: Muffins, bagels and cream cheese, and whole fruit
Tuesday: Table snacks
Wednesday: Candy/Treat Day
Thursday: Coffee and Donut Day
Friday: Potluck Day!

 

• Staffing Updates – We had a Music and Kindergarten opening at the Job Expo two weeks ago and filled one of the two openings. For Music, we didn’t hire anyone from the first round, so that opening will go the round two. At kindergarten, we hired Robin Vaughan, a longtime kinder teacher at Howard (also a former Holt parent who lives in the neighborhood). She has also taught 3rd grade and worked as a Title 1 Coordinator, so please welcome Robin to Team Holt!

• Leadership Discussion Pause – If you’re wondering why Leadership Planning for next year was not on this week’s Staff Meeting agenda, it’s because HR sent principals an email last week that we are supposed to press pause on any leadership discussions for next year. This is due to the fact the HR and EEA are negotiating revision to Leadership Plans and have not yet come to an agreement. See the above linked email for details.

• Picture Day(s) Sign-Up – Picture Day for Cohort A is May 18th and is May 20th for Cohort B. In-Person Hybrid teachers should sign up for a time on the Picture Day Sign-Up Sheet. There is a separate tab for each cohort. Same School Online students may come anytime between 8:10-12:45 on May 19th. We’re planning to have LifeTouch set up in the gym. UDPATE: Forgot we had a Scheduling Leadership Job Duty. Lindsey will take care of scheduling hybrid classrooms. 

 

• New Pathway Change Policy – If you missed it in the latest 4J Parent Newsletter, it included a pathway policy change that families can switch from Hybrid to SSO if it is related to health concerns, which can simply be they are concerned about rising COVID numbers. If families do change, they are not allowed to switch back later. Hopefully at this point in the year we wont’ have too many families switching.

• REMINDER: Employee Reimbursements – The 4J Employee Reimbursement Policy requires that expenditures are to be pre-approved by the building principal, meaning check with me first to make sure what you’re planning to buy is reimbursable by district funds. Also, reimbursements are limited to $250 per reimbursement per month. See the above linked policy for complete details.

• National Board Certification Information Meeting – In partnership with OEA, Rebecca Boyd, is holding a 1-hour information session on how to become National Board certified. Sessions are on May 12th & 17th at 4:00 and May 20th at 4:30. If you are interested please reach out to Rebecca at boyd_r@4j.lane.edu and she will send you the link. See the NBCT Flyer for further details and links to register.

 

 

• Title 1 Summer School – Jenny will share additional details at Tuesday’s Staff Meeting, but downtown is ready with forms, invitation letters, and seats for schools once they get guidance from the state on summer program capacities. It will be at River Road Elementary, July 26-August 20, 9AM-12PM, with breakfast at 8:40, Lunch at 12PM, and transportation will be included.

• Walk + Roll Seesaw Lesson – There is a month long Walk+Roll Spring Challenge this May. If teachers would like to promote this event, linked here is a Seesaw Lesson teachers can use.

• Schools in Extreme Risk Counties Will Stay Open – A number of folks have asked how Lane County moving into the Extreme Risk category will affect schools. The short answer is it won’t change anything. This is because school districts in Oregon follow separate guidelines compared to counties. ODE doesn’t require schools to shut down when counties see an increase in cases. However, high school sports will see a change in the limit to spectators and players on the field or courts. See this KEZI Article for additional details.

• The Burden of Being ‘On Point’ – Too often, traumatized Black boys’ behavior is pathologized. It’s actually rational. See this Atlantic Article, which seemed timely, given 4J’s renewed focus on antiracism. It is short and packed with implications for practice.

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

May 3 (M)
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week
1:30-3:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)

May 4 (T)
12:45, Kona Ice – Holt Shave Ice Fundraiser! (Hard Play)

May 5 (W)
8:30-9:00, Student Council (Zoom)
8:30-11:30, Allan to Elem Pool Interviews (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
12:30, Lunch Bunch w/Ms. Darla (Zoom)
1:40-2:40, Staff Meeting (Library & Zoom)

May 6 (H)
School Nurse Appreciation Day
12:45, Kona Ice – Holt Shave Ice Fundraiser! (Hard Play)
3:00-7:00, Allan to Job Expo (Zoom)

May 7 (F)
School Lunch Worker Appreciation Day

May 9 (SU)
Mother’s Day

May 10 (M)
10:00-12:00, Darla to Counselors’ Meeting (Zoom)
1:30-3:30, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)

May 11 (T)
Regular Day

May 12 (W)
8:38, Allan Reading to Class (Zoom)
9:00-9:45, Virtual Coffee w/the Principal (Zoom)
9:30-10:00, 3rd Grade Data Team (Tier 3)
10:30-11:00, 4th Grade Data Team (Tier 3)
12:00-12:30, 5th Grade Data Team (Tier 3)
12:30, Lunch Bunch w/Ms. Darla (Library)
1:40-2:40, Leadership Team Meeting (Library & Zoom)
2:40-4:00, PD/PLC Time – Topic is TBA
4:00-8:00, Cafe Yumm – Holt Night Out Fundraiser

May 13 (H)
4:00-5:30, Understanding Your PERS Benefits Presentation (Zoom)
5:00-6:00, Site Council Meeting (Zoom)
6:00-7:00, PAHS (Parents at Holt School) Meeting (Zoom)

April 14 (F)
9:00-10:00, Allan to Physical Distancing Monthly Meeting (Zoom)
11:00-3:00, Allan Testifying for DHS Court Case (Zoom)

We made it to May and there are only four 5-day weeks left. After that it’s short weeks for the rest of the year.

And don’t forget to pick up your FREE shave ice this week after school on Tuesday or Thursday!

Allan