November 15, 2021

By Allan  

Hi Everyone,

Eight items of note for this week:

• Staffing Updates – Two staffing updates:

• CLD EA (Andrew Raasch) – SSD and HR have hired Andrew Raasch as our new CLC EA, filling the vacancy left by Jason. Andrew has worked as a Direct Support Professional in a group home setting as well as worked as recreation staff at River House Outdoor Center. Andrew had to give two weeks notice to his current employer, so he’ll start with us December 1st, but please welcome Andrew to the team!

• 2.5-hour Title 1 EA Update – We interviewed three solid candidates last week and have forwarded a name to HR. Hopefully they will make a job offer soon.

• Rescheduling Missed Conferences – We’ll treat no-shows for conferences the same as we treat missed IEP meetings, which is make at least two documented attempts to reschedule, either by phone or email, though doing one of each is best.

• Holiday Food Boxes – Only about 20 families have signed up for Food Boxes if teacher can share the following blurb with families if you’re sending a newsletter out before Friday. I’ll also send a Seesaw announcement on Monday. Staff can also reach out to individual families or mention it to your class as a whole. The link can also be found on the front page of the Holt website.

Holiday Food Boxes: Garden Way Church is offering 40 Holt families a holiday food box for Thanksgiving Break. If your family is in need of a holiday food box over Thanksgiving break, please complete the Food Box Sign-Up Form by noon on Friday, November 19th. Family will be able to pick up Food Boxes Tuesday, November 23rd between 1:00-3:00. If more than 40 families apply, we will conduct a lottery. Families will be notified the afternoon of Friday, Nov. 19th. https://forms.gle/ogsCBXp4JEmFc3w29

• REPEAT: November Fire Drill, TUESDAY @1:10 – Tuesday at 1:10 will be our November Fire Drill. Linked here is theBuilding Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line Map. If it’s raining, we’ll reschedule for Tuesday the following week.

• Nov. 24th School Day Status – If I were a betting man, I think there WILL be school this day. This Calendar Change was proposed earlier this month to address workload, but the school board response was not positive. An official vote will be held this Wednesday regarding November 24 and January 14.

• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Electronic Devices – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Electronic Devices. The short version if student may have them at school, but they must be off and out of sight during school hours:

Electronic devices:
To prevent distractions to student learning, cell phones, all electronic devices, and toys are prohibited during school hours. The school is not responsible for lost or stolen devices. Staff is not able to investigate lost or stolen devices. Students may have a cell phone/electronic device, or toys on their person that is turned off and out of sight from 7:30 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. Students who need to contact a parent/guardian, must use the school phone in the main office. If an electronic device makes itself evident visually or auditorily, the consequences will be the following:

Upon the first infraction, the cell phone and/or electronic device or toy will be confiscated and held in the main office. A parent or guardian must pick it up. If a second infraction occurs, administration will determine the consequence. Multiple infractions can result in a permanent banning of a cell phone or the need for the student to check in their phone with the office each day.

Watches with cellular capabilities are considered to be under the same parameters as cell phones. They should be off or away during the school day. They may not be worn in class or out to recesses

• How to Avoid Common Classroom Management Problems – In this Edutopia Article, Youki Terada says that when Steve Jobs was in elementary school, he was bored in school and became (in his own words) “a little terror,” constantly playing pranks in class. Punishments made him defiant and even more disruptive, and the school ended up expelling him. This dynamic is the first of seven that Terada describes, with research-based strategies for avoiding them:

Mistake #1: Responding to surface-level behavior and not the underlying cause – In the case of the young Steve Jobs, the lack of challenging work was the problem. With another student, it might be trauma at home, for another a learning disability that makes classroom assignments extremely challenging. “If teachers can figure out what a student’s goals are,” says Terada, “they can address the misbehavior in a more-productive way.”

Mistake #2: Assuming it’s not an academic issue – One study found that 20 percent of classroom misbehavior stemmed from students not understanding the assignment or finding it too difficult.

Mistake #3: Verbally confronting every minor infraction – The injunction to “sweat the small stuff” can be taken too far, says Terada. Constantly reprimanding students who aren’t paying attention or who are having side conversations can create a “negative reinforcement pattern,” sparking defiance and making the problem worse. Nonverbal tactics such as “the look” or an agreed-upon hand signal can be much more effective.

Mistake #4: Using time-out corners – Sending students away from the group as a punishment “can cause feelings of shame or embarrassment,” says Terada, “undermining your relationship with them and jeopardizing the trust you’ll need for productive learning.” An alternative is a time-out “peace corner” that’s explained as a space where students can calm down, reflect on their emotions, and practice self-regulation. The key is taking the stigma away from the time-out area and encouraging students to sit there anytime they feel the need to pull themselves together.

Mistake #5: Writing names on the board and other public shaming – Some schools post the names of students who’ve had detentions and low test scores in the halls, and a common classroom practice is tracking behavior with color-coded stickers – red for bad behavior, blue for good. Practices like these, say researchers, fail to deter misbehavior and may make things worse. Far better is dealing with misbehavior in private conversations, after determining the root causes.

Mistake #6: Demanding obedience – “It’s a losing battle to expect compliance from students without putting in the emotional work,” says Terada. “Demand it and many students will simply rebel, test boundaries, or engage in power struggles.” The alternative is building relationships, warmly greeting students at the door, co-creating classroom norms, and working continuously to develop social and emotional skills.

Mistake #7: Not checking the biases we all have – Study after study has shown how implicit bias can lead teachers to give African-American students fewer disciplinary warnings before imposing consequences, as well as expecting less of them academically. “Such perceived unfairness can contribute to a ‘trust gap’ among students of color,” says Terada. Teachers and schools need to track data, he says, looking for patterns, raising educators’ consciousness, and working toward an equitable environment for all students.

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

November 15 (M)
Holt Annual (Virtual) Book Fair Continues!
2nd Grade Staff Room Duty
Melanie Out – Katie Subbing
9:00, Allan to Truancy Hearing (Zoom)
4:00-5:00, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Zoom)

November 16 (T)
Darla’s Last Day
District Science Kit Pick-Up
1:10, Fire Drill
2:45-3:25, Staff Meeting (Cafeteria)

November 17 (W)
Picture Retakes (Library)
Ruby Bridge Walk to School Day
9:00-11:00, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Zoom)
7:00-10:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

November 18 (H)
9:00-12:00, K-3 Vision Screening/K-5 Dental Screening (Gym)
5:00-6:00, Site Council (Zoom)
6:00-7:00 PAHS (Parents at Holt School) Meeting (Zoom)

November 19 (F)
Holt Spirit Day, Team Color Day!
7:50-8:10, Holt Spirit Day, Color Day – Virtual Assembly

November 22 (M)
1st Grade Staff Room Duty
4:30-6:30, Allan to Conscious Discipline PD (Zoom)

November 23 (T)
1:00-3:00, Holiday Food Box Pick-Up
2:45-3:25, Leadership Team Meeting (Library)

November 24 (W)
Possible Work Day
Probably Regular Day

November 25 (H)
No School — Thanksgiving Break

November 26 (F)
No School — Thanksgiving Break

Heads-up! Full moon this Friday!

Allan