May 1, 2023

By Allan  

 

 

Howdy Freinds,

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week! Or maybe it’s next week depending on which website you look at (it’s traditionally celebrated the first full week of May, so I guess it depends on whether you consider Sunday or Monday is the start of the week). Regardless, Holt teachers, and classified staff for that matter as well, ROCK! It was pretty cool to hear multiple candidates at the Job Expo say how they’ve heard great things about Holt. You all are what make Holt a great place for kids and for us to work. Go, Bolts!

Fourteen items of note for this week:

• 23-24 Staffing Updates – Four updates:

MTSS-INSTRUCTIONAL COACH – I’m happy to announce Carla Zimmerman has been hired as our Instructional Coach. I worked with Carla when I was principal at Howard, where she has taught 1st, 3rd, and 4th grade as well as serving as the ESC (Essential Skills Coordinator) and for the past three years as Howard’s Instructional Coach.

2ND GRADE – We had six applicants for this position and at this point I haven’t heard anything from HR.

0.2 FTE PE & MUSIC – No one applied for these positions at the Job Expo, so HR should hopefully give me an okay to post for these positions later this week.

23-24 TOSA Updates – I asked at last week’s principal meeting which TOSAs, mentors, managers, coordinators, consultants, specialists, coaches, etc. were eliminated and which remained. We were told Staff Development Specialists (SDSs) and ELA TOSAs were the only ones reduced for next year. I also asked for a list of all the positions (and who’s in them) and how they can support schools (which principals have asked for since August).

• 23-24 Master Schedule Development – I emailed staff last week the 23-24 Skeleton Master Schedule, which has two options for teams to consider (2/3 and 4/5 AM recesses and specialists times are the main difference). If teams can work around these recess, lunch, and Tier 3 times, it’s much more likely we’ll be able to make your “Dream Schedules” work. The other two tabs are the matching, suggested, PE/Music/Library times to go along with the skeleton schedule options. Add your dream schedule directly onto this spreadsheet and next week on May 9th, we will reconvene our Master Schedule Committee to see how things match up.

• PE Minutes Requirement Change – Principals haven’t been told this, but another principal shared an email with me that went out to PE teacher stating that the district is planning to change next year’s PE minutes requirement in order to get closer to the state PE requirement, which is that all students are to get PE five days a week for 30 minutes (yes, that’s impossible if your school has 10 or more classrooms and only one gym). It sounds like a final decision hasn’t been made and they are considering options that include classroom teachers teaching PE using a kit downtown would purchase. You know as much as I do on this, but this will potentially impact our master schedule work. This is on the elementary principal agenda for Monday, so hopefully I’ll get more information then.

• REPEAT: Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week! – This week is Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week and it sounds like PAHS has an excellent response to their Appreciation Sign-Up (if you want a peek at their plans).

• REPEAT: Data Team Meetings, WEDNESDAY – We are set to have roving subs cover classrooms Wednesday, May 3rd for grade level Data Team Meetings. Here’s the schedule:

1st – 8:00-8:55 (Guest Teacher Time 7:50-9:00)
5th – 9:05-10:00 (Guest Teacher Time 9:05-10:00)
3rd – 10:20-11:15 (Guest Teacher Time 10:15-11:15)
KG – 11:25-12:29 (Guest Teacher Time 11:10-12:20)
2nd – 12:55-1:50 (Guest Teacher Time 12:20-1:50)
4th – 2:05-3:00 (Guest Teacher Time 2:00-2:25)

• Friday PD: Equity, Responding to Racial Slurs – The Friday PD this week is Building based and we are continuing our equity focus. The topic of this meeting will be how to respond to racial slurs.

• REPEAT: Classified Sick Leave Bank Open Enrollment Help Session, May 9th – Not this week, but next week 4J Classified Benefits Coordinator will be in the staff room on Tuesday, May 9th from 10:30-12:00. They will be available to answer questions about the Sick Leave Bank as well as provide information on how to enroll, but feel free to ask any benefit related questions you may have.

• Friday, May 12th PD: Upbeat Survey – This Friday is as also a Building Based PD, though downtown is pulling all kindergarten teachers for a separate meeting. Downtown is also planning to have all staff complete a second spring Upbeat Survey to provide building and district admins feedback. I don’t know downtown’s timeline for getting out the survey, but I’m hoping it will be out in time for this to be the designated time for staff to complete the survey.

• 23-24 Leadership Plan Update – A bit of a non-update, but I also asked at last week’s principal meeting for an update on the leadership plan details for next year, which is holding up us being able to work on a master calendar and that their timeline to complete a draft plan by the end of May is no longer realistic given all the other items we need to complete between now and the end of the year (Raptor rollout, Upbeat survey, master schedule [especially if we have to change PE minutes. See prior item.], master calendar, class lists, classroom changes, etc.) and that there are only 3 staff meetings and two building based Fridays left.

• Door Magnet Pilot – Way back at the start of the year I volunteered to be a pilot school for trying out the magnetic door plates. The idea is that door locks will always be kept in the locked position and the plates can be placed over the door locking mechanism. This allows the door to remain unlocked, but in the case of an emergency, the plates can simply be pulled out to secure a classroom instead of having to fumble for keys to lock a door. For teachers who currently keep your doors locked, you are welcome to continue this practice if you choose. Plates are supposed to come soon.

• District Family Handbook Feedback – Downtown is asking principals for feedback on the District Family Handbook (this is the 22-23 handbook) they send to families each year. If you have any suggestions you’d like me to pass along, let me know by May 12th.

• Packing up and Storing your Science Kits – See the linked Science Kit Packing Instructions for restocking, inventorying, and what to do with the student books and teacher guides. One person from each grade should complete the Support and Materials Request Form.

• How to Promote the Intrinsic Desire to Learn – Rather than relying on grades as external motivators, teachers can help students develop intrinsic motivation by providing opportunities for autonomy and building their sense of competence. This Edutopia Article notes that the “baseline rewards” concept suggests that basic extrinsic “rewards” in a classroom (a caring teacher, engaging lessons, predictable and fair grading, cleanliness, respectful rules and atmosphere, etc.) or in a job situation (reasonable salary, safe working conditions) must be present for people to have any sort of motivation at all. Beyond that, researchers have identified four general areas that can contribute towards creating the conditions where intrinsic motivation can be supported:

• Autonomy: having a degree of control over what needs to happen and how it can be done
• Competence: feeling that one has the ability to be successful in doing it
• Relatedness: doing the activity helps the student feel more connected to others, and feel cared about by people whom they respect
• Relevance: the work must be seen by students as interesting and valuable to them, and useful to their present lives and/or hopes and dreams for the future

• 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 1 (M)
Teacher Appreciation Week
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
PAHS Can & Bottle Drive (4/26 – 5/19)
Spring Benchmarking Window Continues
Library Week #1 Classes
4th Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Class Sign-Up
3:45-5:15, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

May 2 (T)
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Library)

May 3 (W)
Monthly Walk+Roll to School Day
8:00-2:50, Data Team Meetings
8:50-10:45, Book Nook, During AM Recesses (Cafeteria)
1:00-2:15, 4th Grade Storyteller (Classrooms)
2:45, 23-24 Classroom Placement Committee Meeting (Library)
7:00-9:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)

May 4 (H)
MAY THE 4TH BE WITH YOU!
5:00-7:00, ACE Awards Celebration (SEHS)

May 5 (F)
School Lunch Hero Day (2nd)
8:45-9:45, 5th Grade Monroe MS Tour (Walking Field Trip)
1:30-2:30, Friday PD – Friday PD – Building Based (Equity)

May 8 (M)
PAHS Can & Bottle Drive Continues (4/26 – 5/19)
Spring Benchmarking Window Continues
Library Week #2 Classes
7:30-3:30, PreK-Kindergarten Transition Meetings
5th Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Class Sign-Up
3:45-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)

May 9 (T)
Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
10:30-12:00, Classified Sick Leave Bank Help (Staff Room)
2:45-3:30, PBIS/SEL/Equity Meetings (Kelsey’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Master Schedule Committee Rep Meeting (Library)
7:00, Reverend Horton Heat (Whirled Pies Downtown)
*Who wants to join me for a psychobilly freakout!

May 10 (W)
8:50-10:45, Book Nook, During AM Recesses (Cafeteria)
9:00-12:30, Kinder Field Trip (Seno & Gulewich)
9:00-12:30, 2nd Grade Nearby Nature
1:00-2:15, 4th Grade Storyteller (Classrooms)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings

May 11 (H)
Twilight Zone Day
9:00-12:30, Kinder Field Trip (Harmon & Vaughan)
9:00-12:30, 2nd Grade Nearby Nature
9:00, Safety Committee Meeting (Office)
10:00-1:30, 4th Grade School Garden Project (Garden)
5:00-6:00, Site Council (Library)
6:00-7:00, PAHS Meeting (Library & Zoom)

May 12 (F)
1:30-2:30, Friday PD – Building Based (Upbeat Survey)

And May the 4th be with you, always.

Allan