https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=13295
Hi Everyone,
My 98-year-old dad peacefully passed away Friday morning. My mom and I had the idea of playing him Glenn Miller’s Moonlight Serenade, one of his favorite songs from his youth (he saw them live many times in 1930s NYC), and as the song ended he quietly passed. Thank you, all, for understanding my having to leave unexpectedly last week. I’ll be back to work Monday and don’t feel you need to treat me with kid gloves. Feel free to pile on, just like normal, which is what works best for me.
Fifteen items of note for this week:
• Lead Water Testing, MONDAY/TUESDAY – A 4J environmental consultant, PBS, will be onsite this week to conduct ODE-required drinking water lead testing throughout the school. PBS will arrive Monday evening before testing to place “Do Not Use” tags on fixtures to ensure water stays stagnant for the required 8-12 hours before sample collection. They will then return Tuesday morning to conduct testing on the required fixtures. All tag placement and sample collection will be completed during off hours, so it should have no impact on fixture use throughout the school day. See this email for details, but unless you’re staying late or arriving early, you won’t even notice.
• Grade Level Team Meetings, TUESDAY – The first two Tuesdays of the month on non-Staff Meeting weeks are dedicated Grade Level Team Meeting times. Teams should:
• Meet in their wing so specialists can connect if needed
• Take care of any needed team business
• Complete the Team Meeting Minutes Form (make a copy) and email it to holt_staf@4j.lane.eduThe Team Meeting Minutes Form can also be found on the Holt Staff Dashboard.
• Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, TUESDAY – Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day is Tuesday so please encourage your kiddo to walk, roll, or carpool this day. Shared earlier are some resources including the Day of Dialogue Teachers’ Project Guide to Supporting Changemakers.
• Holt Night Out – Panda Express @VRC, THURSDAY – Thursday is a Holt Night Out Fundraiser at Panda Express at Valley River Center, so be sure to talk it up to your students. Bring the Panda Express Event Flyer (English or Spanish), paper, or smartphone, when you order, or use the fundraiser code “363024” if ordering online. The PTO also wants folks to save their receipts and submit them at shopandlog.com/VRC or turn them in at the office for the PTO School Cents Fundraiser (English or Spanish).
• Holt Spirit Day, FRIDAY, Backwards Day! – Friday is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Backwards Day! Get kids excited to wear everything backward; backward shirts, pants, hats, backpacks, etc. or kids can simply wear their Holt spirit gear (maybe backward).
• Magic & Balloon Sculpting Assembly, FRIDAY – The November monthly School Spirit Assembly is a combo assembly with a fun Magic & Balloon Sculpting Assembly this Friday The K-2 assembly is 8:05-8:55 and the grade 3-5 assembly is 9:05-9:55.
• Conference Info – Since we didn’t meet this past Wednesday regarding conferences, I wanted to highlight the following:
• Individual Contact of Non-Scheduled Families – Teachers should make individual contact with any families not signed up for a conference yet. A phone call or text would be best. Google Voice or TextNow are good options if you don’t want to text using your real cell number).
• Share w/Families “Conscious Discipline Parent Nights” – If it comes up at conferences that parents are struggling with behavior at home, share with them the parent education series coming up in January being led by Jenny, Kendallyn, and Keri Sage called “School to Heart to Home – Conscious Discipline Parent Nights.” We’ll put some fliers in the staff room for folks to have on hand, but it will be every Tuesday for 8 weeks, Jan. 9 – Feb. 27. Parents should reserve a spot by contacting Jenny at (541) 790-6173 or potter_je@4j.lane.edu or teachers can pass parent contact info to Jenny as well.
• Prep for Kids & Siblings – Make sure you have some toys, paper, drawing/coloring, games, or other materials outside your classroom to occupy any students and/or siblings who come to conferences.
• Zoom Option – I’m still not advertising Zoom, but I am putting a note in the Quick News that this is the only time we are offering conferences, but for families to contact their child’s teacher if they cannot attend on either of these dates so alternate plans can be made. If families do reach out saying they cannot come on these dates, that’s when teachers offer them Zoom, but just so we’re all on the same page, we are not to meet with families outside of Nov. 20 and 21. Interestingly, NYC exclusively did Zoom conference last year and saw a 40% drop in parent participation according to this ChalkBeat Article.
• Know Your Role During Inclement Weather – Principals were asked to share the 2023–24 Hazardous Weather Conditions Information (i.e. snow days). The short version is school cancellations will be made on the 4J Website, Facebook, X (@4Jweather & @4Jschools), and local news stations, though FlashAlertEugene always seems to announce it first. If there is no announcement, it means school is happening like normal. If school is canceled, only the principal, secretary, and custodial staff report to work. Let me know if you have any questions on this.
• Harassment Reporting Forms – If you ever wondered, “Where do the Harassment Forms on our technology desktops ‘go’?” This HR Email says the forms are reviewed at the district (Instruction) and then routed to the building principals for action/follow-up.
• Exploding Whale Date Correction – My calendar last week was incorrect. The infamous Exploding Whale Incident happened November 12, 1970, so Sunday is the official day to celebrate this important day in Oregon history. This article points out it’s also the same date infamous Oregonian figure skater Tonya Harding was born.
• Join the Holt Walker Tracker Team! – I’ve been using the Walker Tracker app (iOS and Android) for a while to complete against other 4J staff on who can get the most steps, but I just realized there’s a Walker Tracker Holt Team, so if you’re so inclined, join the team and let’s compete in the “Where’s Waldo” challenge that starts today (Nov. 12). Winning teams get $300 for their school and one category is simply which team signs up the most new members, so sign up today!
• Thanksgiving Lessons Reminder – Here’s my annual reminder about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Staff should keep in mind that student conceptions of Native Americans often come from classroom activities around the First Thanksgiving. These conceptions of Native Americans gained from such early exposure are often both inaccurate and potentially damaging. When planning activities, be aware that what most of us learned in school about the “Pilgrims” and “Squanto” and the “First Thanksgiving” is a mixture of both history and myth. Thanksgiving activities should avoid reinforcing historical myths and should also avoid stereotypes (ie. no warbonnets) It’s often best to shift the focus away from the “First Thanksgiving” and instead focus on items children can be thankful for in their own lives and on their families celebrations of Thanksgiving at home. Some resources on what to avoid and what to teach can be found at the National Museum of the American Indian, Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), and Education World. This Google Doc links to a ton of read-aloud stories, primary sources, sites, and other information about Native and Indigenous People. Here is a good article with a Native American Perspective on Thanksgiving as well as one on The True Story of the First Thanksgiving. Also, the 4J Natives Program is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture. See last week’s announcements for links on American Indian Heritage Month.
EDIT: Added a few more resources. 4J Indian Education-SB13 Tribal History, History and Culture of the Mashpee Wampanoag, Brittanica School Wampanoag Article (log on through Clever), critically reviewed selection of books at Social Justice Books and North Central Regional Library.
•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:
• Fall Conferences Reminders – Several conference-related items:
• EMAIL Conference Schedules to Office – Email office staff a list of your conference dates and times. Parents often forget their time and call the office. Teachers should export their times in Calendly by logging onto their account, clicking SCHEDULED EVENTS, and then clicking EXPORT to get an XLS file you can email the office.
• Items to Review at Conferences – Teachers should review the Title 1 Compact, the Annual Permissions Form, and the Student Tech Contract (K-2 and 3-5) if you haven’t already, and if you would like, you can also use the Synergy Family Report, which has attendance, benchmark, and OSAS info. I’ll run these for teachers on Wednesday.
• Language Link Phone Translations – See the 4J Language Link Interpreting Service webpage for step-by-step directions on how to do translations for in-person meetings, phone meetings, or Zoom meetings. The “cost center number” for Holt is 270.
• Conference Confirmation Form – Geoff shared this last year, but linked here is a Conference Confirmation Form I updated for this year, which teachers can use to remind families of their conference time.
• EA Assistance During Conferences Sign-Up – If teachers could use any help with prep or other tasks, add your name and the task to the EA Assistance Spreadsheet. EAs should also add your name to the tasks you’d be willing to take on
• Staff Not in Conferences – Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are regular work days for all staff who are not part of conferences and should work their regular hours at school. However, if you pre-arrange trade time with me to not work Wednesday, email me your plan ahead of time. HR Emailed principals they are also making a one-time exception to allow personal days on Wednesday for classified staff.
• Allan Available to Attend Conferences – Teachers can let me know if you have any tricky conferences you’d like me to attend. Send me a date & time (and a Zoom link if it’s on Zoom) and I’ll be there!
• Resources for Families – Should any families request assistance with food, clothing, housing/rental assistance, hygiene products, SNAP (food stamps) Benefits, Insurance, counseling, and such, please have them fill out the linked Helping Hand Online Form or contact Holt Family Resource Coordinator, Felicia LaCuesta, at lacuesta_f@4j.lane.edu or call her at (541)790-6174.
• Mandatory Bus Training – The Annual Bus Safety Training is due by the end of December. Teachers should review the following two handouts:
• Riding the School Bus Safely in English and Spanish
• Emergency Exits HandoutLet me know the date you reviewed the handouts, so I can add it to the completion form I need to submit downtown. There are videos teachers can show in addition to the handouts.
• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Threats by Students – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook, is on Threats by Students:
Threats by Students
Schools are required to notify the parent of a student when another student makes threats of violence or harm or the student’s name appears on a targeted list that threatens violence or harm to the students on the list. The law requires verbal notice within 12 hours of learning of the threat and written notice within 24 hours, so staff should report threats to the principal as soon as possible.
•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 12 (SU)
Exploding Whale Anniversary (KATU & Raw Meaty Footage)November 13 (M)
Kinder, Staff Room Duty
7:30, Allan Meeting w/Jeff Johnson (Office)
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
9:00-2:00, 4th Fish Creek Field Trip (Benavides & Cobb)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)November 14 (T)
Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
November Birthday Drinks & Goodies in Staff Room
8:00, Allan Meeting w/Angela Crum (Office)
9:00-2:00, 4th Fish Creek Field Trip (Longoria & Reich)
9:30-12:10, 3rd Grade Music Field Trip
11:00-12:00, 4th Grade Garden
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Garden
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team MeetingsNovember 15 (W)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Conferences Prep
7:00, School Board Meeting (Zoom)November 16 (H)
Holt Night Out – Panda Express @VRC
Picture Retakes (Library)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
12:05, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Leadership Team Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)November 17 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Backward Day
8:05-8:55, K/1/2 Balloon & Spirit Assembly (Gym)
9:05-9:55, 3/4/5 Balloon & Spirit Assembly (Gym)
4:30, Allan to 4J BIPOC Staff Affinity Meeting (Roosevelt)November 20 (M)
ALL STAFF, Staff Room Duty
8:00-8:00, No School – ConferencesNovember 21 (T)
8:00-8:00, No School – ConferencesNovember 22 (W)
No School – Conference Comp DayNovember 23 (H)
No School – Thanksgiving HolidayNovember 24 (F)
No School – Thanksgiving Holiday
Hope everyone had a good 3-days off!
Allan
@gerrybrooksprin Good try, but no! #parent #parenting #parentingtips #booktok #books #education #schoollife #funny #fun #delta #candy #sweet #sweets #swifties