https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=13520
Hi Everyone,
I attended an excellent professional development this weekend. I originally only went because there was extended contract offered and I figured I could use the time to work on this week’s staff announcements (which I also did), but it was a really energizing and engaging experience. The keynote speaker, Jimmy Casas, was a bit of a motivational speaker, but I really liked how he talked about school culture, which I think Holt is doing pretty darn well on. Not to get too mushy, but I’m super glad to be working with you all here.
Twenty-two items of note for this week:
• Grade Level Team Meetings, 2/20 – 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.
• Wednesday PD: SAEBRS SEL Student Screener – I reshuffled Wednesday PD topics and this Wednesday at 1:30 in the library will be on the new SEL student screener all schools are now starting. I will give staff an overview of how it works (the short version is K-5 teachers complete a short checklist on each of your students and grades 2-5 have students complete an online survey form), but most of the PD time will be for teachers to complete the teacher-student screener. See my Feb. 5 Announcements for additional information on SAEBRS.
• Fire Drill, THURSDAY @1:15 – We’ll reschedule our missed fire drill this Thursday at 1:15. Linked here is a copy of the Building Evacuation Map and the Fire Drill Line-Up Map. I’m also considering if there are a TON of kids gone on Monday, I might do a surprise drill that day.
• Holt Spirit Day – Animal Day, FRIDAY– Friday, Feb. 23 is a Holt Spirit Day and this time it’s Animal Day! Tell your kids to dress up as an animal, wear some animal print, a shirt with animals on it, make some ears, or just wear some spirit gear!
• Spirit Assembly FRIDAY @8:20 – The February School Spirit Assembly is this Friday in the gym. The assembly will start at 8:20, but all classes should be in the gym by 8:15. Stay tuned for details!
• Holt Night Out – McMenamins on 19th, 2/27 – Tuesday, Feb 27th is the February Holt Night Out Fundraiser, which is at McMenamins on 19th. The PTO is getting a good percentage on this one, with 50% of purchases, but pump this one up. Dine-in or pick-up. Just mention the fundraiser!
• Student Climate & Culture Survey, DUE 2/28 – Our Equity Team leaders emailed teachers the linked K-2 Climate Survey and 3-5 Climate Survey. The target completion date is Wednesday, February. 28, when we will have our next Equity & Inclusion PD. We will look at the data to help guide our next steps. When completed, feel free to put them in Carla’s mailbox for safekeeping or keep them yourself and bring them on the 28th.
• Wednesday PD: Equity & Inclusion Team, 2/28 – Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 1:30 in the library will be an Equity &. Inclusion Team meeting to review the above survey data and plan next steps.
• Dental Clinics 2/28 and 2/29 – These clinics were set up by our prior school nurse, but I just noticed this on the calendar and haven’t checked in with our school new school nurse, Hannah Green, to make sure this is still happening. The original plan was for these to be on Feb. 28 and 29, starting at 9:00 and running through the end of the day in the Lost & Found Area. Stay tuned for more info.
• Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event, 3/1 – I’ll put this on this Thursday’s Leadership Team Agenda to solidify a plan for this year, but this is on the calendar not this week but next week, so stay tuned.
• Women’s History Month – March is Women’s History Month. Here’s a WeAreTeachers Article with activities and ideas to celebrate this month. If you know of other good resources, let me know and I can share them in future announcements.
• PTO Meeting Updates– I forgot to include this last week, but linked here is the February PTO Meeting Slideshow if you’d like to know what the PTO is up to; updates on budget, non-profit status, future Holt Night Outs, spring carnival (April 19), and Holt Bolt (May 17).
• Reteach with STOP, WALK, TALK – A reminder to folks when you are processing and reteaching with students to coach them to use Stop, Walk, Talk.
Student reports a problem:
“Did you ask them to stop?”
Yes. “Did you try walking away?”
No. “You need to first tell them to STOP so they know you don’t like what they are doing.”Student reports saying STOP did not stop the problem:
“Did you try walking away?
Yes. “Good job telling them to STOP and trying to WALK AWAY. Let’s go take care of ___________.”
No. “Remember that walking away also usually fixes the problem.”It’s also important to remind students when not to use STOP, WALK, TALK if an incident involves safety issues, physical aggression, or discriminatory remarks (i.e. racist, sexist, etc.) and instead IMMEDIATELY tell an adult.
• MFA with Google Authenticator – To head off more hacking, the 4J Tech Department is upgrading email security with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). Principals all now have to use it and it will be rolled out to all staff in the coming weeks. You’ll log in just as you do now with your username and password, but will then also have to enter a one-time 6-digit code from a Google Authenticator App you’ll need to download to your phone or tablet. Linked here is an MFA with Google Authenticator Quick Sheet, which I also put on the Staff Google Drive in the Tech folder.
• Free Class Snacks! – Several classes already do this, but send your kids to the office in the morning for a grab-and-go breakfast (who didn’t get breakfast earlier that morning), which is a great way to build up your supply of snacks for kids. Keep them from getting hangry!
• First Aid/CPR Training – Downtown is scheduling First Aid/CPR training for staff who are required to be trained (which is 5th grade teachers for Outdoor School) and are asking if there are additional staff who’d like to be trained. Let me know by Wednesday if you’d like to be trained and I’ll add you to the list.
• Free Bike Locks, Helmets, & Replacement Bikes – 4J Safe Routes to School received a grant for bike locks, helmets, and replacements for bikes stolen from school for students. Any staff member can fill out the Lock, Helmet & Replacement Bike Request Form to request on behalf of students you work with.
• Teaching Children to Save Lessons with Banner Bank – The Eugene Downtown Banner Bank emailed me offering a free 30-minute lesson for elementary students on the importance of saving and having safe savings spaces. They are available anytime after March 5th, so if you are interested, let me know or email Daniella Zapien Flores <Daniella.ZapienFlores@bannerbank.com> directly.
•Repeats & Reminders – See prior announcements for details:
• 24/25 Staffing Survey – Please complete the linked 2024-2025 Staffing Survey to help me prep for next year’s staffing plan. I’d like to hear from both classified and licensed staff. I’d like to know staff members’ plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan, master schedule, or any other thoughts or feedback.
• 24-25 School Supply Suggestions – Downtown is planning to provide school supplies again. This is their Elementary School Supply List. Let me know by the end of the week if there are any other items you think should be on this list. Headphones are one I’m adding. If there are items we want that don’t make the list we are allowed to ask families to provide them.
• Equity and Inclusion Student Team – There are a few names already added, but if you have students who would like to participate in the Student Equity & Inclusion Team, please add their names to the Student Equity & Inclusion Team Spreadsheet.
• HANDBOOK HIGHLIGHT: Translating – This week’s highlight from the Holt Staff Handbook is on Translating. Most school-wide communication falls on me, but for those occasions, when anyone needs to translate something, DeepL is a more accurate translation service than Google Translate.
Translating:
We will translate school-wide correspondence into Spanish, if 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:
February 19 (M)
1st Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
2:45, Allan Meeting w/SSD Admin (Office)February 20 (T)
8:45-9:20, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Parks) 9:20-10:00, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Ayres) 10:15-10:45, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
10:40-11:10, Conscious Discipline Guest Speaker (Henrich)
1:40, 3rd Grade Delgani Strings Assembly (Cafeteria)
10:15, Student Council (Reich’s Room)
2:45-3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)February 21 (W)
Girls on the Run Registration Opens
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – SAEBRS Screener (Library)
7:00, School Executive or Regular Board Meeting (Zoom)February 22 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:15, Fire Drill
2:45-3:30, Leadership Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)February 23 (F)
Holt Spirit Day – Animal Day!
8:20-8:40, School Spirit Assembly (Gym)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)February 24 (SA)
10:00-1:00, Eugene Youth Math Festival (Mac Court @UO)February 26 (M)
2nd Grade Staff Room Duty
8:00, Morning Announcements (Zoom) Pledge Sign-Up
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
12:50-1:15, OBOB Battles (Library)
3:30-5:30, Allan to Elem Prinicpals’ Meeting (Ed Center)February 27 (T)
Holt Night Out – McMenamins on 19th
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Kelsey’s Room)
6:00-7:30, Conscious Discipline Parent Course (Library & Cafeteria)February 28 (W)
12:25-12:45, OBOB Battles (Library)
1:30-2:30, Wed. PD – Equity & Inclusion Team (Library)February 29 (H)
8:50-10:35, Book Nook (Cafeteria)
9:00-2:25, Dental Clinics (Lost & Found Area)
2:45, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Classroom)February 30 (F)
Women’s History Month
Read Across America – Buddy Reading Event
9:00-2:25, Dental Clinics (Lost & Found Area)
We may have lost our 3-day weekend, but we can make it the next five weeks until spring break, right?
Allan
