https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=3457
Hello Howard Roadrunners,
Last week was certainly a trying one, but seeing staff pull together and show unity to the board was great! On another note, I’d also like to thank all the staff who came to the PTO meeting last week. That meeting was probably the best attended meeting I’ve seen! Howard Rocks!
Fourteen items of note this week:
• Curriculum Night Date Staying the Same, Oct. 2nd 5:45-7:05 – After polling staff and parents and thanks to the Duck fans on staff for figuring out an alternate plan to be here for both sessions and still make it to the game, we will be keeping our Curriculum Night at it’s originally scheduled date and time, Thursday, October 2nd:
• 5:45-6:00 will be Drop Off in the cafeteria
• 6:00-6:30 for Session 1
• 6:35-7:05 for Session 2.• September Monthly Book Winners – Not this week, but in a couple weeks will be our first set of Monthly Book Winners of the students who have met their reading goal. With our school wide focus on reading at home over more traditional homework, this is something teachers should really try to pump up for students. Remind your students to read at home and to turn in their minutes, and then be sure to submit your winner’s name so they can collect their free book and certificate to celebrate meeting their reading goal!
• October 3rd PD Day Agenda – A week from this Friday is our first Howard PD/Planning Day, 8:00-12:00 in the library. We have a number of short, mini-PD items and then the bulk of our time will be Fall Writing Work Sample scoring. I was originally looking to have an OSLIS training this day, but it did not work out with the ESD trainer’s schedule, although that worked out well because a number of other mini agenda items came up to fill it’s place. Let me know by the end of the week if you have any items to add to the agenda.
• Fall Writing Work Samples – Related to the above item, remember that work samples are due to me by Thursday, October 2nd. Attached are the K-3 and 4-5 writing prompts and be sure to carefully read the teacher script and directions before administering the assessment. Let me know if you have any questions.
• PRIDE Awards Thursday – The last Wednesday of each month, at lunch time in the cafeteria, is when we give our PRIDE Awards. Pick a letter (Perseverance, Respect, Integrity, Discipline, Excellence) to honor the student and fill out the PRIDE certificates located in the office. Invitations to families are also in the office. Students will receive their certificate and wrist band during their lunchtime. There is no minimum or maximum number of PRIDE recipients per class, but the general rule of thumb is 2-3. And remember, as you turn in your PRIDE nominations, be sure that you let Lori know who and why each student is being recognized so she can put their name up on the board.
• Social Committee Dues – It’s time to replenish our Social Fund. We’ll stick with the same amounts and allocations that have been used in the past; classified pay $15 and licensed pay $25. Please direct your dues to Lori as soon as possible. Thank you!
• PTO Classroom Funds – The PTO will again be able to provide classroom teachers and specialists with funds. Classroom teachers will get $400 to spend and $200 for specialists (PE/Music, Title, ELD, LC, CLC, Life Skills, Library, Speech, Counselor).
• Use of 4J Schools – Annual Reminder – Facilities sent their annual reminder that as public employees, no person may use district property for personal financial gain or offer it free to the community, or for use that is inconsistent with districts public purpose, or in a manner that will discredit the district. It occasionally comes to their attention that 4J employees are using the school buildings for, music lessons, sports, exercise and many other types of classes/meeting. Please see the attached 4J School Board Policy on the use of district property.
All 4J schools are public property and are subject to public scrutiny. The District has established Board Policies to address staff and outside groups wanting to use 4J facilities. In order to establish fairness to all groups, including 4J staff, Administrative Rules have been written to address these issues.
If employees wish to use 4J Facilities and/or equipment for private instruction or for non-school community group meetings, or any other reason, they will need to (1) get approval from the Superintendent or his designee (i.e. Facility Scheduler: Natalie Medina) and (2) they will need to complete the online Facilities Request Form.
• Safety Week, Sept. 29 – Oct. 2 – Not this week, but next week will be Safety Week, where we’ll practice all of the most common safety drills. As a reminder, the schedule for Safety Week will be:
• Monday, Sept. 29- Fire Drill, 9:30
• Tuesday, Sept. 30- Room Clear, time decided by teachers
• Wednesday, Oct. 1 – Lock Down (Code Blue and Code Red), 9:00
• Thursday, Oct. 2- Earthquake/Fire Drill, 8:15• District Policy and Howard Handbook Acknowledgement Due 9/26 – Attached is the District Back-to-School Memo (website) and the Howard Staff Handbook, which all staff must review and then sign & return the acknowledgement forms (District form and Howard form) to Lori by Friday, September 26th.
• SELCO Educator Mini-Grants – SELCO Community Credit Union accepts Mini-Grant requests each fall from K-12 educators in the 26 counties they serve. Mini-Grants of up to $500 are awarded to educators to implement creative education projects and to help fill in the gaps left by school budget shortfalls. The SELCO Mini-Grant application process is simple – please carefully read the funding criteria to be sure your project is eligible for a SELCO Mini-Grant and use the online application form to tell us about your classroom project. The deadline for applications is October 3rd and recipients are announced November 19th.
• Good Behavior Game Free Training – Trillium Community Health Plan & Lane County Public Health is offering free trainings for the “PAX Good Behavior Game.” You can read more about The PAX Good Behavior Game in this email. Subs will be provided and and trainings will be held at the LaneESD Oct. 8th for teachers new to the program and Oct 9th for a booster training for teachers who have been previously trained.
• Banned Book Week – This week kicks off Banned Books Week, a celebration of the freedom to read all across the country. This year is the event’s thirtieth anniversary, as the battle against censorship marches on. Edutopia has a page filled with related links and resources, as does the official Banned Books Week website and the American Library Association. ODE even has a lessons and resources available on their website. So read your class a “Captain Underpants” or “And Tango Makes Three” or the Alvin Schwartz “Scary Stories” or other banned books if you dare!
• Schedule of Events for the Week – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
September 22 (M)
Banned Book Week
7:20-7:45, Celebration for Paula (Kinder Cave/Quad)
8:00-11:00, Allan to Skillful Teacher Co-Observation (Spring Creek)
1:30-2:30, Title Coordinator & Principal Meeting (Ed Center)
2:30-5:00, Allan to Elementary Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)September 23 (T)
2:30-3:30, TLT Meeting (Room 6)September 24 (W)
11:00-12:30, PRIDE Awards at LunchSeptember 25 (H)
2:30-3:30, PBIS Meeting (Room 6)September 26 (F)
8:30-1:45, 3rd Grade to Fish Hatchery
11:00-12:30, Birthday Lunches with Mr. Chinn (Room 11)
1:55, Beep, Beep Drawing (Send your buckets down!)September 29 (M)
Safety Week
Reading Progress Monitoring Week 1
9:00, Fire Drill
12:30-3:30, Allan to Admin Being A Writer Training (Ed Center)September 30 (T)
Room Clear Drill (time decided by classroom teachers)
6:30-7:30, PTO Fundraising Meeting (Q’s House)October 1 (W)
Popcorn Wednesdays Start
9:00-9:15, Lock Down Drill (Code Blue and Code Red)October 2 (H)
Fall Writing Work Samples Due
8:15, Earthquake/Fire Drill
1:55, Beep, Beep Drawing (Send your buckets down!)
4:00-5:00, Allan to United Way Kick-Off (Ed Center)
5:45-7:05, Curriculum Night• 5:45-6:00 will be Drop Off in the cafeteria
• 6:00-6:30 for Session 1
• 6:35-7:05 for Session 2.October 3 (F)
8:00-12:00, Howard Professional Development (Library)
12:00-4:00, Planning Time
Enjoy your last five-day week for a couple weeks!
Allan