https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=5480
Hi Howard Staff,
It was a pretty quick two-day weekend, but we’re on the home stretch now with only seven and a half student days left.
Twenty-one items of note for this week:
• Staffing Updates – Katie in the CLC has been hired as our half-time Learning Center teacher for next year. This leaves a vacancy for Katie’s CLC EA position, which will post this week or next. Also posted last week is a Cheri’s 5 hour LC EA position. And in our preschool program, we’ll be posting for a full-time teaching position either this week or next. If you know of any good candidates for this position, please encourage them to apply. The pay will reportedly be better than Head Start teacher pay. The program will serve about 15-16 students (3-5 year olds) and will have two part-time EAs. If you know any good candidates, tell them to please apply for this position. Once the teacher is hired, we’ll post for the two EA positions.
• 2016-2017 First Day of School Plan – Linked here are the notes from the 2016-2017 First Day of School Planning Meeting. See the link for details, but the short version is that all students will get their breakfast (likely grab-n-go), will meet their classroom teachers in the gym or courtyard (4/5 in the courtyard and signs posted by each teacher to help students to find), and all non-classroom staff will be on hand to help guide students (armed with maps and class lists). We’ll be sharing the the first day plan with families this spring, in the back-to-school mailer, and also the day of Meet Your Teacher. Please feel free to let me know if you have any thought or suggestions regarding our current plan.
• Last Call for Staff Summer Reading Picks! – If you would like to share your taste in books with your coworkers, send me a book or two or three you’d recommend or ones you’re planning to read this summer. Feel free to include any comments. I’ll put the list in next week’s announcements, so send your picks by the end of this week!
• 2015/2016 Non-ESS Licensed IEP Time Log Due Friday – I’ve shared earlier that non-ESS teachers can use this linked form to request payment for up to six hours of additional compensation based on their per diem rate for attending IEP meetings, but this form is due to HR by this Friday. Email the completed form to hr@4j.lane.edu or submit a hard copy to Human Resources by Friday, June 10th. Meeting time is to be accumulated in 15 minute increments. Participating in IEP meetings during scheduled planning days, scheduled prep time, or outside a member’s work day qualifies as log-able. In the event total requests for payment exceed $20,000, compensation will be prorated. If you are attending a scheduled IEP meeting after June 10th, please estimate the amount of meeting time needed on this form. (It is assumed that each meeting would be at least one hour).
• Field Day K-2 and 3-5, Wednesday – Rachel emailed details to staff a couple weeks ago, but as a reminder, the K-2 Field Day will be 8:15-9:30 and 3-5 Field Day will be 10:15-11:30. Teachers should divide your class into four color groups (RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW) Please have mixed gender groups. At each station they will line up behind their color cone. Also, teachers should please try to find 2-3 adult volunteers per classroom for this great end-of-the-year event. Let me know if you have any questions.
• 4th Grade Play, Thursday at 1:00 – Amber sent an email with details last week, but the annual 4th grade play will be this Thursday at 1:00 at the Kelly MS Small Gym. See the linked map and directions for details. We’re assuming all classes are attending. Be sure to leave about 10-15 minutes before 1:00 to make sure you arrive at the Kelly Small Gym on time.
• June Fire Drill, Tuesday 6/14 at 10:45 – Our June Fire Drill will be Tuesday next week at 10:45 (while half the school will be on a field trip). If we’re unexpectedly rained out, we’ll try later in the day when there’s a break in the weather.
• Updated Year End Checklist – Year End Checklists will be put in staff mailboxes this week if you are responsible for an area. One nice change from the checklist I shared earlier is Facilities said when it comes to clearing wall spaces, we do not need to worry about tacks, staples, nails and such. We only need to make sure that all papers are taken down, so they don’t fly around the neighborhood when the school is demolished.
• Staff Technology Summer Checkout – Related to the above items, if you are taking home any of your technology (laptop, iPad, etc.) over the summer, be sure to fill out and turn in a copy to the office of the 4J Technology Equipment Checkout Contract (MS Word or PDF).
• Report Card Grading Day Expectations – A repeat from last week, but this Friday is the elementary report card grading day. This is a regular work day for all staff, with the exception of the very few student-contact-days-only staff. HR has said it is allowable for licensed staff to work from home this day if you notify your administrator (me) in advance, but be sure to make plans ahead of time if you need to collaborate with colleagues for grading. Also, be sure to use this time for grading and not use it to run errands around town. Teachers are highly visible members of the community, so keep in mind public perception. HR has said if working off-site on grading days is abused, we will not be allowed to continue the practice.
• 5th Grade Clap Out – The clap out for 5th graders on their last day of school will run the same as in the past, but due to all the boxes in the hallway and also our growing enrollment, we are going to change the location from the east wing hallway to the grassy area in front of the east wing. Linked here is a map and directions. The map tells where classes should stand for 5th graders final exit from the hallowed halls of Howard, where staff and students can applaud and wish them well on their way to middle school. Here are the details:
• Wednesday, June 15th, classes begin lining up in front of the east wing at 12:50.
• At 1:00, 5th graders will begin their final walk exiting the building by the Room 18 exit.
• Students should clap and cheer appropriately as the 5th graders walk past.
• Staff members not assigned to students are invited to join in the “clap out” and give a final farewell.
• Once the 5th graders have made their way to the end of the clap out line, the remaining students can be dismissed
• “Grab & Go” Sack Lunch Schedule, 6/16 – For lunches on the last day of school, Thursday next week, students will enter the cafeteria through the doors closest to the office. They will put together their own sack lunch, assembly line style. As students pass through the line, they should form a new line at the doors exiting to the breezeway. Once all the students have gotten their lunches, the class can leave the cafeteria. This process should takes about 5-8 minutes.
10:10 1st grade
10:25 2nd grade
10:35 3rd grade
10:45 4th gradeIf staff not supervising students are available to help during this time, that would be terrific!
• Extended Contract for Packing Days – Staff, both classified and licensed, will fill out extended contract forms for the extra two days you were given for packing on June 20th and 21st. The plan will be to put these forms in staff mailboxes on Friday, June 17th. Signed forms should be returned to me for my signature before you leave for the summer.
• 4J Water Quality Testing – 4J sent an email to principals regarding water quality testing, stating that 4J is going to test for lead in drinking water in all schools and facilities this summer, in light of water concerns in Flint, MI, and some schools in the Portland area. The district has done spot sampling in the past, including testing a sampling of water sources at every school in 1998. The district’s water source, EWEB, tests its water regularly. 4J takes the health and safety of students and staff seriously. The district follows all state and federal health and safety requirements, which do not include a requirement to monitor for lead. As a proactive precautionary measure, the district has decided to contract with an independent third party to undertake comprehensive, district-wide testing. All sources of water for drinking and food preparation will be tested. If elevated lead levels are found at any site, the district will take steps to address the cause and provide a safe environment for students and staff.
• No Balloons on Buses – One of the bus drivers asked me to remind teachers that kids cannot take balloons on the buses. Some students had balloons the last day of school last year and were quite sad when they were told by drivers they could not take them on the bus, so please keep this in mind if you’re giving out balloons at any point this year.
• FREE Health and Wellness Family Workshop – Salud y Bienestar is a new resource for the Latino community starting this Thursday, presented in Spanish, that will provide tools to help improve the mental health, physical health, and wellness of the participants. Free childcare is provided. See the linked flyer for details and feel free to share this with any families who you think might be interested. I’ll also plan to post this on our school Facebook page.
• FREE tickets to NCAA Track & Field Championships – All K‐8th grade youth are invited to attend the NCAA Track and Field Championships at Hayward Field for FREE! Students can come experience the magic of Hayward Field and watch some of the best student‐athletes compete. One adult chaperone for each youth (K‐8th grade) is also provided FREE entrance. Registration the linked website is required. See the website or the linked flyers (Spanish or English) for details.
• School Garden Project Teacher Professional Development – Linked here is a flyer and a one-sheet about the Learning Collaborative for Classroom Teachers and Garden Educators, sponsored by the School Garden Project, who we work with on a regular basis for the Howard school garden. There is a summer intensive workshop (35 hours) and fall, winter, and spring follow up. PDUs are available through UO College of Education, and a modest stipend will be available as well. See the above links for more details.
• Summer Reading Challenge on Epic! + Free Summer Access for Families – Many of you are already familiar with or use Epic! but they are offering Epic! to families completely FREE until July 31st (no credit card required). I’ll post this on our school Facebook page, but if you’d like to share this with students and/or families, just direct them to the Summer Reading Challenge webpage or simply print this handout to give to students. Kids who read five or more books by 8/31 will earn a Summer Reading Certificate – showing how many books read – to print at home or show off to their teacher at school.
• Ideas for using QR codes in education – Some educators are using QR codes to distribute classroom materials, share students’ work and gather feedback. One educator provides students with a list of QR codes to help them quickly access websites and resources. See this article for more details.
• Schedule of Events for the Week – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the rest of the year:
June 6 (M)
9:00, May Book Giveaway (Office)
12:50-2:00, 4th Grade Play Practice (Kelly MS)
2:30-3:30, Site Council Meeting (Staff Room)
2:30-5:00, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Meeting (Ed Center)
3:30, Allan taking BEST Staff on Tour of New BuildingJune 7 (T)
8:30-9:30, 4th Grade Play Practice (Kelly MS)
1:30-2:00, Japanese language and culture lessons w/5th Grade
2:45-3:45, Allan to IEP Meeting (Room 9)
3:30, IPBS Meeting (Hop Valley)June 8 (W)
Last Day for ELD
8:15-9:30, K-2 Field Day (Track)
8:30-9:30, 4th Grade Play Practice (Kelly MS)
10:15-11:30, 3-5 Field Day (Track)
1:30-2:30, PBIS Meeting (Room 21)June 9 (H)
8:00-1:00, Data Team Meetings (Staff Room)
8:30-9:30, 4th Grade Play Practice (Kelly MS)
1:00-2:00, 4th Grade Play (Kelly MS Small Gym)
2:15, Allan to BEST Meeting (Office)
3:15-5:15, Allan and KG Teaches to Kindergarten Teacher Monthly Meeting (Ed Center)
6:00-6:30, 4th Grade Play Evening Performance (Kelly MS Small Gym)June 10 (F)
Grading Day, No Students
Report Cards can be Printed
Classified Staff Self Reflection Forms Due
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Board Meeting
5:00-8:00, Howard School Carnival (last one in the old building!)June 13 (M)
9:00, 4th Grade New Building Rules Round-Up (New Building)
1:00, Tail Feather Reward (Playground)June 14 (T)
9:00, K-1 New Building Rules Round-Up (New Building)
9:15-1:00, 3/4/5 to SPLASH
10:45, June Fire Drill
11:30-1:00, KG End-of-Year Celebration
6:00, Emerald Park Public Hearing on Future of Skate Park (Emerald Park)June 15 (W)
Last Day for KG and 5th Grade
All Student Body Fund Requests Due
10:00, 2-3 New Building Rules Round-Up (New Building)
12:00, 5th Grade Graduation (Gym)
12:50, Clap Out for 5th Grade (East Wing Lawn)June 16 (H)
Last Day of School – 11:05 Dismissal
Last Day for 192-Day Classified Employees (4J Date)
11:30, Staff Last Day of School Root Beer Float & Ice Cream Sundae CelebrationJune 17 (F)
Additional Paid Day #1 for Designated Classified Staff
Last Day for Licensed Staff (4J Date)
All cum folder due
4J Moving Usable Furniture Moved to Fox Hollow
Demolition of Playground and Quad/Main Building Overhang BeginsJune 18 (SA)
4J Salvage BeginsJune 19 (SU)
4J Salvage ContinuesJune 20 (M)
Additional Paid Day #2 for Designated Classified Staff
Additional Paid Day #1 for Licensed StaffJune 21 (T)
Additional Paid Day #2 for Licensed StaffJune 22 (W)
Everything Out of East Wing – Asbestos Abatement BeginsJune 24 (F)
Everything Out of West Wing – Asbestos Abatement BeginsJuly 5 (T)
Demolition Begins (tentative)
And below is the annual 5th grade class photo for this year’s class. We took one by the sign as usual and we took another one in front of the school, which was a bit of a recreation of the first class to attend Howard back in 1949.
Allan
