https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=7520
Hello Rockin’ Roadrunners,
This week is National School Counseling Week, so please take a moment to recognize the hard work of our rockstar school counselor Mr. Matt! School counselors fill a unique and vital role in schools and in the success of all our students. Be sure to give Matt a pat on the back this week for all his skills and hard work!
Fourteen items of note for this week:
• FOSS Science Survey – Linked here is a FOSS Survey for teachers to fill out as to where you are in meeting your goal of teaching the first investigation of your second science kit by March 1st. If teachers need support, Allison and Instruction Department folks are here to help and can arrange for support in anyway teachers need.
• 2018-2019 Staffing Timeline – Principals will receive staffing for next school year on Tuesday, February 20th at 10:00. I’ll send an email to staff later that day with all the details. Howard is currently 20 students above what we were staffed for this year (498 enrolled and projected for 478) so I expect that our projection will be higher for year (although we do have a larger exiting 5th grade class than our current KG class).
• 2018-2019 Staff Survey, Due Feb. 19 – With staffing allocations coming out in two weeks, I’d like staff to complete the linked Google Form Staff Survey or on the linked Word file. I’d like to know staff members’ individual plans and preferences for the future as well as your thoughts on next year’s staffing plan and master schedule. Please complete the survey by Monday, February 19th. All answers will be kept confidential and please let me know if you have any questions.
• Report Card Items – Four items/reminders regarding report cards:
• Parent Reports Coming – The new parent reports for K-1 were sent to principals late Friday, so I’ll put those to K-1 teachers’ mailboxes Monday. Downtown is having technical issue with the reports for grades 2-5, but said they are working on it over the weekend. There’s a separate explanation sheet (English & Spanish) about the easyCBM and OAKS scores. I’ll run sets of the English version for grades with 2-sided reports and print it on the back of the parent reports for grades with 1-sided reports. I’ll leave copies of the Spanish version under staff mailboxes.
• LZ Parent Support Sheets – I put class sets of these in teacher mailboxes to be sent home with report cards. I realize not everyone may be in the same place with the Learn Zillion pacing guide, but I’d still encourage teachers to send this information home.
• Spanish Translations Due Friday – If you need any report card comments translated, they are due to Bianca by Friday.
• Report Cards Sent Home 2/16 – All report cards will be sent home in Friday Folders on Friday, February 16th
• 4J Policy Reminders for Staff – Principals were asked to review the following items with staff:
• Restraint and Seclusion – Falling under Board Policy JGAB, this linked document covers the procedures regarding Use of Restraint and Seclusion. EEA has shared concerns that staff who are not trained in restraint and seclusion (OIS or MANDT) are not fully aware of the procedures and expectations, so principals have been asked to review the policy and procedures regarding restraint and seclusion before spring break, along with training staff regarding the escalation cycle. We’ll plan to do this at our Howard Academy Day, Friday, March 2nd, along with OAKS Test Security Training.
• Building Visitors – Per Board Policy KK, all visitors and all visiting district staff must sign in with the front office at all times. If you have a large group come, have the leader sign in and provide you a list of all participants attending with them. And if you see a visitor without a sticker, please direct them back to the office to sign in.
• Perfect Attendance Awards – Lupe reminded me about recognizing students who have had perfect attendance first semester (no tardies or absences). If you’d like me to give a 30-second award presentation to perfect attenders in your classroom, just give me a date and time to come in and I can make a big deal about regular attendance. Attached in my email is a list of all the students with perfect attendance first semester. Also, if you know of any kids with “near perfect” attendance who you’d like to recognize, let me know and I can award them as well. I’ll plan to do the same at the end of the school year for perfect second semester attendance and for students with perfect attendance all year.
• New 4J VPN – If you ever need to log onto the 4JNet from home, 4J recently changed their VPN. An email was sent to staff earlier this year who had logged on with the old Cisco VPN recently, but linked here directions on how to install the new FortiClient VPN for Mac. Also, you’ll need to be on the 4JNet (at school) to download the new VPN.
• Library Announcements – Julie has a few items of note from the library:
• Remind kids library is not a shortcut – I have noticed kids are starting to cut through the library in the morning and after school to avoid the crowded hallways. I would prefer nipping this in the bud, if too many kids start doing this it will become very unsafe (my chairs sneak out and trip you) and helps to keep students from messing around where they shouldn’t be. :)
• Open Library Times – Here are open times for staff and students to come to the library to exchange books, special check out, etc…
M, W, Th, Fr 8:00 – 8:10 & 8:40 – 9:10
M-F 11:00 – 11:30
M & Tu 12:15 to 1:15
W 12:30 -1:00I have hall passes in the works to give to each classroom. On short weeks I may have a class, just let your students know that if there is a class in the library to check back at a later time and I will be happy to help them.
• No Unattended Students in the Library – A gentle reminder that students should only be in the library during school hours if an adult is working in the library. Our library is closed to students after 2:15 in the afternoon.
• New books in the Library – Here are new titles for teachers and EAs:
ADA Twist Scientist (2 copies)
Rosie Revere’s Big Project Book for Bold Engineers
Iggy Peck Architect
The Invisible Boy
My Mouth is a Volcano!
Don’t Squeal Unless it’s a Big Deal
What if Everybody Did That?
Do Unto Otters A book about manners
Rude Cakes
You Get What you Get
Crabby
A Little Book of Manners
The Crayon Box that Talked
Too Shy for Show and Tell
Lying Up a Storm
Jessica’s Box
Have Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids
More behavior books on the way!• OBOB Updates – OBOB games start this week. Monday Morning 8:10 – 8:40 & 12:30 – 2:00. Students participating should come down to the library 5 minutes before their game is scheduled to start. We will be sending them back to class when their game is over. Thank you for all your support and encouragement!
• Dental Kits for K-3 Students – United Way is providing dental kits this year to all Lane County K-3 students. Kits will be delivered to buildings during the week of February 12. United Way’s hope is to get them into students’ hands during February, which is National Children’s Dental Health Month.
• Homeless Resource Guide – The City of Eugene created the Outreach Handbook: Eugene’s rest stop & car camping programs HOW TO guide to provide information on rest stop programs, car camping programs, outreach strategies, resources, outreach materials and other items. I’ve also uploaded a copy to the Howard Google Team Drive, but please feel free to share with families as necessary.
• Free Math Apps – Misty Jackson shared with principals the website Free Math Apps from The Math Learning Center. These are web apps as well as iPad apps. She said several schools are already using the Geoboard app, so if you want any of these installed on iPads, send a ticked to 4jdesktop, or if you want a like added to the Howard Links for Learners, let me know and I’ll add it.
• REPEAT: Wacky Wednesday: Favorite Character Day – Remind your students that the February Wacky Wednesday is this Wednesday and the theme is Favorite Character Day, where kids can dress up as a favorite character from books, TV shows, movies, or video games. The office staff plan is for me to dress as a male version of Cruella de Vil (internet Rule 63), with Lori and Bianca dresses as Dalmatians, so feel free join and dress as one of the dogs I’m trying to make a coat out of.
• District Admin Updates – BJ Blake, 4J Director of Secondary Education, will be retiring at the end of the school year. BJ was principal of Buena Vista and Meadowlark (where I was her assistant principal one semester), Spencer Butte Middle School, and Churchill High School, and most recently as the district’s secondary education director. Downtown will post the position and undertake a search process to select the next secondary education director.
• Howard Staff Social: Alvvays Concert! – So heavy metal isn’t your thing. How about indie pop? The excellent band Alvvays (pronounced Always) is playing Sunday, April 8th at 9 PM at the Hi-Fi Music Hall here in downtown Eugene. The lead signer was asked to describe their style and her response was, “If old people ask, I say it sounds like the Cranberries. If young people ask, I call it jangle pop. If a punk asks, I say it’s pop.” The show is general admission, so you can get your tickets anytime. Advance tickets: $15, Day of Show: $18. I’ve already got mine!
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
February 5 (M)
National School Counseling Week
Second Semester Begins
easyCBM Testing Closes
Allan Out at ODE Tech Cadre Meeting (ESD)February 6 (T)
Regular DayFebruary 7 (W)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
Wacky Wednesday – Favorite Character Day
1:15-2:00, Classified EA Supervisors Meeting (Room 26)
2:30-5:00, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Meeting (Ed Center)
4:00-5:00, Allan to North Region Admin Meeting (NEHS)February 8 (H)
7:50-10:40, Data Team Meetings 5/1/2
12:00-3:00, Allan to ILT Meeting (Ed Center)February 9 (F)
Deadline for Report Card Translations
Allan, Angela, Ashley to LEL (Holt)
6:00-7:30, PTO Valentine Family Craft Night (Cafeteria)February 12 (M)
11:00-12:00, Allan to Eval Planning Meeting (Conference Room)
3:30-5:30, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)February 13 (T)
8:15-11:15, Allan to Elem. Principals’ Meeting (Ed Center)
8:30-11:00, LCC Dental Clinic
2:30-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Mellissa/Mariah’s Room)
3:45-6:30, 4J Staff of Color Affinity Group (Community Room)February 14 (W)
Valentine’s Day
9:00-9:45, OBOB Final Battle Assembly (Gym)
2:30-1:30, PBIS Meeting (Rae’s Room)February 14 (H)
7:50-10:40, Data Team Meetings 3/4/K
12:00-3:00, Allan to ILT Meeting (Ed Center)February 15 (F)
Report Cards Sent Home
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS MeetingFebruary 19 (M)
Presidents Day – No School
Have a good week, everyone!
Allan
