https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=9491
Hi Diddly Ho Neighborinos,
There was a fabulous turnout for the PTO’s Family Science Night and thank you to everyone who came to the event. If anyone got any pictures, please send them my way. I forgot to take any.
Sixteen items of note for this week:
• Tailfeather Challenge Beings Monday – See Mellissa’s Email for details, but we are starting a Roadrunner Tailfeather Challenge on Monday though January 29th. If classrooms meet their challenge (20 more tailfeathers) they get to do a fun choice activity with their Buddy Classrooms.
• BJ Blake Covering for Allan – I’m woefully behind on finishing write-ups for Formal Observations I’ve done earlier this year, so retired principal BJ Blake is subbing for me this Tuesday.
• REPEAT: School Choice Activities – Two items of note for this week:
• School Choice Visitation Week – This week is the first School Choice Visitation Week, so be prepared for families to drop by classrooms over the course of the week. The second visitation week is Jan. 27-30.
• School Choice Evening Presentations – I’m holding two school choice evening presentations/tours. The first will be Thursday, January 16th 6:00-7:00 and the second will be Tuesday, January 28th 6:00-7:00, if any staff are interested/willing in helping me talk about our awesome school.
• REPEAT: January PTO Meeting, TUESDAY – ThisTuesday, January 14th at 6:00 in the Community Room is the January PTO meeting if any staff are able to attend.
• PLC Meetings Wednesday & Thursday – Rebecca sent an email reminder last week, but this Wednesday and Thursday are grade level PLC meetings with roving subs. One change of plan is that Rebecca is being pulled by downtown on Wednesday to run the 4J New Teacher Institute, which is also at Howard this same afternoon in the STEAM Room, so I will instead facilitate the PLCs that day.
Wednesday
Kinder 11:10-12:10
3rd Grade 12:20-1:20
5th Grade 1:30-2:30Thursday
2nd 8:10-9:10
1st 9:30-10:30
4th 10:55-11:55• REPEAT: BJ’s Resturant Fundraiser, WEDNESDAY – Wednesday is the January PTO Resturant Fundraiser and it’s at BJ’s Resturant. For this fundraiser you need to bring a digital or printed copy of the Fundraiser Flyer.
• REPEAT: Fun Friday – Career Day! – This Friday is a Fun Friday and it’s Career Day, so start planning you dress-up ideas and get kids jazzed to come dressed up. What do you all want to be when you grow up?
• Student Care Team Referrals Due FRIDAY – The Student Care Team will meet next week, which means student/family referrals to the team are due this Friday. Common referrals, though not limited to, are:
• Homeless or impending homelessness
• Medical concerns about the child or other family
• Extreme behavior issues – additional supports needed outside of school
• Mental health concerns (child or family member)
• Death of a parent
• Incarcerated parent - concerns about recent incarceration or pending release
• Unknown if open child welfare case but has concerns that were called in
• Domestic Violence
• Specific resource needed but unknown where to referTry to get a signature on the 4J Release Form (English & Spanish) so DHS can research the family situation to see what services they would qualify for. If there’s a situation where you can’t get a signature, you can also refer “hypothetical” student or family situations. Let me know if you have any questions about potential referrals, but if it’s a situation that’s on your mind, it’s probably a worth referring to the team.
• Friday Early Release PD – This Friday’s Early Release PD is designated as a a Behavior Framework session. Principals have not received information on what we are to present at this meeting, but there’s an Elementary Principals’ Meeting on Monday, so I expect this will be on the agenda. Matt and Mellissa will also present information on the Rest & Return Room, which we’ll also share with any interested classified staff at Friday’s EA Supervisors’ Meeting.
• Fire Drill, Jan. 21 @1:15 – Not this week, but Tuesday, January 21st at 1:15 will be the January Fire Drill, so please plan accordingly.
• Roadrunner Award Assembly, Jan. 24 @8:15 – Not this week, but next week on Friday, January 24th will be the January Roadrunner Award Assembly, so please get your award certificates to me by the end of the week. Remember to send home invitations to families of your winners. The halftime entertainment for this month will be an all school photo since we’re already all sitting together. The PTO now has all of this year’s shirts and will give them to teachers next week. The plan will be for teachers to pass out shirts Friday morning (or put them on desks Thursday after school) and students wear their shirts over their clothes for the assembly.
The other special event we’re hoping to do for the assembly is to give a special Roadrunner Award and Howard Shirt to Bruce the Gardner for all of his work keeping the grounds around out building looking good. He’s a pretty amazing guy!(CORRECTION: Bruce is next month’s halftime entertainment) See the linked Assembly Map and Directions for where to sit.• Staff New Year Party, Jan 24 @5:30 – See Matt and Justine’s Email for details, but the Howard Staff New Year’s Party is coming up next week on Friday, January 24th. Mark your calendar and remember to sign up on the Google Pot-Luck Sign-Up Sheet!
• Tag Paper – Tag paper is now $10 per ream, so we will still stock white, but will not order colors unless there is a specific request. It usually takes 3-4 days to receive, so please plan accordingly.
• Care Team Resources – Here are a few resources that came out of the December Student Care Team meeting. A complete collection of resources can be found on the Shared Howard Drive > Meetings/Teams > Care Team > Student Care Team Resources.
• Goodwill Job Connections – Goodwill’s Job Connections program include job search assistance, workshops, job leads, computer resources, job fairs and referrals to both Goodwill programs and community partners.Employment Specialists provide encouragement, and work with each individual to help identify skills, experience and interests and obtain job leads in the community. They offer assistance with resumes, applications, cover letters, networking strategies, interviewing techniques, community resource referrals and much more. Workshops are also offered each month to help individuals learn about job searching techniques, overcoming a criminal background barrier, interviewing, financial education, and workplace success.
• Helping Hand Room – First Christian Church Eugene at 1166 Oak Street, Eugene, OR 97401 is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. with free clothing, shoes, blankets, hygiene supplies, and limited home goods and sleeping equipment like bedding and tarps for individuals and families in need. They usually also have clothing for children as well. Sandwiches and other food items available as supplies last. No Appointment Needed. You can line up starting at 11:30 a.m., but not earlier. Pregnant mothers can request a Layette (a bag of items for a newborn: blanket, beanie, etc.) when you are close to their due date.
• Community Supported Shelters – They provide safe and legal emergency shelters for people in need and connect them with services and opportunities needed to improve their unique life situation. They offer Conestoga Huts and manage Eugene Safe Spots for the homeless to camp. Visit their website or their Program Brochure for more info.
• DHS Resource Sheet 2020 – This updated list (English and Spanish) includes some of the most common resources in Lane County but does not include everything. For a complete list of community resources contact 211info. Click on the hyperlinks to be routed to the organization’s website.
• Better Laptop Volume Control – Maybe I’m just super picky when listening to music, but on a Mac holding option-shift while pressing the volume up/down buttons adjusts the volume in quarters. Before I discovered this, I was always toggling between my Mac and media player buttons to find the perfect volume. Your life now just got better.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events for the next two weeks:
January 13 (M)
School Choice Visitation Week #1
Benchmark Testing Begins
9:00, Allan to Truancy Hearings
12:45-3:30, Allan to Title 1 Coordinator Meeting (Ed Center)
3:45-5:15, Allan to Elementary Principal Meeting (Ed Center)January 14 (T)
BJ Blake Covering for Allan
9:00-11:30, Allan to All Admin Meeting (Ed Center)
2:45-3:30, IPBS Meeting (Matt’s Room, RM21)
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Community Room)January 15 (W)
9:15, School Choice Tours
10:30-7:00, 4J New Teacher Institute (STEAM Room)11:10-2:30, PLC Meetings – KG, 5th, 3rd (Conference Room)
KG 11:10-12:10
3rd Grade 12:20-1:20
5th Grade 1:30-2:30
12:10-1:10, BRING Classroom Presentation (Kreider)
1:15-2:15, BRING Classroom Presentation (Peterson)
4:00-10:00, PTO B.J.’s Resturant Fundraiser
6:00-7:00, PTO Meeting (Community Room)January 16 (H)
8:10-11:55, PLC Meetings – 1st, 2nd, 4th (Conference Room)
2nd 8:10-9:10
1st 9:30-10:30
4th 10:55-11:55
10:25-11:25, BRING Classroom Presentation (Niccum)
1:15-2:15, BRING Classroom Presentation (Charpie)
6:00-7:00, School Choice Evening Presentation & Tour (Library)January 17 (F)
Fun Friday! – Career Day
7:30-9:00, Allan to 4JMAPS Meeting
1:30-2:00, EA Supervisors Meeting (Title 1 Room, RM26)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Rest & Recovery Room (Library)January 20 (M)
No School – Martin Luther King Jr. DayJanuary 21 (T)
Benchmark Testing Continues
1:15, Fire Drill
2:45-3:30, Staff Meeting (Volunteer’s Room)
6:00-7:00, North Eugene School Design Open House (NEHS)January 22 (W)
Vision Screening (Community Room)
Newsletter Articles Due
2:45-3:30, Student Care Team (Conference Room)January 23 (H)
2:45-3:30, TLT Meeting/Training (Angela’s Room, RM24)
5:00-6:00, BEST/YMCA Parent Night (Cafeteria & Gym)January 24 (F)
Popcorn Friday!
8:15-8:45, K-5 Roadrunner Assembly & Tail Feather Reward w/School Photo (Gym)
10:30-12:45, January Birthday Lunches With the Principal (Community Room)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – PLC (Library)
5:30-8:30, Staff Holiday Party (Mellissa’s Party)
This is our only 5-day week for January and if you want to believe the snow-watchers on staff or the NOAA Forecasts, this might also unexpectedly be a short week. Make it a good one!
Allan
