https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/chinn/?p=9687
Hi Everyone,
I was planning to hold off on sending staff announcements, but I’ve gotten a fair number of questions on various activities impacted by the school closure and other safety measures. I don’t have all the answers, but thought I’d let you know what we DO and DO NOT know at this point.
• COVID-19 Updates & Reschedules – A few items of note related to our unexpected circumstances, but call, text, or email if you have any questions regarding this highly unusual situation.
• March 16-20 Closure – Visit the 4J Coronavirus Webpage for the latest information, but no staff will work this week, unless you are a classified 10, 11 or 12-month employee, which for Howard is only the secretary and custodial staff. Some kitchen staff will also work this week to provide sack lunches for students 11:00-12:00 each day in front of the building.
• March 30 & 31 Plan – Staff will return to work on Monday, March 30th and students will return Wednesday, April 1st. Watch for information from downtown what the plan will be for March 30th and 31st, but in the absence of district guidance, I will tentatively plan for at least one building meeting on Tuesday, March 31 at 9:00 to plan for students returning as well as conducting our annual OSAS Training, which was originally scheduled for this date at the 2:45 Staff Meeting.
• February Book Winners, Wednesday, April 1 – With all the craziness of last Thursday, I did get a chance to call down February Book Winners, so I will plan to do these on Wednesday, April 1st at 9:00.
• Birthday Lunches, Friday, April 3 – I’ve rescheduled March Birthday Lunches with the Principal to Friday, April 3rd.
• No Reschedule for Literacy Night – Our calendar is pretty full for the rest of the year, so unless I hear from staff that you are dying to reschedule Literacy Night, we’ll consider the event cancelled for this year.
• March Roadrunner Awards Assembly Cancelled – We’ve decided to cancel rather than reschedule the March Roadrunner Awards. We could have done the awards at lunch or presented in classrooms, but then kids would miss the grand pageantry of receiving their award at a big all-school assembly in front of their families. The next assembly is scheduled for Friday, April 17th, though we’ll continue watching health official guidance around large gatherings.
• No Field Trips Until After April 12 – I believe I’ve already notified all teachers who had field trips between now and April 12th, but all field trips through that date are cancelled. This moratorium on field trips may get extended.
• PTO Events – The next two popcorn days are cancelled, as is the April PTO Meeting. The BINGO/Spaghetti Night/Raffle falls outside the current 30-day moratorium on large gatherings, so the PTO is not canceling that event yet, although that may change.
• PTO Readathon – The Readathon was supposed to end this Monday. We’ll see if students bring back their reading logs, but if they do, the PTO is hoping you can add up each student’s minutes and enter them in this Google Spreadsheet. Each teacher has a tab in the spreadsheet. Every student who turns in their log will be entered in a drawing for a prize.
• Student Success Act Input – The final community input session on the 4J’s Student Success Act Plan was cancelled last week, but if any staff would like to provide input, you can do so by emailing ssa@4j.lane.edu. The school board is set to vote on the plan this Wednesday.
• Erin’s Law & Second Step Child Protection Unit – I was going to remind teachers to review the child safety lessons in the Second Step Child Protection Unit the week before sending students off to spring break. For each grade level, there are six lessons, which are to be covered at three points in the school year, with Lessons 1-4 in the fall, lesson 5 right before spring break, and lesson 6 right before summer break. It’ll be late, but plan to review lesson 5 with students when they return.
• March Fire Drill Cancelled – The March Fire Drill was scheduled for this week, but we’ll consider it cancelled and will just wait for the April Fire Drill.
• Composting Postponed – I was originally meeting on Monday with the district staff coordinating food waste composting, so we could start after spring break, but that is now on hold.
• State Testing – We’ll have to wait for guidance from downtown and the state on this one. Our current OSAS schedule puts us right up against the district deadline to complete state testing, so unless the state or downtown changes anything, the current plan will be to stick with out present OSAS Schedule.
• Data Team and PLC Meetings Possibly Cancelled – It didn’t effect our building but before the break 4J canceled Data Team Meetings, PLCs, or other building based PD that required subs. This was done to not exacerbate sub shortages happening across the district. Downtown may extend this practice after the break, so our April Data Team Meetings (April 8 & 9) and PLC Meetings (April 22 & 23) may be cancelled.
• Outdoor School – Outdoor School (ODS) was cancelled for schools who had it scheduled during the 30-day moratorium on field trips. Howard’s ODS dates, April 22-24 ODS, which is outside of the moratorium, but there is the possibility the moratorium will be extended. No word yet if there will be make-up activities for schools who miss ODS.
• Cleaning iPads and Laptops – A few folks asked about the best way to clean iPads. The Tech Department is ordering more cleaning products for teachers and are recommending wipes with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Please do not use any products with ammonia or acetone in them.
• Leadership Plan Approved – I found out last week that JCAC approved our revised Leadership Plan for this school year. A copy of the 2019-2020 Leadership Plan can be found on the Howard Shared Drive.
• 2020-2021 Staffing Updates – I was originally going to send out our final staffing plan last Friday, but we’re still waiting on staffing information for corrected classified SPED, ESC, ESSA, and the Student Behavior Support Coordinator (a new licensed position in addition to the Behavior EA position). This staffing impacts both licensed and classified staffing scenarios, so I’m holding off until I get those allocations.
• Ems Assembly Proposal – The Ems are offering their annual reading incentive program, but I’m proposing we skip their assembly and instead show a 10-minute video in classrooms. Their assembly seem rather repetitive, so I thought taking a year off might be good. Let me know if you disagree, but my informal poll seemed in support of the video option for this year.
• REPEAT: EEF Grant Proposals Due to Allan, April 27 – Looking for a fun spring break activity? EEF Grant Applications are now open and grants need to be given to me by April 27th. Linked here is the EEF Email Sent to Principals, the 2020-2021 Grant Application Website, and here is the 2020-2021 EEF Grant Application. We can submit up to five grants in any amount up to $5,000 per application.
• REPEAT: 2020 ACE Award Nominations – Here’s another activity to keep you busy over the next two weeks. Nominate a volunteer, or a licensed, classified, or admin staff member today! Nominations are due by March 31st. Linked here is the ACE Awards Email and the ACE Awards Nomination Google Form.
• Schedule of Upcoming Events – See the Google Calendar for future events, but here are the events of note for the next two weeks:
March 16 – 27
Spring BreakMarch 30 (M)
Staff Reports BackMarch 31 (T)
9:00-11:00, Staff Meeting – Tentative (Cafeteria)April 1 (W)
Title 1 Progress Monitoring Day – No Groups
PBIS Monthly Theme – Encouragement
Walk+Roll to School Day
9:00, February Book Winners (Conference Room)April 2 (H)
Regular DayApril 3 (F)
10:30-12:45, March Birthday Lunches With the Principal (Community Room)
1:30-2:00, EA Supervisors’ Meeting (Title Room, RM26)
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – Building Based PD – OSAS Training (Library)April 6 (M)
5th Grade Middle School Math Placement Testing Window Opens
12:30, Allan to Truancy Hearing (Conference Room)
1:30, Allan to Truancy Hearing (Conference Room)April 7 (T)
2:45-3:30, IBIS Meeting (R&R Room, RM21)April 8 (W)
Passover (avoid scheduling major events, tests, etc. 4/8-4/16)
11:10-2:30, Data Team Meetings (Conference Room)
KG, 11:10-12:10
3rd, 12:20-1:20
5th, 1:30-2:30
1:15, 3rd Grade Water Presentations
2:45-5:00, Allan to Pay Grade Evaluation Committee Meeting (Ed Center)April 9 (H)
8:10-8:55, BSU (Black Student Union) Meeting (STEAM Room)
8:10-11:55, Data Team Meetings (Conference Room)
2nd 8:10-9:10
1st 9:30-10:30
4th 10:55-11:55
4:00-7:00, Allan to Elementary Job Expo (Ed Center)April 10 (F)
Good Friday (avoid scheduling major events, tests, etc.)
8:50, Fire Drill
2:30-3:30, Early Release PD – PLC (Library)
Take care of yourselves and your family during this unusual time!
Allan
