https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/howardstaff/2024/04/06/april-8th/
STATIC BUILDING RESOURCES (HERE EACH WEEK)
Teacher Professional Development Unit (PDU) Tracking
Teachers, the LINK TO THIS TRACKING PDU SHEET – All staff, please feel free to access this to help track your professional development units (PDU’s) when it’s time to renew licensures. This is here to help you easily compile the hours you need to report when processing renewal.
Student Attendance Concerns Reporting
Teachers, please remember to report student attendance concerns HERE. Our front office team will follow up with families. Thanks!
Meeting Agendas and Notes from this past week:
LINK TO HOWARD SHARED GOOGLE DRIVE HERE – To streamline access of information. The link to our Howard shared Google drive will remain here as a static feature on the blog each week. In this drive is a folder titled, ‘Meetings/Teams,’ which houses all the important meeting agendas and notes from various teams past and present. This week’s meetings included the following below. Please go to their respective team folders within the ‘Meetings/Teams’ folder to review the notes. Thanks!
- Here are the links to the slide decks from meetings the week of April 1st-15th:
- Equity & Inclusion Leadership team meeting, 4/2
- Classified Upbeat Data – LINK, 4/3 meeting
- School Site Council, 4/3
PTO Request for Funds
Teachers, our PTO wants to help you and your students! If you have a particular lesson, unit, or project you want to enrich and could use some additional funds to fulfill it, please fill out the request form from the PTO → LINK TO FORM! It is SUPER rare that the PTO denies funds to teachers, so please access this resource. The PTO appreciates you!
Monday Morning Announcements this Week:
Big congratulations to our Golden Apple Award nominees!
It’s exciting we have FIVE Golden Apple Award nominees to celebrate this spring! Congratulations to teachers Katie Gates, Allison Kreider, Lisa Perkins, Kim Sullivan, and parent volunteer, Adrianne Quackenbush! Thanks for your amazing hard work and dedication and hopefully many of us will be in attendance with you at the award celebration event in May! Congrats and thank you again!
Upbeat Survey Data Action Items (Certified) and Resources
At our recent certified meeting where teachers reviewed their fall Upbeat survey data, it was determined that the section on School Safety & Order was the most critical to begin actively addressing now in order to better improve our overall school climate, culture, and ultimately student and staff well-being. After all, our morale, and work-place environment deserves to be positive, just as much as we strive to create that for our students and families.
The LINK HERE will take you to a typed version of the posters teachers created, but specifically for that section of the Upbeat data. Repeated themes are highlighted on the sheet. Big thanks to Candace for typing these up!
While problem-solving, there was an ask for a list of different consequences we can implement with students for specific inappropriate behaviors. Linked below are several of these building and district resources. They are pretty robust, and would constitute considerable professional development by themselves. In the coming weeks, I will include portions of these documents as focus areas here in the bulletin. This way we can chunk it out over time. We will also review and focus on them a bit this spring, and more in-depth in the fall. I encourage everyone to glance through these when you have a few moments to spare.
LINK TO 4J DISCIPLINE FLOWCHART FOR TEACHERS (HOWARD)
LINK TO RESTORATIVE CLASSROOM PRACTICES
Please remember, the first and best way to be proactive about our school climate is building positive relationships with students. We should be holding morning meetings, using our district adopted curriculum, Second Steps, and incorporating Conscious Discipline. Yes, these strategies will not work for all students, but they will work for a vast majority, and therefore are worth doing.
Letter Sent to Families Friday, 4/5
In our continued effort to improve school climate, culture and overall behavior, the following letter was sent to families Friday, April 5th in response to an uptick of incidents regarding the N-word being used at school. This will be an important step in an our unified effort to ensure all students are feeling welcomed, included and that they belong here at Howard. Our response to our school safety data from the certified Upbeat survey needs to happen at every level of our building, and as we work together this spring in this work on school climate, we will also be planning for our focuses next fall. Please continue to implement morning meetings – I would encourage they take place daily. Also, Second Step lessons should be a priority.
Lastly, but most importantly, let’s please be mindful and proactive about how we’re caring for and supporting our students of color here at Howard. Let’s be very thoughtful about how we’re ensuring our students’ safety and creating a caring learning environment for them.
Subject: Important Message Regarding Language Use at Howard Elementary
Dear Families of Howard Elementary School,
I am writing today about a concerning issue regarding the use of the N-word by some students at our school. It has come to our attention that some students are using this word, some casually, influenced by music, movies, video games and social media, and some with harmful intent towards students of color and others.
I want to emphasize that the N-word is never acceptable and that we are actively addressing this and making it a learning opportunity. We understand that children are exposed to various sources using this language including social media, movies, music and peers. We believe in the ability of our students to uphold the expectation that this word is not to be used.
Thank you for your support in reinforcing this essential message with your children. Words are powerful and make an impact on the climate here at Howard. In working with students here, we have open dialogue about language, communicate with families when this language is used, and engage in restorative practices. Together, we strive to support students in having empathy and respect for all and know their role in creating a school community that is inclusive and welcoming.
With Gratitude,
Principal Jett
FYI – the letter above has also been sent to Chavez and Adams Elementaries this year. Those school, in two separate Eugene regions, are also seeing an uptick in this type of heinous language.
April Attendance Incentive Results – Did we Raise the Bar? (Email from last week):
Partial Solar Eclipse, Monday, 4/8 (Email from last week):
Several of you have inquired about what we’re doing regarding the partial solar eclipse this next Monday, April 8th. There isn’t a current plan, but here is what I will share:
We are not doing anything as a school to watch this partial eclipse. If teachers want to make a viewing project out of the event and engage students is constructing safe viewers like a pinhole camera to view the partial eclipse, I’ve included a few links below on how to make them below. This is a TEACHER CHOICE, and not an obligation.
Otherwise, it will be a normal day and we’ll repeatedly message in advance to not look directly at the sun. Even though the moon will be partially blocking the sun, we will not be able to witness this with the naked eye.
It’s possible, some students may bring their own glasses, but these aren’t to be shared with anyone. We’re not going to engage in arguments over borrowing glasses. Just to be clear too, we will continue going outside for recess if the weather permits.
Lastly, a message was sent to families about this asking for their help in repeatedly messaging it isn’t safe to look directly at the sun.
Please let me know if you have any further questions. Thanks!
Resources:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/learn/project/how-to-make-a-pinhole-camera/
https://eclipse.aas.org/eye-safety/projection
District Risk Team Inspection, 4/9
Our district Risk team is scheduled to conduct the preventive yearly building inspection at our schools on April 9th from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. No action is needed on our part. Just keeping you in the loop.
Teacher Work and Prep Day, April 12th
Just a reminder that staff are expected to report to the building and be available to colleagues on these days. With this Friday, as a Midterm Grading Day (for secondary) and the following for elementary:
- 3.75 hours of Language Arts Planning Time and 3.75 hours of Strategic Family Outreach
- A priority may be reaching out to our SCIP focus group students’ families about improving attendance, for example.
- Life Skills Teachers will earmark 15-30 minutes to meet with the Life Skills EAsafter their EA Pathway Training (April 12 scheduled from 8:30-11:30am) to share the approved Process and Procedure for Assisting Students with Toileting. If questions, arise during the conversation with the EAs – Life Skills teachers can email questions to their Della and Angela.
DISTRICT INFORMATION
April Heart of Teaching Newsletter
Linked here is the April edition of The Heart of Teaching. Included in this month’s newsletter is:
- Links to the math curriculum we are currently reviewing
- Link to slide decks from Monday’s PD
- Social Studies PD opportunities
- Info about workbook ordering for Fundations next year
- And much more from PE, TAG, Health, Library, and other subjects
If you haven’t visited the Elementary Learning Hub lately, don’t forget to check it out! You’ll find lots of resources created just for your grade level.
Thank you,
Erin Gaston
Elementary Curriculum & MTSS Administrator
Exciting Math Opportunity – Deadline April 19th
Hello Elementary Teachers,
Are you passionate about data literacy for students? Looking to find more real-world applications to use in your math classrooms? The Lane ESD STEM Hub K-5 data reasoning project is perfect for you! We’re inviting elementary school teachers to join us for a 4-day Summer Institute focused on the 2021 Oregon Data Reasoning standards, June 24 – June 27 at Lane ESD. $1400 stipend and lunch provided to participants who attend the full institute. Space is limited – apply here before Friday, April 19.
We have about 20 teachers from 4J already working our team and excited to have more participants this summer. Let me know if you have questions.
Thank you,
Jamie Tait
District Elementary Math Specialist
Spring Walk and Roll to School Day
The Walk and Roll to School Day is coming up on May 8th and if we want to participate, we can sign up here for event and planning support, prizes and promotional materials.
It would be great to have a CHAMPION ORGANIZER for a simple event. Prizes could be handed out at the May Community Day assembly at the end of the month!
Please let Charlie know if you’re interested in spearheading our participation! 🙂
Participation could be as simple as informing students and families that May 8 is Spring Walk & Roll to School Day or it could include organized walking or biking groups or even having the buses do a remote drop-off with a chaperoned walking group from there. Let us know what you would like to do when you fill out the form. Creative ideas are welcome and any amount of participation is wonderful as it encourages students to be active, have fun, and come to school ready to learn.
Thank you for signing up early, even if you don’t have a complete plan, as it gives us time to order prizes and send them your way, as well as to provide help with planning and staffing events, if needed. Please do indicate in the form or by emailing mazze_s@4j.lane.edu if you’re interested in the group walk from a bus drop-off to an alternative location, as we did quite a bit of this pre-covid and can offer a lot of support to help things run smoothly.
Safe Routes to School Communication To Share With Families, Students and Staff in April communications (English and Spanish versions below): This Google Doc contains all the information, including flyers for the events on April 19 and May 4 to copy and paste and include in your modes of communication.
WEEK OF APRIL 8TH-12TH
Monday, April 8th
- 2:45pm – Attendance Team Meeting
Tuesday, April 9th
- Fifth grade to Outdoor School, Day One
- 11:15am – Asian Pacific Islander Student Union in room 19
- 2:45pm – PBIS Tier 1
- 2:45pm – Literacy Leadership Team
Wednesday, April 10th
- Fifth grade to Outdoor School, Day Two
- 9:00am – Front Office Group (FOG)
- 1:30pm – Certified Professional Learning: Wit & Wisdom
- 6:00pm – PTO Meeting
Thursday, April 11th
- Fifth grade to Outdoor School, Day Three
- 8:10am – Safety Team Meeting
- 1:50pm – “Beep! Beep! Winners” Activity
- 2:45pm – Grade Level Team Meetings
Friday, April 12th – NO STUDENT CONTACT DAY
- 3.75 hours of ELA Planning, and 3.75 hours of Strategic Family Outreach
WEEK OF APRIL 15TH-19TH
Monday, April 15th
- 1:50pm – Fearless Flock Student Leaders meeting in room 27
- 2:45pm – IPBS
Tuesday, April 16th
- 8:45am – FIRE DRILL
- 2:45pm – Certified Staff Meeting in the Library
Wednesday, April 17th
- 9:00am – Front Office Group (FOG)
- 12:15pm – Latinx Student Union 4th/5th in room 8
- 1:30pm – Certified Professional Learning (TBD)
Thursday, April 18th
- 11:15am – Rainbow Alliance in room 19
- 1:50pm – “Beep! Beep! Winners” Activity
- 2:45pm – Grade Level Team Meetings
Friday, April 19th
- PTO Popcorn Day
- 11:45am – Black Student Union in room 27
- 1:50pm – “Beep! Beep! Winners” Drawing
