Week of January 28th
Hi Awbrey Staff,
• Schedule of Events for the Week –
Jan. 28 (M)
- Second Semester Begins
- 1:05-1:20, Fire Drill
- 2:30-5:00, Joel to Elementary Principal’s Meeting (Ed Center)
- 5:00-9:00, Joel to Class at U of O.
Jan. 29 (T)
- 7:15-8:00, Collaborative Practice Planning with Christina.
- 12:00-1:00, Joel touring potential new families
- 2:15-2:30, Bulldog Recess
- 2:45-3:45, Young Rembrants
- 3:00-4:30, Site Council (Room 13)
Jan. 30 (W)
- Kindergarten – Creating Common Formative Assessments in Math PD (Ed Center)
- 7:30- 8:30, CLCB IEP Meeting in Conference Room at 7:30
- 8:25-9:30, Joel teaching for Cathy Waggener to release for professional work.
- 3:00-4:00, Data Meeting K-2
Jan. 31 (H)
- 1st Grade – Creating Common Formative Assessments in Math PD (Ed Center)
- 7:00-8:00 Joel at North Eugene HS with counselors to discuss pilot program.
- 9:00-10:00, Joel touring potential new families.
- 3:00-4:00, Crisis Team Meeting with Kristen (Room 13)
Feb. 1 (F)
- Awbrey Park PD Day – No Students
- 2nd Grade, Creating Common Formative Assessments in Math PD (Ed Center-Auditorium)
- 8:00-12:00, Planning Time for Teachers
- 12:30-3:30, Awbrey Park Professional Development – Math (Ed Center- Auditorium)
Here are the big items for the week:
• Staffing Timeline and Survey – The typical staffing timeline is being changed this year to more accurately project enrollment, taking into account open enrollment with out-of-district transfers. Principals were notified last Friday that we will receive staffing allocations April 12th and will need to turn in completed staffing plans to HR by April 25th. Below is a survey for staff to complete to give me there preferences and ideas for next year. This year the district is facing $21 million dollars in cuts ($10-11 million of that being offset by onetime funding sources, leaving about a $10 million hole to fill). In addition, our enrollment is currently projected lower than the 465 of 2012-2013 projection. It is likely that there will be staffing reductions given these indicators.
Click here to begin: 2013-2014 Staffing Survey at Awbrey Park
I believe in getting a lot of input from staff about planning for the next year. I’d like to hear from all staff, both classified and certified. All answers will be kept confidential. We will have more in-depth discussions as a staff regarding next year’s staffing plan, but this is a place to start that will help me create some draft plans once we do receive our staffing allocations. It is important that each employee reply to this survey so I know your perspective. Please reply to the survey on the Google Drive Survey. Please complete surveys by Monday, February 25th. I am always available to talk about this in person too. Please come by to talk over ideas or share new ones.
• Feb. 1st Awbrey Park PD Day, 12:30-3:30 – Math Facts Mastery Within an Investigative Framework – This Friday we’re teaming up with Howard for a training with Chris Castillero, the new Associate Director of Curriculum and Professional Development. We’ll be meeting at the Ed Center auditorium from 12:30-3:30. The 8:00-12:00 will be your time for planning. Classified staff are welcome to attend, but if you are not attending, be sure to connect with your primary cooperating teacher and make a plan for how you can best use this time.
• Taking It Up Group to reschedule (Febraury 5th): With the grading week and other heavy work demands there was low turnout for the CFEE Taking It up Meeting. I would like to reset this meeting for Tuesday, February 5th at 7:15 in the staff lounge. Breakfast will be provided. I have a Jon Saphier meeting that day but will meet with our equity team and interested staff at school before heading to the Ed Center. Also, there will be a CFEE Taking it up training in the last week in February. If you could not make the event in October, then let’s get you scheduled to go to this session.
• Social Committee Dues – Please remember to turn in your social committee dues to Melinda. Participation in this committee helps us support each other in major life events and just overall to have a little fun with each other.
• Fire Drill, Monday at 1:05 – As long as it is not raining, we’ll hold our January Fire Drill this Monday at 1:05. Please plan accordingly.
• School Choice Week – Just a reminder that this week is School Choice Visitation Week #1. We have a few families already signed up for tours (mostly at the younger grades), so don’t be surprised if you see me walking visitors around the building this week. We had great reception at Saturday’s School Showcase. I truly appreciate having Melissa, Melody, and Sarah G. there to assist. In addition, Claire and Melinda worked very hard on our new poster and our tri-fold pamphlet. Stay tuned for more upbeat marketing of our awesome school in the coming weeks.
• Will Your Black History Month Be Memorable? – Black History Month, which begins February 1st, dates back to 1926 when educator and historian Carter G. Woodson started a week-long observance in February, the birth month of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event was expanded to a month in 1976 by President Gerald Ford. This year’s theme for Black History Month is “At the Crossroads of Freedom and Equality: The Emancipation Proclamation and the March on Washington.” The editors of this blog offer a list of online resources for educators teaching related topics to students. The Teaching Tolerance website also offers many excellent ideas resources for educators. Scholastic and BrainPop also have some related resources and classroom activities.
• Measuring the Quality of Math Instruction – Here’s a good one-page article reporting on the “Mathematical Quality of Instruction” tool (MQI) for evaluating K-8 mathematics teaching. It’s aim is to get teachers self-assessing and bringing more mathematical substance to students. Checkout the article to learn the five key components the MQI measurements of math instruction.
Have a great week, everyone!
Joel