https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2019/11/11/november-11-2019/
I hope everyone had a relaxing three day weekend. I spent quite a bit of it binge watching The People vs OJ Simpson and Unbelievable on Nexflix. I like to think I would have made a good criminologist in another life.
- Staffing Update – We conducted interviews last week and are trying to finish background checks. We hope to have good news this week!
- Friday Early Release PD – This week is designated for PLCs.
- ALICE Training for Students – As discussed in our PD last week, we will be training students in the ALICE protocol next week. Linked here are the ALICE google folder and the updated slides. We’ve condensed the information as much as we could. Below is the schedule and linked is our minute-by-minute plan:
- Monday, 11/18 – ALICE instruction in class, use slides from above
- Tuesday, 11/19 – Lockdown and barricade drill review, school-wide practice of lockdown, discuss barricade options
- Wednesday, 11/20 – Lockdown and counter drill review, school-wide practice of lockdown, discuss counter options
- Thursday, 11/21 – Lockdown and evacuate drill review, school-wide practice of lockdown and evacuate. Evacuate to the field (we’ll count this as a fire drill, too).
- Thanksgiving Boxes – If a family connects with you about receiving a Thanksgiving box, please forward the message on to Anne. Thanks!
- Religious Holidays Reminder – Gus sent an email to administrators asking us to remind everyone about religious holidays with the upcoming holiday season. The memo linked here includes information about scheduling school-wide events, absences and missed instruction due to religious holiday observation, observance of religious holidays in schools, and religious expression by both staff and students. It is important to note that as a public institution, we are expected to maintain religious neutrality.
- Student Success Act Staff Forums, Tuesday & Wednesday @4:15 – Oregon’s Student Success Act is planned to provide about $1 billion in additional funds for early learning and K-12 education each year. Funds can be used in four areas: increasing instructional time, addressing health and safety needs, reducing class sizes, and providing a well-rounded education. If you’d like your opinion heard, one staff forum is this Tuesday at 4:15 at North Eugene High School and another Wednesday at 4:15 at Sheldon High School.
- SPED Procedures Manual – SSD created an online 2019 SpEd Procedural Manual for 4J. The manual contains processes and procedures for multiple aspects of special education service delivery. Let me know if you come across any errors or if there is any additional information you feel would be useful in the manual.
- Repeat: Bus Videos in Focus– As required by OAR 581-53-002, all students must receive instructions on bus safety before the end of December. The intent of the rule is to teach the occasional riders who find themselves on a bus because of a field trip, activity trip, etc. Linked here is an updated Bus Training Info Sheet (English and Spanish) sent to principals, but all Focus teachers need to do is show one of the two 12-minute bus safety videos (the Newer Bus Evacuation Training Video or the quaint 1990s relic The Safest Way Out) and then document the date and your initials in this Google sheet.
- Repeat: iPad Updates – After last Friday’s team meetings, all grade levels agreed to keep 1:1 iPads and to manage student misbehavior. I will return iPads of kids who are currently on office managed plans with the exception of the two students who have lost iPad rights permanently. I am working on an update to our iPad plan so everyone is on the same page. Here’s quick rundown:
- iPad carts can remain open and unlocked all day
- Teams will manage misbehavior and put kids on plans as needed as was past practice
- Erin will create and distribute a tiered behavior guide for iPad infractions (it’s almost ready!) for behaviors that are classroom managed and office managed. It’s done! Linked here.
- Teachers will continue to use the infraction tracking spreadsheet to help identify trends and determine if students need limitations to iPad access.
- Erin and Peter will look into purchasing extra iPads so teachers have a few in their rooms for kids who cannot have iPads all day.
- Conversations to come: Do we want to keep documenting missing iPads at the end of each day?
- Repeat: Measles Information from Lane County Public Health – Free measles shots for staff and dependents are available through many local pharmacies and the 4J Wellness Clinic. This immunization will be made available to staff at the Wellness Clinic regardless of whether your healthcare coverage is through Moda Health or Kaiser Permanente. Please call (541) 686-1427 to make an appointment. See the linked Health Notice for details.
- Building Perspective Through Meaningful Conversation – In this video from Edutopia, teachers and students at a 6-12 school in Massachusetts discuss the role of conversations about hard topics in their growth and understanding of each other. In this example, students are discussing the women’s movement.
- Schedule of Upcoming Events:
November 11 (M)
Veteran’s Day – No school
November 12 (T)
Mary out
7:30, TLC Meeting – Canceled
9-10:30, Peter and Erin to All Admin Meeting (downtown)
4:15, Student Success Act Staff Forum (NEHS)
6:30, School Play
November 13 (W)
National Kindness Day (Also Mr. Rogers sweater day)
Anne teaching Naviance in 8th grade Language Arts classes
3:45, Climate Team Meeting (Anne’s office)
4:15, Student Success Act Staff Forum (Sheldon HS)
November 14 (H)
7:30, Justice League (Anne’s office)
8:15-11:30, Peter to MS Admin Meeting (downtown)
9:30, Erin, Anne, & Dorothy Meeting re: student data
6:30, School Play
November 15 (F)
BSU Field Trip all day
2:45, Early Release PD – PLCs
3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
3:45, Erin to 504 meeting
November 18 (M)
Regular Day
November 19 (T)
7:45, TLC Meeting
7:00pm, SSA Community Forum with English Interpretation (Churchill HS)
November 20 (W)
8:00, Staff Meeting
3:45, Climate Team Meeting (Anne’s office)
November 21 (H)
6:30, Band Concert
7:00pm, SSA Community Forum (NEHS)
November 22 (F)
2:45, Early Release PD – Building based
3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
