https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2019/11/18/november-18-2019/
Many congratulations to Rechelle and her family who welcomed her grandson Rhett Sunday morning. He is adorable!
- Staffing Update – We have forwarded a candidate’s name to HR for our full-time position and are waiting for the final offer and acceptance. Once we get confirmation of acceptance, we will talk with those affected by any changes in the schedule. We will then get to work on scheduling students so we are ready to go at the start of Trimester 2. Yay!
- Friday Early Release PD – This week is designated for building goals. We will use this time to approve common area expectations, finish up TalentEd self-assessments and goals, and any SafeSchools videos.
- CHANGE! ALICE Training for Students – As discussed in our PD last week, we will be training students in the ALICE protocol this week. Linked here are the ALICE google folder and the updated slides. We’ve condensed the information as much as we could. In the interest of not dragging this out too long, working to avoid over stressing students, and giving kids back some Focus time to catch up on their assignments, we’ve also condensed the schedule. Below is the schedule:
- Monday, 11/18 – ALICE instruction in class, use slides from above
- Tuesday, 11/19 – ALICE drill. 9:05 – lockdown. 9:05-9:10 – discuss what it could look like to barricade or counter if needed. 9:10 – evacuate drill (will also count as fire drill).
- Student Visitors – Please let Donna know if you’ve prearranged for student visitors, otherwise she is turning them away when they try to do drop-in visits. Thanks!
- Food Drive – From Anne: FOCUS TEACHERS: please send me the names of at least 2 and no more than 4 students in your Focus that would be interested in presenting to the class about the drive and managing donations throughout the drive. Please make sure that these students are willing to work hard to support the drive – this project works best when kids are able to independently and responsibly manage what’s happening in your Focus. I’d really like to meet with kids on Tuesday, so please send me names ASAP (nominating kids without talking to them first is fine; I’ll sort out those who aren’t interested).
- Students Out of Class – We’ve noticed an increase in the number of students out in the halls during class. Many have passes, but aren’t necessarily going where they’re supposed to be going. Some are wandering, others are meeting up at lockers or in the bathrooms. Please consider limiting hall passes to only absolutely essential trips. If it can wait until passing period, please ask kids to wait. Thanks for helping us ensure kids are in class as much as possible!
Thanksgiving Boxes Update – From Anne: If you receive any new calls regarding Thanksgiving boxes, please let families know that we have assigned all the available boxes, but I’m trying to get more. If they would like to be added to a wait list, please take their name and number, or just give them my contact info and ask that they call me.
All boxes will be delivered to school on Tuesday November 26 and be available for pickup in the office between 1:30 and 5. If a family calls to ask for pick up information, please confirm that they’ve already communicated with me and I’ve indicated that they’re on my list. I’ll share the Google Doc with you all soon so you can double check if need be. I will check in with all of you as the date draws closer and talk about how to make the pickups run smoothly. Of course, I’ll be staying until 5 (or whenever) that day to get all the boxes out the door.
- District Hiring Pool and Student Teacher Assessment Project – HR is creating some early hire pools this year. The goal is to hire a pool of highly qualified teachers for our most commonly hired positions early in the year before most other district post their openings. These teachers will be on hold until after the Expo, when they will then be available to fill any remaining open positions. Additionally, they’ve created a students teacher feedback & assessment protocol that will get started later this month. Retired administrators will visit buildings with student teachers who are interested in being hired by 4J and provide them feedback. If you have or are aware of a high quality student teacher working in our building, please let me know and I’ll forward their name to Rob Hess.
- Repeat: 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 Community Forums, This Week – Last week were the staff input sessions. This week starts the community input forms, which staff may attend as well. If you’d like your say in how this money is spent or not spent, you get to spend green dots in support of the top items to surface from the first round of forums, surveys, and focus groups and red dots on proposals you do not support. You can attend one of the four meetings starting this week:
- November 19 (T), 5:30-6:30pm, Churchill HS (English)
- November 19 (T), 7-8pm, Churchill HS (Spanish)
- November 21 (H), 7-8pm, North Eugene HS
- November 25 (M), 5:30-6:30pm, South Eugene HS
- Repeat: 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.
- Hour of Code 2019 is Coming! – The Hour of Code started as a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify “code”, to show that anybody can learn the basics, and to broaden participation in the field of computer science. It has since become a worldwide effort to celebrate computer science, starting with 1-hour coding activities, but expanding to all sorts of community efforts, check out the tutorials and activities at Hour of Code, Computer Science Education Week, Khan Academy, and these Edutopia Articles. The official week is December 9-13, but the resources are available year-round.
- Schedule of Upcoming Events:
November 18 (M)
8:30-12:30, Anne out at Counselor Meeting (downtown)
1:45, Erin to Informal Observation
November 19 (T)
7:45, TLC Meeting
9:30, Erin to Informal Observation
1:45, Erin to Informal Observation
7:00pm, SSA Community Forum with English Interpretation (Churchill HS)
November 20 (W)
8:00, Staff Meeting
9:30, 10:30 & 1:45, Erin to Informal Observations
3:45, Climate Team Meeting (Anne’s office)
November 21 (H)
1:00, Erin to Informal Observation
3:45, Erin to IEP Meeting
6:30, Band Concert
7:00pm, SSA Community Forum (NEHS)
November 22 (F)
AVID Field Trip to OSU
11:30, Erin and Anne out for the afternoon
2:45, Early Release PD – Building based
3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
November 25 (M) Jan’s Birthday!
10:30, Erin to Informal Observation
2:15, Erin to AVID Coordinator’s Meeting (downtown)
3:45, Erin to MS Assistant Principal’s meeting (downtown)
November 26 (T)
7:30, TLC Meeting (conference room)
7:30-11:30, Erin covering at Howard
5:45pm, Medieval Faire
November 27 (W)
Regular Day
November 28 (H)
No School – Thanksgiving Break
November 29 (F)
No School – Thanksgiving Break
