https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2019/11/25/november-25-2019/
It’s a short week this week. May it also be a quiet one!
- Staffing Update – In case you missed it, we have hired Karen Backman as our new 8th grade team member. Karen comes to us from Lincoln County School District where she has worked as a Title One Coordinator and reading and math interventionist for the past 6 years. Before that, Karen taught for 15 years in 4J at Gilham and River Road Elementary Schools. Fun fact: Karen student taught at Madison! She is excited to be joining the Madison family. Her school district’s HR department was very kind to us and is releasing her this week. She’ll be able to start with us next Monday and will start trimester 2 with her new classes. Welcome, Karen!
- Students of the Month – If you haven’t already, please enter the names of November’s students of the month into the google doc. Thanks!
- U of O Basketball Field Trip – U of O has offered a free field trip to see the women’s basketball team play on December 16. We have already sent families a link to the digital permission slip and will send home paper slips after the break. TLC is working out all the details and will communicate those as soon as they are finished. For now we know we will all be seated in the same section and kids can bring in their lunches to eat during the game. They are offering math packets to go with the game if we want to put an academic slant on the field trip. We won’t be gone all day, so kids will return to focus classes when we get back (likely between 2-2:30). More info to come ASAP.
- Repeat: 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!
- Repeat: 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!
Repeat: 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.
- Repeat: 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: Bus Videos in Focus– Many thanks to the 7 teachers who have completed this! 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.
- Struggle is Good! – Here is a very good Very Short Short Story about the importance of “the struggle” as a part of learning. Check this one out when you have a moment. It might be a good one to launch trimester 2 with kids.
- Using Culturally Responsive Lessons to Boost Engagement – Identifying students’ interests and connecting them to course content is a good way to get students motivated to learn. See this Edutopia article for details!
- Schedule of Upcoming Events:
November 25 (M) Jan’s Birthday!
9:30, Peter to Student Safety Meeting
10:30, Erin to Informal Observation
2:15, Peter to AVID Coordinator’s Meeting (downtown)
3:45, Peter to MS Principal’s meeting (downtown)
Erin to Parent Meeting (conference room)
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
December 2 (M)
No School – Grading Day
12:00, Erin to MS Asst Principal’s meeting (downtown)
December 3 (T)
Trimester 2 Starts
7:45, TLC Meeting
Anne teaching Naviance in 7th grade math classes
December 4 (W)
8:00, Staff Meeting
Peter out all day at Equity Academy
7:00pm, Board Meeting
December 5 (H)
7:30, Justice League
4:00-8:00, CPR/First Aid class at Madison
December 6 (F)
Anne teaching Naviance in 8th grade math classes
2:45, Early Release PD – Behavior Framework
3:30, Grade Level Team Meetings
