https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2020/05/25/may-25-2020/
Three weeks to go! I hope you enjoyed your three-day weekend.
- Staffing Updates – We filled two of our open positions last week! Karen Backman is staying with us and will be taking on 8th grade math and algebra. Welcome back, Karen! Cody Gulewich was a science and STEM teacher in Bethel before moving to California where he’s been teaching middle school. He has extensive experience teaching middle and high school science, is very involved in his school’s groups, and has a long history of teaching outdoor school type camps for kids. He’ll have 2 periods of 8th grade science, 2 periods of 6th grade math, and a STEM elective. We’ve offered the health position to a candidate and are waiting to hear if it’s been accepted. We’ll keep you posted.
- The next three weeks – As we look forward to the end of the year, we know many of our students haven’t engaged as fully as we had hoped. Additionally, We are just now getting hotspots out to some families. We are also personally contacting families whose students have 4 or more incompletes at progress reports. We also know you have worked incredibly hard to provide students with content, assignments, and feedback during this time. Students will likely be asked to return their devices before the last day of school, so our time this year is even shorter than normal. This would be an excellent time to slow down on handing out new assignments these next three weeks and focus on giving students an opportunity to catch up on missing work, review concepts and learning targets, and engage with you to earn a pass for the trimester. We want you and our students to have the opportunity and space to wrap up this year as positively as possible without adding even more to everyone’s work load. For our staff meeting on Friday, we will also take time to break out in departments to check in on the learning targets you were able to cover this trimester and those that will need to be reviewed or taught at the beginning of next year so we can begin formulating a plan. Ultimately, we will do what teachers do best, which is to meet kids where they are work to get them caught up.
- Building Closed for the Year – With classrooms now closed down, staff are encouraged not to work in the building until the fall. However, if you do work in the building, email or text Peter and continue to sign-in at the front office. The sign-in sheets are 4J’s way of contact tracing if someone were to come down with Covid-19.
- District Admin Updates – Eric Anderson is the new Curriculum Director, the position previously held by Sue Wilson. Eric has served as an elementary, middle, and high school principal. Kay Graham is returning to 4J as an AP at Sheldon. Kay had previously been an AP and small school principal at North before moving to Lowell and Cottage Grove. Positions yet to be filled are the Holt principal, a North AP position, and the Equity, Instruction & Partnership administrator, but downtown has put a hold on admin hires and placements until the future of Corridor is decided.
- Schedule of Upcoming Events:
May 25 (M)
Memorial Day – No School
May 26 (T)
9:30, Focus Class Meeting
11-12:00, Student Lunch
1-2:45pm, Office Hours on Zoom with periods 1-3
May 27 (W)
9:30, Focus Class Meeting
10:00, TLC Meeting
11-12:00, Student Lunch
1-2:45pm, Office Hours on Zoom with periods 4-6
May 28 (H)
11-12:00, Student Lunch
May 29 (F)
9:30, Focus Class Meeting
10:00am, Optional Staff Check In
11-12:00, Student Lunch
4pm, Attendance due
June 1 (M)
9:30am, Focus Class meeting
11-12:00, Student Lunch
1-2:45pm, Office Hours on Zoom with periods 1-3
June 2 (T)
11-12:00, Student Lunch
1-2:45pm, Office Hours on Zoom with periods 4-6
June 3 (W)
9:30, Focus Class Meeting
11-12:00, Student Lunch
June 4 (H)
11-12:00, Student Lunch
June 5 (F)
10:00am, Staff Meeting
11-12:00, Student Lunch
4pm, Attendance Due
Hope you have a great week!
