Madison Middle School

By barsotti_p 　https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2020/11/20/november-20-2020/

This Week’s Schedule:

Hi Madison Staff,

Quick Links: Please make sure you’re signed into your 4J Google Account to access many of these links.

• SPED/Gen Ed Collaboration Log – Please remember that all gen-ed teachers need to be completing this form weekly for each individual prep in which you have Students served on an IEP or a 504 plan. Many thanks to Amy for creating and sharing that template each week!   

MADISON INFORMATION

• Staffing Update: New position at all 4j middle schools. See job posting.   
• December Materials Distribution: Our next distribution will be on Thursday, December 3. That’s only 3 weeks away! As much as you can plan ahead and send things to print shop, please do! Also, unless color copying and/or laminating is absolutely essential, please avoid using those features. Costs add up quickly.   
• Optional Weekly Check In: Linked here is the staff weekly check-in. We’d like to know how you’re doing and be able to offer support for those who need it. Thank you!    

DISTRICT INFORMATION         

• Updates to COVID Protocols: Along with Governor Brown’s two-week restrictions that begin on Wednesday, there are new guidelines from ODE and 4J around COVID protocols. Please read the following updates and changes carefully. There is new information that shifts our current practice. District messaging is coming about these changes, but I wanted to give everyone a heads up before they take full effect.
  • Work From Home If Possible: The governor’s new guidelines go into effect on Wednesday and include asking staff to work from home if possible. If you have a teleworking agreement and are able to work from home, please consider doing so. If you do not have a teleworking agreement and would like to begin working from home, please let me know. The school remains open to staff. If you work in a shared space and plan to work from school, please let me know so I can find other spaces for staff to use so everyone is working alone in their spaces.    
  • Masks & Face Coverings Now Required More Often: Per the new ODE protocols, all staff working on-site MUST wear a mask at all times with only two exceptions: when working in any sized space completely alone or working outside completely alone where the public would not have access to you. To be clear, the 6′ apart rule no longer applies for people sharing rooms or spaces. Masks/face coverings are required when working in the same room as another person even if you are 6 feet apart or more, when moving around the building and there are other people in the building, or when popping your head in to someone else’s private space. If you need an accommodation around face coverings, please contact HR to access the ADA process.  
  • Allowable Face Coverings Updated:
    • Gaiters and face coverings with valves are no longer allowable at 4J work sites. We have face coverings in the office if you need one.
    • Face shields without hoods are not allowed to be the only face covering used. A face shield with a mask is allowable, but if the mask comes off, the face shield is no longer an allowable covering.
    • However, “beekeeper” face shields with an over-the-head hood are allowed. Masks should still be worn underneath and pulled down when students need to see the shape of their mouths for instruction.   

• • Returning Materials: Any materials being returned to the building need to be quarantined for 72 hours before they can be processed and returned to our circulation. This includes iPads, cords, library books, and gifts. Regardless, please be sure to wear PPE to clean the items.    
  • No Direct Hand Off from Person to Person: Use tables to hand out materials or boxes to collect materials so people are not directly in contact with one another. Any materials coming in must be quarantined for 72 hours as explained above.    
  • Meal Time & Breaks: I don’t think this is an issue for most, but staff can no longer eat in the same room together or in an openly shared space. It turns out eating in a restaurant is one of the biggest risks for contracting COVID. Please contact me if you need help finding a space to eat lunch or a snack. Staff are encouraged to stay hydrated and can sip beverages in a shared space. Using the sides of your mask, lower or raise it just enough to take a drink, then immediately replace it.     
  • Metrics Website: If you’re interested, this is the link I use to track the weekly metrics for the COVID reports I have to turn into the state. It defaults to Marion County, so change it to Lane County. It will show you which part of the Return to In-Person Learning we qualify for based on current metrics. Linked here is the metrics explainer from ODE if you’re curious about how our data fits in the with new metrics..    

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND OTHER INFORMATION

• A Note about Thanksgiving:  As Thanksgiving approaches, keep in mind that student conceptions about this holiday often come from classroom activities around the First Thanksgiving as this article from NPR highlights. These conceptions of Native Americans can be both inaccurate and potentially damaging if students are presented with misinformation or “white-washed” versions of history. Additionally, we have students who identify as Native American or Alaskan Native in our school. We owe it to all our students and families to be mindful, accurate, and inclusive when teaching about Thanksgiving. When planning activities, be aware that what most of us learning in school about the “Pilgrims” and “Squanto” and the First Thanksgiving is both history and myth. Thanksgiving activities should not reinforce historical myths and/or stereotypes. If you’re planning on teaching around the topic of Thanksgiving, please either shift the focus to age-appropriate and historically accurate information or to a more personal focus on what students can be thankful for. Some resources on what to avoid and what to teach can be found at the National Museum of the American Indian, Teaching Tolerance and Education World. This Google Doc links to a ton of read aloud stories, primary resources, sites, and other information about Native and Indigenous Peoples. Here is a good article with a Native American Perspective on Thanksgiving as well as one on The True Story of the First Thanksgiving. Also the 4J Natives Program is available for classroom presentations year-round and can offer an accurate picture of Native American culture. See the next item for more details on that. Note: When we share resources like this, please do not hesitate to let us know if they are outdated or do not meet our standards for equity and inclusion. We recognize that despite our best intentions, we may at times share things that need to be updated. Additionally, if you have resources to share, please let us know.       
• 4J NATIVES Program Learning Hub: The 4J NATIVES Program Learning Hub is now up and contains all the recorded presentations, all powerpoint Loom presentations, Powerpoints, stories, book and resource supports, the 4J land acknowledgement, all the SB13 curriculum by grade (4th, 8th, and 10th), the ODE supports for Distance Learning/Teaching and all the curriculum from 8 of the 9 federally recognized tribes of Oregon (The Burns Paiute has not yet provided materials). A general site for Oregon Indians is included, but they are still collecting items to put in that tab. They also have a tab for media and music, but are working on compiling things to put in those tabs. Brenda Brainard who oversees the NATIVES program will join our staff meeting this week to share more about how the program can support students this year.   
• Google Slides Templates: If you’re looking for great pre-made slides templates, check out slidesgo or slidesmania. Slidego has some pretty great education templates including morning meeting slides and choice boards. 

What’s Coming Next Week: 

I hope everyone had a good weekend. Five more weeks until winter break!

Gina and Peter