Madison Middle School

By barsotti_p 　https://blogs.4j.lane.edu/madisonstaff/2022/01/28/january-28-2022/

Hi Madison Staff,

Thank you for continuing to hang in there. You are so appreciated!

Here are this week’s updates:

MADISON INFORMATION          

• Focus Slides this week are just to intro easyCBM testing. For additional details, please see Gina’s email sent on Thursday.
•  

• ‘Rona Updates: A few updates on all things Coronavirus

  • KN95 Masks Available: Downtown is giving all schools KN95 masks and is ordering more. One mask is good for 5 days and can last longer if cleaned and disinfected. Please come by the office if you’d like one. Tip: If the mask is uncomfortable, consider cutting the straps and placing inside your cloth mask.
        
  • Staff Notifications: As you saw last week, you’ll get a notification if a staff member tested positive AND was in school during their infectious period. Teachers will also receive an email about students who were in their class during their infectious period. 
        
  • Temporary Paid Leave: If staff test positive for COVID, you will qualify for TPL. Staff would enter sick leave in AESOP and a district contact tracer will change it after they’ve spoken to you. 

DISTRICT INFORMATION                                      

• Repeat: EEF Grants Due Feb. 4 – EEF is now accepting grants for round two of the school year. See the EEF Email or EEF Website for details. Unlike in the past, staff may directly submit grants without first going through Site Council. This year, after the Feb. 2 deadline, all submitted grants will then go to Site Council for rank ordering.   

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND OTHER INFORMATION       

• Black History Month Resources – February is Black History Month, so I wanted to pass along this list as a starting point for resources. There are, of course, many other resources available; Rethinking Schools, the Zinn Education Project, and Facing History and Ourselves to name a few. (All credit to Allan Chinn for compiling these resources.)Info on BHM origins:
  • Awesome Video: How Black History Went From a Week to a Month
  • Article: Black History Themes
  • Article: The Man Behind Black History MonthOn Teaching:
  • How to Be an Anti-Racist White Educator
  • What Anti-Racist Teachers Do DifferentlyBlack Youth Leaders and Activists:
  • Past: Youth in the Civil Rights Movement
  • Present: Young Black Activists, Young Black Leaders and Creators Making History Today, Amanda Gorman

  Black History Month 2021
  For 2021, the BHM theme is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity. There’s obviously such a wealth of resources to work with here, but these are a few books related to this theme:
  • Read-aloud: Me and Mama
  • Sony Animation: Hair Love
  • Read-aloud (there are a bunch of other great ones on this YouTube channel): We March

  Lesson plans, etc.:
  • Virtual History Journeys
  • PBS Learning Resources

  Keep in mind that black history and teaching the story of historically of marginalized groups should be a year round-activity and not just a sidebar or novelty to the American history typically taught in U.S. schools. It should be viewed as a central part of the American story.

Next Week at a Glance:

Wishing you a peaceful week,

Gina and Peter