From Kinsey Martin –
Religion and the Holidays:
- You might remember that religious tolerance and inclusive practices were an area that the majority of our staff rated as very low (i.e. poor experiences with this, as employees in our organization) on our DEI staff survey last year.
- To improve our practices in this area, please review this information (reflection questions on page 1, guidance and resources on page 2) regarding how we can ensure inclusion and belonging for students, families, and staff of all religious and non-religious backgrounds.
- Please review this with your ICCL, share with your whole staff, introduce with your PTO, and/or otherwise ensure your school/team is familiar with this guidance. If you would like to discuss this further or conduct a shared review of your practices, please reach out to Kinsey or to the LEAD Coaches team.
Snow and Ice Removal:
- Please remember that the stairs on the west side of the gym are not considered a primary entrance/exit to our building. Those stairs cannot be kept clear of snow and ice while it is actively snowing or while there is any snow on the roof (please know we have tried). Ice melt cannot be used on the concrete per our district policy AND it makes the problem worse. When conditions are icy please use alternate routes to access the building. I will remind Kids, Inc staff they should do the same.
- Also, be aware of the falling snow from both buildings. The new roof is designed to sluff the snow off the building (to avoid build up). Getting hit with the snow can be quite the shock as Zach can confirm, so we would like you to avoid such a chilly, shocking experience.
MTSS Update
- Tier 1: Part of your SIW on Wendesday 11/9 will be devoted to a Tier 1 MTSS meeting led by our ICCLs.
- Tier 2: On Tuesday 11/15 we will hold our Tier 2 MTSS meetings. Subs will be brought in to cover your classes for a little over an hour. You can see the schedule here to see your exact time for coverage.
- The format for each of these meetings will be very similar to our MTSS meetings from last year with some slight tweaks and changes (upgrades).
First Aid/CPR Training: Our building needs current card holders for First Aid/CPR training. The district is currently offering a blended model for the First Aid/CPR class. The class will be done online with a hands-on skills assessment to follow. The online portion of the class should take about three (3) hours with the skills assessment to follow with a first aid/CPR trainer that will take about 20 minutes. The online course can be done to fit your schedule. Your First Aid/CPR card will not be issued until all portions of class are completed.
The process will be as follows:
- Sign up for the class in Performance Matters
- Michelle Spetic will send you a link from HSI/Medic to get started ([email protected]).
- Please check your Junk Mail if it does not appear in your regular inbox.
- After each section of the online session, there will be a one or two question quiz.
- When scheduled, the hands-on skills assessment schedule will be emailed to you to register if you have completed the online portion. You can only do the in-person skills assessment after you have completed the online portion of the class.
- The in-person skills assessment will be done in 30-minute increments.
- First Aid cards will not be sent out until both portions of the class are completed.
Please reach out to Michelle Spetic if you have any questions.
From Heidi Thomas and Highland’s Culture of Care Team: Here is the link to our 22/23 Highland Culture of Care Folder. This is where our school expectations posters and videos will live. I have also made a copy of all of the Classroom 180 SIW slide decks and added them to the file.
Our next assembly is coming up on November 4th at 1:30. We will NOT have a spirit day that day as we will have just had costume day. One more reminder that Carreer and College day is Nov. 18th. That seems like plenty of dressing up for one month :). Thanks for your flexibility!
- Staff Shout Outs are back! Please fill out this form and we will announce them once a month at our staff meetings!
- Here is our assembly plan and sign up.
- October’s discussion sentence starter is: I aspire to be…
- Character Trait: Courage/Passion
- SEL Focus: Self Awareness
HDESD Culture of Care Survey: As mentioned earlier, the following survey is a tool to help the HDESD Culture of Care team learn how to best support our school moving forward. Survey from Amy Yilik;
https://forms.gle/SQLTRsW7dQXiwM74A
Key Links:
2022-2023 Staff Meetings – Agendas & Notes
PLC Week – PLC Form – ICCLs please use this during your PLC meetings this week.
Week Preview:
- Monday 11/7
- Tuesday 11/8
- 2:30-3:30 Leadership
- Wednesday 11/9
- 1:15-2:10 Staff Meeting
- 2:15-3:15 Tier 2 MTSS Meetings
- 6:00 Speaker Series
- Thursday 11/10
- 2:30-3:15 Safety Team Meeting
- Friday 11/11
- Veteran’s Day – No School
- Blood Drive Highland Gym
FYI – I am not utilizing the comments module for this site. Please come see me, use the “How’s it Going” survey or send an email if you have a question.