Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

State Assessments: 

• 3rd grade = ELA
• 4th grade = Math
• 5th grade = Science
• Parents can request other tests.  Process for this is TBD.
• All tests are reduced by over 70%.
• Will not likely be used for TAG identification due to significant reduction.
• Testing window is April 13 through June 11.  We can narrow our own testing window down to shorter time frame.
• District is working on a common message for all schools; hoping to see this message in a week or so.

Next week:

• No meetings – conference prep and conferences by your own schedules
• Friday 4/16 – no students

Tentative EBISS Dates: All meetings start at 2:45 and will be in the library.

• K – 5/3
• 1st – 5/10
• 2/3 – 5/11
• 4/5 – 5/21

Picture Day: Thursday, April 29th (only one day now)

Train Your Brain: 2/3 Team only – May 4

Mileage Club: Starts on Tuesday.  Field cohorts only participate.  Parent volunteers will track lap count while standing outside the fence on the Harmon sidewalk.  Will work on some sort of digital leaderboard to display students’ progress.

Safety Team; Next meeting is Thursday 5/6 at 2:45 (In person, Library);  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

Please Mask Up: It’s clear the vaccine has lowered anxiety and increased confidence around our building; I am really grateful for that shift and I am happy to see you feel more comfortable.  I do want to remind you that our students are not vaccinated and are still susceptible to contracting the virus.  We still do not have clear evidence that we cannot pass along the virus to non-vaccinated people which is why we still have the requirement in place.  It’s also about role modeling what we expect from the kids, so please keep those masks on in front of kids.

Safe Touch Schedule This week Heidi will teach SafeTouch to Watt, Greene, Eriksson and Henry. Thank you for your support!

EdTech Bytes newsletter.

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

From Paul Dean – 

Instructional Programs

We know that many people rely upon outside speakers to provide real-world context to course content.  We want virtual tools like WebEx to be the primary option for speakers to engage with our students.  In unique situations where the instructional needs require an onsite demonstration, building leaders can approve speakers to meet outside with students while maintaining normal safety measures.  

Some examples of when this might be appropriate:

• A K-9 demonstration with law enforcement partners
• High school AP physics students teaching a science lesson to a MS/ES class (in outdoor classroom space)
• A botanist visiting a school garden

We still want to restrict non essential visitors so parent volunteers are not allowed at this time during normal school hours.  

Community Gatherings After Hours In Our Schools

We are getting lots of questions regarding sports banquets, awards celebrations and other school-specific gatherings.  Since these events occur outside of the instructional day, we have to refer to the County Risk Sector Guidance instead of RSSL.

This chart is a great overview of the limits placed on gathering sizes and is based upon Deschutes County COVID infection rate.  On Friday, our county is moving from the Moderate to the High category.  The next county reset will be released on Tuesday, April 20th and effective on Friday, April 23rd (it resets every 2 weeks).  

To assist in interpreting the chart, as of Friday, outdoor gatherings in Deschutes County are limited to 15% of outdoor occupancy limits and indoor limits are a maximum of 25% occupancy or 50 people, whichever is smaller.  Since most of our indoor cafeterias, gyms and auditoriums have large occupancy capacity, in most situations you’ll be limited to no more than 50 total people for an indoor event.   Click here for steps to determine outdoor occupancy

BLS recommends that events be planned for outdoors and then move indoors should the weather require it.  For both indoor and outdoor events, BLS requires that:

• No serving of food/drink is permitted  
• Events be coordinated so that there is no overlapping use of spaces with sports/other activities
• Custodians be involved so that they are aware of cleaning needs
• A specific person is responsible that all COVID-19 safety measures are met

NEWPORT CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT UPDATE

APRIL 8, 2021

*     NEWPORT AVENUE FROM NW 7TH STREET TO JUST WEST OF NW 9TH STREET IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED. THE INTERSECTION WILL BE UNDER CONSTRUCTION FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS 

SAFETY FIRST: Please follow detour signage for the safest route around the construction corridor. Use safe speeds along the detour routes and continue to be considerate of pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:

Week of April 8th-April 15th

Newport Corridor Improvements – Segment 1

• The next phase of work along Nashville Avenue and the 9^th Street – Newport Avenue roundabout will be daytime work. Daytime work hours will be in effect from 7 am – 5:30 pm.
• This segment of work will include the closure of the NW 9th Street and NW Newport Avenue roundabout and closure of NW Nashville Ave. (see Segment 1 illustration below).
• Access to all area businesses along the construction corridor will be maintained.
• Access to businesses between 9th and 11th Streets can also be found using rear alley and rear parking areas.
• All Businesses along the Newport corridor remain open during construction. Please continue to support the local business community.
• We are working to increase the number of blue, business-open signs in the area and hope to have more installed next week.
• Traffic near to Highland School will be impacted by Segment 1 construction. Now more than ever, awareness of pedestrian/student traffic becomes paramount.
• Pavement removal begins on Nashville and Newport between 7th and 10th.
• Storm drain and basin work begins.
• Traffic control measures will be implemented between on 9th Street between NW Ogden Avenue and NW Portland Avenue next week.
• The short segments of 10th Street, north and south of Newport Avenue, will be paved and reopened this Friday, April 9.
• Paving of 12th Street between NW Ogden Avenue and NW Portland Avenue  Is scheduled for this Friday, April 9. Watch for flaggers.

*Construction is dependent on weather conditions and other factors.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS:

The 9th Street – Newport Avenue roundabout is officially closed.

CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONE:

 SEGMENT 1 ILLUSTRATION

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

·       Access to all businesses will be maintained.

·       EMS, buses and many other delivery/service providers have been included on this distribution list.

·       Please help us in spreading the word to your clients, customers, and delivery personnel regarding detouring and closures.

·       Share the website information where others can also sign up for updates.  https://www.bendoregon.gov/newportimprovements  – Use the PROJECT UPDATES button. 

·       If you are not the correct contact for your organization and/or others need to be included, you can respond directly to this email.

·       If you choose to not receive these weekly updates, please respond – UNSUBSCRIBE– thank you.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

24 Hour Construction Phone Line:  541-200-6972.

Project Website:  https://www.bendoregon.gov/newportimprovements

Project Contacts: Drew Wells – City of Bend Project Engineer – [email protected]– 541-588-0581

                            Ron Hand – Project Public Involvement Coordinator – [email protected] – 541-385-4772

Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

New Line Up Spots:

• Ukiah – West side of gym
• Cami – front part of courtyard between gym & main building
• Marieka – courtyard ramp between gym & main building
• Marina – playground (add 4th line next to JJ*, Cam, & Becky H.)  Enter via southeast door.
• JJ – enter via southwest door ahead of Kindergarten
• Alicia – Keep the same line up
• Amber – Keep the same line up
• Anna – Line up between fence and trees along the bus stop area.
• Jennifer -Line up along fence (inside)
• All Kinder stay the same.
• Misha, Becky E, Cam, Becky H – stay the same

The Latest RSSL Guidance on Lunch

The primary RSSL requirement for meals is to maintain 6 feet of distancing whether students are eating indoors or outdoors.  The following are promising practices to consider as you meet with your safety team to devise your meal plan.  

• Eat outdoors whenever possible
• If your lunch time exceeds 15 minutes, consider requiring students to put masks back on after 15/20 minutes and pull them down over their mouth as needed to eat/drink for the reminder of the period.
• Distribute students across multiple common spaces to avoid overcrowding in any one area
• Supervise for physical distancing especially while masks are off
• There are no firm occupancy limits in common areas

State Assessments: This is happening!  The state’s waiver was not approved, however don’t panic – this is totally manageable.

In a nutshell:

• OSAS is happening, but the tests are shorter and not all grade levels are required to take all subjects…but all subjects normally given at a grade level are available for families who want their child to take those tests.
• Opt-out procedures are the same as other years—it applies only to ELA and Math. Science remains a separate exemption process.
• Test window is April 13 – June 11.
• Training requirements are similar to previous years.
• Data will be reported publicly but not used for accountability.

Next week:

• Wednesday 4/7 – quick staff meeting check-in – library in-person at 1:15-1:30  (Thursday staff meeting will be canceled)
• There will not be much more scheduled on Wednesdays or after school other days in the next few weeks to allow as much time as possible for you to complete conferences.

Most Recent Guidance on Conferences:

Recognizing the preparation needed to return all students to full time in person learning and hoping to give our staff as much flexibility as possible, we have scheduled parent conferences to begin as early as Thursday, April 1st, and to be completed by Friday, April 30th. Each different level has different expectations about the total number of hours that staff are expected to engage in conferences. Because of the limited hours available at both the middle and high school level, teachers should prioritize conferences with families of students who are struggling the most and/or with families who, because of language barriers, have had limited interaction with the teacher(s) or school.

Conferences may be scheduled at any time outside of student contact time.

As a reminder, all conferences should be either virtual or over the phone.

Safety Team; Next meeting is Thursday 5/6 at 2:45 (In person, Library);  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

Safe Touch Schedule This week Heidi will teach SafeTouch to Watt, Greene, Eriksson and Henry. Thank you for your support!

Picture Days:

• Thursday, April 29th – K, 1 & 4/5 (cohort A)
• Friday, April 30th –  2/3, 4/5 (cohort B) 

TLC Update

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

We are taking a short newscast break as I am teaching SafeTouch but have no fear, Brian is going to help record one on Thursday or Friday for the following week! 

Reminder about retention  – This year we expect more inquiries than normal about retention.  This is to be expected because some parents are concerned with lost learning time.  To help navigate this topic during conferences here are some talking points:

• DO NOT BRING UP RETENTION.  If a parent brings up retention, listen to their concern and let them know that you will talk with me.

• Retention is a topic that often comes up at conferences.
• We have heard more than the typical interest in retention for the next school year.
• Retention will be handled the same way as in past years.
• Teachers should not bring up the topic of retention at conferences.
• If a parent brings up retention, the teacher should listen to their concern and let them know they will talk with the principal.
• All retention conversations should start with the principal.
• If a parent is seriously interested in retention, they can initiate the process by completing this form.

NEWPORT CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT UPDATE

APRIL 1, 2021

*     INTERSECTION OF NEWPORT AVENUE AND NW 9TH STREET WILL BE CLOSED APRIL 5TH

*     NEWPORT AVENUE FROM NW 7TH STREET TO NW 10TH STREET WIL BE CONTINUALLY CLOSED FOR APPROXIMATELY 5 MONTHS 

SAFETY FIRST: Construction brings changes to surface conditions in and around the area. Please follow designated detours and other construction signage carefully. Be mindful of your surroundings as a pedestrian or cyclist.

CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS:

Last week’s waterline work at Newport and 10th Street.

CONSTRUCTION WORK ZONE:

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:

Week of April 5th-April 9th

Newport Corridor Improvements – Segment 1

• The next phase of work is set to begin the week of April 5. Segment 1 will be daytime work.
• This segment of work will include the closure of the NW 9th Street and NW Newport Avenue roundabout and closure of NW Nashville Ave. (see Segment 1 illustration below)
• Daytime work hours will be in effect from 7 am – 5:30 pm.
• Access to area businesses of the NW 9th Street Roundabout will be maintained.
• Traffic near to Highland School will be impacted by segment 1 construction. Now more than ever, awareness of pedestrian/student traffic becomes paramount.
• Short segments of NW 10th Street will be closed for the next week. Work hours transition to 7 am – 5:30 pm See ‘work zone’ in the image below.

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

• Access to all businesses will be maintained.
• EMS, buses and many other delivery/service providers have been included on this distribution list.
• Please help us in spreading the word to your clients, customers, and delivery personnel regarding detouring and closures.
• Share the website information where others can also sign up for updates.  https://www.bendoregon.gov/newportimprovements  – Use the PROJECT UPDATES button. 
• If you are not the correct contact for your organization and/or others need to be included, you can respond directly to this email.
• If you choose to not receive these weekly updates, please respond – UNSUBSCRIBE– thank you.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

24 Hour Construction Phone Line:  541-200-6972.

Project Website:  https://www.bendoregon.gov/newportimprovements

Project Contacts: Drew Wells – City of Bend Project Engineer – [email protected]– 541-588-0581

                            Ron Hand – Project Public Involvement Coordinator – [email protected] – 541-385-4772

It just keeps gettin’ gooder an’ gooder!

I am so sorry to share this, but it looks like we will be moving again. We still need some more concrete numbers from the RSSL update, so I will share the new room assignments at a later time but it’s fair to say that we have quite a few rooms to pack up and prepare. Our moving days will tentatively be April 1st and 2nd. Please email me or call me with questions. I will also link a place for an ongoing Q&A.

Return K-5 Q&A

Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

2021-2022 Staffing Survey – Please complete the survey prior to leaving for spring break.

Energy Savings over break: District Doc

Next week (after spring break):

• Monday 3/29 – Leadership – 2:45-3:30 Room 13
• Tuesday 3/30 – 4/5 EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13
• Wednesday 3/31 – Culture of Care – 2:45-3:30 Room 2 Postponed
• Thursday 4/1 – Safety Team Meeting – 2:45-3:30 Room 13 Postponed

Safety Team; Next meeting is Thursday 4/1 at 2:45 (In person, room 13);  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

Picture Days:

• Thursday, April 29th – K, 1 & 4/5 (cohort A)
• Friday, April 30th –  2/3, 4/5 (cohort B) 

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

Our FYI data is showing us that we have some work to do with teaching kids about impulse control. This is coming from k/1 mostly but it’s a good thing to work on with all kids! I am going to include a short video in our next newscast that has to do with the Zones of Regulation and Impulse Control. Our wonderful work fairies cut out a bunch of badge sized Zone Cards (with Inside Out Characters on them 🙂 I put them in the pocket chart outside of Nessie’s Nest if you would like one. 

Highland Piper Newscast: We will be recording the next newscast on Monday, March 29th during morning recess. I will send it out shortly after. Thank you!

RSSL Update from Paul:   This short document 

NEWPORT CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT UPDATE

MARCH 17, 2021

THE NEWPORT CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT BEGINS NEXT WEEK

Hello and Welcome to the Newport Avenue Improvement Project Outreach information distribution list.  We will be sending out regular project updates over the next several months to keep you informed of project progress, schedule, and construction notifications. Additionally, a project website has been set up where additional information may be found. Website and other contact information is provided at the end of this email.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE:

Week of March 18 through 24 – 10^th Street Waterline work

·       Night work at the NW 10th Street and Newport Avenue intersection will be initiated Sunday night, March 21. Work hours will be from 8 pm – 7 am, Sunday for 5 nights, through Thursday night.

·       This closure is needed for replacement of an aging water line.

·       Business accesses will be maintained from NW Ogden, NW Milwaukee, and alley ways between NW 9th and NW 11th Streets.

·       Newport Avenue will be open to through traffic during daytime hours.

·       Detours will route traffic onto NW 9th and NW 11th Streets.

·       Following the night work, short segments of NW 10th Street will be closed for day work, for approximately 2 weeks. See ‘work zone’ in the image below.

PROJECT UPDATE:

Newport Corridor Improvements – Segment 1

• The next phase of work is set to begin the week of April 5. Segment 1 will be daytime work. Work hours will be from 7 am – 5:30 pm.
• This segment of work will include the closure of the NW 9th Street and NW Newport Avenue roundabout and closure of NW Nashville Ave
• Updates to this project will be provided in the weeks to come.

PROJECT COMMUNICATIONS

• Access to all businesses will be maintained.
• EMS, buses and many other delivery/service providers have been included on this distribution list.
• Please help us in spreading the word to your clients, customers, and delivery personnel regarding detouring and closures.
• Share the website information where others can also sign up for updates.  https://www.bendoregon.gov/newportimprovements  – Use the PROJECT UPDATES button. 
• If you are not the correct contact for your organization and/or others need to be included, you can respond directly to this email.
• If you choose to not receive these weekly updates, please respond – UNSUBSCRIBE – thank you.

QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

24 Hour Construction Phone Line:  541-200-6972.

Project Website:  https://www.bendoregon.gov/newportimprovements

Project Contacts: Drew Wells – City of Bend Project Engineer – [email protected]– 541-588-0581

                            Ron Hand – Project Public Involvement Coordinator – [email protected] – 541-385-4772

Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

2021-2022 Staffing Survey – Please complete the survey prior to leaving for spring break.

Equitable Grading Practices: This past Wednesday Doug Reeves provided a very thought-provoking presentation on equitable grading practices.  Although the session sounds like it is geared toward the secondary level, there are very important implications for the elementary level.  The session was recorded so if you were unable to attend, I highly recommend you watch the recorded presentation.  A recording of the March 10 WebEx session with Dr. Reeves is available in Performance Matters: https://bend.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/learning2/course/viewCourseSearch?courseId=10304

Student Illness Reporting: Please remember to keep all student illness/symptom information confidential; Do not talk about it in front of your students.  Unless you have information from the parent about an illness, you do not report anything other than the absence.  Please do not report absences or suspected reasons for the absences to Angelina.  Using another student’s story about a student’s absence is not an appropriate source to report.  

Conferences: Please reach out to families this week to start your sign-up process for conferences.  If you need help with creating a google form (survey) or simply use a public sign-up sheet google doc – please let me know and I am happy to help.  Conferences are still expected to be via WebEx or phone.  

Sparrow:  Here is the link mentioned in the meeting on Thursday.   Sparrow Virtual Assembly Launch for Millie: https://youtu.be/TV8PGsn5q_U (Total time… 9:19)  Please show this to your students this week.

3/11/21 Staff Meeting Notes

Next week:

• 3/16 Tuesday: 2/3 EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13
• 4/5 EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13 – This meeting will be moved to Tuesday 3/30.

Picture Days:

• Thursday, April 29th – K, 1 & 4/5 (cohort A)
• Friday, April 30th –  2/3, 4/5 (cohort B) 

Safety Team; Next meeting is Thursday 4/1 at 2:45 (In person, room 13);  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

TLC Update

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

Highland Piper Newscast has begun! I will record the newscast on Thursdays or Fridays and have it sent out to you by Friday afternoon. Please watch and/or send out the newscast on Monday morning! Thank you!

Here’s Paul’s more official message regarding any potential changes to RSSL:

This is a reminder that BLS are required to follow RSSL guidance for all on site activities occurring within the school day.  When the CDC puts out new guidance like they did yesterday for vaccinated people, it does not immediately apply to BLS.  Therefore, the masking requirements of RSSL remain in effect within our schools for all people, including vaccinated staff.

Generally, when the CDC releases new guidance, it begins a conversation at the state level within the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) about what language will be adopted in our state.  OHA and ODE work in conjunction with one another in applying new guidance to the next version of RSSL for all schools.  We expect a new RSSL update on 3/19 (yes, the day before spring break).

Once OHA takes a stance, then local health departments get involved.  BLS works closely with Deschutes County Health Services to align their practices and ours.  Then, through Julianne/Tami/Lora,  something is shared with our school communities.

A long story short, please don’t change any practices within our schools without first receiving communication from our district.

Thumbs up to another exciting week.  Shout out to Ashley and Shawna for helping this kiddo deal with a little metal in the thumb. This one really tugged at the heart-strings!

Shout Out Ticket  

Appreciation: This past week was national classified employee appreciation week.  Our typical Highland tradition has always been to combine classified and licensed employees into one week for “All Staff Appreciation” which we celebrate in May.  I just wanted to provide a note to let you know we didn’t forget you and your Highland-style appreciation is coming in May.  Thanks for all you do for our kids.

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

Dear Highland Staff,

As our 2-3 classes finish the People of the Longhouse Storyline, we would like to invite you to watch Dawnland at time that fits your schedule.  With Shawna’s help, we have purchased a one year license for the school.  This film gives us a glimpse into the Wabanaki Nation’s work around the foster care system and restoration of culture.  Please keep the link and password within the Highland staff.

Gratefully,

Anna, Cam, Marieka, Marina,  Misha & J.J.

Film site:   https://vimeo.com/496979751

Password: four.green.pear

More information:  

https://dawnland.org

DAWNLAND – A Documentary about Cultural Survival and Stolen Children – Now Available for PurchaseEmmy® winning documentary film on stolen children and cultural survival. Going behind the scenes of the Maine-Wabanaki truth and reconciliation commission.dawnland.org

The latest from Tami on Quarantine recommendations – They do not apply to individuals arriving to Oregon from other states or countries or Oregon residents returning from other states or countries if:

•  They have received both doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of a single-dose vaccine if it becomes available), 

• AND 
  • It has been at least 14 days since their final dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 
• AND 
  • They have no COVID-19 symptoms. 

Individuals should still monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms during the 14 days after travel and, if symptoms develop, they should self-isolate and seek testing

Next week:

• 3/8 Monday: Kindergarten EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13
• 3/9 Tuesday: 1st Grade EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13
• 3/11 Thursday: Staff Meeting – 2:45-3:30 Webex

Next, next week:

• 3/16 Tuesday: 2/3 EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13
• 3/18 Thursday: 4/5 EBISS – 2:45-3:30 Room 13

Picture Days:

• Thursday, April 29th – K, 1 & 4/5 (cohort A)
• Friday, April 30th –  2/3, 4/5 (cohort B) 

Safety Team; Next meeting is Thursday 4/1 at 2:45 (In person, room 13);  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

Lexia/Dreambox – I am really sorry about the Lexia fails this week – I promise I am not sabotaging it to keep the ice cream for myself. If Lexia acts up again, then instruct your kids to switch to Dreambox – don’t waste time trying to troubleshoot something that impacts so many kids at once. Even with those blips in our usage this week, I still think we are on track for the goal. Your kids could also submit a formal protest and get a small extension to our goal too…(=

TLC Update

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

Highland Piper Newscast has begun! I will record the newscast on Thursdays or Fridays and have it sent out to you by Friday afternoon. Please watch and/or send out the newscast on Monday morning! Thank you!

Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

Lexia Celebrations – For our grade levels who are already meeting the usage goals;

• K = 61% of students are accessing grade level material and 39% are accessing above grade level
• 1st  =62%of students are accessing grade level material and 30% are accessing above grade level
• 2nd/3rd = 55% of students are accessing grade level material and 25% are accessing above grade level
• 4th/5th grade usage is on the rise, but I anticipate some high percentages of students at or above when they hit that mark.

Dreambox Celebrations – the graph below shows growth in grade levels for two groups of students; 1. Students completing 5 or more lessons and 2. Students completing between 2 and 5 lessons.

TAG – Linked below is an updated TAG List.  This shows students already identified for TAG and it shows students on our “watch list”.  Please take a look and let me know if you notice anything that needs editing.  If you see a student of yours who already has a 97th %ile test score, then we need to move on a 2nd piece of evidence.  It’s important to remember that a 97th %ile or better on any nationally normed standardized test is challenging to achieve.  The purpose of the TAG identification process is often to identify those students who don’t always demonstrate successful classroom performance.  The TAG label is also the only educational label that shows a higher rate of graduation compared to any other label or the general population.

2020-2021 TAG List

Message from Dave Van Loo regarding State Assessments – Many of you may have heard narratives in the news that the US Dept. of Education is requiring state tests this spring or that they are not approving any waivers to state testing. None of that is quite correct. Here are a few thing we do know–

• Oregon has submitted a waiver from testing this year
• ODE has not heard whether the waiver has been approved, and they will be working directly with USDOE in the coming weeks on the waiver and testing requirements
• We do not know definitively if or when state testing will be required
• If testing is required, ELA and Mathematics tests will be substantially shortened from previous years
• If testing is required, it will be completely decoupled from accountability
• Oregon’s test window will not open prior to April 13

Next week:

• Tuesday: Leadership – 2:45-3:30 room 13
• Wednesday: Culture of Care – 2:45-3:30 Anna’s room
• Friday: Safety Team – 2:45-3:30 room 13

We will be discontinuing the Family Connections Team Meetings now that we have students back in school.

Picture Days:

• Thursday, April 29th – K, 1 & 4/5 (cohort A)
• Friday, April 30th –  2/3, 4/5 (cohort B) 

Safety Team; Next meeting is Friday 3/5 at 2:45 (In person, room 13);  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

TLC Update

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

Highland Piper Newscast has begun! I will record the newscast on Thursdays or Fridays and have it sent out to you by Friday afternoon. Please watch and/or send out the newscast on Monday morning! Thank you!

Fun Cultural Fact; today is a Jewish minor holiday known as Purim (it started at sun down last night and goes until sundown tonight).  It celebrates a story of a time when a plot to destroy the Jewish people by a man called Hamman was thwarted by a princess or queen known as Ester.  (There’s obviously more to the story but that’s the one-liner.)  Since many Jews do not observe Halloween, the celebratory nature, costumes and abundance of sweets usually associated with Purim cause many to compare the two holidays.  There’s also an abundance of hamantaschen (Hamman’s ears) which are triangular shaped pastry filled with a variety of yummy fillings.  If you get the opportunity to try one, don’t skip it!

Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

Next week:

• Thursday 2/25 Morning Fire Drill (Unfortunately we will need to double up on Fire Drills to ensure both cohorts are addressed each month – sorry but this requirement is out of our control)
• Thursday 2/25 2:45-3:30 Staff Meeting

SIWs – I will continue to do my best to leave these open as much as possible.  If you or your team is feeling the need to dedicate one of these afternoons to a particular purpose, please talk to me and we’ll schedule it, but otherwise, I do know you need time more than anything else and protecting these afternoons is the best we can do for that purpose.

Heads Up – The Newport Corridor Project (AKA – Giant mess with a extra-large side of messiness) is calendared to begin April 5th.  In our newsletter, we will share a digital postcard that will help raise awareness of the project.  If this project remains on time, then all of Nashville and half of Newport will be close to all traffic and parking.  The good news is that I’ve been working with the team to maintain access to our parking lot throughout the project – we should not have any problems getting in and out for our workdays, although there will be some days when the Federal exit will be closed off.  The bad news is mostly for our parents as they will need to learn to park further away and walk.  Like many construction projects, there is always a good chance this will get delayed, but it’s probably a good idea to mentally prepare.

Picture Days:

• Thursday, April 29th – K, 1 & 4/5 (cohort A)
• Friday, April 30th –  2/3, 4/5 (cohort B) 

TAG

IT is working on making the Naglieri testing app available via clever hopefully within the next couple weeks.  I am hoping to get our 2nd graders all screened with this before spring break.  Once the app is active, I’ll set some dates.

If you have parents asking about TAG identification without SBAC, we have a couple options if they request testing;

1. Administer the Naglieri again for their grade level.
2. SAT-10 – we can administer the SAT-10 which is more similar to SBAC.  Unfortunately, these usually have to be administered on a laptop, so our ability to administer is limited by laptops available.

If a student scores in the 97th %ile or above on either of these, then we will need a second piece of evidence ideally in the form of a Teacher Referral (2 different forms are linked below).

• Teacher Referral 1
• Teacher Referral 2

Safety Team; Next meet is Friday 3/5 at 2:45;  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

TLC Update

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

What to do about calm corners? Have no fear, I have a great resource for creating individual “Calm Boxes”. Please reach out to me if you have a student who could benefit from something like this. I also have it in digital form if that something you would be interested in. 

Also, if you are ever looking for an example of how to incorporate SEL into your classroom, I am happy to help. I am even able to teach a sample “mini” lesson. 

Highland Piper Newscast will begin next week! We will record our first one on Tuesday morning and then I will push it out by the afternoon. It will be a work in progress but should be fun!

A message from ODE – We would like to share a new opportunity that ODE is offering called the Promising Practices Idea Exchange. We want to personally reach out to make sure you and your staff are aware of this opportunity for teachers to share stories and strategies for Comprehensive Distance Learning, hybrid and face-to-face teaching and learning success.  Educators from around the state have been asking us to figure out a way to share promising practices and strategies that are engaging our students in learning. Whether schools are teaching face-to-face, via hybrid or fully online in Comprehensive Distance Learning, the exchange of ideas is a way for teachers to collaborate with their peers, learn about and share new strategies, and inspire as well as be inspired.  

Would you please share this flyer with your staff or contact lists that you think might benefit? The Promising Practices Idea Exchange begins on Wednesday, February 17 with a focus on Active Engagement During Synchronous or Asynchronous Learning, with additional bi-weekly sessions through March. You will find a description of the other topics that will be covered, dates and a registration link on the flyer.  And, this is free and open to all Oregon educators. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to send questions to Ken Greenbaum at [email protected] or Carla Wade at [email protected].

People First Language – this a great short read on the power of words and labels.  This is a must-do for an inclusive community and I am constantly working on this myself.

Shout Out Ticket  

FYI Slip

SEL Concerns 

Next week:

• Wednesday 2/17 
  • 2:00-3:30 QPR Training
  • SLGGs due to Brian
• Thursday 2/18 
  • Leadership 2:45-3:30 – room 13

Safety Team; Next meet is Friday 3/5 at 2:45;  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

April Conferences: Reminder →  April 14 and 15.  Conferences are Webex.

TLC Update – 

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

What to do about calm corners? Have no fear, I have a great resource for creating individual “Calm Boxes”. Please reach out to me if you have a student who could benefit from something like this. I also have it in digital form if that something you would be interested in. 

Also, if you are ever looking for an example of how to incorporate SEL into your classroom, I am happy to help. I am even able to teach a sample “mini” lesson. 

Highland Piper Newscast will begin next week! We will record our first one on Tuesday morning and then I will push it out by the afternoon. It will be a work in progress but should be fun!

Support Staff – As our comfort level increases there is a natural movement of our support staff toward our classrooms and working with students.  All support staff will be using a yellow sheet to record their contact tracing information when they work with students.  It is imperative that we are utilizing our support staff for the most essential needs.  If you have a positive case turn up in your classroom, it’s inevitable that we will quarantine the entire class.  If we are asking support staff to work in multiple rooms with students we are creating a situation where all those rooms will be quarantined due to one case.

Quarantine Mental Preparation – The chances of us needing to quarantine either as an individual or as a class are still significant.  It’s important to spend some time preparing for that event.  A few other schools are already going through this process and the rest of us have an opportunity to learn from the experience.  Some key points for you all to consider;

• Plan for CDL.  Use previous plan or modify?
• Communicate CDL plan with families asap.
• Rob & Scott – plan for addressing a missing class or classes due to quarantine.
• Plan for getting materials home.  Since you will be at home, you will likely need to do this through me, Shawna and Ashley.  Shawna already picked up 300 paper sacks to be ready.
• Go Bags for Students – provide a list of everything that needs to be in this bag and we can work on the distribution from school.  (ipads, homework folder, etc.)
• Go Bags for Teachers (list) – materials you might need at home should be stored in a place where we can grab them and bring them to you.  (laptop, doc cam, TEs, etc.)
• Emergency sub plans – create a plan that can be used any day
• Team up – work as a team to create these plans.
• Don’t stress – we will work through it and it does not need to be perfect.

EBISS Follow Up:

Data we will examine:

• Lexia Usage – 70% or better
• Lexia Progress % in grade level material – looking for growth, more blue and less gray
• Classroom Data – varies by grade level

• Dreambox Usage – at least 5 lesson per week
• Dreambox % On Track from Predictive Insights Report
• Classroom Data – varies by grade level

• FYI Slips

• Attendance

Clarity on what is changing:

• No more dibels – Lexia is the primary data point and it also serves for instruction and potentially intervention.
• No more easyCBM – Dreambox is the primary data point and it also serves for instruction and potentially intervention.
• Classroom data – a second data set is required from your grade levels prior to moving a student into any intensive interventions outside your classroom or with another staff member.
• Increased emphasis on the analysis of core* instruction and classroom intervention- 
  • Are we subjecting students to the appropriate expectations and standards?  High standards are important as long as we don’t artificially create “intervention” students who are within their typical range for their age.  A student should not be excluded from their peers simply because they do not have the same background knowledge, privilege or home support systems.
  • What are the interventions you are using in the classroom to address the need and what does the progress look like?
  • Is the need for intervention for any particular student/group a result of their own brain/behavior or is it a result of the instruction being provided?  
• Data-based decisions –  The decision to move a student into a more intensive intervention must be supported by both Lexia/Dreambox data and Classroom data.  (Placing students in reading groups because they were in last year is not a data-based decision.)
• Reduction of pull-out reading groups; in the time of COVID these would create the potential for our staff to become superspreaders and the capacity of our building does not support this practice.

*I understand our “core” is different from the core at other schools.  With our blends and use of novels, we are not referring to Wonders or Everyday Math only.  For us the term core needs to be defined as the essential teaching we do for each grade level and it should be consistent across the classes.  It’s also important to recognize that Storyline plays a crucial role in our core instruction, however, it’s really challenging to put it into the multi-tiered support system context (I have to thank Cameron for this insight!).

Next steps:

• Continue your great work with your students.
• Work on fitting the Lexia and Dreambox pieces in your daily/weekly routines.
• If the lexia skill builders can be worked into your lesson design, then put them in, but if it’s not working then leave these out for now.
• Looking for resources to help teach reading? Ask Heidi E. She is a wealth of knowledge and/or revisit her email about what she has to offer. 
• Work with your GL team to determine classroom data to be considered for decision making.  
  • We need this to be something that allows for comparison across your classes.  How can we display the data and sort to see patterns?
  • The data should be measurements of age and grade-level appropriate standards.  
  • Your grade level rep should meet with me to figure out how to organize and display this data for our meetings.  I can help with this work if you let me.
• In March, we will look at the combination of Lexia/Dreambox data and classroom data to determine changes to entire class instruction to meet the needs of all students.
• In May, we will look at the data again to determine if and what more individualized, intensive interventions might need to be implemented for students still failing to meet progress (IPS). 

Other considerations;

• Attention and anxiety versus reading ability – this is something we need to learn more about.  When attention or anxiety concerns are interfering with reading ability – we should provide interventions for attention or anxiety before assuming it’s a problem with reading ability.  Using reading intervention to address attention or anxiety issues can be more damaging than helpful.
• Priorities – when you are feeling pressed for time, it’s usually because everything is becoming a number 1 priority in your mind.  Pull back on your pace.  Build in some time to play with your students and don’t feel like you need to “get back on track” compared to previous years – we are on a completely different track (and it is a different vehicle altogether) right now and that’s OK.

From Kerry Morton, Math Coach – We have a wonderful opportunity!  Teachers Development Group is hosting their Leadership Seminar virtually this year! TLC is able to pay the registration for one participant from each elementary building!   Email your principal by Friday 2/19 if you are interested in this opportunity.

• The theme of the seminar this year is: Lessons Learned from an Extraordinary Year: Insights about How to Enact More Equitable & Inclusive Prek-12 Mathematics Teaching & Professional Learning. You can find a list of speakers and additional information here.
• Dates and times:
  • Wednesday, March 10th 9:00-12:15 (no substitutes available)
  • Thursday, March 11th 3:00-6:15
  • Saturday, March 13th 9:00-12:15
• Participants will be asked to share their learning during a staff meeting at their building and hopefully present an idea during the Innovation Seminar in August.
• Participants will also have the opportunity to register for 1 graduate credit from OSU by completing reflections and a final project based on their learning. More information will be shared at a later time.

Shout Out Ticket  

Revised Oops slip! We are now calling it an FYI Slip. Behavior tracking was a big part of our Culture of Care meeting on Wednesday. The FYI Slip’s purpose is to gather behavior data and look at lagging skills (we used the SEL Competencies) It can be used in the classroom and throughout the school. Please check in with your grade level representative for more details or reach out to me (Heidi T.) if you have any questions. I will also talk a little bit about it at our next staff meeting. 

SEL Concerns Have a concern about a student and want some help braining storming ideas? Or maybe you just want them on our radar? Please use the SEL Concerns form. Thanks!

Observations, Evals, SLGGs – This link will take you to a document with all the revised SLGGS:  We are still required to do 2 SLGGS.  Teacher SLGGs are due February 17th.   Links below are the form and menus of ideas;

• SLGG Form for Elementary
  • Family Engagement SLGG Menu
  • Student Engagement SLGG Menu
  • Social Emotional Learning SLGG Menu

Next week:

• 2/7 Sunday 11:59pm – Report Cards Due
• 2/8 Monday – K Team – 2:45-3:30 – In person in Marci’s room
• 2/9 Tuesday – 1st Grade Team – 2:45-3:30 – In person in Jennifer’s room
• 2/10 Wednesday – 4/5 Team – 8:30-9:30 – In person in Cami’s room
• 2/10 Wednesday – 2/3 Team – 2:30-3:30 – In person in Marieka’s room

Safety Team; Next meet is Friday 3/5 at 2:45;  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.

Rapid Testing – RSSL requires schools to have the capacity to offer rapid COVID-19 tests (BiomaxNOW) available to symptomatic students/staff by March 1.  Here is the rollout timing:

• Week of Feb 1 and 8: District personnel attend OHA trainings and develop district and school based protocols
• Week of February 16:  Information sessions for school personnel; BiomaxNOW registration and testing kiit ordered by each school.
• Week of February 22: Final site coordinator and testing facilitator Q&A
• Week of March 1: Testing available for symptomatic students/staff at each school site

COVID Vaccine Round 2 – As you know, the second round of vaccinations are upon us. What you also may have heard is that 20-30% of those who receive this second vaccination have side effects noticeable enough to keep them out of work for one or more days. Based on your responses about the timing of your 2nd doses we should only expect a few staff to potentially be out on Friday the 12th.  If this happens then we will be covering these absences internally. Disregard. (=

Report Cards & BLPO:  You are not required to do report cards for students in Bend-La Pine On line.  If you are curious about what was communicated to BLPO families click here.  If you want some language to put on their report cards you can use the following;

During Semester 1 of the 2020-21 school year _______ was enrolled in Bend- La Pine Online.  In a brick and mortar school report cards are meant to provide feedback and guidance to the parents/guardian. However, when enrolled in Bend-La Pine Online the learning coach or parent/guardian is the person who is working in close contact with the student and witnessing daily progress. Therefore, there are no semester grades or end of the year report card issued. The learning coach or parent/guardian may access the K12 progress screens or details on student achievement based on the number of lessons completed and the student’s start and end dates. For additional help please contact your BLPO teacher. They will be able to answer questions concerning your student’s progress.

April Conferences: Reminder →  April 14 and 15.  Conferences are Webex.

Reminder: Please try to bring your class into the school between 7:50-7:55 to help with staggering classes into the building. Avoid an all-at-once entry as much as possible.

TLC Update – Really good advice on report cards in this update – please read!

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

What to do about calm corners? Have no fear, I have a great resource for creating individual “Calm Boxes”. Please reach out to me if you have a student who could benefit from something like this. I also have it in digital form if that something you would be interested in. 

Also, if you are ever looking for an example of how to incorporate SEL into your classroom, I am happy to help. I am even able to teach a sample “mini” lesson. 

CDC quarantine recommendations if your family has plans for either domestic or international travel in the months to come. Individuals who have traveled out of state (domestic or international) are recommended to:

• Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home for 7 days after travel. 
  • Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days.
  • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

Also, take these actions for 14 days after you return from travel to protect others from getting COVID-19:

• Stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who did not travel with you, particularly in crowded areas. It’s important to do this everywhere — both indoors and outdoors.
• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces outside of your home, including when using public transportation.
• If there are people in the household who did not travel with you, wear a mask and ask everyone in the household to wear masks in shared spaces inside your home.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness.
• Watch your health: Look for symptoms of COVID-19, and take your temperature if you feel sick.
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html

Are We Teaching the Math Kids Need? – As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Jo Boaler.  This interview is a great read to reinforce the importance of making math class a successful for all students, especially at the elementary level.

Shout Out Ticket  

Snow Creations Approach – The creation and “destruction” of the snow dragon provides a great learning opportunity if the topic comes up in your classroom. 

The first thing to consider is ensuring all students are supported and taught in the situation, not just the majority.  Take a non-judgmental approach and avoid the automatic attachment of negativity to the “destruction” and positive meaning to the “creation”.  The typical, predictable school response is to choose a side is a great example of dominant culture thinking; elevating the status of the creators over the destroyers.  This misses the mark of this opportunity by a long shot as both sets of behaviors can be positive and important.  

The need to decompose, break down, take apart or explore is a natural behavior in children and it should not be immediately connected to maliciousness.  It’s also a valuable behavioral component to creativity.  As a kid, I spent countless hours building sandcastles with friends which inevitably we destroyed (our own and each other’s) with equal gusto.  We were not being malicious or mean in any way and I can tell you in retrospect we applied the destruction experience to the construction of our next round of castles. 

While I understand the desire to preserve one group’s creation as art, it is essentially giving them ownership over something that belongs to nobody.  The expectation that every fairy house, snow dragon and any other creation will be preserved at recess is not a reasonable expectation.  It’s better to encourage students to snap a mental photo to preserve the creation in their memory rather than impose restrictions on others.  If I am not mistaken this will be aligned with how our K and 1st-grade classes approach similar issues with lego and other construction pieces during choice time.  (The spaceship you build today may not be there the next time.)

This is a great perspective-taking exercise.  To the students who build the dragon, their creation was a positive thing and they feel it’s entitled to be protected.  The next group of students coming out to play may not share that perception because all the soft and malleable snow was used up by the creation.  Neither group is right nor wrong; both sets of perceptions are valuable.

2nd Vaccinations – HR asked us to use this survey to help plan for potential absences.  Please complete this survey as soon as you get a few minutes.

Observations, Evals, SLGGs – This link will take you to a document with all the revised information regarding observations, evals and slggs.  Below is the reader’s digest version:

Evaluations: Teachers on Eval cycle will be focusing on specific, reducnced number of domains and standards shown below. 

• Domain 1 (Planning and Preparation)
• Standard 3.13 (Clarity)
• Standard 4.16 (Criteria and Recognition)
• Domain 5 (Family and Community Outreach)
• Standard 6.24 (Professionalism)

Observations: 

• Probationary/Temporary Teachers:  two formals completed by March 15th and one mini.  One instructional and/or non-classroom observation. Administrator choice. 
• Contract Teachers on Evaluation Cycle:  three minis total.  Two instructional minis.  One can be an instructional or non-classroom observation.  Administrator choice.  
• Contract Teachers not on Evaluation Cycle:  Two mini observations.  One instructional. One can be an instructional or a non-classroom observation.  Administrator choice. 
• It is expected that a feedback conference is held within 2 working days of the mini observations.

SLGGS:

We are still required to do 2 SLGGS.  Teacher SLGGs are due February 17th.   Links below are the form and menus of ideas;

• SLGG Form for Elementary
  • Family Engagement SLGG Menu
  • Student Engagement SLGG Menu
  • Social Emotional Learning SLGG Menu

1/28/21 – Staff Meeting Notes and Q&A

Next week:

• Culture of Care Team Meeting; Wednesday 2/3 2:45
• Safety Team; Next meet is Thursday 2/4 at 2:45;  Safety Team Notes – Please input any safety concerns or questions on this document for the team to consider.
• Semester End Workday; Friday 2/5 – no students

EBISS

To get our EBISS up and running again we will start with the following meetings (in-person, room 6);

• Monday 2/8 – Kindergarten 2:45-3:30 
• Tuesday 2/9- 1st grade 2:45-3:30
• Wednesday 2/10 – 4/5 Team 8:30-9:30
• Wednesday 2/10 – 2/3 Team 2:00-3:00

During these meetings, we will spend a little time discussing the “why” behind the shift and the remaining time will be establishing the core standards and data to be used for our decision-making for future EBISS meetings.  Lexia and Dreambox will play a crucial role in EBISS, so based on my last check with these two programs we will need to get our usage to a consistent level.

April Conferences: There was a mistake about conferences. Initially conferences were published as April 7 and 8.  They are actually April 14 and 15.  It has been corrected online but it is likely we will need reminders for families.

Report Cards – This year, more than most, it is VERY important that all semester 1 report cards are completed by Monday, Feb. 8. On this date all students who are moving from brick and mortar school into either BLPSO or district CDL will be dropped from your enrollment.

TLC Update

SEL Menus  We have 10 SEL menus for you to choose from! 

What to do about calm corners? Have no fear, I have a great resource for creating individual “Calm Boxes”. Please reach out to me if you have a student who could benefit from something like this. I also have it in digital form if that something you would be interested in. 

Also, if you are ever looking for an example of how to incorporate SEL into your classroom, I am happy to help. I am even able to teach a sample “mini” lesson. 

COVID Valentines Day Guidance – The information below was circulated by some other principals after conversations with Paul;

•Valentine cards will need to follow the same safe handling rules as all materials. We plan to have students bring their Valentines to school and distribute them in individual boxes by Tuesday, 2/9.  The boxes will then sit until Friday, February 12th, when students will open them at Valentine parties.

•Any candies brought need to be sealed airtight – i.e., foil-wrapped Hershey Kisses are not airtight.

•If students bring their Valentine cards with less than 72 hours to sit, their cards can be laid out on a table and misted with the electrostatic machines.

Settled Science of Reading – The whitepaper linked here is incredibly important for us to use as we face the gaps in foundational skills that will likely exist with students.  The research is clear that balanced literacy instruction is a must for elementary students, but the urgency is exponentially higher during the recovery from this pandemic.  If we are not providing the skill work along with the deeper thinking work, we will not set our students up for success.

Avoiding Three Unfortunate Statements in Math Classes

            In this Edutopia article, math teacher Rachel Fuhrman says her New Orleans students are surprised when she tells them she hated math when she was in middle school. “I explain to them that the main thing I didn’t like about the subject was that my teacher made me feel like I was bad at it.” Fortunately Fuhrman had lots of other teachers who sparked an abiding love for the subject. But since becoming a teacher and visiting other classrooms, she’s heard statements like those that almost turned her off math. Three examples:

            • This is so easy. When students who don’t think they are good at math hear a teacher say this, the message is unmistakable. “By calling something ‘easy,’” says Fuhrman, “we devalue the experience of those students who find it difficult, and create a space that does not welcome their struggle or their questions.” Those who lack confidence will be hesitant to raise their hand and ask for help.

            • You’re so smart. Praise is important, but it needs to target specific student actions: hard work, courageous risk-taking, determination, attention to detail, use of academic language – not pat students on the head for mathematical intelligence. “When a student who feels like they aren’t a math person hears another student being praised for being ‘so smart,’” says Fuhrman, “it only reinforces the negative attitude that they have toward math class and themselves.”

            • You should already know this. Math is sequential and cumulative, and it’s challenging for teachers when they (frequently) work with students who have gaps in their knowledge and skills. Making this statement to a class not only reinforces I’m-not-a-math-student thinking, says Fuhrman; it “places blame on students for something that may not be their fault” – another teacher didn’t cover it, or failed to teach it to the point of mastery. 

            “The way we speak to our students has an immense impact,” she concludes, “and small changes to what we say can make that impact a positive one.” 

“3 Phrases That Can Demotivate Students in Math Class” by Rachel Fuhrman in Edutopia, December 15, 2020

CDC quarantine recommendations if your family has plans for either domestic or international travel in the months to come. Individuals who have traveled out of state (domestic or international) are recommended to:

• Get tested 3-5 days after travel AND stay home for 7 days after travel. 
  • Even if you test negative, stay home for the full 7 days.
  • If your test is positive, isolate yourself to protect others from getting infected.
• If you don’t get tested, it’s safest to stay home for 10 days after travel.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness for 14 days, whether you get tested or not.

Also, take these actions for 14 days after you return from travel to protect others from getting COVID-19:

• Stay at least 6 feet/2 meters (about 2 arm lengths) from anyone who did not travel with you, particularly in crowded areas. It’s important to do this everywhere — both indoors and outdoors.
• Wear a mask to keep your nose and mouth covered when you are in shared spaces outside of your home, including when using public transportation.
• If there are people in the household who did not travel with you, wear a mask and ask everyone in the household to wear masks in shared spaces inside your home.
• Wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
• Avoid being around people who are at increased risk for severe illness.
• Watch your health: Look for symptoms of COVID-19, and take your temperature if you feel sick.
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/travel-during-covid19.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/after-travel-precautions.html
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/travelers/map-and-travel-notices.html