Bronco Notes

Together we ride, together we grow!

This week:

• Monday, November 6- No Meetings
• Tuesday, November 7- No Meetings
• Wednesday, November 8- SIW (PLCs and School Design Plan)
• Wednesday, November 8- Fall Family Fun Night and Title 1 Event, 5:30-7:00
• Thursday, November 9- MTSS Planning Mtg for Admin- PLC Norms/Goals for Grade Levels
• Friday, No School, Veteran’s Day

We need your help!

The areas below continue to take a great deal of time, energy, and problem-solving with students, as we collectively work to create a safe, positive environment for all across the school day. The number of reported behaviors (by students and families) occurring during these times is becoming more concerning.

Please take time to review expectations for these areas with students in the weeks ahead, before recess, lunch, and end of day. Make these conversations part of community circle time. Set goals with students to create change; what is one thing each person can do to make recess or lunch more positive experience, or demonstrate expectations on the bus? Take a few minutes to reflect on classroom or individual goals in a circle after lunch, or at the end of a day. This is where slowing down is essential for the well being of children and our school community. Thank you for supporting this work so that all students feel safe, and have better experiences and increased regulation during learning times.

• Bus Riders
• Bathroom Procedures
• Recess
• Lunch

Safety Drills

In our parent communication on Friday, we notified families that we would have two emergency drills during the week of November 13th, a Secure and a LockDown. We will share the times for these drills in a separate email communication this week.

November 13th we will have a Secure Drill.

When conducting a “secure” drill, students and staff hear the following “This is a secure drill. Get inside, lock outside doors. This is a secure drill.” All exterior doors are checked and assigned staff will monitor the protocol to ensure the building is properly secured.

November 15th we will have a Lock Down Drill

When conducting a “Lockdown” drill, students and staff will hear, “Lockdown. Locks. Lights. Out of Sight”. All doors are locked, interior and exterior, lights are out, screens and TVs off, students and staff move out of sight and remain silent.

We will discuss both drills at SIW and share some language to support students as we practice important SRPs that may bring about different experiences and emotions for students, staff and families. iloveyouguys.org has comprehensive information regarding all drills and I love their K-2 toolkit for talking and practicing with students. Please reach out if you have questions or concerns before we conduct these drills for the first time this year. Again, we will take some time to review on Wednesday to be sure we all feel well prepared. Thank you!

Growth and Goals

On Monday afternoon, you will see this message from HR in your email:

We are kicking off the 2023/24 performance evaluation process!  

This information will follow (document reviewed last week during SIW), in addition to the following update for staff evaluated on Alternate Rubrics:

Certified Staff on Alternate Rubrics: By Monday, 11/13, all certified staff on alternate rubrics will be viewable and ready to initiate. BLS and BEA are still in conversations regarding a possible reduction in their domains/standards for 2023/24.

Once that email is sent, we can initiate our Goal Setting Process in UKG specifically. UKG is new this year, so we will learn and navigate logistics together. Look for a Google doc/ calendar to set up goal-setting meetings in your inbox by Tuesday. We have until December 1st to complete our goal-setting meetings and hope to complete most meetings this week or next.

Fall Family Fun Night is on Wednesday!

Our PTA is working hard to make this an incredible night for students, families, and staff. Hope many of you can make it, bring your family, have some fun, and if you are inclined to help out, there are opportunities to do so. We, Michelle and any takers:), will be serving pizza!

Have an amazing week, Broncos!

With heart,
Michelle

Together we ride, together we grow!

Warm Welcome for Eva!

A warm welcome to Eva Burbach who will be onboarding this week and joining us as our long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, Office Manager. She will be working closely with Denise and other department leads this week, training and preparing for a big job with many responsibilities. Eva is going to be an incredible addition to our Bronco Team. Lucky us!

Week at a Glance

• October 30 to Nov 3- Spirit Week!
• October 30- ICCL 2:30-3:15
• October 31- Staff Connection 2:30-2:45
• November 1- SIW 1:45-3:15 (Updates and Professional Goal Setting)
• November 2- MTSS 3rd-5th (2:30-3:15)
• November 8- SIW (school design plan/PLCs)
• November 8- Family Fall Festival and Title1 Event ( 5:00-7:00)
• November 10- No School

Thank you all for your thoughtful work with students and families last week. Conference days were full and the energy in the building was positive. On Wednesday we will take a few minutes to reflect on our conversations with students and families last week and share a few takeaways to return to next time.

Goal setting is only as powerful as our ongoing process to achieve them. How will our students keep goals alive daily, weekly, and throughout the year? How will we acknowledge and celebrate goals met and more importantly, approximations toward them?

Goal setting is essential component of social emotional development; an action that requires students to engage in self reflection (self awareness), self regulation, and decision making. While we have set goals on paper, it is essential to keep them at the forefront for students and embed growth opportunities in all parts of our school day. I have been thinking about how we will also begin to do this for ourselves and look forward to developing shared goals and plans for achieving them in the weeks ahead. More on the power and possibility in collective and individual goal setting this week!

Staff Goal Setting and Evaluation Information

We will spend time reviewing this information for Certified Staff on Wednesday during SIW.

Certified Evaluation Information

SLGGS Form

Classified Evaluation Information

From DEI:

Helpful guidance and resource for our school community as we approach Spirit week and dress up days. Halloween guidance regarding costumes

As discussed with ICCL we ask that all grade levels please remember that classroom celebrations need to take place in areas that do not disrupt learning or cause potential dysregulation for other students. Keep celebrations focused on seasonal activities that are inclusive and mindful of dietary restrictions. Parent volunteers may be joining your classroom for parts of the day or leading activities- please be sure you have co-planned any activities being led by our amazing volunteers so that they fit within these guidelines and expectations.

Thank you!

News from Nurse Lauren

Lauren will be sharing a Google form to identify a quick time she can join your classroom with a couple of key pieces of information. One of those is about menstrual products that will be available in bathroom machines soon. In compliance with the Menstrual Dignity Act and to ensure access for our students in need, these machines will have products available following classroom updates during the week of Nov 6. We have identified brief and developmentally appropriate language that Lauren will use when talking with your group about this and a few other health-related items. Let us know if you have any questions.

Great Information from Teaching and Learning

October 25^th Elementary TLC Update– including LA curriculum feedback, Seesaw change, Wayfinder resources, and movement moments to use with your students

Have a wonderful and very SPIRITED week, Broncos!

Together we ride, together we grow!

Upcoming Dates:

• Monday, October 16th- Penny Games Begin!
• Tuesday, October 17th- Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15 (Goal Setting)
• Wednesday, October 18th- SIW teacher directed
• Thursday,October 19th- MTSS, 2:30-3:15 (K-2) PLC (3-5)
• Thursday, October 19th- PTA Meeting, 5:30
• Friday, October 20th- First Grade Field Trip
• Friday, October 20th- Fifth Grade Vision Screening (10:30)
• Wednesday/Thursday, October 25/26- Student Goal Setting Conferences
• Tuesday, October 31st- Halloween (please see guidance below)
• Wednesday, November 8th- Fall Fun Festival (5:30-7:30 p.m.)

MTSS Thursday

This week, grade K-2 will gather to begin a round of MTSS related to behavior and self regulation. We will move through a guided process of capturing data for students who may need additional levels of support. Bring the list of students who have been on your mind and needed extra care over the least few weeks; we will calibrate and collaborate on next steps.

TLC Important Information

Check here for more helpful information about conference planning and using RGR!

Kindergarten and First Grade Teams/SB 1003

See this LINK to be aware of our process for parent notification regarding Dibels screening, and ongoing communication during the school year, as it relates to progress monitoring.

Creating a Culture of Care and Belonging:

As we head into a season of traditions, holidays and celebrations, thank you for remembering to navigate with care for every student and family. Be mindful of the celebrations planned by your grade level or in your classroom and how these may impact members of our community. With leadership team last week, we discussed the following guidance for stepping into the season. Thank you for taking time to read and discuss with teammates, as well as parent volunteers who may wish to support celebration plans.

• Fall celebrations should be planned by the teacher or in conjunction with parent volunteers.
• Foods need to be store bought, something that can be enjoyed by students with dietary needs or restrictions.
• Games/events should take place in classrooms or away from other learning spaces to minimize the impact on learning time in our community and prevent unnecessary distractions for other learners.
• Costumes may be worn by students the last hour of the day (Oct. 31) and should be school appropriate ( ie. not scary, no blood, masks, weapons, or accessories (swords, wands, etc)

Here are some additional and important thoughts from the Office of DEI

• Halloween costumes: A reminder to be thoughtful as you prepare for any staff or team costume themes: avoid cultural appropriation or offensive caricatures or stereotypes.  Some examples here.  LEAD/Equity Coaches have shared with your school’s DEI-ICCL rep some resources for talking with students about this issue as well.
• International events and increased awareness: Please keep extra eyes and ears out for anti-Semitic comments or incidents right now.  Our Jewish community is deeply impacted by recent international incidents and have indicated concern for increased bias incidents in this regard.  Thank you for swiftly interrupting and reporting anything of this nature.  
• Upcoming Office of DEI events: Thurs, Nov 16th: Our annual district-wide Latino Family Night will be November 16^th at Pilot Butte Middle School.  Dinner 5:30pm, Opening 6:00pm, Sessions 6:30-7:45pm.  Please join us to welcome and connect with our Latino families! 

SeeSaw Information

We will hear from our SeeSaw committee representatives at our next staff meeting. As a district we are moving to streamline and align parent communication through the use of a shared platform. We are all in a different place with this effort, and as we navigate what might be change for some here are some suggestions for supporting families:

Develop a list of connected families and be prepared to help those who still have not connected. Print copies of the instructions on how to connect and help parents sign up on the spot. See this list of Seesaw how-tos: Check out this document

Bronco Cart and Bronco Bucks Raffle

The Bronco Store is available for your classroom to cash in their Bronco bucks! It is housed in the STEM room and can be reserved for your class or grade levels. LINK here.

Bronco Bucks can be added to the Bronco Raffle Box now! This year the Raffle returns better than ever. Students may add as many bucks to the raffle to earn a prize not only for themselves but for their entire class! We will select two names from the Raffle Box at the end of each month, and the names chosen will receive a choice of opportunities for their class!

SPIRIT WEEK FLYER

Te week of October 30th will be an awesome week of Bronco Spirit Days carefully selected by ICCL. We will share the flyer with families soon. Feel free to begin sharing with students this week to build some excitement!

Together we ride, Together we grow!

Week at a Glance

• Monday 10/9: ICCL 2:35
• Tuesday 10/10: Staff Meeting 2:35 p.m., Tiered Systems of Support
• Wednesday 10/11: Bronco Assembly Rodeo Preparing for Penny Olympics (Schedule Below)
• Wednesday 10/11: Educator Network SIW, 1:45-3:15 Library
• Thursday 10/12: Digital Conference Sign Up Prep using Sign Up
• Friday 10/13: Send Conference Sign Up Link to Families

Bias Lesson Family Letter

Much appreciation for the thoughtful discussion, reflection, and planning around the district equity stance and bias lesson series the past couple of weeks. See the Buckingham News sent to families this weekend for the family letter. Feel free to link and share in your weekly communication, too. Should a family have questions, we encourage you to reach out and share the importance of these lessons as part our focus on safe school communities, belonging and as one step preventing behaviors that might be thought of bullying.

Buckingham News 10/8/23

Fall Goal Setting Conferences

Check out the TLC blog for fall conference guidance. This document provides a wonderful structure for the content of goal setting conference and provides links to helpful resources for preparing students and planning this time with families. Remembering that the focus for this meeting should be connection and relationships in service to supporting student learning.

This week we are setting aside Thursday after school to prepare our digital sign-up link for families. This will give families the opportunity to coordinate their conferences for siblings or students living in the same household. Each classroom teacher will schedule the link to be shared with families on Friday morning at 9 a.m. We will send out a school phone recording to families at the end of the week reminding them to check their email for the sign up link. After families sign up on the digital Sign Up form, teachers will transfer conference times to the Bronco Fall Conference Schedule 23-24. Having all conference schedules in one place will assist the front office team when calls come in about conferences.

Insert the link to your digital sign up at the top of your conference scheduling page on the Bronco Fall Conference Schedule spreadsheet. You can view an example on Clawson’s conference tab. When creating your schedule remove any time slots that have been pre-arranged by Rebecca for participating families and interpreters. She will be sharing these pre-arranged conferences early this week. Reach out to specialists, support staff, and admin should you be interested in having additional support at or before conferences. Example of Digital Sign Up Link, Mrs. Clawson using Sign Up. Fall Conference Guidance Overview

Mini Assembly Rehearsal Rodeo and Penny Olympics Kick Off

Dr. Wilson and Mrs. Jensen will be hosting a Mini Assembly Rehearsal Rodeo and Penny Olympics Kick off on Wednesday this week. See your grade level scheduled time below. Weather pending grade levels will join Dr. Wilson and Mrs. Jensen in the gym. Changes in location will be communicated on Wednesday morning.

Mini Assembly Rehearsal Rodeo
8:00-8:05	Specials 2nd
8:05-8:10
8:10-8:15		1st Grade 8:10-8:30
8:15-8:20
8:20-8:25
8:25-8:30
8:30-8:35	Specials K	2nd Grade 8:30-8:50
8:35-8:40
8:40-8:45
8:45-8:50
8:50-8:55
8:55-9:00
9:00-9:05	Specials 1st	Kinder 9:00-9:20
9:05-9:10
9:10-9:15
9:15-9:20
9:20-9:25
9:25-9:30		3rd Grade 9:25-9:45
9:30-9:35	Break
9:35-9:40
9:40-9:45
9:45-9:50	Specials 4th
9:50-9:55
9:55-10:00		5th Grade + Allende 9:55-10:15
10:00-10:05
10:05-10:10
10:10-10:15
10:15-10:20	Specials 5	4th Grade 10:15-10:35
10:20-10:25
10:25-10:30
10:30-10:35
10:35-10:40
10:40-10:45

Family Engagement

PTA and Family Engagement events are gaining momentum as we head into October. Reach the Buckingham News to learn more about Fall Festival Fun and Penny Olympics. Your encouragement and support make our school events extra special for students and families. Half sheet paper flyers have been ordered to send home in addition to our digital information, and submissions have been made to get the flyers translated.

Have an amazing week, Bronco Family!

Wrapping up September!

This week’s message will be brief to make up for a few very long ones in weeks prior! As September wraps up, we hope you all take a moment to celebrate the amazing things accomplished so far; creating classroom norms, teaching and reinforcing school-wide expectations, getting classroom routines established, building relationships with students and one another, navigating new curriculum (Wayfinder and RGR), preparing for skills based reading groups…and the list goes on. Thank you for the important part you play!

This Week

Picture Day is Monday!

ICCL Team meets on Monday 2:45-3:30

Michelle and Stephanie will be leaving at 2:20 for an Administrator Meeting on Tuesday.

Wednesday SIW is planned for the review and rehearsal of our Bias lessons in October.

Thursday is not designated for MTSS yet- this is your PLC time or an opportunity to plan/collaborate with one another on upcoming lessons/student data.

Friday is the last school day of September and PAYDAY!

Dismissal Times

Now that we have established routines and have an understanding of how long it takes to get our students to their dismissal area, please plan to send kids to Kidz Inc at 2:15 and to exit the building with students at 2:14 (k-2) and 2:15 (3-5). This is an ask from the district as well. These are important instructional minutes that add up over a year, and our drivers/kidz inc staff are prepared for students no sooner than 2:15.

Buses are scheduled to leave by 2:23, providing plenty of time to get all grade levels loaded. Thank you!

Time Off Requests

We will have six certified subs in the building on Friday, and a couple of classified as well; it will be essential to support our guest staff.

Just a reminder that personal days need prior approval and any one building cannot have more than 5% of their staff out on personal leave.

Request from Department of Equity and Inclusion

Buckingham needs two teachers in 4^th and/or 5^th grade who can attend this workshop on Thursday, October 5^th.  Your substitutes will be paid for by the district, and lunch will be provided.  🙂 If interested please let Michelle or Stephanie know this week.

Family Letter regarding Wayfinder

We have posted this message in our Bronco Newsletter. You may choose to send it in your classroom news as well. This is common language for all Bend LaPine Schools with a reminder that we are shifting from the term SEL to Life and Career Readiness when we refer to our curriculum for building social emotional competencies.

Here are resources, as you continue implementing Wayfinder in your classrooms.

• If you want to learn more about Wayfinder, enroll in Wayfinder Academy (it is asynchronous). 
• Here is a Collections Step-by-Step Guide + a Getting Started with Collections video.
• The link to Wayfinder’s Tech Support.
• Here is a Resource Guide with additional resources and support.

Sustainability Advisor and Leadership Position of BE

SustainBLS program is one of the ways ALL schools can make sustainability, stewardship and conservation the norm across our district. Through SustainBLS, a certified staff member takes on the role of the school Sustainability Advisor and works with a school green team. This team can be a class, a select group of students or an environmental club. Our first training of the year is next Wednesday from 4:30-6:00 in the Facility Development Office behind admin.

Let us know if you would like to take on this important leadership role in our building.

Have a great week, Broncos!

Stephanie and Michelle

Important Dates this week:

• Monday, 9/18 at. 2:45- ICCL Meeting
• 9/19: No Staff Meeting
• 9/20: Teacher Planning SIW
• 9/20: Munch and Meet for EAs at 12:45
• 9/21: DIBELS Day, DIBELS Schedule (See Katie Chamberland’s email for details.)
• 9/21: Joint Site Visit with Tammy and Lisa
• 9/21: PTA Meeting at Buckingham Garden Area, 5 p.m. (change of location from previous communication), RSVP
• 9/25: Picture Day, Schedule, Picture Day Flyer 
• 9/27: SIW, 1:45-3:15, Equity Stance and Bias Lesson Planning

New Office Manager!

Korine Smith will begin her transition from Sky View to Buckingham this week. She has a number of trainings she will be engaged in while she onboards with us. We will have her here full time by October 6th and are so excited to have her join the Bronco team!

Arrival and Breakfast

• Bus arrival has been and may be irregular so we are revisiting our breakfast routine.
• Classroom attendance is to be taken at 8:00 a.m. each day or shortly after. Taking before may miss a groups of students. Students will not be marked tardy until after 8 a.m. 
• Breakfast will be served by our nutrition services team (Go Sarah!) from 7:30-7:55 a.m.
• Students may eat breakfast in the gym from 7:30-7:45 a.m.
• At 7:45 a.m. students who are still actively eating breakfast will either 1) report to class to finish breakfast or 2) report to C1 to finish breakfast
• ALL remaining breakfast eaters will be dismissed to class at 7:55 a.m. 

Classroom Teachers indicate your preference on this document for our team supervising breakfast, so they know where to direct students. Please talk with and remind students about your classroom plan throughout the week.

Student Support and PBIS

Buckingham Problem Solving Data Form

• The Buckingham Problem Solving Data Form will replace the former “oops” slip at Buckingham. Add the link to your bookmarks or save to your home screen. If you want help with this, reach out to Stephanie. It is also located on the Bronco Bulletin under the PBIS tab. When the form is submitted it will automatically send an email copy of the form to Michelle, Stephanie, and Alaina. The form includes an item to add other staff members to be included on the email copy. If you are a referrer completing the form, select yourself from this menu and at minimum the classroom teacher of the student. The purpose of the form is to track specific problems to be/or that have been solved to help identify lagging skills precipitating challenging behavior. The data from this form will also be used as a vehicle for staff communication (it is NEVER to be sent to the guardian of the student). Equally important, our Broncos should never know that this form of communication exists. It is an internal tracking system. We will be able to examine that data at a variety of levels at our MTSS meeting structures to plan for instruction across the Tiers. ANY staff member can fill out a Problem Solving Data Form. You’ll see on the form that if the situation requires office follow up there is communication that needs to take place in conjunction with the completion of the form. Students should stay with the staff member until support is requested for instances requiring office follow up. Students should not be sent to the office to wait. We will spend time as a staff calibrating our responses over the course of the year. 
• Office Discipline Referral: There are certain instances where an incident should be documented through a more formalized reporting system in Synergy. There is a district form that is completed and the data is entered into Synergy. Michelle and Stephanie will work through these instances with staff. There are district conversations and work taking place to calibrate the documentation across schools. 
• Problem Solving with Students: Part of our work this year will be to create and establish school-wide consistent approaches when problem solving. This includes common forms and conversation scripts. More to come!

Thank you for your reflections, collaboration, and efforts with regard to teaching school-wide expectations and taking time to create community connections in your classrooms each day. As we continue this work we ask that everyone have classroom norms/expectations posted by this Wednesday if they aren’t already, and each grade level continue to integrate Wayfinder lessons matched to student needs in the first weeks of school. We will be taking pictures across our sch0ol to document and share this important work K-5.

Please spend additional time on Recess/Lunchroom Matrix Expectations and practice voice levels around the building.

Ashley and Kelly will be actively working on schedules and Behavior Support Plans this week with the help of district coaches and our admin team. They will be preparing to begin groups as well, and need this week to solidify those things. Thank you for you patience nad they look forward to getting plans developed, shared and implemented in order to be consistently supporting small groups and individuals in your classrooms.

First Fire Drill Tuesday 9/19/23 at 9:15 a.m.

• See Slides 9-12 to review Fire Drill Expectations with students prior to our first drill. Rehearse Level 1-Silent, hands/feet to self, walking feet, facing in the direction of the perimeter fence
• Locate Red/Green Quick Reference Guide for Emergencies
• Attach class list for taking attendance at the assembly point. Green-all students present in line. Red-students are missing. Report all students who are not present in line (students may be at a small group or in an alternative learning environment)
• Study your room/classroom evacuation route and assembly point. Know your path

Picture Day is Monday, September 25th, Room Location: C1

• See Bronco Picture Day Schedule
• Extra packets are in the office. Orders can be placed online.
• Parent volunteers will be on site to help Dorian studios with the schedule. If you see a conflict, reach out to Stephanie. 
• Share the online link with families through classroom communication this week. 

Families, School Picture Day is just around the corner at Buckingham. We have sent home paper packets. Picture day access key with Dorian is 5GH3E7YF. You can order your student photos online at: https://ios15.mydorian.com/ordering/identify

Coaching on the Fly

Marci’s 5 timely tips (& 1 invite) in 5 minutes or less… 

Tip #1 It’s Time for the Dreambox Assessment: Launchpad

The window for Dreambox’s new baseline assessment, called “Launchpad” opens September 18th and closes September 27th. Beginning on Monday, when students open the Dreambox App, they will have to begin the Launchpad assessment before they can continue on to other activities. The assessment will take approximately 20-45 minutes and can be paused without losing student work. Just want to be sure you are aware of this so you can plan intentionally for adequate time, the appropriate environment, and student mindset before sending kids off to work on Dreambox next week! Here’s a link to more info about Launchpad, if you want to know more…

Culture of Care Info: Culture of Care Fall Update

Some great opportunities to engage in learning about Restorative Practices, Problem Solving Circles and more!

Camp Tamarack Classroom Connection: HERE is a link that outlines a training for teachers who support students at Camp Tamarack. It is designed by OSU and intended to maximize the links between the classroom and the Camp Tamarack experience.

Employee Resource Groups

We are working to improve the workplace experiences and sense of belonging of our employees.  One of the many ways we are doing this is through co-designed systems of support and networking called Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).  Details here.

Last year, a few different ERGs (groups for employees of color, female leaders, and LGBTQ+ staff,  with allies in each) met throughout the year, with awesome facilitators and lots of fun activities!  Thanks to those of you who joined those groups.  We are re-launching groups for 23-24, and would like to invite you:

If you are interested in learning more about our ERGs, signing up to participate in an existing group, or suggesting a new group, please fill out the interest form available on page 2 of the link above.  We’ll reach out in early October to those who indicate interest by Wednesday, Sept 27th.  

Information on our Employee Resource Groups can always be found on the staff Portal’s new Equity page, under ‘Employee Resources and Programs.’ 

Curriculum News

Important Information regarding Dreambox: Dreambox has a new baseline assessment called Launchpad. ALL students will need to take this assessment as it will provide teachers and schools with valuable information regarding student’s strengths and areas for growth. We will be launching the assessment on September 18th. When student’s login they will need to complete the assessment which will take 15-45 minutes depending on grade level.  The assessment can be paused and started again-it does not need to be finished in one sitting.  Students will need to complete Launchpad by September 27th.  Here is a link to a quick video and one-pager explaining Launchpad.  Students will have normal access to Dreambox until September 18th.

Did you sleep like I slept on Friday night?! Not as young nor energetic as I once was. I am however inspired, encouraged and forward looking with this amazing team. Thank you for a wonderful week of welcoming students. We recognize the time, effort and care put in by all; Kevin and Fish moving furniture, and responding to last minute requests, Margaret managing a busy office and the demands of our first days without a long term partner, our nutrition services team bringing amazing meals each day, Ted for addressing our every tech need, EAs jumping into supporting students, and supporting Stephanie and I as we learn to navigate procedures and fine tune for this year, each one of our talented specialists and classroom teachers planning carefully for the success of students last week and through the year- deep gratitude and much appreciation!

We will be sharing a year-long and regular meeting schedule this week at our Staff Mtg. Below is what you can plan for this week. Let us know if you have questions.

Meetings this week:

Monday: No ICCL (we are pretty sure the time can be used for planning and collaboration with your teams and this allows for a few other after school connections that need to be made with departments.

Tuesday: Staff Meeting

Culture of Coaching and Feedback

One of the beautiful things about our work is the opportunity to grow….no matter how many years in our role, or our area of expertise. We have ongoing opportunities to collaborate and to create a culture where coaching and feedback are integral, expected, and lead to our individual and collective learning.

Each month, Elementary Directors Tammy Doty and Lisa Birk along with Julie Walker will be visiting Buckingham. Our lens as we join classrooms will be related to Belonging and High Quality Instruction. We will talk more about this as goal setting time comes closer. These visits are opportunities for our administrators (building and district level) to identify the learning that we ourselves (administrators) need to do to best support our teams. Thank you for opening your practice for that important learning to occur.

Additionally, Marci will be working with our whole team throughout the year and providing opportunities for each grade level to engage in a coaching cycle related to an area of inquiry. Perhaps you will find a way to tie your team’s cycle to personal goal setting or school wide work. We are lucky to have Marci’s expertise and support as we consider highly effective instruction and curriculum implementation.

More on coaching, goal setting, observations and feedback later in September!

Staff Resources and Information

Seesaw/Dojo/Google Classroom:

• Seesaw is going to be the platform for communicating with parents this year, K-5. We will be spending more time on this soon.
• To answer questions that have surfaced: No more Class Dojo, but Synergy can be used as a secondary/back-up communication tool. The vision is that elementary families will have a common platform to communicate with teachers about all their children. Here is some information shared by the district in TLC blog.

Seesaw Training – Buckingham Needs 2 Teachers (1 Primary, 1 Intermediate): 

• On Sept 26^th there will be a half day Seesaw training for teachers from each school. Let Michelle and Stephanie know if you are interested in serving as a Seesaw Ambassador at Buckingham. You don’t have to be a current super user of Seesaw but should be enthusiastic to learn more about the program and willing to train others at your site. The training will be from 8-11 at the Ed Center and focus mainly on parent engagement.

Bronco Sub Folders

• When guest teachers/subs join us at Buckingham they will receive a blue folder in the office upon their arrival. The folders are in the process of being renewed for the new year. They will include general information like: 1) Welcome letter; 2) Bridges guest login; 3) Extension phone list; 4) School map; 5) Class list; 6) Emergency drill information; 7) Staff specific schedule-update tab on Bronco schedule regularly and let the office know if you make changes; 8) Playground/Recess Rules and Game information; 9) Active supervision expectations.

Access to Digital Tools: How do we go about getting access to digital tools?

• For Digital Tools, the Instructional Tech and Information Technology partnered to build an application where teachers can see what tools have been deployed to each of their classes. At the top of this page there is a feature where they can request a new tool. This can be requests to add, change, or remove tools.

Timelines for Digital Tools:

• Wonders: A few rostering issues are happening currently. These should be resolved by next week. K-1 will only have access to the Teacher’s Edition. 2-5 will have access to both the Teacher’s Edition and the Student Edition
• Really Great Reading: Classroom teachers should have access to their online teaching tool and reading playgrounds by the end of this week.  Blend classrooms are loaded and should be visible for teachers and students.  Interventionists, Learning Specialists and Educational Assistants should have access by the middle of next week
• Lexia and Dreambox: A few rostering issues were happening earlier in the week and should now be resolved.  Both programs should be visible for teachers and students
• Acadience: Will be available early next week.

As one of our key tools for translation/interpretation access, our school district offers an optional opportunity for bilingual staff: the CAFE Program.  This is a program in which trained, qualified bilingual staff can receive an annual stipend for their language skills and for the occasional support they provide with multilingual family communication.  

If you are interested in learning more, please click here.  The sign-up/interest form linked on page 2 must be completed by Tuesday, September 19th.  The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion will contact you after that point for next steps to get you going with testing, training, and the stipend.  Note: Current CAFE Program members do not need to re-apply, but are welcome to participate in the training as a refresher if desired.  
Information about the CAFE Program (including a list of colleagues who are already CAFE members, whom you’re welcome to contact to learn more about their experiences last year) is always available on the Portal’s Equity page, under ‘Employee Resources and Programs.’

Educator Grants

TLC Blog (Lots of great information here throughout the year!)

Hiring/Staffing- We are happy to announce the hiring (on a regular contract) of Heather Light for fifth grade next year. We are still waiting on clearance from HR for our 4/5 hire. In addition, we are also awaiting final word on whether or not someone will be transferred to Buckingham, which may cause some shifting.

We now have enough information on our Title budget to move forward with our Title position, and Katie Chamberland will once again fill that role. We had enough for .8 from Title and have added .1 from school improvement to make this position .9.

Cadi Brown’s .5 has been approved and the other .5 is posted. Interviews will take place for Cadi’s partner as soon as the posting closes.

A team made up of Jon, Michelle Wilson, and three to four teachers will be interviewing next Wednesday for our remaining primary positions. We will announce as soon as we have decisions, clearance and approval.

Due to circumstances beyond anyone’s control (state budgeting decisions), hiring this year has been later than normal. Thanks to those of you who have shown patience and understanding as we have navigated this process the best we could given circumstances.

Thanks!- Thanks to those who planned, set up and carried out the photo booth. Lots of work involved so that our students could have some fun. From the looks of the lines, kids were having a blast.

Check out- Remember if you check out by the end of the day Friday, you will not be required to return the next week. For those of you who like to take their time, Jon and I will be here the week after school.

Dibels- We have placed your class’ spring Dibels pathway results in your boxes. As a reminder, each color in the fan in the far right column represents a quintile, or 20% of students. Pathways measures growth, not overall scores. In other words, a student could be below benchmark, but still be blue, 5 stars growth, meaning they are in the top 1/5 in terms of growth and are learning a ton! On the other hand, a student might be above benchmark, yet only have one star growth, meaning that their growth is in the bottom 20% of students who started in the same place.

Blue indicates 5 stars, or the top 20%ile in terms of growth.

Dark green = 4 stars or 61-80th %ile in growth.

Light green = 3 stars or 41-60th%ile in growth. This is typical growth. 4 or 5 stars is above typical growth.

yellow = 2 stars or 21-40th%ile in growth.

Red = 1 star or bottom 20% of students in growth compared to all students starting in the same place.

Another way to put this is that about 1/5 of your students should fall into each of the colors. 3/5, or 60%, of your students should be 3 stars or above, which is typical, or average growth.

Let us know if you have any questions.

State Testing- We have most of our scores in for state testing and we did well. Results show that we are above the district average in nearly every category.

Last Week of School- The last week of school is Here! On Monday, June 12, we will have our talent show. Start time is 12:45. Jason has already shared the specials schedule for that day. Wednesday, June 14, will be our field day. Ryan will be sending out a schedule soon. Know that you can take your 30 minute prep during your class’ field day time as volunteers and 5th grade leaders will be able to help. Wednesday is a regular 2:15 dismissal. We will also distribute yearbooks on this day. Please be sure to provide a paper booklet or the like for students who didn’t order yearbooks to get signatures. Friday, June 16, we will hold our 5th grade promotion that will begin at 9:15. Finally, we will have our last staff meeting right after buses leave at 1:00. There will be YUMMi food.

In addition, our low-key spirit week will continue June 12-16. Check out the link to see each day’s events.

IPAD Roll in Information- The following slides were sent to us in our principal notes yesterday. Bridget said they are a bit more user friendly than past info that has been sent and thought they might be helpful for you as you roll them in. Thanks to Bridget for all of her work on ipads.

·         kinder-4th end of year iPad slides

·         fifth grade end of year iPad slides

Good News- Good news for you (and me), this is the last edition of Bronco Notes that you will ever have to read from me. There will be no Bronco Notes next week. I want to thank both of you for reading every week. 😉

Upcoming Events

June 8-16- Theme days continue

June 12- Talent Show

June 14- Field Day- Schedule forthcoming- 2:15 dismissal

June 16- 5th Grade Promotion Assembly- For parents

June 16- School is out for summer- 12:45 dismissal

Staffing- Interviews for our intermediate positions were held on Wednesday. We are finalizing the official hiring process. Once that is complete, we will be able to announce who is hired. We hope to hold interviews for primary will be soon, hopefully next week. Buckingham’s new principal, Michelle Wilson, is hoping to participate, so we are trying to coordinate with her to be a part of those. We’ll share more info when we get it.

Supply Orders- Please inventory your supplies and let Lisa know in the google doc what you will need. You can order as a team if it is easier or individually. If you would like to keep it simple – and easier for Lisa, please order only what you will need that first week of school. This needs to be completed before you leave for summer.

Testing- The state testing window closes June 2. There will be no more state testing the remaining two weeks.

Michelle Wilson Visit- Michelle Wilson will be here Friday to visit and meet the staff.  She’ll start the morning in Jon’s office, they’ll visit classrooms, and she’ll be helping Jon during lunch. Reminder that Gary will be gone on Friday and his office will be open.  She’d love to meet with individuals in Gary’s office, if you have time.  She also wants a chance to meet the staff, so we’ll have an optional meeting in the library after school.

Last Week of School- The last week of school is fast approaching. Here is a rundown of what we know for the last week’s events. On Friday, June 9 (technically, not the last week of school), all students will win ice cream. We will deliver the last part of the day. You can eat in your room or take your kids outside. Your choice. On Monday, June 12, we will have our talent show. Start time is 12:45. Wednesday, June 14, will be our field day. Ryan will be creating a schedule that will be shared as soon as it is complete as well as other field day needs/directions. That Wednesday is a regular 2:15 dismissal. Friday, June 16, we will hold our 5th grade promotion that will begin at 9:15. Finally, we will have our last staff meeting right after buses leave at 1:00. Most likely, there will be food…can’t promise anything else.

In addition, we will be having a low-key spirit week June 8-16. Check out the link to see each day’s events.

Upcoming Events

June 2- PTA Dance- 5:30-7:00

June 5- Fire Drill- 12:55

June 7- The annual speech students’ ice cream sundae party will be Wednesday June 7 over the lunch period (kids eat lunch then report to the corral for ice cream).

June 7- SIW- Teacher Prep

June 8- Move up day- 1:35-2:05

June 8-16- Theme days

June 12- Talent Show

June 14- Field Day- Schedule forthcoming- 2:15 dismissal

June 16- 5th Grade Promotion Assembly- For parents

June 16- School is out for summer- 12:45 dismissal

STEM Certification Site Visit- Next Wednesday we will have guests here from the Portland Metro STEM Partnership as a final step to Buckingham’s process to become a STEM certified school. Thank you to the teachers who will host the visitors in their classrooms. Please know that they may do a quick walk through of other classrooms. Thank you for keeping your STEM night exhibits displayed through the visit.

Spirit Week- As Heather shared at our SIW, we will be having a low-key spirit week June 8-16. Check out the link to see each day’s events.

Fire Drill- We are switching the fire drill from Thursday, June 1, to Monday, June 5 at 12:55 so that we don’t interrupt testing.

Move Up Day– ICCL’s decided move up day would be Thursday, June 8, from 1:35-2:05. ICCL’s are leading the coordination of this and will connect with you to talk logistics if they haven’t already. Fifth graders will circle back to kindergarten…well, they’ll have an extra recess with kindergarten teachers supervising.

Yearbooks- Yearbooks are scheduled to arrive on Tuesday, June 13. ICCL’s decided to distribute to all students on Wednesday, June 14. Please provide a paper booklet (or at least a sheet) for students who didn’t order a yearbook so they have something they can have friends sign. Please tell students that they shouldn’t be signing shirts, clothing or bodies. Thank you.

Gum- Many students are chewing gum during testing. Please remind them that they need to be sure to put it in a garbage can. Kevin has been finding a lot on floors and it’s really hard to clean.

Checkout- We will have a checkout list to you in the next week or so. If you have this completed by Friday, June 16, the last day of school, you are NOT required to return the next week.

Breakfast- Please remind your students that they need to eat breakfast BEFORE they go to recess/classroom in the morning. Thank you.

Out- I will be out Next Friday, June 2, and Monday, June 12 as I will be out of town both of those weekends. I won’t be able to help with any testing on the last day, Friday, June 2.

Last Week of School- The last week of school is fast approaching. Here is a rundown of what we know for the last week’s events. On Friday, June 9 (technically, not the last week of school), all students will win ice cream. We will deliver the last part of the day. You can eat in your room or take your kids outside. Your choice. On Monday, June 12, we will have our talent show. Start time is 12:45. Wednesday, June 14, will be our field day. Ryan will be creating a schedule that will be shared as soon as it is complete as well as other field day needs/directions. That Wednesday is a regular 2:15 dismissal. Friday, June 16, we will hold our 5th grade promotion that will begin at 9:15. Finally, we will have our last staff meeting right after buses leave at 1:00. Most likely, there will be food…can’t promise anything else.

In addition, see above for some low-key theme days from June 8-16.

Upcoming Events

May 29- Memorial Day- No School

May 31- SIW- Report Card Prep

June 5- Fire Drill- 12:55

June 7- The annual speech students’ ice cream sundae party will be Wednesday June 7 over the lunch period (kids eat lunch then report to the corral for ice cream).

June 7- SIW- Teacher Prep

June 8- Move up day- 1:35-2:05

June 8-16- Theme days

June 12- Talent Show

June 14- Field Day- Schedule forthcoming- 2:15 dismissal

June 16- 5th Grade Promotion Assembly- For parents

June 16- School is out for summer- 12:45 dismissal