Archive for January 31, 2025

February 3rd, 2025

January 31, 2025

Our EME Focus

  • Tier 1 Instruction
  • Belonging
  • Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

Thoughts of the Week

Some years ago, I came across an article which referenced a method for catching monkeys by a South Indian tribe and used it as an analogy for resisting change.  

The South Indian monkey trap is a simple device for capturing a monkey. It consists of a coconut hollowed out from one end and chained to a stake in the ground. Some rice has previously been placed in the area around the coconut, which the monkey has been happy to take. Now some rice is placed inside the coconut. There is a small hole in the coconut which is big enough for a monkey to put its paw in and grab the rice, but too small for it to remove its paw when making a fist to hold the rice. 

The monkey is suddenly trapped, but not by anything physical. He is perfectly capable of releasing the rice, and withdrawing his paw. But he doesn’t. He is trapped by an idea he had in the past, unable to see that a principle that served him well – “when you see rice, hold tight” – has now become lethal to him.

What are you holding on to that is holding you back?  How do you philosophically open your hand and release the rice? How do you look at something you have always done with a different perspective? What changes have you always wanted to make but could not let go of the present?  I believe you are never lost… you are just in between letting go of what you once were and grabbing on to what you are going to become.

Change is not easy. It is hard. Interesting, but hard. Successful change has to take into account our natural resistance to it. Part of this is because we become ingrained in how we do things. An idea that served us well in the past becomes something that we can’t let go of. Even if the environment has changed, we may still force the problem to fit the solution…rather than looking at every problem with a fresh pair of eyes.

“The difficulty”, as John Maynard Keynes, an economist once put it, “lies not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones.”

The Coming Week

  • Monday
    • National Counselor Appreciation Week!
    • Core Effectiveness Meetings
    • Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • Tuesday
    • Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • Core Effectiveness Meetings
    • Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00
  • Wednesday
    • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30
  • Thursday
    • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
    • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Friday
    • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
    • Valentine’s Dance 5:00-7:00

UPCOMING DATES:

  • February 10 – SRO Appreciation Week
  • February 10 – Principal Meeting (Ben Out) 8:00-12:00
  • February 10 – Meeting with Peter
  • February 11 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • February 11 – Kinder Forest Field Trip
  • February 11 – Admin/ICCL Training 3:30-5:00
  • February 12 – Amy McDonald’s Brithday!
  • February 12 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 12 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • February 12 – SIW – Culture of Care with Amy Yillik 1:00-2:30
  • February 13 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 13 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 14 – Happy Valentines Day!
  • February 14 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 17 – President’s Day – No School!
  • February 18 – ICCL Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 19 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • February 19 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • February 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 20 – Title Night – Elk Meadow Learning Summit 5:00-7:00
  • February 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 24 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • February 25 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • February 26 – Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
  • February 26 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 26 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • February 26 – SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30
  • February 27 – Heather Korman’s Birthday!
  • February 27 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 27 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 28 – Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
  • February 28 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
  • March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
  • March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

Updates from Downtown

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Jenny White – Life and Career Readiness: Principals below is an activity you can use at the beginning of a SIW or staff meeting. Telephone Drawing

Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin

Linguist Link: If you are experiencing issues with Linguist Link services (interpreters not showing up, no responses to your messages, poor quality of linguist services), please A) send a note via the “message all” feature of your project/request in the LL system, and/or B) shoot me an email to let me know. 

There are some transitions going on within those contracted services, but I have been reassured this should not impact the quality of service you receive.  As a reminder if you’re ever in a pinch, here are the various resources and levels of support available to you for translation/interpretation.  

From IT Department – Scott McDonald: Here is a good news sandwich from your IT department.

Top Bun– Beginning this week, our elementary progress report is now available in 11 different languages! (Jason Schneider).

Bologna- Make sure your TV / projection system is off when you leave for the day! (Scott McDonald)

Bottom Bun– AirPlay functionality has returned to normal with the latest available OS update, (Chad Brewer)

Even if you prefer to not have Bologna in your “good news” sandwich, please try your best to choke it down today.  😊

From Becca Burda, Communications:

Help celebrate our SROs! SRO Appreciation Day is Saturday, February 15 but we want to celebrate them all week long. Beginning Monday, February 11, do something special for your SRO. Please pick the day of the week that works best for your school.

Help us share the love on social media. Send your imagery to Becca Burda, Assistant Director of Communications, and we’ll keep the gratitude flowing online. 

From Curriculum, Instruction and Systems-Julie Richards

This letter will be shared with your 3rd grade teachers on Monday.  Please read as it outlines a change to the EL curriculum map. Letter to 3rd Grade teachers. 

From Operations: Paul Dean

COO Ops leaders from Transportation, Facilities/Maintenance, Safety, IT and Custodial/Sustainability will be facilitating the March Leadership Team meeting. Please submit at least one question, concern, curiosity or comment that you have for one or more of our departments at this link.

Animals on school grounds: We want to take a moment to clarify differing practices in our district with regards to animals on school grounds.  We have many playgrounds with this sign:

Image

However, we do not have any district policy that prohibits dogs outside of school hours on our property.  ING-AR: Animal Visitors under Owner Responsibility reads:

  • Owners walking animals on school grounds must follow city or county ordinances regarding leashing and sanitation. 
  • Principals and their designees have the authority to exclude persons and their animals from play fields when he/she determines that there are associated health and/or safety concerns. 

In order to align our signage with our policy, we will be removing all fence signage pertaining to animals.  In place of those signs, our maintenance department will install one of the signs below.  They will communicate with the head engineer and building principal regarding where you want the new sign placed.

Image

Building leaders have the authority to temporarily close school playgrounds in accordance with Facility, Playgrounds, Fields & Property Community Use Guidelines [here is a Spanish Version].   We have created this Community Use Violation Notice [and here is a Spanish Version] that you may copy, edit, print, laminate and zip tie to your gate(s) when you are restricting public access by locking your gates.  

From Lisa Birk, Deputy Superintendent

Please use this document when sharing the BLS Strategic Initiatives rather than the past one when referencing our Strategic Initiatives. We altered the language around Priority Standards to reflect Standards-based instruction and grading.

Substitute Hiring: Please help spread the word that the ESD is hiring substitutes by sharing this flyer! You can also use this Social Media Post jpg

From Social Emotional Wellness – Jennifer Hauth

It is time to celebrate your school counselors!! See this resource. Jess and I will be coming around to drop off a goodie as well😊

National School Counseling Week (NCSW) 2025 is Feb. 3-7, 2025, to focus attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within our schools. The theme this year is: School Counseling: Helping Students Thrive. The special week honoring school counselors provides recognition for school counselors who “implement comprehensive school counseling programs, a vital part of the educational process for all students as they meet the challenges of the 21st century”.

NCSW is always celebrated the first full week in February and there are multiple resources available below to help you celebrate school counselors next week at your school site. We will celebrate our student success staff the week of March 3rd during school social worker week.Here is a “Certificate of Appreciation” that you can use for your counselors and click on link above for some resources to help your school celebrate this week with your counselor(s)😊

From Ryan Kelling, Human Resources

We are very excited to be adding a Director of District Activities and Athletics to bring our secondary school athletic and activity programs together under one vision. This role is focused on ensuring that every student has access to consistent, high-quality extracurricular experiences, no matter which school they attend. By aligning programs across the district, we’re creating more opportunities for students to grow, connect, and succeed—academically, socially, and emotionally.

This will be a BLAST position and we’ll be posting this position on our site Monday and sharing it widely across the region to attract a strong pool of candidates. If you’d like to learn more about the role or have any questions, please connect with Ryan.

Important Dates

  • February 3: Progress Report deadline 4:00
  • February 4: Testing Coordinator meeting at Ensworth at 2:00, followed by our Horizontal meeting from 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE
  • February 10: Admin ICCL Training on hold and will not happen today–please communicate that to your team. We will let you know of a future date.
  • February 19: Administrator Professional Development from 3:00 – 5:00
  • March 11: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. at Pine Ridge hosted by PRE and NSE

And Finally…It is the end of January!

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January 27th, 2025

January 27, 2025

Our EME Focus

  • Tier 1 Instruction
  • Belonging
  • Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

Thoughts of the Week

I recently came across an article, “Reframing New Teachers’ Misconceptions.” After reading it, I believe it still applies to many if not all of us.  The author talked about how he hadn’t forgotten what it felt like to be on the verge of leaving the teaching profession. New-teacher attrition rates range between 28 to 35 percent for teachers with 1–2 years of experience and 25 to 29 percent for teachers with 3–7 years of experience, with high-poverty schools experiencing the highest turnover. 

I remember having many misconceptions about teaching in my early days. Over time, I recognized some of the errors in my thinking. I often wonder how different my first years would have been if someone had helped address my misbeliefs proactively. These are the five common teacher misconceptions and what I think leaders should say to bring some relief. 

Misconception #1: My principal expects me to be perfect. 

What principals should say: “Perfection is not the goal. Reflection and openness to feedback are my expectations.” 

Studies have consistently shown that effective leadership improves teacher-retention rates; school principals’ guidance and encouragement play a significant role in influencing teachers’ choice to continue in the profession. 

I wish principals would emphasize that successful teachers identify issues, seek change, and apply feedback rather than getting everything right. I believe teachers would likely seek more support. 

Speaking up as a teacher can take on unproductive forms, like complaining (“My class is so difficult.”) or blaming (“My students are the ones being disrespectful.”). But being vulnerable (“I’m struggling to find a viable solution to my classroom-management needs.”) is always acceptable; it indicates that you are reflective, determined, and willing to seek solutions—and that is what leads to growth. 

Misconception #2: Classroom management depends on the class. 

What principals should say: “Classroom management is about relationships, consistency, and structure.” 

Classroom management is both a skill and an art. Like any skill, it gets better with practice, and like any art, it’s a work in progress. Some mixtures of students prove trickier than others, and what works for your colleague may not work for you. Consistency and empathy are two good places to start. 

Sometimes teachers can take student behavior personally. It is hard not to! One skill I always leaned on heavily to redirect behaviors was to ask myself, Why might this child be presenting this behavior, and how might I meet the behavior’s need at its root? Sometimes, just having a one-on-one conversation with the student, where you seek to understand their perspective, can unlock the answer. Asking students questions with the goal of understanding them is one of the most effective ways to build mutually respectful student-teacher relationships. 

Misconception #3: Parents are my partners. 

What principals should say: “Parents understandably lack objectivity about their children.” 

You may be tempted to discuss issues with parents and caregivers before genuinely seeking to understand their perspective. There’s one problem: Parents sometimes think their kids are perfect (when they aren’t) or sometimes think their kids can do no right (when they can). Your role is to empathetically communicate how their child is doing in a way they can hear you.

Misconception #4: You must grade everything you assign. 

What principals should say: “Everything you assign should be worthy of feedback, and feedback comes in different forms.” 

Many new teachers often grade their students the way they were “graded.” However, it’s important to consider that the objectives and implications of grading go beyond assigning letters or numbers and can significantly affect student experiences.

I once met a 1st grader in the office who had tears running down her face. She had gotten in trouble for throwing papers out of the bus window. When I asked why she did that, the student replied, “When my teacher grades our worksheets, she either gives us a sticker or writes ‘OK’ on it. I was throwing away my ‘OK’ papers, so I would only bring home papers with stickers.” This young student had already begun to form negative ideas about her capabilities from this seemingly innocuous grading practice. 

As a new teacher, I remember thinking that feedback meant I needed to write long responses or find one-on-one time daily to confer with students. I know now that feedback is best served in small chunks; it should be objective, actionable, and let students know where they are in relationship to a learning target. And if my principal had explicitly de-emphasized “grades” in favor of feedback, it would have encouraged me to do the same. Asking students questions; making brief, pointed statements; or having a simple checklist aligned to learning – intentions and success criteria can provide this guidance. 

Misconception #5: You must follow all new initiatives with fidelity.

What principals should say: “Don’t be afraid to speak up.” 

When new teachers feel discomfort or uncertainty around new initiatives, it’s common to think there are only two choices: go along with them (and potentially let resentment build) or be vocal and risk being dismissed or seen as negative. 

Instead, give yourself grace and reflect. If a new initiative isn’t working for you or your students, try to determine why by asking yourself, Is it the resource or my current skill level? Am I feeling frustrated, overwhelmed, or confused by this initiative? Who can I approach for guidance or to communicate my concerns?

The Coming Week

  • Monday
    • Dibels Day!
    • Robbie and Tracy AI Presentation 2:30-3:15
  • Tuesday
    • Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • Wednesday
    • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • EA Meeting 1:00-1:30
    • SIW Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
    • All Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
  • Thursday
    • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
    • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Friday
    • Report Card Day – Work from anywhere.
    • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

  • February 2 – Groundhog Day
  • February 3 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • February 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 4 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 4 – Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00
  • February 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 5 – SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30
  • February 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 7 – Valentine’s Dance 5:00-7:00
  • February 10 – SRO Appreciation Week
  • February 10 – Principal Meeting (Ben Out) 8:00-12:00
  • February 10 – Meeting with Peter
  • February 11 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • February 11 – Kinder Forest Field Trip
  • February 11 – Admin/ICCL Training 3:30-5:00
  • February 12 – Amy McDonald’s Brithday!
  • February 12 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 12 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • February 12 – SIW – Culture of Care with Amy Yillik 1:00-2:30
  • February 13 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 13 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 14 – Happy Valentines Day!
  • February 14 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 17 – President’s Day – No School!
  • February 18 – ICCL Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 19 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 19 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • February 19 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • February 20 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 20 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 20 – Title Night – Elk Meadow Learning Summit 5:00-7:00
  • February 21 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 24 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • February 25 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • February 26 – Amanda Waldron’s Birthday!
  • February 26 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 26 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • February 26 – SIW – Staff Wellness Event 1:00-2:30
  • February 27 – Heather Korman’s Birthday!
  • February 27 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 27 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 28 – Nicole Dewes’ Birthday!
  • February 28 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • March 3 – Classified Employee Appreciation Week!
  • March 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • March 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • March 4 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • March 5 – Emma Keeton’s Birthday!
  • March 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • March 5 – OBOB Pool Play 8:00-8:30
  • March 5 – SIW – Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • March 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • March 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • March 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

Updates from Downtown

Sharing a picture of something that makes me happy…Kermit the Frog! I have been in several third grade classes lately and have been seeing the EL module on Frogs, wishing I was 8 again, so that I could learn all about the amphibian that is so near and dear to my heart. As a life long Muppet fan, I think about the many ways we should try to channel our inner Kermit.

“Kermit’s lessons were always the same: Chip in. Share your stuff. Give of your time and genuine concern for the well-being of friends and neighbors. Forget about the glamour and the glitz which ultimately only provides superficial and fleeting happiness.” I couldn’t agree more!

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

Immigration Guidance:  Principals, be sure relevant staff have access to the district immigration guidance shared with you last week.  You may share with any/all staff, but at a minimum, it is expected that your entire front-office team be very familiar with the full guidance.  

Please print the ICE Protocol (the document linked in the first section) and post for staff reference at the station where your check-in person sits and greets visitors.  Reach out if you have questions or concerns.

From Becca Burda, Communications:

Good morning! SRO Appreciation Week is around the corner (February 10-14) and we’d like to plant the seed for schools to show their gratitude for their SROs. Can you please include the following in your blogs through the first week of February? I’ve also attached a few photos to spark ideas. Thank you!

Help celebrate our SROs! SRO Appreciation Day is Saturday, February 15 but we want to celebrate them all week long. Beginning Monday, February 11, do something special for your SRO. Please pick the day of the week that works best for your school.

Need some ideas?

  • Ask students and staff to make them thank you cards
  • Bring them donuts or other tasty morning treats
  • Serve them lunch
  • Decorate their office

Help us share the love on social media. Send your imagery to Becca Burda, Assistant Director of Communications, and we’ll keep the gratitude flowing online. 

From the Culture of Care at the ESD

We still have space available for our upcoming Restorative Conferencing training on 1/30/25 (8:30am-12:30pm at COCC Redmond). This is the tier 3 formal, scripted circle used to repair specific and significant harm between individuals. This session is free and open to educators and our partners.

Register for all RP Opportunities here!

Culture of Care has also been updating our Restorative Practices resources:

These resources can also be found on our website: cultureofcareoregon.org 

Important Dates

  • January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30–read chapter 1 in the Thriving Leaders book prior to coming.
  • January 31: Progress Report work day. Mandatory Training options at 8, 11, or 2
  • February 2: Progress Reports due by 5:00
  • February 4: Horizontal meeting at Ensworth, 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE
  • February 10: Admin ICCL Training on hold and will not happen today–please communicate that to your team. We will let you know of a future date.
  • February 11-12: Tammy and Karen are in Salem at a COSA conference

And finally…

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January 21st, 2025

January 21, 2025

Our EME Focus

  • Tier 1 Instruction
  • Belonging
  • Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

Thoughts of the Week

In his “I Have a Dream” speech, minister and civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. outlines the long history of racial injustice in America and encourages his audience to hold their country accountable to its own founding promises of freedom, justice, and equality.

King begins his speech by reminding his audience—the 250,000+ attendees at the March on Washington in August of 1963—that it has been over a century since the Emancipation Proclamation was signed into law, ending slavery in America. But even though Black Americans are technically free from slavery, they are not free in any larger sense—the “chains of discrimination” and the “manacles of segregation” continue to define the Black experience in America. It is time, King argues, for Black Americans to “cash [the] check” they were promised a century ago and demand “the riches of freedom and the security of justice.” There is no more time to waste in pursuit of a gradual solution to racism, King says—it is the “sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent,” and the country has reached its boiling point.

Even though King calls for the “whirlwinds of revolt” to spin into action, he urges those on the front lines of the civil rights movement not to let “bitterness and hatred” define their actions. They cannot let their movement for justice “degenerate into physical violence.” King reminds his listeners to remain in the “majestic heights” of nonviolent resistance and also to not see their white allies as enemies. In order to bring true justice about, King says, Americans of all races will need to unite and remain true to the values of nonviolent solidarity.

King acknowledges the long and difficult struggles that many of his listeners have already faced—he knows that those involved in the movement for civil rights have been beaten, insulted, and incarcerated. Still, he urges them to return home from the march to wherever they may live, be it in the sweltering South or in the “ghettos of the northern cities,” confident in the value and promise of their fight.

Then King invokes the dream he has for America: a dream that one day the country will “live out the true meaning of its creed” and make it a reality that “all men are created equal.” He dreams that his children will one day live in a society where they will be judged not “by the color of their skin but by the content of their character” and that, in the future, Black children and white children will join hands as sisters and brothers.

King urges his listeners to take their faith in meaningful change back to their hometowns—they must continue to struggle together, face incarceration together, and “stand up for freedom together” in order to truly make America a great nation. He calls for freedom to ring out across the country, from the highest mountains of Colorado, to Stone Mountain of Georgia, to “every hill and molehill of Mississippi.” When America collectively allows freedom to ring across its hills and valleys, he says, only then will “black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Catholics and Protestants” be able to sing truthfully and honestly the words of the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, we are free at last.”

The Coming Week

  • Monday
    • Martin Luther King Day – No School
    • Lea Wolnick’s Brithday
  • Tuesday
    • Earthquake Drill 1:30
    • ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • Wednesday
    • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • SIW Follow up to Ed Network 1:00-2:30
  • Thursday
    • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
    • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Friday
    • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

  • January 27 – Dibels Day!
  • January 27 – Robbie and Tracy AI Presentation 2:30-3:15
  • January 28 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • January 29 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • January 29 – EA Meeting 1:00-1:30
  • January 29 – SIW Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • January 29 – All Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
  • January 30 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • January 30 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • January 31 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 2 – Groundhog Day
  • February 3 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • February 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 4 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 4 – Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00
  • February 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 5 – SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30
  • February 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

Updates from Downtown

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Human Resources – Ryan Kellling: Per Article 15.8 of the CBA, Certified Employees are not required to report to their work site on end-of-term work days but must remain available by phone. Supervisors may require in-person attendance if there are articulable concerns about the timely completion of professional responsibilities.
To ensure clarity, we are setting the following expectations that will take effect for the second semester of 24-25 SY:
Progress Reports Submission Deadline: Special Education Progress reports must be submitted by 4:00 PM on 1/31 this semester.
Middle/High School progress reports must be finalized in Synergy by 4:00 PM on 1/31.
Elementary progress reports must be finalized by 4:00 PM on 2/3.

Work Location for End-of-Term Days: Employees who have met the deadlines in regards to grading and/or progress reports in previous semesters, and who have met other expectations surrounding the timely completion of professional responsibilities, will be permitted to work from an off-site location on end-of-term work days.
Employees who have not met these deadlines, and/or for whom their supervisor has further articulable concerns about the timely completion of professional responsibilities, will be required to work from their assigned school site.
Next Steps for Administrators: Notify employees with past concerns about timely completion of responsibilities – with detail regarding those concerns – as soon as possible (no later than 2 weeks before any potential end-of-term workday) if they will be required to work onsite on end-of-term work days. This communication will be followed up in writing with specific articulable concerns shared.
This practice encourages timely completion of professional responsibilities while maintaining flexibility for those employees meeting expectations.

From Jennifer Hauth – Social, Emotional, and Mental Wellbeing: Two schools from elementary have expressed interest in using the Waypoints summative assessment for mid-year data. We have opened the mid-year summative assessment from January 20th – February 20th for optional use. The year-end assessment will still be available from May 12th to June 13th. Here is information that was sent out at the beginning of the year, if you need additional information on how to access the assessments.

Summative Waypoints allow educators to measure student growth of Wayfinder’s six Core Skills across the school year. By administering the summative Waypoints assessments, educators can understand areas of strength and growth for individual students and the class to make informed, data-driven decisions about instruction. Here is the info on Waypoints, including the new Waypoints Implementation Guides to help teachers set up the reason we are assessing students as well as instructions.  The final summative assessment for students will be open May 12th through June 13th for students.

From Jenny White – Life and Career Readiness: Principals, here is an activity from Wayfinder called Rock Paper Scissors Battle that you can use during a staff meeting or SIW.  Link to the Activity in Wayfinder

From Dave Vanloo–School Improvement: 9 school days remain to survey (surveys close end-of-day Friday, January 31st).

Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin

FAN Food Resource: The Giving Plate provides our families in need with weekend food through their Snack Bag program.  Recently, they let us know that their donations and volunteer resources are down, while the number of families they’re serving has been up: from 130 to 700 families weekly.  They are unable to meet demand and need to prioritize their core services, so the Snack Bag program is discontinued.  

While this is disappointing news, there are still many ways families can access food resources.  Please see the links at the bottom of this letter, with bilingual handouts listing current food resources in Bend and South County.  FAN Advocates have shared this letter with impacted families.  Feel free to print copies of the handouts linked there, to have available in your main office.

Want to help out?  One of the best ways you can support our families is to volunteer or donate to awesome programs like The Giving Plate or directly to FAN, so they can maintain their services and programs that benefit our families.  🙂

Immigration Guidance: Please read this information carefully, and reach out with any questions.

Presidential Inauguration: Reminder: Post-inauguration, some students will be walking into your building with big feelings.  The incoming administration has openly communicated upcoming changes intended to directly impact particular populations (immigrants, trans people, etc).  

Please ask your counselors to make themselves as available as possible for drop-ins if students need extra support next week.  If your team knows a particular student or colleague struggled after the election in November, make time on Tuesday to have a trusted adult or friend intentionally check in with them.  Thank you for your increased presence, vigilance, empathy, and grace next week. 

Important Dates

  • January 22: SIW: EL planning time
  • January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30–read chapter 1 in the Thriving Leaders book prior to coming.
  • January 31: Progress Report work day, optional/mandatory training for you to come
  • February 2: Progress Reports due by 5:00
  • February 4: Horizontal meeting at Ensworth, 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE

And finally…

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January 13th, 2025

January 13, 2025

Our EME Focus

  • Tier 1 Instruction
  • Belonging
  • Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

Thoughts of the Week

A little humor to start the week off!

The Coming Week

  • Monday
    • Sarajane Pixton’s Birthday!
    • Principal Meeting 8:00-12:00
    • Union meeting with Peter Hoover 2:30
    • Committee Meetings 2:30-3:15
    • TAG/ICCL Meeting 3:45-5:45
  • Tuesday
    • Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
    • Forest Kinder 9:30-1:30
  • Wednesday
    • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • SIW Ed Network 1:00-2:30
    • Safety Cadre 1:30-3:00
  • Thursday
    • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
    • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
    • Lindsley Gehrig – New Report Card Overview 2:30-3:15
    • Admin Meeting 3:30-4:45
  • Friday
    • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

  • January 20 – Martin Luther King Day
  • January 20 – Lea Wolnick’s Brithday
  • January 21 –  Earthquake Drill 1:30
  • January 21 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • January 22 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • January 22 – SIW Follow up to Ed Network 1:00-2:30
  • January 23 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • January 23 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • January 24 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • January 27 – Dibels Day!
  • January 27 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • January 28 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • January 29 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • January 29 – EA Meeting 1:00-1:30
  • January 29 – SIW Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • January 29 – All Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
  • January 30 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • January 30 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • January 31 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 2 – Groundhog Day
  • February 3 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • February 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 4 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 4 – Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00
  • February 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 5 – SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30
  • February 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

Updates from Downtown

From Tammy and Karen

Welcome 2025! Here’s hoping the first blog of the year finds you rested and ready to stay the course with all the great work that is going on out in our schools and district! We appreciate and celebrate you!

What schools do Tammy and Karen support? We know many departments are unaware of how we have divided up schools this year. This link is to provide you with a list of which schools Tammy is the lead support person and which schools Karen is the lead support person. As always, we support them all, but this helps you know who to call first.

Progress Report Deadlines: January 31 is the official day that staff should be working on report cards and the official cutoff for elementary reports is Sunday, Feb 2 at 5:00 pm. Please make sure you communicate that early and often, so that we are not caught in a situation where a school has not submitted their cards and rollover to the next semester becomes tricky.

January 31 Progress Report Work Day: Per Article 15.8 of the CBA, Certified Employees are not required to report to their work site on end-of-term workdays but must remain available by phone. If a supervisor has articulable concerns about a Certified Employee’s timely completion of professional responsibilities, they may require the Certified Employee to report to the work site. Please reach out to Tammy or Karen if you have any questions about this.

ACR Update Process: We have updated the timeline for ACR approvals for the 2025-2026 school year. Here is the new timeline. This does not include a process for approving case by case ACRs that come to us throughout the year.

END Update: For next SIW 1/15, a reminder that your counselors, SSCs, and School Psychs will be meeting at Caldera from 2:30-4:00.

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

Did you know? Last year 6 students in the US were killed by their own bus, 3 of which were in school bus loading zones. We still have schools releasing before 2:15 and students in loading zones without adult supervision. Our buses, at some sites when approaching, have to swing over the curb to make a turn. This is critical there are no students anywhere near that move. Please be out to the bus loading zones to check that your staff and students are not too early and following this very important safety guideline. Thank you!

Kindergarten Ask: It’s that time of year again when Head Start is looking for a couple of kindergarten teachers from Bend La Pine to come and speak to their parents about kindergarten registration. The ask is typically about 30 minutes and covers the following:

  • Answer any questions parents might have about a kindergarten day, what they learn
  • Speak about kindergarten registration, how and when and what support may be available
  • Choice Option Schools, including Dual Immersion

Please let Tammy know if you have a kindergarten teacher who may be interested. We will take two of them and pay them for one hour. Thank you!

From Janet Bojanowski: During the January 22nd Office Manager meeting, we will have a discussion on de-escalation led by Eric Powell, Scott Bojanowski, and Kayla Martin. This will include sample scenarios to work through and time for you to bring forth any scenarios you would like to share/discuss. We would like to remind you that your full office staff is invited and encouraged to attend these trainings.

Schedule is as follows; however, you are welcome to join either session if the time works better for you. Elementary Team: 1:15-2:15pm followed by the Secondary Team from 2:30-3:30

One Class at a Time Awards: Mid Oregon Credit Union is seeking your assistance in nominations for our KTVZ One Class at a Time awards. Selected nominations will be chosen monthly during the school year for innovative classroom education, projects and learning that represent positive student experiences and highlighted with a KTVZ news story and a $1000 award to support the program.

Please have your principals, teachers, advisors, staff send the requests to Kyle Frick, at [email protected] for consideration for the selection process.

From Jennifer Hauth and your building counselors: (Note from Tammy and Karen: Please make sure that at least one building admin attend this celebration, so mark your calendars!)

From Dave Vanloo–School Improvement: This is a quick reminder that YouthTruth is now open through January 31. Here is a link to a document to help you get started. More information and resources are available once you log in to YouthTruth.  Let me know if you have any questions. 

From Deputy Superintendent- Lisa Birk

A reminder: another survey I would like you to share with your team is from one of our partners, COREN. This will give an opportunity for all staff to describe professional development interests. COREN supports many learning opportunities within BLP, and this information benefits both their organization and ours in the sense that it gives us access to supports for our current needs. Right now, participation has been limited so any encouragement you can do to give feedback is helpful. This survey ends on January 10th.

Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin

Classroom placement policy: Here is a draft of a new policy going out for public feedback, with a tentative adoption date of mid-February.  This establishes that principals are the final decision-makers with regard to classroom placements.  This should help navigate student, staff, or parent requests or refusals to have a particular teacher or student in a class, or where there is disagreement on a student’s schedule.  The “principal or designee” language allows you to delegate this authority to counselors or coordinators, at least for initial placements or non-controversial requests for changes. 

Upcoming events: Please share this communication in your next weekly staff memo, and participate in any/all of these as you are available.  In particular, encourage your building to be well-represented in our 3rd annual Door-Decorating Contest (adult teams can participate too, if you have enthusiastic or artistic front-office, counseling, or other non-classroom staff).  Thank you!

CAFE Program training: Do you have a newly-hired staff member who speaks another language?  Would they like a $1,000 annual stipend for using their multilingual skills to support family communication?  Due to multiple requests, we are adding one more round of CAFE Program testing and training for this school year.  This extra round will take place in late January—further opportunities will not be available until next fall, so please help ensure relevant bilingual employees are aware and signed up in UKG’s Learning platform.  (Once a staff member has been tested and trained, they do not need to repeat those steps.)

Do Not Schedule dates: As your team begins to schedule important dates for spring, summer, and fall events, please be sure they are aware of our Do Not Schedule dates.  Thank you for re-sharing this with your office managers, activities directors, athletics staff, counselors, and PTA/Booster Club leaders.  

Action Items

  • Inform teachers about the 5:00 deadline for progress report submissions on Sun. Feb 2.
  • Make sure bus lanes are clear of students and supervised by adults
  • We need 2 K teachers willing to attend a 30 min Head start meeting to talk about Kindergarten
  • Mark your calendar for end of year counseling celebration
  • Got a one class at a time nominee? Send it to Kyle Frick
  • Youth Truth—how are you going to get your participation rates up?
  • Coren survey for all staff by 1/10
  • Pay close attention to the information in Kinsey’s section.

Important Dates

  • January 13: TAG Meeting at the Ed Center from 3:45-5:30. Please make sure your admin rep and TAG teacher rep are there.
  • January 15: Safety Cadre Meeting—one admin should attend. PBMS from 1:30-3:30
  • January 15 and 22: SIWs that are Educator Network day followed by an SIW that is EL planning time
  • January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30–read chapter 1 in the Thriving Leaders book prior to coming.
  • January 31: Progress Report work day, optional/mandatory training for you to come
  • February 2: Progress Reports due by 5:00
  • February 4: Horizontal meeting at Ensworth, 3:00-5:00 Hosted by ENS, BUC and LRE

And finally…

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January 6th, 2025

January 6, 2025

Our EME Focus

  • Tier 1 Instruction
  • Belonging
  • Define what it means to be an Integrated Arts School

Thoughts of the Week

January~ derived from the Latin word Januarius, which is named after the Roman god Janus. I find it interesting the Janus is often depicted with two faces, one looking to the past and one to the future.

These are Six Questions to Reflect on the Past, Enjoy the Present and Anticipate the Future…

  1. What is it that I am looking forward to? This question helps you focus on the positive. This is a stressful time of year, and your brain will want to dwell on everything that is not going as planned. When you pause and think about all that you are looking forward to, it primes your brain to seek more of what is good and going well in your life. As my mentor Tal Ben-Shahar says, “Appreciate the good and the good will appreciate.”
  2. What is something I am grateful for? This is a powerful way to bring you back into an attitude of gratitude. There can be a lot of “bah humbug” around the holiday season. When you pause and reflect on what you are grateful for, it reminds you of all that you have in your life, without the need for anything more.
  3. What is something I am proud of doing this past year? The New Year is right around the corner, and what often accompanies January 1 is a long list of what you are going to do differently in 2018. Instead of using December as an endpoint for the year, think of it as a place to pause and reflect. Look back and think of all the things you did well and remember all the progress you have made. This then sets you up for a wonderful 2018, without discounting all the great things you have already done.
  4. What is one thing I would like to do differently next year? This allows you to look forward without being overwhelmed. Different does not always mean harder or longer. It may mean allowing more time to relax, to be less hard on yourself or to change how you use your free time. This question does not mean that the past was bad and the future will be better; it simply opens the door for you to consider making small changes that could benefit your future.
  5. If 2025 was your last year, ask yourself: What would I be doing? Who would I be with? How would I want to feel? OK, so I know these are three questions, but it is a powerful way to make sure that your goals for next year are in alignment with your values.
  6. Where am I? This time of year pulls us in a million directions, yet the greatest gift you can give your friends and family is the gift of your presence and undivided attention. Between the parties, the texts and the selfies, you can miss the moments twice. Each time you walk into a room or you find yourself drifting, simply ask yourself, “Where am I?” If you don’t like the answer, listen to your breathing and to yourself say, “Be, here, now.” This will bring you back into the moment, so you can fully enjoy and embrace this special time of year.

The Coming Week

  • Monday
    • Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • Tuesday
    • Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00
  • Wednesday
    • Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
    • SIW Culture of Care with Amy Yilik 1:00-3:15
  • Thursday
    • Fire Drill 8:30
    • Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
    • Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • Friday
    • EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

UPCOMING DATES:

  • January 13 – Sarajane Pixton’s Birthday!
  • January 13 – Principal Meeting 8:00-12:00
  • January 13 – Union meeting with Peter Hoover 2:30
  • January 13 – TAG/ICCL Meeting 3:45-5:45
  • January 14 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • January 14 – Forest Kinder 9:30-1:30
  • January 15 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • January 15 – SIW Ed Network 1:00-2:30
  • January 15 – Safety Cadre 1:30-3:00
  • January 16 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • January 16 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • January 16 – Admin Meeting 3:30-4:45
  • January 17 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • January 20 – Martin Luther King Day
  • January 20 – Lea Wolnick’s Brithday
  • January 21 –  Earthquake Drill 1:30
  • January 21 – ICCL Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • January 22 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • January 22 – SIW Follow up to Ed Network 1:00-2:30
  • January 23 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • January 23 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • January 24 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • January 27 – Dibels Day!
  • January 27 – Committee Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • January 28 – Care Teams Meeting 7:00-8:00
  • January 29 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • January 29 – EA Meeting 1:00-1:30
  • January 29 – SIW Teacher Prep 1:00-2:30
  • January 29 – All Admin Meeting 3:00-4:30
  • January 30 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • January 30 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • January 31 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00
  • February 2 – Groundhog Day
  • February 3 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 3 – Staff Meeting 2:30-3:15
  • February 4 – Safety Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 4 – Core Effectiveness Meetings
  • February 4 – Elementary Admin Meeting  3:00-5:00
  • February 5 – Office Admin Meeting 7:00-7:30
  • February 5 – SIW – Extra Time for EL Planning 1:00-2:30
  • February 6 – Smart Reading (Kindergarten) 9:45-10:45
  • February 6 – Sped Team Meeting – 2:30-3:15
  • February 7 – EET Weekly Meeting 8:00-9:00

Updates from Downtown

From Tammy and Karen

Schedule Notes

Horizontal Meeting at Elk Meadow Elementary on January 7th from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. Opening by Elk Meadow and closing by Westside Village.

Important Links

Notes from our Team:

From Sarah Barclay, BEA and Sean Reinhart, Student Support 

We are re-sharing to make sure you have access to this information and can easily share it with your entire staff, including classified employees. Certified employees previously received this, but classified emplyees avenot.

Many of you have reached out with questions about special education programming and expectations within Bend-La Pine Schools. First and foremost, we want to acknowledge the wide-spread concerns and confusion within our District regarding this topic. Over the last five years the Bend-La Pine Schools Student Services Department, previously known as Special Education, has made changes within their department that were well intentioned, but not communicated to the larger system of employees and this has led to uncertainty and misunderstanding. The purpose of today’s communication is to provide all staff with a shared base of information that we can use to build our future decisions upon as we move toward a shared goal of better supporting all students, including those who require specially designed instruction and services.

During the 2018-2019 school year a project known as Excellence in Education gathered feedback from staff, students, and families about their experiences in our schools. After receiving and processing that feedback, the Student Services Department set out on a journey to improve the inclusion of students experiencing disability into the general education setting. The BLS vision for special education is, “Bend-La Pine Schools strive to create an inclusive culture and environment for all learners, particularly for those that experience disability. We believe, to the greatest extent possible, that all students should maximize time spent in the general education classroom regardless of their special education services or related services. To this end, it is imperative that the educational planning process begins with services in the general education setting and ends with the need for specialized services in more segregated settings.” For more detailed information about this process click here.

We are reaching out today to share answers to frequently asked questions about our model for delivering special education services in Bend-La Pine Schools and to provide clarity on how we provide Special Education services in our schools. The Special Education Inclusion Questions and Answers (click link) will be updated as more questions arise.

Are we there yet? Inclusive practices and the improvement of those practices are a process. This work will not be achieved overnight, it will take time and training, it will take collaboration and conversation. All of which are precious in the public education system. As we continue this journey the Student Services Department is committed to listening to all employees, answering questions as they arise, and working with BEA to increase learning opportunities and continued clarity on this topic. The work we do with students is complex and working together to ensure all students have access to the support they need will lead to thriving community members in the future. 

In partnership, 

Sarah Barclay, President, Bend Education Association and Sean Reinhart, Executive Director of Student Services, Bend-La Pine Schools

From Student Well-Being – Jennifer Hauth

Elementary Counselors will be teaching new curriculum beginning in January. As part of our Source of Strength implementation at secondary, we are adding their Connecting to Help curriculum for grades 3-5 at elementary, this is just a few lessons at each grade level. This is an opportunity to build skills and language around mental health literacy and provide resources ahead of significant transitions. These lessons uplift protective factors available to students to help mitigate risk and allow them to practice strategies for lifelong health.  Protective factors addressed in these lessons include:

  • A sense of belonging and connection, both at school and in the broader community
  • Positive relationships with peers and adults at school
  • The ability to identify emotions, utilize coping skills, and solve social problems
  • Being able to talk to Trusted Adults about social and emotional challenges
  • Positive sense of identity

We met as a PLC a few weeks ago and reviewed the Connecting to Help curriculum for grades  3, 4 and 5. We have a family letter that they will share with family and here are the slides from our time together: Elementary School Counselors – Connecting to Help Curriculum and review of Wayfinder MTSS Dashboard as well as the Informed Consent Process.

From Curriculum and Instruction – Julie Richards

STEMHub Training: Please share this flyer with teachers after the break. This event is in January and subs are covered.

Life and Career Readiness – Jenny White

Principals, here is an activity from Wayfinder called Finding Commonalities that you can use during a staff meeting or SIW.  Link to the Activity in Wayfinder.

From Deputy Superintendent- Lisa Birk

Another survey I would like you to share with your team is from one of our partners, COREN. This will give an opportunity for all staff to describe professional development interests. COREN supports many learning opportunities within BLP, and this information benefits both their organization and ours in the sense that it gives us access to supports for our current needs. Right now, participation has been limited so any encouragement you can do to give feedback is helpful. This survey ends on January 10th.

Policy, Advocacy, and Equity – Kinsey Martin

Upcoming events/dates:

Spanish-language FAFSA Night: Mon, Jan 13th.  Here is the flyer.  Thanks for distributing to your families and promoting through your channels!  The primary audience is high school, but staff or families from any grade level are welcome if they just want to get a sense of the process.   

Asian Family Night: Friday, January 31st.  Food, cultural performances and crafts, and a drawing contest.  More details to come—for now, save the date!  (Yes, I know this is grading day 🙂 )

Black History Month Door-Decorating Contest: Submissions due Wed, Feb 19, and winners will be announced Fri, Feb 21.  Prizes and recognition for the winners will be a little special this year.  Complete information will be shared with your staff via your DEI-ICCL rep in early January—for now, add these key dates to your calendar!  

Presidential inauguration: This year’s presidential inauguration falls on the same day as Martin Luther King, Jr., Day.  It is a No-School day, but some priority-population advisory groups have indicated worry for the student experience and respectful interactions on Tuesday, Jan 21st.  

Our community has been relatively respectful post-election (which is great!), and we certainly don’t want to assume negative intent.  That said, continued preventive efforts can’t hurt.  In early Jan, make sure your teachers review norms and expectations regarding the dignity and belonging of everyone in your learning community, and the expected reporting procedures if these norms are violated (i.e. bias incident form submissions).  As you welcome students back from break, a family communication/reminder regarding these school-wide expectations is helpful too.

Please ask your counselors to make themselves as available as possible for drop-ins if students need extra support on/around Tues, Jan 21.  If your team knows a particular student or colleague struggled after the election in November, make a note on your calendar to have a trusted adult or friend intentionally check in with them that day.  

Complaints: Your teams are doing really great with the complaint system—thank you for your visible and thoughtful efforts to respond, investigate, support, document, and communicate for each one you receive in your Dashboard.  Those take substantial time and energy, but they are investments in the trust and safety of your school culture, and your students, families, and staff notice and appreciate that.      

Action Items

  • Protect January 22 SIW for a FULL 90 minutes of EL planning for your staff

Important Dates

  • January 6: First Day back from break!
  • January 7: Horizontal Meeting at Elk Meadow from 3:00-5:00, hosted by Elk Meadow and Westside Village
  • January 15 and 22: SIWs that are Educator Network day followed by an SIW that is EL planning time
  • January 29: All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30

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