To Do:

• Mark your calendars!  Our annual Move-Up Day for 5th graders to come visit your building will be on May 22, 2018.  I’ve communicated this with Gary – who will let the elementary principals know – so other out of town events will not be scheduled on this day.
• As you are aware, Oregon Health Teens Survey (grades 6 & 8) is offered ever other year.  Student Wellness Survey is offered in opposite years.  We’ve decided, from a Deschutes Co. Health Services suggestion, to only be involved with the OHT Survey – with the belief that if we only engage in one survey, every other year, we will have more schools participate (and receive better data) than if we try to continue with two surveys.  So, OHT Survey will be this year – with a January/February survey window (I do not know exact dates).  I’d love for all of our MS to be involved this year, but it is not mandatory.  Please let me know by next Friday (Nov. 3) if you would be interested/willing, or not this year, to have your 6th & 8th graders participate.
• If you haven’t already, please begin completing your SLGGs for this year.  Principals, you should find yours within your TalentEd folder now.  VPs, if your SLGG form is not in your folder, then your principal can add it.  A reminder that I’d like to discuss this year’s SLGGs with principals when I come visit you at our Nov/Dec meeting (I’m only meeting with you one time during these months).

This and That:

• If you missed it last night on the news, SVMS got some props for their You Matter campaign.  Always nice to receive some positive press for the enriching activities/events at one of our schools.  Kudos to Scott, Brian and the team at SVMS!
• As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I wanted to pass along to you the goals/targets that your counselors (and all HS counselors as well) have, as a group, set for themselves to accomplish this year as part of their ongoing work in created a Comprehensive Guidance and Counseling Program at each school.  First of all, I need to tell you how impressed I am with the work all of our counselors are doing in creating systems, based on your school data, to serve the needs of all students. They would love to hear a “thank you” from you as you learn more about what they’ve been up to.  Here is a list of items they will be working towards in the coming weeks (they have a due date of Dec. 1) and I hope you will ask your counselor about these activities and support their work:
  • Mission and Vision Statements (For counseling department)
  • School Data Profile (DART data to help identify gaps in learning – and areas for focus for counselors)
  • Program goals (Hopefully also used for counselor SLGGs)
  • Mindsets and Behaviors Planning Tool
  • Closing-the-gap, School Counseling Core Curriculum and Small Group Action Plans (These are three different plans)
  • Plans for data collection (What pre/post data are counselors going to collect to see whether goals are met)
  • Annual Calendar (Completed and shared with building admin)
  • Annual Agreement (Completed and shared with building admin)
• You are probably already aware of this change, but may not be aware of why it has occurred.  Terry Cashman is now overseeing custodians.  To be clear, Walt Norris is still the direct supervisor of building custodians, but Terry (instead of Mike Tiller) is now overseeing Walt.  The reason for this is because of the burden our new bond has put on Mike’s time.  Some responsibilities had to be peeled away from Mike, as he adds a number of other bond-related, new items of responsibility.  In case you are asked, this move does not result in any cost to our general fund.  If you have a question or concern with a custodian Walt is still your first contact.
• Some new things are on the horizon around transportation and parent communication.  I’ll provide you the overview here, with more to come (likely from transportation folks) in the not-so-distant future:
  • GPS – These units are currently being installed on all of our busses.  With a downloadable app, parents will be able to track their child’s bus location.
  • RFID – If a parent is interested and volunteers, their child will carry a card (think plastic card swipe) that will, again with a downloadable app, let the parent know when their child gets on the bus and when they exit the bus.  This should be up an running by this December.

Reminders:

• For most of you, next Thursday, 11/2, will bring a new “principal” to your building.  The Education Foundation has sponsored this event for a number of years, matching a community person with a building principal for the morning to get a first-hand, behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to be a school principal.  I encourage you, if you have a guest principal, to take this opportunity to show your guest some of the great work you and your staff are engaged in, some tasks this individual can’t believe you “have to deal with” and some of the things you love about your job.  I believe, overall, there is great community support for our schools.  Take this opportunity to develop a new supporter!