TO DO:

• If you are looking for a PD opportunity specifically designed with middle level in mind, this may be the one for you.  Association for Middle Level Education is sponsoring a one-day training in Milwaukie (just outside Portland) on April 13, 2018.  For additional information and registration access, simply click on this AMLE link.

THIS AND THAT:

• Likely you do not receive the Midstate Electric magazine, a publication sent to South County residents who are part of the Midstate Electric Cooperative. I want to share an article out of the January, 2018 edition of this magazine that highlights the trip of a couple of Doctors that you know and work with. Hope you take a few minutes to check it out!
• At our last MS Horizontal meeting we spent some time talking about culture… what is it, what you do/don’t do to create it, how it affects your building, etc. (Thank you again Chris, Lisa and Robi for your insights and willingness to share and make us all think about this!) This (short but insightful) article, found in Marshall Memo 721, touches further on the idea of how you can communicate with others in situations where common ground is hard to find. In “Validation 101” the author highlights three strategies that I agree are a great place to start in difficult conversations: paraphrase the main thing you are hearing the other person say, acknowledge their emotion, and communicate acceptance. Even if in the end you have to “agree to disagree” with their stance, I believe these are good strategies to consider as part of your conversation.
• The following upcoming event information is from Alandra, whom you can reach out to if you have any questions.  I hope you consider attend, as I am confident you will leave having learned new insights of how to better support our Latino students/community.For the second year running, our district is hosting a Latino Family Night and we would love to invite principals or other school reps to attend.Feb. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Mountain View High School in the cafeteria/commons.  (Dinner starts at 5:30 – content will start at 6 p.m.)Details to know:Shay will deliver a message and introduce our liaisons.We will also have breakout sessions on:
  • Special programs
  • High School Opportunities
  • Choice Option Schools
  • A Parent Panel
  • Technology Tools (bus app, tip line, raptor, etc.)

REMINDERS:

• I’ll see you all at our Leadership meeting on Monday, starting at 3:15.  Please bring your laptop with you (at least one per school) as you’ll be doing some quick typing (very little) at the end of our time together.
• On Tuesday next week I’ll be at LPMS all day for Challenge Day.  If you are interested in participating please let Scott O. know as they may have an opening during one of their four Challenge Days next week.
• You received an email from Shay a week ago talking about the TELL Survey (https://telloregon.org), a 20-30 minute survey for all certified school employees in Oregon.  We have also developed our own classified survey again this year so we can hear from all of our employee groups regarding their perceptions around their work/conditions.  Please plan to carve out time for your employees to complete the corresponding survey during work hours (if at all possible) during the month of February.