TO DO:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is an action to take here, only if you are interested in promoting your students become involved in a regional spelling bee<\/strong>. (I hope that some of our MS students do get involved!) Here is some information about this and a contact to learn even more: Jodi Lawrence Turner, editor with The Bulletin, is hoping we might partner with them as they would like to organize a spelling bee for students in Bend \/ Central Oregon. They are looking to start with grades 6-8 and would like to have the first round of competition in February 2020. From there, the competition would move to the county and state levels. If you or one of your staff would like to speak with Jodi to learn more \u2013 her office # 541-383-0308 and cell # 509-953-2957. _______________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation will be providing free vision screenings for middle school students<\/strong>. Currently, Lions screens all of our elementary students. Volunteers of the Lions organization come to the schools and do the screenings. The process is free, quick, efficient and pretty accurate (optometrists are impressed). If you are interested, please let Tami Pike know very soon so she can help coordinate! <\/p>\n\n\n\n THIS and THAT:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An important reminder\/heads-up from Jon in HR: Principals\/Supervisors, It is only December but it is time to start thinking about the renewal\/non-renewal process. If you have an employee that you don’t want to renew, then we have some work to do in this area before the public board meeting February 11, 2019.<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n By Jan. 10th:<\/strong> Please have a conversation with me about any certified employee that you have some concerns about. If you have a concern about an employee, we need to start making a plan for how to move forward with that person. We may decide to start with informal supports or go to our formal process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have several options when we are talking about probationary employees of concern. One option is to non-renew a probationary contract. This is formally done at the Board Meeting in February and March. If we decide to move toward non-renewal, we will need to have some discussions with the teacher, with the BEA, and with the board during Executive Sessions. If you are having concerns with a probationary teacher, please make sure we talk about it. Once a teacher becomes contract it can be a much harder process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I also need to know about contract teachers that you have a concern about. You may only be supporting the person informally, which is great, but I still need to know about them. If you have started the formal support system, which includes Focus Performance Review, Support Strategies, and\/or a Plan of Assistance, you must contact me so that we can work through it together. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Due by Jan. 2oth<\/strong>: \u00a0Please send the\u00a0probationary\u00a0three letters of support<\/a> to Carrie Hulbert and Candy Gelatt . \u00a0We need to be hiring and putting the best\u00a0teachers\u00a0in front of\u00a0students. \u00a0It is an\u00a0important decision\u00a0when moving an employee from\u00a0probationary\u00a0status\u00a0to contract status. \u00a0(Please check this list for your staff<\/a> in this situation.) After participating in the board process the last several years, I have a better feeling for what the board is looking for in these letters.\u00a0 The board takes moving a\u00a0probationary\u00a0employee to contract status very seriously. \u00a0They really want to know that each of you have specific reasons why each one of these\u00a0employees should move to contract status. \u00a0I have attached a spreadsheet of\u00a0probationary\u00a0three employees and the famous probationary three letter example (linked above) from Mr. Matt Montgomery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have any questions, please feel free to give me (Jon) a call. ________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n The high schools have selected the dates\/times of their orientation night for current 8th-grade students\/families. Here is a document<\/a> that outlines when these will be taking place, and also includes important dates around the HS ACR process. ________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n I had shared some information with you in a previous blog post regarding upcoming parent Connect Workshops<\/strong> (how parents might talk with their teen(s) regarding drug\/alcohol use). I previously share an English version<\/a> of the flyer and promised a Spanish version when it was available. Here is the Spanish version<\/a>. ____________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n As you likely are already aware, your teachers have access to Newsela<\/a>, but they may not know that they do, may not know what it is, or how they might use it in the classroom. If you’d like a training with your staff, please reach out to Scott McDonald or John Craft – who just did a training at SVMS last week – for more info! Additionally, don’t forget that your math teachers have access to Dreambox<\/strong> and Skip can help you\/your staff with support in getting this set up with students if you’d like. ______________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Misty Groom: There will be a Level 1 (only) Threat Assessment Training<\/strong> held on Friday, January 24, 2020,\u00a0from 12:00-4:00\u00a0at the High Desert ESD (2804 SW Sixth Street, Redmond). This training is for School Administrators, School Counselors, School Psychologists, and School Resource Officers who have\u00a0NOT<\/em>\u00a0previously attended this training and for any NEW staff who will be part of a Level 1 team at their school site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Individuals must RSVP via email to Misty.Groom@hdesd.org<\/a> – for any questions, please contact Misty at 541-355-1012.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Please bring your laptop in order to access various documents.\u00a0 _______________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your school should have received copies of the High School Choice Options<\/strong> brochure in English<\/a>. Please display these in your counseling office or another relevant location at your school. The Spanish version<\/a> is on its way from the print shop and should arrive shortly. If you run out of brochures or did not receive any, please contact Alandra Johnson \u2013\u00a0Alandra.johnson@bend.k12.or.us<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0Learn more about the choice option application process and key upcoming dates at our website \u2013\u00a0http:\/\/bit.ly\/BLSchoice<\/a> _________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Jackie Wilson, our district’s Sustainability Coordinator<\/strong>: With Christmas break coming, this is a great time to remind staff about waste and energy reduction. All classrooms should do their part to reduce the trash as much as possible over the holidays. When Friday rolls around and we are in a rush to start our vacations and spend time with families, please remember the classified staff clean the schools. Garbage cans should not be left overflowing. Make sure you put recycling in bins and try to reduce trash. If your school wants a 30 person party kit with washable plates, bowls, cups and spoons for classrooms or staff parties. please reach out to the Sustainability Coordinator, Jackie Wilson. REMINDERS:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Leadership meeting on January 13, starting at 3:15.<\/p>\n\n\n\n MS Horizontal at Realms MS on January 27, starting at 3:00. Please have chapter 3 read and be ready to share your thinking on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" TO DO: There is an action to take here, only if you are interested in promoting your students become involved in a regional spelling bee. (I hope that some of our MS students do get involved!) Here is some information … Continue reading
As for energy conservation, schools’ heat will be lowered to 58 degrees for our unoccupied mode during the break. If you have any Mods on campus, please have the staff manually lower the temperatures to 58. These are not on the district controls. Make sure to shut down computers and turn off electronics at the power switches. ________________________________________________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n