10.24.2021

Some beautiful pumpkin art in Mrs. Perry’s class. 🙂

This and That:

Conferences (From Skip): Below are a few more notes regarding conferences:

•Many families are planning to use student iPads for conferences. Students should practice signing into their Webex accounts at school before iPads are sent home for conferences. Here’s a direct link to the Webex: Student Sign In video for the 21-22 school year.  Please reach out if you need any help with Webex. Client Services Technicians and Instructional Coaches are here to support everyone.

•VERY IMPORTANT – Many classes have received the new generation 8 iPads this year. If a student has the latest iPad, please ensure the device is updated to iOS 15. These generation 8 iPads must be updated to iOS 15 for optimal Webex audio performance. We have experienced dropped WebEx audio on new iPads running iOS 14. Remember, updates can take some time to download and most times require the device to be plugged in. So be sure to plan ahead!

Conferences Part 2 (From Kelle):

•Please be sure to get your conference schedules to Cindy no later than Tuesday at noon; we will start hunting them down after this time.

•Office staff will be in the building during regular hours on Wednesday and Thursday and working from home on Wednesday and Thursday evenings until 8:00 with the Elk Meadow phones forwarded. Be sure to check your email between conferences for phone messages from the office staff.

•Our awesome PTO is providing donuts and coffee for staff on Wednesday. 🙂

Alternate Specialist Schedule (From Kathy): Kathy emailed this earlier last week, but here is a reminder:

Due to a short few days during the week of conferences, Melissa and I are going to split the two days and see the whole school. We will go back to a normal week on the 1st of November. This will be changed and reflected on the Master Schedule. Here is the schedule for this coming week:
•If you had music LAST week, your class will have one day of PE on the 25th and then one day of music on the 26th.  On the 1st of November, you will then have a whole week of PE.  
•If you had PE LAST week, your class will have one day of music on the 25th and then one day of PE on the 26th.  On the 1st of November, you will then have a whole week of music. 

Christi’s Cell Phone: Please plug Christi’s cell phone into your phone so that you can reach her during non-school for those unexpected absences and needs: (541) 903-0531

Costume Day: We will NOT be doing a costume parade outside this year.

Squid Games: Some of you may have heard about a new and very popular show called “Squid Games.” Because of its popularity, it has started to show up in some different ways at school. Many aspects of this show are clearly not appropriate for an elementary school, so some staff have been asking how we might limit it. After giving it some thought, we are not going to specifically single out “Squid Games.” Today, the inappropriate fad is Squid Games; yesterday, it was Call of Duty, and who knows what it will be tomorrow. Our rules aren’t going to be able to keep up singling out each new fad. But, the school rules we currently have in place are solid. Our recess rules and costume rules list what is appropriate and what is not. If individual classrooms are having issues specific to squid games, please feel free to address those as a classroom or grade level; we will not make particular school rules around one show.

SIW Agenda: SIW this week is “teacher prep.”

Record of Credit (From Human Resources): We are excited to announce that you can now check your Record of Credit through Employee Online.  Record of Credit has been added to the Personal Information tab – see screen print below.  We have entered all credits we have received up through today, so this information is up to date.  We respectfully ask that when you send in new credits moving forward, you allow us a couple weeks to get them entered before following up to see if we have received them. Let us know if you have any questions. 

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Focus on Excellence and Equity:

TLC Update:  There wasn’t a new update this week, but here is the link to last week’s TLC Update with lots of information and supports for conferences.

Cultures Aren’t Costumes”: I didn’t get this early enough to send in our parent newsletter but thought some of you might enjoy the read and like to use it with your students

COVID/ Safety Related Information:

COVID Resources Update: Below is some COVID-related resources that will repeat in each of our newsletters for easy access.

  • Flowchart for COVID-19 Questions and Concerns: Please follow this flowchart. If in doubt about what to do, you can always check with Frank or Kelle. Frank is our Safety Team Lead, and Ann Hollenberg is our School Nurse.
  • BLS Return to School Website: – There is A LOT of great information on this webpage including quarantine and isolation information for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals.
  • EME COVID Anonymous Safety Concern Form: Link here.

To Do:

Words Their Way: Let me know by the end of the day on Tuesday 10/26 if you would like for me to order a “Words Their Way” book for you. I am happy to purchase it for anyone that will read it.

Please Park in Back Lot: Please remember that staff should be parking in the back of the school. Once all spots in the back lot are taken, parking in front is fine. Thanks for your help with this.

Important Dates:

  • SIW Schedule for the year
  • Tuesday: ICCL Meeting
  • Wednesday: Conference Prep, Conferences, Donuts and Coffee from PTO in lounge
  • Thursday: Conferences
  • Friday: Day off!!!! 🙂