This and That:

Report Card Guidance Update (From Julie Walker): Some questions have come up regarding guidance around report cards. We have updated the guidance document with a few additional supports. Updates include:

Energy Conservation (From Jackie Wilson): Over the holidays, school temps were lowered to 55 degrees, and staff were asked to shut down electronics. From the schools that were checked on, many did a fantastic job. Why is this important? Schools are unoccupied 75% of the year, considering holidays, summers, nights, and weekends, so reducing energy use at those times is key to generating savings. Energy is one of the few major costs that schools can reduce without sacrificing the quality of education. In fact, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), energy costs are second only to personnel costs for U.S. K-12 institutions.

Schools typically waste about one-quarter of their energy use and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that schools possess $2 billion worth of energy efficiency potential nationwide — the equivalent of nearly 40 million textbooks. BLSD spends $1.5 million on electricity alone annually. Through conservation strategies such as shutting down schools when unoccupied, we are saving money and reducing emissions. Thanks to all that assist in this small effort. If you have staff without a power strip to easily shut down electronics at the end of the day, please request one at [email protected] (**NOTE from Kelle – you can let Chris know if you don’t have one and she will be the point person for ordering them.**)

SIW Agenda: SIW this week is “school discretion” and will be team time.

Staff Meeting: Canceled this week. I am hoping/ planning to start staff and ICCL meetings again starting next week. But, I will be constantly weighing and taking a pulse of staff needs: time vs. communication/ training. The prevailing need in January seemed to lean more towards “time.”

Focus on Excellence and Equity:

TLC Update: Here is a link to this week’s TLC Update. Some topics of note: supports for leading/ navigating black history month topics and OPTIONAL educator network day sessions,

*Reading Article- “Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science“: 2020 version: We are almost to the end of this lengthy report. I am hopeful that some you are taking the time to read these sections or at least the quotes I have shared along the way. Pages 23-25 are titled: “Where We Need to Go: Changing Teacher Preparation and Professional Development”. This section isn’t quite as full of relevant sound bites to practicing teachers. But here is part of the conclusion for this section:

The fact that teachers need better training to carry out deliberate instruction in reading, spelling, and writing should prompt action rather than criticism. It should highlight the chronic gap between what teachers need and what they have been given.

COVID/ Safety Related Information:

BLS COVID Response and Recovery: Newsletter for January 13.

Eating Outdoors: It has been a warmer than typical January and I have unintentionally missed making the call for eating outdoors when the temperatures have been warm enough and the ground dry enough. I will be watching the weather closely this week. Currently, it is looking like Thursday might be an outdoor lunch day. If the call is close, but we don’t have all students eat outside, please feel free to make the choice to bring your own class outside.

The Removal of Appendix A and the New Return to School Policy (From Skip): As you all know, the school board voted to remove Appendix A per the recommendation of Dr. Cook. What does this mean for you? It means we have some flexibility when it comes to using our cafeterias and other areas for meals. It doesn’t mean that we stop continuing practicing safe distancing during meal times when masks are off. (**Note from Kelle- As I shared on Tuesday at our short staff meeting, we do not plan to use the Elk Meadow cafeteria for meals for the remainder of this school year.**)

Day 6-10 Protocols at Elk Meadow: Our safety team met on Wednesday and decided on the below protocols for day 6-10 students (and staff). All of the protocols listed below are the same for the entire district except our requirement of wearing a mask at recess.

EME COVID Anonymous Safety Concern Form: Link here.

To Do:

Staffing: If you haven’t already completed this quick survey, please do so by this Thursday, February 3rd. Please follow this link to complete a short survey about your wishes for next year. ALL POSITIONS SHOULD TAKE THE SURVEY.

YouthTruth Survey:  The survey has been extended by one week and closes this coming Friday 2/4. Elk Meadow is up to 90%!!! Only a handful more of staff need to take it to hit 100%. Please follow this link and take the survey if you haven’t already. Every voice is important.

Important Dates: