This and That:
Metrics: I’m sure you are aware that the number of COVID cases did not improve over the Thanksgiving break (in fact, they got worse), so I’m quite certain we won’t be meeting metrics this Monday.
REQUIRED Emergency Bus Evacuation Drill (From Tina in Transportation): Emergency bus evacuation drills are an important part of ensuring our students’ safety when traveling on district school buses. Due to COVID restrictions, we will be unable to conduct school-wide evacuation training in person as we have done in the past. To meet ODE requirements that all students are trained in emergency bus evacuation procedures, we ask that all teaching staff VIEW the linked video WITH their students in the next two weeks: The Safest Way Out. During this training, students will be provided with a visual understanding of how to exit a school bus under various circumstances. Students who are currently riding will receive additional instruction from their driver. Once you have viewed this video with your students, please send Sue an email letting her know the number of students in your class that have viewed the video with you, and she will complete the necessary paperwork. Thank you for taking the time to provide this instruction to your students.
Speech Referrals: It probably won’t be surprising to anyone that Julia is reporting speech/ language referrals are down for her right now. Please don’t forget, that even during CDL, you can make speech referrals to Julia.
WebEx Security Updates (From Amy Tarnow): Just a reminder that our WebEx instance will be upgraded to be more secure on Monday, November 30th. At that time, students who are logged in will be able to go directly to their teacher’s WebEx room, whereas those who are not logged in will be in the waiting room until they are let in by their teacher. We are recommending that teachers have all students login to WebEx before that date.
Report Cards (From Skip): Several of you have reached out with questions about report cards. There is a district team that has been working on this and a draft will be shared soon. The goal is to make things easier for teachers while still being to report on priority standards.
YouthTruth: Starting in January, all BLP parents, staff, and students will be invited to participate in a survey run through “YouthTruth” to help us better understand the perceptions of our school community. Student perceptions are strongly linked to academic outcomes, so it will be enlightening to learn more about what our students are experiencing at Elk Meadow. More information will be provided soon.
Short Read: Teacher Collaboration During a Global Pandemic
Fire Drill Reminders: Please remember, if there were a real fire in our building, your signal to safety agencies that your room is clear is a closed door and lights out. During DRILLS (even during CDL) we practice the same thing: ensure that your room is clear, close your door, turn out your lights, and go outside. When we sweep the building during drills, we look for lights out and check that each interior door is closed (and locked).
Locked Doors Reminders: Classroom doors should be locked at all times. Ropes/ magnet can be used with locked door to enable others to still enter the classroom without someone needing to open a closed door for them. During COVID, please keep your locked door open when you leave for the day to avoid an additional contact spot.
COVID/ Safety related information:
Questions/Concerns about COVID-19 related matters?: 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. You can find our School Safety Checklist here.
Stay home if you are not feeling well (From Nurse Tami): Please remind your staff to STAY HOME if they are not feeling well – even if they have the sniffles. The nursing team is facing some challenging situations related to folks NOT doing this, then testing positive after symptoms develop. I know staying home if you are only a bit under the weather seems extreme, but in our current scenario, it is necessary to protect others around you!
To Do:
- Please take the time to read the TLC Update – As usual, there is a lot of important an useful information to be found.
- Watch the bus evacuation drill with your students and let Sue know the number of participating students once complete.
Important Dates:
- Tuesday: Gr. 4 EBISS in Kelle’s WebEx room,
- Thursday: Grades 2, 3, and 5 distribution, Staff meeting, Fire Drill
- Friday: Grade K distribution