Monday AM Notes, March 28 2022

Greetings All!
I hope you had an amazing break and that you’re ready for the home stretch of the school year. I have a great feeling that the Spring is going to be fantastic! My break was pretty low key, but I had a fantastic time in Corvallis hanging with my entire little family for a few days. Super fun time with the grand kids!


A big thanks to all the teachers for your participation in the Student Support Meetings before break. It feels like we are a very good path with supporting our striving kiddos. I am very hopeful that we will see some really big growth during this last part of the year!

A few notes to get you going:

1) Choice Time begins in earnest this week. A few things to remember:
*Please review the Choice Time guidelines and discuss them with your class–it’s super important we are all on the same page.
*For those staying in with students, EAs will send your students in from the playground after they line up–be sure to explain this to your kiddos

Choice Time Guidelines

2) We need to do a Fire Drill this week–we’ll do it at 9:20 on Thursday

3) Here’s the Community Time rotation for the next 6 weeks (we’ll adjust it as needed):
April 1: Kinder
April 8: Grade 2
April 22: Grade 1 (Earth Day)
April 29: Grade 5
May 6: Grade 3
May 13: Grade 4

If the date you have been assigned doesn’t work for you please reach out to another teacher to see about trading and let me know if you’ve made changes. Thanks!

I’m still working on finding a slot to do an additional adult-led CT each week.

4) IMPORTANT supervision note–There has been some dangerous activity at the swings over the past few weeks. Specifically, students have been swerving in and out of the swings trying to avoid being hit, they are grabbing the polls as they swing, and students are standing right in front of the swings trying to duck before getting hit. When you are supervising please be sure there is someone stationed near the swing set and if you don’t see someone, please go there yourself to keep things safe. If we don’t do our job it could result in a serious injury.

5) SIW this week is a group meeting. I’d like to use this time to discuss a comprehensive approach to re-igniting community on all levels. Please come with some ideas of how we can continue to create more connections across the school and with parents. Also, I’m looking for a volunteer to share an SEL book with the group.

6) As a reminder and for those that are new–when taking a walking field trip there are a few important musts:
*Always have at least 2 adults
*Carry your phone with you
*Bring a first aid kit and an EPI pen
*Be sure you check with Patti/nurse to see if any of your students have medications that need to go with you

7) Conversations update: Conversations will be in person with the parents having the option to request a virtual meeting.  Please begin communicating this with families this week (I will also send info this week). We will have Conversations April 13 and 14, with Friday as a day off. You can begin your meetings any time Wednesday, and it is expected that you will offer some early evening times. If you want to get started a little earlier in the week that is up to you. I’ll get Conversations prep forms out to you this week. I think these forms will also come in really handy when you are preparing the end of year Glows and Grows!

8) For those that are curious, we do the lottery draw this Tuesday morning and then we get letters out to families on Friday. Families then have 2 weeks to accept the offer.

Upcoming
April 1: Kindergarten hosts CT
April 8: Grade 2 hosts CT
April 13/14
: Conversations
April 22: Earth Day
April 22: Grade 1 hosts CT
April 29: Grade 5 hosts CT
May 2: Grade 5 to Camp Tamarack!
May 6: Grade 3 hosts CT
May 13: Grade 4 hosts CT

Here’s to a great week ahead, and a wonderful Spring!
Andy

Monday AM Notes, March 14 2022

Hello Team!
I hope the weekend has been good to you and that you’re ready for this last week before Spring Break! I think I can safely say we’re all REALLY looking forward to a break!

It’s a new dawn, masks are now optional…I look forward to seeing a lot of smiling faces this week!

A few notes to get you going (note pad and calendar strongly encouraged!):
1) Student Success Meetings on Wednesday and Thursday, Brad will be covering on Thursday. Please be sure you have spent some time updating the meeting prep form: Student Success Prep folder

Wednesday:
1:15-Ray
2:15-Sadie

Thursday:
8:15-Lauren
9:00-Brian
10:00-Lindsey
12:00-Frans

2) Brad will not be at school Monday–he should have reached out by teachers impacted by this.

3) My boss, Skip, will be visiting on Tuesday between 9:30 and 11. Last time he was on campus he visited a few classrooms, this time he’ll want to visit the others. So, I’ll likely be stopping by with him during that time.

4) Pokeman cards seem to be causing quite a few problems (as they often do) so please ask students (and their parents via your weekly email) not bring the cards to school. This could be a fun Invitation in the future and will give the kids a chance to bring their cards to school.

5) We’re sending classified staff to lunch on Thursday. We’ll need to cover their duties at lunch–3 teachers from 11 to 11:20, 3 from 11:20-11:45. Please discuss amongst yourselves who will do which shifts. Thanks!

6) Grade 4 hosts Community Time on Friday at 1:30pm.

7) K-2 will be on a walking field trip for a good chunk of the day on Wednesday–so fun!

8) At the end of last week I shared a draft of Choice Time Guidelines. Please have a look and provide any feedback you may have. We’ll roll this out after the break so we can all be on the same page, including having students line up on the playground and then be let in by playground staff. Let’s start calling it Choice Time rather than recess!

9) SIW this week is teacher prep.

10) On Thursday evening at 5:30pm we are hosting an internet safety presentation put on by Kids Center. This is for Grade 3-5 parents and they have all been invited multiple times. So far I have RSVPs from about 12 families. I’ll send a reminder to all Grade 3-5 families early this week.

11) Staff Lunch on Friday! Be sure you have singed up to contribute–see Patti’s email from last week.

12) I have to leave at 2pm Monday for a medical appointment.

Upcoming
March 16/17: Next Student Support Meetings
March 18: Community Time hosted by Grade 4, 1:30pm
March 21-25: Spring Break!
April 13/14: Conversations

Here’s a fantastic week ahead!
Andy

Monday AM Notes, March 7 2022

Greetings All!
I missed y’all on Thursday and Friday and hope you had a great end to the week and weekend. I had an amazing visit with my folks and was able to see my sisters, aunts and uncles, and a few cousins. It had been over 2.5 years, and it was so good to be with all of them again! My dad is not very mobile these days but he has a scooter he’s been waiting to use–I got him out for a walk around a lake on Friday and it was a highlight for both of us! (Sporting some fancy glasses!)


A few notes to get you going:
1) A note from Patti in case you missed it in your email: I wanted to remind you all that the dental screenings will be happening Monday morning.  We will come and get groups of kids (not sure how many they will do at a time).  I apologize in advance for the disruption.  We usually begin with kinders and work our way up but please let me know if you have something happening Monday morning as the grade order is totally flexible.

2) Lottery info night on Tuesday at 5:30pm. We’ll gather in one room here at school.

3) SIW this week will be whole group. I’ll send an agenda tomorrow. Next week is teacher prep, and we’ll have a staff meeting next Tuesday at 2:45pm.

4) This is our last week with the mandated mask requirement! Please take some time this week to talk with your class about this, with a big emphasis on the fact that there will still be students (and possibly staff) wearing masks and that we need to be respectful of everyone’s choices. It’s vital at this time to be sure we maintain a safe and respectful environment–there’s no need for this to become a new decisive moment! I believe that you have received some resources from the district if you are looking for ideas/support.

5) As I noted in an email last week, parents have been notified about the return of volunteers in the schools. If you haven’t already, please be sure to share some communication about this in your weekly note to families, even if just to say you are giving it some think time and will communicate specifics soon. Remember to only share the pdf and links with families who express specific interest. If you want to talk through some ideas please reach out, I’m happy to make time!

6) Community time this week on Friday at 1:30pm. Who’s hosting??? We’ll talk about a comprehensive plan at our SIW this week, but we need a class to volunteer for this week!

7) Looking ahead, we won’t have Nathan here teaching music after Spring Break as he has to go full time with his student teaching. At this point we don’t have someone to fill the music spot. It’s a good time to start thinking about how to use the extra 30 minutes.

8) HUGE thanks to Grade 4 and Brian for their incredible efforts to get the composting program up and running. So far it’s going great, and we’ve reduced our daily garbage from 3 bags per day to 1 bag per day! Taking care of this place!

9) I will be leaving school just before dismissal to attend an admin meeting across the street.

Upcoming
March 8: Lottery Info Night, virtual-5:30pm
March 15: Staff Meeting, 2:45pm
March 16/17: Next Student Support Meetings
March 21-25: Spring Break!
April 13/14: Conversations

Here’s a fantastic week ahead!
Andy