Month: September 2022

I hope you had an amazing weekend after our first full week. We are definitely underway! Thanks for all your hard work launching the new school year, it feels great!

It was a low key weekend for me, just a lot of relaxing in my new socks…

A few notes to get you going:
1) Fire Drill Tuesday at 9:20am. Please talk with your class prior to the drill, and be sure to take your class roster, emergency book (red/green), and first aid kit out with you.

2) Gym use and Invitations. Be sure you are using these two docs every week:
Gym Use, Invitations

3) Back to School Night this Thursday, 5-6:30pm. This is a time to share your excitement about the year ahead, talk about some of the exciting things you’ll be doing with your class, share highlights from the first two weeks, talk about routines, and let parents know how they can partner with you. This would be a good time to get some student work up in the hallways! Reminder that childcare is available–BIG thanks to Karima and Diane!

The plan:
*5:00-5:30 all in gym, intros and volunteering info (you can head back to your class after intros)
*5:30-6:30 in classrooms

4) Staff meeting Tuesday, 2:45pm in Grade 4.

5) SIW this week is teacher directed. Hoping you will spend a little bit of this time with your team.

6) Reflections from last week:
*Drop off and pick up are going really well! Any feedback?
*Regular Community Time is awesome, and keeping them short and sweet is working very well! The reinforcement of expectations is really helping as well.
*Enrichment and PE are both going great. Two things:
~One thing we need to focus on is supporting Lauren in the PE transitions–these transitions are very tight with really no time or wiggle room. It’s crucial that you arrive on time with your students and that you are waiting for them when their time is up (unless you have made special arrangements with Lauren). I know your half hour goes by very quickly, and if it were me I’d set an alarm on my phone to make sure I arrived on time for pick up. Smooth transitions in and out of PE make a HUGE difference for students and their experience! Also, please remember to have students bring water bottles to minimize the need to leave the gym.
~ For Enrichment it’s important to know that both the rear door (to the playground) and the Wolf Den door have to be locked during classroom time. So, it’s really important to be sure you have your entire class with you when you drop them off, and students should bring water bottles so they don’t need to come back into the building. Thanks for your support with PE and Enrichment!
*End of lunch: Some students still seem a little confused about where to put their lunch boxes before they head outside. Please be sure you have communicated where students should put their lunch boxes outside your classroom (many were asking to go into their classrooms to put lunch boxes away). Also, please remind students to be sure they have everything they need at lunch/recess before leaving the classroom. And lastly, please be sure to lock your doors when you leave for lunch. Thanks!

7) Following up: One big thing that seemed to emerge from our retreat and the follow up we had last week is the idea of having some common language and structure for problem solving with students. I’d like to meet soon with an interested group of people to begin the process. The idea would be for a small group to meet and work on this and then for this group to share their thinking with the larger group and get input. I’m excited about this and look forward to working with a few of you to get the ball rolling. The first meeting will be Thursday, October 6 at 2:45.

8) School-wide themes input needed. September is flying by and before too long October all arrive-I’d like to have a theme ready for October. Please discuss amongst yourselves (perhaps at lunch) and if you are inclined email me your top 2 ideas for a theme for October by the end of the week. I’ll let you know the theme soon. In October we can discuss a more long term plan for themes.

9) Bias Incident lesson. Last week I sent you a link to view the Bias Incident Lesson. I know many of you haven’t had a chance to look at it but if you have a moment please give it a look before the staff meeting. I’ll give you the context for the lesson at our staff meeting on Tuesday–it’s important!

10) Just an FYI, since we are using the gym every day until 2:20 (1pm on Wednesdays) Campfire will be using the staff room to do their prep each day from 2:15-2:30.

11) Trip slips for Camp Amity and field trips-please be sure you have slips for all students. Grab some extras for Back to School Night just to be sure!

12) Mark your calendars, the Variety Show is back! We have reserved the Bend High auditorium for March 1!

Upcoming Dates (be sure you have these on your calendar)
September 20: Fire Drill, 9:20am
September 22: Back to School Night, 5-6:30pm
September 26/27: Camp Amity at Shevlin Park!  9:30am-1:30pm 
September 29: DIBELS (AM)
September 30: Lockdown Drill, 9:20am
September 30: Pancake Breakfast, 7-8am
October 3/4: Dental Screenings
October 6: Problem Solving group, 2:45pm
October 11: Picture Day
October 12: Vision Screening (Lion’s Club)
October 15: Harvest Festival (tentative, pending parent volunteers)
October 18: Earthquake/Fire Drill, 9:15am
October 19/20: Conversations, No School
November 10: Secure Drill, 9:20am
November 11: Veteran’s Day, No School
November 21-25: Thanksgiving Break, No School
November 29: Fire Drill, 9:20am
November 30: Picture Retakes

Here’s to a great week ahead!
Andy

Happy First Monday!
I hope you had a great weekend with plenty of time to rest up. Michelle and I loaded up our van and headed to the Metolius on Saturday and had a great hike along the river. We also had a great camping spot along Canyon Creek.

A few notes to get your week rolling:
What a fantastic week it was last week, with so many community highlights-three Community Times, Invitations, two rounds of Buddies, and a nice Friday afternoon with popsicles! It really was a fantastic week, thank you for all your hard work getting ready. I feel like we’re ready for our first full week!

1) We learned a thing or two during our first short week, especially related to the beginning and end of day. Drop off and pick up were a little wobbly at first, but smoothed out by week’s end-a big thanks for your patience! Starting today (Monday) we begin a regular rotation for families coming in to pick up their kiddos. If there is a parent who absolutely cannot come in to retrieve their kiddo, please work something out with another teacher and have that student join the other class at dismissal. I don’t foresee this being a big issue, but just in case. Here’s the schedule:
Monday-K/1
Tuesday-2/4
Thursday-3
Friday-5

2) Specials start this week–PE and Enrichment! Please walk your classes to and from PE and Enrichment, this really helps keep transitions smooth. Check the master schedule to be sure you know your times, and please be on time with drop off and pick up to keep things running like the finely tuned Swiss watch we are. Seriously, it really helps!

3) Regular Community Times begin this week starting on Tuesday with Grade 3. Please remember to communicate with parents to let them know when you are hosting and that they are invited to attend on that day–and that we start promptly at 8am. Please also remember to continue to review habits of a good audience.

Good audience members:
*Sit next to people they feel will also be good audience members
*Quietly listen when the hosts/performers are speaking, singing, or performing
*Let the hosts/performers know they appreciate their efforts by clapping and cheering when they are finished
*Politely ask their neighbors to be quiet if needed
*Leave their snacks and toys in their classrooms

CT rotation
Monday AM: Classroom connection time
Tuesday AM: Grade 3
Wednesday AM: K or 1
Thursday AM: 2 or 4
Friday PM: Grade 5

4) Y’all look great in neon yellow-thanks for making sure to have a vest on when you are on duty!

5) For Grade 4 and 5 (and EAs) only: Starting today Grade 5 has priority for sitting at the tables outside at lunch. If a table is left empty once all 5th graders have settled on their lunch spot, Grade 4 students may use the table and cannot be asked to leave it if Grade 5 students later decide to sit at the tables. I plan to visit both classes on Monday AM to share this info, but just in case I don’t make it please share this with your classes before lunch.

6) SIW this week will be time to catch our breath, reconnect to the work we did at the retreat, and have time to meet with your team. Look for an email with more info today or tomorrow. Looking for a volunteer to do the warm up activity–any takers?

7) I will be leaving shortly after school gets out on Monday and Tuesday for Admin meetings.

8) Please remember that we will have Back to School Night next Thursday, September 22. I’ll send more info soon, but be sure to communicate this to parents. I will also share the information with parents this week.

9) SIW and Staff Meeting dates (now until Winter Break)
September 14-School based
September 20-Staff Meeting
September 21-Teacher discretion
October 5-School based
October 12- Teacher discretion
October 18- Staff Meeting
October 19/20-Conversations
October 26-School based
November 1- Staff Meeting
November 2-Teacher discretion
November 9-School based
November 16-Teacher Education Network (district)
November 30-School based
December 7-School based
December 14- Teacher discretion

Upcoming Dates (be sure you have these on your calendar)
September 12-16: Scholastic Book Fair-CANCELLED. More info soon
September 20: Fire Drill, 9:20am
September 22: Back to School Night, 5-6:30pm
September 26/27: Camp Amity at Shevlin Park!  9:30am-1pm 
September 29: DIBELS
September 30: Lockdown Drill, 9:20am
September 30: Pancake Breakfast, 7-8am
October 3/4: Dental Screenings
October 11: Picture Day
October 12: Vision Screening (Lion’s Club)
October 15: Harvest Festival (tentative, pending parent volunteers)
October 18: Earthquake/Fire Drill, 9:15am
October 19/20: Conversations, No School
November 10: Secure Drill, 9:20am
November 11: Veteran’s Day, No School
November 21-25: Thanksgiving Break, No School
November 29: Fire Drill, 9:20am
November 30: Picture Retakes

Here’s to a great week ahead!
Andy

Happy New School Year!
First, thanks for an amazing retreat last week-it was so good to spend the day with you sharing our hopes and dreams for our students, and thinking deeply about the ways in which we can impact their lives. I feel genuinely inspired and I look forward to following up on this soon with all of you.

School starts Wednesday and I’m super excited for the start of this year. Yes, we still have some obstacles in our path, but as always we will work together to find good, safe routes around, over and through the obstacles! Thanks for your enduring flexibility and positive attitude as we work to bring Amity back into it’s full glory!

One thing I had hoped to spend some time discussing last week was School Wide Themes for the year. We simply ran out of time to do this last week, but I’d like to start the year with the theme of Community. It seems to make sense to start here for the first month. The beginning of the year is always a great time to talk about community and how we are all an integral part of the community. Please spend time in the coming days and weeks exploring what community means, how communities function, what the key components of a community are, how our school is a community, what role each person plays within a community, and what responsibilities each community member has in relation to each other. It seems natural to weave in Taking Care of Self/Others/Place! Here are two sites I found that could help you get started:
*https://npl.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/WhatisCommunity_lesson.pdf
*One World, One Heart Beating

A few notes for this first week:
1) Be sure you have are up to date on the First Two Weeks

2) Sign up here for Invitations for the first Thursday: Invitations first week

3) We will have Community Time on the first day. Prior to bringing your students down please spend a few minutes setting expectations. At the retreat it felt like we all agreed that we need to do a better job of setting clear, school wide expectations. Let’s start with the following traits of good audience members (this can also easily transfer to outside performers/experts who come to school). Asking your class what makes a good audience member would be a great way to start the conversation, and they will likely nail every one of these!

Good audience members:
*Sit next to people they feel will also be good audience members
*Quietly listen when the hosts/performers are speaking, singing, or performing
*Let the hosts/performers know they appreciate their efforts by clapping and cheering when they are finished
*Politely ask their neighbors to be quiet if needed
*Leave their snacks and any toys in their classrooms

4) Remember that parents are allowed to walk their child to class in the morning. Here is the after school in-class pick up rotation (all other days you will walk students out to the grass area along the fence):
Mondays: Kinder and Grade 1 families 
Tuesdays: Grades 2 and 4 families
Thursdays: Grade 3 families
Friday: Grade 5 families

5) I have left a master schedule in each of your classrooms and it can be found in the shared folder: Master Schedule 22-23

6) Attendance: EAs will take care of this each morning. Kelli will do Kinder and Grade 5, Karima will do Grades 1 and 2, and Diane will do Grades 3 and 4. Please help them provide reasons for absences if you are in the know. Thanks!

7) As a reminder, Specials (Enrichment, PE) start next week.

8) Afternoon duty help needed first day! Normally we don’t have afternoon Choice Time on Wednesdays, but we do on the first day. Since no one is assigned to duty on Wednesdays I kindly request that everyone try to be out on duty the first day. As a reminder, here’s the duty rotation–be sure to grab a vest and fanny pack, and have your keys and phone:
K-2 Teachers (including Lauren): Monday and Thursday
3-5 Teachers and Brad: Tuesday and Friday

9) You will be provided with some paper work for each student to take home on the first day (including a Camp Amity permission slip). Please be sure it goes home and that you let parents know to expect it and to sign and return forms ASAP. Please collect and track the Camp Amity permission slips as they come in, and keep them in the folder. Please also collect all other forms and pass them along to Patti and she will track them.

Upcoming Dates (lots here but want to be sure you get these on your calendar)
September 7: First day–full school day. Community Time at 1:45pm
September 8: Invitations, 1:30-2:00pm. Sign up!
September 9: PM recess and popsicles, 1:45pm
September 12-16: Scholastic Book Fair-CANCELLED. More info soon
September 20: Fire Drill, 9:20am
September 22: Back to School Night, 5-6:30pm
September 26/27: Camp Amity at Shevlin Park!  9:30am-1pm 
September 29: DIBELS
September 30: Lockdown Drill, 9:20am
September 30: Pancake Breakfast, 7-8am
October 3/4: Dental Screenings
October 11: Picture Day
October 12: Vision Screening (Lion’s Club)
October 15: Harvest Festival (tentative, pending parent volunteers)
October 18: Earthquake/Fire Drill, 9:15am
October 19/20: Conversations, No School
November 10: Secure Drill, 9:20am
November 11: Veteran’s Day, No School
November 21-25: Thanksgiving Break, No School
November 29: Fire Drill, 9:20am
November 30: Picture Retakes

Here’s to a great year ahead! But let’s start with a great first day…
Andy