SWAG – “Staff Week at A Glance”
Here is a link to this week’s SWAG slide. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, so expect this to show up either in this staff blog or through a separate email each weekend 🙂
Be sure to check the Student List doc for this Friday’s Skilled Trades Fair, which will show you which students will be off campus for their morning classes!
Student Led Conferences Check In
Offering the Choice of In Person Conferences In Addition to Virtual? This Spring the District has OK’d the OPTION of offering families an in person conference OR a virtual conference, and as we are thinking this through, we are interested in your input!
At RHS we are committed to continuing to strengthen the relationships between parents/guardians and school, and SLC’s are an important part of that.
There are some pros and cons to the options in front of us:
Are we ready to offer the OPTION of in person conferences? Whatever we decide, I prefer that we decide “together”, meaning we all do the same thing, if possible!
- virtual = increased convenience for many (esp tech savvy) families who can participate from anywhere
- virtual = zero COVID transmission risk
- in person = easier to build real connection and relationship with parents/guardians
- in person = easier for viewing work and materials management
- in person = fewer tech/connection snafus
- in person = increased COVID transmission risk
Option 1 – ALL conferences are virtual and NO in person conferences are offered.
Option 2 – Parents can choose virtual OR in person conference, with MASKS REQUIRED. The time slots would be the same.
YOUR INPUT: Would you like the ability to offer the OPTION of in person AND virtual SLC’s to your Crew families or go all virtual? Indicate your preference here please.
Intensives
Here is the Spring Intensives Staffing List, which was built based on the staff interest survey. Yen-Ling was able to work out a plan that meets most preferences, but if you are listed in orange then we are still hoping to make a better plan for and with you!
Intensives are scheduled for May 3rd-6th. See Yen-Ling’s email from February 11th for a full breakdown of the Spring Intensives timeline.
Intensives Timeline
- February 25th – Students select intensives (Tentative)
- March 2nd – SIW: Teacher Directed (suggest working on Intensives Planning Document) and Review Student Rosters for Intensives.
- March 9th – SIW: Intensives planning
- DUE to YL: Completed DRAFT of Blank NEW Intensives Planner 2021-2022
- April 15th – EL PD Friday: 1 hr of Intensive Planning
- April 27th – SIW: Intensives Preparations/Materials (30 minutes)
- May 3rd – 6th: INTENSIVES
Mask Mandate Changes – A Word From Admin
The news of the shift to lift the mask mandate in schools on March 31st is, I am sure, causing all of us (staff AND students) to experience a MIX of feelings! Probably some excitement about being able to see faces again and “move ahead” to the “next stage” of this pandemic and also some trepidation and uncertainty as we think about possible transmissions AND about how the dynamics of “to wear or not wear my mask” will play out for kids and for ourselves!!
I want to share a couple of things so you know what Harju and I are thinking about this:
- We WILL dedicate some time as a staff to process this upcoming change before it happens! At that time we can talk about how we want to handle this change as a staff team (our own feelings about wearing masks etc.), AND about how we can support our students through this change
- We WILL get more information from our District as we get closer, and the likelihood of details CHANGING between now and then seems high. Nothing stays the same for long these days! We have HEARD that the removal of the mask mandate will also come with a return to 6′ quarantines for unvax’d students (but no 6′ spacing in classes!). More to come!
- It seems that we will be entering a new phase where each student and staff member all now has a CHOICE to make, and what is most important at Realms Middle and High is that every individual staff member’s and student’s choice is respected… that we maintain a culture of respect, support and tolerance, regardless of each individual’s choice. And we do this through communication and clarity, in advance!
Clearly there is more to come on this, and if you want to drop by and talk about it, PLEASE DO! Harju and I are happy to discuss!