Focus on Excellence and Equity…
Some of you have asked if you can add kids to your current LIPI plan. The answer to this is yes. We just don’t want to be making large program changes. I know LIPI can present some staffing and logistical challenges but if there are students that can benefit from this option we should do our best to find creative solutions to help them. I would especially encourage you to look at kids who are struggling to participate in CDL (Attendance) who might benefit from a structured more supportive setting to do their CDL work. If you have any questions about LIPI and potential changes to your plan please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or any of your colleagues.
And Speaking of LIPI – I am still trying to schedule a meeting with Sarah and her team to start working on some of the details from the LIPI presentation I shared with you before break. Next week I will be working on a letter to families that I will run by Lora. Communicating to our current families and families that have enrolled in BLPO is step number one. They need to know what their options are then communicate their intentions to us.
Department News…
From Alandra – Sometime this week, your school should receive delivery of boxes containing postcards with attached magnets for distribution to students/families. These items offer tips and key information to prepare families for in-person learning (wear a mask, check for wellness, etc.) Please distribute these to LIPI families and hang on to the rest for distribution when we have more students in the building. You should receive enough for one per student, in the student’s home language (ENG or SPAN). At this time please do not include them in any scheduled packet pickups. I am happy to answer any questions about this project. Thank you so much for your help! – Alandra
ELL News – See the Language Department December newsletter here (this has some culturally-responsive lesson ideas and resources for asynchronous assignments or community circle conversations)
TLC Update – Just a reminder to read the TLC Update to stay current with what’s happening in that department.
Dreambox Training – in the TLC update take not of the section on Dreambox and the resources that were provided by teachers. This might be good info to include in a staff newsletter. And FYI – the recording of our admin Dreambox training has yet to be sent to me. I will forward it to you as soon I receive it.
Updates, Reminders, Info and Rants…
Childcare safety practices – As you all probably know, childcare providers follow different guidelines than schools. Our guidelines are very similar but there are some differences that cause some concern. Next week I will have a conversation with Park and Rec and our other providers to request that they bring their practices closer to ours. The practices I believe they specifically need to address and improve upon are:
- Sharing of materials and equipment
- Social distancing
- Wearing of masks
- Screening of kids for symptoms
- Cleaning of spaces
I will let you know how those conversations go. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation with your childcare provider lead if you have any concerns or questions.
The numbers are rising – As you are likely aware, Deschutes county is now categorized as being in “extreme risk” level by the state due to our increase and large positive Covid cases. Here is a chart that outlines what this means to our county. Although K-12 schools are exempt from these restrictions, we are using these guidelines to inform our district decisions around safety protocols.
Stay home if you’re sick! – Please remind your staff to not come to work if they are feeling ill (even if it is just a case of the sniffles). If they do come to work and end up having to test for COVID – and test positive – then contract tracing kicks in and likely will place additional staff into a quarantine situation.
Sharing a vehicle – This may likely not be occurring, but wanted you to have this guidance just in case… If any (2 or more) staff members need to travel together in the same vehicle for work-related purposes, then all staff should wear a mask during the entire travel time (and then follow mask protocols after that as well). Let me know if you have any questions on this.
Evaluation and Observation update – We had our final meeting with the evaluation and observation team on Thursday. I think we all felt very comfortable with the tentative plan which has a reduced number of mini observations and focuses on just a couple of domains and standards for evaluations. We are also preparing a menu of SLGG goals you can choose from. You should have the final document explaining these changes prior to winter break.Be aware that all probationary teachers are required to have two formal observations (pre meeting, observe, post meeting). This is state law so there’s no getting around this requirement. Jon will be working with Sarah to finalize all the recommendations and hopefully we can get things out to you in the next couple of weeks.
Report Card update – look for a brief communication you can forward to teachers regarding elementary report cards. Kerry and Julie are making modifications that will be sent to Becky shortly. The communication will describe some of the modifications teachers can expect along with some ideas for collecting data.
The Benefits of Cultivating Curiosity in Kids – Andy recently shared this KQED Mindshift article with me that I thought I would share with you. I especially like this quote “At high levels [of curiosity], the achievement gap associated with poverty was essentially closed” It reminded me that regardless of a student’s socioeconomic status, he or she needs to have the same opportunities to think critically and creatively.
Calendar
Horizontal Meeting Monday – Because it gets dark so early I would like to move our horizontal meetings to start at 2:30 rather than 3. I hope that works for everyone. I figured it would get you out before it gets dark.
Leadership meeting – we have our rescheduled Equity and Excellence training (with Courtney from BRYT) for this next Wednesday from 3:00 – 4:30. With the increase in COVID cases in our county, we will be fully remote – no gathering in classrooms. Here is the Zoom link to access the training. And, don’t forget to have your homework completed!.
Thursday, Friday – I will be working remotely these days and possibly a few more. My son is coming home from college on Thursday so I will be self-quarantining myself until we know all is safe and we are confident he hasn’t brought anything back with him. For those of you who don’t know, he goes to school in South Dakota so that’s why I am being cautious.
And Finally…
This year winter break is probably not going to involve travel for any of us. This is when my wife and I usually like to escape to someplace warm. Not this year. Instead, I plan on doing something I am really good at – binge watching. What should I binge watch over break? Be prepared to share old shows and new shows with me and with your colleagues at Monday’s Horizontal. I’ve got subscriptions to Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, and Hulu – I am ready for anything you might suggest!