UKG Project Update

HR will no longer be sending UKG updates to All BLS Staff since school sites will be incorporating the weekly UKG communications/videos into regularly scheduled staff meetings. All of our communications will be coming to you via blogs and posted on the HR’s UKG website,

All BLS staff are encouraged to bookmark HR’s UKG website for project updates and for old videos/documents. This week’s video is about how the digital leave request processes will mirror our paper processes after December 5th.

Below is our updated training plan leading up to the December 5th Go-Live plan:

October 21st: Digital leave request process for those positions that require substitutes: Enter through Frontline
October 28th: Digital leave request process for those positions that DO NOT require substitutes: Enter through UKG
November 4th: Conceptual understanding of electronic timesheet submissions
November 10th: How to make a timesheet submission within UKG

Members of our UKG Implementation Team will be visiting sites that request it during the next 5 weeks by entering a date/time on this spreadsheet.

Please remember that what you view within the UKG portal is our testing environment and does not accurately reflect employee information.

From Scott B. – Just a reminder that when conducting your fire drills, please contact the Central Station center to let them know you are conducting a fire drill. We had a recent incident where a school forgot to call Central Station and the fire department rolled out when the alarm went off for the fire drill, assuming it was a real-world call and not a drill. Please let me know if you have any questions about how to contact Central Station, or any questions other questions about your emergency drills.

A request from Scott McDonald in IT – Please use one of your dedicated 30 minute staffing times to give your staff time to complete their cyber security training. Soon they will receive an email with a link about this training. It is best for teachers to conduct the training on their own like they do with safe schools as there is a quiz at the end of it. The level leaders are in full support of Scott in this request because this training is very important to keeping our network and data secure. Here’s some proof of how important the training is. Please ensure your teachers complete this training before they leave for winter break.

From Tami Pike – Reminder to administrators regarding AQI – Please make sure all of your administrators are aware of the tools available to assess whether or not students can be outside/participate in outdoor activities. Additionally, the air quality can rapidly change and what may have been an acceptable AQI number at 8 could change to an unacceptable number at 9. This should be taken into consideration with field trips.

Download the Oregon Air app. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/oregonair/id1330462330

Another tool that can be used is the 5-3-1 Index.

Estimating visibility using the 5-3-1 Index

Determine the limit of your visual range by looking for distant targets or familiar landmarks such as mountains, mesas, hills, or buildings at known distances (miles). The visual range is that point at which these targets are no longer visible. As a general rule of thumb: if you can clearly see the outlines of individual trees on the horizon it is generally less than five miles away.

Ideally, the viewing of any distance targets should be made with the sun behind you. Looking into the sun or at an angle increases the ability of sunlight to reflect off of the smoke, and thus making the visibility estimate less reliable.

Once distance has been determined, follow this simple guide:

If visibility is well over five miles, the air quality is generally good.
Even if visibility is five miles away but generally hazy, air quality is moderate and beginning to deteriorate, and is generally healthy, except possibly for smoke sensitive persons. The general public should avoid prolonged exposure if conditions are smoky to the point where visibility is closer to the 5-mile range.
If under five miles, the air quality is unhealthy for young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness. These people should minimize outdoor activity.
If under three miles, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. Young children, adults over age 65, pregnant women, and people with heart and/or lung disease, asthma or other respiratory illness. These people should minimize outdoor activity.
If under one mile, the air quality is unhealthy for everyone. Everyone should avoid all outdoor activities.

Using the 5-3-1 Visibility Index

Distance you can see*	You are:		OR	You have
	· An adult· A teenager· An older child	· Age 65 and over· Pregnant· A young child		· Asthma· Respiratory illness· Lung or heart disease
5 miles	check visibility	minimize outdoor activity		minimize outdoor activity
3 miles	minimize outdoor activity	stay inside		stay inside
1 mile	stay inside	stay inside		stay inside

The Red Zone – Things to definitely do or share

From Alandra – Principals, in your next communication to families, please be sure to share fliers that provides an overview of the bond (this is similar to the large poster you should have displayed in your lobby) and/or please copy and paste this bilingual information in text form into your next communication. (I know parent communication may take different forms – which is why you have both text and PDF/image options here.) We ask that this information be shared by October 19. If you have any questions or would like any additional information, please let me know.

From Robbie in Instructional Tech – Discovery Ed Professional Learning Opportunity – Discovery Education will be hosting an optional, one-hour professional learning session for Bend-La Pine elementary staff on Wednesday, October 26th, at 1:30. The session, Getting Started with Discovery Education, is a great way to find out more about the tools and resources available for use in the K-5 classroom. If you are interested in attending this virtual learning session, please fill out this form. Attendance is limited to the first 50 staff members, and you will be provided with 1 PDU. A zoom link for joining the session will be sent to you on the morning of October 26th. If you have any questions, please contact your instructional technology team.

From Tracy in Instructional Tech re: Parent Communication on Digitial Citizenship – (Admin – please include the following message in your next family newsletter/communication. Thank you!)

October is Digital Citizenship Month. Bend La Pine Schools uses Common Sense Education to guide students through grade appropriate lessons on safe and effective use of digital tools and platforms. If you’d like to work with your student on digital citizenship at home, please take a look at this Elementary Quick Sheet for some ideas and resources.

From Dave – By Friday 10/21 schools need to determine their primary contact and coordinator for YouthTruth surveys in January. Please enter the coordinator’s information in columns AF-AI in the spreadsheet linked here, or email their name to Dave VanLoo. Last year’s coordinator, if submitted to YouthTruth, is already populated in the file. If the coordinator cells are blank, the principal will be the survey coordinator for YouthTruth.

Calendar

Monthly checklist
22-23 Dibels Schedule
October 19, 20, 21 – conferences
October 19 – New Admin learning lab

And Finally…

Congratulations Lisa for being named our Distinguished Administrator of the Year. Absolutely well deserved!