January 18, 2024

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Do Now:

NEW and Important! Please let teachers know that report cards must be in and completed by the end of the work day on February 2. The sooner you let them know the better. In an effort to help this happen, elementary report cards are now open. When this doesn’t happen on time, the turnover in the Synergy system to the second semester doesn’t happen, attendance can’t be taken accurately, and it causes unnecessary work to fix the systems. Please make a plan for how you can assure all report cards are done and in before you leave on February 2nd. Also, here is a link to support documents that you and your staff may or may not know about for filling out report cards.

Ed Network–Again: Because we were unable to complete the training during Ed Network Day again, and all teachers need to know this information, we are asking that building leaders plan to do this during the next SIW on January 24th. If you hit any other snags along the way and need ideas to problem solve, please reach out to Tammy, Lisa, or Julie. Please use this link for the slides from Kerry for the training. Third time’s a charm!

Follow Your Youth Truth Completion Percentage Here: Need some inspiration on hooking your families into taking the survey? Check out this creative (and darn right funny) way Silver Rail showcased their musical talent and encouraged families to respond.

    You and UKG—Best practice—enter requests for non-contract, sick days, etc. in UKG as soon as you know about it.

    TAG Night Reschedule–Again: We are rescheduling our TAG night for next Wednesday night, January 24, from 6-7:30pm. Same time, same location, just a week later. See Kristy Knoll’s e-mail for a blurb you can share with your families.

Reminders:

New Notes:

Education Foundation Grants–Round 2! The Education Foundation is doing a second round of classroom grants. This time, the grants will be awarded in the following three areas: STEM, PE, and Art/Music. If the number of grant requests exceeds the available funding, they will fund 1 grant per school based on date received and requirements met. Teachers who did not receive funding in Fall 2023 will receive first priority. A grant report will be due by Jun 1, 2024. The grant application opens on February 5th, closes on March 1, and will be announced March 6-15th. It’s not too early to start thinking of what you may need!

Curriculum, Instruction and Systems (Julie Walker) 4 important items to share out with your staff:

  1. Teaching Erin’s Law

Child abuse is a sensitive topic and is delivered most effectively by a student’s trusted adult which is traditionally a classroom teacher. It is recommended to teach one lesson per month in February-May. The next option is to teach one lesson per week during the month of April. In either case, please DO NOT teach a lesson in the week prior to Spring Break as there are often disclosures that occur following taught lessons. Two adults (Teacher/Counselor/SSC/Admin/School Psych & teacher) could be present during these lessons in order to support students and each other. If you have a teacher who has experienced abuse and feels distressed with the idea of teaching this topic, please provide alternate options for their students to be instructed. If you know of a student that has already experienced abuse, please work with the student and family to create an alternative plan for the student during instruction if they feel it is necessary.

Teachers will need to send out a family letter two weeks before teaching a lesson. 

Here the resources for both the family letter and instruction.

Principals:  Please document and ensure lessons were taught via this form.  Return to April Jorgenson in Teaching and Learning when complete

2. Check out this one-pager on marking lessons as complete in Wayfinder.

3. It is time to give the Middle Of Program (MOP) in Reading Playgrounds. Here is a how-to video. Please reach out to instructional coaches with any questions.

These are detailed fact sheets around MOP for each program 

Countdown

Blast

HD Word/Plus

The timeline we recommend for each grade level is on these curriculum maps.  Below are the CLIFF notes of the time frames:

Kindergarten: After Unit 16 in January. Consider a pause and review after MOP

1st grade: after unit 14 in January, MOP

2nd grade:  after unit 14 in January, MOP

3-5th: after unit 14 in January, MOP

4. Last but not least, we are looking for teachers to share their practice and ideas with other teachers at our Feb 28th Educator Network Day.  Please have them sign up here if they have an idea for a session and are willing to facilitate that session.  

From Jenny White (SEL). Wayfinder activity for a staff meeting or opener for SIW:

This activity in Wayfinder could be a fun activity to build community among staff and reinforce the need to fill our own buckets.  It is Refill Your Bucket Resource Board Share these directions on how to find the lesson in Wayfinder with your staff.

From Paul in HR. Reminder: The following is due by Friday, January 26th for your Probationary and Temporary Staff:

  • Meet with third-year staff member of concern that they are being moved on Support Strategies (contact Lora regarding what this improvement plan needs to look like)
  • Completed and uploaded all of your Renewal Recommendation letters into the appropriate school folder with this google drive

Resource Links

  1. Here is the google drive link of third-year probationary/temporary certified staff (some P2/T2 are also included by administrator request) 
  2. Here is a draft template/sample Renewal Recommendation letter for your guidance (make as many copies of the letter as you need)
  3. Certified Professional Growth and Performance Manual (edition_5_-_evaluation_manual_-_certified_teacher.pdf)
  4. Rubrics for certified staff (link)

Performance Evaluations

New charts have been added to Performance & Evaluation Hub within UKG to assist you in tracking your task progress

From Tammy and Lisa:

We know at times it is hard to think of going into school when there is a closure for weather related circumstances. Staff safety is important to us all. When you get the call, and know that you still need to report as close to start time as safely possible, know that we understand you may need to take some extra time to get there and may miss what would typically be the start of the day. If you could please work with your custodians (who are there much earlier) to have a system where they put a sign out front (sandwich board, easle, etc.) where student drop off is located, you won’t need to worry about that one kiddo who’s parent dropped them off, not seeing that they didn’t make it inside, leaving the child standing at a locked school door in freezing conditions for who knows how long. Most of you make it to work by then, but on days like this week, when it may take longer to get there safely, having a back up like this is peace of mind. It is also a good back up if you choose to not come in and take a non-contract day instead.

Thank you for all your patience and kindness this week with canceled school days, frozen pipes, school crisis, and the illness going around. You have all stepped up and taken good care of each other and your staffs. We appreciate the extra that we know you give in times like this.

Important Dates

  • Jan 19 and 22. Tammy in all day bargaining both days
  • Jan. 23, 3:00-5:00 Elementary Leadership, at Buckingham Elementary
  • Jan 24, New Date: Educator Network Day
  • Jan 30, 2:30-3:00 Title Schools meeting on Teams (check calendar for link)
  • Jan 31, All Admin PD at Perseverance Hall, 3:00-4:30
  • Jan 31: Black history month kick-off celebration @ PCMS
  • Feb. 8: Lunar New Year celebration/AAPI Family Night @ PBMS
  • Feb 19: President’s Day—This is not a paid holiday, so use non-contract if you don’t work
  • Feb 27: 3:00-5:00. Elementary Leadership, at North Star Elementary

And finally…

If ever there was a reason to hunker down and be cozy this weekend, this is it!

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