From Tammy and Karen
Nothing like a week shrouded in low clouds and chilly fog to make you crave some good crusty bread and a hearty bowl of soup! Here is one of my favorite recipes, “Zuppa Toscana”, otherwise known as the Olive Garden soup. Enjoy!
Here is the link to the January Slide deck from Horizontal. Remember, there is a link to the Core Effectiveness meeting slides for your mid year review. This is also mid-SLGG review time. Don’t forget to check in with your staff on their goals (there is no where to document the conversation in the eval system, but please make sure to have these conversations.). Tammy and Karen will connect about SLGGs at upcoming site visits. In the meantime, Here is the SLGG form that your teachers and you will use to fill out your SLGGs as well as a list of plug and play SLGGs for everyone in your building.
Important Links
- January 21st Elementary TLC Update
- Special EDge (January 22)
- 1-Page Student Management guide
- Dates to recognize groups (Coming up: School Counseling week–first week of Feb!)
- CPI Trained Staff List (let Sara Young know if you see staff who are not at your school)
Notes from our Team:
From Andrea in Human Resources
❄️ Cold Weather Reminders from Human Resources ❄️
While our winter has been relatively mild thus far, we wanted to share a few helpful reminders – just in case Old Man Winter decides to show up! Please be sure to review our Inclement Weather Guidelines.
If winter weather does roll in, remember to:
- Don’t forget to walk like a penguin – short steps, slow and steady wins the race.
- Give yourself extra travel time (driving and walking),
- Bundle up and wear weather-appropriate footwear,
From Kayla in Safety
Reminder for recess/lunch winter weather guidance: When the outside temperature falls to 20°F or below (not including wind chill), the administration will use caution when allowing outdoor school activities(This information is found in the Quick Reference Guide for Emergencies aka “the Red Green”). See the NOAA Windchill chart here.
Administrators have the discretion to send students outside in inclement weather. For example, it could be above 20°F but extremely icy, so you may decide to keep students inside.
From Becca in Communications
It’s never too early to get Educators’ Night Out at the High Desert Museum on your calendars! The annual back-to-school night for teachers is Thursday, September 24, 2026. All educators are invited to network with community organizations to support and enhance their upcoming school year.
As we look toward spring and getting our own school open houses on calendars, we can leave this date open for our staffs. In other words, please do not schedule your Open Houses on this date, so that your staff can attend. Thank you!
From Jennifer in Student Well Being
🎉 National School Counseling Week 2026 (#NSCW26) is February 2–6, 2026! This special week shines a spotlight on the incredible impact of our school counselors and the unique ways they support students every day.
The 2026 theme, School Counselors Amplify Student Success, says it all! Presented by ASCA, National School Counseling Week celebrates how school counselors help students thrive academically, socially, emotionally, and as they plan for future careers.
📅 National School Counseling Week is always held during the first full week of February, and we’re excited to share several resources below to help you celebrate the amazing school counselor(s) at your site.
💙 Please note: We will also be celebrating our Student Success Staff during School Social Worker Week, the week of March 1st.
🏅 Included below is a Certificate of Appreciation you can use to recognize your counselors, along with additional ideas and resources to make this week extra special. Let’s show our counselors how much they are valued and appreciated! 😊🎉
Resources:
Action Items
- Download the Core Effectiveness Slides
- Review and share Inclement Weather Guidelines
- Review inside recess guidelines
- Block out September 24 as a “no evening event” for the fall to attend Educators Night Out
- Get ready to celebrate School Counseling week!
Important Dates
- January 27: PLCs 3 and 4 from 3:00 – 4:30
- January 28: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
- January 30: Progress Reports – No school for students (review BEA Article 15.8 regarding working from home that day for certified members)
- February 3: Horizontal Meeting 3:00 – 4:30 at Bear Creek in the Library
- February 10: PLCs 1 and 2, 3:00 – 4:30
- February 16: President’s Day—you must use non-contract to take this day off, as it is not a paid holiday for us. It is a day off for Students and the rest of the staff.
- February 17: PLCs 3 and 4, 3:00 – 4:30
- February 18: All Admin PD 3:00 – 4:30 Perseverance Hall
And finally… Congratulations to our Next Duck Drawing winner Brooke Catterson!
It’s back to back Porcupines, with this week’s winner being, Brooke Catterson! Brooke is Assistant Principal at Ponderosa Elementary, where she has trained at least 3 different principals in her tenure there! 🤣 Prior to Ponderosa, Brooke was Student Services and a classroom teacher at Ensworth Elementary for many years. Need to know the history of BLS? Brooke is your gal, as she has been in the district for many years. One of Brooke’s greatest joys has been getting to attend school each day with her daughter Mackenzie. How lucky to have a front row seat to your child’s education. She joked for years that she would retire when Mckenzie graduated Ponderosa…she wasn’t joking! It’s no secret that Brooke is retiring at the end of the year as Mackenzie moves onto 6th grade! We are missing you already, but until then, congratulations for winning this week! Let us know your drink of choice and we will be happy to deliver. Thanks for all you do Brooke!
