Quote to consider:
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” ―Nelson Mandela
To Dos:
SPED/ELL STUDENT GRADING: As the end of the quarter approaches and we look at grade books, we’d like you to be aware that if a student identified as SPED/ELL has an F in class, you will need to have taken the following steps:
- Show evidence of:
- differentiation (CDL examples found here)
- scaffolding
- other opportunities provided for the student to be successful
- communication with the family (email, phone calls, etc.) in the home language
- prior partnering with the SRC/ELD teacher
If a teacher has shown evidence of the previous items and still does not have enough information to accurately assign a grade, consider the following: assign a C- or D and add appropriate report card comments (eg: 000: absences affect grade, 040: grade modified to skill level, 070: missing/incomplete assignments). We strongly encourage teachers to connect with students’ grade level counselor and/or case manager (SRC/ELL) prior to submitting an F for a final grade.
This is a Civil Rights issue that we need to be aware of. Additionally, the district is in discussion about pass/no pass being a potential option in the future for students/families during CDL; more to come as we learn about it.
WEEKLY INTERPRETER AVAILABLE: As an additional way to support advisors and content teachers making connections with families, HDMS will have a Spanish interpreter on standby available to interpret phone calls or WebEx meetings on Wednesdays from 1:30-4:00pm. Sign up for your 15 minute time slot using this link (which will continue to be a hot link on the sidebar of the blog). Consider looking at the document to see which students are already on the list that you also plan to connect with and “piggy backing” on that time slot. Be sure to sign up on the correct date using the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
This opportunity is intended to augment (not replace) teachers setting up their own interpreters for parent contact whenever needed; please continue to use Linguist Link to set up interpreters whenever needed.
From October’s ELL newsletter, this is a helpful resource that highlights 11 tips for success when working with an interpreter.
SAFETY TEAM: All staff must be aware of all the items on this staff safety checklist document, which has been updated to reflect new items from ODE’s recent update; please review and become familiar with its contents. Continue to check the Safety Team folder linked on the blog for the most up-to-date safety information and team notes.
FYI: Your HDMS Safety Team is hard at work updating our Safety/COVID Overview HDMS 20/21 to create version 2.0 to meet new requirements from ODE. Touch base with Nurse Megan, Wendy, Nole, Lauren, or any safety team member with questions.
Bits and Bobs:
END OF THE QUARTER: The end of the first quarter is Friday, 11/6. This will only affect staff and students involved in a quarter rotation. Grades for classes that are not on a quarter rotation, will show a student’s current grade as “progress” reporting.
Reminders:
WEDNESDAY ATTENDANCE REMINDER: Use this spreadsheet (which is also linked on the blog’s sidebar) every week to take advisory attendance for Wednesday. Scroll horizontally along tabs at the bottom to find your name; your sheet will have your advisory attendance data. The data on the spreadsheet will be wiped early in the week and then repopulated with the new week’s Wednesday attendance by students submitting the form on their end. The form will only be available for students to complete from Wednesdays at noon through Thursday morning. Although we’d prefer students to share what they worked on in each class through the survey, any level of completing the form will be sufficient for their attendance.
Sorting tip: wait until you’re ready to enter your final attendance in Synergy (to allow students to still fill in the form until the last minute), highlight and copy the last name column’s data on your tab’s sheet, paste it in a blank spreadsheet, and then sort A-Z. The spreadsheet is intentionally locked to avoid data being inadvertently adjusted.
STUDENT OBSERVATION/INCIDENT REFERRALS: Feel free to begin to use our new SST Referral Form (which is currently in beta). It can be used for any concerning student observation/incident including providing an FYI to the SST team, one-time incidents, and/or on-going student concerns. Our hope is that staff will use the referral form when a student concern arises as it also serves as a data collection tool to identify students that need more intensive interventions. When entering a referral form, please include only facts about the observation/incident as these are often shared directly with families. Staff still have the option of emailing observations/incidents to: admin team (Petersen, Kennedy, McCulloch), grade level counselor, and case manager (if applicable); a SST member will then enter a referral form on their behalf.
VETERANS DAY: There is no school on Wednesday, 11/11 in observation of Veterans Day.
HDMS Highlights: Amazing examples of our Canvas universal expectations!!
