Quote to consider:
“There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.” ― Wangari Maathai
To Dos:
CANVAS INFO:
Please remember to go into your settings in Canvas Gradebook and change the missing assignments to 50% to comply with the districts grading policy. It’s much easier to do this now, at the beginning of the semester, than retroactively do it. Reach out to your Canvas Coach if you need assistance.
For some super important tips and tricks for cleaning up and moving to Semester 2 in Canvas, please click on the following link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BLsKxo4x8lTPk7t22WAbipBGLogiO8AEmo4RGxgyWJc/edit?usp=sharing
Bits and Bobs:
OFFICE/CLASSROOM COMMUNICATION: Please make every effort to answer your classroom phone whenever an office staff person is calling you; without attendance student aides, this will be the new way students are notified if someone is here to pick them up.
CONFERENCES: Please click here to review the two options for spring conferences and vote for your choice on this survey by Friday, 2/19. Note that in years past, option two was the overwhelming majority of staff. Additionally, other than the fact that we are moving forward with conferences, the district has not yet provided information on how this will be implemented (eg: virtual/in person, scheduled/drop-in, etc.). As always, HDMS building leadership will continue to recommend to the district that we set up systems that promote safety as the first priority.
SAFETY FEEDBACK: In an effort to close the feedback loop regarding COVID-19 safety measures at HDMS, this week we will start requesting staff complete a brief Google form with questions regarding our staff and student understanding, successful implementation as well as areas for growth and improvement with regard to the COVID-19 Safety measures.
This survey will:
Fulfill the RSSL requirements of frequent, anonymous feedback.
Give us a fuller assessment of COVID-19 safety at HDMS
Enable the Safety team to respond to systemic problems more quickly
This additional means of offering feedback does not replace direct feedback to Heather and Nole, as well as any written proposals staff may continue to bring to the Safety Team. Any immediate or specific concerns should continue to be addressed to admin and the safety team members. The data will be presented weekly at the Safety Team meetings to address any action items that may arise. Additionally, questions that are submitted through the form or otherwise will be addressed weekly by Maria and (most importantly!) Megan on Wednesdays from 3:30-3:45pm in Maria’s WebEx room– these weekly safety team share out meetings are optional.
To read more about why and how this form was created click here. To fill out the form, click here!
FIRE DRILL DATES: Mark your calendars for February 25th and 26th for our next fire drills.
Please identify one safety point person for your wing. This person will meet with Koop and the safety team to be trained on the COVID compliant updates to our emergency evacuation procedures before Feb’s fire drills and then report back to their wing with this information. Email Koop, Nole, and Heather P with your wing’s point person.
CONTRACT TRACING: There are hard copies of this student to student contact tracing form in teacher’s boxes. Staff should record student names on this paperwork only when two or more students are in “close contact.” Being as we’ve worked hard to set up classroom and school wide safety systems, we are hopeful that this form will rarely, if ever, be needed as it should be an unusual circumstance for students to be less than six feet for a cumulative total of 15 mins from each other while on campus.
TOOLKIT QR CODES: The safety team has created a QR code hard copy document (in your boxes) that will send anyone who scans it to the HDMS safety toolkit. Please post this in your classroom for students and guest teachers to be able to access.
STAFF MEETINGS: To ensure we are honoring the new MOU between the district and BEA, we will not be hosting formal staff meetings for the remainder of February. In addition to the weekly blog updates, here are some optional opportunities for staff to get info and/or ask questions: ICCL coffee hour on Wednesdays at 8:30ish in Houslet’s WebEx room, HDMS FAQ document, or touch base with Nole and Heather in the office, around the building, or email us to setup a WebEx check in.
SUBSTITUTE INFO: Our ICCLs will soon be sharing out with staff how they plan to prepare their classes and lesson designs for when a substitute is needed. Obviously, we trust individual teachers to prepare however is best for their students and classes, so this info from ICCLs is just guidance to consider.
STAFF MEETING SHARE OUT: Thank you to Thompson, Vidas, Houslet, Morrison, Variel, and Wardle for sharing out in a breakout room a connection activity/strategy that they have had success with so far; hopefully all staff got some creative ideas they could consider implementing in their practice. We are asking one person per group to share out at our next staff meeting (in March) the activity/strategy they learned about, who they learned it from, and how they implemented it in their classroom- email Wendy, Nole, and Heather if you’d be willing to share.
LUNCH UPDATE: As shared in the staff meeting teacher lunch times and duties are as follows:
1st lunch
12:05-12:10- go over classroom procedures and assist with hand washing and sanitizing
12:10-12:40- Teacher lunch time
12:40-45- Teacher present as students transition back into the classroom
12:45- Period 1 begins
2nd lunch
1:10-1:15- go over classroom procedures and assist with hand washing and sanitizing
1:15-1:45- Teacher lunch time
1:45-1:50- Teacher present as students transition back into the classroom to assist with line up and release processes.
HYBRID STUDENTS NOT IN THE BUILDING: As was shared in the staff meeting, it is unavoidable that students slated for hybrid learning may not attend their scheduled in building days for a variety of reasons (eg: sick/quarantining for an entire two week block, non-COVID absences, family selecting hybrid yet not sending their student, etc). Please connect with an ICCL team member and/or your content team to make plans for how to serve students in such situations.
SCHOOL PICTURES: No action item right now, but we wanted to make you aware that we are required to have school-wide picture day for both cohorts. This is currently scheduled to take place throughout the day on March 1st and 2nd. Kerri, Lauren, and the ICCL team will be working together to determine specifics in the coming weeks.
INCLEMENT WEATHER: Click here to read over the latest info from HR to staff re: inclement weather. A family facing letter on the same topic will be shared with HDMS families in our weekly communication. Lastly, Friday, February 12th is a unique day. All schools will be in a distance learning model and have already made plans for the day regardless if it is an inclement weather day or not.
Reminders:
TECH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES: Consider attending a tech training in the media center on 2/9 and/or 2/16 at 9:00am for details on HDMS standard classroom technology (eg: ceiling mounted projectors, Apple TVs). Video of the first training coming soon.
SPANISH INTERPRETER: We did not have any signups this week; if we continue to have no signups, we will pause our Spanish interpreter system. Please consider signing up for a timeslot for upcoming Wednesday from 1:30-4:00pm to make connections with our Spanish speaking families. These connections can be set up ahead of time and/or cold calls. Use the link on the sidebar of the blog to sign up by Tuesday at 9:00am
STAFF ABSENCE: For any staff absence during student contact time, please enter your substitute request as in the past. Remember to let Nole and/or Nurse Megan if any absence is illness related.
High Desert Highlights:
