Quote to consider:
“What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe.” ~bell hooks
To Dos:
ADVISORY UPDATE & SURVEY: Thank you to this incredible community of caring and resilient adults who continue to implement Advisory during a deeply difficult time, which is also a time where community, connection, relationships, and social-emotional skills are so very needed.
The Advisory Scope and Sequences has been updated for the week we return from Winter Break. Some new elements to consider are detailed below. PLEASE indicate your choice to participate or decline by taking the survey after reading these details.
Please click HERE and indicate your choice by Jan. 6th.
HALLWAY DUTIES: As you know, we always aim to provide as much time as possible for teachers to focus on the highest leverage parts of their jobs. One way we did that this year is to remove the thrice yearly, two week teacher duty assignments. What remains, however, is short, daily duties; the schedule is on the sidebar of the blog.
Please set a reminder in your calendar upon our return in January to ensure that you are regularly sweeping the hallways during your duty time. We all know that positive staff presence in the halls is directly correlated to a safe and welcoming environment for our students. Be looking for the positives in student behavior during this time and considering celebrating these students with a Diamondbuck and/or a positive affirmation.
Bits and Bobs:
ELL Weekly Tip: Here is the link
NAEP INFO: HDMS has been selected to participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) – also called The Nation’s Report Card. This will occur Feb 15th for a random group of select 8th graders. Families and students are receiving specific information if their child has been selected to participate. More details will be coming in the new year regarding what adjustments will be made to these students schedules on our test day.
The Nation’s Report Card is a resource – a national wake up call – because it offers a window into the state of our education system and what our children are learning. The results provide educators, policymakers, elected officials,and parents across the country with invaluable information regarding how our children are doing compared to other children in large urban districts, other states, and the nation.
When our children participate, they are helping to inform decisions about how to improve education in our state and in our country.
YOUTH TRUTH INFO: The student, family, and staff versions of the Youth Truth survey will be shared out and completed in January. For students, this will happen in advisory. More details to come upon our return.
TWO HOUR DELAY SCHEDULE: If/when needed, the two hour delay schedule has been added to the sidebar of the blog.
Reminders:
CPR Class: Due to COVID-19 we will again be offering a blended model for the First Aid/CPR class. The class will be done online with a hands-on skills assessment to follow. The online portion of the class should take about three (3) hours with the skills assessment to follow with a first aid/CPR trainer that will take about 20 minutes. The online course can be done to fit your schedule. Your First Aid/CPR card will not be issued until all portions of class are completed.
The process will be as follows:
- Sign up for the class in Performance Matters. Stephanie Bent will send you a link from HSI/Medic to get started ([email protected]).
- Please check your Junk Mail if it does not appear in your regular inbox.
- After each section of the online session, there will be a one or two question quiz.
- When scheduled, the hands-on skills assessment schedule will be emailed to you to register if you have completed the online portion. You can only do the in-person skills assessment after you have completed the online portion of the class.
- The in-person skills assessment will be done in 30-minute increments with 1 to 6 person ratio (20 minutes for the class and 10 minutes to clean and sanitize equipment).
- First Aid cards will not be sent out until both portions of the class are completed.
The class currently in Performance Matters opens 12/3/2021 with a completion date by 1/28/2022. If interested, please sign up now.
DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT NEWSLETTER: Here is this month’s district newsletter. We’d love to highlight the amazing things you all are doing with our students at HDMS!! So please consider passing along something you’d like to highlight about your or a colleague’s class to Alandra ([email protected]) and CC Wendy and Nole.
High Desert Highlights:
