Quote to consider:
“Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.” ~W. E. B. Du Bois
To Dos:
COFFEE CART RETURNING: Friday morning from 8:15-10:15am. Please enjoy a cup or two of hot/iced coffee, chai, Italian soda, or hot chocolate!! Click here for the full menu. We hope you’ll take a moment to relax, connect with colleagues, laugh, and celebrate the many successes of this school year; thank you for all the hard work and dedication for our students, families, and staff!
TALENT ED TASKS: Please login into Talent Ed (second link from the bottom on this page) to ensure that you have signed and completed all assigned tasks.
END OF THE YEAR VIDEO: Please consider recording a 15-30 second video for 8th graders that will be part of a 8th grade celebration video viewed as part of the last day of school activities. Please contribute your videos to this folder by June 9th. No judgement if you simply reuse the send off you recorded for last year’s 8th graders.
Bits and Bobs:
21/22 GRADING INTERVALS: HDMS will be following quarter grading intervals for all classes next year. This is essentially what we have been doing for years, so ultimately nothing changes; we just wanted all staff to be aware as folks begin to plan for next year.
BACK TO BETTER SIW ACTIVITY: Thanks to our ICCL team for leading Wednesday’s back to better activity. And thanks to all staff for meaningfully engaging in this work! Here is the document we used to collect all of your amazing ideas. We look forward to returning to this document and continuing this self reflective and collaborative work in the fall with the goal of going back to better, specifically in the following areas:
- Productive response to students’ needs
- Education for all
- High quality education
STUDENT PRONOUNS: I’d like to suggest that staff re-review the pronoun blurb in 4.16.21’s blog post. Additionally, here is an article from NPR that may be a helpful resource on this topic.
ARTICLE TO CONSIDER: As we continue to think about how we’ll “go back to better” in the fall, consider checking out this article titled “13 Online Strategies for All Learning Environments.”
Highlights:
- Diversify Instruction with Pre-Recorded Videos:
- Teachers can flip instruction, having students view online mini-lessons outside school hours and then engage in discussions and hands-on learning in the classroom.
- Prioritize Formative Assessment with Online Assignments:
- Quizzes, polls, and asynchronous discussions are more flexible and avoid the social pressures of in-class tests.
- Diversify and Improve Feedback
- “Centralizing feedback in an online hub like a LMS [Canvas!] keeps feedback organized and easy to refer back to”
- Partner with Families, Communities, and the World Beyond School
- One of the most positive developments during the pandemic has been improved communication with families. Teachers have also learned how to bring a wide variety of outside speakers and resources into their classrooms and give students authentic audiences for their learning products.
Reminders:
LAST WEEK SCHEDULE: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be the “regular” MS schedule (bell times of 10:35 – 4:25). We will have students in person on Wednesday. Thursday will be an SIW release (bell times of 10:35 – 2:57).
END OF THE YEAR ACTIVITIES: Refer back to slide eleven of last week’s staff meeting slideshow for details. (Big shout out and thank you to the team of staff working diligently on creating a fun and safe plan for these activities!!)
6/9 RETIREMENT/SEND OFF CELEBRATION:
- Wednesday, June 9th at 2:30pm
- High Desert Middle School Patio
- Salads and desert will be served
- If you have not yet, please RSVP here ASAP!!
There are many who have stepped up to serve and support the HDMS community this year who will be moving on to new adventures next school year. Please take a moment to swing by the Family Resource Room to sign a beautiful (thank you Lauren!!) 2020-21 HDMS Yearbook with your best wishes. If you know someone who is leaving us, who is not yet represented in the FRR but should be, please let Lynne know ASAP.
For Cathy Tash, who is retiring, there is a floral note card in your box today. Please sign and write a note to share your goodbyes, memories, gratitude, best wishes etc. on the card. We will be binding these into a book as a keepsake. We will be shopping this weekend – last call for gift donations! Venmo @Lynne-Tat, Cash App – $LynneTat, or drop off cash in the Counseling Office.
EMPLOYEE ASSIST PROGRAM: Don’t forget that our School District offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help staff navigate life stressors and/or manage life changing events.
INTERRUPTING MICROAGGRESSIONS: Refer back to this tool from last week’s staff meeting equity activity. While we know that equity work can be deeply personal and challenging at times, we also know that having school-wide equitable classroom practices (like interrupting microaggressions) is absolutely vital. Thanks to Julie, Lynne, and Amber for their leadership in this area; please connect with them and/or the admin team with questions.
TAKING STUDENTS OUTSIDE: Use this new form.
SAFETY FEEDBACK: Here is this week’s optional safety survey for staff to provide feedback to the safety team. And here are the results from last week’s survey.
High Desert Highlights:
