QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“The honeymoon period is just about over, now it is our job to do the work to make it a happy marriage for the rest of the year” ~ Jon Williams
TO DO:
- Create a document outlining the “ins and outs” of your classroom that will be shared before and/or during Open House. This can be a power point, a video, an interview of you and a student, a single page hand out, a student scavenger hunt around your room. Please be sure to include your contact info. Ultimately these will need to be translated. The process for translation is in the Equity folder. Staff will have time on Sept. 19th 1:00-3:15 to support this work or to recoup time spent after hours to create these documents for this event. Please make sure your students have this info on your google classroom prior to the event.
- Advisory Teachers: Just a reminder to send Ben Iverson the names of two students (from Advisory Class) you think would be a good Student Council member.
- Thank you for the time during SIW this week where we engaged in conversations around our procedures at HDMS. Please visit the documents in the folders titled HDMS Coordinated Care and HDMS Nuts and Bolts to ensure you are on the same page.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
– Sept. 19th Open House 5:00-7:00pm
– Oct. 3rd Deputy Quick will be instructing his annual “Anti Crimes” class to all 6th graders in the Media Center through their Social Studies class. There is an informational “opt out” letter that has been sent home to all 6th grade students.
– Oct. 5th First Friday breakfast in the Foods room from 7:00-7:40. This month’s meal will be created and served by the Main Office Team.
– Oct. 17th District serves HDMS their annual Staff Appreciation breakfast
– Nov. 9th Our Leadership students are working with Red Cross to support a blood drive here at HDMS. Please see Mrs. Freeman if you want more details or to offer to support!
BITS and BOBS:
-State testing update
You may or may not have heard by now that our state has decided that a SBAC “opt out” will be counted as a “Does Not Meet” from now on. This brings two things to my mind: First, the perception – portrayed through the media – of how well our schools are doing educating kids in our community will likely take a hit as this change will no doubt drop our school’s “Meet” percentage. Second, the validity (and usefulness) of analyzing OAKS scores for informing instruction just got less valid, reliable and useful. (Boen’s opinion)
-ACT/Aspire info
Here are several training and implementation resources for ACT Aspire Periodic assessments.
Training modules (may require email address)
https://actaspire.tms.pearson.com/
How to access reports
http://actaspire.avocet.pearson.com/actaspire/Home#pdf=8468_18590#page=121
–Spanish Class
Instructor: David Engel, Professor of Spanish at COCC & OSU-Cascades
Course: Spanish 1A (no credit, but participants earn 11 PDU’s)
Dates: Fall 2018, Wednesdays, 4:15-5:15pm, September 26-December 12, 2018 (no class meeting November 21). Total of 11 classes – 11 hours seat time
Location: Pacific Crest Middle School
Cost: No cost for participants for class or materials
Curriculum: Prepared and provided by instructor (including handouts). Generally follows the curriculum of OSU – Cascades. Outside of class study and practice will be encouraged but not required for participation. Suggestions and options for additional study and practice will be provided by instructor as part of class curriculum.
To Register: Email Stephanie Bent if you are interested. Course limit is 25.
If there is sufficient interest, this course will continue through winter and spring terms.
-Boundary committee details
Bend-La Pine Schools is seeking volunteers to join a committee to review school attendance areas and make recommendations for school boundary adjustments to the Superintendent. Boundaries for all schools may be affected as Bend-La Pine Schools prepares for the opening of a new elementary in north central Bend in the fall of 2019 and a new high school in southeast Bend in the fall of 2021. Committee members must serve for two years, starting with the first meeting Oct. 2. Applications are due Sept. 17. Applications and more information can be found at www.bend.k12.or.us/boundaries
REMINDERS:
– Blog: Please take time to familiarize yourself with this blog and where items are located. I have added a few items this week in the following locations: AVID, Equity and ELL, Articles
-Attendance
Please make sure you take accurate attendance within the first 10 mins of each class period. This is especially important for 1st – 3rd periods as there is a call that goes out to the families of any student that is marked absent during those periods. It happens often that a student will get marked absent in only one or two class periods during the morning and Gina will have to interrupt classes to verify attendance before that call goes out.
If a student shows up late to your class, please make sure you change their absence to an excused or unexcused tardy. I know that you are all really busy teaching and it’s okay if you can’t do it right away, but if you can leave yourself a note to do this before the end of the period it will save Gina from having to interrupt the student’s next class to verify attendance. There is more specific information regarding attendance in the Nuts and Bolts slide show in the documents tab.
If you forget to take your attendance, Gina will send you a reminder email or she will call your classroom and let the phone ring once. Please take your attendance as soon as possible.
Lastly, if students bring you an attendance note from their parents, please make sure you have them bring it down to the Attendance Office.
-Insurance:
Please remember to enroll or opt-out of your coverage for the 18/19 plan year by 9/15/18. We have two drop-in sessions remaining if you need assistance with the online process or have questions on the benefits themselves. OEBB and the District office will not be staffed Saturday, 9/15/18, we recommend completing your enrollment by Friday the 14th. If you do not re-enroll for your insurance, your benefits will terminate 9/30/18.
OEBB Enrollment: https://myoebb.org/oebb/!pb.main
If you do not remember your login information – use the forgot username/password link. New employees must create their account using the “create your myOEBB account” link.
Insurance Information: https://portal.bend.k12.or.us/employee-info/content/2018-19-benefit-open-enrollment-information
District Contribution/Cost of Insurance: https://portal.bend.k12.or.us/employee-info/content/2018-19-benefit-rate-sheets
Wednesday, September 12: 4:30pm-6:30pm, Friday, September 14: 3:30pm-6:30. Both drop-in sessions are located at the Education Center – Wall St Lab – 520 NW Wall St Bend, OR
HDMS HIGHLIGHTS:
