Quote to consider:

“Bamboo is flexible, bending with the wind but never breaking, capable of adapting to any circumstance.  It suggests resilience, meaning that we have the ability to bounce back even from the most difficult times… Your ability to thrive depends, in the end, on your attitude to your life circumstances.” ~Ping Fu 

Thanks to Breanna, HDMS nutrition services staff member, for surfacing this inspiring analogy!

---

To Dos:

YOUTH TRUTH STAFF:  If you have not yet completed the staff survey, please do so ASAP using this link.  We are expecting that 100% of our staff (both classified and certified) complete this survey.  So far, we have had 91% of staff complete this survey.

---

AVID TIP OF THE WEEK:  The AVID tip of the week can be found here on slides 12-17; look for an upcoming lesson where this strategy can be implemented. 

---

ELL TIP OF THE WEEK:  Be sure to check out and embed in your practice this week’s ELL tip found here.

---

Bits and Bobs:

YOUTH TRUTH STUDENT SURVEY:  Thank you advisors for ensuring that your students took the Youth Truth Student survey this week.  Please return your class list, with the names of students who did not complete the survey highlighted, to your grade level counselor by the end of the day Friday, Jan 21, 2022.

---

FROM CANVAS COACHES:  As the end of the semester nears, please regularly (a couple times a week) check that your grades are syncing between Canvas and Synergy.  If they are not syncing accurately let your Canvas Coach know so we can help troubleshoot.  

Coming soon- information on transitioning seamlessly to semester two.  

---

FEB 4TH: From Dr. Cook:  “Teachers, … You may complete your full workday at school or from home.  Schools and offices will remain open and staffed for calls or walk-ins on Feb. 4 and there will be no change for extracurricular and club activities. The only change to this contracted work day is the flexibility for teacher grading to take place from school or home.  Thank you all for your continued professionalism and care for our students during this challenging time.” For more details, see Dr. Cook’s email that was sent to teachers the evening of 1.20.22.

---

FROM KINSEY MARTIN: Just a reminder about some upcoming months and some resources for each.  Look for more resources from Christie Boen coming soon.

• Black History Month: February. Resources here
• Women’s History Month: March. Resources here

---

ON-DEMAND SPANISH INTERRUPTER:  Continue to use Linguist Link for translations as well as pre-scheduled and on-demand interpreting services.  If using the on-demand services, follow these directions; complete the form, scan it to your email, and submit it to the new district point person [email protected] and [email protected].  

---

Reminders:

PRODUCTIVE RESPONSE TO STUDENTS’ NEEDS (BEHAVIORAL):  As a school we use this student support flowchart to determine next steps for responding to behavioral concerns.  As always, students may be sent directly to the admin office for any serious violation or for disrupting the learning of others (when in-class redirection hasn’t been effective).  If a teacher would like a Student Support Team member to follow up, they need to enter a referral form (or email the admin team, cc counselor and case manager, if applicable).  Otherwise students sent to the office will complete a reflection form and spend the rest of the period in a timeout.

---

UPDATED SIW AND STAFF MEETING SCHEDULE: Here is the updated HDMS SIW and staff meeting schedule. Staff meeting in Wendy’s WebEx room at 8:30am on Tuesday (1/25) for a presentation from the HDMS reps on the district Equitable Grading Practices team.

---

END OF QUARTER TWO: February 7th begins second semester (quarter three).

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“Many of life’s failures come when people did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to success is always to try just one more time.” ~Thomas Edison

---

To Dos:

YOUTH TRUTH STAFF:  Thanks to those of you who attended Tuesday morning’s staff meeting and used the provided time to complete the Staff Youth Truth Survey.  If you were unable to complete it, please do so ASAP; use this link.  We are expecting that 100% of our staff (both classified and certified) complete this survey.  So far, we have had 84% of staff complete this survey.

---

SUB NOTEBOOKS:  We are grateful to Gina and Lauren who have put together this folder with the most updated info for your sub notebooks.   Please double check your sub notebook (which should “live” underneath your classroom phone) to ensure that all of these updated documents are present.  Also, consider checking to ensure that you have some emergency sub plans in your sub notebook in case of a last minute, unexpected absence.  

---

ELL TIP OF THE WEEK:  Aim to find at least one lesson where you can utilize this week’s ELL tip found here.

---

AVID TIP OF THE WEEK:  Set aside time to review and consider implementing this week’s AVID tip found on slides 7-11 here.

---

Bits and Bobs:

YOUTH TRUTH STUDENTS:  In advisory on Tuesday (1/18), students will take the Youth Truth Survey.  The student version of the survey is linked in the advisory plans as a must do.  Click here details.

---

STAFF MEETING DOCUMENTS:  For your reference, here is the slide deck we covered at the 1.11.22 staff meeting. 

---

CULTURE OF CARE NEWSLETTER: Click here for the latest opportunities and resources from your HDESD Culture of Care Coaches!  

---

LANGUAGE, CULTURE, & IDENTITY:  Here is the winter edition of the DEI-ELL Newsletter.  If you have questions, concerns, or ideas regarding the content, please reach out to Kinsey Martin.

---

THE CROWN ACT:  This act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against Black people who are wearing braids, locs, twists, knots, or protective hairstyles (including a head/hair wrap in the workplace and public schools, community colleges, and universities) went into effect as of January 1, 2022. Here is a quick overview of what you need to know about this important law.  Check out ODE’s CROWN Act web page for additional reading resources, examples of protected hairstyles and a free downloadable version of the CROWN Act poster.Please reach out to Kinsey Martin or Steven Herron if you have questions.

---

FROM OUR DEI & TCL COLLEAGUES:  Below are great local opportunities for learning and connection:

• Our state is offering an amazing opportunity for racially/linguistically/ethnically-diverse educators to participate in a racial justice institute fellowship.  Details here.  Applications are due very soon, so act quickly!  
• The Father’s Group (a local collective sponsored by our regional partner Better Together through the ESD) has a wonderful film event in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Details here.   
• COCC and partners are hosting book groups in advance of their Season of Nonviolence indigenous author event.  Groups and event details here.  

Now might not feel like a natural time to engage in deep personal learning, as we grow tired of reacting to COVID.  However, if an opportunity to learn and reflect in community would fill your bucket, rather than deplete it, these might be for you.

---

LITERACY MATTERS: Chapter 2 (FREE, Feb. 5) – This first one, hosted by Aldine ISD in Houston, TX is totally free and is on a Saturday. The speakers and organizations presenting have a strong track record of excellent and thought provoking work. Last year’s conference drew thousands of attendees from across the country.  Click here for more information. 

---

CHANGING GUIDELINES FOR STAFF:  As you read in the email from the district office sent Thursday evening, the guidelines for quarantining/isolating for staff have changed.  Here is a document they put together that includes additional details; please pay particular attention to the type of mask to be worn and lunch protocols in certain circumstances. 

---

FROM HR: See this document if you are encountering difficulties in receiving weekly OHA COVID test kits.  It contains a phone number and email address.

---

Reminders:

MASKING ISSUES:  For masking issues with students, BLS middle schools will be following this flowchart.  For your convenience, we’ve created this letter home in English and Spanish as a starting point for staff for parent communication; feel free to use, make your own, or ignore.  Following this flow chart can feel arduous (and may not end up solving the issue), but following the steps carefully gives us the legs to stand on and the district backing for a different type of conversation with the family about an alternative placement, if needed. 

---

CALLING FOR STUDENTS:  Please make every effort to answer your classroom phone whenever you get a call from the office.  Without student aides, this is how we call for students who are being picked up or need to speak with someone in the office. 

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

Invest your emotional energy wisely by building with people who are not afraid to grow

~ yung pueblo

---

To Dos:

AVID TIP OF THE WEEK:  Set aside time to review and consider implementing the AVID tip of the week found here.  (This document will be updated regularly with new tips.)

---

ELL TIP OF THE WEEK:  Review and considering building into your practice the ELL weekly tip found here.

---

Bits and Bobs:

SUB SHORTAGE: As you know we continue to struggle to get any vacancies covered with substitute staff. Due to this shortage, you may see district level leaders in our building as they are being deployed to support by filling in as subs.

---

SAFETY TEAM INFO:  As always, all safety team meeting notes can be found on the right hand side of the blog.  One item we thought worth highlighting is the updated district safety items found linked in the quick links section of the Staff Portal; for a summary of newly added items click here. 

---

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION COURSE:  Quinn Daly is offering this course, which will support you in providing differentiated instruction both in a virtual and face-to-face classroom settings. As a result of this class, you will come away with a better understanding of what differentiated instruction is and you will have created a differentiated instruction lesson you will be able to implement directly into your classroom this year. This course is run completely through Canvas, with a group share on the last day of the course. The dates of the class are from January 18th – February 22nd.  Teachers can register on performance matters; the direct link can be found here.

---

YOUTH TRUTH SURVEY:  

• Staff will be provided a staff survey link during 1.11.22’s staff meeting
• Students will complete the student survey this month in advisory, more details to come
• Families are being sent the family survey link in our weekly family communication

---

Reminders:

CONTACT TRACING:  Please continue to keep updated seating charts and make sure you are available to support giving this info to contact tracers when they request these documents during an investigation. 

---

EDUCATOR NETWORK SIW (1.12.22):  From Dean Richards: Next week will be the Educator Network Day in which teachers meet with content alike teams.  Here is the schedule which has been created by the teachers (District ICCLs) leading each team.  The expectation is that you attend these meetings and if you are not able to attend you must check with your building administrators.

---

STAFF MASKING EXPECTATIONS:

Below is a reminder of District masking and illness reporting requirements.

FACE COVERINGS

Staff remain obligated to wear a well-fitting, appropriate mask or face covering when at district sites, unless they are actively eating (and distanced from others) or in a private, fully enclosed workspace. Some staff may be required to wear 3-play medical grade masks as a mitigation measure to a vaccine exception, or a KN95 mask when indoors supervising unmasked students under 12 years of age.

“Appropriate mask or face covering” means a cloth, polypropylene, paper, or other face covering that covers the nose and the mouth and that rests snugly above the nose, below the mouth, and on the sides of the face. The following are not face coverings because they allow droplets to be released: a covering that incorporates a valve that is designed to facilitate easy exhalation, mesh masks, lace masks, or other coverings with openings, holes, visible gaps in the design or material, or vents.

Masks that allow light through, such as sports masks, and vented masks are not appropriate, and are not allowed for use while working at Bend-La Pine Schools. See here for the limited exceptions to the forms of appropriate masks.

ILLNESS REPORTING

Also, all district staff are required to report illness to their supervisor, particularly COVID-19 primary symptoms, exposure, a positive test result, or a directive to quarantine or isolate. Supervisors must pass on reports of primary COVID-19 symptoms, exposures, and positive cases to the Health Services Team for follow-up investigation.

In addition to reporting to their supervisor, staff can also report their status via this new tool:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLC1rRILWcqZSTu3RyJOA68L9AVR7vKudyhJi75Q07utINow/viewform

FAILURE TO COMPLY

Failure by staff to comply with the face covering and illness reporting protocols, or by administrators or supervisors to enforce protocols, may result in progressive discipline.  Below are the progressive discipline measures:

1. Verbal warning
2. Written Directive
3. Letter of Reprimand

---

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: 

1. Sign up for the class in Performance Matters. Stephanie Bent will send you a link from HSI/Medic to get started ([email protected]).   
2. Please check your Junk Mail if it does not appear in your regular inbox.  
3. After each section of the online session, there will be a one or two question quiz. 
4. 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.   
5. 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). 
6. 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:

Quote to consider:

There’s nothing wrong with being wrong.  To err is human.  It becomes a problem when you choose to stay wrong.  To deny error is willful blindness.  New information is an invitation to question old opinions.  The faster you are to recognize your mistakes, the less wrong you become.  ~ Adam Grant

---

To Dos:

CANVAS CLEAN UP:  In order to ensure that every secondary staff member has their Canvas courses set up to meet the district requirements, our first responder Canvas Coaches will be reaching out so they can support you.  The deadline for all our course meeting this standard is Jan 5.  SIW will be given on Jan 5 (instead of PD) so staff have time to meet and make the needed adjustments.  If, after Jan 5, your Canvas courses don’t meet the district standard, I will have a conversation with you to see what additional supports you may need to reach this goal.

---

SLGG: Staff please complete your two SLGGs by Jan 3. See last week’s blog post for links to resources as well as a school wide SLGG attached to our advisory classes.

---

INCLEMENT WEATHER: Here are the district guidelines.

---

Bits and Bobs:

STAFF MEETINGS:  Due to circumstances beyond my control this year and working on a timeline that is directed, I have had to give up several SIWs.  The results of this has meant that our planned PD for the SIWs at times has been delivered during our Tuesday staff meetings.  This is not how I intended to use our staff meeting time and am struggling with the tension of how to move professional work forward in our building while also having limited time to do this important work. 

---

ELL INSTRUCTIONAL TIP:  Here a link to this weeks tip. Thanks Lucy and Clarissa!

---

NUTRITION SERVICES UPDATE:  In response to new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules, Bend-La Pine Schools will no longer offer “grab and go after school snack/supper” for all students in the new year. Instead, as of January 3, 2022, “snack/supper” will be available only to students enrolled in after school academic programs, such as Kids Inc., 

Breakfast and lunch will continue to be provided for all students at no cost for the remainder of the 2021-2022 school year.

---

OUTDOOR MASKING:  You may have seen the communication from the district office that was recently sent out re: outside masking.  In a nutshell, the big change is that masks are not required outside during recess or lunch.  The exception would be if you are bringing an entire class outside for instruction or for an event.  Even with this change, the district office shared that it is still recommended for BLS staff to wear our masks when we are outside at recess, managing drop off/pick up and greeting parents.

---

Reminders:

STAFF WINTER GATHERING:  This year to celebrate community, connection and care we are hosting an all staff breakfast in the Media Center Tuesday, Dec 14th.  Food and drinks will be set up by 8am, please come and join in some seasonal, collective, festive joy!  (This is replacing our Dec. 14th staff meeting.)

---

WEB CONNECTION: Tuesday, December 14th, 8th-grade WEB leaders will be excused from their advisory to join their 6th-grade webbies advisory. WEB leaders will have all the supplies they need and come prepared to have fun and connect with their webbies. Thanks for everyone’s support with WEB. Please click here to view the list of WEB leaders and the advisories they will be joining. 

---

CELL PHONES (also noted in weekly family communication and will be revisited in Advisory the first week back from winter break):  Cell phones are off and away in student lockers from 9:10am-4:10pm. We know that some students keep their cell phones on their person throughout the day. As long as the cell phone is not disrupting the learning environment, I encourage you all to focus on instruction. Once a cell phone disrupts that learning environment, please ask student to place face down on your desk until the end of the period or place in a manila envelope (extras available in the admin office workroom) and have student store under their desk for the remainder of the class period. For repeated instances, please enter a behavioral SST or send Nole, Dave and Wendy (and CC the grade level counselor) an email and we will follow up.

---

CHRONIC OFFENDERS (also noted in weekly family communication and will be revisited in Advisory the first week back from winter break): As always, students may be sent individuality to the office if they are egregiously disrupting the learning environment or for serious offenses. A phone call to 7330 or a quick email to that admin team and Stacy to let them know the student is coming is helpful, but not required. Unless we receive communication otherwise from the teacher, our standard response when students are sent to the office is a timeout from class while they complete an office reflection form.

Entering behavioral referral (FYI or follow up response requested) is a huge support in our school wide behavioral support system as it allows us to document incidents and initiate progressive disciplinary responses.

As you all know, whenever a student continues to not meet expectations, classroom teachers partnering with families first (and on an on-going basis, when needed) is best practice.

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

Your immediate reaction does not tell you who you are, it is how you decide to respond after the reaction that gives you real insight into how much you have grown.  Your first reaction is your past, your intentional response is your present.  ~yung pueblo

---

To Dos:

SLGGs: Please log into TalentEd and complete your SLGGs by Jan 3.  Each staff member needs two.  Staff can consider using the below SEL SLGG as one since we are doing SEL instruction school wide, therefore the data collection is built in. 

• “SEL SLGG:  100% of our students will progress in one or more of the indicators on our schoolwide self-awareness survey.”

For your second SLGG, consider using AVID and the WICOR instructional strategies.  You can create this goal as a department if you’d like.  Check out this SLGG resource for some guidance as you write your instructional SLGG. 

---

OBSERVATION/EVALUATION UPDATE:  Here is the final copy of the certified evaluation for this year.  Now that the district/BEA have come to a final agreement on mini observations/evaluations for this school year, Wendy and Nole will begin formally visiting classrooms next week.  Here is the tool we will be using to capture evidence and guide our follow up conversations. 

Use the following link to see the mini observation rotation so you know if you are on an ‘off’ or ‘on’ year.   

---

UNDERSTANDING EQUITY pt. 2 EXIT TICKET:  Please provide feedback on the info shared in last Tuesday’s staff meeting by completing this quick exit ticket survey by Dec. 9th.  Your feedback will help us plan for future PDs and build the resource library that will cover the seven topics discussed on slide 10.  For your reference, here is the slide deck Amber presented.  

---

WEEKLY TIP FOR TEACHING ELLs:  Please take time to check out this document for tips on teaching English Language Learners and look for ways to embed the tip in your practice.  This resource will be updated weekly by our esteemed colleagues in the ELL department.  

Knowing that HDMS has the largest number of ELL students of all of the BLS middle schools, continuing to be intentional with growing in your practice to best serve ELL students is a priority.  Additionally, we know that AVID strategies serve ELL students as well, hence our commitment as a school to embed AVID in all our practices. 

---

UPDATE FROM OUR CANVAS COACHES:  If you teach quarter rotator classes, please check that you have set your Canvas grade book to sync nightly.  You only need to click this once, but it needs to be done at the beginning of each quarter for new classes.  From the menu click “grade sync” then click “settings” and click the box next to “nightly sync”

Please make certain that your categories in Canvas match exactly with your categories in Synergy.  Your grades will not sync if there is any discrepancy between the two.  

There have been many questions regarding why assignments have “disappeared” in Synergy.  HDMS is on a quarter grading system, so any grades from Quarter 1 will not appear in Synergy since it’s a new grading term.  If you would like to filter your assignments in Canvas you can do so by clicking the top left drop down menu and selecting “21/22 HDMS S1 Q2”. 

---

Bits and Bobs:

STAFF MEETING ADJUSTMENT:  In our ongoing effort to gift back as much time to staff as possible, we are cancelling the scheduled staff meeting on Dec. 7th. 

---

STAFF WINTER GATHERING:  This year to celebrate community, connection and care we are hosting an all staff breakfast in the Media Center Tuesday, Dec 14th.  Food and drinks will be set up by 8am, please come and join in some seasonal, collective, festive joy!  (This is replacing our Dec. 14th staff meeting.)

---

STAFFING:  We have the following job postings open, if you know of anyone interested please encourage them to apply or connect with Wendy:  head wrestling coach, assistant wrestling coach, and a bilingual EA.

---

Reminders:

BEHAVIORAL STUDENT SUPPORT FORM:  Please continue to use the behavioral student support referral form (linked on the sidebar of the blog) whenever a behavioral incident needs admin response or when you’d like it tracked (enter as an FYI).  Refer back to this document from September’s PD for more details on this process. 

Keep in mind when entering a form that we often forward these to families, so please ensure you remain factual with the reporting and avoid emotional/judgemental language.  Do not let the specifics of the form be a hindrance to you filling it out; it is OK to leave sections blank or enter n/a when needed.  

---

ANNOUNCEMENTS:  These can be added or edited by clicking on the Announcement’s link on the right side of the main page of the blog.  Scroll to find the week you wish to post your announcements and have these submitted prior to Wednesday if you wish for them to appear the following Monday.  Also, please let Dave McKae know if you have made any changes by email.

---

ADVISORY:  The Advisory Scope/Sequence is updated with next week’s plans for Character Strong lessons and an activity showcasing a wide range of winter season celebrations.  Optional activities include a winter door decorating activity.

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“You see, there are two types of sorry, we actually learned about this in advisory…”
-one HDMS 7th grade student to another during a guided restorative conversation

---

To Dos:

AVID UPDATE:  The survey below was posted in a recent blog, but we’d like to repost it to gather more feedback from staff.  Please complete the twelve question survey so that we can use the data collected to support meaningful PD options for staff, as we heard this is a need across our district.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQ2bCRQYmGdBW-Dxl96laNAfEaJeMF06QtvISECwmQ4qFtCw/viewform?usp=sf_link

---

Bits and Bobs:

CANVAS UPDATE:  Please click here to access a document outlining a new update to Canvas that will make your grading life easier and save you some precious time! 

You can now create a “Comment Bank” for the common comments you use while grading assignments! The only downer is that it is only available in Speedgrader on your computer… they haven’t made it available for use on the iPad quite yet. Check it out! 😊

---

ADVISORY UPDATE:  Thank you to all who took time to share feedback regarding our HDMS Advisory Program!  While there are many areas for growth, and some fantastic ideas for improvement, survey results indicate we are off to a great start.  Time for community building/relationships, implementing SEL, and establishing consistent structure/expectation for advisory time will be goals moving forward.

Some survey takeaways to highlight:

• 40% of staff feel Advisory is a good use of school time, and 40% agree that it’s important, but challenging to have 8 periods/day. 
• 80% of staff gave a 6 or greater (on a scale of 1-10) for Advisory meeting established goals.
• 60% of staff feel that Advisory Must-dos are “just right” and 33% feel that Advisory Must-dos are “too much”
  
• 80.6% of students agree or strongly agree that Advisory is a good use of school time.
• 91.8% of students agree or strongly agree that they feel connected to their Advisory cohort. 

Please consider joining the Advisory Planning team at our next meeting, Monday November 29th at 8:30 if you are interested in sharing ideas or digging further into survey results.  

Week 12 (November 29-December 3) is updated and ready for you on the Advisory Scope and Sequence hotlink on The Blog!  

One of the “must-dos” for the week is this form: Academic Check-In/Goal Setting.  Consider making this a weekly activity!  If you have students who are struggling (D/F) you might have them connect with/get a signature from the teacher in the class they are challenged by, to encourage collaborative support plans. 

---

STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS AT LUNCH:  With teacher permission, students are allowed to be in classrooms during lunch for clubs or support from a teacher.  Students and staff must follow these guidelines:

• Students must be continually supervised inside the staff person’s classroom
• Students must remain in the classroom for the entirety of the lunch period 
• Students may only unmask if actively eating or drinking
  • If unmasked, students must be at least six feet apart
  • Students may only be unmasked for a cumulative total of 15 mins
• Masked students must be at least three feet apart

---

FROM LAUREN HOUSLET: Support with Collaborative Problem Solving- I have just finished the tier 1 CPS class. Now what I need to do is put what I have learned into practice. The admin team is generously allowing me to participate in some of our disciplinary conversations. Since I will be volunteering some time during my prep period to engage in this work you may see me as the responder on SST Follow Up Response forms. If you have a difficult situation with a student where a plan B conversation and/or plan would be appropriate, it would really help me if you allowed me to participate. I would love to put what I have learned into action and build my skills as well as be a support to you. Thanks for considering!

---

RELIGION AND HOLIDAY SEASON:  If you are planning on doing anything winter/holiday related, please use this document from Kinsey Martin to aid in your planning to ensure respect for the religions, beliefs, and customs practiced by all members of our diverse community.

---

LEAD RESOURCE:  Check out the BLS LEAD cohort website.  

---

COMMITTEE INTEREST FORM:  From BLS Director of Social, Emotional and Mental Well-being, Jennifer Hauth:  Are you currently using social emotional learning (SEL) curriculum or strategies in your classroom or school building? Please take a moment to apply to be on our SEL steering committee by Friday, December 3rd. We are looking for certified, classified and administrators to serve on the team. Student and family input will be part of the process as well. We will meet monthly beginning in mid-December.

SEL Steering Committee Survey

---

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EAP) Our School District offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to help staff navigate life stressors and/or manage life changing events.  The EAP program is administered by Reliant Behavioral Health (RBH).  The services they offer at no cost to Bend La-Pine School district staff members (minus substitute teachers) are outlined below. 

Portal link: https://portal.bend.k12.or.us/employee-info/content/employee-assistance-program

Portal content:

Bend-La Pine School employees have access to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and Work-Life Services through Uprise Health. This benefit is free and extends to anyone living in the employees home. The following support services are available:

• 24-hour crisis support
• Confidential counseling
• Work-life services, including finance and legal services
• 24-hour on-demand emotional wellness support
• Peer support groups
• Digital mental health services
• Call: 800-395-1616
• User access code: OEBB

---

Reminders:

COUNSELING REFERRAL FORM:  High Desert staff can share concerns about students with the HDMS counselors face-to-face, via phone or email, or by filling out this Counseling Referral Form.  Counseling referrals with immediate concern about safety to self or others should be directed to all counselors to ensure timely intervention.  Threats to students or the school should always be directed to administration.

---

FROM THE SAFETY TEAM:  If you didn’t get a chance to review the HDMS safety procedures with your 5th period class before the fire drill this past Tuesday, please do so on Monday or Tuesday the week after break using THIS SLIDE SHOW.

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“None of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things, with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.” – Mother Teresa

---

To Dos:

FROM THE SAFETY TEAM:  The next fire drill will be Tuesday, November 16th during the beginning of 7th period middle of 5th period (approx 2:05pm).  Before the fire drill, please review safety procedures with your 7th period class using this slideshow. 

As was shared at 9/28’s staff meeting, the language around our safety protocols has recently been updated. Here is a link to the updated HDMS emergency procedures. Please replace the old version with the updated version in your sub notebook. We will be distributing new posters with the new terms very soon. Here is a digital copy of the SRP posters (English, Spanish).

Having up-to-date class rosters is very important for guest teachers and in the case of an emergency. It is also best practice to have an up-to-date copy of your class lists with your red/green emergency cards to help with taking attendance during an emergency. With the beginning of a new quarter, this is a good time to make sure you have updated your class lists in your sub folder and to attach a copy to your red and green safety cards.

---

FULL SRP TRAINING:  The district now needs to provide the full one-hour Standard Response Protocols (SRPs) training to new employees and any staff that may have missed the full training this fall, or anyone that just wants the full training as a refresher. 

As a reminder, the updated SRPs are: Lockout, Secure, Evacuate, Shelter, and Hold.

Any new hires since January 2021 need to attend one of the training dates below, between now and May 2022. These training dates are in PD Place on the portal for sign-up and they will receive one hour of professional development for attending.  

All new hires (as of January 2021) need to sign up for one of the following trainings:

WHEN:  Choose one of the following dates:  12/8, 1/12, 2/9, 3/9, 4/6, 5/11
WHEN:  3:00-4:00, one hour in-person
WHERE:  Ed Center room 314

---

UNDERSTANDING EQUITY pt. 1 EXIT TICKET:  Please provide feedback on the info shared in last Tuesday’s staff meeting by completing this quick exit ticket survey.  Your feedback will help Amber from the HDESD plan for part two, which will be shared at our next staff meeting on 11.30.21.  For your reference, here is the slide deck Amber presented.  

---

CIVIL RIGHTS TRAINING FOLLOW UP:  For your reference, here is the Civil Rights Training slideshow Kinsey Martin and Steve Herron shared with us on 10/26.  (*note: slides 25-29 contain images that may be disturbing).

Through our Excellence and Equity listening sessions in 2019, we gathered incredibly valuable information about our students and families: who they are, and what their experience is like in our district.  However, we don’t have this same level of information on one key district group: our employees.  We care deeply about who you are and what it’s like for you to work in our organization.  Getting a better sense of this will help us ensure our staff have the same civil rights’ protections as our students and families, and that we have supports in place for you.  You are invited to share your identity, experiences, and perspective with us via this brief survey (please complete no later than 11/19).   

The survey: 

• is entirely anonymous; 
• will take less than 10 minutes;  
• is intended for all Bend-La Pine employees (certified, classified, administrative, and confidential); and  
• will only be used to gather district-wide trends about our workforce and to identify areas we can better support our most valued resource: you!   

---

Bits and Bobs:

CO- AND EXTRA-CURRICULAR EVENT DETAILS:  Click here for details and two forms from Julianne Repman and the district office re: requesting approval for any extracurricular or co-curricular event tied to school curriculum or OSAA athletics’ gatherings (not to include games and practices) for students in grades 6-12, such as: Choir, Orchestra, Band, Theater, Speech and Debate, Culinary, FFA, VICA, DECA, parent athletics orientation nights, end of season awards events, or similar.  These forms will be required for any event taking place after Friday, Nov. 5.

---

FROM BLS HR pt. 1:  

• Staff remain obligated to wear a well-fitting, appropriate mask or face covering when at district sites, unless they are actively eating (and distanced from others) or in a private, fully enclosed workspace.
• All district staff are required to report illness to their supervisor, particularly COVID-19 primary symptoms, exposure, a positive test result, or a directive to quarantine or isolate.
• Click here for more in-depth information and the planned response for non-compliance from Chief Human Resources Officer Steve Herron. 

---

FROM BLS HR pt. 2: Over the past 12 months, HR has welcomed several new confidential staff members, supervisors and directors.  To provide better service, we’ve also shifted some roles/responsibilities within our department.  To assist you and your staff in knowing how to best direct your HR questions, we’ve created HR email groups so that you no longer need to remember the individual(s) responsible for a specific task and can easily connect with the most appropriate HR department.  

In your email “To” cell, if you begin to type “hr-” and select the search directory, then you’ll see the list of possible HR email groups.  We’ve created a HR reference google doc to capture the new email groups, the tasks/responsibilities within each department, staff members’ names and their phone extensions.  If you ‘Star’ it within google drive or bookmark the page, you’ll have it for easy reference.  This is a live document, and we’ll update it regularly.

---

Reminders:

ADVISORY:  Please continue to follow the advisory scope and sequence (spreadsheet linked in the “hot links”) ensuring that you are leading your students through the “must-do” content and activities.  At HDMS, advisory is an important component of how we’re educating the “whole student” by providing all HDMS students with robust content, social-emotional learning, and creating a sense of community and belonging.  Thanks to Lynne’s leadership and the team’s hard work in creating and compiling the advisory activities.  
Please provide feedback to the advisory team by completing this survey by Wednesday (11/17).  And, as always, the team welcomes your input and contributions to the advisory planning.  Consider joining the next team meeting: Monday (11/29) at 8:30am in the Media Center.

---

INTERPRETING/TRANSLATING: Please continue to use Linguist Link for all your translation (written) and interpreting (spoken) needs.  For further training on using this resource, click here.  The site is linked in the hot links section of the blog and has three options:

1. Document translation
2. Scheduling an interpreter
3. Urgent, on-call interpreting (follow these directions; the district point person is Donna Connet) 

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.  ~Dolly Parton

---

To Dos:

SAFE SCHOOLS:  We used to have December 31 as our date to finish Safe Schools (aka Vector) training.  The new date is October 31.  If you have not completed this training, please do so ASAP. 

---

COMMUNICATION:  Please continue to regularly check the blog and the HDMS calendar linked on it for all things HDMS.  This continues to be our main source of communication and is designed to save staff time by avoiding frivolous meetings and clogged inboxes.

---

Bits and Bobs:

EVALUATION & SLGG REQUIREMENT UPDATES:  From the district office:  Below is the final revision of the requirements for mini observations as well as a few highlights.  

• Here is the link to the Certified Evaluation Update
• Both the number of observations and the evaluation domains and standards have been adjusted. Note that for certified staff “of concern,” administrators can use additional domains and standards, with proper notification to employees.

---

FROM THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT:  

Needs assessment: Here is the counseling data collected from our counseling needs assessment. Please take a look at how our student body as a whole is feeling in different areas such as academics, socially, and emotionally. You may also take a peek at some of the ways the counseling department uses these results. We are continuously trying to refine our practice to serve the needs of all our students, thank you for your continued support. 

Accessing counselors: The counseling department has worked to put together documents to streamline access to grade-level counselors for staff, students, and families.  Here is the detailed document for how to access the counseling department, please pay EXTRA ATTENTION to the section for staff below:

---

DONUTS & DEMOS IN THE DEN:  Would you like to learn a regulation technique or two that you can teach your students? Would you like a donut too? Well of course you do! Come visit us in the Den on Wednesday 10th at 8:15. We will have treats and coffee while we lead you in a couple of strategies that you could utilize to support your students.

---

Reminders:

STAFF MEETINGS:  For the time being, staff meetings/PDs will take place in Kennedy’s WebEx room.  Our next staff meeting will be Tuesday (11/9) at 8:30am; at this meeting will be hosting the HDESD Culture of Care team who will be presenting “Understanding Equity pt. 1.” 

---

High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

Plant more seeds of positivity in your life. You will be so surprised just how fast your bounty of blessings will start to grow. Period. ~ Oprah

---

To Dos:

GRADING:  Gina will be sending out an email later today with details on the grading window, how to post comments and HDMS grading procedures. Consider using the work time this week to get ready to post grades.

---

AVID UPDATE:  This year is the first that HDMS has established AVID Classes at all three grade levels.  With our Sixth Grade Wheel course, Martin is helping to set the foundation for the future Elective classes with all sixth graders, as well as taking the next step with the AVID 7 elective.  As we look forward, developing our Systems and a Culture around the AVID philosophy and structures have already begun. We are looking for ways that we can continue this work, and elevate our rigor and expectations so that all students, whether they are part of the Elective or not, gain the skills and mindset for success at the next levels.  In taking the pulse of our building to see where we are in our AVID journey, and where we would like  to continue with effective, meaningful PD and staff involvement please complete the survey below.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdQ2bCRQYmGdBW-Dxl96laNAfEaJeMF06QtvISECwmQ4qFtCw/viewform?usp=sf_link

---

Bits and Bobs:

DEN UPDATE:  The purpose of this document is to communicate how to support students that need SEL and regulation structure to function at a higher capacity in the classroom. The link outlines the procedure for providing students access to the Den.

---

ADVISORY: If parents have questions, concerns or interest in talking about our advisory curriculum please assure them that it is research based and they are welcome to reach out to HDMS admin team for further discussion.

---

Reminders:

CIVIL RIGHTS TRAINING:  I am waiting on the slide deck shared by Kinsey from our Tuesday meeting. Once I have it I will pass it along. Below are resources shared last year that are good reminders for us all to consider and embed in our practice: 

• This document during 5.26.21 staff meeting shared by Tat, McCabe, Goemaat 

This document on 4.1.21’s blog, with an optional follow up Webex hosted by Amber for open conversation on 4.7.21.

---

High Desert Highlights: