Quote to consider:

“Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”  ~Anne Lamott

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To Dos:

VIRTUAL SPRING CONFERENCES: HDMS Spring conferences will be held virtually this year and will consist of four components: teacher introduction video, take home conference, conferences by invitation, and optional conference sign up.  Click here for details, to-dos, and resources on each of these components.

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DISTRICT MS ALIGNMENT TEAM:  Dean Richards is putting together a team of teachers to work on spring and next school year “power standards.”  This work will focus on content and key skills over task completion.  The goal of this team is to align MS content teams across the district to focus on similar standards and skills this spring and next school year knowing that there has been so much lost instructional time and content covered due to the pandemic.  This will also ensure that content covered in summer school this summer (and next?) is aligned with content emphasized this spring and next school year.    

He is looking for one teacher from each middle school in each four core subjects (SS, math, lang. arts, science).  This person will serve as a member of this district team and as a liaison to/from it to their content PLC at HDMS.  Please discuss with your content team which teacher would like to be a part of this district team and let Nole know via email by March 30th.  Staff members on this team will be compensated for their time.  

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS: The HDMS calendar linked on the blog has been updated with the remaining SIW schedule through the end of the year.  We will share in blog posts (and update the calendar) if this SIW schedule changes in the future.  Thanks for routinely referring back to this calendar and aligning it with your own calendar.  

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SPRING BREAK GREEN TEAM PROCEDURES:  Please review this document and follow the procedures listed within ahead of spring break. 

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EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION NOMINATIONS:  Fill out this nomination form to nominate a certified and/or classified staff person for this year’s Excellence in Education program and submit it (hardcopy or via email) to Nole by March 30th. 

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Bits and Bobs:

SUMMER SCHOOL STAFFING UPDATE:  Here is the link to the *updated* summer learning MS staff survey.  This includes two updates from what has been previously shared:

• The deadline for submitting is Friday, April 2 (instead of Monday, March 29)
• One question has been added to the end, asking for interested staff to indicate what weeks they would be available to work (instead of only asking about availability for Aug. 2 – 19)

If you have already filled out this survey, you do not need to complete it again. Instead, please  indicate your name and answer to the last question (which weeks you are available) in this document. 

The district has shared that they need more folks to be interested in order to invite the number of students they are aiming to serve over the summer.  This is a great opportunity for our students district-wide!!  

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ADVISORY INFO DURING GREY WEEKS:  Continue to review advisory information posted in Canvas with your students in fourth period during grey weeks.  

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DISTRICT GRADING PD: At the end of our professional development conversation with Doug Reeves Wednesday, he described the opportunity to participate in a problem of practice series this spring.

If you are interested in joining Doug Reeves and his team at Creative-Leadership-Solutions as you work on a challenge, define a problem of practice, and test out interventions and ideas as you create an action research project, then sign up for the OSU-Cascades class.  It is a 2-credit class that is offered in Spring 2021 (see the syllabus for dates and course requirements).  Registration is currently open but will close on March 31st.  

To register for the class, complete the registration and application form and upload them to this google folder.  If you have attended a BLS-OSU Cascades class in the last 12 months, then you do not need to complete the application form.  There is an initial $35 application fee which will be billed by OSU-C once they receive your application.

Additionally, we will compensate teachers for the five after school sessions (including May) and the time to prep for the May share out. If you have any questions, please contact Michele Oakes.

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RESPONSE TO COVID POSITIVE:  Click here to review the general, chronological overview of the process the district nursing team and administration engages in whenever there is a COVID positive at our school. 

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ELECTRONIC CONFIDENTIALITY:  Please use BLSend whenever you are sharing student information electronically.  If information needs to be shared that includes more than one piece of student information (name, assessment results(s), other identifiable info) then this should not be sent via regular email (Outlook) – but rather BLSend.

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Reminders:

TITLE VI: If there is an incident at your school related to race, ethnicity, national origin, or native language, please immediately refer the incident to the school’s administration.  They will partner with the Title VI coordinator with the aim to respond swiftly and appropriately and to help us understand the experiences of our stakeholders, track what is happening in our schools, and develop proactive systematic responses.  Staff may choose to contact the Title VI coordinator (x1026) themselves in addition to referring the incident to the school’s administration.

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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.

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds of despair, and when our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, let us remember that there is a creative force in this universe, working to pull down the gigantic mountains of evil, a power that is able to make a way out of no way and transform dark yesterdays into bright tomorrows.” 
~ Martin Luther King Jr.

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To Dos:

SUPPORT:  For many staff, myself included, it has been a heavy week.  Please practice self-care and know that there are supports available for staff.  In addition to our counselors being willing and available to process with any staff that need it, our district has an Employee Assistance Program that you could consider accessing. 

Resources and how to access our school counselors will be shared again in Friday’s family communication and shared to students during Monday and Tuesday advisory lessons.

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MARCH FIRE DRILLS: Please mark your calendars for our March fire drills: 3/18 (cohort A) and 3/19 (cohort B).  Both drills will take place during the last half of advisory.

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FORECASTING: Students will be forecasting in their advisory classes next week. PLEASE ENSURE that you are using the Advisory modules set up for you in Canvas by the ICCL team for this activity (and beyond) as this is our current mode of schoolwide communication with students.

Current 6th and 8th graders will go through forecasting activities Monday and Tuesday. Current 7th graders (and 8th graders who need to finish the process) will forecast on Thursday and Friday. Inside the Advisory Canvas module there will be a specific grade level link that staff will click on to open the appropriate slideshow with step by step directions of what to do. Although students will also have access to this link, please go through this together as a class to ensure that all students are forecasting appropriately.

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Bits and Bobs:

RSSL UPDATE COMING: As you may have heard, ODE’s RSSL document is scheduled to be updated on 3/19, and this update will likely bring more changes for our schools.  District folks are anticipating what these changes may be and are working on details for how we might adjust to fit these new guidelines.  If these changes allow us to bring more students back into the building, the district is interested in doing so as soon as possible.  

Regardless of what, if anything, changes with this update, know that we will get through it together and remain focused on serving our students and families.

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ELL UPDATE:  Highlight from the most recent ELL Department newsletter:

Returning to In-Person: How to Support Multilingual Students 
Focus on building on to strengths and assets, rather than compensating for deficiencies or barriers. During CDL, some ELL students do not appear to connect, participate, submit work, and/or master the skills being taught. 

Here is what some of our ELL students are doing, though: 

• Babysit or tutor younger family members (Leadership and educator experience) 
• Caretaker for a family member with an illness or disability (Science and healthcare connections) 
• Hold a full- or part-time job, or support a parent’s job (Finance management, career-technical skills) 
• Cook meals, complete household chores (Measurement, chemistry, native language development)

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NUTRITION STAFF UPDATE:  Debbie will be serving at Buckingham for the remainder of this school year with the plan that she’ll return to HDMS in the fall.  Please join me in welcoming Jamie to the HDMS nutrition team!  (We are so grateful for ALL our amazing nutrition staff, including Flo and Shelby, for their hard work and flexibility in serving our students during hybrid).

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CDC V. RSSL GUIDELINES UPDATE:  Please click here for a message from the district on expectations for schools when the CDC releases guidance that may not directly align with ODE’s RSSL guidelines.  Bottom line: we will not change any practices within our school without first receiving communication from the district.

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TEACHER CANDIDATE OPPORTUNITY: OSU Cascades is once again looking for Cooperating Teachers for their incoming cohorts for 2021-2022.  Please email Wendy, Nole, and Heather if you are interested in hosting a teacher candidate next school year.

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EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION:  The district will be reinstating the Excellence in Education program.  Each school has the opportunity to recognize two exceptional staff members- one certified and one classified staff.  Be thinking about who you might nominate ahead of the district officially rolling out this process to schools.

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Reminders:

QUARTER CELEBRATION:  As you know, we are going forward with this purple/grey week calendar which will include school-wide quarter celebration days and classroom conference prep time on April 12, 13, 14.  A team of staff will be having a planning meeting on Friday 3/12 at 8:30 in T3; feel free to join if you are interested.  Please connect with Lynne Tat with questions. 

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DIAMONDBUCKS:  Please continue to utilize our new COVID-friendly Diamondbucks to reinforce positive student behaviors whenever you catch students doing the right thing in the halls, classroom, etc. 

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SUMMER SCHOOL STAFFING:  Here is a link to a very short survey for the district to gather feedback by Monday, March 29 on staff interested in working this summer.  Because we do not know yet all of the structure of this summer programming, we are interested in hearing what interest there is from all staff.  We only want staff who are interested in working at summer school (Aug. 2 – 19) to complete this survey.  

This opportunity is for both certified and classified staff. 

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PHOTO/VIDEO SHARING: From the district: “When sharing photos or videos of students – whether on social media, newsletter to families, video montage, etc. – be sure to follow our guidelines for Social Media Best Practices. We are continuing to see a few photos of students or staff without masks pop up. Even if the photo is taken during a time, such as lunch, when masks may not be required, please do not share those photos. If you have questions, reach out to Alandra – [email protected].”

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RELEASE TIME ADJUSTMENT: Adjust the end of the day staggered release times to: 4:06 (6th grade), 4:08 (7th grade), and 4:10 (8th grade).  Please support students in quickly and safely exiting the building by being in the halls after you release your students at the end of the day.

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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 our first week’s survey.

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“Let us remember: one book, one pen, one child, and one teacher can change the world.”
—Malala Yousafzai

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To Dos:

OBSERVATIONS:  Please complete this brief pre-observation survey by 3/12 to help guide our classroom observations and follow up conversations.  As you know, the goal of High Desert’s observation process is to partner together to support teacher growth and reflection.  

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PBIS: Diamondbucks are back! We have developed a covid friendly method for Diamondbucks. On the staff side they are the same. When you see a student doing the right thing, you will hand them a Diamondbuck. Super simple! The new and improved Diamondbuck has a QR code and a unique id number. The students can then scan the QR code and enter their Diamondbuck into a form. Their Diamondbucks will be tracked via a spreadsheet on the back end. We will then use their entries for drawings. Coming soon, we will also be hosting a virtual PBIS store!

Advisors, you will find a starter set of Diamondbucks in your mailbox. We would like you to hand one to each student in your advisory on Monday and Tuesday. Please, then give the students time to use the QR code and try the new form out.

Reach out to your PBIS team if you have any questions.

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SAFETY TEAM REQUESTS:  

• Please adjust the end of the day staggered release times to: 4:06 (6th grade), 4:08 (7th grade), and 4:10 (8th grade)
• 6th and 7th grade teachers: considering the staggered release times, please support students in quickly and safely exiting the building by being in the halls after you release your students at the end of the day.
• To promote student distancing during passing periods, please remember to be in the halls per our duty schedule and whenever else possible within your schedule 
• Please don’t send students to office/media center without connecting ahead of time with that staff person 

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CLASSIFIED STAFF:  Please join me in passing along a HUGE thank you to all of our classified staff at HDMS!  We know that our classified staff are often the unsung heroes who serve as the backbone of our public education system by supporting the smooth operation of our offices and resources, the safety and maintenance of our building and property, and healthy nutrition for our students.  (And thanks to the Culture of Care team for their efforts in setting up our thank yous to our classified staff during classified school employees week.)

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Bits and Bobs:

LEAD TEAM RESOURCE:  HDMS is lucky to have two teachers on the district’s LEAD team!  We are excited to share this video Julie created for teachers to see an example of the work LEAD is doing.  In the video, Julie shares the set up for her lesson, resources she used, and what she learned and would change from her experience.  We are inspired by Julie and the LEAD team’s work!!  Please connect with her with questions/discussions on how you might use this example as a launching point in your classroom. 

As you know, equity is a core value that drives all our work at HDMS.  We’ve shared it before, but here again is HDMS’s equity statement for your reference. 

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EQUITY & RACE DISCUSSIONS:  Dr. Lisa Birk (principal at Pacific Crest) has been hosting book clubs over the course of the last several months around the topics of equity and race. Lisa has shared her new opportunity to connect, discuss, and challenge one another … and I’m passing it along to you if you are interested in participating:The focus of our next two months together will be Oregon History as it relates to the topics of Equity and Race. We will be meeting every two weeks on Thursday evenings at 6 pm in Lisa’s WebEx room. The meeting lasts from 6-7. Each time we meet, we will talk about a passage, video, article, podcast, etc. that is identified the time before. Our meeting dates are 3/4, 3/18, 4/1, 4/15, and 4/29.  If interested, please sign-up using this link.

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WEB CONNECTIONS:  Throughout our CDL experience and our current hybrid model, the WEB team has found unique ways to connect WEB leaders and 6th graders!!

We have 3 connections planned:

6TH GRADE ADVISORS, PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

Wednesdays, March 17th, April 28th, and May 26th. 

On the above dates, WEB leaders will join your Advisory Webex class and lead a lesson that will establish connection and be super fun!  The leaders will know exactly what to do. All we ask is that you accept them into your Webex, and provide breakout rooms for their groups. All the group information will be shared to you by one of the WEB coordinators. 

Thank you so much for your continued support of our HDMS WEB program!

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IPAD CHECK-IN:  Jill will be dropping into your advisory classes during the next two purple weeks to do a quick check-in with students’ iPads.  She will look over the iPad, ask the student about their functionality, and then scan the barcode.  She is thinking this will take about 5-10 mins per advisory class.  Thanks for your flexibility in supporting Jill on this task. 

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OUT OF STATE TRAVEL UPDATE: Quarantine recommendations do not apply to individuals arriving to Oregon from other states or countries or Oregon residents returning from other states or countries if:

They have received both doses of a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine (or one dose of a single-dose vaccine if it becomes available), AND it has been at least 14 days since their final dose of COVID-19 vaccine, AND they have no COVID-19 symptoms. Individuals should still monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms during the 14 days after travel and, if symptoms develop, they should self-isolate and seek testing. Here is the full document from OHA.

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STATE TESTING: The federal “Education Department said Monday that it will not allow states to forgo federally required standardized testing in schools this year but will give them flexibility to delay testing or hold it online during the pandemic.” Read more in this AP article. We do not know – yet – what this means for Oregon (who had previously communicated that we would be pausing on state assessments this year), but we are sure to hear more about this as things begin to become unraveled.

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HDMS ADMIN INTERNS: Many of you have already met Christina Kennedy (Lava Ridge) and Jessica Scott (Elk Meadow), both of whom continue to serve as admin interns at HDMS for their secondary site.  You may see them drop in to some WebEx meetings (eg: staff meetings, EBISS, safety team, etc.) and joining us on campus from time to time.  Thanks in advance for welcoming them and showing off all the great things happening at HDMS.

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SUPPORTING SECONDARY INSTRUCTION:  This week’s blog post continues the conversation about setting up great lessons from the start. Having really clear success criteria from the beginning of the lesson increases student engagement and success.  When students know what success looks like they are more likely to achieve it!

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Reminders:

ATTENDANCE INFO IN SYNERGY:  Click here for details on health information in TeacherVue and click here for details on student absence codes.

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SUB INFO & IDEAS:  Thanks to the ICCL team for creating this resource to support teachers with different ideas and approaches when you have a sub during hybrid.  Please see an ICCL with questions. 

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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 our first week’s survey.  (Thanks to Maria for her effort and hard work on this project).

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us.” – Susan L. Taylor

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To Dos:

CANVAS/SYNERGY SYNC:  It is expected that staff will sync grades from Canvas to Synergy at the end of each two week rotation.  Please consider syncing even more often (as it makes sense for your classes) as parents are still primarily using ParentVue to check grades.

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LOSS OF PREP PAY:  As you know, there is a region-wide substitute shortage.  Whenever staff are going to be absent, they should enter their absence into Subfinder as soon as possible (and contact Nole and/or Nurse Megan if they are ill).  The office staff will be following this flowchart for working to get teachers absences covered.  

In the event we need to cover classes internally, our final option will be to ask interested staff to cover an unfilled position on their prep; we will pay loss of prep rates to staff who agree to cover a class on their prep.  If you are willing to do so when the need arises, please sign up here.  

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Bits and Bobs:

SIWs DURING HYBRID:  We plan to have thirty minute staff meetings twice a month on Wednesdays starting at 2:45pm in Nole’s WebEx room; the first of these recurring staff meetings is scheduled for 3/3.  

On the other Wednesdays, grade level counselors will hold Kid Time meetings from 2:45-3:45pm starting with 6th grade Kid Time on 3/10 in Lynne’s WebEx room and 7th grade Kid Time on 3/17 in Amber’s WebEx room.  

To honor the MOU of two hours of SIW per month, teachers are only expected to attend a total of one hour of Kid Time meetings each month.  Teachers can look over the Kid Time agenda and prioritize their time according to which students they have in their class and which of their students are in need of the most support.

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CONFERENCES:  Mark your calendars for conferences on April 14th and 15th and note the adjusted teacher work time on these days to 8:00am-8:00pm (and Friday off).  Staff overwhelming selected option two for our conference days; click here for the details of option two. 

Conferences will be held virtually; staff may choose to do their conferences remotely on both Wednesday and Thursday.  The district is planning on sharing more information about the logistics of middle school conferences the second week of March.

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IPAD STAND ORDERING: Wendy has approved a second round of iPad stand ordering.  If you want and will use an iPad stand in your practice, please sign up here by 3/5.

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REST OF THE YEAR SCHEDULE: The end of the third quarter is April 14th.  Given the odd number of weeks for quarter rotators and the two week purple/grey schedule rotations, the ICCL and admin teams approved this plan.  

Bottom line: 
April 12-14th = purple week schedule focused on connection activities 
June 14-16th = grey week schedule focused on connections activities

Please do not communicate this schedule to students/families yet as things may change between now and then.  Please see Lynne or any ICCL if you have questions.  (Thanks to Lynne for her hard work on this!!)

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SCHOOL PICTURES: School picture days are Monday (3/1) and Tuesday (3/2) March. Pictures will be set up either in the weight room or main gym. Please click here for the schedule. We apologize in advance for the interruptions to your days.

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TRAVEL GUIDANCE:  As you know, we previously shared the CDC guidance re: returning from out of state/country travel with our families on 2/5.  If a teacher hears from a student/family that they have recently returned from out of state/country travel, please email the student’s grade level counselor, Nurse Megan, and the admin team.  The counselors will be the point people on re-sharing the CDC guidance with these families.

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SOCIAL MEDIA:  If you have, or would like to create, an HDMS social media account for your class, club, sport, etc. please email Alandra Johnson at the district office and cc the HDMS admin team.  She will provide training and best practices for creating, posting, and moderating social media accounts.  It is an expectation that all school/district affiliated social media accounts are managed by a staff member who has connected with Alandra. 

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SUPPORTING SECONDARY INSTRUCTION: Here is this week’s secondary instructional blog post, The Why of “WHY”.  The focus this week is about learning intentions.  This is the first part of a series of blog posts about the instructional practice of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. Specifically, the post speaks to the importance and power of explaining why students are being taught what they are being taught. When students are explicitly taught the application of the teaching point engagement increases.

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Reminders:

MASTER SCHEDULE:  As you know, we are planning on having similar course offerings and grade level sections as this past year.  Please fill out this form by Thursday (2/25) Friday (2/26 at 10:00am) to give your feedback on your preferred teaching assignments for next year. 

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EVALUATION/OBSERVATIONS:  Nole, Heather, and Chris Boyd will be dropping into classrooms regularly for observations; be thinking about what areas of your teaching practice you are working on as we will be using this input to guide our observations and debriefs.

If you haven’t already, please let Wendy, Heather, and Nole know by March 4th when your content team regularly meets as we plan to periodically join some of these meetings to complete one of staff members’ mini-observations during this time.  

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WEBEX LINK IN CANVAS: If you haven’t already, please add a link to your WebEx room to your homepage in Canvas in your new semester shells.

Video: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Jmj1zVPGhsjKREDuh2LymLawOheBrQrd/view?usp=sharing

Click the link for button options one, two, three, four, and five provided by our Canvas Coaches.

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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 our first week’s survey.  (Thanks to Maria for her effort and hard work on this project). 

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

Quote: “You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.” –Rosa Parks

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To Dos:

EVALUATIONS AND OBSERVATIONS: We are going to be starting the staff evaluation and observation process next week.  Click here for details.  

Please let Wendy, Heather, and Nole know when your content team regularly meets as we plan to periodically join some of these meetings to complete one of staff members’ mini-observations during this time. 

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MASTER SCHEDULE:  We are beginning to build the master schedule for next year.  We are planning on having similar course offerings and grade level sections as this past year.  Please fill out this form by Thursday (2/25) to give your feedback on your preferred teaching assignments for next year. 

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GREY WEEK’S LUNCH SURVEY: The grey week lunch order survey will be available to students in the Advisory modules for Monday and Tuesday. Please take time at the beginning of 4th period on both Monday and Tuesday to have students complete this survey.

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Bits and Bobs:

ICCL LIAISONS: The ICCL team has created new liaison groups for certified staff.  These groups will be used primarily to disseminate info both to and from staff to the leadership team.  

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SUB NOTEBOOKS:  Hybrid learning has brought with it many new safety protocols. In addition to our normal procedures, it is essential that guest teachers have easy access to these protocols. Here is the new Sub Notebook Checklist; the new hybrid changes have been highlighted. 

Here are links to the HDMS – Hybrid Specific Guidelines for Guest Teachers, the Hybrid Protocols Template (for individual rooms), and an example of a completed Hybrid Protocols sheet. As you look these over, if you think of something that should be added or could be improved, please send your suggestions to Lauren or any of the ICCL team.  More information on sub notebooks and guidance for sub plans will be provided in next week’s blog.  (Thanks to Lauren for her effort and hard work on this project).  

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WING SAFETY OVERVIEW: Each wing’s safety point person (still looking for an ELA volunteer) will meet with Koop early next week and review the updated evacuation protocols.  These point people are then tasked with bringing this info back to their colleagues in their wing to ensure that everyone has the most updated info.  Keep in mind that all safety team info and documents are linked on the right hand side of the blog.  (Thanks to Koop for his effort and hard work on this project).  

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SUPPORTING SECONDARY INSTRUCTION: Here is this week’s blog post; the focus is structuring breakout rooms during Wednesday meetings when both cohorts are together.

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Reminders:

HALLWAY DUTIES:  With the switch to grey weeks, our teacher hallway duty prior to prep period assignments are changing to staff with prep periods 4-7.  Please be a positive presence in the halls (after dismissing your students) during the passing period.  

Also, please note, this will be the first time many students (especially our sixth graders) will be going to their 4th-7th periods, so we will likely need to support students finding these classes.     

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FIRE DRILLS:  Our first hybrid fire drills are February 25th and 26th during 7th period.  

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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 our first week’s survey.  (Thanks to Maria for her effort and hard work on this project).  

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SPANISH INTERPRETER: Please consider signing up for a timeslot for upcoming Wednesday from 1:30-2:30pm (note shortened time slots) 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.

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High Desert Highlights:

Thanks to the HDMS Culture of Care team for the door decorations!!

Quote to consider:

“There are opportunities even in the most difficult moments.” ― Wangari Maathai

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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

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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.

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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. 

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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!

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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. 

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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.  

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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.

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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.  

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.  

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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.  

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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.

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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. 

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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

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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.

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” —Maya Angelou

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To Dos:

CDL ON FRIDAY: As you know, Friday this week will be a CDL day for students following the Wednesday WebEx schedule.  Remote classes this day will only be for cohort B (last name L-Z) students [unlike Wednesday’s WebEx classes which will be combined A and B cohorts].  Please communicate this adjustment to your students on Tuesday in all classes.

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LIVE SUPPORT: Assuming a limited number of students will be attending “live support” sessions this week, please use this time as thoughtful outreach to students and families that may need to access it in the future.  Additionally, due timing overlap, live support session will not take place on Friday. 

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Bits and Bobs:

STAFF ABSENCE:  For any staff absence during student contact time, please enter your substitute request as in the past.  The office staff and admin will follow this flowchart when working to fill your absence.  Remember to let Nole and/or Nurse Megan if any absence is illness related. 

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BLS LIBRARY RESOURCE:  As you know, February is Black History Month. Check out this blog post regarding some highlighted Black authors and recommended videos that could be used for instruction this (or any) month. 

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FAQ:  Here are some questions regarding quarantining that the Sky View team asked and Paul Dean and Tami Pike responded to:

• If there is a positive case in a school, all families are given notification?
  • All families and staff are notified (see last week’s HDMS family communication for an example). 
• Only students/staff who were close contacts of the positive case subject will need to quarantine?
  • YES 
• Only students/staff who were close contacts of the positive case subject will be notified that they shared a space/class/etc. with the close contact?
  • YES
• Close contacts are those within 6 ft. for 15+ minutes total in a day? 
  • YES, in most instances. If a staff person or student is unsure about whether or not they meet the close contact criteria, more than likely quarantine will be warranted. The contact tracing team will determine. 
• Staff should not fill out entire class lists as close contacts just because they have them for 65 minutes. 
  • Correct

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RAPID TESTING: The latest RSSL updates requires schools to have the capacity to offer rapid COVID-19 tests (BiomaxNOW) available to symptomatic students/staff by March 1.  Here is the district’s rollout timing:

• Week of Feb 1 and 8: District personnel attend OHA trainings and develop district and school based protocols
• Week of February 16:  Information sessions for school personnel; BiomaxNOW registration and testing kiit ordered by each school.
• Week of February 22: Final site coordinator and testing facilitator Q&A
• Week of March 1: Testing available for symptomatic students/staff at each school site

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Reminders:

HYBRID DUTY SCHEDULE: Please plan to be in your hallway duty location during the passing period prior to your prep period each day; the duty schedule has been added to the hot links on the right hand side of the blog. 

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SPANISH INTERPRETER: Consider signing up for a timeslot for this Wednesday from 1:30-4:00pm to make connections with our Spanish speaking families. These connections can be setup ahead of time and/or cold calls. Use the link on the sidebar of the blog to sign up by Tuesday at 9:00am.

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STAFF MEETING: Mark your calendars for our next staff meeting: 8:45am on Thursday (2/11) in Kennedy’s WebEx room.

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“There is light in darkness, you just have to find it.” ― bell hooks

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To Dos:

STAFF MEETING: Mark your calendars for our next staff meeting: 8:45am on Thursday (2/11) in Kennedy’s WebEx room.

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CANVAS TASK: In order to clean up year-long classes for students, teachers can unpublish Semester One Modules on Friday afternoon after grades are posted and finalized.  The grades won’t be affected, but students will no longer be able to see the modules or access assignments. Connect with your Canvas coach for more questions.

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ADVISORY/CHARACTER STRONG INFO: Here are the two slides shared in the staff meeting regarding advisory, the Character Strong curriculum, and implementation plan.  For this Monday, consider using the “live support” block from 9:45-10:25am on Monday morning to reach out to your asynchronous advisory kids and give them direction on what to do for the day.

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TECH TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES: Consider attending a tech training in the media center (or maybe cafe depending on turn out) on 2/9 and/or 2/16 at 9:00am for details on HDMS standard classroom technology (eg: ceiling mounted projectors, Apple TVs).

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COACHING: Consider supporting HDMS track this season as a coach! We have two coaching openings and are in need of folks who like to be outside, support students and build community. Please see the job postings on the district webpage and apply through Frontline. See Glen Hill for details or to be talked into this awesome opportunity to connect with students outside of the classroom!

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ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR: If you are interested in supporting HDMS with the creation and publishing of HDMS Hype, a student blog, and any other fun, unique ways to support our HDMS students stay connected as a community, please see the job posting on the district webpage and apply through Frontline.

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Bits and Bobs:

GUIDANCE FOR ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING: Here is a document created by Dean Richards and a group of secondary teachers to support best practices for asynchronous learning during hybrid.  This document covers many items staff have had questions about re: how to best support students during their “off” days of hybrid as well as Wednesdays.  Please read it carefully and connect with an ICCL if you have further questions. 

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STAFF DUTIES: Please plan on being in the halls the five minute passing period prior to your prep period.  Staff can follow their students out of their classroom and into the halls to help support safe passing periods.  Here is the duty schedule (as it stands now).  There may be adjustments along the way and grey weeks are not yet finalized. 

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MASK GUIDANCE: See this document for info re: properly storing masks and see this document for info how to put on/take off an KN95 mask.

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COVID RSSL/BLS PRACTICES: See this document from the district regarding a variety of COVID related updates.

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CDC TRAVEL RECOMMENDATIONS: The information found on this document re: CDC quarantine recommendations if traveling is pertinent to staff and students/families. We will be including this info in our weekly family communication.

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BUILDING CHECK OUT UPDATE: Firstly, this is another reminder to check in/check out daily using the QR codes or the hot links on the sidebar of the blog. Secondly, we’ve added a question about staff close contact (less than 6 feet away for 15 mins or more) with students to our check out survey.  As always, it is our hope that staff will not have any close contacts each day. 

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SAFETY TEAM: The HDMS safety team continues to meet regularly, although the team has changed their weekly meeting time to Wednesdays at 9am in Kennedy’s WebEx room.  All staff are always welcome to join!  Here are the notes for the team’s most recent meeting; as always, the meeting notes are available via the hot links on the right hand side of the blog and posted regularly on the safety bulletin board just inside the main entrance. We will be diving into sub notebooks at our next meeting.

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HIPAA REMINDER: Do not discuss other people’s health status with one another.  If you learn of a student/family that may have tested positive/close contact, please inform Nurse Megan.  If you as a staff person are feeling ill, you must contact Nole and/or Nurse Megan to report this absence. 

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SECONDARY INSTRUCTION BLOG: Last week, the blog focused on the unique needs of students entering classrooms for the first time in many, many months.

This week, we’re focusing on teachers.  We’re recognizing that all of the school’s staff have been through experiences that are complicated, stressful, challenging, depressing.  If you have been fortunate enough not to have lost a relative during this time, you definitely know someone who has.  

We know teachers will best be able to care for our students, if they give themselves permission to recognize their own self-care needs.  This week’s blog encourages all of us to take simple actions to minimize those stressors during the workday.  

First Things’ First:  You Need to take Good Care of Yourself

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Reminders:

HYBRID INFO: The HDMS hybrid schedule has been linked in the hot links on the right hand side of the blog and will be shared with families at the end of this week. We will be printing large schedule posters we’ll switch out throughout the halls for purple and grey weeks.

During hybrid, attendance (on M, T, Th, F) will only be taken for students who physically attend class in their cohort group. All students will be pre-populated with the PV code; students expected and present in the building are changed to blank and students expected but absent from the building changed to AUv. 

Attendance will be taken on Wednesdays (PV or NPV) based on students who attend their scheduled WebEx classes.  

As you know, taking attendance regularly and accurately for in person learners will be more vital than ever if/when we need to support the nursing staff with contact tracing. Same goes for keeping detailed and consistent seating charts and small groups (if used). Please keep these hard copies on file.  

The process for students ordering breakfast, lunch, and/or supper will be a survey during advisory (link for students will be in the advisory slide) on Monday and Tuesday for the remaining days of purple weeks.  This process will repeat during 4th period of grey weeks.  Students may choose breakfast, lunch, and/or supper when completing this survey; their food order will be for the remainder of that two week block.  There is universal free breakfast, lunch, and supper for all students.  Reminder: breakfast is before school- pick up in the cafe and eat on the patio, lunch is delivered to classrooms, and grab and go supper will be provided at the bus and main exits at the end of the day. 

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STAFF MEETING DOCUMENTS:  For your reference, all staff meeting documents will henceforth be found in the “staff meeting docs” hotlink on the right hand side of the blog.  

Here is one main item we covered at recent staff meetings we’d like to resurface:
Isolation protocols/sick student:

• Ask them to move to the hall/wing
• Call 7330
• An office staff will come get them (if possible), if not, teacher may choose to send them unaccompanied (if they are able) to the main office

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CLASSROOM CLEANING PROCEDURES: After each class period, spray down used flat surfaces with two sprays of Waxie 730 (video).  At the end of the day, wipe down the desks with a charged mop from the commons; this will also be done by the lunch duty staff after lunch (video).  Please remember to daily put the used mop heads in either the used mop head bucket in your wing or in the used classroom rags bucket in the admin office by the mail slots.  

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BATHROOM/HALL PASS QR CODES:  The QR codes for students to scan to check out/check back in to your classroom (eg: bathroom) are in your box.  Other than allowing students to use the restroom one at a time, most other requests to leave the classroom should be denied unless pre-arranged with the staff expecting them. 

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COMMUNICATION: This blog continues to be the main way we communicate with staff.  To honor your time and not clog inboxes, we do our best to compile all pertinent information into each week’s blog post.  It is expected that staff read the blog carefully and refer back to it regularly; please connect with an ICCL and/or admin team member if you have questions about something on the blog or use the FAQ system.  Additionally, Gina always sends out the family communication to staff; reading over these communications can be helpful for staff to know what is being shared with families.  

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

“I’m so desperately grateful to all the professionals in the school building for adding ‘heroic hygiene’ to their jobs to get our kids into the classroom.” ~HDMS parent

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To Dos:

ORIENTATION DUTY SCHEDULE: Thanks in advance for having all hands on deck during all four orientation days. This is especially important before/after school and during passing periods. Please review carefully this schedule (scroll down for the duty schedule) and be sweeping the hallways and supporting students at the correct day/time.

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GRADES: Please review the link here to see the students who will be moving to BLPO and/or D CDL at the end of this semester. Please post their grades by Feb 2nd so that Gina can un enroll them and they can be re enrolled in their new program.

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MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

• Stand up staff meeting in cafe Monday (2/1) morning at 9:00am
• Staff meeting Thursday (2/4) at 2:30 in Kennedy’s WebEx room

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COMMUNICATION: Please continue to email Nole, Heather and Wendy for all things admin. Please begin to email all three of our office support staff; Kerri Green, Gina Samuel and Stacy Miholich as they are balancing the load of all the offices at this time.

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Bits and Bobs:

ATTENDANCE: Starting the week of February 1st-5th, attendance will only be taken for students who physically attend class in their cohort group. This will continue to be the protocol as we move into hybrid the following week. Asynchronous students are automatically marked PV (present virtually) and rarely will this be changed to NPV (not virtually present).

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ORIENTATION INFO: The Orientation slideshow will be what teachers cover with their students during classes next week. Please make a copy and edit the classroom slides for yourself.

Here is a map of the school you could consider using/printing for your students.

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CHARACTER STRONG: We are very excited to announce that HDMS has purchased the Character Strong Advisory Curriculum.  This program comes very highly recommended by current middle school teachers.  There are 35 grade level lessons, designed to be either virtual or in person, covering topics like Empathy, Healthy Habit Development, Growth Mindset, Resilience, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, Kindness, Respect, Acceptance, & more. The lessons are designed for middle school students, not too elementary and not too high school.  Each one is set up to be “plug and play” meaning little to no prep for teachers.  More information about access and optional support sessions coming soon! 

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STAFFING: A few updates:

• ICCL: Maria V. has accepted this position for the remainder of the year! Congrats!
• Curriculum Secretary: This position will close next week and we will begin with interviews shortly thereafter.
• Support EA: Interviews are set for this position for next week. Hoping to have someone in this role by Feb 8.
• Nursing Support: Bridget Dean has been hired as a Health Aid to support Nurse Megan and our office staff as we work through the increased nursing needs for the remainder of the year. Welcome to Bridget!
• Custodial: Travis has joined our custodial team and will start here at HDMS on Monday.

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Following are a few updates from Tami Pike:

Just wanted to give you all a “heads up” that with the increased number of staff set to be receiving their COVID vaccinations over the next few weeks, there will more than likely be an increased number of staff calling out sick (especially with the second dose). If individuals complain of COVID symptoms (even if it may be from the vaccine), we will still be following our exclusion guidelines for COVID symptoms (please contact Wendy/Nole or Nurse Megan). This means that a staff person could potentially be out for 10 days or be tested for COVID. If the result is negative, the employee could return to in-person work when they receive a signed Return-to-Work Form from their medical provider and symptoms have improved or resolved. 

Quarantine time has changed from 14-days to 10-days when an individual has been exposed to a positive COVID-19 case. 

Notification of a positive COVID-19 case (in a school building) will be sent out to parents and school staff within 24 hours of case confirmation. Separate communication will be sent to parents in cohorts affected by the case. Information in this communication will include quarantine instructions (if warranted).

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MEDICAL APPOINTMENT SURVEY: Please fill out this survey by the end of the day Tuesday (2/2) in regards to potential upcoming medical appointments so that we may have an idea around our upcoming coverage needs.

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NURSE MEGAN TRAINING: For your reference, here is the video of our WebEx recorded Nurse Megan training.

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MASKING UPDATE: see this document for the latest info for staff and students re: masks.  Please note that this update clarifies the following: no gators, no buffs, no bandannas (unless these items are worn over a mask meeting district requirements). No masks with a valve. 

Also, we were asked to remind staff that upon arrival on school property and stepping outside of their vehicle, a mask must be worn by all. Lastly, remember to use this flowchart to guide your next steps when you have questions/concerns about COVID-19 related matters.

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UNIVERSAL CANVAS SETTINGS DURING HYBRID: Resources. A video is coming from Elissa to support teachers who cross listed, and as always, reach out to your canvas coaches.

What: Standardizing the way our Canvas Modules look by:
1) organizing them by week
2) naming them with the color of weeks (Purple/Gray) and dates (4/8-4/12)
3) identifying assignments by using all CAPS after the assignment (AT HOME or AT SCHOOL). 

Why: Students have had enough change (as have we all) and will more successful and less stressed if they can find assignments with ease and consistency. This set up makes it very clear what week it is, and what the students need to be doing both in class and at home. This template also helps teachers organize their thinking and planning into the cohort model to which we are currently adapting. 

Support: The Canvas Coaches will be providing a Module Template in the Canvas Commons for HDMS teachers to import and then add the dates, their assignments etc. We are also providing a Weekly Overview for Semester 2, a Daily Plan for Semester 2, an Example of a Weekly Plan, Ideas for Asynchronous Instruction, and some Canvas Tips for Hybrid. We are always available to help staff with all things Canvas!

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STUDENT SAFETY: Front entry doors will remain unlocked during the school day for students/parents to enter the vestibule. The lobby doors leading into the school, will remain locked and only opened to allow students or staff to enter the school. Please help us ensure that all other exterior doors remain closed and locked unless being physically supervised by staff to allow students to enter or exit. Once the staff member leaves the exterior doorway, the door should be locked and closed.

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CLASSROOM COVID SUPPLIES: Each teacher’s box has been filled with one large hand sanitizer bottle, one box of cloth masks, and one box of 50 disposable masks.

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LEAD UPDATE: New Equity Standards:

When the state of Oregon passed House Bill 2845 a new set of ethnic studies standards became part of the social studies standards for Oregon schools, with full implementation in 2026. These new standards will add the voices and perspectives of many minority groups that have previously not been heard in our education system. 

At this time, the Oregon Department of Education is asking for teacher feedback on these standards before the standards are finalized. If you are interested and willing to review the standards, and provide feedback please follow the directions below. Anyone can participate. 

1. Click on this link to view the new ethnic studies standards. The social studies standards are in black font, and the new ethnic studies standards are in blue font. The standards are broken up by age group. You can view all grades, or just middle school. 

2. After you view the new standards, click on this survey link to give your feedback.

If you would like more information on these standards or the work behind the standards, please reach out to Julie McCabe.

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CLASSROOM TECHNOLOGY: As you know, our classrooms were updated by the tech department by ceiling mounting projectors and providing Apple TVs. When we communicated with staff this update in November, we, along with guidance from the ICCL team, also gave staff an opportunity for two additional options to the new classroom tech standard. If you signed up to use your iPad as doc cam with iPad stand, you will be receiving the iPad stand as soon as the order is delivered. There will likely be another opportunity for staff to request this additional technology in the future.

FYI: we’ve requested staff training from the tech department and training options should be coming. Thanks for your patience as the tech department is currently short staffed due to some staff leave. Jill will also be trained and can support teachers (when she’s available).

As always, the fastest, most effective way to get support from the tech department is to enter a help ticket.

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SUSTAINABILITY: From district coordinator Jackie W: Please complete the survey found here and share it throughout your school communities. If you complete the survey and add your name to the end, you will be put in a drawing for free tickets to the virtual Mountain Film Event. You can watch engaging sustainability programs from your own home! Reminder: HDMS has an opening for the school’s sustainability coordinator; this is a stipend position. Email Wendy, Nole, and Heather if you’re interested

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Reminders:

SIGN IN/SIGN OUT DAILY: In addition to the QR codes, direct links have been added to the sidebar of the blog.

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1.27.21 STAFF MEETING: For your reference, here is the slideshow we shared during our staff meeting.

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SPANISH INTERPRETER: If we continue to have no signups, we will pause our Spanish interpreter system. Consider signing up for a timeslot for this Wednesday from 1:30-4:00pm to make connections with our Spanish speaking families. These connections can be setup ahead of time and/or cold calls. Use the link on the sidebar of the blog to sign up by Tuesday at 9:00am.

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TRUTH NORTH: Remember why you chose to become an educator; let that be your truth north when the going gets tough.

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High Desert Highlights:

Quote to consider:

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. ~Martin Luther King Jr

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To Dos:

LEAVE: If you are taking leave of any kind, make sure you have reached out to Wendy and Nole so they are in the loop.

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BUILDING PROTOCOLS UPDATE: Starting on Monday, we will be moving to a daily QR code contact tracing process for staff checking in/checking out of the building. Staff will scan the QR code in the main entrance and submit their info each time they enter/exit the building. Staff can save the QR code link for daily use if entering/exiting the building through a location other than the main entrance. Completing this process every day is of the utmost importance as this is the established way of knowing who interacts with whom if/when a positive case is found.

Reminders:

• wear a mask (no gators, buffs, or bandanas) while on campus unless alone in your classroom/office (only if it has a door)
• maintain a minimum of six feet distance from others
• do not come to the building if showing any COVID symptoms and contact the admin team

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PLAN FOR ASYNCHRONOUS WEEKS: Refer back to this document for guidance around the next two asynchronous weeks.

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MAC SURVEY: The winter MAC survey is Tuesday, January 26. Please plan to complete this survey that day.

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Bits and Bobs:

HDMS SAFETY TOOLKIT: This toolkit will be shared with families (in English and Spanish) on Friday and with students during the asynchronous weeks via advisory Canvas modules. It will also be referred back to throughout orientation as well as during advisory activities during hybrid. The toolkit will be continually updated if/when new protocols are implemented. Additionally, tomorrow’s advisory activity will include a portion of the toolkit.

A huge shout out to Heather for her tireless work in creating and translating the slideshow, the safety team for their work in developing the info within it, and the ICCL team for diligently reviewing it.

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WEEK OF JAN 25: Student attendance will not be taken this week. All students will have a VP attendance code.

The district is expecting that all staff return to the building for work starting on Monday (1/25). Certified staff hours are 8:30am-4:30pm.

This week is scheduled to be an asynchronous instruction week to provide time for meeting and training staff on the new safety systems and other processes that we’ll be implementing in hybrid. The amount of time for meetings/trainings is still to be determined.

Here are the items (and possible days/times) we’ll cover this week:

• In-person, small group (by wing) meetings w/ admin team and Nurse Megan (when available) to discuss classroom/wing safety protocols in depth- Monday (1/25) and Tuesday (1/26)
• Safety/COVID training from Nurse Megan via WebEx- Wednesday (1/27) afternoon
• All staff meeting via WebEx to cover Nuts & Bolts- Wednesday (1/27) afternoon

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HDMS ORIENTATION SCHEDULE: As you know, students will attend orientation in person one day during the week of Feb. 1st. Here is the schedule for orientation days. Please note: the days each cohort is attending (based on grade/last name) is correct in this document- there had been differing info shared earlier. This updated info will be shared with students during advisory on Friday and with families in our weekly communication. During orientation, students will follow their semester two schedule.

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HYBRID UPDATES:

A student who starts semester 2 in either BLPO or District CDL will be allowed to take classes within these programs and also take elective classes (e.g. Spanish, band, etc.) at their neighborhood school as long as there is room in the class they want to take. Transportation is the responsibility of the parent – it will not be provided by the district. Also, if the student wants to take more than one class and these classes are not back-to-back in the schedule, we are not able to find a place for this student to wait on campus based on the restraints placed on us due to this pandemic. Grade level counselors will be the point people for students/families in this situation; Gina will support in terms of class sizes given COVID max occupancy.

Secondly, we learned from the district that, as of now, in-person choir and band will not include singing/playing. There will be a meeting with a teacher representative, Paul, and other health professionals to discuss this further.

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CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES: From MS director Jim Boen: Talking about tough topics is absolutely something that must be a part of a student’s educational experience. These should not be avoided – if done right. Here is a very helpful checklist for a teacher to consider. (All steps are not required, but are rather meant to be a support when planning, conducting, and reflecting on teaching/dialogue related to equity and anti-racism.) To set the stage for controversial conversations to be productive and not reactionary or isolated, the classroom climate must be developed intentionally over time–our LEAD Cohort’s website has tools for steadily building a climate of equity dialogue. We also have district Administrative Regulation (GBG-AR) regarding Staff Participation in Political Activities. I’d like to highlight the third and fourth paragraphs. In essence, I interpret these as saying that teachers can talk about politics in their classroom, but the keys are to make sure both sides of the issue/topic are presented/represented, and that the teacher’s own viewpoints need to be represented as personal and not that of an official district stance. Finally, this is a reminder to be aware of this BLS Election Guidance which was sent out earlier this fall. All of these documents should be seen as support for schools and teachers in how to prepare for and facilitate difficult conversations within the classroom learning environment.

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BUILDING CLEANING: During hybrid, deep cleaning will occur nightly. Our custodial staff will be busy not only cleaning but also spraying down classrooms and offices so that each morning all surfaces have been disinfected. Please be aware that if you leave papers out, the next morning they will show signs of curling.

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SECONDARY SUPPORT BLOG: During January and February, the Secondary Support Blog is focusing on access, on ways to increase student access whether in-person, WebEx, or Canvas.  For this week’s post, we have focused on three extremely-user-friendly tools that would be useful in any of the above situations – most especially as tools for facilitating small groups (yes, even while in-person and maintaining social distance!)  

Most staff members will be familiar with one or all of these tools, but all of them offer immediate and high levels of engagement for students, and are ones that every teacher in every subject area could utilize without lengthy training.   Here’s the link:  Increasing Student Access to Each Other AND Our Curriculum: Three Digital Tools that Will Help

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SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE: From BLS sustainability coordinator Jackie W: HDMS has an opening for the school’s sustainability coordinator; email Wendy, Nole, and Heather if you’re interested. Here is a document with the goals for this position during the pandemic. Also, here is a document from Jackie regarding BLS’s HVAC systems.

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Reminders:

HIPPA AND THE VACCINE: Please be mindful that some people may choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine and may not want to discuss their reasoning for this with others.

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1.19.21 STAFF MEETING SLIDESHOW: For your reference, here is the slideshow we shared during this staff meeting.

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High Desert Highlights:

Congratulations to HDMS’s own Gina Samuel for being selected as our new counseling secretary!! We have no doubt she’ll be amazing in this new role. (Veronica will be training Gina over the next week; while we post and hire for a new curriculum secretary, Stacy, Gina, and Kerri will be doing the heavy lifting of supporting all the office roles.)