LS Weekly Memo Weekly Memo Week 29  February 23-27, 2015

Our thanks to Kristen, the PE Team, Margaret, Laura and Peter for organizing our fabulous I Create assembly to kick off Arts Week, in the words of a 1st Grader, “This is awesome”.  What a great community-building event.

COMMUNITY

Auction – Needs your help. Please volunteer. Contact Chris Gong.

Hiring Updates

• We have begun interviewing semifinalists for Spanish and K and are very excited about several
• Phillip and I launch the Chaplain search this week
• Caley Peterson is the long-term substitute for Marty Eastman-Brown
• Tyler Green and Jessica Wolfram will be the two PE substitutes starting on March 9
• Kathie Kimmy will be the 3rd grade substitute for Kiah once her maternity leave begins

Arts Week -Here is a link for all things Arts Week.

https://sites.google.com/a/go.oes.edu/artsweek-2015/

Communications

Let Casey Knopik, knopikc@oes.edu, know if there is anything going on in class that he should come photograph.  He could use help learning about LS happenings.  

Teacher Appreciation

Teacher Appreciation is scheduled for Friday, April 17. The plan is to return to an appreciation lunch in the LSCH.  BS teachers need to send box lunch orders to April as soon as possible.  See April Gilster’s email for details.

Conferences – I discussed the issue of rescheduled conferences with Chris Schuck and PAL.  Next year we will let families know that we will not reschedule conferences missed for vacations.

Looking Ahead: Community Gatherings

• Tina’s Class Play- February 25-27
• Arts Week - February 23-27

Students Who Needs Extra Support

Kindergarten- ZT in Carole Burton’s Class- Very physical, at recess. No chase games, making other choices: sandbox, swings, etc. Experiencing big feelings, can be very disruptive. If this happens, call Chris’ cell immediately 503-880-2159, and she will come and bring him to a safe place to calm him down, reset and problem solve.

3rd gr- Scarlet J.- Recent illness, that included intense headaches and vertigo,  seems to have caused a change in speech particularly articulation and word retrieval. If she complains of a headache or other issues, send her to the office right away.

2nd gr - Ben K - can get physical during competitive games. Be observant and intervene.

5th gr - Peter G - writing and self reflection difficult, requiring teacher support

4th gr - Sophia M - will be attending mornings until 2/20

3rd gr - JaSier R - difficulty playing competitive sports. Be observant and intervene.

Safety - See previous WM

Illness - See previous WM

PROGRAM

Community Talks

Thanks to Claire and David for sharing their experience and knowledge, and to Erin and Tina for sharing their work as well.  We have a lot to learn from each other.

Here is a link with more resources for Community Talks.

• Videos from Erin’s and Tina’s class
• The Prezi presentation and to Claire’s class website
• Add to the booklist any other books you love that inspire great wonderings or conversations.
• Inspired? – Try out a community talk some time in the coming weeks.  

Giving to the Building

• Thank you Tracy for getting us started
• You have paper and electronic options for giving
• Remember the matching offer, your $250 becomes $500 for the school.
• You can spread payments over two years
• Both your participation and the amount you donate matter.  We are seeking hundreds of thousands of dollars from foundations and about $5Million all together

Faculty Meetings –

Monday, 2/23 - FLG

Thursday, 2/26 – Department/ Team

Math Feedback

Tracy has shared out both his Math Presentation and his Feedback Form

Discuss at Team Meeting so Team Leaders can make a recommendation

Cadwell Plans

Inquiry Design Team and Team Leaders discussed Cadwell plans.  I need to know grade level team plans for working with Louise.

1. When to meet - Before Spring Break, Mid-April or Early May
2. Focus of coaching - mapping inquiry projects or review/ reflection on inquiry projects

Please discuss at grade level meeting and let me know.

Team Leaders – Agenda

·   Math Plan

·   Conference Change

·   Hiring Update

·   Cadwell plans

·   Mind Maps

UBD Reminder - Previous WM

Lower School Building – Previous WM

PGD – Previous WM

2015-16 Budget – Previous WM

OPERATIONS

Duty teachers be punctual

I think there may be an issue with our classroom clocks being slightly off. I am going to ask maintenance to go room to room to check that we are in sync with each other.

Bus Riders Check In on Thursday

Today a bus load of students were dropped off early (before 8:15)  on the Loop Rd.  Students went to ACP to play with no adult supervision. One student even came in to the building to get the key to the metal storage bin.  

Please remind your students who ride the bus:

•They need to come into the building to check in (bus drivers will remind them, too), teachers will take them out to recess at 8:15

•Adults, not children, should open the metal storage bin and secure the chain.  Children should not.  

Fourth and Fifth Grade Lunch Recess

Children were out playing on ACP with no adults on duty. Please remind your students that they are to wait, either by the library entrance or the covered walkway, until an adult is on duty.

Second and Third Grade Afternoon Recess

Third Graders were playing on Aardvark Community Park when there were no teachers on duty.  Second Graders were waiting for a teacher to come out on duty. Please do the following:

Third Grade Teachers- Please tell students that the first people out need to scan ACP for the teacher on duty. If they don’t see one, all should wait on the walkway until one arrives.

Second and Third Grade Afternoon Duty People- Please try to be out on duty at 1:30 sharp. I know there are times when that is hard.  Try to prep for recess a bit earlier so this isn’t so much of a time crunch.

When to Mark Tardies- Be Consistent

•Beginning School- 8:15 am (accommodate your Gentle Start)

•1st-5th - 8:10 am (Tonya brought up that she sends her attendance  8:00 when the doors lock.  After that, she is in full swing teaching.  If you have thoughts, send them to your team leader or David over the weekend.  We will talk about this at our Team Leader meeting Monday, see if we can find some common agreements.)

Excessive Tardies and Absences- Last Call

Please be sure to let David or Chris know

Family’s Take Holidays and Vacations When School is in Session

The school’s policy states that families should take vacations when school is not in session. Of course, we have families who will take that liberty of going away when school is in session. Please give families a gentle reminder, that if they do choose to take a vacation, they should notify you, and Miriam through LS Attend. I know many parents request that you give them assignments to take along on these unexcused holidays. Team Leaders and David will discuss this issue and come up with a clear policy that works for all.  If they choose to take an extended vacation (more than one week) they need to get approval from David or Chris.

Catering and Sack Lunch Procedures

• Catering Procedure (This document can also be found in the LS Important Docs)
• NOTE: Catering requests must be sent to Bon Appetit 5 days BEFORE the event
• Ordering Sack lunches – same procedure as above!
• Sack Lunch choices here:    SACK LUNCH MENU

Disinfectant – Previous WM

Buddies to Office – Previous WM

NEED A SUBSTITUTE OR A DAY OFF? – Previous WM

Your Announcements

Send any announcements you have for faculty to Chris or me by Thursday each week and we will include them in the Weekly memo.  This should help reduce the number of emails we are receiving, and to maximize our time to collaborate during meetings.

LS Weekly Memo Weekly Memo Week 28  February 17-20, 2015

Thank you for all your work around reports and conferences.  Based on informal check-ins during breaks, conferences seem to have gone well.  If any surprises came up, do let SST know.  On to the second half of the year we go with clear goals for our students in mind.

COMMUNITY

Hiring Updates

• We have begun interviewing semifinalists for Spanish and K and are very excited about several.
• Caley Peterson will be the long-term substitute for Marty Eastman-Brown beginning Tuesday.  Marty expects to be out 2 - 3 weeks.
• We are awaiting completion of contracts for the 2 long term PE substitutes and the 3rd grade substitute for Kiah’s maternity leave.

Safety

• Emergency Flip Chart guides you through initial steps. Grab it and use it.
• 1st Aid Supplies - are located in the LS Office, soon to be in the  LS Library production room
• Gloves are in the 1st aid supplies and in your red fanny packs (restock if you don’t have any gloves!)
• AED in the LS Office

Illness

Thank you for staying home when you are sick.  You will recover faster and you will not be sharing your illness with others.  Send students to the office if you are concerned they are getting sick.

Looking Ahead: Community Gatherings

• Ash Wednesday Chapel- Wed., February 18th at 11:50 for P-5
• LS February Assembly- Friday, February 20th at 8:10 - I Create
• Tina’s Class Play- February 25-27th, look for more details from Tina
• Arts Week - February 23-27

Students Who Needs Extra Support

Kindergarten- ZT in Carole Burton’s Class- Very physical, at recess. No chase games, making other choices: sandbox, swings, etc. Experiencing big feelings, can be very disruptive. If this happens, call Chris’ cell immediately 503-880-2159, and she will come and bring him to a safe place to calm him down, reset and problem solve.

5th gr - Peter G - writing and self reflection are very difficult for Peter, requiring teacher support

4th gr - Sophia M - will be attending mornings until 2/20

3rd gr - JaSier R - can have difficulty playing competitive sports. Be observant and intervene.

2nd gr - Ben K - can get physical during competitive games. Be observant and intervene.

PROGRAM

Conferences

• Contact Ari to set up an SST appointment if issues came up during conferences that you would like to discuss.
• 32 students (10% of LS students) requested rescheduled conferences - 6 work related, 26 vacations.  Chris Schuck and I will discuss.

Faculty Meetings -

Be on time.  With only one LS faculty meeting a month the agenda is full.

• 2/19 - LS Faculty Meeting, LS Library 7:40 - 8:40
• Common Inquiry Experiences III - Community Talks
• Rich Classroom Discussions: One way to Get Rich learning

Math Feedback

Thank you Tracy for all your work developing an understanding of our math needs in Lower School and reviewing possible solutions.  Tracy has shared out both his Math Presentation and his Feedback Form.

UBD Reminder - By the end of  the year each teacher or grade level team is responsible for completing UBD’s for three units of understanding.  Below is the suggested timeline:

11/19/14 - 1st unit

3/4/15 - 2nd unit

5/20/15 - 3rd unit

All are expected to have UBD’s completed by start of the 2015-16 school year so we can begin vertical and horizontal discussions.  Team and Department meeting time has been designated for this work.

Aardvark Science Expo

Open Exhibit - Thursday, February 19, 8:00 AM – 5:00 pm in SPARC exhibits open to public. This is a great opportunity to take your students to look at the science research boards, 7th - 12th grade.

Open House - Friday, February 20, 6:30 – 7:30 pm - student scientists will be available for discussion, followed by the awards ceremony from 7:30 – 8:30 PM

Lower School Building

I have the latest plans in my office.  Stop by if you want to take a look

PGD

The PGD budget for 2014-15 is almost fully allocated.  Let me know if you are interested in a conference after July 1, 2015.  The PGD budget will remain the same as in 2013-14 (same as this year) so I will need to be intentional about allocations.

2015-16 Budget

In order to moderate tuition increases the budget for 2015-16 will remain at the 2014-15 levels

Cadwell Plans

Inquiry Design Team and Team Leaders discussed Cadwell plans.  I need to know grade level team plans for working with Louise.

1. When to meet - Before Spring Break, Mid-April or Early May
2. Focus of coaching - mapping inquiry projects or review/ reflection on inquiry projects

Please discuss at grade level meeting and let me know.

Inquiry Design Team Agenda - 2/4

• Plan Common Inquiry Experience for faculty
• Discuss Cadwell plan
• Explored use of Mind Maps using elements of UBD

Team Leaders - Topics Discussed

• Cadwell
• Building
• Report cards
• Admissions

 

OPERATIONS

When to Mark Tardies- Be Consistent

One of our families who has twins noticed that one twin had more tardies than the other...let’s be consistent!

•Beginning School- At 8:15 (accommodate your Gentle Start)

•1st-5th- At 8:10

Friendly Reminders About Early Pick Up- Reminder to Go in Wednesday Express

Recently we’ve had a number of families who picked up children early and did not sign them out in the LS office. Please remind parents to do so when they pick up early

Excessive Tardies and Absences- Last Call

If you have a student who has excessive tardies and unexcused absences in the first semester, please be sure to let David or Chris know. We want to reverse that trend in the second semester.

Family’s Take Holidays and Vacations When School is in Session

The school’s policy states that families should take vacations when school is not in session. Of course, we have families who will take that liberty of going away when school is in session. Please give families a gentle reminder, that if they do choose to take a vacation, they should notify you, and Miriam through LS Attend. I know many parents request that you give them assignments to take along on these unexcused holidays. Team Leaders and David will discuss this issue and come up with a clear policy that works for all.

If they choose to take an extended vacation (more than one week) they need to get approval from David or Chris.

Second and Third Grade Afternoon Recess

Third Graders were playing on Aardvark Community Park when there were no teachers on duty.  Second Graders were waiting for a teacher to come out on duty. Please do the following:

Third Grade Teachers- Please tell students that the first people out need to scan ACP for the teacher on duty. If they don’t see one, all should wait on the walkway until one arrives.

Second and Third Grade Afternoon Duty People- Please try to be out on duty at  1:30 sharp. I know there are times when that is hard.  Try to prep for recess a bit earlier so this isn’t so much of a time crunch.

Disinfectant

Some of you received a spray bottle of disinfectant from Bill Peoples, Head Custodian. He was responding to a request from the Safety Committee because of the high rate of student and faculty  illness in LS Classrooms.

• Use as needed. Read use directions and warnings
• Spray surface or paper towel, rinse off with warm water and wipe down area
• Avoid spraying a fine mist  or getting on skin
• Custodial department will refill bottles and supply roll paper towels at request
• Additional information - contact Bill or Rod

Buddies

If a student will need to stay in the office they must come with two buddies.  This will enable the buddy(ies) to return to class promptly.

NEED A SUBSTITUTE OR A DAY OFF?

Calling in sick? Contact Miriam--520-250-1497

• In the evening: If you know the night before, please text or call Miriam (never email) before 8:00pm so she can call around for a sub until 9:00pm (IDEAL!!) Please do not text or call her after 10:00pm.
• In the morning: Please text or call , do not email. Please text or call her between 5:45-6:15am, whenever possible.
• If you do not connect with Miriam by 6:30am, please call David at home – 503.384.0578 (not ideal.)
• Specialists and Assistant Teachers: Please indicate in your message the start and end time. Typically ½ hour before your first class starts and then however long after your last class (duty?).

Substitutes

• Do not contact prefered substitute directly
• Complete blue Substitute Request form
• Miriam will contact the substitutes

New Substitute Update

I have interviewed a new potential pool of substitute teachers (classroom teachers and specialists)  and assistant teachers.  I hope to complete the hiring process in the next two weeks. Lyn and I scheduled a substitute training session at the end of the month.  Stay tuned!

Your Announcements

Send any announcements you have for faculty to Chris or me by Thursday each week and we will include them in the Weekly memo.  This should help reduce the number of emails we are receiving, and to maximize our time to collaborate during meetings.