Weekly Memo
Weekly Memo 1, August 7-12, 2017
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Chris, Kathy, Kirstin, Lyn and David are back and have begun preparations for the new school year. I hope you are still enjoying your summer. Read this when you are ready or before the opening of school on 8/29, whichever comes first.
COMMUNITY
Lower School Office Staff
We are back and the office is open 8:00 - 4:00 each day.
New Faculty
A big welcome to Kimie Fukuda (PreK), Suzanne Lee (3rd) and Mary Duden (5th)! Drop by their rooms when you return to say hello. Welcome back to Jessica Wolfram (PE), Alysa Brauer (2nd, formerly Williams) and Tonya Griffin (3rd). Miriam Agron (IY) and Meredith Kruse (BY) join us as Lead Teachers in the Extension program--some of their hours overlap with the regular school day, so look forward to seeing them in LS in the afternoons as well as at faculty meetings. We also welcome a number of teachers and assistant teachers into new roles: Anna Halpin (PreK), Jeanna Bennett Schulz (K), Colesie Tharp (K), Lauren Endicott (K), Alysa Brauer (2). They may have questions or need resources as they set up their rooms--thanks for offering help as needed!
One handy document for new faculty (and really for anyone) is the Alphabetical Guide to LS Essential Information. Enjoy!
Summer Building Use
8/14-8/18 is the last week of camp.
Custodial Update
Ben Starbuck let us know that custodial team will be back in LS Monday of next week to finish cleaning. They have the following rooms left and will be working hard to make sure rooms are ready by the end of the week.
1st Floor: Office, Science, Performance Commons, Dining Commons, bathrooms, and commons
2nd Floor: Rooms 23, 25, and 26, Flex classroom, and commons
3rd Floor: Has been completed
Construction Updates
- Installation of new acoustic treatments for common areas will happen during the week of 8/21
- Fariss Hall administrative offices will open on 8/28
- Fariss Hall Inquiry Design Center will open on 8/31
- Construction of new LS Playground space will begin on 9/11
Class Placement
There were a number of enrollment changes over the summer due to family relocation; we will finalize placement next week.
- 8/18 - class lists sent to teachers
- 8/25 - class lists released to parents
- 8/28 - 8/29 - teachers mail letters to students
Just a reminder that it is very important all families receive their class placement information at the same time--please take care not to mention or post any placement information before 8/25.
Substitute Teachers
Chris and Kirstin began interviewing candidates for substitute teaching last week and, along with Lyn and Kathy, will be training our subs on September 1st. If you know anyone seeking a substitute teaching position, please direct them to the OES Employment page so they can apply. Just an update that the wonderful Sharon Bird is returning to us after filling in for a long-term position in Portland Public last year and our beloved Kathie Kimmy has accepted a part-time position as a Literacy Specialist at Catlin Gabel, so will be unavailable in the mornings.
Student Helpers
If you are in need of Upper School student helpers to get you ready for the start of the year, please send Kara Tambellini a BRIEF note telling her what you need (classroom set up? Hanging art? setting up displays?)and when you need help. She will help connect you with student helpers in need of on-campus service hours.
Plants
Great thanks to Austin Schock for being master plant tender this summer. He wanted to let you all know that the plants of the LS are vibrant and growing. However, he would also say that all of them will need to be re-potted into bigger pots soon. If you have a plant in the LS--and would like Austin to re-pot it, please bring in the materials before the school year starts.
Nursing Moms
Thanks for offering encouragement, support and possibly coverage of some duties to help our new (or new-again) moms Jessica and Tonya care for Aidan and Drake! You’ll notice that the Teaching Kitchen doubles as our official nursing/pumping room, though alternate locations may sometimes be used. Look for a sign in the window of the Teaching Kitchen to let you know if it’s a good time to enter or if you should return at another time. The small under-counter refrigerator in the Teaching Kitchen is reserved for milk only. Thanks!
PROGRAM
Opening Days Schedule:
Please see the schedule from Mo for details on our August schedule.
Note:
8/28 - full day for ICC Training Day 1 or 2
8/29 - full day for Opening of School and Disaster Preparedness Drill
8/30 & 8/31 - LS Faculty Meeting will be 8:00 - 12:00
8/30 - New automated substitute finder training from 1:00 - 3:00
9/1 - Faculty work day
2017-18 Calendar
OES All School Calendar is updated.
Please submit changes to the LS Events Calendar by 8/31.
LS Events Calendar
The draft of the LS Events Calendar is in the LS Conference Room. During your stipend days take some time to look at your student’s, parents’ and colleagues’ experience across the year. Adjust your events as you see appropriate. Talk with others as is helpful. Complete updates by 4:00pm on 8/31.
Schedules / Calendars
Homeroom /Specialist Classroom Schedules have been updated. These schedules will be used to create 2017-2018 Google calendars.
Intensive Specialist Rotation: 2-5 Intensive rotation blocks.
Duty Schedule 2017-2018: Our new duty schedule! One consistent duty for most people to help simplify things and to allow for duty groups to help with consistency. David, Kirstin, Chris T. and the Assistant Teachers have two duties each rotation. There are a few teachers we have asked to do one additional duty to fulfill all our obligations; a big thank you to everyone who was able to help out with extra duties. Overall, it is a big reduction of duties and we are hopeful it will be beautifully successful!
Rotating Events on the Calendar: This updated document will help you add rotating events on your personal Google calendar. The first sheet has steps and a short video; the following sheets have templates.
Chapel and Gathering
Phillip will be coordinating our gathering as a Lower School community. Please note:
- Lower School Chapel will be on Tuesdays, 8:10 -8:40
- Lower School Gathering will be on Fridays, 8:10 - 8:30 ( PK, K, P will join once a month for Buddy gathering)
Curriculum Order
Chris and Kirstin have distributed curriculum materials for handwriting and math. These materials are in each affinity common, or in classrooms for BY as indicated in the BY Summer 2017 document.
- Handwriting without Tears for grades K-4. 55 copies for each grade level (15 for Primary).
- Bridges Student books v. 1& 2 55 copies for each grade level.
- Home Connection: Grade 2-5
- Student Bridges: Grades K-5
- Number Corner: Grade 2
Chris and Kirstin have divided up and organized the Fountas and Pinnell Assessment Kits. There is one kit per grade level. A training has been set up at the end of September for a review of the assessment procedures as well as how to use the data collected to empower literacy instruction.
- September 25th: K-2 Training (all day, subs provided)
- September 26th: 3-5 Training (all day, subs provided)
You can see a basic outline of the training agenda here. Levels may vary but content will be similar.
Laptop Pick-up
Faculty laptops are ready for pick-up from the Tech Department. Plan on 20 minutes for the check-in of loaner/ checkout of laptops. Teaching Assistant laptops will be ready for pick-up during faculty meeting week, August 28 - September 1.
Beginning Years Resources
BY members received an email from Kirstin in June with access to a Google Team Drive where you can access and add shared documents. This is a great place to add documents you generated in your stipend that you want to share with the rest of BY. Please pay particular attention to the BY Summer 2017 document where she’s added relevant information throughout the summer for you to check at your leisure instead of emailing you everything separately. Feel free to add questions for the BY team regarding setup, materials, etc. We’ll use this document until the first day of school and then switch back over to the BY Odds and Ends.
Summer Reading
Everyone received their copies of Creating Cultures of Thinking and Piecing Me Together from their mailboxes. The pink bookmark in the Ritchhart book makes some recommendations for reflection, and we hope discussions will take place at your team summer stipends, as well. We will discuss and work with Creating Cultures of Thinking in our opening Lower School meetings, so please be sure to have read the book before August 30th. The Piecing Me Together discussion will take place August 29th.
Summer Stipends
Summer Stipends are wrapping up. As you schedule any remaining days, please enter your schedule for your summer stipends in the linked spreadsheet: Summer Stipend Scheduling. There are two documents you will need to submit to Lyn when you return in August in order to be paid for your time:
- Summer stipend completion form
- Summer report
During your stipend time, we ask grades 1-5 create Year At A Glance (YaaG) plan. A YaaG document helps to think about unit planning and timing for the school year. This is helpful as many of us have experienced a year in Bridges, we can see how the timing has worked and areas where we struggled to stay on target. Hopefully outlining a timeline for the year can help us hit and align all of our academic units and project highlights/milestones as best we see fit. Here are 2 examples of YaaG planning documents I have used: YaaG 1 and YaaG 2.
When we get back together we’ll be doing some work with the metaphor of “Big Rocks” from Creating Cultures of Thinking. You and your team might find this ‘big rocks’ reflection sheet another helpful reflection to guide your discussions.
Your team may also find the Purpose to Practice planning sheet helpful during your stipend. BY began with this form at their last meeting: its intent is to help you distill the most important focus/priorities for your grade level (the big rocks!) and then to plan for your principles, structures and practices around those priorities. Send a copy/photo to your Assistant Heads when you complete one so they know about your thinking and can support your work! We’ll also be working with this form in the fall.
If you missed it or need the link for the resource slides that Kirstin shared at the May LS Faculty meeting, you can access it here.
OPERATIONS
Budget information
These are your options when you are ready to purchase your classroom supplies:
- Through Kathy’s Lower School New Order Request 2017-2018
- LS Visa – to be used in the LS Office only so bring your laptop and have your order ready. Always email Lyn or print a copy of the confirmation receipts stating the purchase amount.
CHECK REIMBURSEMENT process:
Download the check request form in your desktop and fill out these sections/cell boxes ONLINE (do NOT print, yet). All other cell boxes not listed (below) don’t apply. Please remember that you will need to enter your receipt individually:
o Name
o Transaction date of your receipt
o Vendor name
o Description or purpose of the expenses
o Amount
· When the CRF is completed, print it!
· Be sure to SIGN the CRF on the “Payee Signature” box.
· SUBMIT the completed CRF along with RECEIPTS to me (LYN) on or before TUESDAY of each week.
Furniture Safety Reminders
As you go about rearranging furniture please keep the following in mind:
- shelves and other free-standing vertical elements need to be less than 48” tall. If an item is 48” or tall it needs to be secured to a wall to reduce earthquake hazard.
- We need to maintain clear pathway(s) of 42” or more in the commons.
- Be aware of the carpet trip hazards, so any carpeting with curling potential needs to be clearly out of paths of travel.
Cooling the Building
In an effort to realize the energy efficiency of our building, here are the basics of keeping your room cool. Remember that part of the building design is to provide a wider temperature range, as low as 66 during heating season and as high as 76 degrees in cooling season.
1. Nighttime air flush to cool building down. Automatic, no teacher action required.
2. Open windows in am to cool room further
3. Press green light button, after opening windows, to increase airflow, cooling
4. After green light goes off, close windows and let building manage cooling
Your Announcements
Send any announcements you have for faculty to Kirstin, Chris or David by Thursday each week August-June and we will include them in the Weekly Memo. This should help reduce the number of emails we are receiving, and maximize our time to collaborate during meetings.
A helpful tool can be found in the OES website for employees to save time searching different sites when you need to access the basic forms like check request, catering, maintenance requests and other resources.
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