Sunday, December 31, 2017

Weekly Memo
WM 19, January 2-5, 2018
Welcome to 2018 and Happy New Year. I hope you all enjoyed your time away and are returning rested, rejuvenated and ready for school to begin anew.  While only a four day week, it is a busy one with many admissions visitors, Admissions Information Night on Thursday and our first Winter Coffee for the parents in PreK and K on Friday. A balance to the business will be our Thursday faculty meeting focus on mindfulness thanks to Claire.  See you on Tuesday.
LS Faculty Norms
  • Do what is best for the students
  • Assume we are all doing our best at the moment and our intentions are positive
  • Be present, participate, contribute, include many voices
  • Create a safe space that encourages sharing different opinions, ideas, perspectives
  • Seek understanding, be curious about what others think
  • Express gratitude, joy and encouragement
  • Communicate with compassion, clarity and effectiveness
  • Demonstrate respect
We continue our new Weekly Memo format with repeat items in blue and new items in black.
COMMUNITY
Gathering and Chapel - Please be seated and ready at 8:10.
Note several changes to regular routine.
  • Tuesday January 2 No Chapel--ease into classroom routine
  • Friday January 5 Welcome back/Epiphany Chapel
Winter Coffees - They start up right after our return from break
Classroom Coverage for Coffees
Remember that if you are the team member attending your winter Grade Level Coffee to arrange for coverage of your classroom.  If you need assistance with this, please see Lyn.


Stephanie Rankin on leave
Stephanie Rankin is taking a leave for the first four weeks of January. Scott and Jessica will be team teaching Prekindergarten and Primary. We are finalizing plans for a long term substitute.
Admissions
  • Admissions Information Night, Thursday, 1/4 from 7:00 - 8:30. Sarah has contacted you if you are involved.  If you do not have a role at Info Night, you will have one during Admissions Day, PreK Visit Day and/or the New Parent Welcome.
  • We have a great number of visitors coming this week as a number of families are visiting from overseas
  • Admissions visits dates are set for January and February. Please be sure they work for your class.
  • Use the updated (and working) Observation Guidelines for Student Visit and Specialist observation form to provide feedback on all admissions visitors
Plans for 2018-19
See Peter’s email for context or simply take a few moments to fill out the survey LINKED here; we would ask that you complete it no later than January 12th.


Occupational Therapist
We have a new Lower School collaboration with independent Occupational Therapist Sally Stauffer: Please see these detailed notes from Ari about Sally’s experience as well as how you might access her services in the future for children who need support, including on-campus screenings and evaluations. All referrals are made through Ari
Stairwell Safety
Just a reminder that students should be supervised at all times when in exterior stairwells. If you are transitioning at a different time than classes traveling with a supervising teacher, you should supervise your class until they reach their destination.


The Yes Brain Parent-Teacher Discussion Group
We are launching a parent-teacher discussion group around Dan Siegel and Tina Bryson’s new book The Yes Brain, which comes out in January.  Our goals are to extend parents’ learning about tools for emotional regulation in their children, as well as to establish connection with other parents and teachers around parenting.  Chris and Kirstin are aiming for visibility as resources and support to families, and we’d like to develop shared language and strategies for children’s social-emotional development to articulate our LS beliefs and priorities.  Each session will also highlight the role of mindfulness in brain/body health. We hope you can join us!
Dan Siegel recently published an article about Yes Brain strategies you can view here.


Below is a blurb you can paste into your classroom blogs or emails to encourage families to participate, including a link to a book order form for The Yes Brain and related mentor texts:
The Yes Brain Parent-Teacher Discussion Group – SAVE THE DATE
Save the dates for a series of book-based parent and teacher conversations that will build connection and community as we discuss Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson’s newest research around strengthening reliance, balance and social-emotional growth in our children. The Yes Brain is available for pre-order through this form: we expect the books to be delivered to OES by Friday, January 19th.
Dates: Tuesday evenings January 30, February 20 and March 6, 2018
Time: 7:30-9pm
Location: Lower School Library
We hope you can join us!
Parent Speaker
Amy Morin, PCL Speaker, 1/17/18 at 3:30 and 7:00
Save the date for Amy Morin, author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, who will be on campus on Wednesday, January 17, 2018, as part of PAL's Community Enrichment Speaking Series.
Students Updates
The SST Agenda, includes the names of students that we have discussed. Please review each week.
The SST Site holds lots of valuable information which is helpful as we learn student’s history and as a way of communicating student action plans as we move forward. The SST Site is linked in the Weekly Memo and can only be accessed on campus.
US SgLi Presentation
If you want to review the slideshow, here is the link to the students’ Voices Through Art project. We'd love to hear from you or meet with you to continue brainstorming.
Our emails are:
hamdanr@go.oes.edu
hapkej@go.oes.edu
weinbergh@go.oes.edu
PROGRAM
Faculty Meetings
  • Thursday, 01/04 - Division (Mindfulness focus)
  • Monday, 01/08 - Department, BY/IY
  • Thursday, 01/11 - AS (Calendar focus)
  • Monday, 01/15 - NO Meeting, MLK Day
Lamb Endowment to support science research and program development
See Erin’s email about it. Deadline for applications is January 22.
Primary Conversations
We have completed initial conversations about primary candidates and begin conversations with parents next week. If you were unable to attend the discussion please send feedback about any students who you would like us to consider for Primary.
ERB Testing
We are awaiting results.
Videos
Jeffrey has prepared a folder for us for LS Professional Development videos. Currently you can access videos of the Purpose to Practice Fishbowl from our Faculty meeting as well as Patricia Polacco’s BY Library visit from last year.


Thinking Routines
It’s been great to see so many thinking routines applied in classrooms this fall. If you are wanting to expand your toolbox in the new year, Project Zero has published several new Visible Thinking routines in four categories (see below).  


Lesson Plan Reminder
When you leave lesson plans for Guest Teachers, please note that their day ends at 3:15. Your plans should indicate this--Guest Teachers are expected to work on brief notes to you about your class during non-student contact time in the day or in the moments after dismissal, but they should check out from the office at 3:15 pm. Thank you for your help with this detail!
Faculty Meeting Follow-up
Thanks for all of your participation at the Faculty Meeting on Thursday, with some special gratitude to the 4th grade team for sharing their work and Kristen H. for documenting our process.  The Fishbowl chart, color-key and questions are in the faculty room for temporary viewing, but here are some digital resources for your team access longer-term:
We look forward to hearing more about what you are learning about each other and your own practice as you delve into these conversations with colleagues.


Summer Programs Teaching

You heard from Kati, Chelsea, Shannon and Meghan.

If you are interested in teaching in our OES Summer Program, please fill out one form for each class or idea to the best of your ability.  You can access the form HERE.

We are looking to grow a few areas: Design, Lego Building, Service Learning, Cooking, Film and Animation, Drawing, and Painting.

OES Google 2 Factor Authentication requirement

  • OES Requires the use of 2-factor authentication for all of our Google accounts.

  • The Link to get you started

  • The Link to show the different ways of getting your personal codes.

After your initial authorization all users will be required to re-verify every 30 days through:

  • a smartphone with an app

  • a phone that can receive a text or

  • one-time login codes for your account

Please sign up for this extra level of security as soon as possible. Please either open a ticket with oeshelp@oes.edu or connect with your divisional tech coordinator if you need assistance. Failure to enroll will shut you out of your account after we enable enforcement of the policy on Thursday January 24th.
OPERATIONS
ALL LS employees: TIme Cards need to be approve twice a month.
EVERY MONTH you need to login to ADP on the 17th and End of Month (at the end of the day) to approve your timecard. We’ve added a reminder on the faculty calendar. You can find the link to ADP on the right sidebar of the Weekly Memo.


Afternoon 2-3-4-5 Recess 1:50-2:15
Please do not send your students to this recess without making sure one of the designated teachers is on duty; there have been a number of times in the last month that students were sent out early or sent out with no teacher yet on duty.  If you have recess duty 1:50-2:15, please take steps to ensure you are out on time. We will be scheduling a meeting for these duty teachers to problem solve. Thank you!
SCHOOL CLOSURE PROCEDURES
  • We generally make a decision—school as usual, two hour delay, or no school—shortly after 5:00 AM.
  • Decisions are announced to employees and families using the Honeywell Instant Alert system.  If you have not signed up for this service, or if you want to change the details of your subscription, here is the link to the instructions :  https://www.oes.edu/uploaded/contacts/enrollment-instructions.pdf.  If you need help troubleshooting your account, please contact Rebecca Williams
  • Most of us have some work responsibilities on days when school is cancelled.  If you are unsure what these are, please check with your supervisor and consult the Employee Handbook (Section 3.7, School Closure Due to Inclement Weather).
Accident/Incident Form
We have a NEW Incident/Accident Report Form  created by Brad K.  It is posted on the employees’ website. The responses/data will go automatically to Rebecca and Elaine.  No more handwriting and scanning, etc…We will pull the hard copies out in the office. Please begin filling the I/A form online starting next week. The link is also included under “Lower School Common Forms and Relevant Information” (in the right sidebar of the WM).


Three SubFinder Reminders

  • Be sure your regular sub hours are set for 7:30 - 3:15
  • Specialists, be sure your regular hours match your schedule with 20 minutes of prep time before the day begins and 20 minutes after the day is done for clean-up and communication
  • Request planned sick days at least 3 days in advance.


Food Service

Kelly is always juggling the desire to provide great food and service with cost management and waste reduction. Three things that could help Kelly and the food service team.
  1. In the Dining Commons, Kelly will put out an extra pitcher of milk that a duty teacher use when the milk is all gone from the table. Please promptly return the bonus milk pitcher to the food service area for others to use.
  2. When children are eating more than the anticipated amount of an offering, Kelly will call up to the kitchen to get more. Please be patient while we wait for more food to come down.
  3. Help reduce waste by proving moderate portions to children and encouraging them to eat what is on their plate.
Bus Cost: $50/hr or $2.75/mi
Information Organization
Calendar Manager -  LS Calendar information.
Lice Policy - There have been some changes
Field Trips- use the Field Trip Checklist and forms
Ordering materials and supplies - use this Order Form and Order Tracking List
Amazon orders - OES Amazon Business Account
Curriculum, Furniture and Students Services Supplies - Contact your division Assistant Head Trips around and off campus - be sure Ls Office knows where you are
Disease Prevention - health department predicting an early  and heavy influenza outbreak
SmartFind Express Reminders - Use SmartFind Express to report all absences
Field Trip Budgets - approximately $1500 per grade.
Food From Home - must have approval from the nurse
TIME SHEET -Fill out your timesheet digitally in ADP and approve it twice a month
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.
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