Weekly Memo
Week 16 & 17, November 21- December 2, 2016
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Two school days and then a welcome 5-day Thanksgiving Break. Grandparents and Special Friends Day is proving to be incredibly popular with several classes expecting more than 20 visitors. See the list by class below. Upon our return, a quick three weeks to Winter Break.
Last week was a busy one for discipline issues. We need everyone’s help to support those students who are having a hard time as the holidays approach.
COMMUNITY
Recess Alerts
Our first grade boys are facing challenges playing together safely, both physically and emotionally. We’d love your help keeping a particular eye on this group, who will need more support and intervention if you see them engaged in rough play. Please watch their faces to see who looks like they are having fun and who looks distressed, and intervene if you think someone may need help communicating or finding appropriate play. Sequoia Sanders has been particularly patient with friends but has also been injured several times because of his proximity to/participation in this play--we’re invested in ending that pattern.
For kindergarten recesses we appreciate your eyes and ears on the monkey bars if you’re on ACP duty, as it can look like things are going well from afar, but some hurtful words are being exchanged and a few children tend to dominate, making it hard for others to participate equitably.
If you are looking for resources for your students about widening their game options, take a look at these games from Playworks.
Grandparents and Special Friend’s Day: Tuesday, November 22nd
List of Grandparents by Class
Guests with students in multiple divisions may arrive in the LS at 9:15- 9:30.
Coffee Available
The Lower School Library
Chapel Narthex
Middle School Lobby
- 8:00 – 8:40 a.m. Classes start day and prepare to greet guests. Grandparents are in the gym for breakfast and presentation.
- 8:45 – 9:45 a.m. Visit Classrooms
- Students do not go to specialist classes during this hour. They remain in their homeroom to make it easier for grandparents and special friends to find them.
- Classroom teachers, please let specialists know if you would like them to come to your class, try to reschedule, or simply cancel the class.
- 9:45 – 10:05 a.m. Optional Recess
- 3rd-5th grades - if you bring your class out, you will need to supervise
- Some guests may want to join us on the playground while other may be starting to make their way to the chapel.
- Grandparetns may walk up to Chapel with students
- 10:15 – 10:45 a.m. Chapel – Students Grades 1–5 All guests welcome. See special seating chart from Heather
- 10:45 a.m. Say Goodbye
We would suggest, due to the high number of expected grandparents, that you utilize your Affinity Common areas. You may want to discuss as a grade level what you might do so the commons and classrooms can be open.
Admissions Visits Begin
When we return from Thanksgiving break, our student visits for applicants Grades 2-5 (visits in 1st-4th) will begin! Wednesday November 30th will be the first day. See email from Sarah fro details.
Giving Chapel preparations!
Please make sure to send home Giving Chapel bags (decorated or undecorated) before Thanksgiving Break.
Also, don't forget to sign up for one of the understanding-building sessions, put on by the 5th graders. They are ready to spread their empathy and passion for these great organizations and the good work they do!
Library Open 7:30 - 7:50 Each Day
According to the duty schedule Lara and Heidi are in the library each morning ready to supervise students. Please remind your students of this option. I think many students do not know it is a choice.
Widening our Worldview
As author and researcher Ellen Galinksy says, "Perspective taking affects how we deal with conflict." Others have suggested in recent weeks that if we can find a space to know the stories of those whose worldview is radically different from our own that we may also find places of connection. Here is a brief NPR piece about the idea. We own both the books featured plus others that may be of interest in our professional collection.
Post-Election: Resources to Move Forward
Ann Sulzer offered a particularly powerful letter to parents in a recent Middle School Messenger, connecting to a post-election statement by the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon.
Several faculty have found these free resources from the online story streaming service Sparkle Stories useful as they guide children and families of all opinions in how to care for one another post-election:
- Healing the National Rift is a blog post that provides a free story attempting to address the question, “How do we reach out to the ‘other side’ and make an authentic attempt to heal?”
- This link gives suggestions for how to stabilize children’s worlds when the adults around them may feel emotional or experience change. The gentle and helpful tips are followed by four stories families can listen to with their children, or classrooms together during reflective times.
Kiah Job Share
Kiah and David have been discussing ways to help her achieve a better work life balance. We are launching the search for a job share partner for Kiah this week. The job share will allow Kiah to work Monday through Wednesday and the job share partner to work Wednesday through Friday. Please let David know if you have any candidates to recommend.
LS Holiday Party
The LS Employees Holiday Gathering is on December 12th. Holiday Potluck has become our popular annual tradition. Home cooked or store bought food dishes are both welcome. If you love to cook, this is your chance to share your home cooked meals, salads and desserts with your colleagues. Find your food or activity assignment here: POTLUCK 2016. If you wish to trade your food assignment with another, please let me know and I am more than happy to trade or move your food assignment; this list is not set in stone.
This year we have decided not to do a Secret Santa and instead will try a Yankee Swap! In a Yankee Swap each participant is asked to bring along a gift worth no more than $20, it could be funny or helpful or sweet or yummy, etc. The gift should be wrapped in whatever mysterious fashion you desire. When we arrive at the potluck, each player will pick from a number from a hat to determine the order of gift picking and opening. Everyone who has given a gift will receive a gift, swapping/trading is perfectly acceptable so that, as much as possible, everyone goes home with a gift they are happy with.
PNCA Playground Exhibit
An opportunity you all might be interested in; a visit to the Pacific Northwest College of Art exhibition, Extraordinary Playscapes, running Oct. 6-Dec. 17th at the Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design at PNCA. Kirstin attended recently, so see her for more details and photos if you need some inspiration to attend!
PROGRAM
Beginning Years Odds and Ends
Several additions were made this week, so make sure you check out the updates if you are a BY teacher.
Author Visit: Note from Lara Ingham
We are happily anticipating the February 23rd Patricia Polacco visit and would love for you to be part of the planning process. If you use her books in your work and would like to share with the faculty your favorites and how you have used them in the classroom, please consider joining us Monday November 21 3:15-3:45 in the library to help plan for a sharing at the December 8th faculty meeting, If you can't meet at this time, please email us with your suggestions so we can incorporate them into our discussion and process.
Look here for a list of her books in our library. If you click on the book, you can find more information including grade and interest level as well as an annotation. Additionally if you sign into your Destiny account (which I strongly encourage you to do since you can manage your own resource lists, etc. It's a great resource) you also can switch to the website tab. There you will find 5 great websites with author info which could be used with your students as well.
Remember that your user name for Destiny is your last name first initial and your password should be the one you use for your Google Account. I am always happy to show you how to access this terrific resource.
Immigration Books
Check out this list and the accompanying display in the library for excellent books to share with students to broaden their ideas of immigration. With it so much in the news and also in direct connection with recent and upcoming Community Conversations, Lara thought it might be useful to have stories which to help humanize the experience. You can find the books right at the entrance next to the display of books about the United States Election process.
Lamb Endowment Applications
Round 1 - Funding in Fiscal Year 2016-17
Funds will not be accessible after June 30, 2017
Applications Announced: November 2
Submission Deadline: November 29
Awards Announced: December 9
The Confluence
Chris and Kirstin have updated The Confluence. In the latest posts they tour grade level gatherings and focus on how Lower School gatherings connect us to our OES Identity Statement, and give parenting resources for families to address social-emotional topics with their children that may have come up at conferences. Feel free to link posts in your own blogs if you find content useful for your individual communities.
Tech Update:
AppleTV troubleshooting/testing: Ruben from IT would like to be the first person on the scene to help you when you have a dropped connection from the AppleTV. This will help make the troubleshooting consistent and he can record where/when/conditions that the incidents occur. This should help clear up confusion as to the cause of the connection loss and speed up resolution. We've already made a number of changes that should improve the reliability of the connection to AppleTV so we are recommending at this time the following path...
- Have experienced significant disconnect problems before or during conferences? please send an email to oeshelp@oes.edu with ATV in the subject and include the "Device" or Devices used, and roughly when they occurred. Continue to use wired connections to the projector. After Ruben works with you we'll then ask you to start using it again as you feel comfortable, with wired connection as a backup.
- Haven't used AppleTV to connect? please start using it again. Report as soon as possible your drop to oeshelp@oes.edu with the information above. Have your wired connection ready as a backup.
- Have been connecting with no problems with multiple devices (ipads, macbook etc.) continue to do so and report to oeshelp@oes.edu as necessary, again with ATV as the subject line.
*** Jeffrey will be scheduling room observations over the next few weeks.. for more on "why the heck would he do such a thing" check out the OES LS Technology Google+ Community.
Playground Design Update
Go look at the pictures and data on windows of the Performance Commons. Find ways for students to give feedback and ideas. You might follow the Primary class’s lead and hold a math workshop outside the Perfomance Commons windows!
3 concept maps to be turned into one. We will share that one informally but then have a presentation in January of our process and the final design.
SST meetings are available on Thursdays from 3:15-4:00 for anyone who would like a whole team approach to supporting a student or students. Please contact your Assistant Head to request a Thursday afternoon SST. Also let us know who you’d like to request to attend.
PGD Site - John Holloran has launched the OES PGD website, which will come to include recommended PGD opportunities and writeups of PGD experiences.
Monday, 11/21 - Optional Patricia Polacco planning meeting - LS Library
Monday, 11/28 - Open
Thursday, 12/1 - FLG/PGD
Monday, 12/5 - “Screenagers” viewing
OPERATIONS
Lunchroom Decibels - Problem solving session
Monday, 11/21 in LS Art Room, 10:50 - 11:20
Jane gave us the data. Let’s see what solution we can create.
Raincoats
Remind students that they need a raincoat or coat to play out in the rain. If they come to recess without a coat they need to play under the covered areas.
Recess Duty Responsibility
- Put ball bins away at end of each recess
- Walk around and supervise
- Behind shed and around bike racks is not a play space
Request from Shirley
Note to everyone on Dining Commons lunch duty--Shirley has requested that all glasses be filled to or below the line of indentations on the cups. Children can always ask for more milk or water, but right now Shirley and Kevin are spending more time than usual emptying cups. Thank you!
Loop Road Walkie Talkies
Rod delivered us four walkie talkies for the Loop Road pick up duty.
Channel 3 can be used to communicate with Lyn on the front walkway or Shelley in the bus area.
Loop Road pickup: Use Channel 4 to communicate between the curb and the waiting area. We only have one channel available, so you’ll need to preface it with the child’s grade level (for example, Kindergarten, Student Name).
We will eventually switch to digital walkie talkies and will have more channels available, but this is what we have for now.
Please arrive for this duty no later than 2:55. Students should be supervised by their teachers until at least two people are on duty at each gate. Thank you!
File Cabinets
We have 7 new file cabinets in the storage room, nice two drawer, wheeled cabinets. Please claim one if you need it for your classroom
ADP Tutorial
For help on any ADP related matters: login or registration, password retrieval, or time card approval process, please view this beautiful presentation that Ed Cecere put together. This is a helpful guide and should answer your ADP related questions. If you still have problems after using Ed’s helpful guide, please let Veena: iyengarve@oes.edu know. There is a plan to put the ADP resource link in the LS Employee Resource page for future reference. Stay tune.
Library Usage for Classroom Events
When considering using the library as a potential location for your classroom events:
- Notify Lara at least 2 weeks prior to the event and discuss what your expectations are regarding the space to see if it is feasible. Assuming there are no scheduling conflicts, the space can be arranged for small group events.
- Set-up request in general – the Custodial crew needs notice 2 weeks in advance so they can plan their work schedule.
Substitute Procedures 2016-2017
- Email requests to lssub@oes.edu
- Google Doc of this information here if you’d like to add a copy to your Drive.
- Kathy tries to honor teacher requests for particular substitutes when need is known in advance. Sub requests made after office hours for the next day will assigned on a first response basis.
- We will be implementing an automated sub system for the 2017-18 school year. This system will provide more control for teachers.
Sub Folders
Please make sure your sub folders are accessible to subs. In your sub folder please have:
- Class list with photos
- Highlights of behavioral or academic plans so subs know different accommodations
- A 6 day rotating schedule that includes your duties
Food from Home
Students bring food from home only after we have done the following:
- Worked in partnership with the parents and Bon Appetite to test in-school options
- Had a parent meeting including a Bon Appetite representative and the OES Nurse
- Received doctor’s statement about the medical issue and proposed interventions
Please contact Elaine if you have further questions about how to support a child with dietary needs.
Maintenance Requests
Rod would like us all to return to the usual maintrequest@oes.edu protocol for maintenance requests. The Maintenance Log will become a view only document.
Your Announcements
Send any announcements you have for faculty to Kirstin, Chris or David 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 maximize our time to collaborate during meetings.
Archive
Utilize the archive for previous Weekly Memo.
