Weekly Memo
WM 23, January 29 - February 2, 2018
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This week launches us into some of the busiest weeks of the year with Admissions days, report writing, conferences and the starting of the hiring season. Pace yourself for the weeks ahead and make time for a break, such as attending a performance of Tasha's class play, Twelfth Night.
Lower School Agreements
- 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
COMMUNITY
Gathering and Chapel - Please be seated and ready at 8:10.
Lower School Chapel Schedule for 2017-2018
A regular week:
Chapel: 1/30
Gathering: 2/2
Natasha's Class Play - Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, 2/1 and 2/2
See her sign-up for availability.
World Read Aloud Day
For those of you who are interested in recognizing World Read Aloud Day, February 1st, this Thursday, in your class here is a link to the official site which includes lots of information and resources.
Home Base Book Club- Intermediate Years
Do you have a student that stays after school for Extension that may benefit from additional reading activities? IY Home Base is starting up a book club on Monday, 2/5.
- All students are invited to participate in the book club.
- Students are encouraged to chose a book that is new to them and a challenge.
- Books may be read with a friend.
- Once the student has finished his/her book the student will complete a Book Talk.
Please email Miriam at agronm@oes.edu if you have a student that should be encouraged to participate in Home Base Book Club.
Winter Coffees -
Thanks to all who participated. The presentations are now posted on the Parent Portal.
Admissions
Saturday is PreK visit day. If you are involved, Sarah will have contacted you already. Based on the number of illnesses going around, we may need to ask others to step in to help. Please be open.
Saturday, 2/03 - PreK Visit Day
Thursday, 2/08 - K/P/1 visit day
Admissions visits dates 2nd - 4th grades, are set for January and February. Please be sure they work for your class.
Your observations are critical for candidate rating and decisions:
Classroom Teacher Observation Guidelines for Student Visit
Specialist Observation Form
Playground Update
Getting closer
Student Updates
With report cards looming, remember that a lot of information about students is in the SST site. If you have a student you have questions about, please review the entries in the SST site.
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.
The SST Agenda, includes the names of students that we have discussed. Please review each week.
Re-enrollment Contracts
Are due back 2/6. Have families contact Jen Bash with Financial Aid questions. Let Chris, Kirstin or David know if families let you know they will not be or are unsure if they will be returning.
Stephanie Rankin on leave
She returns on 2/1. Thanks to Michael Gundle for taking over her classes while she was away
Jeffrey Sprague returns to full time on 2/1
Safety: AEDs on Campus
See Rebecca's email with a map showing the location of each AED on campus
Midwinter Madness
The Midwinter Madness committee in the Upper School is hosting Lower School Parent’s Night Out again this year! This year, we are taking the kids to Pump It Up. On Friday, January 2nd, parents will drop their children off after school and a bus will take them to Pump it Up (with adult supervision). We would like 3-4 faculty members to help us supervise the kids. They will get to jump around and have fun for 80 minutes, and then come back to OES to debrief and play some games before parents pick them up. The whole experience will be from 4-8. Please let me know if you are interested!
Patricia Polacco Cards
Chris mentioned the opportunity at Gathering. Cards will be collected in the Library and at Extension.
PROGRAM
Faculty Meetings
Monday, 01/26 - LS Meeting 3:15 LS Library
We will meet briefly in the LS Library for announcements:
Mindfulness Survey
Service Learning
Other
Then we will disperse to discuss students in preparation for report writing.
Classroom Teachers in classroom. Specialist Teachers come visit.
Thursday, 02/01 - Department and BY/IY meeting
Report Timeline
The reporting timeline remains the same. While it is never easy, I did want to remind you of why the timeline is as it is.
2/12 - Reports Due. Proofing begins.
2/16 – All Reports posted to Parent Portal/ ERB’s mailed
2/19 - Holiday
3/1 & 3/2 - Conferences
Report Card Reading Continuum Reminders
These two documents might be helpful as we work on report cards. The Fountas and Pinnell Instructional Reading level expectations is a document which highlights the instructional reading level expectations for every grade level. This is helpful just as you are tracking your students and making sure they are meeting expectations.
The Correlation of Continuum Stages and Text Levels document highlights reading levels and matches them with the continuum stages. This can help you start in one stage and review the skills to see which stage the student fits into as well as skills and strategies for the narrative comments.
PGD Opportunities
Mathematics Conference
Brain-based Strategies for Children and Adolescents
Workshop details are available here. Please RSVP no more than one person per grade level to Kirstin.
Library of Congress Teacher Institute
Applications for the 2018 Library of Congress Teacher Institutes have just opened
gcLi Leadership Lab
Week long conference in Colorado focused on teaching teachers about teaching leadership. Let David know if you re interested.
Mindfulness Resources
Claire has compiled a collection of mindfulness resources she’d like to share with you: you can access them here, including the video Why Mindfulness is a Superpower and other wry animated animal wisdom.
She returns on 2/1. Thanks to Michael Gundle for taking over her classes while she was away
Jeffrey Sprague returns to full time on 2/1
Safety: AEDs on Campus
See Rebecca's email with a map showing the location of each AED on campus
Midwinter Madness
The Midwinter Madness committee in the Upper School is hosting Lower School Parent’s Night Out again this year! This year, we are taking the kids to Pump It Up. On Friday, January 2nd, parents will drop their children off after school and a bus will take them to Pump it Up (with adult supervision). We would like 3-4 faculty members to help us supervise the kids. They will get to jump around and have fun for 80 minutes, and then come back to OES to debrief and play some games before parents pick them up. The whole experience will be from 4-8. Please let me know if you are interested!
Patricia Polacco Cards
Chris mentioned the opportunity at Gathering. Cards will be collected in the Library and at Extension.
PROGRAM
Faculty Meetings
Monday, 01/26 - LS Meeting 3:15 LS Library
We will meet briefly in the LS Library for announcements:
Mindfulness Survey
Service Learning
Other
Then we will disperse to discuss students in preparation for report writing.
Classroom Teachers in classroom. Specialist Teachers come visit.
Thursday, 02/01 - Department and BY/IY meeting
Report Timeline
The reporting timeline remains the same. While it is never easy, I did want to remind you of why the timeline is as it is.
- moved report writing and conferences closer together to allow the report to be your conference notes, eliminating the need to write separate conference notes
- moved report writing day into February to allow more time for children to settle in after Winter Break and more time for assessments
- made Admissions Day and Report Writing Day adjacent to reduce the number of disrupted weeks and to provide families with a mini winter break
- planned to have reports written and proofed before President's Day weekend so you have a three day weekend after completing the process
2/12 - Reports Due. Proofing begins.
- Proofing rotation:
- Grade Level Classroom Teachers - proof each others
- Primary - Shelley proofs Chris O'T’s
- Art - Chris proofs Margaret’s, Kirstin proofs Laura’s
- Music - Kristen and Amy proof each others
- PE - Proof each others
- Spanish - Kelola proofs Alfredo’s. Kirstin and Chris split Kelola’s
- Science - David proofs Jane’s
2/16 – All Reports posted to Parent Portal/ ERB’s mailed
2/19 - Holiday
3/1 & 3/2 - Conferences
Report Card Reading Continuum Reminders
These two documents might be helpful as we work on report cards. The Fountas and Pinnell Instructional Reading level expectations is a document which highlights the instructional reading level expectations for every grade level. This is helpful just as you are tracking your students and making sure they are meeting expectations.
The Correlation of Continuum Stages and Text Levels document highlights reading levels and matches them with the continuum stages. This can help you start in one stage and review the skills to see which stage the student fits into as well as skills and strategies for the narrative comments.
PGD Opportunities
Mathematics Conference
On March 7th-10th, Teachers Development Group Leadership Seminar on Mathematics Mary is going. Even better if some LS colleagues join her. Many of the authors of mathematics education books and curriculum materials as well as leaders in the math education research field come to speak. They often share their most current research on children's mathematical thinking.
Wednesday night for the keynote. Thursday and Friday all day. Thursday night a banquet is offered, but it is optional. Saturday morning is one 2 hour session and a lunch which many people do not attend.
Yes Brain RSVP Here
Dates: Tuesday evenings January 30, February 20 and March 6, 2018
Time: 7:30-9pm
Location: Lower School Library
Dates: Tuesday evenings January 30, February 20 and March 6, 2018
Time: 7:30-9pm
Location: Lower School Library
First Session: Chapters 1 and 2: Introduction and Balance
We hope you can join us!
We hope you can join us!
Brain-based Strategies for Children and Adolescents
Workshop details are available here. Please RSVP no more than one person per grade level to Kirstin.
Library of Congress Teacher Institute
Applications for the 2018 Library of Congress Teacher Institutes have just opened
gcLi Leadership Lab
Week long conference in Colorado focused on teaching teachers about teaching leadership. Let David know if you re interested.
Mindfulness Resources
Claire has compiled a collection of mindfulness resources she’d like to share with you: you can access them here, including the video Why Mindfulness is a Superpower and other wry animated animal wisdom.
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.
OES Google 2 Factor Authentication requirement
Deadline has passed.
OPERATIONS
Safety: Emergency Procedures Meeting Notes - The Short Form
- Have your phone, keycard and keys at all times.
- Maintrequest for issues with blinds or locks
- See Rebecca if you don’t have the keys you need.
- Jon and Rod are finishing PA testing/repair. We will do a test of our remote PA system once all is ready
- Kati and the Extension team are looking at ways to enhance security after hours
NEW Emergency Procedures Flipchart
Familiarize yourself with it. Know basic first steps.
ALL LS Employees: Time Cards need to be approved twice a month.
Yearbook Pictures
Austin is looking for photos for the yearbook. You can either share them (or where you post them) with him, or add them to the appropriate Google Drive folders. I already have a plethora to dive through, and he is excited to see what you all add.
School Closure Procedure
We generally make a decision—school as usual, two hour delay, or no school—shortly after 5:00 AM.
Accident/Incident Form
We have a NEW Incident/Accident Report Form created by Brad K.
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.
Bus Cost: $50/hr or $2.75/mi
Information Organization
LS Common Forms & other Relevant Information in LS Important Documents
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 divison Assistant Head Trips around and off campus - be sure Ls Office knows where you areDisease 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.
