Weekly Memo
WM 27, February 26 - March 2, 2018
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Thank you for your flexibility and extra help as we dealt with the weather challenges. May this week proceed without weather disruptions.
Best of luck with conferences. Chris, Kirstin and I will be around if you want to discuss a conference before or after it occurs.
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
We continue our 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.
Lower School Chapel Schedule for 2017-2018
Chapel 2/27: Birthday Blessings
Gathering 3/2: No gathering, LS Conferences
School Shooting Response
Look for a letter from Mo or Peter in the near future about our response to school shootings and safety that will address how we will respond to the 3/14 National School Walkout, how we will help our students learn about the importance of civic engagement and civil protest and how we can make our campus safer.
Continued fun and few injuries on the new playground. Some areas remain slippery so be sure children go slow.
- Have fun, be safe
- Slow down
- Look before you leap
- Be kind to the plants and stay on the paths
- Go down the turf slope and up the sides
- 2 people per boat hammock
- Do not climb on the top of the castle walls
Juidi Alongi will be back during conference days, testing her stamina and preparing for returning to the classroom part time the following week.
4th Grade Opening
The search has begun. Let David know if you have any recommendations.
Student Updates
The SST Site contains valuable information that is helpful in understanding a student’s history and action plans. You may want to review the entries in the site before writing a child's report. The SST Site is linked in the Weekly Memo and can only be accessed on campus.
PROGRAM
Faculty Meetings
Monday, 2/26 - AS Calendar Meeting - 2nd round of feedback
Thursday, 3/1 - No Meeting, Conferences
- The exhibits are up. Mark Shelton's work is hung in Lower Farris. Vanport Mosaic is in Upper Farris.
- Vanport survivors vist on 2/28
- Mark Shelton evening presentation, 2/26, 6:00 - 7:30pm, Lower Farris
- Laura Lo Fo evening presentation on Vanport, 2/27, 6:00 - 7:30pm, Upper Farris
Conferences
Classroom and Specialist conference signups are closed
Parents who wish to make changes to their conference schedule should contact Kathy directly. Teachers may not make changes to the conference schedule without consulting Kathy. We need an accurate schedules in the LS Office for all.
Conference reminders
No surprises for parents at the conferences
If you are having someone join your conference, be sure parents know ahead of time
If you are hoping for an SST member to join you at a conference be sure they know and you have clarified their role at the conference
If you are having someone join your conference, be sure parents know ahead of time
If you are hoping for an SST member to join you at a conference be sure they know and you have clarified their role at the conference
We lost the last meeting in the snow. The next meeting is March 6 from 7:30-9:00 in the LS Library-we hope you can join us!
Admissions
Decision meetings continue with offers of enrollment being sent out on March 9th.
OPERATIONS
Emergency Posters
Lyn and Kathy are putting laminated emergency posters in each of your mailboxes. Please post in a clearly visible location in your classroom (next to your evacuation map and emergency clipboard by the door is a suggested location). Thank you!
Prompt arrival
Remember, we all agreed to ensure we ended our class/ activity in time for student to transition to their next class on time.
Duties
Remember, we all agreed to ensure we ended our class/ activity in time for student to transition to their next class on time.
Duties
In order to make it on time for duty, you need to end your class in time to allow you to make it to duty on time. You need to end your class before 10:50 in order to make it duty at 10:50. Prompt arrival to your lunch/recess duty is appreciated.
Weather Challenges
- Thank you Jon von Behren and Mo for making the hard calls about early dismissal, closing school and late start. three different calls on three consecutive days.
- Early dismissal on Tuesday went well. Even without the PA system, all but 4 students were picked up by 12:15 and all were homeward bound by 1:00
- We sent a few suggestions to Rebecca Williams to improve early release
- Thanks to the many who offered extra help and to those who let maintenance know about icy patches on walkways, stairs and play areas
- There is more uncertain weather ahead for next week
Classroom Budget
- Check your classroom budget shared by Lyn online. Review the budget entry and if you have questions, let Lyn know.
- Do not wait until late April to order classroom materials. Fill out the order form online in the LS Common Forms & other Relevant Information. Let Kathy know if you need assistance with the order form.
Lyn and Kathy are putting laminated emergency posters in each of your mailboxes. Please post in a clearly visible location in your classroom (next to your evacuation map and emergency clipboard by the door is a suggested location). Thank you!
Guest Teachers
- To avoid double booking or scheduling conflict, do not contact the guest teachers directly. All guest teacher requests must be done through Smartfind. You can always request a guest teacher from your priority list in Smartfind. In a situation when you have an immediate need of a guest teacher during the day, let Kathy or Lyn know.
- Keep an open mind and give our newly hired guest teachers a chance to teach in your class. This is a good opportunity for them to learn and to get familiarize with the Lower School culture. Relying on a few veteran guest teachers limits our pool especially when a situation calls for multiple guest teaching assignments.
- Share your experience, comments or observations about our guest teachers with the Division Assistant Heads, Lyn or Kathy.
- If you need assistance with Smartfind about creating an absence or other logistical information contact Lyn or Jeffrey.
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.
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.
