Thursday Thriller
August 27, 2020
Thank you to Armida for creating AND hanging our new signs!! Whoop! Whoop!!
Thank you, Kara and Jami, for getting our tech totes ready to hand out on Monday! Also, LOOK AT THE SHINE on the floor! Brent, Doug and Mark have worked SUPER hard this summer to beautify the school both inside and out!!! THANK YOU!!
NUTS-n-BOLTS
1. Lots of changing going on in the District with staffing. Gotta hand it to Chris Gardea and Liz Campeau for managing all the moving targets! Yowza! With that being said, I would like to welcome Adam Berg! Adam will be joining our sped team. He will be here in the mornings and at Walla High School in the afternoons (Adam takes Nate Dross' place who will remain full time at Pioneer.)
Secondly, HR worked with our local PSE team to come up with a solution for our classified staff to participate in a SharedWork program. The program provides flexibility to retain employees at reduced hours. Employees are eligible for lost wages benefits through unemployment, while maintaining their health insurance. All para educators will start the school year with 4 hours of SharedWork time. Cesar is working on schedules as we speak.
2. We are almost ready to hit 'print' for all of our student schedules! Angie and Steve are working on 'cleaning up' overloads. If you are looking at your classes and wondering why there are 19 in the morning and only 5 in the afternoon that is because those 19 families requested the AM slot upon return to our Hybrid face-to-face model. HOWEVER, we MUST balance classes so that when we return we are in compliance with CDC, local health department and our School Board guidelines of maintaining 6 feet apart. Also, the survey that parents completed to request AM or PM stated in so many words that we will try to do our best to honor your request. There will be movement of families to either the AM or PM to balance the classes. You might be asking yourself, "Why is she telling us this? Just do it." I keep you in the loop so that when families, friends of friends ask you or inquire we are all armed with the same information because there will be parents who lose their shiz because they can't have the AM or PM slot they requested; I'm already fielding calls.
3. Click on this link and it will take you to the agendas for our days together next week (Times may be adjusted but for the most part this is the schedule). There will be guidance before turning you loose. :) Hats off the GC team (Conor, Kim R, Stacey, Amy K, Roger, Brian and Agnes) for their work and thinking to plan this time. You will notice ACCOUNTABILITY/TECH Group. Everyone has been assigned a 'support' :D group to work through Zoom/Google Classroom. You will be meeting with this team on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Again, there will be guidance.
4. During out time together next week three big goals to cover:
a. Getting comfortable with technology and teaching live
b. Developing norms for students of how we learn online (how to use the chat box, appropriate dress, cameras on, etc.). Just like you develop classroom expectations; what are the collective agreements and expectations of live, online learning?
c. Developing/planning the first four days of school. CONNECTING back with students, building those trusting relationships, working through the clunkiness of online learning and setting up expectations for the asynchronous time.
5. We will have a checklist of items to cover with your first period class on Thursday, Sept. 3rd. NOT a long list because the goal is to CONNECT with kids and make sure the tech works. However, we should all cover a few of the same basics.
6. Monday and Tuesday from 10:00-6:00 PM is the tech pick up. The secretaries, Kara and myself will be alternating shifts on Monday. Same on Tuesday, although I won't go out until after 3:00.
7. THANK YOU for wearing your masks! EVERYONE I have seen throughout the building has had their's on. I know they are uncomfortable but I sure appreciate your cooperation.
8. FLIP GRID PLEASE get your Flipgrid completed! Agnes, Amy K and Jose are trying to put something together for our 6th graders via the WEB program. YOUR COOPERATION is needed.
Go to flipgrid.com, enter code ba78945a to record your response. END OF DAY TOMORROW(8/28) PLEASE!
9. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) please direct all inquires to Armida. Tech requests need to be done through IT. While Conor is super accommodating, he can't drop what he is doing to answer your emails; we must do IT requests.
Something to Ponder
We are gearing up for a new year! I can imagine there are a plethera of emotions and they will continue! There will be many ups, downs, frustrations and joys with DL 2.0. Just know that wherever you are you are farther and better than you were last spring; we keep getting better! I enjoyed this 90 sec video. Made me smile, reflect and inspire me to be better each day! “Mamba Mentality” of “Just be better"
Little Humor
WE will be doing some ice breakers next week so happy up! :D
