Thursday Thriller

 Thursday Thriller
January 28, 2021

Walla Walla School District awards scholarships to bilingual staff seeking education careers

Check out some superstars here!  One of these fabulous people works in our office and another is a sibling to our Asst Principal, Mr. Hernandez!

Congratulations, Ashley!!!!

NUTS-n-BOLTS

1.   Send me some screen shots tomorrow, if you want, of some school spirit

2.    Pam Jacobson has been working on a 'bell schedule' for tomorrow so you can take attendance.  If anything, take attendance paper/pencil 456 because 123 you should still be able to access Skyward. Some of you have the schedule posted on your Google classroom for students -good job!

3.  Pick up yesterday was good until we had the fire alarm go off.  It was something in the locker room that was fixed when the fire department came.  This was about 3:50 yesterday.  What was noticed was MOST people evacuated the building.  Fire alarm evacuations are NON NEGOTIABLE as well as entering the building.  We CAN NOT enter the building until it was all clear.  Just because we don't see smoke doesn't mean their is a fire. 

4.  As Ashley has emailed, you can begin inputting your grades.  If you are assigning an F you need to have a comment.  Feb 4th is the last day.  Please email Ashley when you have finished.  THANK YOU!

5.    Coffee in the lounge areas....use a Clorox wipe before and after use on the handle and please don't have the rim of the coffee pot touch your cup.

6.    Jennifer and Lynette are working on calculating growth for students on iReady.  We will continue to run reports.  Some of you have let me know who has made growth which is AWESOME!!! You have done a great job promoting this assessment.  

7.    We have had a couple of students who are transgender and want to be called different names/different pronouns.  This is not just a 'change my log in and screen name.'  There are Board Policies and Procedures that must be followed.  If you receive emails, please forward to Steve or Angie (depending on which grade) and they will work with Amy Ruff.  Just so you know...legally we can NOT reach out to parents and discuss this inquiry.  Amy reaches out and talks with the student.  Hand off to us and we will take it from there.

Administrative Procedures
Board Policy

8. Schedules -Angie and Steve are still working fast and furiously to balance classrooms so we will be ready to roll when we move to the yellow stage. There may be some switching of students.  Angie and Steve will email teachers so you know to send new students the links for Google Classrooms.  Also, there are some glitches with student schedules.  Parents are emailing counselors and they are taking care of it.  If you receive inquiries, please forward them on.  Thank you!

9.  PRETTY PLEASE participate in the virtual assembly.  Hopefully it will be our last virtual one. 

Something to Ponder

Kim Ramsey shared this link with me.  Great read, lots to think about AND one of our own WWPS colleagues wrote it.  

The tracking/sorting topic came up in our book study.  Lots of needed conversation around this topic. 

Hope you find a gold nugget.

QUOTE

"Listen to the whispers before they become yelling." -Alex Ellis

Little Humor

Isella started kindergarten Monday.  2.5 hours and she asked her mom, Katie Jo, "Can you rub my feet? We walked a lot in kindergarten today."  Oh child you have no idea😂  

So good to see kids and families dropping students off at school!  Even though they had masks on you could tell they had BIG SMILES!!!

Thursday Thriller, January 21, 2021

 Thursday Thriller
January 21, 2021

#TrooperProud

WE GOT THIS!!

So good to have students back in the building!  It seems surreal.  We will start with our PM students next week!

Nuts-n-Bolts

1. Curbside pick up next week.  Wednesday, Jan 27th A-L and Thursday, Jan. 28th M-Z both days 7:45-4:00.  If you have materials for students for second semester, please have them labeled and in the hallway that has the ramp; outside and to the right of Roger's classroom -end of day Friday, Jan. 22nd. If you have time and want to help, here is the Google doc to sign up. Thanks!

2. Schedule for Friday, January 29th.  This is a day to give students a pep talk that a new semester begins and maybe have a little fun with them.  Monday, Feb 1st begins 2nd semester on an 'A' day.

Friday, January 29th:
 1st period      9:00-9:23   7 mins for "passing"
2nd period      9:30-9:53    7 mins for "passing"
3rd period       10:00-10:23  7 mins for "passing"
4th  period       10:30-10:53   7 mins for "passing"
5th period        11:00 - 11:23   7 mins for "passing"
6th period        11:30-11:53 
 NO ASYNC time today unless you want.  We are doing this so we are aligned with the high school, finals schedule and beginning a Monday, new semester on an "A" day. 

3.  You're AWESOME!  No this isn't a typo!  Hope you are smiling. :)

4.  Grading for Equity...if you still want to join the book study for 20 clock hours we have room and books!  Just let me know.

5.  Here is an opportunity to be a part of the Middle School Collaborative Action Network.  Click this link to read about what the network is and here is the abridged teacher project description:

The Elevate partnership (formerly the Educational Attainment Alliance) endeavors to build strong communities by improving educational outcomes from cradle through career. As part of that effort, we are convening a working group to consider family and community engagement at the middle school level. Along with community partners and parents from across the region, we hope to engage classroom teachers, who we recognize as key stakeholders in this work. Meetings will be held every two weeks, in the evening, via Zoom; Elevate staff will provide administrative support, but all participants are volunteers. If you are interested in participating or have questions about the working group, please contact Jacqueline Lonning by email: jacqueline@uwbluemt.org, or phone: (602) 909-8154.

6.  Just another friendly reminder...our classrooms are balanced for when we return to our Hybrid AM/PM model.  Please, if you receive inquiries from families let them know," At this time, we aren't making any changes.  The balanced classes are critical because students and desks must remain 6 feet apart when in the classroom.  While other schools may be able to accommodate changes, all schools have different square footage, classes and the capacity in which we are able to maintain social distance guidelines."  Not that you have to go into more detail...however...with going from 7 classes to 6 and teachers teaching 5 of the 6... has also tightened up master schedule and thus we don't have as many options to switch classes around.  More information for you. 

7. Sports  and Music -Sports for MS will be considered when we return to the Yellow Stage.  Right now Tri Cities is not traveling and doing intramurals, Hermiston is not traveling and Pioneer does not have a gym.  We are limited.  However, Dirk and team will give us updated info as they receive it.  Music- choir students: currently choir and band students are not allowed to sing and play in school due to DoH guidelines.. Caleb and Roger will be very creative when students return. :D

8.  With the switch to a new semester and the potential to return to an AM/PM Hybrid model, we have students returning to us from WW Online.  Angie and Steve are working to create schedules for students.  These students will remain 'inactive' with a start date of Feb 1st.  Please make sure and share Google classroom links with these new students.

9.  Virtual Assembly -if you would like to participate, please email me.  Students LOVE seeing all staff!! :D

Something to Ponder

"Haunting of Past Damage" got my attention!  Especially when the article was about middle school students.  While it talks about a summer program, what I took away were the questions students were asked about their own literacy skills.  In talking with several of you in both ELA  AND outside of ELA, the resounding theme is, "We need to get students reading more."  Trying to find the genre, book that hooks student's attention.  How do some teachers get students to read outside of class?  Should we 'require' a certain amount of reading or a book every couple of months?  Is there something we could do as a whole school, to get students reading?  Yes, we have school wide reading challenges, THANK YOU, JAMI :D  but what could we expect of our students? Again, something to think about and ponder. 

Hope you find a gold nugget.  

Quote

Be the light

"There is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it.  If only we're brave enough to be it."

-Amanda Gorman
The youngest inaugural poet in US history.

Little Humor

Sometimes you have to veg out on Netflix.  Guess which movie I vegged out on this past weekend?  LOL

THURSDAY THRILLER January 14, 2021

 Thursday Thriller
January 14, 2021

When "I got noth'n" I have to share photos and videos of my family, right?!  Little insight about me... I LOVE SLEDDING!

:D

NUTS-n-BOLTS

1.    Tomorrow half day in the PM.  We will talk safety measures from 12:30-1:15 ish.   The rest of the time is collaboration.

2.  Angie, Steve, Cesar and Alex have been making phone calls and home visits to our students who will be starting on Tuesday.  As you can imagine, very excited parents. :D  We are looking forward to these kiddos starting. 

3.  FYI Beth's classroom had tables moved out so we could make room for 16 students in the AM and 16 students in the PM upon return in our AM/PM model.  We wanted to be proactive and do this so we didn't have to call parents and change AM students to PM and vise versa.  The goal is to have 32 desks so that the AM students sit in one desk and the PM students sit in another.  PLEASE do not email the custodians about moving anything out of your rooms.  Beth was gracious and let us come in to be the guinea pig for lack of better terms :) to see what we could do.  As we get closer to bringing students back I will do walk throughs with building and District admin to make sure we are safe and ready for students. UPDATE -Beth will be moving to room 168 since there is a ceiling mounted doc camera.  

4. On Tuesday at 3:30 the COVID Consultant will be walking through the building with Mike Kay, custodians and myself. 

5.    I have been talking with colleagues around the state who have been in person in hybrid models. Northwood Middle School in the Mead District has 800 7th and 8th graders.  They have been in person since October with no co-horting of students and have not had outbreaks.  I am going to Zoom with the assistant principal as she shows me 'live' their school.  There are schools successfully opening up that I wanted to tap into and pick their brains.  Before we get to the AM/PM model we will have meetings and planning sessions.  If you have concerns or questions now, please let me know.  

6.  Lynette is going to take over the web page; let her know if there are things that should be posted.  

7.  Curbside pick up on the following dates:

January 27th last names A-L 7:45-4:00
January 28th Last Names M-Z (Anyone who didn't come on the 27th -7:45-4:00
January 29th prepare leftover materials for delivery 
Feb. 3-5 deliveries to home
Materials:  2nd semester planners, Chromebook cases, Math books (volume 2), 8th grade registrations materials for WA HI, library books.

Are there other materials that need to be on this pick up list?  I meet with Jami and Kara tomorrow to finalize a plan.  We will need staff support.  Stay tuned.

8.  Pam Jacobson, Mindy, Ron, Rob A, Carina, Chris G and I met this morning to discuss end of 1st semester and beginning of 2nd semester dates.  Of course...LOL the end of the semester and the day of 'count' is all on one day.  Because the high school has semester classes ending and new ones beginning, we decided as a group that on FRIDAY, JAN 29th students would go to ALL 6 periods (23 mins approx) and the afternoon would be NO ASYNC time (the afternoon to tie up loose ends or whatever :D) Then MONDAY, FEB 1st is an A day and the beginning of 2nd semester. I will work to get a schedule put together.  Mark H will most likely be communicating this out. 

9. Resource room. Met with Nate, Nate and Adam regarding students on their case loads.  We want communication two-way so we have come up with an easy solution...we think. :D  Pam Jacobson is going to create 'classes' for Nate, Nate, Adam that have their caseload of students in 'that class.' Weekly, Nate, Nate and Adam will print attendance and grades.  If a student has an F or D, they will reach out and talk to you.  IF, you the gen ed teacher (remember sped students are GEN ED students first) are going to assign an F to a resource room student you must reach out to that student's case manager and have a conversation with them.  There can be some problem solving, maybe giving the student a P, etc.   Here is the case management load Google Doc.  Yellow highlighted students have been identified to attend in the AM on 1/19 and Blue highlighted for PM on 1/25

10.  Concerns with students and/or discipline, so to speak -please send those to Steve and Angie.  If it is 'big' they will bring it to me to work through.  I want to make sure you are receiving the help  you need in a timely manner. 

Steve -7th grade students and 8th Grade M-Z (last name)
Angie - 6th grade students and 8th Grade A-L (last name)

11.  Kayla Crain will be doing her counseling internship with us.  Kayla is a former Pioneer student when Angie and I worked there and a WA HI grad.  We are pretty excited to have her join us!! She was a go-getter in middle school and has continued that same enthusiasm!

SOMETHING to PONDER

Do you do New Year's Resolutions?  For years, I tried UNSUCCESSFULLY.  This year I approached my NYR with a different lens; changing habits.   I bought a bullet journal and have created a 'habit tracker.'  The sheer joy I get when I can color in the day for completing that habit.  One of my new habits is tracking reading and reflecting.  Another one is 'no spending.' I haven't been as good at this one. LOL.  

Hope you find a gold nugget. :D

Why Habit Tracking
Build Better Habits WORKSHEET
Habit Tracker

QUOTE

“I’m not perfect; no, I step in shit all the time and recognize it when I do. I’ve just learned how to scrape it off my boots and carry on.”

Matthew McConaughey
Greenlights

Little Humor

Speaking of New Years Resolutions! 😆

Thursday Thriller January 7, 2021

 Thursday Thriller

January 7, 2021

Our Webpage was updated over break.  Right now Armida is the person who is putting information on the webpage.  You can email us both if you need something loaded.  Thank you

Nuts-n-Bolts

1.  If you are interested in participating in the book study, Grading for Equity in which you would get the book AND clock hours, please email me.  Book study would be outside of school time, one hour a week, plus reading time.  Approximately 20 clock hours. Here is the outline for the 20 hours.   ALSO if there is another colleague outside of Garrison that would like to participate, they are more than welcome too.  They would just have to buy their own book. 

2.  Grade with Grace -know that you have the opportunity to make professional decisions for individual cases. I'm not asking you to throw every belief, practice, etc out the window.  What I am asking is that you set aside your personal biases, which we ALL have.  Biases are human, natural and based upon our experiences.  Biases do not mean you are 'bad' unless you know they are bad and don't do anything to change them and moving forward is hurtful.  Which...can honestly say none of us are in that boat. 

Please look through the lens of a pandemic, students not being in school for almost a year and if you have children, nieces/nephews, siblings etc that ARE doing well doesn't mean the students who aren't doing well are giving you the finger (there are some students who we know do give us the finger.  What I have learned in 30 years don't take it personally.  Behavior is communicating something. :D). 

The posts on the Jamboard will be looked over with the GC team so we can take the information and determine a starting point for further discussions as a school. 

I'm off my soap box. :D  There will always be different view points on grading ESPECIALLY in remote learning.   Thank you for reading and keeping an open mind. 

3.  Thank you for always adhering to safety measures.  I truly appreciate not being the mask/social distance police.  YOU ROCK!!!!!

4.  The next couple of weeks are going to be filled with the planning of bringing students back.  Here are some things to be aware of and will come down the pike:

     a.  Wade has hired an outside COVID Safety Specialist to guide our District as we move forward bringing students back.  This specialist along with Mike Kay will be walking through the building and going through safety measures with me so we will be ready.

     b.  We will identify our 10% with your input.    

      c.  Strict safety measures will be put into place that I will communicate with you via email and in our staff meetings; by the way you are AWESOME at reading your email!! Thank you!!!!

    d.   Wade keeps the web page up to date please take time to look through the information.  WWPS

  5.  Students in the AM will be here for the 9:00-11:53 times.  Students in the PM will be here from 12:15-2:15.  The best we can do with bussing.  I will adjust para schedules accordingly. 

We will do a slow roll out of bringing the 10% of students back.  Tentatively the week of January 19th we would start with our AM students.  Tentative the week of the 25th we would add our PM students. 

6.  We are looking at the week of January 25th, not set on the exact date and time, for a 2nd semester materials pick up.  So far, we know we will have planners and probably the math consumable workbooks.  What other materials would need to be picked up for 2nd semester learning?  AS A DEPARTMENT, please email me.  Jami, Kara and I will work on a plan. 

Something to Ponder

Here is an article from Edutopia on grading.  While I am removed from the grading practices within the classroom, there is a part of my job responsibility to 'grade' staff through evaluation.  Eval doesn't make teachers better it's the feedback and conversations as part of the process.  No, you don't have the time to converse with every single student and give meaningful feedback as the only method of letting a student know how well or not so well they are doing

 Furthermore, we are still in a culture where 'grades' mean something to students and families.   **I am not against grades.  I'm opening Pandora's box so we can have deeper discussions around what your grading practices mean, how they reflect students' progress and knowledge of the key standards and components, and what your convictions are; what are your stakes in the ground with the grades you give?

Quote

Little Humor

The Pandemic in Six-Word Memoirs.  What would your six words be?

Every day's a bad hair day. -Leigh Giza,

Home ec:  rationing butter, bourbon, sanity -Chritine Triano

Social distancing myself from the fridge -Maria Leooldo

Video