4.12.24 Staff Blog

 I am really looking forward to a fun walk-a-thon today, and have my fingers crossed for some sunshine (or at least the absence of rain).  Here is hoping your weekend is just what you need.

Quick Look:

**As always, please check the IEP/SST Calendar for updates.

Friday April 12	Walk-a-thon Depending on how many parents show up, I may ask you to stand in the field and help tally students as they go around. 2:15  K/1 cluster comes down 2:20  2/3   2:25  4/5 2:30 Journey Walk/run until 3:15 when we'll announce "final laps".  For kids who are done, we will have informal recess from 3:15-3:25. At 3:25, everyone returns to their rooms for dismissal.
Wednesday April 17	Early Release- K-5 District Time (IN PERSON at SLC): Please read the information below- This year’s final Equitable Literacy District Early Release Session will be held in person at the Shoreline Center on April 17th. We are excited to bring elementary teachers and specialists together for learning and sharing about the topic of vocabulary instruction. Please bring your laptop. What: Equitable Literacy: Revisiting Vocabulary Instruction  When: Wednesday April 17, 2024 from 2:20-4:00 Where: Shoreline Center - more details below Groups and Session Locations Groups Location Kindergarten Highlander Room Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3 Title/LAP, MLL, Special Ed. BLS Shoreline Room Grade 4, Grade 5, Special Ed. Resource Spartan Room Librarians Professional Library Map of the Shoreline Center can be found here ESA’s and Other Specialists will be meeting in job-alike groups. Meeting information can be found below. More information will be sent to these groups directly by their facilitators. Groups Meeting Location Contact K-5 Counselors & Psychologists Arden Room, Shoreline Center Trish Rogers OT/PTs TBD - message will be sent with more information Amy Vujovich Self-Contained Teachers Zoom - link will be sent  Alicia Favreau Deans Shoreline Center - message with room will be sent  Cassie Porter Music Teachers Ridgecrest Andrea Early PE Teachers Briarcrest/ North City Don Dalziel
Thursday April 18	Staff Meeting-8:05 in the Library
Friday April 19	8:05 in the Library- Optional Budget Presentation (Dr. Reyes, Angela Von Essen to present)
Monday April 22-Friday April 26	Spring Break
Monday April 29	Equity 301
Tuesday April 30	K/1 Field Trip
Wednesday May 1	Early Release- Individual Time
Thursday May 2	MTSS Team Meeting- 8:05
Saturday May 4	Cascade Auction
Wednesday May 8	Early Release-Individual Time
Thursday May 9	Staff Meeting-8:05 Library
Monday May 13- Friday May 24	Art Fest Set Up
Wednesday May 15	Early Release- Principal Time
Thursday May 16	Final Equity Team Meeting
Wednesday May 22	Early Release- Individual Time
Thursday May 23	Staff Meeting-8:05 Library
Wednesday May 29	Full Day Wednesday- 4th and 5th Colonialism Speaker
Thursday May 30	Final MTSS Team Meeting
LOOKING AHEAD:
Tuesday May 28-Friday May 31	6/7 Camp
Wednesday June 12-Friday June 14	K-5 Spring Camp (Please note the date change!!)
Tuesday June 18	Spring Fling Dance 6:00-7:30 p.m. (grades 5-8, please note the time change) at Cascade
Wednesday June 19	Juneteenth- No School
Thursday June 20	Moving On/Moving Up Ceremony (6:00-7:00 p.m. at Shorecrest High School)

SPRING CAMP SPREADSHEET:ACTION

If you have not already done so, please share your plans for K-5 Spring Camp. I would like to provide our staffing plan to the planning committee by April 19.  Thank you.

STUDENT SURVEY:ACTION(grades 3-8)

One of the next steps in building our school goal around Culture and Community was to survey students and families to identify bright spots and areas of growth.  The Equity Team met on Thursday and we created a brief survey to be administered to students in grades 3-8.  Please introduce this survey to students in a way that communicates the importance of their thoughtful answers.  We really do value this feedback, and want to make the most of the information we receive.  If you read the survey and recognize areas where students may get stuck, please do clarify for them or read the questions out loud so that students can be sure they understand what they are answering.  Thank you for administering the survey before Friday, April 19th.  

Here is the link:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv8yl950eIPwElkr9aLcicKeU5ouxCl6sJe986RodT4bm4Zw/viewform?usp=sf_link

FIELD UPDATE: HELPFUL

Yesterday, I sent out information to families that the field will be under construction (to be replaced with a turf/cork field) when we return from spring break.  The plan is for the work on the field to begin after spring break and to be completed in August.  I will continue to keep you updated, and will send out a drawing of the final plan once I get it. 

AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: HELPFUL 

Here is the schedule:

Cooking Club

Mondays, Apr 1 – Jun 3, 2024 (except Apr 22, May 27)

Time: 3:35 - 5:15pm

Dandylyon Drama

Wednesdays, Apr 3 – May 29, 2024 (except Apr 24)

Time: 1:55 - 3:10pm (Last class on 5/29 runs 3:35-4:50pm)

Location: cafeteria 

STAFF SHOUT OUTS: HELPFUL

Thank you so much for filling out a staff shout out! If you would like to recognize a colleague, please use the link at the top of the blog. Here is our shout out for this week!

JIM!! Thank you for helping keep our playground safe by adjusting the height of the latches.  I appreciate the way you got it taken care of so quickly.

PD OPPORTUNITIES: HELPFUL

Articulation and Its Impact on Phonemic and Phonological Awareness Training Opportunity

Description: This 1-hour session will provide participants with an overview of articulation cues and speech errors which can contribute to difficulty with spelling and decoding. Connections will be made to the UFLI LiteracyCurriculum.

To register for the course, log in to ProDev and sign up. Additional information will be sent to participants prior to the course date. 

Audience: K-2 Teachers

ProDev Course ID: 5014

Location: Syre Elementary  

Date: April 16 

Time: 7:45 a.m. 

Clock Hours: 1 

FOOD ALLOWED AT SCHOOL: HELPFUL

From Nutrition Services- A reminder regarding allowable foods at school. 

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REMINDERS: HELPFUL

AIR PURIFIERS:ACTION

In cooperation with PTSA, air filters in the classroom air purifiers are periodically replaced.  If you have gotten out of the habit of turning on your classroom air purifiers, please plan on turning them on each morning.  That way, we can maximize the air filter resource and hopefully make it through this cold and flu season with fewer impacts to us and our students.  I will turn them on if I see they are off as I am in classrooms.  Please help by turning on your air purifiers each day.

LUNCH PERIOD SCHEDULE: HELPFUL

This document is linked in our systems and procedures document, but I am including it here in case.  

CK-8 SYSTEMS/STAFF HANDBOOK DOCUMENT (DRAFT): HELPFUL

This document is in progress, and will be updated as we all learn/refresh our memories on the systems and structures in place at CK-8.  If you see an area that could use an addition,  or if something is not correct, please email me the correction ( rebbecah.emanuel@ssd412.org)

DISTRICT INFORMATION: HELPFUL

FROM STUDENT SERVICES:

Schools are required to document whether an interpreter is requested and provided for 1) IEP meetings and 2) reengagement meetings following an exclusionary plan. For every IEP meeting or reengagement meeting with a multilingual family, OFFICE MANAGERS will complete each field on your buildings tab on this spreadsheet. See District Policy 4218 for details about this requirement.

TECH TIPS:

Here is an archive of all tech tips provided by the district technology team.