2.14.25 Staff Blog

Wishing you a warm and energizing mid winter break.  We do not have staff meeting time to discuss our conference schedule, but please note the following important points- Megan and Fergus will both be attending 8th Grade Camp during the week of conferences.  There will be one library session per homeroom during the week of conferences, but no other specialist time.  We will still have a shortened lunch time as we have in the past for spring conferences.  Devon and I are working on placing the library times throughout that week.  While we are still working on finalizing details, please take some time to review the tab on the master schedule titled “spring conferences” so you are aware of the schedule for the week of March 3-7 (coming right up!).  

Quick Look: 

Monday February 17-Friday February 21	No School- Mid-Winter Break
Tuesday February 25	Micaela secured funding for Taproot Theater to present two shows for us.  Celebrate!!  The K-5 show will be from 1:00-2:00 in the cafeteria.   4th and 5th, please leave the classroom at 12:55 2nd and 3rd, please follow 4th and 5th K and 1st, please follow 2nd and 3rd. The 6-8 show will be from 2:30-3:30 in the cafeteria. Please arrive in the cafeteria by 2:30.
Wednesday February 26	Early Release-Individual Time
Thursday February 27	MTSS Team Meeting- 8:05 in the Main Office Conference Room
Friday February 28- Sunday March 30 or Monday March 31	Ramadan Ramadan is February 28 through March 30 or 31 this year, and Muslims around the world will fast from dawn to sunset as part of their spiritual practices. The holiday Eid Al Fitr* ends Ramadan, and it could fall on Sunday, March 30 or Monday, March 31 this year. Students and staff may miss that date to break the daytime fast of Ramadan and engage in religious and cultural traditions. This brief guide includes ways you can support Muslim students during Ramadan, especially at the middle and high school level (though some elementary students may choose to fast).
Thursday March 6	Staff Meeting- Session 2 Braiding Sweetgrass
Sunday March 2- Friday March 7	8th Grade Camp
Monday March 3-Friday March 7	Spring Conferences (11:55 Dismissal)
Wednesday March 12	Early Release- Individual Time
Thursday March 13	Staff Meeting- 8:05 in the library
Friday March 14	Class Photos (in the morning)
Wednesday March 19	Early Release- Individual Time
Thursday March 20	Equity Team Meeting- 8:05 in Tamara’s Room
Friday March 21	Electives Afternoon
Wednesday March 26	Early Release- Principal Time
Thursday March 27	MTSS Meeting- 8:10 in the conference room
Saturday March 29	Auction Fundraiser at Shoreline Community College- The theme is Wolves in Wonderland
LOOKING AHEAD
Wednesday April 2-Friday April 5	State Competition for TSA in Spokane
Wednesday April 2	Early Release- Individual Time
Thursday April 3	Staff Meeting- 8:05 in the library (Assessment)
Tuesday April 15	Skate Night at Lynnwood Bowl and Skate (6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m.)
Thursday May 15	ArtsFest and Bite of Cascade
Wednesday May 21-Friday May 23	K-5 Spring Camp at Camp Huston- Get in touch with our camp lead, Brandi at springcamp@cascadek8ptsa.org and keep your eye on the Wolf Howl for information!!
Tuesday May 27-Friday May 30	6-7 Spring Camp (Naturebridge)
Friday June 6	Market Day at Cascade (2:00-3:30)
Wednesday June 11	Moving On/Moving Up Ceremony at Shorecrest (6:00-7:30 p.m.) This is an evening to honor all of our students to celebrate moving on to the next grade, and especially our 8th Grade students who are moving on to high school.

*for more information, see below

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COMMUNITY MEETING SIGN UP: ACTION

If you are interested in presenting a mini lesson (or a summary of a lesson you are currently working on with students) at a community meeting, please sign up here. Please complete an ELO form if you decide to present!

This is an opportunity to highlight for families the powerful instruction I get to see every day here at Cascade K-8.

SPRING CONFERENCES: HELPFUL

Teachers can make a family conference sign-up schedule that parents can use through Parent Square while keeping parents anonymous from each other. This tool also allows office staff to see conference schedules for all teachers in one location and even help facilitate sign-ups.

For Office Staff:

Doing sign-ups for partial classes will require some support from the school to set up specific spring conference groups for each teacher. School ParentSquare admin can create private groups for each teacher. Luckily, once these groups have been created, they can be used for the following years. Instructions on how to create conference groups.

For Teachers:

Once these groups are created teachers can add the families that they will conference with to their spring conference group. They then create a sign-up schedule and post it to their spring conference group. Directions to add parents to the Spring Conference Group

Copy from this message received from Mike VanOrden to the group post.

Conference sign-ups for teachers should be visible to site admins on the right information bar in the home screen of Parent Square as soon as teachers post the signups. 

EMAIL CHANGEOVER- FINAL PUSH: ACTION

IT has been continuing to redirect @shorelineschoolsorg emails to @ssd412.org even though the stated cut-off was June of 2023. To ensure district security we will finally end access and redirection to the old shorelineschools address in June of this year. Please do a final check of your contacts or any services that still use the old address and change to @ssd412.org.

If you are getting mail to the old address. I would suggest that you do two things to help.

1. Add a short message to the bottom of your email signature asking contacts that have not changed to @ssd412.org to do so now.

2. Add a rule in gmail that filters any incoming mail to @shorelineschools.org to a folder (label in gmail) called shorelineshools.org or similar. You can then contact any mail in that folder to let them know about changing your email address to @ssd412.org. Directions on filtering can be found here.

BOOK STUDY DATES: ACTION

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  Team Meeting 1 - Thursday, December 12th from 8:05-9:00 a.m.

Come prepared by reading section 1 of Braiding Sweetgrass and completing your pre-meeting questions. 

Team Meeting 2 - Thursday, March 6th from 8:05-9:00 a.m.

Come prepared by reading section 2 & 3 of Braiding Sweetgrass and completing your pre-meeting questions. 

Team Meeting 3 - Thursday, April 17th from 8:05-9:00 a.m.

Come prepared by reading section 4 & 5 of Braiding Sweetgrass and completing your pre-meeting questions. 

LANGUAGE LINE UPDATE: HELPFUL

1. Alternative to Language Line - Coming in January 2025 - Shoreline’s subscription to Lingolet (which is currently being used for interpretation in our school offices) includes phone interpretation similar to that provided by Language Line at a much reduced cost. Beginning in January, district staff can use Lingolet in place of Language Line. The process will be identical to Language Line, just a different phone number and account code. Details will be coming in January. Language Line will also remain available through June 2025.

2. New Platform for Requesting In-House Interpreters - Beginning in January 2025 we will be utilizing a new scheduling platform for making interpretation requests with our In-House Interpreters called Propio. Propio is a scheduling system to create and manage interpretation requests at each school. Casey Baldner, Language Access Coordinator, will be reaching out to staff who schedule interpreters to provide zoom training opportunities on the Propio Scheduling Platform in the coming weeks

HICAP TESTING: HELPFUL

For students in Grades 1, 3 & 5, universal screening has been completed and further testing for eligible students will be held during Jan. 22- Feb. 14, 2025  24-25 School Rosters of Student Qualifiers for Further Testing

12/19-20/24	Schools and families have been notified of students who are eligible for further testing (CogAT). Families must provide written consent for testing by the end of day 1/15. Rosters will be updated as consent forms are received. NO LATE REGISTRATIONS ACCEPTED. Each school has a lead proctor who will work with you to schedule dates and coordinate testing logistics.
1/22-2/14/25	Testing window. Once you have scheduled your testing days please share information with teachers and recommend that they let families know the specific testing dates for your school.  Knowing testing dates is a request we consistently hear from families.
mid-March	MDPC for eligibility. Notification to schools, families, and position control. Services start the following school year.
Opt-in Testing- Gr. 2, 4 & 6-8	Now through April families of students in Grades 2, 4 & 6-8 who wish to register for optional screening/testing will be notified via ParentSquare of the opportunity to register in January and testing will occur in March/April/May at the SLC. Middle school students will be tested in March at their schools. The lead proctor will work with you to schedule dates and coordinate testing logistics.