Pathways Staff Weekly Update
For the Week of April 8, 2024
Our Mission: Connect and Build on Success!
Avast! A Heartfelt Word From Our Captain
The other day my office became very busy with some student conflicts and then three searches stemming from various concerns. The searches did not yield anything, but I still needed to contact guardians and the student conflicts required mediation. Suffice to say, my scheduled to-do list needed to get moved forward. The next day was better but still students were coming in. This led me to find a 20 minute block and instead of writing one item to do, I wrote three, hoping the magic time-fairies would descend and somehow make the impossible possible. What I was trying to do was get it all written down, but it was not effective as it only led to these items getting bumped again and kept me in that “I’m bumping priorities” mode. I share this because we know that life will require us to bump priorities, but when it does, we must stay true to our Personal Habits of Effectiveness and use our personal systems to respond, rather than falling into our personal crisis mode (I’ll let you guess which one is more effective). When the storm hits, use your systems (that’s why you created them) and run the program you’ve built (this is not our first rodeo)!
How to Use This Newsletter
- Each week read the newsletter. It will be sent Friday mornings at 7:30 a.m. Carve out time to read it sometime between Fridays and Mondays.
- Make note of important dates in your personal agenda and/or on your personal calendar.
- Make note of any additional information that requires action on your part.
- If you have items you would like to add to the PSU, then please enter them in the linked document by Thursday at 8:30 am. Use this link: PSU Staff Submission Document 2023-2024.docx
Upcoming Dates to Plan For:
Weekly Routine Meetings
Mondays:
- 8th Grade Grade-Level Meeting: 3:00-3:30
Tuesdays:
- 8:00-8:05-Standing Meeting-Conference room
- 2:55-3:30-Staff Meeting
Wednesdays:
- Collaboration 7:40-8:20
- 6th Grade Grade-Level Meeting: 3:00-3:30
Thursdays:
- MTSS-7:40-8:10
- 7th Grade Grade-Level Meeting: 3:00-3:30
Teacher Appointment Times Link
- You can also copy/paste this link into your Course Description with your Weekly Overview in Powerschool.
Noteworthy Dates
April 8-May 8
- ISAT Testing: Click to see schedule
April 10
- Firedrill @ 2:35 p.m.
April 17
May 1
May 6-10
- Teacher Appreciation Week
May 9
- Library books due
May 10
- Whole Staff Photo
May 13-17
- IP Sign-off Week
May 15
- Quarter 4 Pirate Awards Due: Pirate Awards Spreadsheet
- Firedrill @9:45 a.m.
- Parent Newsletter Submission Deadline
May 17
- IP Deadline for Q4
May 22
- Permission slips due by 3:00 PM
- 8th Grade Celebration (6:00-7:30 p.m.)
May 23
- Laptops due
- All IP numbers updated by 3:30 PM – NO CHANGES AFTER 3:30!
May 24 (Last day of 2023-2024 School Year)
- IP Free Fieldtrip/IP Work Day
May 29
- S2 grades will be stored at 7:30am
New Important Information
Action Items
Complete PLP for Evaluation
- Eric will be setting up meetings with all certified employees in the last two weeks of April. Be sure your PLP is entered into Frontline and submitted prior to the meeting.
Careers Mock Interviews
- Please sign up to do mock interviews with our 8th grade students in Careers class during your prep period on May 20.
- Copy and paste the address below into your browser to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0B4DA5A92CA2FB6-45980871-8thgrade#/
Awareness Items
Tech Team vs. Just Steve
- The Technology Department is moving to having a team of techs working many schools rather than just one individual. What this means for us is instead of emailing Steve, we will need to use the ticket system for help (but Steve is a member of our team). See here under "more technology" for the write up: april 3, 2024.pdf
On-Going Important Information
Action Items
Positive Behavior Supports Training: we are sharing these dates with you now so you can decide if this is something you want to attend. More info and sign-ups will be in the future.
- Summit Dates: May 28-29 will be PBS training provided by the District based on the West Ada Framework. Thinking Maps training will be offered the 30th as an option (different trainer than last time!).
- Participants: Each school will send a team of 5-7 participants. This can be interested MTSS Team members and/or any other interested staff. The plan is to GET STUFF DONE! We need workers there to get it done! Pay will be $25 an hour.
- New: Email Eric by May 1st.
Awareness Items
None 😉
Staff Meeting Agenda Preview
Date: April 9, 2024
Location: Rm. 126 (Saffron's Classroom)
Materials to Bring:
- Whatever you need to make note of action items that are pertinent to you.
Agenda
Opener: Elevating each other around our theme Power of Us (Habit 4-6):
- Write a positive postcard to a student-every student will receive one by the end of this year if we start now 🥰 Witness the good!
Routine Updates:
- Academic Support 7 Habits Action Items: (6,7,8)
- Spencer: Share Learner Dispositions Integration Example
- Action Items from Safe School- (None)
- Monthly RASS Update (last Tuesday of the month- (next update 4/30: Eschen)
- Collaboration (Allumbaugh)
New Business:
- Vivi Training (District Tech Folk)
Closer: Seek First to Understand: Take the Time it Takes!
Staff Meeting Links:
Staff Meeting Agenda Items Submission Form
- Due Thursdays at 8:00 a.m. for the following staff meeting
Process For Learner Dispositions Content Integration Example To Share at Staff Meeting
Learner Dispositions Integration at Staff Meetings:
- Thank you in advance for trying this process and for sharing an example of integrating our learner dispositions into our content areas, when staff meeting is in your classroom.
- Action Steps that will help you carry this out:
- Go to your calendar and in the search bar at the top, type in "staff meeting". Then look at the staff meetings that have been scheduled in your room. Determine how you will remember to plan for those dates/times, to minimize stress, so your integration example will be ready to go.
- Reference Haleigh's exemplar Learner Dispositions Art Slide.png for guidance.
- When it is your turn to share, explain the context your example is coming from and what learner disposition (habit and/or principle of effectivenss) was being highlighted. This is meant to be 1-1.5 minutes long or less. This will be repeated every staff meeting with a different staff member, so it is not important to go in depth, but to see a variety of examples over time (one good idea leads to another!) and this works towards our school goal of increasing integration of learner dispositions which also connects to our surface,deep, and transfer work (ie. What learner disposition are most helpful to me when I am at various places in the pit?)
Collaboration Agenda Preview
April 10, 2024
- Composition Notebook/Pencil
Collaboration Links:
2023-2024 Collaboration Schedule
Linking Walks Schedule and Directions Rotation #3 20232024.docx
Linking Walk Data 2023-2024 (click on the following link): 2023-2024 Collaboration Year-Long.pptx
VLT/IR Process/Schedule-Teams Fill in Dates
Preparing for Observation/Video Collection
Instructional Rounds and Video Learning Team Observation Form
Instruction Rounds/VLT End of Round Reflection Form
Learner Processes Survey (2022): View as Success Criteria for Metacognition
Helpful Staff Links
Staff Links for Sign-Ups
Staff Links To Reference:
- Staff Handbook
- Personal Habits for Success.docx
- School Level Tracking - Power BI
- Attendance and IP Intervention Tracking Sheet for Admin.docx
- Secondary Grading and Reporting Document (2023-2024)
- Secondary Grading and Reporting Document (2024-2025)
- District Assessment Philosopy on Website (2023-2024)
- District-Wide Test Schedule 2023-2024
- Pathways Staff Team Site
- Pathways Staff - Extension Activities - All Documents (sharepoint.com)
- Pathways What To Do When Students Are Done
Current Initiatives and Relevant Systems Information (Continuous)
The Pirate Way
- Live the Pirate Way Yourself (this provides students with an example what this looks like).
- Review the Pirate Way (review and dialogue helps students create thought patterns and habits that reflect the Pirate Way).
- Witness the Good and Correct Fluently regarding expectations as listed on the Pirate Way (same as bullet point #2).
Click this link for: Through the Spyglass.pub to Witness the Good!
**May be fluid and in a different order; reference all steps to aim for the best outcomes**
- See something, do something.
- Stay curious!
- Restate Expectation (stay for it) Assume Compliance (check for it)
- Resolve the situation:
- Between teacher and student first (empowers teachers maintains relationship)
- If not resolved, what next step needs to happen?
- Follow up with student to clarify expectations/provide closure.
- Determine if documentation (Referral and/or Behavior Tracking sheet) is necessary.
Visible Learning Model
Pathways Long-Term Plan for Connecting and Sustaining Visible Learning, Video Learning Teams and Linking Walks
Learning Processes (Strategies and Metacognition) (2022-Present)
Surface-Deep-Transfer Learning and Linking Walks (Follow-up to Collaboration)
- Find an opportunity in the next couple of weeks to share with students either the Learning Pit or the bee/flower model representing Surface-Deep-Transfer learning. Once introduced, it can be referred back to regularly over the course of the school year. Here is another awesome option as well: Metacognition-Learning Pit Holly Style.pptx
- Refer to the Learner Processes Survey Statements as success criteria (hoped for outcomes) when integrating strategies into your lessons. In a nutshell, we are aiming for increasing student ownership of learning and confidence in themselves!
- Reference the links above for access to the ppt. if you want to further explore the strategies of Small Talk, Talk Moves, and Thinking Maps.
The Quality of Education depends on what is happening at the micro/messo/macro levels and all 3 need to be examined using the provided criteria (in Chapter 6 of the Metacognition Handbook).
"A metacognitive learner is one who has knowledge and control over cognitive skills and processes. They understand how learning happens, and they are able to actively and independently apply this understanding to help them learn in the most effective way, and to sustain that learning into the future."
Book Used: The Metacognition Handbook by Jennifer Webb
Assessment Capable: Clarity (2020-2021-Ongoing)
The following practices increase teacher and student clarity:
- Learning Maps (connects big ideas throughout a unit)
- Learning Targets (daily lesson targets)
- Success Criteria (Co-Construction, Feedback, etc.)
- https://www.thecorecollaborative.com/post/sharing-clarity-with-students-15-ways-to-co-construct-success-criteria
- Opportunities to Respond
- Feedback with Clarity
Book Used: Clarity for Learning by John Almarode and Kara Vandas
Learner Dispositions: 3 Ps and 7 Habits (2019-2020-Ongoing)
Staff Created 7 Habits Models (2023-2024): 7 Habits Staff Created Models.docx
What it Means to be a Pathways Leader and Learner:
Pathways Leader and Learner Learning Map
Mission: Connect and Build on Success means to connect with ourselves, each other, and our education through the 3 Ps (Paradigm) and the 7 Habits (Actions).
3 Ps Paradigm: The belief that Pride, Positive Relationships and Perseverance help us find our voice (Learner) and inspire others to find theirs (Leader).
- 7 Habits: Actions we take to live the 3 Ps paradigm: to show pride (Habits 1-3), connect through positive relationships (Habits 4-6) and demonstrate perseverance (Habit 7)
Book Used: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
Chart Your Course!
Your Partner in Learning,
Dr. Eric Eschen
Email: eschen.eric@westada.org
Website: westada.org/pathways
Phone: 208 - 350 - 4040 (1020)