From the Flight Deck
October 2017 Staff Newsletter
From Frank
Dear Sycamore Staff
The month of October is upon us and I wanted to express my appreciation for all that you do and for how incredibly well you do it with students. Your servant approach is very much noticed and appreciated. As I think about our priorities of continuing to monitor the progress of our students, I am struck by the incredible work teachers are doing on Formative Instructional Practices. Your periodic checks on your students’ progress and then refining your instruction to meet their needs is to be applauded. As part of this is your continued growth in the use of Mastery Connect while developing and administering common assessments. As a reminder, in year two of our use of Mastery Connect, we are charging each department to determine the total number of common assessments that are appropriate for you over the course of the year. Again, your professional discussions with your colleagues will guide these decisions. In reviewing the district data on Mastery Connect usage, I am struck by our continued momentum in the implementation of this useful tool. Please know, we are ready to support you in your development of common assessments. Please reach out to your ITF’s and/or Karen Naber if you need assistance. Again, thank you for all that you do.
To our amazing classified staff: the work you do to ensure great learning environments for our teachers and students, the efforts you put into ensuring our students have nutritious meals, the energy and empathy you demonstrate in getting our kids to a from school each day and the incredible kindness you show in working with our students with special needs: THANK YOU. As superintendent, it is an honor and privilege to witness your dedication to Sycamore.
As you will notice in the remainder of this communication, you will see timely reminders from other members of the district leadership team. As we continue to get better each day in how we communicate with all our shareholders, we thought it would be helpful for other departments to insert critical and timely information. This will not preclude the more detailed communications each department may issue. I hope this helps.
School Board Candidates' Forum
Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
Sycamore employees are eligible to participate in this program.
Visit: https://hcesc.myisls.com/register
Enter code: HCESC1 to learn more
If loan forgiveness makes sense, you will be able to:
- Immediately lower your monthly student loan payment
- Reduce your student loan obligation
- Significantly lower your cost to earn additional degrees
- Receive a personalized 10-year loan forgiveness plan outlining your projected tax-free savings
*In 2007, Congress established Public Service Loan Forgiveness to help full-time employees reduce their student loan burden and incentivize them to stay in public service. PSLF is available to all full-time employees regardless of position. PSLF is not Teacher Loan Forgiveness.
Questions, or trouble logging in? Call 1.513.645.5400, visit their website at isloansolutions.com<https://click.pstmrk.it/2s/www.isloansolutions.com%2F/UQLgog/F-oV/pnPnjC7mbW> for more information and success stories.
Do Not Let your License Expire!
New Legislation effective September 29, 2017 addresses licensed education employees Rapback Requirement.
If at some future date these employees renew their licenses, the DOE will need to re-enroll them in Rapback and, to do so, the employee will need BCI background checks completed within the previous 365 days.
A BCI background check currently cost $22. Avoid the fee and don't let your license expire.
See more information on background checks and Rapback FAQs on the ODE website.
Come Join the Fun!
Haunted Fest
October 13, 2017
5 - 9 p.m.
Blue Ash Elementary School
Superintendent Listening Sessions
I am looking forward to spending time with building and department staff again to provide you updates and take your questions as part of my Superintendent Listening Sessions. These are voluntary sessions for staff. Changes have been made to the schedule since it was published last month. Please check to see the date scheduled for your building/department.
- Sycamore Junior High, October 18
- E.H. Greene Intermediate, October 20
- Transportation, October 23
- Sycamore High School, October 24
- Maintenance, October 27
- Child Nutrition, November 7
Master Facility Plan
We are proud to announce that the district has moved into Phase 2 of our Master Facility Planning Process. Phase 1 was the completion of a comprehensive assessment of all of our facilities. Phase 1 highlighted some specific needs and areas of concern regarding our three largest buildings: Sycamore High School, Sycamore Junior High, and Edwin H. Greene Intermediate School. Some of the glaring issues that were identified: educational adequacy, technology adequacy, efficiency, site/traffic flow, and mechanical equipment.
Phase 2 began by soliciting responses from architect/engineering firms to lead the district through Educational Visioning/Community Engagement processes. We are pleased that after 2 days of interviews, the district selection committee chose SHP Leading Design to partner for this exciting process of our planning.
You will have opportunities to be involved in this next phase of planning. We look forward to continuing to bring additional information to you in the near future. We expect Phase 2 of this process to last approximately 12 to 18 months.
Should you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Chad Lewis who will be leading our district through this exciting process.
Mental Health: Promoting Brain Health and Wellness
On September 29th, some of you were able to hear from individuals who have experienced the effects of mental health issues on families and individual students. We are grateful that the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) was able to provide this opportunity for Sycamore. Our commitment as a district is to continue to seek resources, professional development and supports to address the mental health challenges our students bring to the classroom each and every day.
Steps Taken To Date:
Development of a District Mental Health Planning Team
Engaged in District Mental Health Needs Assessment
representation from each district building and parents
a nonprofit organization, MindPeace, led the team through assessment
Provided District-Wide “Mental Health 101” Professional Development
Next Steps
District Mental Health Planning Team
consider future professional development opportunities for staff
In an effort to support targeting relevant and personalized learning related to brain health and wellness, please take a few moments to complete this Brain Health & Wellness Survey.
continue engagement with MindPeace to secure school-based mental health partnership
Many of you have engaged in, or lead, professional development sessions related to Growth Mindset, Mindfulness, or group lead calming strategies. Share your experiences with implementing these techniques with your colleagues. A few minutes of mindfulness can be significantly beneficial to students...and staff!
Aviation Station
Certified Staff Members,
The Aviation Station is rolling…..
As you know, we recently rolled out a “first-of-its kind” classroom on wheels aimed at getting kids excited about science and math! The Sycamore STEAM Aviation Station provides our K-6 students the opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) opportunities at school under the guidance of our science leaders and the help of classroom volunteers. Equipped with high tech items such as touch screens, Raspberry Pi computers, and virtual reality equipment, as well as low tech materials such as Keva planks and Makedo tools, activities have been designed to explicitly teach design thinking and collaboration through standards-based challenges.
We need your help!
Another exciting component to this new classroom on wheels is our Homework Assistance outreach. Four days a week (M-TH), we travel to local neighborhoods after school (4pm-6pm) to provide homework help on the Aviation Station.
- Monday: Fields Ertel Townhomes
- Tuesday: Hazelwood Community Center
- Wednesday: The Villages at Symmes Crossing
- Thursday: Blue Ash Kohl’s
The students bring their homework assignments with them as they enjoy a light snack and assistance from an adult or student helper. Once they complete their homework they are provided with the opportunity to participate in STEAM challenges of their choice on the Aviation Station in small groups. Helpers provide guidance and direction as needed.
Please consider helping us with this endeavor. Hourly FOCUS pay is available as well as mileage reimbursement from your building to the neighborhood site. We have allotted two slots per session for certified staff members. You can sign up here to assist at any location. SignUpGenius-Aviation Station Homework Assistance
If you have additional questions, please contact Chris Beech at beechc@sycamoreschools.org