the RAH
September 11-15, 2017
from J-
The business of starting the year is settling into routine, and I have started site visits. Gisela is calling to schedule my visits around what works best for you - days and times. I'm looking to spend a full hour with you: 30 minutes for discussion, 30 minutes to show off the learning happening around your school and in your classrooms. If at any point a visit needs to be rescheduled, please connect with Gisela. Over the next few weeks I'll be at Boyd, Fremont, Robberson, Truman, Weller, Bingham, Delaware, Pittman, Rountree, Field, Sequiota and Wilder. If you're not on the current round and want to be, just let me know.
This year, I am also interested in seeing special programs and events you are driving at your sites. From special program nights to assemblies, I would love to experience the culture you are building and driving at your sites. There are so many, and I don't expect I would make even a majority of them. But being aware gives me that option, so thank you for looping me in as you are able (after open house season :) ).
This weekend is the Ozarks Food Harvest Backpack Program Drive hosted by KGBX (click here to learn more). This one is close to my heart, and a number of you have students that are blessed by this program. Select staff have already been recorded for testimonials to play on the air. If you have something you are a part of that gives to our community, yay you! If you're looking for something, consider swinging by this weekend. Kevin & Liz love to talk to school peeps! The goal is 400 backpacks, most of which impact SPS students. I'm proud to sponsor at least two every year.
I have a few other topics- but broke them out by content somewhere below. Thank you for your leadership and learning; please let me know how we can support you.
Senior Leadership followed by Elementary Leadership
Wednesday, Sep 13, 2017, 08:30 AM
1359 E St Louis St, Springfield, MO, United States
Safety Drills
For The Record
Growth Plans
Club Sponsors - Catherine Castillo
We are excited to again offer the opportunity for a STEAM Club sponsor at each site. This year we will also be adding a Math Club sponsor! Please fill out this form with the names of your site sponsors as soon as possible so that we can get them enrolled in their training modules and begin providing students these amazing opportunities!
Job descriptions can be found below. Thank you in advance!
Elementary STEAM Club Sponsor
The Elementary STEAM Club sponsor is responsible for organizing a STEAM organization at their individual school site as well as facilitating Family STEAM Night. This is a stipend position paid monthly following the SPS Extra Duty Stipend Schedule and requires an average time commitment of 4-5 hours per month devoted to sponsoring the site school’s club. This would eliminate the need for a Family Steam Night Sponsor ($150)
Stipend: All Levels = 2% of Bachelor’s Step 1 of Teacher’s Salary Schedule ($725.24 as of ’16-’17)
Elementary Math Club Sponsor
The Elementary Math Club sponsor is responsible for organizing a math club and competition team at their school site. This is a stipend position paid monthly following the SPS Extra Duty Stipend Schedule and requires an average time commitment of 4-5 hours per month devoted to sponsoring the site school’s club and coaching the math team.
Stipend: All Levels = 2% of Bachelor’s Step 1 of Teacher’s Salary Schedule ($725.24 as of ’16-’17)
#edcampSGF
Saturday, Sep 16, 2017, 08:30 AM
Cherokee Middle School, East Farm Road 182, Springfield, MO, United States
following up with school pics-
After hearing from a few of our first sites that have taken school pictures, I connected with Chip Wagner. While recognizing & honoring different companies operate differently, Chip was open to listening, drove down to Springfield and experienced the process through our lens, and has made some shifts to support the change in vendors. Please see below for these changes, with accompanying tips and suggestions straight from Chip. Smile pretty :). -J
New Changes for SPS Schools
With these adjustments, the speed of our shoots should be much faster:
· Background changes – We are moving to all digital backgrounds, so no changes will be made to the lighting. This will help save time at the camera.
· The photographer will only be taking ONE photo of student, unless an eye blink or pose adjustment is needed.
Tips & Suggestions for a Smooth Picture Day
· Photographers arrive 60-75 minutes prior to the agreed upon start time. Please have arrangements made for your building to be open for them. Also, please make sure the area we will be photographing in is clear of other objects (we’ve had a couple instances at other schools where the room is cluttered, stage has props on them, etc. That just slows down our setup process).
· Class Schedule (IMPORTANT) – Our normal rule of thumb is one class per camera per 20 minutes. We can go as quickly as 15 minutes per class if needed, but please do not schedule classes any quicker. This will ensure your students are not waiting, but also that our photographers can get a good, quality photo.
· Photo Stickers – just the previous vendor had a barcode slip, we have barcode sticker. Normally, this is what parent volunteers can assist with. They are organized alpha by class for each sorting. The barcode sticker is either put on the student’s order envelope, or a ‘Student Card’ that we supply. This process is for positive identification and should not present slow down at all.
· To expedite putting the photo stickers on, if the teachers bring their classes done in ABC order, that makes the process go VERY quick.
· Parent Volunteers – We LOVE parent volunteers! In your “picture day coordinator” kit that comes with the order forms, there will be $25 vouchers for parent volunteers. We ask that you have 1-2 per camera, but if none are available please let us know.
Club Encore
"I am trying (and close) to personally calling each family. I explain the program, tell them how excited I am and that it would be great for their student. I tell them there are 2 classes, 4 days, then propose to attend all 4 days. I am enrolling them while I have them on the phone (I tell them I'll take that off their plate). Reception has been great. I still have a few families to reach. Most families I have good rapport with, so it's easy. My ELL teacher called all of his families. Hopefully everyone shows up now!" - Cherie
David put his video skills to work, and tweeted this video out to his community -
Jen gathered a group of kiddos she was targeting, and I'll drop evidence of gathering below. These students are blessed to have Jen lurking...
Feel free to share success stories for recruiting. Thank you! -J
from the Mayor-
I met with the AP Cadre this week and the agenda is here. The Cadre will meet at Sherwood in October.
Please have teachers call students who qualified for Club Encore to encourage their enrollment in the club. A personal phone call from the teacher, who has the most direct relationship with the student, is best.
Tentative agenda items for the Elementary Learning meeting next week include: Math IC, HR Updates, and Roundtables.
I met with all Learning Coaches on Thursday and the agenda for that meeting is here.
Regarding the Correlates of Effective Schools, Correlate 3 is Instructional Leadership. Effective schools understand:
· Instructional leadership is a shared concept between principals and teachers
· The principal is the leader of leaders
· Principals serve as coach, partner, and cheerleader
· Expertise is generally distributed among man, not concentrated to a few
· Principals are in classrooms daily
· Principals get teachers into each other’s’ classrooms to watch colleagues teach