Cottonwood Creek Monday Memo
August 31st-September 4th
Greetings, CCE!
Bob the Builder: "Can We Fix it?"
Bob's Tools/Audience: "Yes, We Can!"
For many young teachers at the campus (lucky you!) you may not remember this saying or this cartoon series that first aired for children in 1998 and continued until 2004, BUT many of your peers do! Many of your colleagues may have watched this series with their children, nieces, nephews, or even grandchildren and we secretly enjoyed being "forced" to watch Bob the Builder with our kids. (Yes, I can admit it now...)
Every episode always began with a new challenge for Bob the Builder and soon he tapped into the help of all his tools to overcome the problem. Working as a TEAM, the group always seemed to find a way to figure things out and often found a solution that turned out much better than they had originally anticipated!
Now you are probably asking "Why is this memo about Bob the Builder?"
BECAUSE....each of you has become your own version of Bob the Builder this week! You have had challenges present themselves in your instruction, with technology, BUT each of you has found a way with the support of your grade level TEAMS and others to OVERCOME your challenge. You have utilized various tools, learned new ways of doing things, understood a technology app a little better than the week before, etc. Each of you is adding TOOLS to your TOOL belt. Your tool belt will be unique to YOU! But know that your TEAM has different TOOLS in their Toolbelt. Together we can overcome any challenge....We truly are #BetterTogether #Juntos! So the next time that you wonder if you "can fix it" or make things better each day in your teaching....in your learning....with your team.....
Tell yourselves "Yes, we can!" Your team is only a text, phone call, or google meets away. So am I and your Leadership Team, so call us maybe?
sorry couldn't help but insert that... :)
Thank you to each of you for being a BIG part of this TEAM! Stay positive, avoid negativity, shine and shine on! You've got this! Thank you, CCE, for being the best!
Stay Close, Stay Connected, Stay Informed, Stay Healthy & Be Well~
Virtual Hugs & Fistbumps,
Linda
Back-to-School Date for In-Person: September 14th
Need More Ideas for Greeting Students Safely While Maintaining Health & Safety? Check out Mrs. Kozak, Mrs. Dodd and Mrs. Johnson demonstrating some fun ways to welcome kids as part of our Capturing Kids Hearts Model. Way to Go!
I need more copy clicks....what do I do?
Celebrations, Good Things, and Launch!
Celebrating Birthdays!
Happy Birthday! Enjoy your day! Felicidades!
9/6: Estella Alvarado
Good Things...
From front office~
This week, the Kindergarten TEAM took CURBSIDE to a whole 'nother level! They created Kinder School Supply Bags for students and personally handed them out at our CCE front Curb on Thursday!
Check out the pictures that were taken below!
Thank you to all the grade levels that have put together bags for their grade levels! Go TEAM! 1st, 2nd, Kinder! Woo Hoo!
Let us know how the front office can help!
Let's Launch! 3....2....1....Go!
"None of Us is as SMART as ALL of Us!"
Ken Blanchard
Kinder Team ....CurbSide To-Go!
Speaking of Bob the Builder.... Check out Mrs. Koenning below. She took an idea that was shared in a check in meeting with virtual teachers to think outside the box and use her HOME TV as an additional screen for her instruction! How cool is that!
REQUIRED TRAINING: From the Office of Civil Rights for all CCE Employees
Civil Rights Training is a required annual training. Since your campus will participate in Breakfast in the Classroom (BIC) and we have teachers that serve Pre-k students from a cart in the cafe, we will need all staff to complete this training. It takes about 35-45 minutes.
Click on Link below.
https://squaremeals.org/FandNResources/Training/OnlineEducationandSelfStudy.aspx
Scroll down to Online Courses: Choose Civil Rights Courses English or Spanish
To receive credit and a certificate you must complete the test; you can retake the test if needed.
When you complete and pass the test, Scroll down to the red box area to complete your certificate information.
It will ask your Full name:
Contracting Entity Name: Hutto ISD
Contracting Entity Number: 01150
Your Email address: Enter your email address
Alternate email address: Grindelia.Rueda@huttoisd.net
Grindelia is our Child Nutrition Admin. Please put her email as the alternate email address so the department has a copy for our TDA Audit.
Don't hit next on this last information page until you print, email or save your certificate or you will have to take it again to get a certificate.
Let me know if you have questions. A separate email about BIC and logistics will be sent next week.
Thank you,
Anna Martin
Director
Child Nutrition Services
Hutto I.S.D.
T: 512-759-2164
F: 512-759-2155
Buc-ee's has Updates!
We have been working to finalize systems! Woo Hoo!
- PLC Dates/Topics
- Staff Meeting Dates/Topics
- Morning Duty Schedules
- Afternoon Duty Schedules
- Specials Schedules (Rotations still being added by Specials TEAM)
Remember Staff Meetings- Every Tuesday & PLCs- Wednesdays
Up next: We will be updating committees for the school year with your input! Thank you for your patience as things evolve for all things education!
T-TESS Information is Coming on Monday....Keep your EYES Peeled for this Important Information!
What's Happening at the Creek:
RenSTAR Student Screener Window Opens this week! See Dr. Marquez' email with all the information that you need to share with your families during this window.
8/31-9/11: RenSTAR Window
8/31: STEMScopes Math Demo Training (Pachicano, Althoff, Marquez, Fox, Jeffers) @ 9:00 AM
Music Monday's with Mrs. Pollini (Students join all day virtually, see Specials Schedules)
9/1: Art Tuesdays with Mrs. Stepanov (Students join all day virtually, see Specials Schedules)
CCES Virtual Staff Meeting Topic: Building a Trauma Informed Campus 3:10 PM (See Buc-ees for Sign-In Sheet/Agenda)
9/3: Physical Fitness Thursday's with Coach Hull & Mrs. Vicki (Students join all day virtually,
see Specials Schedules)
9/3: Principal's Meeting All Day (Pachicano Off Campus)
9/3: Dismissal Mock Run #1 (All Staff/Cafeteria) @ 3:00 PM
9/4: Leadership Team Meeting @ 9:00 AM (Pachicano/Althoff/Marquez/Kozak)
9/4: Hutto Football~ Hippos Vs. Waco (Home Game)
9/7: Labor Day/Student & Staff Holiday, Enjoy your Day!
Important Message from Dr. Marquez~
Getting Ready: Screeners & Assessments
Below (ButtonLink) is information the district needs for you to SHARE with your students and parents on how this screener will be accomplished at home. With the district extending our returning date to Sept. 14th, we will no longer be able to do it at school.
Please begin to share this important information with your parents in your weekly newsletters! Thank you!
An Important message from our District Technology Director, David Oestreicher~
Here are some important Google Meet safety reminders and FAQs:
* For your students' safety, It is very important you do not let anyone into your class synchronous meetings from outside of the district. Even If you think it is a parent, always deny access for personal accounts.
- Previously, nickname and Google Classroom generated Google Meet links would automatically prevent people from outside Hutto ISD from joining Google Meets. There was a recent update that has disabled this.
- Personal emails outside of Hutto ISD can request to join any Google Meet. Always deny access for personal accounts when you are in a Google Meet with your class. If you accidentally let someone from outside of the district, immediately remove them. After they are kicked out twice, they will not be able to join the Google Meet again.
- If you kick a student out of your Google Meet, they will also be blocked after twice and you will need to invite them back to the meeting (in the live meeting there is a button to invite people).
- When an outside person tries to join a Meeting, you will see a pop-up box like the below and you should choose 'deny entry'.
* It is also important that you use only a nickname or a Google Classroom generated Google Meet link for use with students. This will prevent a student from starting a meeting before a teacher or staff member.
* Click here to review the Hutto ISD Live Meeting Guidance and Expectations.
* Click here for Hutto ISD's Google Meet FAQs. (Updated frequently)
* Extensions causing problems:
The Google Meet Attendance extension that was shared in a previous Tech-Tip has been causing some issues. If you still have the Meet Attendance extension, you can remove the extension manually. A virtual background extension also is known to cause problems and there may be others. If you have Google Meet problems, try removing any Google Meet related extensions.
How to Remove an Extension:
* Lastly, there have been many intermittent problems with Google Meet and getting kicked off or having to rejoin again. These seem to often come and go. We believe most of these problems are on Google's side and probably due to the large amount of usage of Meet across the country. We have heard similar issues from other districts. We hope that Google is working to add more capacity to help with those issues. If a person has issues not only in Google Meet but with all websites in general, that would indicate more of a problem with their home internet/wifi.
Thank you,
David Oestreicher
Director of Technology and Digital Learning
Hutto ISD