Student Support Services Department
Roadmap - Week of 11/26/18-11/30/18
IDVA Mission - Building a community of engaged learners.
IDVA Vision - Empowering every student to learn at high level.
SSS Department Group Agreements
- We will be intentional in our collaborative work with school community members to address students' academic needs.
- We will proactively identify and support students' individual needs and accomplishments.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving Break
Since we have a short week, I am sending next week's roadmap early.
Remember to set your out-of-office reply.
Enjoy your days off!
SSS Department Kudos!
If you have kudos to share about you or a colleague, send them to Alex.
***
Vision teacher Michelle shared the following info about Cassidy: "I just got off a 504 Manifestation meeting and wanted to let you know that the mom of this student was so impressed with Cassidy. Cassidy has been working with her in FAST and the mom is so grateful for her. She appreciates Cassidy’s gentle, kind, and loving tone. Cassidy has built a strong relationship with [student] (which is something this student has never had)... The mom is very thankful our program exists. [The student]. is on track to graduate this spring."
Such powerful support, Cassidy!
***
Loretta sent a separate email celebrating the same conversation about Cassidy's support for the above student.
Again, kudos Cassidy!
SSS Department Trivia
Week 12 Trivia Results!
WHO AM I?
"I have won many championships showing horses, including the 2013 United States Equestrian Foundation Region Horse of the Year."
It is Colleen Meadows!
Three of you got it correct: Bev, Jennifer B., and Pam.
Tree you are holding the lead, but Bev is close behind!
Scoreboard:
Tree = 5
Bev = 4
Lisa = 3
Debbie = 3
Jessica = 3
Kelly = 2
Jennifer E = 2
Colleen = 2
Pam = 2
Deslynn = 1
Mark = 1
Jennifer B = 1
A few words and pictures from Colleen!
My love for horses started out very young, as you can see in the photo.
Throughout my high school years my time was spent with horses and at horse shows. My horse’s name was Pistol Pete, a purebred Arabian gelding.
We won many championships together at regional horse shows. Including the 2013 United States Equestrian Foundation Region Horse of the Year.
Unfortunately, we lost him to cancer. But, I hope to add an equine back into our family soon.
Please enjoy my fancy outfits and bling!
This year's first Trivia Winner will be crowned at F2F PD in December!
Share something about you that your colleagues may not know and you would feel comfortable with them knowing. We will include this as a question in a future roadmap.
Weekly Calendar, 11/19-11/23
-
Pulse Check 4 launched
- 6-12 assembly, 3:30 pm MST (see OLS link)
Tuesday 11/27:
- Qtr. 2 Staff Connect, 3 pm MST, http://tinyurl.com/kellysroom - All staff required to attend
Wednesday 11/28:
- National French Toast Day
Thursday 11/29:
- On this day in 1877, the phonograph is demonstrated by Thomas Edison for the very first time.
Friday 11/30:
- Pulse Check 4 results released
Departmental & School Updates
Check your email for your personal evite!
Family Compliance Liaison job Vacancy
As you now know, Kelly Reiner will be leaving IDVA at Winter Break. This is a sad time, but she leaves such a solid foundation that the FCL incumbent is set up for success!
To that end, the FCL position is now open for applicants. If you or someone you know is interested, you can find out how to apply by clicking on this job posting LINK.
Note, the application deadline is Wed., Nov. 28, 2018, by close of business.
Application material will go to Mike, but you can direct any specific questions about the position to Alex.
Social Media Tips
In recent years, there have been stories of professionals, including a handful of teachers, who have been fired for blunders they posted on their personal social media accounts. Some incidents occurred when an employee was careless, and other times the employee may have had good intentions but their post ultimately failed and backfired.
We know your personal accounts are not specifically representative of Idaho Virtual Academy, but your personal brand is. You might be saying, “Wait! My personal social media accounts are mine! They are not used for work! Who cares what I have to say? Freedom of speech!” You are justified to feel this way. On the other hand, your personal accounts automatically associate a face with the school, especially if you have identified your employer as IDVA in your account profile. It is important to take extra steps to be mindful of what we all say and do on social media in order to protect ourselves and the school. We have created a few tips to help with this:
1. Check your privacy settings:
Please take time to review each one of your social media accounts and check the privacy settings. Make sure your Twitter account is marked “Protected,” so only those you follow you can access your tweets. For your Facebook account, look into the privacy controls to ensure your timeline/posts are seen only by your designated friends and family.
2. Think Before you share:
Consider this quote, “Think once before you act, twice before you speak and three times before you post on social media.” With each type of communication, ask yourself if it’s something you would feel comfortable being printed in the newspaper, read by parents, colleagues, or the School Board. It is important to remember once you post something online, whether from a public or private account, your post has the potential to be shared, regardless of your privacy settings. Even if you post and then change your mind, someone could have taken a screenshot before you deleted it. We need to always remember, once we place it on the internet, it has the possibility to be there forever.
Additionally, what you “like,” “retweet,” or share can say a lot about you. People you might know can base their opinions of you strictly from what you have posted or shared on your social media accounts. It is important that you think about the potential consequences before posting anything if you want to present yourself as your best self.
You also might want to ask your friends and family to respect your privacy by being cautious about any post or photo they tag you in.
Did you know it is starting to become a common practice for HR departments to check on an applicant’s profile on social media sites? If you decide to leave IDVA and apply somewhere else, most likely your future employer will be taking a look to get an opinion of you before you even step in for an interview. Planning to stay will IDVA forever? Glad you like it here! We love it here, too!
3. Be Positive:
If you have an online presence, you also have an online reputation. You might as well make it a positive one. It is okay to be passionate about a cause, but it is not okay if you can’t stay positive and respectful. It doesn’t cost anything to be nice, and you will never regret being kind. If you don’t agree with something, just keep scrolling. Toxic people and situations are not worth the energy or time on social media (and in life).
4. Representation:
Social media networks and blogs sometimes generate press and media attention, controversial topics, or legal questions. It is strongly suggested that you do not participate, but if you feel compelled to do so, please tread lightly. If you feel like contributing to the conversation, it is imperative that if you state, “I work for IDVA” you also include “opinions are my own” in your response. Please stick to discussing only those school-related matters that are within your area of responsibility. Keep in mind, even if you have a disclaimer saying “opinions are my own” people will judge you (and your colleagues, your school, your friends) for every personal opinion you express. Interact in a way that will enhance, rather than damage, your reputation, the reputation of others, and the reputation of the school. Also, the standard disclaimer does not by itself exempt IDVA employees from any responsibility when posting online.
If asked by a member of the media to comment on a school-related issue, you should always refer media inquiries to the Head of School.
5. Sharing Images
Avoid instantly sharing any picture or video you take. Take some time to look closely at what you've recorded, ideally on a bigger screen than a phone or, at least, by zooming in and looking closely at everything that's visible. You'll be surprised at what you catch (for example, student names on nametags, passwords on Post-its, or student information visible on a computer monitor). Employees of IDVA are expected to understand and abide by state and federal laws regarding disclosure of student information, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). For additional information and to learn more about FERPA, check here: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
For posted images, do not caption photos with the names of current students. And do not post photos of students whose parents have denied permission for their student to be photographed. For example, at the F2F school events, double-check with the local event coordinator to see whether or not the parent has given permission for photos of their children to be taken.
6. “Friend” Requests
Because social media is so informal, the lines between teacher and student can easily blur, and conversations can become personal very quickly. IDVA prohibits any employee from accepting a “Friend” request from any active IDVA students on any personal social media platform (Board Policy #711.2). Also avoid any private one-to-one communication with students via social media or through chat features. Private one-to-one communication with a student shall be limited to electronic resources provided by IDVA such as e-mail or classroom management applications.
7. Questions?
If you have questions about these tips, please ask your direct supervisor or administrator.
K12 Updates
Reoccuring/Reference Info
**Reminder - PLC notes need to be added to SharePoint**
IDVA Burn the Bird
Past SSS Dept. Roadmaps
Week of 11/16-1123: https://www.smore.com/a02nh
Week of 11/12-11/16: https://www.smore.com/2w90t
Week of 11/5-11/9: https://www.smore.com/zyewf
Week of 10/29-11/2: https://www.smore.com/ey46r
Week of 10/22-10/26: https://www.smore.com/4jy7m
Week of 10/15-10/19: https://www.smore.com/hn84z
Week of 10/8-10/12: https://www.smore.com/measg
Week of 10/1-10/5: https://www.smore.com/w649k
Week of 9/24-9/28: https://www.smore.com/tukpj
Week of 9/17-9/2: https://www.smore.com/tcejb
Week of 9/10-9/14: https://www.smore.com/a9jsg
Week of 9/3-9/7: https://www.smore.com/73nbg