Old Adobe Educator Weekly Round-Up
Monday 3/8/21 - Friday 3/12/21
MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT LOWERY
Celebrating International Women's Day
Dear Educators,
International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. Significant activity is witnessed worldwide as groups come together to celebrate women's achievements or rally for women's equality.
Marked annually on March 8th, International Women's Day (IWD) is one of the most important days of the year to:
- celebrate women's achievements
- raise awareness about women's equality
- lobby for accelerated gender parity
- fundraise for female-focused charities
The International Women's Day 2021 campaign theme: #ChooseToChallenge
"A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we're all responsible for our own thoughts and actions - all day, every day.
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women's achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
From challenge comes change, so let's all choose to challenge."
#OldAdobeStrong
Superintendent Lowery
COVID-19 NEWS
Update Regarding Vaccination Clinics
Terrific news regarding vaccinations for staff, we were able to secure doses of the vaccine yesterday, Saturday, March 6th and also for Saturday, March 13th. All of our staff will have been offered the vaccine with this recent development! This came just in time as SCDPH does not have any additional first doses of vaccine for the week of March 8-12. As a result, the SCOE Vaccination Clinic will be open on March 10-12, but will be closed March 8-9.
Travel Advisory
The CA Department of Public Health is recommending that anyone who travels out of state quarantine for 10 days upon return. This isn’t a mandate but SCOE, County Health and CDPH strongly encourage everyone to adhere to this standard. Consider how many families might travel over spring break and then return the very next day (or a week later) to school which is finally open. This could be a recipe for disappointment; to finally open and then potentially have to close within just a few days if cases develop. Visit the current Travel Advisory for more information.
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Message From Nurse Laura Regarding Vaccination Clinics (2/15/21)
CURRICULUM AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DEPARTMENT
Equity Leadership Professional Learning for the Classified Team
We had such a wonderful professional learning afternoon with Nicole Anderson and our Classified staff! HERE is a link to the video if you’d like to revisit it or if you were unable to attend and would like to watch it. We look forward to our next opportunities to get together on March 17 and April 7.
Certificated Equity Leadership Professional Learning Dates
March 23 2:00-3:30 (voluntary)
April 21 2:00-3:30 (in lieu of staff meeting)
Other Learning Opportunities
Integrating an SEL Program to Address the Importance of Supporting Our Students
Our students deserve to be supported with a whole-child framework in a school environment built around acceptance, belonging, and connections. Join us to learn from an educational leader about how you can create an effective elementary SEL program.
Guest Speaker: Dina Strasser is a former Fulbright Scholar and veteran educator of 20 years. Her words on education have been published in The New York Times, The London Times, Education Week, and ASCD’s Educational Leadership. She currently serves as a K–12 ENL teacher in upstate New York.
Apple Professional Learning Virtual Conference
Explore helpful resources, practice new skills, and reflect on ways Apple technology can support great learning and teaching. Hosted by Apple Professional Learning Specialists, these hands-on sessions run for approximately 60 minutes and are offered twice daily, Monday through Thursday.
Heinemann is offering several virtual trainings. Click below to see descriptions of each.
Multi-Day Institute: LLI Primary Grades K-2 Institute / A Virtual Institute
News/Updates from Google!
Google Classroom will soon be offering 3rd party integration. This means, you will be able to see apps such as Nearpod within your classroom via an easy link (much like Clever). Students will no longer need a join code to enter Nearpod as it will be fully integrated within Google Classroom.
Jamboard will be offering a revision history very soon. This is great for use when students are collaborating on a project.
Google Forms: You will soon be able to save progress in a Google form for up to 30 days. This is great so students don’t have to redo their form answers. Their answers will be automatically saved as a draft.
SCOE Opportunities
Science Teacher Leader Collaborative
Contact: Anna Babarinde | ababarinde@scoe.org
March 15, May 10
(This is subject to change dependent on the group's needs and availability. Whether the meetings will be held virtually or offsite will be determined based on the health department recommendations at that time.)
The Science Teacher Leader Collaborative is an informal group designed to bring science educators from around the county together to share ideas and resources, ask questions and get feedback, receive updates on district, county and statewide NGSS news, and explore how to be leaders and change agents in science education. If any of these sound exciting, then this is the place for you!
Click here to be added to the mailing list and receive information about the meetings.
7th Annual Sonoma County Five Minute Film Festival
Contact: Matt O'Donnell | modonnell@scoe.org
Monday, April 12
The Five Minute Film Festival is an annual countywide event that provides an opportunity for K-12 students to demonstrate learning in a 21st century context and showcase their work in front of a community audience. To participate, students create, as individuals or in groups, short videos (up to five-minutes long) on a designated theme and submit them to SCOE for judging by a celebrity panel. The top films debut at a spring film festival. The theme this year is sustainability.
EQUITY CORNER
Equity Coalition Update
Our next meeting will be Wednesday, March 24th at 3PM.
Hope you can join!
Why Pronouns Matter
When working to build relationships with students and colleagues, recognizing their identity is critical. We must also acknowledge that identity goes past our given/chosen names. Think about the way we dress, our mannerisms, and actions we show every day to let others know who we are. When someone shares their pronouns with you, they have the opportunity to create clarity in how they would like to be perceived. Assuming that someone's identity is only based upon their appearance, could be a misstep.
Most people mean no harm if we say, guess or assume the wrong pronoun. If you want to be respectful, find an opportunity to ask (in a safe space) what pronouns would they like to go by. Remember we all make mistakes, but people will give us grace if they know we're sincere in our efforts.
Here are several resources to expand your knowledge with pronouns and why they matter.
If you need to reach the Equity Coalition to share resources, express concerns or ask questions, you can now email the group at equitycoalition@oldadobe.org.
FACILITIES
A generous supply of PPE is in stock, ready for the in person return of our students. We have an order, 2,000 desk shields that should be arriving any day now. We will have enough shields to ensure that every individual student will have their own personal desk barrier.
Here are a few more safety actions we are working on to mitigate the spread of COVID-19:
- Fifty hand washing stations have arrived and are now being installed.
- Staff break space tents have arrived! We are building outdoor tents to ensure that staff have a partially covered outdoor area for staff to take breaks or eat their lunch while socially distancing.
- Floor decals have been ordered to remind students to maintain 6 feet of distance.
FOOD PANTRY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Sign Up Today:-)
We need more volunteers to ensure that we can continue this service and provide this much needed resource.
Please sign up by clicking the button below.
REGISTRATION AND ENROLLMENT 2021-2022
All of our schools are hosting Virtual School Tours.
Here are the individual school videos.
REOPENING SCHOOL 2.0/HYBRID MODEL
The Return to On-Campus Hybrid Learning Survey results will be shared at the Board at the March 11th Board Meeting.
We are looking to complete classroom set ups (grid lines and socially distanced desks and spaces) by March 19th.
Each week we are sharing an update on our progress on the Return to On-Campus Hybrid Learning. Here is the March 4th update. You can find the updates on front page of our website under Headlines.
STUDENT SERVICES
YouthTruth Survey
As we get closer to our implementation of the YouthTruth survey this spring, the Student Services Department will continue to share valuable information about the upcoming survey.
One of the valuable aspects of the YouthTruth Survey is gaining insight from teachers and school staff. We learn a lot from you! Our educators value learning and professional growth and this survey will allow us to gain a better understanding of our educators’ needs and potential concerns in order to better consider use of resources.
The staff component of the survey is integral for gaining valuable insight into our school system. Input from our District staff will provide a unique perspective that will help inform our decision-making for professional development and allocation of important resources. It is also important because our educators’ voices matter!
Staff Survey Areas:
General
Culture and Communication
Engagement and Empowerment
Professional Development and Support
As a reminder, the survey window is April 5th – 23rd. Thank you!
Family Urgent Response System (FURS)
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is proud to announce the launch of: Family Urgent Response System (FURS)
FURS includes a 24/7 Statewide Hotline and a 24/7 County-based Mobile Response and Stabilization!! FURS will provide current and former foster youth (up to age 21) and their caregivers with immediate, trauma-informed support by caring and trained professionals when they need it.
Family Urgent Response System (FURS is intended to:
Prevent placement disruptions and preserve the relationship between the child or youth and their caregiver
Reduce the need for a 911 call or law enforcement involvement and the needless criminalization of traumatized youth
Reduce hospitalization and placement into congregate care
Promote healing as a family
Provide a safe and judgement-free space for youth and caregivers
Please help us spread the word by sharing these flyers (youth and caregiver versions) with organizations, agencies, contacts, youth and families.
If you would like more information or have questions about FURS, please feel free to contact the FURS Implementation Team at FURS@dss.ca.gov or check out our website: https://cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/cdss-programs/foster-care/furs
Fun Bike Activities!
Do you know a student or family member interested in bike riding?
Virtual Family Bike Workshop series, continues through June (register HERE), with all four classes in the series: Intro to Family Bicycling, Street Skills for Parents, Basic Bike Maintenance for Families, and Route Planning and Great Sonoma County Rides.
They are also launching a series of in-person, on-bike lessons in partnership with the Windsor, Petaluma and Santa Rosa Park and Recreation Departments. The lessons are:
Learn to Ride a Bike,
Kids Bike Skills,
Family Bike Skills,
Family Neighborhood Ride, and
Teen Independent Riding.
The Petaluma classes are held every Thursday, same time of day.
Family Bicycling Workshop page on the sonomasaferoutes.org site updated with our current offerings. Note: the in-person workshops do have a low-fee of $5.00 per person.
OAUSD EVENTS SCHEDULED THIS WEEK:
March 8, 2021 - March 12, 2021
Parent/Teacher/Student Conference Week
Tuesday, 3/9
Parent Forum on Equity Nicole Anderson Associates Consulting - 6:00PM
Tuesday, 3/11
Board of Trustees Meeting - OPEN SESSION at 6:00PM
Weekly Video(s)
Old Adobe Union School District
Website: https://www.oldadobe.org/
Location: 845 Crinella Dr, Petaluma, CA 94954, USA
Phone: 707-765-4321
Twitter: @OAUSD_Super