Dragon Tales
April 10, 2020
Dessau Elementary will foster a child's love of learning
and support academic and social growth.
We did it!!!!!
I hope you are enjoying your three day weekend! You all certainly deserve it!
I know I keep saying how impressed I am with everyone, but it is so true! Just yesterday Principals were asked what we were thankful for. Without hesitation I said my awesome DES staff! Please give yourself a great big hug for hanging in there and doing what is right for kids even if it was tough for you!
I have been trying to keep the information flowing so everyone is on the same page and hoping your feel supported. Your administrative team is here to help, even if it is just to share a frustration, share an idea, or to offer a shoulder if you are having a tough time. Please make sure you are reaching out if you need something.
I loved the comments on our "keeping yourself sane," post yesterday. I hope they made you smile or chuckle a little. I think we all learned a few new things about some of our colleagues!
Thank you for all of your hard work, your detective skills with finding students, your team work, and your trust with trying something new. Please enjoy some time with those you are sheltering with and get some rest. Happy Easter!
Until next week,
Carolyn
Things to know...
- Remember to complete the mandatory state training on seizures :)
- Compete your brightbytes survey (see info below)
Remote Reminders
- No one enters the school without Trudy or me in your presence.
- You MUST make yourself available during work hours. :) If you are asked to "work" and you are somehow unable, leave time will be used. Please understand that I will give you notice when possible about any specific work requirements.
- E-mail Trudy if you have parents who submitted opt out forms but then changed their minds and are now participating.
- Email Trudy if you finally hear from a parent you have not been able to get in touch with. We have to keep track of every family and their level of participation.
- Please maintain professional dress while in live sessions with students and parents.
- Please encourage dress code for students in attendance.
- Check email a few times everyday :)
- Remember you are required to record all student interaction and save them to our DES google drive in the remote learning folder. Please do this on the same day.
- Do not share the recorded live class sessions with anyone. Just put them in the folder.
- Each Monday after the packets are returned at each distribution site the box of collected packets will be placed inside distribution sites until Thursday after 1:00 pm, 72 hours which exceeds recommendation. Packets will then be sorted at a district location and delivered to campus principals to provide to teachers. Gloves can be provided for handle the returned work and teachers who do not want to bring papers home can coordinate with the campus principal to grade the packets on campus. Additionally teachers can request from their students using the packets to return work by taking a photo of the work and sending the photo via MMS. Sending images via MMS typically does not require Internet access, so this may work for a number of families.
Remember, teachers are expected to be available for students and parents for learning purposes at the times specified in the staff communication document (Elementary: 9:00 AM-12:00 PM; Secondary: 10:00 AM-1:30 PM). Teachers should provide their virtual conference time(s) information and preferred method for question(s) submission and/or assistance requests.
The times not set aside for direct student instructional support are expected to be used by teachers for remote PLC meetings, ARDs, 504, LPACs or campus-specific meetings during the workday. This time should include times set aside as “conference periods” for parents if they need to have a remote conference with the teacher.
Shout-outs of the week!
There are lots of people to celebrate, even if you are not mentioned here:)
SPED: Go SPED team! They are on the ball asking for access to Google classrooms, Zoom sessions and even getting access to HMH so they can participate and support students and teachers!
Ms. Castillo: For being my very first Zoom classroom visit! There was so much going on: split screen so students could watch a video together, questions about the video, journaling about the video, and she was even making an anchor chart on the wall behind her! Go Castillo!
Ana: for helping Brandenburg and teachers find contact information!
Intervention: shout our from team leads. The teams are appreciating your support!
Coach Warren: Thanks for wowing us with your videos on Facebook (check them out) and for applying for a grant to bring some cool stuff to our kiddos!
It's that time again!
Yes, folks... the survey is still happening!
So, I already emailed parents and shared the same letter, including the links to the student and parent survey. We have plenty of time to get this done, but I can use your help to remind students and parents to do the survey :) Please.
Teachers, please make sure you get yours done by the end of the month.
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Dear Dessau Elementary Campus Community
We are partnering with BrightBytes, an educational research organization, to learn more about you and your students’ technology access and use for learning.
The goal of this project is to gather data on technology access, skills, and your school’s technology environment, in order to understand the connection between technology use and student achievement.
Our data collection window is set to run from March 30 - May 27, 2020.
Each school is assigned three unique Technology and Learning Questionnaires. There is one designed for teachers and administrators; one designed for students, and one designed for parents.
Your questionnaire links are listed below:
Your participation and support is important to us and will make the difference between having a complete understanding of our school’s technology use versus a limited one.
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Victor Valdez, Chief Technology Officer
Kathryn Ives, Director Integration Services
Checkout this FREE Resource...
PBIS Update
DES Teacher Birthdays!!
Ms. Broussard - April 15
Ms. de la Torre - April 16
PTO Fundraiser: $2 chocolate bars YUM!
Update:
Ms. Riojas was able to set up a DES Venmo account!!! I will attach the QR code in the newsletter in hopes that you can somehow copy it and send it to parents who still have money to turn in. She said they will need the student's name, grade and teacher name.
She also said she was going to try to reach out to parents on her own, but any help we can provide to help her would be appreciated. Due to safety concerns with collecting it in person, we are hoping Venmo might help us with this situation.
Calendar of Events
The calendar has had some changes....
Weekly PLC/Planning Meetings
Weekly individual Family Contact (Check-in)
April 21:
CIP Workshop #3, 3-4 Zoom
Uncertain...
May 4-8:
Teacher Appreciation Week :)
May 4:
Jeans day for paid Sunshine members
May 8:
PLC day
May 14:
Service Award Banquet????May 18:
CAAC
May 21:
PLC day
May 25:
No School
May 28:
- Early Out
- Party Day
- 5th grade awards assembly and grade level party
May 29:
Teacher work day Yes, you must report to work! :)