HRHS Faculty Newsletter
December 17-21
This Week's Calendar
Day 3
Pajama Day
Tuesday 12/18:
Day 2
Twin Day
Faculty Meeting 2:30-3:30
Wednesday 12/19:
Day 1
Leg day/Workout Day
Thursday 12/20:
Day 7
America Day
Friday 12/21:
Day 6
Half Day
Color Wars
- Pinkham's team: Blue
- Czarniecki's team: Black
- Butler's team: Red
- Green's team: White
- Freshmen: White
- Sophomores: Blue
- Juniors: Red
- Seniors: Black
- Faculty: Green! Let's go!
For Your Information & Action
Salary Scale Adjustment: If you anticipate being moved on the salary scale for the next school year as a result of obtaining an additional degree or earned credits, please let Kristen know by December 20. Regardless if your anticipated salary scale adjustment realistically happening or not, it is vitally important that the possibility of a potential increase is included in the budget.
College Week Survey: Thanks to all the teachers who filled out the survey about College Week (the survey is still open- so please take it!). For those of you willing to submit a photo, please send a photo to Amy asap! If at all possible, please get the photo to her by Friday. You can either scan it or submit an actual photo.
Holiday Book Swap: The HRHS library is hosting the holiday book swap in the library on Dec. 19, before, during, and after school. Students, faculty, and staff are welcome to participate. Drop off your “lightly used” books for the swap in the library anytime before Dec. 19. You will receive a voucher to select books on the day of the swap. Come early for the best selection. We will have books suitable for all ages, many new or very lightly used. Participants can swap for as many books as they bring in. This is a great no-cost way to treat someone to a book! Any books left over at the end of the day on December 22 will be donated to charity!
Advisory Feedback
Students have a hard time typing in links to surveys and it would be easier for students to simply click on a link.
- There will be a red advisory day on Jan. 15 where groups will review advisory expectations and practice logging into the advisory calendar. Then, students will know exactly how to log into the advisory lessons and click the survey links from there, rather than having to type in the link by hand.
Teachers don't know who to email if students can't get into a survey/other technology activity. How do we troubleshoot these issues?
- Moving forward, there will be a point person listed in the advisory lesson anytime there is a survey or other technology-related activity. This will be the person to contact with any issues.
If there are teachers who are not regularly showing the announcements, is someone speaking to them individually?
- Yes, administration has followed up with teachers individually.
Can we improve some logistics for daily announcements?
- Ryan Bell will begin announcements 30 seconds later and will speak louder.
- The font on the written announcements will be larger.
How do we address students who are totally disengaged in advisory, particularly 11th and 12th graders?
- Admin will be scheduling meetings with 11th and 12th grade advisory teachers to discuss student engagement and brainstorm some solutions.
How can we ensure that substitute teachers and students in those advisories know what to do during advisory?
- Moving forward, substitute teachers will be given a copy of the advisory agenda for the day.
Despite constant reminders, students are tardy to advisory and feel like advisory is a time to do other things (print in library, take long bathroom breaks, get snacks, etc.).
- January 15 will be a red day where we reiterate advisory expectations to students. We will also be sending an email to the entire student body reviewing advisory and letting them know what we are doing to improve advisory and reminding them of our expectations.
- Please DO NOT allow students into your classroom during advisory if they are not on your advisory roster. If they come to your room, please tell them to leave and let Lauren or Mark know so we can follow up.
- Students should be coming to advisory with their snacks. Do not allow them to go to the cafeteria to get snacks during advisory time.
- If students are habitually late or absent from your advisory, please let Lauren or Mark know.
It would be good to have students involved in this conversation about advisory.
- We will start advisory focus groups in January. More information will be coming!
Is it possible to hold students accountable for advisory by giving a grade?
- If you would like to see this type of accountability system for advisory, please propose this to your negotiating team for the new contract.
Staff Shout Outs!
Thank you to Mike Braidman and Tonya Aitken for presenting on instructional rounds on Tuesday! We appreciate your willingness to observe your colleagues and to open your own classrooms up for observations. Nicely done!
Responsibility and Perseverance:
- Thanks to Laurel Christoferson, Tobin Ritt, Lyndsey Oppenheimer, Kristen Smidy, Chris Butler, Scott Gove and Mark Biagini for helping a student through a very difficult situation. This included communicating with each other until almost 10:30pm to make sure the student was safe!
- Shout out to Terry Barut for being extremely thoughtful and well-prepared in a meeting with a parent this week!
- Thank you to Warren Smith and his whole advisory for being welcoming and thoughtful, and having a great conversation with admin (a little late on this one!). Thank you Warren for always looking out for student safety.
- Thank you to Charissa Jones for holding kids accountable in the hallway!
Collaboration and Engagement:
- Officer Gove has gone out of his way to make connections with the students in the Life Skills program. We are so grateful to have him here at HRHS!
- Mr. Geertsma's advisory won the food drive competition with 103 cans!
- Thank you Paula Czarniecki, Tracey Pinkham, Stacey Camp, Jon Letendre, and Bill Randolph for sci-fi day in advisory today! The rooms looked amazing (see photos below!)!
- Thank you to Ellen Doyle for your unfailingly positive attitude and for going above and beyond for our ELL students!
- Shout out to Bobbie Smith, Michelle Tola, Gail Mailhott-Foster, Cindy Streker, and Tara Winters for revamping the foreign language waivers.
Respect and Compassion:
- Thank you to Elizabeth Ramirez for standing firm while still being understanding and kind with a challenging student!
- Shout out to Alesia Estabrook for being poised and professional even under difficult circumstances.
Student Spotlight
Junior of the Week: Ryan Gaskins is upbeat, friendly, and kind 100% of the time. He goes out of his way to say hello and to make everyone feel included.
Sophomore of the Week: Kaylie Novak had a great first school council meeting and is a responsible office aide every day. Thanks Kaylie!
Freshman of the Week: Ashton Weaver spends all of his own Christmas money to buy gifts for the Toys for Tots program. He is incredibly kind and thoughtful.