Wildcat Weekly
August 17, 2020
Our Promise
Every student in Dallas School District is known by name, strength, and need, and graduates ready for career, college, and community.
Grade Level Cohort Teams
Glad you're here!
Welcome Karina and Joseph
Welcome Our Newest Wildcats!
Joseph Frederic will be joining us from Dallas High School where he has taught art for the past 5 years. He will be taking the place of Malynda Shook. We are excited to get to know Joseph and learn together with him. Glad you're here Joseph!
Protocol For Staff Entering the Building
Please follow these safety measure when entering the building馃憤
- You must enter through the main entrance. Please don't enter through any other door. You'll be met with hand sanitizer and a mask if you need one.
- Please check-in at the main office. Joelle is tracking the who, what, when, where, and why (a visitor sign-in sheet), which is required for contact tracing.
- You must wear your mask when entering the building and keep it on in all public/common areas. This includes hallways, staff lounges, commons, etc. Once in your classroom, your mask can be removed.
- At this time, only employees and/or families with appointments are allowed inside the building. No children and/or visitors, please.
Masks, we may not all like it, but we appreciate your cooperation to keep us all healthy.
Kyle's Korner
So far I feel like we're headed in a great direction and will be communicating out the details as things get done.
Canvas Learning Management System
Latest District Update
8/14/2020
Good Afternoon Team Dallas,
There were many updates this week for school districts from the Oregon Department of Education including a new addition to Ready School Safe Learners and three other documents to guide our work this fall. The updates included revisions to the comprehensive distance learning metrics as well as a new opportunity for us to provide "limited" in-person instruction as we begin the school year. Principals and I participated in a webinar early this week about these changes and more details are included below. Here is the ODE link to the new guidance -- It is also included on the district web page.
Blueprint Postings, Board Approval, Polk County Approval
We submitted building plans for board approval on 8/10/20 and the board unanimously approved the building blueprints that over 40 employees collaborated on. These blueprints will help guide building operations once we transition back into a hybrid. Blueprints are being submitted to ODE today. Polk County was impressed with our blueprints and gave a letter of attestation confirming their review and we continue to partner closely with them for disease outbreak management or advice.
Two IMPORTANT Surveys for Staff Members --
- Tech Survey
Please take a moment to fill out the following survey regarding your tech needs for fall. Click on this link.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LC6F7H8
Please open and read the attachment from Salem Child Development Center. Note the embedded survey link. I am asking you to complete this survey if you have child care needs and if you reside within Dallas School District.
Please complete both surveys by the end of the day Monday, August 17.
In-person Instruction
One of the major changes released by ODE this week relates to our ability to service some students in our buildings during comprehensive distance learning. Schools can now offer support to students in a variety of ways including:
路 Address connectivity issues
路 Provide academic support
路 Access assessment
路 Provide social, emotional, or mental health support
路 Build educator-to-student relationships
路 Support live peer-to-peer interaction
路 Support ongoing engagement and attendance
路 Build school culture and community
路 Ensure culturally relevant and sustaining pedagogy
路 Provide voluntary supplemental supports
Limitations and Qualifiers:
路 Students can only be in the building for two consecutive hours
路 Only 250 students can be in a building during one week鈥檚 time
路 Must be voluntary for students
路 Cannot replace comprehensive distance learning and FAPE must be fully adhered to.
路 Cannot have any active COVID-19 spread or cases in the school community
路 Cohort sizes cannot exceed 10
路 All employees and students must use a face covering and practice social distancing
Community Forum
Over 200 community members, students and staff attended the community forum on August 6. We received many great questions and concerns and did our best to answer with what we currently know. There were many topics regarding childcare and connectivity that we are working to address.
Face Coverings
I just want to share some clarity as a few people have asked questions. Face coverings are required in all public settings when social distancing is difficult to maintain. This is language directly from the Oregon Health Authority. Here is some specific information that you may find helpful --
When working in Dallas School District masks are to be worn...
- when entering any building in the district and walking to your work area
- at all times when walking the halls
- when leaving your work area and exiting the building
- when in open shared spaces when social distancing is difficult to maintain
Be safe. See you soon.
Andy