the RAH
August 19-23, 2019
from Mike & J-
First Days Celebrations
Congratulations on a great start to the school year! The first days of school have been a great success thanks to the hard work and preparation that you and your teams have put in to ensure our schools were ready to roll on Tuesday. As we made the rounds this week your teams showed a confidence and enthusiasm that would make any parent excited to see when sending their precious littles to school. Thank you for setting your students and teachers up for a successful start to the year. The time spent this first week or two building community and establishing routines will pay dividends for the rest of the year.
Goal Setting
This year we are putting a renewed focus on the importance of setting clear learning goals and being intentional about developing a plan to reach them. As a district we are asking you as principals to engage with your grade-level teams in setting end-of-year achievement goals for their students in reading and math that we will then consolidate to develop building-level and district-level goals in both areas. More information will be coming about the specifics around this process via email this coming week.
Fire Prevention Month Sign-Up
During Fire Prevention Month, Springfield Firefighter Educators visit Pre-K through 5th grade classrooms in SPS elementary schools to teach life-saving fire safety lessons. These age appropriate lessons fulfill the major instructional goals of the fire safety education requirements, as outlined in the elementary health curriculum.
Below is a link to additional information regarding these visits and a form that provides you the opportunity to pick a visit date/time that would work best for your school. If you have any questions please contact Heather Parker by emailing hparker@springfieldmo.gov or calling at 874-2380.
CLICK HERE for Fire Prevention Month Visit Sign Up Form
*This also includes sites that have worked with neighboring fire districts in the past as they are collaborating with Springfield Fire this year.*
Club Encore Tutors Needed
SPS Foundation - Give Back to School Day!
On Aug 7, Natalie Murdock sent an email to principals concerning the upcoming Give Back to School Day. The overall goals include:
1. Raise funds to support our schools! Supporters can select a specific school when they donate on August 27 which will support Back to School grant projects or learning initiatives at that school. Even if a school did not submit any Back to School grants they will still receive support from any gifts designated for them!
2. Gain new supporters and partners for SPS! This event is designed to reach people who have not traditionally support the Foundation, but are committed to the cause and would like the opportunity to give!
3. Raise awareness of the Foundation for SPS and our programs! We want to share with a larger audience about all of the ways the Foundation provides support to our schools, one of those ways being through Back to School grants!
What we want from building leaders:
1. Share with your parents, school community, alumni and other partners and encourage them to participate. Every dollar will make a difference. If 100 parents in your school give $20, it will go a really long way!
2. What should building leaders share:
a. Give Back to School Day Flier General Public.
b. Overview of projects that your school submitted so your supporters will know what is at stake.
c. Info about the Foundation for SPS, also included on the flyer.
d. Your encouragement to support!
The more we raise, the more we can give away! We are really excited and hope the day goes well. But, we know we can’t do it without the support of building leaders. Please refer to your email from Natalie Murdock dated Aug 7. If you have any questions please contact Natalie at the Foundation Office.
2019-20 Medicaid Update
SPS generates revenue through two school-based Medicaid programs:
· Direct Services - students who receive related services as part of their IEP; our licensed Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational and Physical Therapists provide these services.
· SDAC - School District Administrative Claiming
We receive reimbursement for administrative activities such as:
· Coordination of medical and mental health related services covered by Medicaid.
· Linking students to Medicaid services.
· Monitoring the delivery of medical and mental health services performed in the school district.
Because of your role/job classification with SPS, you are included as someone who may perform an administrative activity that would be considered under SDAC.
· You may receive a Random Moment Survey, from Fairbanks, as part of the data collection process. You will be asked for specific information about what you were doing during that exact moment. Please complete this survey immediately.
· SDAC Annual Training is no longer required
Should you have any questions, please contact:
Pam Marion
Assistant Director Therapy and Related Services
523-7505