#TeamPenn WAG
August 17 - 21, 2020
What's up with this hot weather?!!
Hi all,
Did you survive this weird weekend?! Hottest temps! Lightning storms and loss of power for some?! Aye aye aye aye.
I wanted to let you all know that I continue to hear nothing but RAVE reviews from families and educators around the community of what an outstanding job you're all doing with Distance Learning. It's totally unfathomable to process how we've essentially flipped our entire educational service to a virtual school. To our classified team: thank you so much for all you're doing to make sure no student goes without. You are the best.
Teachers, as you continue to teach this week, would you please do me a favor? Soon it will be time for us to give feedback to our DL Committee reps about how we think our schedules are going. I remember in the spring, you all got to a place where the schedule got stale and you wanted to mix things. What's working for you? What's not? Are you doing too much whole group instruction? Not enough small groups? Or many too many small groups and not enough one on ones?
In other reflections: Are there students you realize are falling behind? Please be sure to schedule check ins with them. Do you need me to follow up with students? I'm happy to do so. Proud of someone and you want me to give them a shoutout? Send any names my way. What about parents....this seems to be a tricky one. We're realizing that some parents are simply not capable of supporting their students during DL. This may be due to a variety of reasons: cognitive challenges, overwhelmed by financial stress, personal struggles that impact accessibility, difficulty understanding, lack of effort, depression, anxiety, you name it. Some of you have mentioned you may consider doing another "parent check in meeting" as a follow up to your Back to School Night presentations you did the day before school started. Maybe talk with your team about if this is a wise idea for you. Could you share some best practices/positive strategies with all your parents in hopes they can come on board? Perhaps some more detailed instructions from you would be beneficial? Lots of questions to just get us thinking on next steps. I'll follow up with you about these during grade level time and one on one checks ins. Speaking of, I'll be sending out the time slots for one on one meetings soon. Looking forward to connecting with you. (these one on one checks ins are for teachers but if ANY staff member wants to check in, I would love that!).
Don't forget to update the following docs (which are also linked on the Team Penn Master Doc). Thanks a mil!
Students who are struggling (please include the date you enter info)
Hoping for some cool weather...
Amy
- Monday, 8/17, Lorena Work from Home
- 11:30am Optional walk on the track to clear your minds and get some steps and fresh air! (Some of you mentioned this time didn't work for your schedules so feel free to suggest a second optional walk time if you're interested.)
- Tuesday, 8/18
8 - 8:30am Optional morning coffee check in with colleagues
Location: 6th grade tables outside near track
Stating the obvious: all social distancing guidelines in full effect
Purpose: drink coffee, share in the misery, and be hopeful together6 - 9pm Board Meeting via Zoom
- Wednesday, 8/19, Spirit Day: Stripes & Polka Dot Day!!!!! Yesenia Work from Home
- 1 - 1:30 Whole staff check in - be ready to spread hope!
- 1:30 TK, K, & 1st Grade Cluster Check-in
- 2pm 2nd & 3rd Grade Cluster Check-in
- 2:30pm 4th, 5th, & 6th Grade Cluster Check-in
- Join Zoom Meeting https://zoom.us/j/93886811750?pwd=SzNWRmUraHdjZTVvNlFhZGhZWGVhQT09 Meeting ID: 938 8681 1750 Password: 5XX5CD
- Thursday, 8/20
- 11:30am Optional walk on the track to clear your minds and get some steps and fresh air! (Some of you mentioned this time didn't work for your schedules so feel free to suggest a second optional walk time if you're interested.)
- 6 - 7pm Seesaw Parent Webinar (more info below)
- Friday, 8/21, Student Resource Pick-up/Drop-off, Amy Work from Home, Yesenia OFF
From Heather Law:
From Dana Gottlieb:
A big thank you to the 2/3 teachers for letting me "crash" their classes and assess students in break-out rooms. It has been so wonderful to have a view of your students and to see the amazing teaching and engagement that can happen across a screen.
Moran/Weaver
Judson/Zeidler
Adrienne - you're a queen!
Welcome back Angela and Jenna!
Ms. Clare - music video champ!
Updated CORE and a fabulous resource for teaching virtually...
This updated CORE screener is much clearer and way more user-friendly in google slides. Renee Nealon from McDowell did all the fancy stuff. Please note when you get to the H1 section, cvce words, I didn't have the tech savvy to make it nice work like Renee did. If anyone wants to update, please do so and then share. Using this should be even clearer for the kids across a screen.
Updated Penn Core Phonics Screener--Make a copy
Teachers navigating tech tools with all the links
Here's my new favorite spreadsheet that has vetted free resources and links to tons of links to brief "how-to" videos by teachers for different aspects (ex, specific zoom tutorials, accessibility features, student engagement, etc). It's super user-friendly and all videos have been updated since March. There are also links to virtual magnetic letters, name pickers, etc. They continue to update this sheet. Some are specifically related to early literacy but most are more general. Produced by University of Florida Literacy Institute's virtual teaching hub.
And I've become such a geek with using UFLI virtual teaching reading tools. It's a bit overwhelming but an amazing resource with tons of teaching videos and user-friendly teaching templates. I wish this website existed in March.
UPDATED: Mrs. Fadeji's Weekly Message for August 17th
Coach K's Distance Learning 2.0 Resource Doc
Seesaw Parent Webinar: August 20, 6:00-7:00 pm
Seesaw is the new learning platform for all students in grades TK-3. Do you want to learn more about this platform? Spend an hour talking with Penngrove teacher Adrienne Olufs to learn how you can support your children on this platform.
Zoom Webinar Link: https://petk12.zoom.us/j/83838256536
Google Classroom Parent Webinar: August 27, 6:00-7:00 pm
Zoom Webinar Link: https://petk12.zoom.us/j/85109736212
A change in temperature check routine...again!
Any students who didn't pick up materials?
Sunshine Info 2020-21
Hello Everyone!
We hope the first few weeks have been going well for you! This year we would like to have dues paid through Venmo (@Gina-Benedetti-2), or Paypal (ginabenedetti@hotmail.com), so we do not have to worry about Coronavirus. If you do not have either Venmo or Paypal we can work with you to figure out an alternative. We know some people are worried about paying dues in times when we’re staying socially distanced, but we feel it’s still important to honor the special events in people’s lives too. Hopefully by the end of this year we’re able to gather together and celebrate the successes of a crazy year. We did reduce dues by $5, in an effort to recognize this year is a little different. Sunshine dues cover PTA membership ($10), cards, gifts, food and supplies for as many parties as possible.
Here are the Sunshine Dues amounts:
Certified Full Time employees: $45
Certificated Job Shares: $25
Classified Employees: $20
If you’ve already renewed your membership to PTA, please adjust your dues.
It's time to shower Elena before the Judson twins show up! Join us on Wednesday, August 26th at 3:00 pm on the field, for individually wrapped sweet treats and gifts to welcome her baby boys. Sunshine will be providing a gift from the staff. Please RSVP here. Also, let’s play a digital game! Click this link to make a guess as to when her babies will arrive!! :)
You and your team are welcome to contribute a gift as well! Honoring everyone’s comfort level because of Covid, we are asking people to bring their gift to Gina’s room and place them in the blue wagon, by Monday, August 24th. That way there is a waiting period before Elena gets the gifts. If you aren’t comfortable with this option, but you still want to contribute extra then you can purchase something online from Elena’s registry.
Looking forward to a great year!
-Sunshine ‘20-’21
Maureen, Nicole, Serena, and Gina
2020-2021 Staff Discretionary Funds
Please see the 2020/2021 FOPPTA Staff Discretionary Tracking Sheet: Click Here. This was approved at the August 3rd FOPPTA Association meeting. The FOPPTA Budget Committee and Board want to emphasize that although the amounts were reduced by 50% this year due to the unknowns of fundraising and the community stressors, we hope to be able to re-look at this as the year goes on and with a (hopefully on campus) Spring Jog-a-thon! Any carry over from last year is also included in a column on the tracking sheet. Please note for planning purposes that we will not be able to carry over money remaining at the end of this year. The reimbursement sheet can be found Here. Reimbursements can continue to be submitted via email to fopptatreas@gmail.com or be placed in the PTA inbox in the office. If you do e-mail, please hold on to the originals and submit whenever you are on campus next. Please include if you prefer to have the reimbursement check mailed to your home or placed in your mailbox in the office... Thank you for everything!
Contact Erica Arent at fopptatreas@gmail.com with any questions.
From Mrs. Lutz for teachers
Hi Teachers,
I hope you are sharing and enjoying some of my videos with your students from my Digital Library. I am working on adding more soon.
Please email me if you are ready for me to Zoom with your class. I can read a story to your class or just pop in and visit. We could talk about books!
As more of you are ready for "Library Fun" I will work on some sort of schedule for all of us. Just let me know. Thanks!
I hope you are doing well. I do miss those little faces.
Support Tools during DL and COVID-19
The first is from a group out of Wisconsin and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, and is one of the few that I have seen that are strengths based and trauma informed, and provide specific and concrete advice for teachers who have contact with parents. The tool could easily be modified to be used by anyone making a connection with families now, though. Check it out.
Tools for teachers and others to help parents during COVID
The second tool is a tool I and a colleague created in March to help teachers continue to be a part of the safety net for kids, isolated at home. It's shorter and less comprehensive, but could also be helpful. It recognizes how overwhelmed teachers already are, and tries to support them. I also have a script for teachers to use that is a back to school, wellness check-in assessment since COVID. If you're interested let me know and I'm happy to share.
-Jillian
#TeamPenn All Day Every Day
Email: penngrove@petk12.org
Website: www.penngrovepanthers.org
Location: 365 Adobe Road, Penngrove, CA, USA
Phone: (707) 778-4755
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Penngrove-Elementary-School-323595021067904/
Twitter: @pennpanthers