the RAH
Sept 4-8, 2017
from J-
Regular Updates- In an attempt to increase your awareness of what is going on at the district level, I have invited various departments to share out updates. This week you will receive updates from Ben's dept (VisitSPS, Explore). While information may come from other arena based upon the timeliness/need of a message (like the ELL info this week), please be looking for at least a monthly update.
1st week of each month – Innovation & Information update from Ben's team.
2nd week of each month – Curriculum & Partnerships update from Marty's team.
3rd week of each month – Special & Support Programs update from Phyllis' team.
4th week of each month – AAA updates from Amy's team.
Using the right code- Please review for your knowledge, and then connect with your secretary and your teachers around substitute codes. The sub code PD-DIST 1% 320 166 should only be used when a leader from a district department has emailed the teacher telling him/her to use that code for a particular date. Also, please make sure that only subs approved and budgeted by your SPLS Liaison are coded as PD-BLDG 1% 320 165. Last year, several subs were charged to both 165 and 166 erroneously. We are doing our best to enhance communication so that those mistakes can be dodged this year! The 1% funds must be used only on professional learning and are carefully budgeted. If you have questions, please talk to Kathy Gross.
Sub Code Caution:
· Code that needs an email invitation to use is: PD-DIST 1% 320 166
· Code that needs approval from SPLS Liaison & Principal is: PD-BLDG 1% 320 165
School Action Plans- Please remember that your SAP is due September 15. We are always willing to offer support as needed as you work toward documenting the focus for this school year and as you put the plan into action. Contact Kathy if you have misplaced your SPLS Google Folder and/or if you have any questions or needs. Educator Growth Plans should be in the following Friday, September 22.
Enjoy your three day weekend- you deserve it!
VisitSPS
Visit SPS was created last school year around the need for a centralized process to manage an increased volume of external visit requests. This new online process provides a structure to ensure that learning is not disrupted due to an overwhelming number of requests at any one particular site; site leaders are not burdened with the logistics of planning visits; and that a comprehensive experience is provided to guests to share our story. It also provides an opportunity to gain feedback from visitors so we can continually evaluate and improve the experience for future guests.
Thank you to all who supported this new process and hosted visitors at their sites! From September to May last year, Visit SPS hosted visits from 12 school districts and two community groups with several districts visiting multiple times. During those visits 163 educators and leaders visited sites across our system learning from our leaders, teachers and staff.
Visit SPS will continue this year with the centralized process and online form, which is now live. We hope this process will continue to be a timesaver for everyone involved. Please direct groups or individuals who may contact you about visiting your school or program to this page where they will submit their request. You can find the link on the district homepage under “Connect with Us” or on the “Contact” drop-down menu.
Christine Jones, coordinator of summer learning and student experiences, will facilitate this process. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact her.
from Jeremy Borland - ELL
“SPS Board Policy requires every student enrolling in our district to fill out a Home Language Survey (HLS) and a Migrant Parent Survey (MPS) in order for us to meet legal obligations (state and federal) to identify and provide services for English Language Learner (ELL) and migrant students. Forms identifying a possible qualification for service should be sent the ELL Department at ell@spsmail.org or faxed to 417-523-1185 as soon as possible. HLS and MPS forms are required because of their crucial role in the process of identifying, reporting, receiving funds for, and providing services to, students who are in need. When we follow this district policy carefully, it drastically minimizes the risk of students “falling through the cracks,” which not only ensures that students in need will be supported, but also protects the district from Office of Civil Rights (OCR) complaints, legal liability, and potential litigation which could result in the loss of federal and state funding for all programs across the district. Please help us support students and families in the district and meet our local, state, and federal obligations by following SPS required policies and maintaining copies of these important documents for future review. We have prepared the following resources to support everyone in the district regarding enrollment procedures and the specifics of what to do with HLS and MPS forms (most recent versions of the forms and translations into multiple languages are also available at the following links): Home Language Survey,Migrant Parent Survey, Student Registration Checklist and Process for Enrolling Potential ELL Students . Questions and concerns can be addressed in the ELL Department at 417-523-1136. We look forward to assisting district employees, students, and families as we all work toward supporting student success.”
Please let me know if there’s anything else which might be helpful in supporting stakeholders. I’m also happy to pare this down if necessary. I don’t want it to be overwhelming.
City PTA Council
Wednesday, Sep 6, 2017, 09:15 AM
Study Alternative Center, West Olive Street, Springfield, MO, United States
EXPLORE 2017 Feedback
Explore 2017 feedback was collected via Panorama from students, teachers, administrators, parents, and partners. This data has been recently released and will be used by the Explore steering team as they look to debrief Explore 2017 and begin planning for Explore 2018. Weekly planning meetings for Explore 2018 will begin the first week in October.
Information on site incentives will be released very soon. Look to hear more about your specific site by mid-September. Thank you for your patience!
Innovation & Information
First, a huge thank you for all the assistance as we deployed IGNiTE devices this school year. The rapid pace of deployment would not have been possible without your flexibility and cooperation. If you have any questions regarding IGNiTE, please reach out to your site Blended Learning Specialist, Bruce or Nichole.
As we embark on another school year, the information technology department has many projects on the horizon designed to help support your building or department in creating an engaging, relevant and personal learning environment. Here are a few of the many projects we’ll tackle this school year.
- Utilizing E-Rate funding, we will begin refreshing the WiFi infrastructure to continue supporting the devices deployed through IGNiTE. We hope to complete this refresh over the next three years and will be working with building leaders on when their building will be updated.
- We will begin installing powered speakers in all classrooms to improve the audio output of classroom projectors. We will work with building leaders on timing of these installations to minimize disruption when these speakers will be installed.
- We will continue upgrading the audio visual equipment throughout the district. Last school year we replaced over 300 aging projectors and also updated the A/V equipment in 13 auditoriums, gyms and all purpose rooms. Our goal is to get all A/V installations on a refresh cycle to ensure equity of access to quality equipment.
- An updated purchasing procedure and website will be released soon. We hope to provide an easier process for requesting additional equipment, request approval for grant proposal and knowing what is provided from the technology budget and what can be purchased using building and department supply accounts.
In addition to these projects, we would like to update you on a few additional items related to IGNiTE.
- All K-5 students should have been provided with a set of headphones. We are working with our vendor, Avid who would like to repair or replace headphones that break this year. Your Instructional Technologist will be provided with a tub to place broken devices in. These we be collected periodically and replaced. Instructional Technologists will receive headphone procedures shortly.
- As a reminder, any student who has limited Internet access either due to parent request or a discipline issue should have their account marked in eSchool Plus under the Registration > Internet/Home Access. Please uncheck “Internet Access Allowed”. Note that any change to this screen will take 24 hours to impact a student’s account.
We look forward to serving all of you and our students this school year! Please let me (Nichole Lemmon) know if you have any questions.
from Bret-
Please remember to include your school’s information here regarding before and after school care for our students. We are attempting to assess where gaps exist.
I met with all Learning Coaches on Tuesday. The presentation is here and my first newsletter to them is here. My goals for Learning Coaches this year include:
1. Establish a structure for well-planned collaboration and professional learning support.
2. Establish a Mission statement.
3. Explore various models of coaching to fit our needs.
Expanding on my learning this summer regarding the Correlates of Effective Schools, Correlate two is having a Climate of High Expectations and includes:
· Teachers implement re-teaching and re-grouping to assure students achieve mastery.
· Teachers plan re-teaching and re-grouping in cooperation with other teachers and staff and will not do this in isolation.
· Principals and teachers consistently ask, “What are we prepared to do when students don’t learn at high levels?”
· Principals and teachers will have expectations for self, including being focused on their own learning.
· The focus of schools will be less on instruction and more on learning.