FOR the RECORD
August 2017
July 2017 Secretary and Administrative Assistant Training
Dr. Mike Dawson, Chief Learning Officer, spoke briefly regarding the important role of our district secretaries and administrative assistants reminding us all that we are usually the very first people that our families and students meet on a daily basis, but especially at the beginning of the school year. He emphasized that professional development should be relevant to our jobs, personalized and engaging. He thanked secretaries and administrative assistants for all they do for and with the District.
New secretarial staff to the district will be assigned a SAGE. A SAGE is veteran secretary who has a similar responsibility in the District who will provide Support, Advice, Guidance, and Encouragement. SAGEs will be someone a new hire can call on the phone to get help answering questions or concerns related to their work.
Break out sessions divided by Job Alikes were next and offered a variety of differentiated instruction based on secretaries' role in their building or department. Melanie Simpson presented news and updates on School Stream and PENMAC. Kellie Groh provided information from the Finance Department. Eschool 101 and information about specific student services were offered by Lauren Curtiss, Amy St John, Tina Garrett, and Julie Pinegar.
A post training survey was emailed to gather feedback and ideas for future training.
Relevant
Amy Gibbons, Director of Nutrition Services describes efforts to support student nutrition and food insecurity.
Engaging
Personal
Can YOU say AMAZING?
The common house fly is a health risk (thanks Jean Grabeel in Health Services) and a pest. It never fails that they swarm over any area where there is food or food preparation / consumption. Did you know if you spray a fly with the blue glass cleaner ( use spray not jet nossle)...the fly will temporarily be unable to fly away?
Flys as a general rule will allow a person to approach within 6-8 inches, but with a fly swatter, it is hard to get them, and they fly away. I can't tell you the countless hours I stalked a fly in my house.
Of course, it might take a time or two to spray close enough, but if you practice and have patience...Mission Accomplished without the grossness.
Here are the steps:
1. Have blue glass cleaner in one hand preferably your dominate hand. Be ready with the trigger.
2. Have a paper towel or tissue in the other hand.
3. Approach the fly (often near food or on a window) and get within 5-8 inches and spray quickly at the fly.
4. If you hit it, it will be rendered unable to fly temporarily.
5.With a paper towel QUICKLY pick up the fly. You have choices as to next steps: a. you can just gently squish the fly in the paper towel or release the fly outside.
6. Take another paper towel and spray the spot again with the blue glass cleaner, and PRESTO, your counter or where ever you sprayed the fly, is spotless!
Believe me when I say, I know from experience it works...ask me later for more details.
Site Volunteer Coordinators and the SPS Volunteer Program
Linda Lemmon and I have been working on reviewing all volunteer applications and checking for whether or not they need a new or updated background check. We will continue to do this until September 30, 2017 to save our SVCs the additional stress of keeping track of this task.
Prior to Sept 30, 2017, all SVCs should review the Volunteer Training Modules available in both the Secretary / Administrative Assistant Training Course. If you are a SVC who is not a secretary, please go to Canvas>Glass Classroom>Indepth Study> Volunteer Training. Each module is short and to the point. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to contact Ann White.
SVCs should save this link as a favorite as it contains all the building's new volunteer applications for 2017-2018. The old link will not probably work.
Each SVC should have received through school mail a package that contained our a number of the VIP Volunteer lanyards, generic badges, plastic sleeves to attach badges to lanyard, some thank you notes and instructions as how to distribute the VIP items.
Please remember to encourage your volunteers to log their volunteer hours on a regular basis. Last year, we had over 17,000 service hours logged by volunteers.
Here is the link to the volunteer log which is located on the Volunteer webpage. Go to the main SPS website > Families heading> volunteer program>Volunteer Log.
Homeless Services & the Office of Students in Transition
Site secretaries are usually the first SPS staff to have an awareness of a student or family impacted by homelessness. Below please find some of what is available from the Homeless Services & The Office of Students in Transition website.
Important Resources For You to Know About
Missouri's FAQs: Homeless Children & Youth
This website has the most wanted questions and answers. For example,
What is the definition of homeless?
Is there a residency requirement?
What is meant by immediate enrollment?
What if a child has no immunization documents?
These and more are answered at the link above.
Wednesday Connection is a community collaboration with The Office of Students in Transition of Springfield Public Schools. A one stop shop for resource for families to access essential stabilizing area resources in a centralized location. For more information contact 417 523-1695.
Did you know?
Students who qualify for a homeless status may remain in their school of origin (the school they attended prior to becoming homeless-regardless of where they currently stay in Springfield) or enroll in their new attendance area school, whichever is in their best interest. Transportation is arranged by The Office for Students in Transition for those that need it and qualify. Contact Lynn Schirk at 523-1695 or lschirk@spsmail.org.
ARE these POSTED and available in YOUR Building?
McKinney-Vento signage and quick guides to enrollment were made available at the Secretary Training. If you did not receive these, please email Jenni Vaughn jlvaughn@spsmail.org and some will be mailed to you. The McKinney-Vento posters should be hung in every school building in an area visible to enrolling students.
RECORDS RECORDS RECORDS
PROCESS FOR OBTAINING AND USING STUDENT CUMULATIVE & HEALTH FILES FOR RETURNING STUDENTS
Requesting records for a student who has returned to a SPS District School has never been easier. Click the link below to view the flow chart. Please print this for future reference.
The flow chart will have key information for acquiring "returning student records." It is suggested that you print the flow chart for future reference.