Week At A Glance
August 14 - 20, 2017
It's PLC Time!
We are so excited to begin our PLC time on Monday, August 14. We will all meet in the Media Center at 2:40 pm and finish at 3:25 pm. We will spend time at this meeting discussing the purpose, vision, structure and general details about the PLC process.
Eclipse Updates
Dr. Combs has shared information with the principals concerning the solar eclipse that will occur on Monday, August 21. That day is scheduled as an early release day since it is a Monday. The corporation has decided that we will now dismiss at our regular time of 2:55 that day. Parents have been informed via the Falcon Flyer. I am including the directions from Dr. Combs for you to read through and to plan. We have a limited number of approved glasses for student use. However, as you read through her information there are several steps that teachers will need to do if you intend to have students view the eclipse. We wanted you to have this information so that you can have your plans in place prior to MTN. Parents may elect to come and pick up their child during this time and it will be an excused absence.
Hamilton Southeastern Schools
Guidance for the August 21, 2017 Eclipse
Safety Information:
· During the eclipse, we will have 90% totality. This means that the sky will darken and temperatures will drop. Looking at the sun during the eclipse may not cause immediate pain, so students may be tempted to extend exposure. Be aware that only during totality (which we will not have) is it safe to look at the sun without safety glasses. Damage to the eyes will not show up immediately, but it will in the days following the eclipse and damage may be permanent. Please emphasize that sunglasses do not prevent eye damage. In fact, taking pictures of the event with unprotected lenses on cameras, phones, iPads, or telescopes can damage the device.
- If teachers take students outside during the eclipse time, students must have eclipse glasses which are ISO 12312-2 compliant and were manufactured by NASA approved vendors. This list can be found on the NASA Eclipse 2017 website: https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/ .
- If teachers have glasses for their students and plan to take their class out to view the eclipse, they are responsible for notifying their families of their intent, explaining the learning experience, and allowing families to opt out of the viewing. They must also notify their principal of their viewing intention and copy their principal on their communication.
- If students have glasses, students will be taught how to view the eclipse safely, practice using and keeping their glasses on, and must be supervised carefully.
- In order to minimize the risks to students, other than classes specifically prepared to observe the eclipse, students will not be outside between 1:00 and 3:50 PM for school-sponsored events or activities. This includes recess, PE classes, marching band, and athletic practices or events.
- Principals will remind the employees of the After Care Program that students are not to be outside prior to 4:00 PM on the day of the eclipse.
- The eclipse falls on a day of early dismissal. This would put students in the process of the dismissal during a time that the eclipse is near the height of the process. In order to minimize exposure, students will NOT have early dismissal and they will be dismissed at the normal time. PLCs will be cancelled on August 21st. It will be important to have extra supervision and remind students during dismissal.
HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN SCHOOLS
PERMISSION SLIP AND RELEASE
Student Name:
I understand that viewing the eclipse involves the risk of permanent eye injury. I agree on behalf of myself and my student, to release Hamilton Southeastern Schools and its employees and volunteers from any liability or responsibility for any injuries or damages to my student because of the student’s participation in this activity, including injuries that result from any failure of the eclipse viewing glasses that I provide.
_____________As a parent or guardian of the student listed above, I give permission for my student to view the partial eclipse on August 21, 2017 by using NASA vendor approved eclipse-viewing glasses that will be provided at school.
____________I do not wish for my child to participate when students view the eclipse on August 21, 2017 with NASA vendor approved glasses.
________________________________________________Parent/Guardian Signature
Social Committee Update
Three items to read through:
1. Dues
It’s time to plan ahead for all those fun social things!!
Terri Zabonick and I are heading up the social committee again this year.
We are asking a $20.00 donation from teachers. Support staff and part time people, $10.00.
And as always, if you need to do the payment installment plan, let me know.
Cash or Check made out to Monika Spangler. I cash the checks and put it in the social committee lock box.
2. What dues cover
For those who are new, or just have forgotten, social committee dues take care of:
· staff pitch-in lunches
· cakes/gift card for wedding, baby and retirement showers
· card/gift of support for death in family
· support staff appreciation gifts
· holiday and end of the year gatherings
3. Want to join the committee?
Interested in joining the social committee? We usually have one actual meeting and then we plan over email. J
Send an email to me or Terri Zabonick if you’d like to join us! J
Thanks!!!
Monika and Terri
We’re looking forward to another great year with the most
Fantastic, Creative and Inspiring Staff!
Mindfulness
The Brain is Coming!
Classroom Environment- Consider the Walls
During this past school year we discussed the importance of why what we display in our school speaks volumes about what we value as educators and learners. We saw much progress throughout the year in using documentation of learning as something to be shared and valued. Many classrooms had student/class created items as the main focus in the classroom and walls outside the classroom. Less and less we noticed store purchased posters, decorations and/or items which were teacher focused dominating the room. With that in mind, the beginning of the new school year is a great time to take a look at what is left on your walls.
This year we will continue our focus on our beliefs of the child. One of the related items to this topic is our classrooms and how they are used/perceived by our students. In the article Consider the Walls by Patricia Tarr (http://naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200405/ConsidertheWalls.pdf), she shares many things that she considers when contemplating the use of classroom space- from seating to walls, color to commercial, etc. And even though the article is about a primary classroom, it still applies to classrooms at our level.
Here are some 'food for thought' questions to ponder as you think about the space in the classroom:
- What is the purpose of the materials I am putting on display? Who is the display for? The children? Families? Other visitors?
- Are your displays all about you or will they be about your classroom & students? Do the things in/outside my room tell a story about you or your classroom of students?
- What image of a learner is conveyed by the materials displayed?
- Does the display honor children's work or has the work become simply decorative by being cut up into shapes contrived by an adult?
- How can the walls reflect the lives, families, cultures, and interests of the learners within?
- Do the posters invite participation and active involvement or passive reception of information (Shapiro & Kirby 1998)?
- What is the atmosphere of the classroom? How do the materials on display contribute to this atmosphere?
- What are the assumptions about how children learn, and how are these reflected by the classroom walls?
So as you begin to plan for the upcoming year, begin to apply these concepts to further incorporate into your classroom. We would expect to see much more minimalist type of decorations that are not teacher-store purchased to make the walls colorful, but instead student-centered and purposeful, perhaps created with/by the students, to be utilized and applied in their learning.
Canvas Communications (CanvasComm)
Edition 4 - https://sway.com/9GgY0tOoqn556WqN?ref=Link
- Cross Listing (Merging) Courses & Cleaning Up Your Dashboard
- Student Account Information & Resources (ready for your use)
- Parent Account Information & Resources (ready for your use)
- HSE Best Practice Minimum Expectations for Canvas Us
- Links to Previous Editions of CanvasComm
Edition 3 - https://sway.com/6RSCOx69UhjqZxzB?ref=Link
- Summer Professional Learning Sessions Still Available
- Merging Courses
- Status of Blackboard Content Import
- Just For Elementary Teachers
- Student Account Information & Resources (already created for you)
- Parent Account Information & Resources (already created for you)
- HSE's Best Practice Minimum Expectations for Use
- Links to the first two editions of CanvasComm
Edition 2 - https://sway.com/5pG7rnZqWVN3iUwV?ref=Link
- How To Log Into Canvas
- What You See Upon Log In
- What You Can Start Doing
- Professional Learning Opportunities (repeat info from 1st CanvasComm)
- HSE's Best Practice Minimum Expectations For Use (repeat info from 1st CanvasComm)
- Initial Implementation Timeline (edited info from 1st CanvasComm)
Edition 1 - https://sway.com/BAOEYAJrI39RaqG2?ref=Link
- Initial Implementation Timeline
- HSE's Best Practice Minimum Expectations For Use
- Professional Learning Opportunities & Information
Destination Imagination Coordinator
HSE Destination Imagination is a district sponsored academic team that is available to all HSE students in grades 3-12. This past year, HSE had 28 district teams. Destination Imagination’s mission and value is to teach students the creative process and empower them with the skills needed to succeed in an ever-changing world which is nearly identical to our own mission of HSE21. This academic team would only enhance the things that we are already doing within our buildings with HSE21. Plus we already have some students who are on teams but go to other schools since we have no coordinator here.
This is a paid position. Want to learn more? Stop by and chat with Kim and check out the DI website: https://www.destinationimagination.org
Canvas - Susan Drumm will here Tuesday, August 15
As you continue to work on setting up Canvas, please keep in mind what the basic expectations are. Your three Canvas trainers (Jenifer, Kylie, Ruth) can you help you with these items below and with other areas that you might want to create soon. Susan Drumm will be here all day on Tuesday, August 15 in the Media Center to meet with anyone wanting assistance or to answer questions.
Best Practice Expectations (All Grade Levels)
Regular use of Canvas will vary. For the 2017-18 school year, at the minimum, teachers will:
· Maintain a homepage with a photo, course description, teacher contact information/bio, etc.
· Post classroom expectations/handbook/syllabus for the year
· Post activities/assignments in the system calendar and keep the system calendar current
- Create Modules to organize information & resources necessary for student success (ie: files, textbook links, online resources)
CPI Training
For those of you who need trained in CPI or need a refresher, here is the link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d45acac29a5fe3-cpi2
Note that there are times available for the first two teacher days. However, they are trying to keep those for those with more aggressive students as much as possible.
FCI School Hours
7:25am - Breakfast dismissal for students from buses
7:35am - Student arrival/dismissal from buses
7:45am - Tardy bell
2:55pm - Student dismissal
3:00pm - Teacher dismissal
Contact Numbers
- Randy - 317-403-4211
- Kim - 317-379-7446
PTO Stipend
Reimbursement Requirements/Procedures:
- Staff members will purchase items for use during the 2017-18 school year.
- Receipts must be dated between May 29, 2017-May 11, 2018.
- Sales tax and gift card purchases cannot be reimbursed.
- Complete and print the reimbursement form located on the FCI intranet/documents and forms/PTO Reimbursement Stipend folder. ( https://goo.gl/uQWJ5o)
- Attach original receipts to completed form. It is suggested that you make copies for yourself.
- Submit to Assistant Principal by May 11, 2018. Reimbursement requests submitted after this date may not be able to be processed due to end of the year procedures.
In addition, the PTO is directing funds for ECAs, classroom resources, Second Steps, etc. These combine for several thousand dollars. They are really working with FCI to assist in meeting the needs of all our students. Having said that, please ensure that you do notdirectly approach the PTO with financial request. Please speak with Randy or Kim so they may determine appropriateness of the request and if other non-PTO funds are available.
As you have a moment, please let the PTO know how these things are appreciated. :) They are a phenomenal part of our FCI family!
SOAR Days
We are excited to be continuing SOAR DAYS this year utilizing our 2-hour delay schedule (indicated on the Related Arts schedule) to focus on relationships, anti-bullying character building, etc. on the 2nd Wednesday of every month (exception-August): 8/16, 9/13, 10/11, 11/8, 12/13, 1/10, 2/14, 3/14, 4/11.
Looking forward to our RELATIONSHIP focus and exploring how that impacts student-student relationships, student-teacher relationships, behavior, and more!!
Student passwords have changed
Effective today all students will now use their student ID in place of their birthdate in their password. Grades 5-12 will continue to use the uppercase Hse (i.e. Hse999888)
Usernames have not changed – just the password.
Migration of intranet
HOW DO I ACCESS THE NEW INTRANET LOCATION?
You can access the new Intranet directly by using the link below:
https://hsek12inus.sharepoint.com/sites/FCI/
You will also see a tile in your app launcher (the grid in the upper left) in Office 365 that will say “Intranet.” This will allow you to access it as well. (Note that it will likely not be on your HOME. If you click on NEW, then on the 3 dots on the right - pin to Home, it will seen on the Home of your grid.)
WILL I NOTICE A CHANGE?
The way you access it will be different, but the look and feel should be almost identical.
DID EVERYTHING COME OVER? WILL I NEED TO REUPLOAD ANYTHING?
It should have. You will want to check for those on the new site. Everything else should have been transferred properly.
I HAVE A MAPPED DRIVE THAT GOES SPECIFICALLY TO A FOLDER ON THE INTRANET. WILL THAT TRANSFER?
No. There is no way to map it, so we will need to find an alternative. This is extremely rare (only a few known cases in the district) , so if this affects you, please contact Chris Corbit at ccorbit@hse.k12.in.us for assistance.
I CAN STILL ACCESS THE OLD SITE…
The old Intranet will be available for a while as a read only site. You will not be able to make changes, but you will still be able to view and download files just in case anything was missed. Sometime between Labor Day and Fall Break, we will permanently remove it. These URLs will still work but ARE NOT correct and point to the old server. They will be decommissioned sometime in the fall.
This I Believe...This We Believe
As we have been interviewing this summer, we have asked candidates to complete the following statement: "This I believe..." This powerful statement can be utilized as a daily guide to interacting with & guiding students in the classroom beyond just basic beliefs.
As we reflect on the 2016-17 year, we feel as if we have grown so much as a staff. Continuing to focus on our growth, we would like everyone to consider their "This I believe..." statement. When we come together on August 8th, we would like to have time to share our beliefs as a staff, even if only a portion of one of these statements.
We would like to encourage you to get to come together as a class/team and create "This We Believe..." statement(s). These can be the guiding force and foundation for your classroom/teams this year.
We would be happy to assist in this process by sharing our own "This I believe..." statements. As an example of this might be:
At FCI, THIS WE BELIEVE...
- Relationships matter and that all voices deserve to be heard.
- Assessing students in a formative manner allows for teachers to better know the mastery level of their students.
- Differentiating instruction for students means addressing the needs of all students.
- All students can and will demonstrate growth.
- Student success should be at the center of all we do.
- Each individual should be treated with respect, staff and students alike.
Schedule of FCI meetings for 2017-18
Staff Meetings
Fourth Wednesday of the month (exception November)
- August 23rd
- September 27th
- November 29th
- January 24th
- February 28th
- March 28th
- April 25th
PLCs
Every Monday except:
11/20
12/18
3/26
5/21
Team Meetings
Third Thursday/Friday of the month (exception - May)
- September 21 & 22
- October 26 & 27
- November 16 &17
- January 18 & 19
- February 15 & 16
- March 15 & 16
- April 19 & 20
- May 10 & 11
- Individual TEACHER CHATS with Randy and Kim - week of August 21st (sign-up schedule to come)
Teacher Chats
In an effort to continue to connect with and support all staff, please access the following link to select a date/time block that you would like to have your TEACHER CHAT with Randy and Kim. (https://goo.gl/7y4NWt) At that we would like to discuss professional goals you have created for the year as well as ways we may support you in those goals.
At this time, all teachers - resource, gen-ed, related arts, counselors, and TDS should schedule. (Chats will all other staff will be coming soon.)
We are looking forward to this valuable time together.
Randy and Kim
ECA Proposals
Our goal is to include diverse club options to be able to reach as many students as possible. In addition, we would really like to spread out clubs throughout the year more evenly than in the past.
Please note that your proposal must be approved as well as information to be sent out before doing so. Thanks!
Food Policy
As you are planning for the upcoming year, be sure to review the Wellness policy for the district: (Board Docs J07.06 - http://www.boarddocs.com/in/hses/Board.nsf)
Goal 5: Classroom, grade level or school-based activities should limit the amount and choices of food made available to students during the school day.
- Food
- Staff members will not use food items as rewards. Carbonated beverages cannot be served to students.
- Reward parties (pizza party, popcorn party) will be limited to no more than two per semester per classroom.
- Food used as part of the lesson or unit must take into account the health needs of students and be curriculum based. For grades K-6, a staff member using food to supplement a lesson or unit must have a permission slip on file. This applies to after school clubs/activities and PTO-sponsored events where parents are not in attendance.
If you have any questions, please see Randy or Kim.
NWEA windows
Fall:
Monday, August 14 to Friday, September 1
Winter:
Monday, December 4 to Monday, December 18
Spring:
Monday, April 30 to Tuesday, May 15
~Most Recent Falcon Flyer~
~ Food for Thought ~
What's Happenin' at the Creek!
Monday, August 14th-
- Day F-1
- First day of band and orchestra
Tuesday, August 15th-
- Day F-2
Meet the Teacher Night
- 6:00-7:00pm - 6th Grade
- 7:30-8:30pm - 5th Grade
- Susan Drumm in Media Center - all day for Canvas assistance
Wednesday, August 16th
- Day F-3
Thursday, August 17th
- Day F-4
Friday, August 18th
- Day F-5
Monday August 21st
- Day C-1
- Solar eclipse- dismiss at regular time - 2:55pm
- Teacher Chats
Tuesday, August 22nd
- Day C-2
- Club Proposals due to Kim
- Teacher Chats
Wednesday, August 23rd
- Day C-3
- Teacher Chats
Thursday, August 24th
- Day C-4
- Teacher Chats
Friday, August 25th
- Day C-5
- Teacher Chats
FCI Miscellaneous notes
Admin Acct. for new devices:
MAC: Username: Lmstaff / Password: HSEloc@1
Windows 10 Machines (Dell & Surface): Username: .\Lmstaff / Password: HSEloc@1
Front Row - (RtI/exceptional learners)
Log in- fci-general@hse.k12.in.us
password - frontrow2014
class code (any student in the school edition) - 8ztau4