Staff Weekly Update
Updates for the Week of 5/11 - 5/15
Dates/Reminders:
- Tuesday, 5/12: Classroom teachers share draft class lists with AB, AB shares with staff for input
- Google Meet Staff Meeting, Friday, 5/15, at 2pm -- we'll start with a full-staff clap for our 5th graders!
- Fri., 5/15: Prof. Judgement Forms due
UPDATE: End-of-the-Year Materials Pick-Up/Tech Drop-Off
- School supplies donation: our usual source for this donation (the Wiggins family) is not able to coordinate supplies donation safely to their organization this year... but our fearless Cindy and Cathy are looking into alternatives. If you want to keep supplies that you'd ordinarily donate, let's give this a few weeks to sort out and we'll either donate or get rid of them from there.
- Tables are set up in the gym (thanks, Kevin!) and labeled (thanks, Vickie and Cindy!) by classroom just as they were for the 3/16 materials pick-up day.
- We will have plain brown grocery shopping paper bags ready to hold all materials on Weds., 5/13 -- if you plan to go into the building to pack student materials BEFORE next Weds., please reach out to Kevin about getting black plastic trash liners to use instead/temporarily.
- When you're ready with student materials packed, you can either: a) set them up on the tables in the gym yourself, or b) let me know that you're ready and I'll coordinate help moving/setting them up in the gym.
- Specialists: If you have work to send home to students, please gather/organize by classroom and either a) put them directly into the materials bags on the tables in the gym yourself, or b) let me know that you're ready and I'll coordinate help distributing them into the packed materials in the gym.
- Tech Return: We will include a printout of summertime technology "care and keeping" for our 3rd-5th graders to insert into the materials bags, and a check-in list for our K-2 kiddos as they return their tech on 6/3.
5th Grade Clap-Out:
As I shared last week, we’ve been hard at work in planning our virtual version of the Clap Out for our 5th Graders! Here’s the plan:
Wednesday, June 3rd will be all about the Clap Out: it will be the only remote learning for the day!
I will share a video montage of the Virtual Clap Out with all students/parents to support our 5th graders
The video will start off with the PTOs 5th grade song (all of our 5th graders singing a brand-new FP 5th grade song, in mashup format!) and then will transition to a few seconds of each of our classrooms clapping for them. We’ll also do a full-staff clap to cheer for our kiddos, and a cute “handoff” of our kids from me to Dan and Johnny at McClure. It will then transition into the 5th grade slideshow from our PTO; this will be at the end, as it’s only likely relevant to the 5th graders and their families and many families can opt to stop watching there.
EVERYONE: We’ll plan to do our full-staff clap in our weekly staff meeting NEXT week, Friday, 5/15, so please plan to be there at the beginning of the meeting at least, if you can, to show your love for our outgoing 5th graders.
CLASSROOM TEACHERS: at some point next week, will you please record your class Meet/Zoom as your kids clap for a full 10 seconds, and share that video with Vickie/me? (We won’t likely use a full 10 seconds in the video, but that gives enough footage to choose the best chunk!) Thank you!
Assistant Support Available:
We already know that we are so fortunate to have such wonderful and capable teaching assistants as a part of our team at Field Park. While they have been keeping busy continuing to support students and staff during this time, several of them continue to have some time available. One possible need is that of supporting individual students who “may just need a little more” than you as teachers are currently able to provide. Some possible ideas are: check-ins to support productivity/accountability, academic support, personal connection to school, etc. We recognize this situation is challenging for everyone, and most students and families are doing the best they can--with varying definitions of success. IF there is a student/family that you are particularly worried about, and believe they could use the aforementioned type of support, please let me know, and I can try to facilitate some connections.
Climate Survey Update:
We WILL plan to administer the Climate Survey, but in a very abbreviated and tailored to remote learning form. We will share further details as we finalize them. Thanks!
REPEATED FROM LAST WEEK:
End of Year Planning:
We know you’re all thinking ahead to the final weeks of school, especially as the weather gets warmer and we get closer and closer to summertime! Here is the plan for that final week of school:
Week of May 25-29: remote learning per usual; same expectations of staff/students
Monday, 6/1: Choice Board - Dive into Summer Day! Details TBD.
Wednesday, 6/3: No instruction; 5th Grade Virtual Clap-Outs (details to follow), Materials Pick-up/Drop-off (incl report cards, adv placement matrices, etc.)
Report Cards Planning:
Only fill in the applicable areas, leave blank those that do not apply.
Habits of Success plan: Sarah will provide a letter to invite parents to complete the Habits of Success for their child; teachers will NOT do this piece.
Due date for report cards: Weds., 5/27
Plan for distribution of report cards: they will be in materials for pickup (Admin Assts. will add to materials for pickup, along with Adv. Placement matrix for 3rd/4th graders)
Advanced Placement Updates/Reminders:
Please remember to complete Professional Judgment Forms (PJF) by 5/15
Update to this year's process: every student, 3rd-5th, will get a letter from the Board Office regarding placement, along with their T3 report card on the 6/3 Materials Pickup with their materials pickup and report card:
If already in Adv. Math, the letter will state that existing placement
If NOT in adv math, matrix will clarify standing, etc.
Matrix will clarify the general standing (points on the matrix) to give a clearer picture of where they are, with our data points, AND re-emphasize the use of our data points
We will say no, or yes, or invite to future OOL testing (summer) as needed
(Don't worry too much about the finer details on this one from Dr. Coffey -- the “biggie” for right now is the PJF process!)
End-of-the-Year Materials Pick-Up/Tech Drop-Off
As we discussed in our meeting today, we will be scheduling a materials pick-up and technology drop-off on Wednesday, June 3. To assist us in planning for this process, please complete THIS form. It is mostly geared toward classroom teachers, however, any staff member is welcome to complete, should you have this type of need.
Conceptually, things will look very similar to the process in March. Here are the details:
Tables will once again be set up in the GYM, labeled by class.
Student materials will be bagged and individually labeled, including office add-ins of report cards for T3, Advanced Placement Letters, and CogAT information for 3rd/5th graders.
Schedule will be as follows:
Last Names A - I from 9:00am - 10:00am
Last Names J - R from 10:00am - 11:00am
Last Names S - Z from 11:00am -NOON
Pre-K-2nd graders will drop-0ff iPads, Chromebooks and chargers in designated location in the gym.
We will have a designated spot for materials students have borrowed from you that need to be returned. Please indicate such on the form, above.
Carts will be available for library book return.
REMINDER: D101 Remote Learning Website:
Please be sure to post your updated taskboards on our D101 Remote Learning website when you send them to students/parents weekly, so our "one stop shop" for all things remote learning is complete and up to date. Thank you!
Principal Weekly Update for Parents:
Here's this week's parent update, in case yours went to spam.
Shout Outs!!!!
- To Sue T. -- congratulations on your retirement!!!!!
- To our AMAZING D101 instructional coaches - Emily, Shannon, and Laura, you ROCK! The support and collaboration during this time has been phenomenal!
- To our Specials teachers who created an awesome plan for Monday's Space Day - watch the video: you'll love it!!
- Katie and Kristin, for trying out LOTS of modes of live teaching and learning this week... and bearing with it through tech glitches and all!
- To our SBR Committee members: Steph, Liz, Ryan, and Sydney --- we're DONE! Committee work CLOSED!
- To all the mothers out there - Happy Mother's Day!
- To Emily Carter and Amanda Grigsby who go above and beyond in their work to support our kids this week with some small-group experiences!
- To Ryan for rolling with it and creating some small group sessions for kids around student needs and to engage them in some fun!
- To Courtney for hosting some outstanding bedtime story times - such a delightful way to end an evening!
- To Scott and Sydney for hosting some great McClure transition chats for our 5th graders, and for keeping Dan Chick in check!