the RAH
August 10-14, 2020
from J & Mike
Moving from Groups to Team
The best part of this past week was our coming together - in person and virtually - as we prepare to support learning the best we can. We appreciate the right mindset that you have as we go forward, and ask you to learn and reflect upon designation of your staff. Would you say you have the drama, the groups, or one team? Our work this year will be around that topic.
Meet the Teacher Guidelines
We want to reiterate the guidance that was shared at Wednesday’s Kick-Off around Meet the Teacher planning. This is an important time for children and families to meet their new teacher and begin making connections as we head into a new year of learning. However, this year we know it needs to look differently than we’ve done in the past. We are asking that you spread these out in order to minimize the number of people on site at one time. We would like to not have more than one or two classrooms taking place during any one window of time (30-60 minute time slots) -- and if there are two classrooms occurring at the same time you consider: 1) classrooms are located in different parts of the building as to minimize traffic in that classroom’s hallway, and 2) you have separate entrances into the building for both classrooms.
PBIS Dates
Is there a more important time for us to be teaching and practicing routines and expectations than while returning students back to school during a worldwide pandemic? Thank you for all of your team’s work to have schoolwide expectations and reinforcements in place for this fall. As we move forward with implementation of our PBIS Tier 1 supports in each building, we will continue to build upon the plan your team has developed to positively define, teach, and reinforce expected schoolwide behaviors.
Our plan for supporting your teams will look different this year as we adjust to the reentry plan. We will host three learn and work sessions (BOY, MOY, EOY) for you and select members of your team. These days will be hosted virtually by our partners at Missouri State University through Zoom on WEDNESDAY dates outlined below. This will allow your teams to join us virtually from your site and eliminate the need to pull a teacher out for this work on a precious day that we have students in the building. Our focus will be based on the needs of your team as shared through the end of year implementation survey, thus schools will be grouped based upon common needs rather than by feeder pattern.
Sept. 2 & Dec. 2 - Bingham, Boyd, Field, Hickory Hills, McGregor, Rountree, Westport
Sept. 16 & Dec. 2 - Bissett, Pershing, Pittman, Pleasant View, Sunshine, Twain, York
Sept. 16 & Dec. 2 - Gray, McBride, Sherwood, Wilder, Williams, Wilson’s Creek
Sept. 23 & Dec. 16 - Bowerman, Cowden, Fremont, Truman, Watkins, Weaver, Weller
Sept. 23 & Dec. 16 - Delaware, Disney, Harrison, Holland, Jeffries, Mann, Robberson, Sequiota
EOY spring dates are yet to be determined.
Transfer Requests
Here is a link to the guidelines for Immediate Transfers for those that need a refresher about the specifics of the process. As you are aware, ELT is currently in the process of reviewing both parent and staff data and are working to make decisions about staffing as quickly as possible. With that in mind, we ask that you review your current transfer list. You are welcome to approve any transfers at this time that will not impact your enrollment if and when we return to a fully seated model later in the school year. Please do not attempt to backfill for any students who you anticipate have chosen to opt to virtual with transfers. You need to accept transfer as you normally would if all students currently enrolled at your sites were returning seated. After Monday, August 10th, we will ask all buildings to pause on accepting any new or additional Immediate Transfers. The transfer window will reopen on August 31st and we will provide more guidance about accepting additional transfers at that time. For those seeking guidance with navigating through the iShareSPS transfer portal, feel free to reach out to Janell Bagwell who offers expertise in managing this system.
Learning Option Form: Seated vs. Virtual
Thanks to your efforts, we’ve been able to collect responses from all but approximately 400 students on their learning option for this school year. This is absolutely incredible and we thank you and your teams for your work. For these remaining students we’ve been unable to make contact with, they are assumed to have selected the seated option and we will schedule them as such. When you receive calls from parents regarding Learning Options selection from August 5 through August 22, please use this form. If they have not yet picked an option and want seated, no action is needed from your team. If they want virtual or want a change from their previous selection use the form above to note the change.
Parent Change Requests: Switching days
Parents have been given the option to submit a request to change days for in-person learning due to critical medical or family childcare needs. All requests are to be submitted through this form before noon Thursday, August 13 and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Families will be contacted regarding the status of their request by August 17.
Technology Deployment Plan
From Bruce Douglas:
Here is our beginning of year deployment plan. This document details items such as how devices at each grade level will be provided, the inventory process, repair services and how we will provide devices for paras and subs.
We will begin delivery of materials such as Chromebooks, headphones, etc. to your site today (8/3). These materials will be placed in your library as a central location.
Today (8/3) we will begin offering MediaCom in-home internet to select households. We have identified households with a high school student, a student qualifying for free or reduced meals and multiple students. This service will be communicated directly to the identified households by SPS Communications.
GoGuardian Teacher will be available to all teachers this fall. The Learning Development team will provide training through your PLC courses in Canvas on how to utilize this classroom management tool.
There has been a major increase in spam and other malicious email over the last month. Be sure to review and share this knowledgebase article on how to spot and report malicious email.
Please reach out to me with any questions you have regarding technology for the beginning of year. Our team is committed to ensuring your students and teachers are setup for success
Breakfast/Lunch Schedules, Lunch Room Aides, etc.
Principals- We need your breakfast and lunch schedules as soon as possible. Please email them to our Administrative Assistant Sheryl DeFreece at sldefreeece@spsmail.
Our Elementary sites have lunch room aids who help students get through the serving line, open milks and yogurts, wipe tables etc. These employees are hired by the principals but paid by Nutrition Services. If your Elementary site needs a lunchroom aid please contact Ryan Morris in HR so he can post the position for you.
We will have more information coming out in days ahead regarding our meals, packaging, distribution grab and go for virtual students etc. We will be posting our menus on our New Nutrislice menu platform as we near the start of school, this link will be found on sps.org homepage. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, concerns, ideas you may have. Thank you for all you are doing behind the scenes, stay nimble friends.
Code of Conduct Changes
From Courtney Martin: Here are the changes to the discipline code of conduct found within the Student Handbook for 2020-2021. All sites will receive printed copies of the handbook prior to August 24th.
Wraparound Services
We’ve been working closely with our wraparound partners at the YMCA, Springfield Greene-County Park Board (SPARC), and Boys & Girls Club to iron out what before and after school services will be available given the new safety precautions. One significant change is that Boys & Girls Club will not be able to transport students to and from schools while providing services at their three clubs. This leaves a few schools without available wraparound services for families. We are currently working with the YMCA and SPARC to see about possibly adding these schools to their lineup and will keep you posted as things change.