Wildcat Weekly
April 20, 2020
Our Promise
Every student in Dallas School District is known by name, strength, and need, and graduates ready for career, college, and community.
We're Gonna Be OKđź‘Ť
T'was the Night Before Distance Learning!
Here are the main points:
Core Content Classes
*Responsible for the delivery & posting in Google Classroom of weekly work & lessons on the designated day based on the new staggered schedule.
* Weekly input of grades for All your normally scheduled classes (Pass/No Grade)
*5 Scheduled Office Hours (minimum) for student direct contact
*Have printed material ready and to Debbie for print by day's end Wednesday. We are arranging packet pick-up/delivery for Fridays. As we move forward please let me know those students who need packets printed due to the inability to access materials. I am thinking this might be reduced after Chromebook handouts and efficiency.
Enrichment Classes
* Responsible for the bi-weekly Monday update of lesson additions to the “Catflix” website per content category.
*Create an alternative handout of internet free activities for all categories
*5 Scheduled Office Hours (minimum) for student direct contact
*Have printed material ready and to Debbie for print by day's end Wednesday. We are arranging packet pick-up/delivery for Fridays. As we move forward please let me know those students who need packets printed due to the inability to access materials. I am thinking this might be reduced after Chromebook handouts and efficiency.
All Advisory Classes
*Check in weekly with every student (phone call, virtual chat, occasional email) Outcome of these check-ins should include:
Student welfare & possible needs.
I look forward to our PLC times this week to hear from you. Thanks again for all you do!
Glad you're here!
Jamie
Enrichment Tracking
Thanks for your patience with the enrichments team as we've rolled out the new electives website and have worked through a number of hurdles to track student progress. We're hoping for a smoother path this week. We appreciate all advisory teachers providing a class platform at the beginning of the week to access the Catflix website and the student edited spreadsheet to enter activity choices. We're also trying to better spread the word for students to enter their information by 4:00 each Friday to avoid confusion as we transfer weekly data. Thanks again!
updates
Print Materials:
- Thanks for getting you print in on time :)
- Let's still aim for getting next week's print materials to Debbie by the end of today.
- Please, regardless of the class, request 25 copies of whatever you send. We need to streamline the packets a bit and I have an idea.
Packet Pickup Process:
- We will utilize Whitworth as our packet pick up center this will be in conjunction with the free lunch and breakfast program.
- Packets will be accessible at Whitworth, Fridays and again on Mondays from 11:00 to 12:30.
- If we find that this doesn't work for some we will need to know this and send them through the mail system. Please let me know if transportation and the need for a packet is already established. Our goal is to reduce the number of packets as much as possible, but some will still need it.
- We are required by the state's Distance Learning Guidance to make contact with each student at least once per week. This is information that our district is requesting from all buildings.
- I realize there is an abundance of different forms circulating to improve our processes. However you choose to track this information is up to you, will just need a way to document that we have done this.
- Please continue to note your actions on this tracking sheet for your own knowledge. LIkely at the end of the week, I will send a quick survey to indicate # of contacts and # of no contacts so I can send a clean report to the district.
- Contact can be counted as successful by phone, email or Zoom.
- No response via email or phone does not count as a contact.
Thanks for all that you do!
Distance Learning Elective & Wheel Activities Explained
I realized that perhaps I had not shared any of this with you this past week for which I apologize! Whew, lots of details!
This "Catflix" website provides menu choices of enrichment lessons for all grades including most elective, wheel, and PE classes.
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Each week kids will be asked to select 2-3 activities from the category options below to complete at home. Of these selected activities, one should be from Fitness.
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During advisory check-ins each week please ask the following prompt:
How have things been going with your Enrichments? Fitness activities?
If they participate simply note with a "P" (Pass) on the tracking sheet if they haven't simply input "NG" (No grade) on the CATFLIX Participation Tracker provided below.
This can be done large group ZOOM quickly or individually through phone or email.
Kids do not need to turn in anything for this, but can be uploaded to Seesaw if they would like! We want to celebrate what you're doing!
Advisory teachers are not responsible for inputting a grade, we just need your help collecting this info for our 700 kids.
This website will be updated with additional choices and tasks every two weeks.
STAY HOME SAVE LIVES!
- Staff is asked to stay away and work remotely (telework a.k.a. working from home).
- If you have a need to enter the building please clear this through Jamie and/or Heather to make sure we have a plan in place. For those who need to be in the building we will need a plan prior to you coming in.
- We likely all have a variety of needs at this time, e.g. child care for children at home, care of family members, etc. Please know that your health and safety, and that of those you care for, are a priority. We will work together to find schedules that enable you to both telework and attend to the needs of your families.
Know that:
- Taking care of people is job one.
- We more than likely won’t get it right the first time.
- Things will change.
- In waiting for the best solution, we risk missed opportunities.
- Traditional solutions don’t fit anymore.
- We have to respond in ways we’ve never thought of responding.
- What rules used to apply, might not apply anymore.
- Not having an answer is more prevalent than ever. It’s okay to not have the answer.
- Be calm, be clear, be direct and people will follow.
For now, know that we are all in this together. This situation was unpredictable; this time is unprecedented. We will figure it out together-- with patience and flexibility and understanding.
Coming Up In PLC
Tuesday 4/21: Elective/Wheel and PE: 10:30 via Zoom
Thursday 4/23: 7th Grade: 11:30 via Zoom
Thursday 4/23: 8th Grade: 12:30 via Zoom
Thursday 4/23: 6th Grade 1:30 via Zoom
ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM!
Please Check Out This Resource To Help Ensure Success With ZOOM
Links to Previous Wildcat Weeklys
No February 17, 2020