Ahead of the Curve
Jasper Weekly 12.07.15 to 12.13.15
Serve. Matter. Experience. Together.
Happy, Happy, Happy
- Holiday-themed Dubsmash video (due on Friday, December 11th)
- Tacky holiday sweater day on Monday, December 14th
- PTSA staff luncheon on Wednesday, December 16th
- One-time lump sum payment on our December paycheck
- Two week winter break
I had an opportunity to meet with the Principal's Council this week, which is a diverse group of students serving as a voice for the campus. THEY did not seem as excited about the upcoming weeks as I was. They all commented about the stresses of the upcoming semester exams and late nights ahead. THEY were ready for it to be over. My mood shifted.
We know our students will be stressed out and possibly over-worked the next two weeks. Let's all do what we can to give them some excitement, hope, and support to have a successful last two weeks of school.
Upcoming Birthdays
Kristen Pistokache-Tuesday, December 8th
James Emmers-Saturday, December 12th
Cindy Bell-Sunday, December 13th
Josh Deaton-Sunday, December 13th
Upcoming Weeks at Jasper
12/11-Holiday Dubsmash Deadline (submit to Toby Schulte)
12/14-Tacky Holiday Sweater Day (Staff and Students)
12/15-12/18-Semester Exams
12/16-Staff Luncheon
Ed News
The End of No Child Left Behind?
The Every Student Succeeds Act gets a 359-64 vote.
And what does that mean for us?
Learning Bite
High Possibility Classrooms
Technology integration around five conceptions: theory, creativity, public learning, life preparation, and contextual accommodations.
General Announcements and Reminders
1. (NEW) Professional Communications Reminder
2. One-Time Lump Sum Payment
3. Staff Tutoring Reminder
4. Safe Schools Training
1. (NEW) Professional Communications Reminder
Recent events have reinforced the expectation that all work-related communications should be professional at all times. This also includes text messages. When open records requests are made, even work-related text messages (even from a personal device) that contain the requested subject matter are to be included in the request.
It is helpful to review any communication before it is sent and ask whether or not you would be ok with the superintendent, parents, and students reading it. Just a good rule of thumb.
2. One-Time Lump Sum Payment
The PISD Board desires to recognize employee service through a one-time, lump sum payment of $500.00. The lump sum payment will be paid, via a regular payroll check, in December 2015.
This will be paid to each eligible district employee who: (1) Was employed by Plano ISD as of the last contract/work day of 2014-2015 as a regular employee (not substitute or temporary), (2) Earned a TRS creditable year of service for 2014-2015, (3) Is assigned to a budgeted, allocated position as of the first contract/work day for 2015-2016, and (4) Is still employed in a budgeted allocated position as of November 30, 2015.
This one-time, lump sum payment is subject to all legal deductions, is not considered TRS eligible, and is approved only for the 2015-2016 fiscal year. This payment is taxable and may be taxed at a higher rate. The payment will be prorated based upon the full-time equivalent (FTE) percentage of employment status with the district as of November 30, 2015.
An eligible employee, as defined by the Compensation Plan, for general pay increase and one-time lump sum payments, must be employed on the last day of their contract year and has earned a year of creditable service. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) refers to a minimum of 90 FTE days for the contract/work year (percent of day employed multiplied by number of days employed) as a creditable year of experience (i.e. days employed x FTE = Equivalent Days Worked).
Note: The lump sum was approved by the Board as part of the compensation package for employees. As such, the one-time, lump sum payment is not a gift of public funds, nor should it be interpreted as such. Employees eligible for this one-time payment will not be performing extra work in exchange for the extra payment. Further, this payment was approved prior to the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year.
3. Staff Tutoring Reminder
Teachers as Tutors
The following is a reminder of information outlined in DBD Regulation:
· A teacher may not privately tutor his/her own students for pay, and he/she may not use the school facilities for that purpose.
· District resources and materials may not be utilized for private tutoring.
· A tutor is not allowed to request assignments or any other information from the student’s teacher without written parent consent. The policy recommends that the information be shared directly with the parents, who can communicate that information to the tutor.
More information can be found at: http://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/312?filename=DBD(REGULATION).pdf
4. Safe Schools Training
Before December 18:
- View 3 SafeSchool's training videos at http://pisd.tx.safeschools.com/ (you should have received an e-mail from SafeSchools with more details) (ALL STAFF)
- Sexual Misconduct: Staff to Student
- General Ethics in the Workplace - Texas Version
- Family Reunification
Important Bookmarks
Staff Google Folder:
Staff Google Classroom:
Class Code: f3y5rao
Staff Handbook:
http://tinyurl.com/jasper-staff-folder
Jasper Admin Walk-Through Form (use to help plan lessons and self-reflect):
Block Lunch Meeting Request:
http://tinyurl.com/Block-Lunch
Social Media Input:
http://tinyurl.com/Jasper-club-social-media
Announcement Request (170 characters):
http://tinyurl.com/announce-request
Incompletes:
http://tinyurl.com/incompleteform
Campus Professional Learning Opportunities: