Scarlet News and Notes
March 1, 2019
Assuring Learning Excellence and Readiness for a Changing World
Welcome to March!
It's Para Professional Appreciation Week! Thank you to all of our paras who provide support to students and staff to ensure all students' needs are being met. It takes a special person to be a para, and we are fortunate at West to have an incredibly dedicated support staff. West paras, you are the BEST!
It is also School Social Worker week! Please join me in thanking Molly Fox for her endless support of our students and families in need. Molly was the only social worker in the district for many years, and now we have 8. Yes, she was doing the work of 8 people! We are so fortunate to have Molly in our building.
Staff Meeting
The staff meeting this week is with your small group. As a reminder, here was the assignment from our meeting last Wednesday.
Small Group Assignment
Complete at least one of the tasks below and be ready to discuss with your small group.
Share your thinking in response to the task(s) you completed.
From your perspective, what are your observations, concerns, life experiences, aha's, and questions?
What is Privilege? 4 minute video Deconstructing White Privilege 20 minute video
White Fragility 17 page article Little War on the Prairie 1 hour podcast
Champion Students
Last Wednesday, we chose our second semester Champion Students. If you have not chosen yours, please do so asap.
I know we can have a positive impact on student success when we are intentional. Teachers have shared some powerful, yet simple ways to engage our students. Here are a few you can try with your Champion Student this week:
- Daily check ins, asking about life, being positive, praising positive things
- Let students get to know who I am also, not just me getting to know them
- Humor
- Daily check-ins to gauge emotional health, develop positive relationship with student
- Say hi every day
- Personal invitations to engage
- Make sure when I am roaming to check in with my student on progress, understanding
- Recognize when he is present, let him know he’s missed when gone, applaud (not literally) when he contributes to class discussion and all positive behaviors
Staffing
At this time, I am working with department chairs to determine the best solution for "bubble" classes and counselors have been meeting with students to change their registrations when the decision has been made to close a class. I have my first staffing meeting Monday after school with secondary principals. My plan is to be meeting with all department chairs the week of March 11th to give them the number of FTEs they will have in their departments.
Testing
The Week at a Glance
Wednesday
Staff Meeting 3:15 - Small Groups
Thursday
Game On! Get out to different classrooms, bring a friend
I will be out of the building all day for Principal Institute.
Friday
High Five Friday
PD Requests
The Professional Development Committee will be meeting 1 more time from now until the end of the school year to review professional development requests. If you are wanting to attend anything in the summer, this is your date to submit a request.
- April 18th, 2019
Please have any PD requests submitted to Michael Johnson or Brian Hansen by those dates.
Funding Request Form - Print VersionKeurig in the work room
Coming Soon...
March 22 - End of Quarter
March 25 - Teacher work day
March 26 - 29 - Spring Break