Galloping Gazette
A newsletter for the Faculty and Staff - Week of 5/18
Put Students First • Seek Growth • Be Open to Change . Do Great Work Together • Value Differences
Principal's Message
As I was reviewing your ELPs and hearing about this week's collaborations and about all of your asynchronous videos, flipped learning and so much more, I was truly in awe of you. Since March 17th, we have encountered so much change and so much uncertainty. We have come out, once again, on top of it and stronger together. You know I love my Brene Brown quotes, so I wanted to throw one out there that reminded me of our growth these past three months -
"A crisis highlights all of our fault lines...we can pretend that we have nothing to learn or we can take this opportunity to own the truth and make a better future for ourselves and others."
The entire staff at CFES has embodied this quote. We have learned so much from this crisis, that we have come out stronger educators and stronger human beings. I am so proud to work alongside of you! As you saw from Dr. Spence's email last night, we do not know what the future will hold for schools. We are going to prepare for the three scenarios, but know that we will get through whatever comes our way together.
Have an amazing weekend, it is going to be beautiful. I plan on getting outside as much as possible, I challenge you to do the same! We will meet on Monday for faculty meeting to talk about end of year close-out and parent supply pick-up.
-Robyn
Week Ahead
Monday, May 18th
9:00 - All Instructional Staff Meeting - Go to Google Meet - Type CFESStaffMtg
9:30 - 3:00 - Grade Level Planning
1:00 TA and all other staff Meeting via Google Meet- Type CFESStaffMTG
3:00 Emergency Learning Plans are due to Ms. Backer
Tuesday, May 19th
School Open by Appointment Only from 9:30 - 1:30
1:30 Instructional Coaches Collab via Google Meet -
Wednesday, May 20th
9:30 - Ms. Backer's Read Aloud
School Open by Appointment Only from 9:30 - 1:30
10:00 AM - 3rd Grade Collaboration via Google Meet - CFES3collab
10:45 AM - 4th Collaboration via Google Meet - CFES4collab
11:30 AM - 1st Grade Collaboration via Google Meet - CFES1collab
Thursday, May 21st
8:00 - Coffee Chat - Google Meet - CFESCoffee
10:00 AM - 2nd Grade Collaboration via Google Meet - CFES2collab
10:45 AM - K Collaboration via Google Meet - CFESKcollab
11:30 AM - 5th Grade Collaboration via Google Meet - CFES5collab
Friday, May 22nd
3:00 Emergency Learning Plans are due to Ms. Backer due to Holiday on Monday
Tell me something good!
CFES staff for your continued dedication to your students in these new learning conditions.-Nicole
Just wanted to give a shout out to all the assistants reaching out to our kids. Cynthia Doyle had a Google Meet with Damon yesterday and today he turned in his first assignment! Way to go! - Claire
Huge Shout Out to the 1st grade team for their amazing job on all the gifted application forms as was seen by the Gifted Department!
Moriah-wow! Your dedication to one of my students goes WAY above and beyond. Thank you for taking (a lot of ) your time to work with him. His mom is beyond appreciative! - Ally
Shout out to Travis and Michelle N. for pitching in to help me get Schoology assignments set up when my internet was down on Monday. Thanks to you, my class didn't have to skip a beat! - Susan
Alainya-Thank you for your creative ideas to help our students stay engaged! Third Grade
Jackie Cochran for acting above and beyond for a specific student and parent in need.-Nicole
Thank you to the admin and office staff for putting together wonderful baskets and to the elves that delivered signs and cards! Third Grade
*Shout out to Alainya for having the answers to our technology/Schoology questions and being there to help us maneuver through posting our lessons. - Tammy
PTA for thoughtful staff appreciation baskets and raffle items, - Nicole
Shout out to Kelly McNeely, Fatima, and Jenny R. for all their support and assistance during my Math lesson planning and looming this week. You all are the best! - Susan
*Thanks Patti Csenar for always being there when I need to discuss lesson plans for our recorded lessons. - Tammy
Jan Beda for joining me to share a special story with our 1st grader missing his Dad.-Nicole
Lauren-you put in such dedication to develop engaging lessons that go beyond the teachers’ lessons. Your work is seen by your colleagues! You are appreciated! Ally
Thank you to Karen for putting together all of the student bags for parent pick-up! Third Grade
Patti C and Jenny-Thank you for taking the time to meet with us throughout the week to review and add to our plans. You are appreciated! Third Grade
Robyn & Patti for our awesome yard signs and your continued motivation & support for our community - Nicole
Shoutout to Lisa and Marissa for helping me pack up my classroom. You are making this daunting task move much more quickly! You da best! -Stacey
A big thanks goes out to Ally for filling in for me during PAC. The notes she sent to the grade level were wonderfully done. - Tammy
I make a difference...
I nominate Debbie Vickery for the I Make A Difference Award! Debbie deserves this award because she is a jack of all trades. She helps each grade level and gives so much of her time to make sure each student is challenged while having fun. Debbie is always willing to listen, give feedback, offer help and suggestions, and is overall amazing! She has such a big heart, is so hardworking, and a great coworker and friend! Yay, Debbie!
News and Notes....
- If you have adjusted your morning meeting times, please go into the CFES Connections and make those adjustments.
- Our 2019-2020 school calendar has not changed as a result of the school closure. The last day of the school year continues to be Friday, June 12. The ELP will continue through Friday, June 5. The last week of school, June 8 -12, should be used to focus on social emotional learning; connecting with students and their families, hosting virtual classes as needed, grade-level and school-wide celebrations, and planning for the transition to summer and fall learning
- Career Teacher deadline has not changed. If this is your year to rectify, please just take pictures of any documentation or use the scan feature on your cell phone to send to me. Let me know if you have any questions or need any assistance with this. If you have any specific questions you can contact John Ogden in HR
- The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has all of our attention. In addition to impacting our way of life, this is an emotional time for families and an anxious time for investors as this situation continues to have an increased impact on the volatile financial markets. Many of you may have questions. Until this change, the Virginia Beach-based Voya Financial representatives had been on site, meeting with individuals to review financial wellness and retirement readiness. Be assured, Voya’s Virginia Beach team of representatives continues to be available for your questions. To learn more about resources available from Voya, go to https://vbcps403b.beready2retire.com/ .
- At any time, you may use the all-VB Scheduling tool to have Suzanne call you (https://go.oncehub.com/VBCPSVirtualAppointmentScheduler) or you can contact Suzanne directly at mailto:suzanne.cooke@voya.com.
Student Intent to Return Google Form - 2020-2021
Blurb for your weekly communication:
It is that time of the year when we typically send home the 'Are You Moving?' in order to prepare for the next school year. If you will not be returning to Christopher Farms for the 2020-2021 School Year, please fill out the information on the attached flyer and return it to school as soon as possible, but no later than May 26, 2020. You can return this form via mail at the address listed on the flyer, by placing it in the box at the front entrance to the school or you can email karen.ratner@vbschools.com. Thank you!
Talent Ed Formative Focus and Goal
Talent Ed formative focus goal: please answer the following three questions for your formative focus end of year reflection:
- In 1-2 sentences, please summarize the book, Love and Logic.
- 2. Reflecting on the entire book, what is your biggest takeway that you will carry into this upcoming school year.
- 3. Based on what you now know about Love and Logic and PBIS, what changes can you commit to making in your classroom management plan and overall classroom procedures in the 2020-2021 school year.
Remember to close out your end of the year data review simply state "due to the unexpected closure of school there is no end of year data to report".
This is due by Friday, May 25th
eMediaVA English Resources from VDOE
eMediaVA Math Resources from vdoe
Science Resources Available from VDOE
Morning Meeting Motivation
This month our Colt character trait is resilience. We have broken this down just as we do with all of our traits. This week, we will continue to focus on the growth mindset/perseverance of resilience. This week’s optional lesson on Resilience (Week 3) gives a real life example of how growth mindset, perseverance and resilience not only brought success to one man, but also made an impact on his entire country.
If you aren't following @PGIVBCPS or @Sansone39 on Twitter, you are really missing out. Each week, on Mondays and Wednesdays, they are posting morning meeting ideas to add to your virtual morning meeting toolbox. I have linked the Google Doc of the running slides for you! Go give them a follow too!
#SelfCare Recommendations
The Last Dance
Laughter is good for the soul
Do you have five minutes to spare?
Check out this awesome little journal. Takes just five minutes and promotes the practice of gratitude and mindfulness
Game Changer Moment
Bewell/Humana webinar
BEWell/Humana Webinar is being held on Monday, May 11 from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.:
· Emotional well-being in times of uncertainty: Coping with stress related to COVID-19:
- Understanding the range of reactions to ongoing stressful situations
- Identifying strengths and sources of resiliency and support to leverage during challenging times
- Tips for supporting others, including children and teens
- Strategies for resilience and emotional well-being, including using the EAP and Work-Life Services
Professional Development Opportunities - Co-Teaching Webinars
VDOE Office of Special Education Instructional Services is inviting Co-Teaching teams to participate in five, one-hour webinar series (9:00-10:00 A.M.) Register today for "Looking Forward to Co-Teaching 2020-2021" with Dr. Marilyn Friend.
May 18: Co-Teaching partnerships: Understanding, building, strengthening, and repairing
May 28: Going past the six basic approaches to maximize instructional effectiveness in Co-Teaching
June 8: Getting real about co-planning
June 18: Where is the Specially Designed Instruction (SDI)?
June 29: Open mic: Questions and answers about real-world Co-Teaching situations and dilemmas.
Helpful List of Resources
VBCPS 2019-2020 Emergency Learning Plans for Elementary Schools
Newly updated VBCPS 2019-2020 School Calendar
Emergency Learning Plan Webpage
VBCPS Mental Health Resources: You are taking care of our students. Here are some resources to help take care of yourself also.
Meals for families: These are the locations you can give to families in need of food. Kids must be with the family to receive food.
Chromebook Repair: Here are the sites families can exchange their broken Chromebook for a new one.
Dr. Spence's Deskside Chats: Closed- captioned videos shared every Tuesday and Thursday on YouTube, where Dr. Spence tackles a few questions and provide some updates.
VBCPS General Updates: Most current updates on nearly everything here.
Technology Tips: These are tips on working from home. You need to be logged in to your VBSchools account to access it. As always, the DoT Help Desk is available at (757) 263-1111 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday should you need support as you work to ensure our students continue to learn.
CDC Guidelines: Tips to keep you and your family safe. We love you. Stay safe.
The Office of Employee Relations has published FAQs for employees regarding work locations/hours, pay, leave, FMLA, as well as the new Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) on the Intranet. Here is the direct link to this information: https://vbcps.sharepoint.com/sites/Intranet/Pages/COVID_19FAQs.aspx