For the Record
November 2016
Transitional Transfer Request Opening Nov. 1, 2016 at 7:30 a.m.
These requests are open only for a period of four weeks and will close on Friday December 2, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.
IMPORTANT DEADLINES-MAKE NOTE-IMPORTANT DEADLINES
KEY DEADLINES:
- Friday December 16, 2016 at 4:00 p.m.- TT Request Site Building Principals should approve or deny TT requests.
- Monday December 19, 2016 by 4:00 p.m- If parent receives more than one TT acceptance, should make selection of which school they desire for their child.
- Thursday December 22, 2016 by 4:00 p.m.- Current Year Building Secretary for 5th or 8th grade student should code all accepted TT students accordingly in eSchool, attach TT request form in the student eSchool paperclip.
Secondary principals should accept these requests on a first come-first serve basis. If there is a question of capacity, the principal should check with their Director or Executive Director about those numbers.
IMPORTANT: Please do not wait until the end of the day December 2 to begin accepting these requests.
Transitional transfer students become a permanent part of the school population and are not eligible for revocation. Students do not need to reapply for transfer status through the duration of the grade level of that division. For example, if accepted as a 6th grader, a transitional transfer student will attend that school through 8th grade as long as they reside in the Springfield Public Schools attendance area.
Parents and students are excited and anxious about this process and are eager to get their "electronic hands" on this request form.
Secretary Training News and Updates
From these suggestions, secretaries were offered choices of: Safety and Security, Excel Tips, How to Navigate and Use Google Drive, Strategies for Dealing with Difficult People and session specifically for secretaries who are also the building site volunteer coordinator.
Glendale High School staff were generous with their classrooms even on a teacher workday, and provided assistance in making the day pleasant and meaningful for the participants.
Dr. Brady Quirk and a team of facilitators worked many hours to provide meaningful learning and useful information. Attendees were sent a survey to give suggestions, appreciations and wishes for the next opportunity for professional learning for them.
Thank you to all who participated and if you have questions or follow up questions for the facilitators, please feel free to contact them for more information about their topics.
Safety and Security
Dealing with Difficult People
Eschool and Other Updates
Dealing with Difficult People-A Summary
The Secretary Professional Learning day, Oct. 17, 2016, at Glendale supported that research. Secretaries were asked to provide tips and hints for dealing with upset people. Number one tip was listen.
The top tips are listed in the table below. The left side of the table is what the secretaries stated were great hints for addressing upset parents. Then the same secretaries were asked to put themselves in the shoes of someone who is upset. The right side of the table were the top most wanted attributes in a person who is addressing their concern. We noticed right away the similarities.
What Great Listeners Actually Do
Listening is key in the success of dealing with challenging situations for all of us. With that in mind, Dr. Brady Quirk recently shared an article with building leadership from the Harvard Business Review. This site https://hbr.org contains ideas for leadership and management development focused on business, however, educators could glean an idea or two.
What Great Listeners Actually Do is an article for the HBR written by Jack Zenger, CEO of Zenger/Folkman, a leadership development consultant company. Not only does it support the ideas above that SPS secretaries identified as good skills for dealing with upset people, it went on further a step or two.
Most people think good listening skills boils down to three essential ingredients.
1. Not talking when others are talking
2. Using non-verbal signals to show others you are listening (nodding, mmm-humm)
3. being able to paraphrase what the person is saying
There are a few more positive tips in this article to promote even better outcomes.
- Good listening is more than being silent while the other person talks
- Good listening included interactions that build a upset person's self-esteem
- Good listening was seen as a cooperative conversation.
The article descibes different levels of listening. Why not take a peek at this article? It can be found at this link: What great listeners actually do.
Volunteers and Volunteer Recognition
In collaboration with the Learning Support and Partnerships Department, the SPS Volunteer Program can now recognize our Very Important Volunteers with a VIP lanyard, and VIP Badge after they have logged 10 hours of volunteer service at one building. After twenty hours of time volunteering, the VIP volunteer will receive a VIP Badge custom made with their picture on it.
Site Volunteer Coordinators (SVC)who attended the Secretary Training on Oct. 17, 2016 at GHS received their packet of VIP lanyards and VIP Badges, along with Thank You cards to dispense to VIP volunteers as they see fit. SVCs who were unable to attend the training, will get theirs through school mail.
We are very appreciative and offer sincere thanks to people who offer volunteer services to our district. This recognition effort is a small way we can say thank you to our volunteer who go above and beyond in their service to our school, staff and students.
Where is MY Child?
It has been documented that 15 people have gone to a school site claiming another adult has taken their child without their knowledge and they are now trying to locate their child.
We have a process in place that allows school secretaries and or principals to direct this person to the Administrative Services Office, 1610 E. Sunshine (Rosann Bentley Building) to have their question addressed.
Once at the Bentley building, the individual is asked to provide proof of their identity and documentation of their connection to the child. We offer no information without appropriate documentation.
There is a flow chart for your use that goes into more detail. This document is housed in Canvas within the Records Office. It is also available at this link.
Finding Canvas
For occasional or infrequent users, Canvas feels like a black hole. Fear not, Canvas is relatively simple to get to, and log on is simple. Follow me to Canvas
Once you enter the Secretary and Administrative Assistant Course you can click on any folder and what you will behold is WONDEROUS information to support your work.
Each Department folder contains documents, videos, manuals, files, and powerpoints that will assist you in knowledge and how tos. If your summer secretary training had online courses only. This is where they are stored by Department.
Save the Canvas log on page, above, as a favorite. Give this site a whirl, and in no time you will be an confident user and veteran traveler in Canvas.
Thanksgiving Groaners to Liven the Day
Overheard in classroom hallways. Enjoy the grins.
A: Pumpkin Pi
Student One: One of our pigs was sick so I gave him some sugar.
Student Two: Sugar! What for?
Student One: Haven't you ever heard of sugar-cured ham?