Team Meadow Update
Week of August 24th, 2020
Team Meadow,
I hope you had a weekend where you were able to unplug and recharge a bit. Our first ten days of school has been quite the roller coaster and no matter what's lies ahead, let's not forget . . . so far, we have done it. And not only that, I have witnessed that you have done it extremely well. It doesn't mean we haven't hit a few glitches, but we have been able to stay open, problem solve on the spot, and still have a few laughs at the end of each day. Every single day our doors are open, it is a win. Thank you for making that happen.
This Staff Weekly Update is filled with quite a bit of information. Please do take time to read it over and digest it. A few highlights to note:
- Picture Day is Friday (info below)
- No 2 hour delays until further notice (see details from Dr. R)
- Return to school guidance adjustment (as of Friday, the health dept states that a "return to school note" will suffice)
- Promoting Daily Screeners & Daily Cleaning (Don't forget to place mesh bag/equipment so that it can be treated when room is sprayed - if it is piled and in hallway, it won't be treated with the Clorox 360)
- ZTEP information has already landed in your email inbox, but I'm including various links and information in this one location.
- Assessment information for the 20-21 school year is located here as well. This includes literacy and math assessments, along with other district and state testing.
- Lauren is looking to connect with classes for virtual read alouds. If you would like for her to connect with your students, please reply to her email (sent on 8/18) with days and times that will work for you and your class. If a live Zoom doesn't work, a recorded read aloud can also be sent to you with a link to play for your class when it's convenient.
- Please don't hesitate to reach out with your needs, and we will connect with you to assist as needed.
Here we come, week 3! It's going to be great!
With much respect,
Tom
Photo Day Schedule - Friday, August 28th, 2020
*Please put one class per photo station for each time slot*
Please bring your students down in alphabetical order by last name.
8:15 - (1) Bender & (2) Foley
8:30 - (1) Neal & (2) Welch
8:45- (1) Kiel & (2) Lamaster
9:00 - (1) Megli & (2) Proctor
9:15 - (1) Rennard & (2) Bennett
9:30 - (1) Sarpa & (2) Coats
9:45 - (1) Sorrells & Tuttila
10:00 - (1) Adams & (2) Bleakman
10:15 - (1) Burch & (2) Casselman
10:30 - (1) Hamlow & (2) Meyer
10:45 - (1) Noel & (2) Schermerhorn
11:00 - Last Call
RtI Plans
Kim and Lauren have been working on a plan to resume intervention plans with students as soon as possible. Once you have completed your BOY assessments (NWEA, Reading Record, WTW, etc.), identify students about whom you may have concerns and schedule time to confer with Kim. She can work with you to determine next steps and if necessary, draft RtI Action Plans. Information about literacy screeners will be coming from Kim soon - stay tuned!
*Keep Reading: Important information continues below*
COVID-19 GUIDELINES
Doctor Statement Guidance Changed: An important update to Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) guidance on physician statements for ailments not believed to be CoVID-19 was passed along to us by the Boone County Health Department (BCHD) this morning.
“There has been a change to guidance from ISDH regarding physician notes…it is recommended [that schools are] to take any physician note stating a child can return to school whether an alternative diagnosis or explanation regarding COVID is stated or not.”
Please continue to keep Tom, Amy, & Beth/Barb updated if the parent contacted (only) you (the teacher) about their child's absence. It is imperative that we make daily contact to inquire about the child's symptoms. Thank you.
NO 2-Hour Delays Until Further Notice
ZTEP and PLUS
Although this email was sent to you by Kris Devereaux, it's worth repeating!
Christine Squier oversees ZTEP (cell: 317-209-6187)
Kris Devereaux oversees PLUS (cell: 317-690-1438).
Here are things you need to keep in mind as the year begins.
CHANGES:
- You won’t see TLOs listed anywhere. We have moved to the following weighting: 95% = teacher rubric; 5% = school wide learning (A-F). This change has occurred due to changes in state requirements. More discussion about this will occur at your BOY meeting.
- PLUS observations: We have tried over the last two years to find ways for teachers to observe their colleagues who are in a different school. Thanks to our new found skills in Zoom, you could Zoom to observe another teacher in another school if that teacher is OK with it. Again, more discussion about how this can look will occur at your BOY meeting. Thanks to teachers for suggesting this exciting option!
ZTEP INFO:
- In order to understand your rubric and how you will receive feedback, it is helpful to do the self-assessment before your Beginning of the Year Conference (BOY).
- BOY conferences: Primary evaluators will be reaching out to you in the next few weeks to set up your BOY conference. Discussion forms for these conferences can be found in SFS under DOCS/LINKS.
- Observations: Primary and secondary administrators will be coming to your class to do observations, script your lesson and give you actionable feedback. Please remember: “Do what you do.” Don’t stress when someone enters your room to watch. Underlying our process here in ZCS is a deep, abiding respect for how hard this work is on any given day. What you do is amazing! While feedback does not always feel as amazing, please remember that our goal is always to help you improve your practice.
PLUS INFO:
- To find a quick reference of all of the PLUS information, you can go here on our district page. All of the forms you will need to complete are in SFS under Docs/Links; ZTEP PLUS Information and Forms.
- BOY conferences: Primary evaluators will be reaching out to you in the next few weeks to set up your BOY conference. When completing the BOY ZTEP PLUS Conference Discussion Guide, please note that you are setting a goal that will positively impact student learning.
- Peer Observations: During your BOY, you and your evaluator will talk about colleagues you can observe during 1st semester. The Peer Observation Guide and Form will walk you through the timeline and required steps.
- PLUS Checklist/Timeline: We developed a checklist to help you keep track of the things that need to be completed this year. You can see it in SFS under DOCS/LINKS; ZTEP PLUS Information and Forms.
Fox Reports
K-4 Year-At-A-Glance Curriculum Guides
As you may already know, this year will require alignment with instruction across the district. As students could potentially move in or out of remote learning, it is imperative that students receive an equitable opportunity to learn. Anticipated need for many students to receive remote instruction from teachers of different ZCS campuses requires that students receive content instruction along a similar timeline. With the help of teachers and administrators across the district, we developed a curriculum overview assist all K-4 teachers with content pacing throughout the district.
CLICK HERE TO ACCES THE K-4 YEAR-AT-A-GLANCE CURRICULUM GUIDES. It may assist supporting teachers (Related Arts, SpEd, etc…) the opportunity to see what students are learning in order to make connections and integrate.
A note for teachers of advanced curriculum:
Under the first “other” category you can see that we added advanced curriculum for language arts grades1-4. These are spaced in where the curriculum can and should be adapted. We have many students who have chosen the remote learning option who also receive advanced curriculum in all grade levels so we will stick on a similar schedule, even with advanced students, this school year. This allows students to move back and forth between buildings and not have holes. Our hope is that these still have a lot of flexibility throughout the quarter so that you can be responsive to the students in your class. These are just place holders for now until we meet in August/Sept. as grade level Advanced Curriculum teams to talk more and plan together. We added the units with help from our Advanced Curriculum Coaches where our HA curriculum maps had them that made sense for the Units of Study, but we can always move them when we meet. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Chris Squier if you have any questions.
PLEASE PROMOTE DAILY STUDENT SCREENER
CLEANING & DISINFECTING
Here's what you can expect each night from the Marquis staff regarding your classroom:
- Floors swept/vacuumed each night
- Trash taken out
- White Boards cleaned - please place a note if you don't want yours erased/cleaned
- All high touch areas cleaned: light switches, door handles, sinks, telephone, countertops, tables, student desks & seats, pencil sharpener, handles on cubbies/cabinets, etc.
- They will also be using the 360 disinfecting in the evenings as well! (Don't forget to place your mesh equipment bag in location to be treated in your room. Spreading it out on the floor should suffice. - You don't need to remove items from the bag, hence the purpose why we purchased the mesh bags.)
How can you help?
- Please wipe your desk and personal area down. Our evening custodians fear they may not place your important documents back in the correct spot.
- If you can have your student desks and tables wiped off at the end of each day, this would help out the custodians.
- Please do not stack your chairs on top of tables on a daily basis. Rick requested 2x/week to place chairs on table.
ZCS Standard Cleaning Guidelines - Please refer to this document regarding the cleaning protocols for ZCS. Please remember that frequent hand-washing with soap and water is optimal for staff and students as one of our key strategies for reducing risk. Thank you for building this into your daily routine with students.
Assessment Dates & Information
IMPORTANT 20-21 ASSESSMENT DATES
While all of these 20-21 assessment dates may not apply to everyone, please be aware that they will impact all or some of our grade levels. Be sure to place what is applicable to you on your calendar.Mark Your Calendars
August 17-Sept 4 - NWEA Testing Window
August 27th - Scout Registration Event - (BME @ 6:30 - Outdoors)
August 28th - Picture Day
August 31 - PTO Meeting (BME Front Lawn @ 7:00PM) - Bring your own lawn chair - Weather permitting, we will meet in the front/north lawn under the trees. We will be physically distanced.
September 2 - Dine for Dollars - City BBQ
September 7 - Labor Day (no school)
September 9 - Dine for Dollars - Smoothie King (Order from Smoothie King between 4-8PM & BME PTO receives a percentage of your check)
September 23 - Dine for Dollars - Panera Bread (4-8PM)
October 12-16 - Fall Break
November 2 - Student Conferences
November 25-27- Thanksgiving Break
December 21 - January 1 - Winter Break
January 18 - MLK Jr. Day (no school)
January 19 - No School
February 15 - Presidents Day - No School
April 2 - April 9 - Spring Break
May 26 - Last day of school
May 27 - Teacher work day
May 31 - Memorial Day
Mask Reminders
STAFF:
Masks are required to be worn (over nose and mouth) by staff when on present on a ZCS school campus. This applies when meeting with colleagues/team members, moving through hallways, and other workspaces.
Staff is allowed to relax their mask when you are:
- BY YOURSELF in your classroom (or your designated workspace or other location during a break– door closed when possible)
- At lunch – if you are in a shared space for lunch, please be sure to place mask back on when finished eating and talking with colleagues
- Outside – when distanced from others, you may relax your mask. For example:
- --> Recess - When you are supervising your students during recess and they are away from you, you may relax your mask. When approaching students (or they approach you), you must wear your mask.
- --> Outdoor learning – When you take your students outside (for instruction, reading, movement break, related arts, etc…), you may relax your mask if you are distanced from students. Overtly inform students of when it is okay for you (teacher) to have your mask off. “We are outside, and I am far enough away to safely relax my mask while I read to you.” (This will help avoid Johnny going home and saying, “our teacher doesn’t wear a mask at school, etc…” Be explicit so that students understand when/why it is okay for you to remove your own mask, & when it is okay for them to remove theirs. I recommend being transparent when discussing procedures and routines.
STUDENTS:
Students are required to wear masks on the bus and on school campus. They may relax their masks at appropriate times and with staff/teacher permission.
Please adhere to the following parameters:
- When indoors: Students may relax their masks if they are (1) distanced from peers and (2) working silently/independently. Teachers should have consistent language, cues, or signals to inform students of when masks should be on or allowed to be relaxed. Example: “Since you will be working independently, (reading your books independently/writing your flash draft/solving the math challenge) this is a mask relaxed activity.” Be explicit of when/why it is okay at certain time for students to relax their masks. Your consistency and transparency with communication will help establish habits.
- Lunch: They are seated at their assigned spot, they may relax their mask.
- Outside – “Socially distanced” is a key concept to assist students be safe with each other. I know this might be tricky and have gray areas at times. Do your best to establish consistent guidance during these first days. Set your guidelines before recess and include modeling and examples as you establish your recess agreements. (masks off – jumping rope, on the swing, shooting hoops, dribbling the soccer ball, etc…) Examples for masks on might be if there are several people on the playground equipment and they are getting close to each other or they can’t keep distance while playing “HORSE” at the basketball goals, two minute run/lap around the field, etc… In general, however, it is best to error on the side of caution rather than being too loose.
Important 20-21 Links
Personal Business Day(s) Request
For Certified Team Members:
To requests "personal business days," please complete the following process.- Go to the following link, and complete the "personal business request" form. https://goo.gl/forms/CycfilABEUyILbh83
- Once the form is completed, please send a brief email to me (Tom) that includes the date(s) of your request(s). Remember, this should be completed at least 48 hours prior to the personal day.
- Enter your upcoming absence in AESOP as soon as possible. (It can always be deleted later should plans change)
- Please click link above to submit a technology work order.
- It is always extremely helpful if you can submit actual technology work orders for ANY help you need.
Above & Beyond Nomination Form
- On our ZCS website, any ZCS staff and/or community member can nominate the work of any ZCS employee that has done extraordinary work. If you've experienced professional support that is above & beyond, feel free to recognize them through this nomination!
- Click the link above for direct access to the TEACHERS/STAFF PAGE
- --> Scroll down about halfway
--> Look for: Custodial Work Orders by Building
--> Click on Boone Meadow
Contact Us
Email: thundley@zcs.k12.in.us
Website: https://bme.zcs.k12.in.us/
Location: 5555 South Main Street, Whitestown, IN, USA
Phone: 317-873-2226
Twitter: @ZCSBoone_Meadow