Sunday Night Memo 8/27/17

8/27/17

I hope everyone had a great second week of school!  It seems like the solar eclipse happened forever ago as preparations and planning conversations leading up to the day spanned months and months of time.  Not to rehash every minute of that day but it truly was spectacular and a moment I am glad to have shared with my Hixson family. 

I have a lot of information so I apologize in advance for the length of tonight’s memo.  Please do not hesitate to email or stop by if there are any questions or concerns.

Safe Schools Online

If you have not completed your safe schools training, please do.  There are still a handful of folks who have not completed them yet and Kathy will be sending you a friendly reminder to get those completed.

Discovery Circles

Starting this week, I will be visiting Discovery classes to lead community-building circles with kids and teachers.  I am not much of a stand if front on the stage kind of person but wanted to begin getting out there and meeting kids.  The circles and small groups will allow me to get to know kids and hear their voices.  Thank you for letting me come into your rooms.  However, if you need anything, please do not hesitate to text or email.  I will make sure to connect with you in between circles.

Selfie Wall

Thank you to the Willow Team for creating a template for our selfie wall!  There have been several questions that have come from it so I thought it would be helpful to share them out in case there were other folks with the same questions.  Here are the questions and their answers:

Can I use filters (like snapchat filters)?  Yes

Can my friend and I be in the picture together?  No, we want to capture kids individually

Can I use a picture of my pet instead?  Yes

Do my eyes have to be in the picture?  No

Can it be a full body picture?  Yes

Can they use a photo from home or one already on their phone?  As long as it’s a pic of the kiddo, however they want to present themselves-YES.

Should the quotes be famous (like from a quote website) or can the students generate their own quotes?  Both are fine!

The purpose of our selfie wall is to give kids a chance to represent and share themselves (appropriately) so they can be seen and heard.  I know some kids are struggling with their image, sexuality, etc.  We want to honor where kids are at in their journey.  If you have a kid who is not comfortable with a direct picture of themselves, they can replace their pic with an image.  For example, picture of a flower.  This will also allow our kids with media exclusions to still be able to be a part of the wall. 

As you get the pictures completed, please send it to Jason.  We will start to print them out and get them on our wall!

Technology

What a week of tech!  Thank you everyone for your patience as our tech team redistributed Chromebooks to kids after TLC caught their error.  Thank you Jason, Lana and Bettye for all your hard work!

As we move forward, just a reminder that ALL technology needs will be taken care of from our tech team.  Tech requests that require work beyond the scope of our capabilities will be routed to TLC.  The tech team knows that teacher and student needs are the first priority and will work to resolve issues so that instruction and learning is minimally impacted.  If you have any concerns, please send me an email or drop by and share a conversation with me. 

Our team websites are up and I want to give a huge shout out to Pat Weaver.  She has done an amazing job creating the templates for each team, including our elective teams.  I appreciate how she has streamlined our webpages to help make our page more efficient for parents and visitors.  Through this process, I have gotten to know her and hear her passion and commitment to our building.  We are lucky to have her as our webmaster!

Teaming Meetings

As we get back into the swing of things, I wanted to talk about some changes to some roles.  Teaming meetings are a time for teachers to talk about field trips, schedules and problem solve around various issues influencing students.  Teams will notice the grade level principal and counselor coming into teaming meetings once a week to check in.  It is a time for both the team and grade level principal/counselor to share information and talk about kids.  Our coaches, Jill and Hope, will also be meeting at teaming meetings, as needed, to assist in problem solving for kids.  I will be working with our elective teams to create a time to where they are able to connect with a grade level principal/counselor and connect around kids too.

Nurse’s Office

In the coming weeks, we are going to clean up the Nurse’s office and spruce it up.  Please note that the refrigerator in the nurse’s office is NOT a staff fridge. We have a handful of kids with various needs and their food and medicine will be stored in the refrigerator. 

Role of Coaches

The role of our instructional coach, Jill Right and learning coach, Hope Strausser will be tweaked slightly this year.  Here is a basic run down of who they are and what they will be doing:

What do we do around here? 

• We mentor new teachers: This is the single largest aspect of the job. We work with them on curriculum, classroom management, formative and summative assessment, parent communication, writing SLO’s and growth plans, and more. Additionally, we help them manage the numerous district and state requirements that they are asked to fulfill in their first year. We do not help with their taxes or auto maintenance, but that is about it.
• We mentor second and third year teachers: We work with them on all of the same things as first year teachers, but to a lesser extent.
• We coach ALL faculty and staff.
• We will lead professional development: We will lead PLC leadership development and other miscellaneous development as we grow into this role.
• We are freelancers: We take on additional projects and roles as necessary as our time allows. We will work with anyone, anywhere, anytime to help Hixson become a more socially just and equitable learning environment.

What don’t we do around here?

• We do not evaluate anyone.
• We do not handle discipline referrals.
• We do not schedule or reschedule students.

In other words, we help teachers teach and learners learn, but administrators gotta administrate on their own.

How can we support you this year?

CHANGE in Meeting Dates

Please mark your calendars for a slight change to our Monday meeting dates:

Monday, September 11^th-Intruder Refresher Training

Monday, September 18^th –ALL FACULTY Meeting:  Restorative Practices

Monday, September 25^th – SLT Meeting

I had to make a change to the 18^th and 25^thmeetings in order to have a conversation around Restorative Practices as a complete family.  Due to conferences in October, the next time we would come together as a full family would be November.  We will not have a PLC meeting this month but Dr. Vogt will be sending out information regarding SLO’s and growth plans. 

Spirit Wear

Stop by the main office and take a look at the staff spirit wear.  There are polo’s and pullovers with Hixson embroidered on it.  There are sample sizes as well if you want to try any of them on.  Sizes and samples for both men and women are on the table in the back.  If you are interested, please place your order by Wednesday, September 6^th.  Order forms are on the table as well.

This Week

Open House will be this Thursday, August 31^st at 6:00pm.  Please know that the building will be open at 5:30pm to allow parents to come in and get their student’s schedule if they need one.

It is a four-day week and on Friday, September 1^stwe will have our first district PD day.  We will be meeting at the HS in the brand new auditorium.  I will send out more information/reminder in an all school email later this week. 

Thank you for reading through all this information.  I know it was a lot!

With Gratitude,

Grace

Sunday Night Memo 8/20/17

First Week
Thank you for an awesome first week!  It was an exciting one with the modified lock-down and sudden rainstorm.  Everyone did an awesome job locking down their rooms and keeping kids calm. It was also great seeing kids navigating their way through the hallways, looking for teachers and reuniting with friends.  I'm excited about our year and look forward to all the amazing things we will do for kids.  I hope you had a chance to relax this weekend.

Solar Eclipse
The historic eclipse is upon us!  Thank you to our science teachers for prepping us along with students.  Please make sure to review the slides and procedures that was emailed out last week.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Team Leaders
Thank you to the following folks for leading their teams this year:
Oak-Randy Rachal
Sequoia-Kendra Day
Willow-Lisa Pettid
Monoceros-Liz Goosen
Hickory-Liz Majino
Phoenix-Dawn Meyer
Orion-Eric Hayes
Andromeda-Sherri Rachal

Through our SLT meetings, we will work to restructure some of our departments.  Once we are able to do that, we will also ask our elective teachers to select team leaders too.

Discovery Class Circles
For the next month or so, I'll be scheduling time to lead community building circles with kids through Discovery class.  Thank you for letting me come in. I'll let you know once a schedule is completed.

Fire Drill
Our first fire drill is scheduled for Wednesday (8/23) at 9:30am.  Please review the email that Todd sent out last week.

DLT
The first DLT (District Level Team) meeting will be this Thursday (8/24) beginning at 8am.  I'll be out during the morning for it but if you need anything, please don't hesitate to send an email or text.

Front Office Time Revision
Sarah Cetro's time has been revised slightly. On Mondays and Fridays, her hours will be 7:45am-3:45pm.

Coming Up
Open House will be on Thursday, 8/31 at 6:00pm.
District PD will on on Friday, 9/1-more information to follow
No School on Monday, 9/4 for Labor Day
Faculty Meeting on Monday, 9/11-Intruder Drill Refresher

Have a great week everyone!

With Gratitude,
Grace

Monday Memo 8/14

A picture is worth a thousand words and this picture that emerged out of the Charlottesville tragedy this weekend says a lot.  This picture has been circulating on my news feed to capture the sentiment of thoughts in Charlottesville and the state of our country.  Though it is a historical photograph, it is also relevant to where we still are in 2017.  I shared this picture because as we begin to welcome kids back into the folds of our lives, it is a reminder of our great responsibility as educators.  As educators, it is not our place to teach our personal values to students but instead to teach them how to think.  For when kids know how to think, they will be empowered far beyond those who know only what to think.  This will begin to enact the change in our world. 

As we prepare for our first day of school, here's some information and reminders:

First Day

The PTO will be providing a coffee bar with breakfast pastries beginning at 7:45am until 9:00amas a welcome back appreciation!  Please come to the library media center for coffee and a breakfast pastry hosted by our supportive PTO.

Nurse Conrad will be sending an email with a list of 8^thgrade students who do not have their state required immunizations.  8^th grade teachers, if any of the students on your list arrive in your class, please send them down to the cafeteria with their belongings.

On Wednesday, Dr. Roberts and Dr. Vogt will be holding entire grade level principal talks in the auditorium during the following hours:

·       1^st hour-8^th grade

·       7^th hour-7^th grade

Please take attendance and bring your students down.

Hallway Duty Expectations

During the hallway-passing period, it is important for teachers to be on duty for supervision.  Once the bell rings and students are dismissed, please make sure you are in the hall outside of your doorway.  At the start of the day, please be in the hallways when the first bell rings to dismiss students to their 1^st hour.

Taking Attendance

Please take attendance in the first few minutes of class and submit absences.  For safety and security, it is important for the front office to know when students are not in class.

Discovery:  Selfie-Wall Project and Innovation Expectations

During the first couple of weeks in Discovery, as you begin to get to know your students and build community, we will be working on selfies and quotes.  Please introduce the selfie-wall project to your students in discovery. 

        1.)Each student will take a selfie (by himself or herself) and find a quote that represents them.  The         quote will need to be school appropriate and approved by the teacher.

        2.) As you introduce the selfie-wall project, please connect it to legacy.  Ask students what they                think legacy means and what they want their legacy at Hixson and in the world to be. 

Jason will be sending out more techie instructions on how to gather the selfies and put the quotes on the pictures this week.

Just a reminder that we will continue giving the thinking strategies lesson and one pager at the end of each month.  As you introduce discovery to students, please remember that they will read for the first 15 minutes and then use the remainder of the time for Innovation projects/pursuits.

Team Expectations-Responsible, Ready and Respectful

During the first week of school, as teams establish community and expectations, we will continue with the three R’s.  This year, through our SLT, we will revisit the words and reevaluate if it still captures our Hixson vision.

As teams begin to design their web pages, please make note of a place to share what day the team help session will be held.

Hallway Makeover

In the next couple of months, we will begin to redesign the look of our hallways by placing student artwork and images of important moments in history throughout our halls.  Please feel free to send me your thoughts on any historical photo moments in history.  I will compile them, begin to order them and hang them in the halls.

Solar Eclipse

Our fabulous science teachers have done a great job preparing for the solar eclipse.  Please be on the lookout for the safety video, reminder instructions and a map of the layout this week.  We are going to walk all students down to Moss Field and ask parents to meet their students on there if they are coming up to view the eclipse with their kids. 

“I Wish for You”

I wish for you a fantastic start to the New Year with renewed commitments to kids and excitement for the upcoming year!  As we continue to get to know each other, please know my door is always open for conversation.  I am looking forward to serving as your principal and beginning our journey together.

With Gratitude,

Grace