Monday Memo - 11/23/20

Happy Thanksgiving!
This very short week should provide a much needed respite for us all. I hope you get plenty of time to reflect, recharge, and enjoy your loved ones, even if from a distance. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, this is a great time to reflect on how fortunate we truly are. Please take care of yourselves. You deserve this time away!

Because this is such a short week, the Monday Memo will return on December 7.

Important dates

November 23 - Pajama Day!

November 24 - Wear your Hixson Gear!

November 25 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - Picture Day (staff members can start taking their pictures at 7:30 am)

December 7 - Department meetings

December 8 - Amighetti's Night for Hixson Middle School

December 23 to January 3 - Winter Break

January 4 - Records Day

Tech Tip
From Leslie Creath - "Did you know that you can get a direct link to any page, assignment, quiz, etc? Ex. I post for my students links that take them directly to an assignment. When I have the assignment on my screen, I simply copy the URL, then post it in the Zoom chat, make a hyperlink on my Homepage, etc! So, there’s no more excuse for a kid to say “I can’t find the assignment.” Just send them the direct link!"

Click HERE to submit a Staff Shout Out or Tech Tip.

Question to ponder

There are technology refreshes on the horizon for Hixson and Steger. We are not quite there yet, but I would like to start getting feedback from staff on the following question:

• If budget were not an issue, what type of technology would you want for your classroom or for use in your role at Hixson? Click HERE to submit your feedback! Please note, the survey is optional.

DOMAIN 1: HIXSON & COVID-19

Reminders for this week

• Please make sure your attendance is accurate each period of the day. Attendance should be taken within the first five minutes of class.
• Please make sure we are following the staggered passing times. If you have a student who is leaving with they're not supposed to, please let Mike or Aimee know.
• Please make sure that you are in the building and ready to greet students at 8:05 am each day. 
• This is just a reminder that I've assigned members of the Hixson Supervision Squad to teams and departments just as an extra layer of support for students and/or staff are quarantined. If you need help, please contact them directly and they will be happy to assist! 
• Susan Hill - 8 Purple
• Jennifer Hahn - 8 Blue
• Brian Hill - 7 Yellow
• Kelley Jones - 7 Orange
• Rachel Diaz - Math
• Mary Chickos - Electives
• Cory Mack - PE/Health

DOMAIN 2: HIXSON & EQUITY

Still Separate, Still Unequal
Forward through Ferguson has recently released a new report titled, Still Separate, Still Unequal: A call to level the uneven education field in St. Louis. It applies the concept of "swimming upstream" to determine the root causes of the very disturbing education inequities in the St. Louis region. As we look for ways to dismantle inequities at Hixson, how can we apply the concept of "swimming upstream" to our own equity work? 

DOMAIN 3: HIXSON & STEGER MERGER

Transition Task Force Updates
The Transition Task Force has been meeting and moving some very important work forward! We are formed into four work groups. I have provided a brief update on each work group's progress below.

Equity - This group is developing a survey to administer to Hixson and Steger staff members regarding inequities that currently exist within our school so that we can determine how to begin to dismantle those inequities as a combined Hixson team. they plan to administer the survey in December.

Transition of Staff - This group is planning monthly activities for the Hixson and Steger staffs to do together to build relationships and bonds prior to the start of next school year. Their most recent activity is the M & Ms activity. Please read Jill Right's email for more information.

Transition of Students - This group is currently planning transition activities for incoming 6th and 7th graders. They are also considering what a summer orientation for incoming students will look like.

Rebranding & Campus Beautification - This group just launched a Hixson Logo Re-design contest as part of our rebranding efforts. This new logo will go on our letterhead, spirit wear, the new gym floor, signage and more! This group is also charged with the task of refreshing our team names, designing signage for the building, determining what to do with the blank wall in the future 6th grade hallway, and more.

If you are interested in joining the Transition Task force, please contact Dr. Mayes!

Monday Memo - 11/16/20

This very short week should provide a much needed respite for us all. I hope you get plenty of time to reflect, recharge, and enjoy your loved ones, even if from a distance. Whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not, this is a great time to reflect on how fortunate we truly are. Please take care of yourselves. You deserve this time away!

Because this is such a short week, the Monday Memo will return on December 7.

Important dates

November 23 - Pajama Day!

November 24 - Wear your Hixson Gear!

November 25 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - Picture Day

December 7 - Department meetings

December 8 - Amighetti's Night for Hixson Middle School

December 23 to January 3 - Winter Break

January 4 - Records Day

DOMAIN 1: HIXSON & COVID-19

Reminders for this week

• Please make sure your attendance is accurate each period of the day. Attendance should be taken within the first five minutes of class.
• Please make sure that you are in the building and ready to greet students at 8:05 am each day. 
• This is just a reminder that I've assigned members of the Hixson Supervision Squad to teams and departments just as an extra layer of support for students and/or staff are quarantined. If you need help, please contact them directly and they will be happy to assist! 
• Susan Hill - 8 Purple
• Jennifer Hahn - 8 Blue
• Brian Hill - 7 Yellow
• Kelley Jones - 7 Orange
• Rachel Diaz - Math Department
• Mary Chickos - Electives
• Cory Mack - PE/Health

Question to ponder

There are technology refreshes on the horizon for Hixson and Steger. We are not quite there yet, but I would like to start getting feedback from staff on the following question:

• If budget were not an issue, what type of technology would you want for your classroom or for use in your role at Hixson? Click HERE to submit your feedback! Please note, the survey is optional.

DOMAIN 2: HIXSON & EQUITY

Forward through Ferguson has recently released a new report titled, Still Separate, Still Unequal: A call to level the uneven education field in St. Louis. It applies the concept of "swimming upstream" to determine the root causes of the very disturbing education inequities in the St. Louis region. As we look for ways to dismantle inequities at Hixson, how can we apply the concept of "swimming upstream" to our own equity work? 

DOMAIN 3: HIXSON & STEGER MERGER

The Transition Task Force has been meeting and moving some very important work forward! We are formed into four work groups. I have provided a brief update on each work group's progress below.

Equity - This group is developing a survey to administer to Hixson and Steger staff members regarding inequities that currently exist within our school so that we can determine how to begin to dismantle those inequities as a combined Hixson team. they plan to administer the survey in December.

Transition of Staff - This group is planning monthly activities for the Hixson and Steger staffs to do together to build relationships and bonds prior to the start of next school year. Their most recent activity is the M & Ms activity. Please read Jill Right's email for more information.

Transition of Students - This group is currently planning transition activities for incoming 6th and 7th graders. They are also considering what a summer orientation for incoming students will look like.

Rebranding & Campus Beautification - This group just launched a Hixson Logo Re-design contest as part of our rebranding efforts. This new logo will go on our letterhead, spirit wear, the new gym floor, signage and more! This group is also charged with the task of refreshing our team names, designing signage for the building, determining what to do with the blank wall in the future 6th grade hallway, and more.

If you are interested in joining the Transition Task force, please contact Dr. Mayes!

Monday Memo - 11/9/20

Welcome back...again!
I know these are not ideal circumstances, but I am looking forward to seeing Hixson come to life this week. I have really missed the day to day operations of "school", and I have really missed seeing kids everyday. My mind continues to revisit March 13, 2020. That was the last time I saw the 7th graders I worked with last year. At the time, I had no idea that I would never work with them again. I think about them all the time. They have been back in school since late October. My hope for them is that they persevere through these unprecedented times with the love and support of their families, friends, and educators in their lives. I want the same thing for Hixson students.

My mind also can't help but think back to the many one on one meetings I had with Hixson and Steger staff members this summer. I walked away from those meetings feeling like I was slowly becoming a part of a very loving family. I remember thinking, "Wow, if this is how they treat a new person, I can only imagine the love they give to kids each day!" With nearly everyone being back in the building this week, I think it is important for us to remember who we are and work together as a Hixson family. To me, this is the only way forward.

As many wise administrators in my life used to always say, "Take care of yourself, take care of each other, take care of this place."

Welcome back Hixson! Go Jr. Statesman!

Important dates

November 9 & 10 - Teacher work days

November 10 - Seating Charts due by 3:30 pm

November 10 - Amighetti's Night for Hixson Middle School

November 11 - first day back to school for students in Responsive Learning Plan (A-K); Veteran's Day

November 12 - first day back to school for students in Responsive Learning Plan (L-Z)

November 13 - all students in responsive learning plan attend school for in person learning

November 17 - Transition Task Force meeting

November 25 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - Picture Day

Tech Tip
From Leslie Creath - “I’ve been using a Chrome extension called “Clipboard History Pro.” It can keep up to the last 100 things you’ve copied. So, when I’m typing comments on assignments, I copy it (highlight & ctrl + C). Then, if I want to use it again, I click the extension, click the comment, and paste it (ctrl + v). It’s really handy and saves a lot of time!”

Click HERE to submit a Tech Tip or Staff Shout Out.

DOMAIN 1: HIXSON & COVID-19

Things to know for this week

• Additional desks will be delivered on Tuesday morning. They were supposed to come this morning, but the company did not have a truck available.
• A fillable water station has been installed in the main hallway across from the office. We will be getting more, but they are now on back order.
• The district started moving furniture out of the building and to the Service Center on Friday. All furniture was tagged before it left the building.
• You should already have a bottle of disinfectant and a roll of paper towels in your classroom. Please let me know if you do not.
• The spray bottles of technology disinfectant are in the main office. Each teacher will get one. I will let you know when we will distribute the cleaner, as well as other supplies.
• Each classroom will receive a large container of hand sanitizer.
• We found out on Friday afternoon that we are getting far more tri-fold plexiglass shields than we were originally told we were getting. This is GREAT news. We will give each teacher as many as possible. When you receive your plexiglass shields, you will need to peel the blue plastic from each panel of the shields.
• Human Resources is providing Hixson with eight building aids who will support us with day to day building supervision. They will supervise hallways and restrooms, lunch, and certain areas during arrival and dismissal. I will share the supervision assignments document when we are finished with it.
• Teachers will not cover lunch supervision this year. However, you will need to be out in the hallway during each passing period. 

Process for signing in and out

Please click on the links below to access the Student Sign Out Sheet. We will have this posted on the Hixson website in a prominent place. The form is set up for students to sign out and back in using the same form.The spreadsheet allows all staff to view sign in and out activity for the whole school.

Student Sign Out Form: https://forms.gle/9rsiUySD4hXZfpRp6

Student Sign Out Form Spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/10kojth-q7R7g-LlohF4s4_ix_qJjJdprbCKpDEOXMk4/edit?usp=sharing

DOMAIN 2: HIXSON & EQUITY

Reflection on Tuesday's ABAR PD
I wanted to say thank you to Linda Peterson, Sherri Rachal, Gail Tumminello, and Sarah Bodi for doing such a great job with facilitating our ABAR professional development last week. If it is our desire to dismantle inequities at Hixson, then we must keep this important work off becoming ABAR educators at the forefront, even with everything going on. I've included the co-conspirators video from the end of the training last week for your review. Please take a look at it when you get a moment. Dr. Bettina Love, will be a guest speaker for our staff on March 8, 2021. She is a brilliant and dynamic speaker who is an expert in anti-racism.

Being a co-conspirator

Monday Memo - 11/2/20

Election Day
The day after Election Day could be particularly challenging given the contentious election that will happen on Tuesday. We will likely have many students and staff who experience a wide variety of emotions. If you anticipate needing help with a particular class, or if you would like to discuss how to talk to students about the election, please feel free to reach out to the administrative team.

Here is an article I found over the weekend from Teaching Tolerance regarding talking with students about the election. 

Teaching the 2020 Election: What will you do on Wednesday?

Schedule for next week
Please see the schedule below. Reach out to administration if you have questions.

Amazing Hixson Educators!
Congratulations again to Jacob Norman for winning the Hixson Educator Award and to Damon Cetro for winning the Emerson Award from Special School District. We are so lucky to have such amazing eductors on our staff!

Return to School Plan
Hixson's return to school plan was shared with parents on Friday. Please click HERE to view the parent document.

Common questions regarding our return to school

1. Aerosols in classrooms after lunch - A question came up last week about aerosols hanging in the air after students each lunch in classrooms with their masks off. Students will be required to put their masks back on as soon as they are finished eating. Lunch supervisors will be instructed to open the windows in classrooms during lunch to provide additional ventilation. Surfaces will be cleaned before students leave the room, and the classrooms will be misted after students leave the room. The mist takes three minutes to dry.

Here is a statement from district administration regarding air circulation in general: 

"We are changing the filters on the HVAC systems every other month instead of every four months. We are also running the systems longer each day so that the air is being circulated more often. We are allowing teachers to open windows."

I did receive a question that wondered if a person who teaches in a classroom after lunch would be quarantined if a student who ate lunch in that classroom tested positive for COVID-19. I cannot speak to that question since the identification of individuals who should be quarantined is up to the St. Louis County Health Department. School administrators do not make those determinations.

2. Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Employee Paid Leave Rights - click the link to read about this important legislation. This was referenced in our meeting with district admin a little over a week ago. 

3. Why are we keeping Statesmen Time? Statesmen Time was created to provide additional support for all Hixson students and learning related to Character Education. Now more than ever, our students need this additional time to check in, ask questions, and connect with others. We are able to preserve Statesmen Time in our current plan and do not plan to remove it from our daily schedule.

4. Why are we not considering a hybrid model for our return to school? Dr. Simpson has explained that the hybrid model is actually not safer than five full days per week of in person instruction. This is because of how students might spend their asynchronous time (ie: with a childcare provider, with friends and/or relatives) which could cause an increase in the number of contacts to which they are exposed. However, the more time students spend at school, the more time they spend in a structured environment that has health and safety guidelines in place, therefore decreasing the amount of contacts to which they are exposed, causing the five full day option to be safer than hybrid. 

Some people also consider the hybrid model to be double the work for teachers because they have to provide in-person instruction and provide asynchronous instruction for all of their students each day.

Important dates

November 2 - Jimmy John's Night for Hixson Middle School

November 3 - Election Day & Professional Development 

• 9:30 am – 12:30 pm: District planned ABAR Professional Development session led by Dr. Linda Peterson, Dr. Sherri Rachal, Sarah Bodi, and Gail Tumminello
• 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm: Lunch
• 1:30 pm – 2:30 pm: Time to view Dr. Newland’s video and work in your classrooms

November 4 - Transition Task Force meeting

November 7 - Building open from 10 am to 2 pm

November 9 & 10 - Teacher work days

November 10 - Amighetti's Night for Hixson Middle School

November 11 - first day back to school for students in Responsive Learning Plan (A-K)

November 12 - first day back to school for students in Responsive Learning Plan (L-Z)

November 13 - all students in responsive learning plan attend school

November 25 - 27 - Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - Picture Day

Monday Mindfulness with our counselors
Join the Counselors for a mindfulness zoom session on Mondays, at 8am.

Here is the link for the staff mindfulness time.

Meeting ID: 977 1740 0071

Passcode: Mindful​