Friday, September 1, 2017

The Middle Update 9/1/17

We are ready.

"Focus on the Fundamentals" - Consistency, relationships, pedagogy

First Day
We'll continue our middle school tradition of having all teachers greet the students on the playground on the morning of the first day.  Students will start arriving to school at 7:20 am.  After the first bell, students will proceed to the gym for a brief "Kickoff to the School Year Assembly" before heading to their first class of the day.

New Bells
Our new sound system in the 1-8 building has allowed us the use of bells.  We will utilize bells for the entry into school signal (7:28), start of the school day (7:33), start of elementary day (8:35), end of Middle School day (2:45), and end of elementary day (3:35).

Hattie's Mindframe Focus

 Mindframe #1: My fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of my teaching on students’ learning and achievement.

 There are a range of variables that can affect learning including the curriculum, the materials and resources used, the previous learning experiences of the students and the efforts students put in to their work. Teachers often attribute students’ academic success or failure to these factors. However, while it is true that they have some impact, all are beyond the control of the teacher. The only thing a teacher can control is what he or she does every day in front of the class – and it is this which Hattie argues has the greatest impact on learning. If we focus on the impact we are having, the impact of the other factors increases as a result.  Knowing their impact requires a teacher to have high expectations of their learners, seeing ability as something that is changeable, not fixed. This in turn places responsibility on the teacher to be flexible and creative in order to meet the needs of all pupils and develop their ability. This requires considerable reflective thought and self-questioning on the part of the teacher. So, how can we find out if we are having an impact on our students? Hattie has a simple answer: feedback. Teachers need feedback on where they are going, where they currently are and what their next step should be. This comes from listening carefully to students, the errors they make, the questions they ask and the successes they have and responding appropriately. We need to evaluate not only what we are doing and what our students are doing, but also the effect of what we do on what the students do AND the effect of what the students do on what we then do! Or, as Hattie puts it, we need to see learning through the eyes of our students. 

 Policy Update
This policy outlines steps school personnel should take to protect themselves due to the natural proximity we have with students on a day to day basis.  The policy addresses relationships, including appropriate social media use in the case of school staff and students.

3213 - STUDENT SUPERVISION AND WELFARE
Professional staff members because of their proximity to students are frequently confronted with situations which, if handled incorrectly, could result in liability to the District, personal liability to the professional staff member, and/or harm to the welfare of the student(s). It is the intent of the Board of Education to direct the preparation of guidelines that would minimize that possibility.

 A professional staff member, or a person who works or volunteers with children, who is found to have had sexual contact with a student, including a student age sixteen (16) or older, shall be referred to the proper authorities and be subject to discipline up to and including discharge.

 This policy should not be construed as affecting any obligations on the part of staff to report suspected child abuse under Wis. Stats. 48.981 and Policy 8462.

 It is the responsibility of the District Administrator to prepare administrative guidelines to ensure the maintenance of the following standards:
 A.Each professional staff member shall maintain a standard of care for supervision, control, and protection of students commensurate with assigned duties and responsibilities.
  
 B.A professional staff member should not volunteer to assume responsibility for duties s/he cannot reasonably perform. Such assumption carries the same responsibilities as assigned duties.
  
 C.A professional staff member shall provide proper instruction in the safety matters presented in assigned course guides.
  
 D.Each professional staff member shall immediately report to the principal or immediate supervisor any accident or safety hazard s/he detects.
  
 E.Each professional staff member shall immediately report to the principal or immediate supervisor any knowledge of threats of violence by students.
  
 F.A professional staff member shall not send students on any personal errands.
   
 G.A professional staff member shall not associate with students, at any time in a manner which gives the apearance of impropriety, including, but not limited to, the creation or participation in any situation or activity which could be considered abusive or sexually suggestive or involve illegal substances such as tobacco, alcohol, or drugs.
  
 This provision should not be construed as precluding a professional staff member from associating with students in private for legitimate or proper reasons or to interfere with familial relationships that may exist between staff and students.
   
 H.If a student comes to a staff member to seek advice or to ask questions regarding a personal problem related to sexual behavior, substance abuse, mental or physical health, and/or family relationships, the staff member may help the student make contact with certified or licensed individuals in the District or community who specialize in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the student's problem. Under no circumstances should a staff member attempt, unless properly licensed and authorized to do so, to counsel, assess, diagnose, or treat the student's problem or behavior.
  
 I.A professional staff member shall not transport students in a private vehicle without the approval of the principal.
  
 J.A student shall not be required to perform work or services that may be detrimental to his/her health.
  
 K.Staff members are discouraged from engaging students in social media and online networking media, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.
  
 L.Staff members are expressly prohibited, without permission of the building principal, from posting any video or comment pertaining to any student on social networking media or similar forums, such as YouTube without permission of the building principal

Most information concerning a child in school is a confidential student record under Federal and State laws. Any staff member who shares confidential information with another person not authorized to receive the information may be subject to discipline or civil liability. This includes, but is not limited to, information concerning assessments, grades, behavior, family background, and alleged child abuse (see Policy 8330).
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The Middle Update 9/1/17

We are ready.

"Focus on the Fundamentals" - Consistency, relationships, pedagogy

First Day
We'll continue our middle school tradition of having all teachers greet the students on the playground on the morning of the first day.  Students will start arriving to school at 7:20 am.  After the first bell, students will proceed to the gym for a brief "Kickoff to the School Year Assembly" before heading to their first class of the day.

New Bells
Our new sound system in the 1-8 building has allowed us the use of bells.  We will utilize bells for the entry into school signal (7:28), start of the school day (7:33), start of elementary day (8:35), end of Middle School day (2:45), and end of elementary day (3:35).

Hattie's Mindframe Focus

 Mindframe #1: My fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of my teaching on students’ learning and achievement.

 There are a range of variables that can affect learning including the curriculum, the materials and resources used, the previous learning experiences of the students and the efforts students put in to their work. Teachers often attribute students’ academic success or failure to these factors. However, while it is true that they have some impact, all are beyond the control of the teacher. The only thing a teacher can control is what he or she does every day in front of the class – and it is this which Hattie argues has the greatest impact on learning. If we focus on the impact we are having, the impact of the other factors increases as a result.  Knowing their impact requires a teacher to have high expectations of their learners, seeing ability as something that is changeable, not fixed. This in turn places responsibility on the teacher to be flexible and creative in order to meet the needs of all pupils and develop their ability. This requires considerable reflective thought and self-questioning on the part of the teacher. So, how can we find out if we are having an impact on our students? Hattie has a simple answer: feedback. Teachers need feedback on where they are going, where they currently are and what their next step should be. This comes from listening carefully to students, the errors they make, the questions they ask and the successes they have and responding appropriately. We need to evaluate not only what we are doing and what our students are doing, but also the effect of what we do on what the students do AND the effect of what the students do on what we then do! Or, as Hattie puts it, we need to see learning through the eyes of our students. 

 Policy Update
This policy outlines steps school personnel should take to protect themselves due to the natural proximity we have with students on a day to day basis.  The policy addresses relationships, including appropriate social media use in the case of school staff and students.

3213 - STUDENT SUPERVISION AND WELFARE
Professional staff members because of their proximity to students are frequently confronted with situations which, if handled incorrectly, could result in liability to the District, personal liability to the professional staff member, and/or harm to the welfare of the student(s). It is the intent of the Board of Education to direct the preparation of guidelines that would minimize that possibility.

 A professional staff member, or a person who works or volunteers with children, who is found to have had sexual contact with a student, including a student age sixteen (16) or older, shall be referred to the proper authorities and be subject to discipline up to and including discharge.

 This policy should not be construed as affecting any obligations on the part of staff to report suspected child abuse under Wis. Stats. 48.981 and Policy 8462.

 It is the responsibility of the District Administrator to prepare administrative guidelines to ensure the maintenance of the following standards:
 A.Each professional staff member shall maintain a standard of care for supervision, control, and protection of students commensurate with assigned duties and responsibilities.
  
 B.A professional staff member should not volunteer to assume responsibility for duties s/he cannot reasonably perform. Such assumption carries the same responsibilities as assigned duties.
  
 C.A professional staff member shall provide proper instruction in the safety matters presented in assigned course guides.
  
 D.Each professional staff member shall immediately report to the principal or immediate supervisor any accident or safety hazard s/he detects.
  
 E.Each professional staff member shall immediately report to the principal or immediate supervisor any knowledge of threats of violence by students.
  
 F.A professional staff member shall not send students on any personal errands.
   
 G.A professional staff member shall not associate with students, at any time in a manner which gives the apearance of impropriety, including, but not limited to, the creation or participation in any situation or activity which could be considered abusive or sexually suggestive or involve illegal substances such as tobacco, alcohol, or drugs.
  
 This provision should not be construed as precluding a professional staff member from associating with students in private for legitimate or proper reasons or to interfere with familial relationships that may exist between staff and students.
   
 H.If a student comes to a staff member to seek advice or to ask questions regarding a personal problem related to sexual behavior, substance abuse, mental or physical health, and/or family relationships, the staff member may help the student make contact with certified or licensed individuals in the District or community who specialize in the assessment, diagnosis, and treatment of the student's problem. Under no circumstances should a staff member attempt, unless properly licensed and authorized to do so, to counsel, assess, diagnose, or treat the student's problem or behavior.
  
 I.A professional staff member shall not transport students in a private vehicle without the approval of the principal.
  
 J.A student shall not be required to perform work or services that may be detrimental to his/her health.
  
 K.Staff members are discouraged from engaging students in social media and online networking media, such as Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, etc.
  
 L.Staff members are expressly prohibited, without permission of the building principal, from posting any video or comment pertaining to any student on social networking media or similar forums, such as YouTube without permission of the building principal

Most information concerning a child in school is a confidential student record under Federal and State laws. Any staff member who shares confidential information with another person not authorized to receive the information may be subject to discipline or civil liability. This includes, but is not limited to, information concerning assessments, grades, behavior, family background, and alleged child abuse (see Policy 8330).