Resources of the Week
The first resource this week is a compilation of resources and protocols for our district's deployment of our Remote Learning Plan. Thanks to Katie and Anna for organizing this information with helpful links and explanations.
SDOP Remote Learning Resources
The second resource shines a light on some of the lessons the educational world is learning during the remote learning experience. The article shares perspectives from educators across the country that mirror many of the conversations that have taken place among out staff. If we look at this total experience as an opportunity to learn how we can take the lessons learned and apply them to the normal school routines to set up conditions for success for all students.
"Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning" - Nora Fleming
Remote Learning Performance Feedback
Having consistent collaboration about this experience for us and our students has allowed us to make adjustments and modifications to enhance the experience. Through our conversations, it appears that many of our students are being successful, some have been inconsistent, and for others it has been very challenging. We have done a nice job of providing the opportunity for support for those that need it, and it has paid off in many cases.
The Puma Pride progress scores that we started to share should help with giving everyone a clear idea of how each student is performing in their classes. These scores should be posted at least weekly in the "Follows Classroom Expectations" standard.
Another important note to consider...as the virus remains present, we will most likely have students who have family members that get sick with the virus. Mr. Johnson shared one example about one of his students and offered the following advice after talking with Izzy S's mother:
"She says Izzy's dad went to the ER last night, has been sick for two weeks. He's getting tested for Covid. I'm sure more students will be experiencing this stress in the next few weeks. It got me thinking, Emails to parents should probably use empathy now more than ever as the virus creeps into our community."
Any communication we have with students and parents must have a tone of empathy with the main message of offering support for students and their families.
Packing...Renovation
I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to all of you for making the time to come in and pack up your rooms, preparing for the move. A silver lining to this whole situation is being able to have Findorff get into our building earlier to get a head start on the renovations that will take place. A couple of important reminders about this process below:
-When packing rooms, all items should be in boxes or containers that can be easily moved and labeled. No items should be moved to existing elementary classrooms. We need to give the elementary teachers time and space to pack up their own classrooms prior to their move.
-We must follow the "Safer at Home" orders while in the school building, maintaining social distancing and not gathering as a group.
-Please email me when you have been in your room and any item that you may need till late August is out and accessible.
So far, we are on pace to be in good shape, however, there is a lot of work and coordination to be done yet, and I appreciate each of you stepping up to do your part.
Staffing Updates
We are nearing the completion of adding the final pieces of our 5th grade team. I want to be the first to welcome Allison Larson and Shelby Wheeler to our team. After a rigorous interview process, and a very talented candidate pool, both Allison and Shelby stood out. We are very excited to have them join our team! We are also in agreement with a new school Social Worker, who will service the whole district.
Appreciation
I just want to extend my sincere appreciation to all of you. During this unique time period, our whole district has a team that has risen to the challenge and done a great job of making the most out of the educational experience for our kids. Thank you for what you do!
Saturday, April 25, 2020
Saturday, April 18, 2020
The Middle Update 4/18/20
The announcement from Governor Evers on Thursday afternoon provided some clarity for us as to how the end of the school year will play out. Like Dr. Shappell noted in his Thursday evening message, there are many questions out there in regards to our plans for moving/renovation planning. We are in the process of working through the planning of the logistics to make this happen. We understand that we will have to balance the necessity to provide strong, meaningful learning experiences for our students right up through May 29th, and preparing for Findorff to come in and start the process of updating our building. We will be working to organize how to get things packed up and moved sooner than if school had been in session like normal.
Resource of the Week
We have gotten off to a great start with our Remote Learning Plan, we have learned a lot, and we are sure to learn more as we go. I want to thank each of you for your efforts and dedication to our kids! I feel we have done a great job of reaching out and connecting with kids during this time when normal interaction is different, but also has never been more important. The first resource I'm sharing houses a plethora of thoughts on how to do Remote Learning best. The second provides a deep dive into the nuts of bolts of teaching empathy to our students....imagine a school culture where all students had a strong handle on empathy. We'll continue to do our part to help students gain this all-encompassing skill.
Puma Pride Scores during Remote Learning
On Thursday, when reviewing student progress, we used a modified version of our "Follows Classroom Expectations" Standard. The rubric is pretty general, but should give us common language to communicate about how our students are performing during this remote learning experience. Sharing this information will give both students and parents more feedback about how well each student is doing in this environment.
Now that we know that our learning will be virtual till the end of the school year, we need to think about how we will examine the effectiveness of this experience for our students. Moving forward, I'll ask that you assess students, at least once per week, using this rubric with the following understandings:
- We will not retroactively score students, we will start assigning scores this coming week (4/20). I will send communication to both students and parents, sharing the rubric and explaining the rationale for its use at the beginning of the week.
- For our Students w/Disabilities, we will consult with Case Manager before we assign a weekly score. Some students may have modified expectations, and we should all be on the same page with how they did each week. This can be discussed during/after Thursday grade level meeting times.
I have consulted with the many different teachers last week about our plan, but am still looking for feedback about this plan as we move into next week. If you have questions or suggestions, please email me and we can discuss further. Thank you!
4th Quarter Grading Communication
A copy of the communication that was sent to parents this week about how students will be assessed for the remainder of this school year can be found HERE. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Relocating/Construction Prep Steps
With the recent news, we will be looking to organize all the moving that needs to take place before construction begins. Findorff will be getting in and starting sooner now that we know "normal" school won't be back in session this year. We will start by getting student belongings out of the building, then we'll focus on the moving of classrooms and renoation prep. Much more communication about this will follow this week.
Something Fun for Students??
I have seen a couple examples of videos that teachers put together for their students, offering encouragement and letting them know they miss them. I am interested to hear any creative ideas anyone may have about putting something together for our students. Send me an email if you have an idea or are willing to help lead an endeavor like this.
Resource of the Week
We have gotten off to a great start with our Remote Learning Plan, we have learned a lot, and we are sure to learn more as we go. I want to thank each of you for your efforts and dedication to our kids! I feel we have done a great job of reaching out and connecting with kids during this time when normal interaction is different, but also has never been more important. The first resource I'm sharing houses a plethora of thoughts on how to do Remote Learning best. The second provides a deep dive into the nuts of bolts of teaching empathy to our students....imagine a school culture where all students had a strong handle on empathy. We'll continue to do our part to help students gain this all-encompassing skill.
A New Reality: Getting Remote Learning Right - Resources provided by Ed Leadership magazine
"Nine Competencies for Teaching Empathy" - by Michele Borba
On Thursday, when reviewing student progress, we used a modified version of our "Follows Classroom Expectations" Standard. The rubric is pretty general, but should give us common language to communicate about how our students are performing during this remote learning experience. Sharing this information will give both students and parents more feedback about how well each student is doing in this environment.
Now that we know that our learning will be virtual till the end of the school year, we need to think about how we will examine the effectiveness of this experience for our students. Moving forward, I'll ask that you assess students, at least once per week, using this rubric with the following understandings:
- We will not retroactively score students, we will start assigning scores this coming week (4/20). I will send communication to both students and parents, sharing the rubric and explaining the rationale for its use at the beginning of the week.
- For our Students w/Disabilities, we will consult with Case Manager before we assign a weekly score. Some students may have modified expectations, and we should all be on the same page with how they did each week. This can be discussed during/after Thursday grade level meeting times.
I have consulted with the many different teachers last week about our plan, but am still looking for feedback about this plan as we move into next week. If you have questions or suggestions, please email me and we can discuss further. Thank you!
4th Quarter Grading Communication
A copy of the communication that was sent to parents this week about how students will be assessed for the remainder of this school year can be found HERE. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Relocating/Construction Prep Steps
With the recent news, we will be looking to organize all the moving that needs to take place before construction begins. Findorff will be getting in and starting sooner now that we know "normal" school won't be back in session this year. We will start by getting student belongings out of the building, then we'll focus on the moving of classrooms and renoation prep. Much more communication about this will follow this week.
Something Fun for Students??
I have seen a couple examples of videos that teachers put together for their students, offering encouragement and letting them know they miss them. I am interested to hear any creative ideas anyone may have about putting something together for our students. Send me an email if you have an idea or are willing to help lead an endeavor like this.
Monday, April 13, 2020
The Middle Update 4/13/20
We are heading into week 3 of the 4th quarter, and it appears like we'll have a little more certainty about what the rest of the school year looks like sometime soon. Once we know for sure when/if we are coming back to school for normal school days, we'll have much more information to share. For now, we'll continue down our Remote Learning Journey learning a lot along the way.
Resources of the Week
We've gotten off to a great start with our plans and tools, and the collective knowledge you all have shared with each other has been fun to be a part of, and this week's article provides more tools for you to consider or explore in our current situation.
"Formative Assessment in Distance Learning" - Andrew Miller
Teaching from home, taking care of kids, watching the news, being away from person to person interaction...I can feel the stress level rise just as I type those words...self care is as important today as it is every other day...The following article provides some insight into the importance of taking care of yourself.
"Prioritizing Self-Care While Working from Home" - John McCarthy
Schedule
We'll continue to carry out the plans that we have laid out for grading/reporting, and our meeting times. Remember, our goals for this Remote Learning Experience are:
-Stay Healthy
-Maintain/Strengthen Connections with Kids
-Move Student Learning Forward
Images from the Week
Pictures come from a Live workout that many Middle Schoolers participated in last week put on by Mr. Kartos and Mrs. Serstad.
Friday, April 3, 2020
The Middle Update 4/3/2020
Our first full week of Remote Learning is almost in the books. As we move past the "newness" factor, and have some time to reflect and analyze how it's going, we can begin the conversations about how to improve to make the most of the learning experience for each student. We know that we have a diverse population of students when they attend school normally, but think about how much the diversity increases when they have to rely on their Home network so much more in the situation that we find ourselves in now. Some students may be thriving and looking for more of a challenge and some may find the emails from Google Classroom piling up as a completely overwhelming situation and they don't know where to begin...As we move forward, we'll continue to reach out to kids, offer our support and encouragement, all the while keeping in mind that our connection with each student is the most important during this time. Being aware of Mental Health during this time is as important as ever, even though it may be more difficult when we can't physically be around the students. If there is a student that you worry or are concerned about, please reach out and share so we can all work to help in the manner that may fit that particular situation.
I am impressed and appreciative of each of you. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making the most out of this situation for our students during this unprecedented time in our world.
Calendar Update
As we look ahead, there will still be No School on Friday, April 10th. We originally had a PD Day scheduled for Monday, April 13th, however, this day will now be a normal day of Remote Learning.
Remote Learning Updates (credit to Mr. Hausser for some content here)
I am impressed and appreciative of each of you. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making the most out of this situation for our students during this unprecedented time in our world.
Calendar Update
As we look ahead, there will still be No School on Friday, April 10th. We originally had a PD Day scheduled for Monday, April 13th, however, this day will now be a normal day of Remote Learning.
Remote Learning Updates (credit to Mr. Hausser for some content here)
We covered some of these nuts and bolts in our Staff Meeting on Wednesday, but wanted to verify and confirm some important pieces that we all need to know very well.
With the recent announcements by our Governor, it appears that the earliest we will be able to come back to school would be April 24th at 8:00am (at the time of this writing). However, this is a very fluid situation and the date could and probably will change at any time. Below are a few items of note:
Student Records and Grades - It's important that we give students some flexibility in terms of assessments. If you ask them to record themselves or submit a picture, there should also be an option for them to write about it, or demonstrate in some other manner that they attained the goal of the assessment. Please treat everything in Google Classroom as a student record, so please do not delete anything unless it is absolutely necessary. Please continue to post individual assessment grades into Infinite Campus, however, you do not need to post overall grades in IC. We'll continue to document student engagement/attendance using our shared spreadsheets and meeting notes.
Loom is a great tool, but please change this one setting
One of our savvy educators also had this tip to share which will also protect us from anyone downloading videos that we push out. Here is what she stated:
One of our savvy educators also had this tip to share which will also protect us from anyone downloading videos that we push out. Here is what she stated:
"One tip to share might be that videos recorded in Loom should be edited to turn off the ability to download the video. I don't think our viewers are likely downloading them to their own devices, but it might be a possibility and that ensures that our platform is indeed private."
Under 'Edit Your Video' - click 'Settings' - and then turn off 'Viewer can download'
See how HERE - thanks to Ms. Niemeyer
See how HERE - thanks to Ms. Niemeyer
Professionalism Online Reminder (We are learning lessons from other districts in this area...)
Please remember that online you are still staff members and are still "at work" when working remotely and must adhere to pertinent handbook rules. In other districts, educators have video conferenced/created content with their students while wearing bathrobes, beer shirts, etc. Please keep in mind that even though you are at home you are still working when in contact with students.
Also, some staff members in other districts have set- up virtual "happy hours" after or even during the school day with each other. They have partaken in adult beverages while using the school district's equipment, network, and platform. I know that our staff is smart and professional and these are personnel issues that no one wants to deal with, but at the same time, it has happened in other districts.
Finally, please remember that you are only to use our approved delivery systems and previously established curricular supports. We will not allow: Zoom. GoTo Meeting, Open YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter/Snap/TicTok, etc. for use with our students. Currently, our virtual platforms are: Google Classroom, Google Meet: with restrictions (students cannot start a meet, record content, meet ends when teacher ends it, etc.) SeeSaw, and Loom (we'll need to review rights for that one). If it is something that you have used in the classroom already, like Scholastic News, Sumdog, Lucy Books, etc. those are already approved even if they are not on the list that we have started to create. We just want to make sure that we vet everything as a district before we sign-up for all the free offers that are out there. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Staff Meeting Wrap-Up
Thank you for the participation in our virtual meeting this past Wednesday. It is really important to maintain/grow our connections with each other. Hopefully the partner and small group discussion were opportunities to connect and was positive. I have learned that I prefer our face to face time together very much over trying to facilitate an online conversation with over 30 people...very difficult to do more than disseminate information. Nevertheless I'll be asking for some feedback and hope to learn as much as I can from the experience.
Overall Health and Wellness
During our BW Meeting times in the next couple of weeks, I'll be looking for your input on the Remote Learning experience so far, and how each of you are handling our current reality. Please make sure you are making time to maintain your Health...exercise, family time, etc. are all crucial for everyone during this time.
Homeroom Groups
Our Homeroom groups have an goal of ensuring connections. Those connections may be even more important during this time period. Some teachers have set up virtual meetings with their groups just to check in and hear how they are doing, and get some feedback on our learning situation. It has worked out well so far with these groups, and I'd like each teacher to try to set up a time once a week with your group to check in, see their faces and have them get the chance to see each other as well.
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The Middle Update 4/25/20
Resources of the Week
The first resource this week is a compilation of resources and protocols for our district's deployment of our Remote Learning Plan. Thanks to Katie and Anna for organizing this information with helpful links and explanations.
SDOP Remote Learning Resources
The second resource shines a light on some of the lessons the educational world is learning during the remote learning experience. The article shares perspectives from educators across the country that mirror many of the conversations that have taken place among out staff. If we look at this total experience as an opportunity to learn how we can take the lessons learned and apply them to the normal school routines to set up conditions for success for all students.
"Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning" - Nora Fleming
Remote Learning Performance Feedback
Having consistent collaboration about this experience for us and our students has allowed us to make adjustments and modifications to enhance the experience. Through our conversations, it appears that many of our students are being successful, some have been inconsistent, and for others it has been very challenging. We have done a nice job of providing the opportunity for support for those that need it, and it has paid off in many cases.
The Puma Pride progress scores that we started to share should help with giving everyone a clear idea of how each student is performing in their classes. These scores should be posted at least weekly in the "Follows Classroom Expectations" standard.
Another important note to consider...as the virus remains present, we will most likely have students who have family members that get sick with the virus. Mr. Johnson shared one example about one of his students and offered the following advice after talking with Izzy S's mother:
"She says Izzy's dad went to the ER last night, has been sick for two weeks. He's getting tested for Covid. I'm sure more students will be experiencing this stress in the next few weeks. It got me thinking, Emails to parents should probably use empathy now more than ever as the virus creeps into our community."
Any communication we have with students and parents must have a tone of empathy with the main message of offering support for students and their families.
Packing...Renovation
I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to all of you for making the time to come in and pack up your rooms, preparing for the move. A silver lining to this whole situation is being able to have Findorff get into our building earlier to get a head start on the renovations that will take place. A couple of important reminders about this process below:
-When packing rooms, all items should be in boxes or containers that can be easily moved and labeled. No items should be moved to existing elementary classrooms. We need to give the elementary teachers time and space to pack up their own classrooms prior to their move.
-We must follow the "Safer at Home" orders while in the school building, maintaining social distancing and not gathering as a group.
-Please email me when you have been in your room and any item that you may need till late August is out and accessible.
So far, we are on pace to be in good shape, however, there is a lot of work and coordination to be done yet, and I appreciate each of you stepping up to do your part.
Staffing Updates
We are nearing the completion of adding the final pieces of our 5th grade team. I want to be the first to welcome Allison Larson and Shelby Wheeler to our team. After a rigorous interview process, and a very talented candidate pool, both Allison and Shelby stood out. We are very excited to have them join our team! We are also in agreement with a new school Social Worker, who will service the whole district.
Appreciation
I just want to extend my sincere appreciation to all of you. During this unique time period, our whole district has a team that has risen to the challenge and done a great job of making the most out of the educational experience for our kids. Thank you for what you do!
The first resource this week is a compilation of resources and protocols for our district's deployment of our Remote Learning Plan. Thanks to Katie and Anna for organizing this information with helpful links and explanations.
SDOP Remote Learning Resources
The second resource shines a light on some of the lessons the educational world is learning during the remote learning experience. The article shares perspectives from educators across the country that mirror many of the conversations that have taken place among out staff. If we look at this total experience as an opportunity to learn how we can take the lessons learned and apply them to the normal school routines to set up conditions for success for all students.
"Why Are Some Kids Thriving During Remote Learning" - Nora Fleming
Remote Learning Performance Feedback
Having consistent collaboration about this experience for us and our students has allowed us to make adjustments and modifications to enhance the experience. Through our conversations, it appears that many of our students are being successful, some have been inconsistent, and for others it has been very challenging. We have done a nice job of providing the opportunity for support for those that need it, and it has paid off in many cases.
The Puma Pride progress scores that we started to share should help with giving everyone a clear idea of how each student is performing in their classes. These scores should be posted at least weekly in the "Follows Classroom Expectations" standard.
Another important note to consider...as the virus remains present, we will most likely have students who have family members that get sick with the virus. Mr. Johnson shared one example about one of his students and offered the following advice after talking with Izzy S's mother:
"She says Izzy's dad went to the ER last night, has been sick for two weeks. He's getting tested for Covid. I'm sure more students will be experiencing this stress in the next few weeks. It got me thinking, Emails to parents should probably use empathy now more than ever as the virus creeps into our community."
Any communication we have with students and parents must have a tone of empathy with the main message of offering support for students and their families.
Packing...Renovation
I wanted to extend a sincere thank you to all of you for making the time to come in and pack up your rooms, preparing for the move. A silver lining to this whole situation is being able to have Findorff get into our building earlier to get a head start on the renovations that will take place. A couple of important reminders about this process below:
-When packing rooms, all items should be in boxes or containers that can be easily moved and labeled. No items should be moved to existing elementary classrooms. We need to give the elementary teachers time and space to pack up their own classrooms prior to their move.
-We must follow the "Safer at Home" orders while in the school building, maintaining social distancing and not gathering as a group.
-Please email me when you have been in your room and any item that you may need till late August is out and accessible.
So far, we are on pace to be in good shape, however, there is a lot of work and coordination to be done yet, and I appreciate each of you stepping up to do your part.
Staffing Updates
We are nearing the completion of adding the final pieces of our 5th grade team. I want to be the first to welcome Allison Larson and Shelby Wheeler to our team. After a rigorous interview process, and a very talented candidate pool, both Allison and Shelby stood out. We are very excited to have them join our team! We are also in agreement with a new school Social Worker, who will service the whole district.
Appreciation
I just want to extend my sincere appreciation to all of you. During this unique time period, our whole district has a team that has risen to the challenge and done a great job of making the most out of the educational experience for our kids. Thank you for what you do!
The Middle Update 4/18/20
The announcement from Governor Evers on Thursday afternoon provided some clarity for us as to how the end of the school year will play out. Like Dr. Shappell noted in his Thursday evening message, there are many questions out there in regards to our plans for moving/renovation planning. We are in the process of working through the planning of the logistics to make this happen. We understand that we will have to balance the necessity to provide strong, meaningful learning experiences for our students right up through May 29th, and preparing for Findorff to come in and start the process of updating our building. We will be working to organize how to get things packed up and moved sooner than if school had been in session like normal.
Resource of the Week
We have gotten off to a great start with our Remote Learning Plan, we have learned a lot, and we are sure to learn more as we go. I want to thank each of you for your efforts and dedication to our kids! I feel we have done a great job of reaching out and connecting with kids during this time when normal interaction is different, but also has never been more important. The first resource I'm sharing houses a plethora of thoughts on how to do Remote Learning best. The second provides a deep dive into the nuts of bolts of teaching empathy to our students....imagine a school culture where all students had a strong handle on empathy. We'll continue to do our part to help students gain this all-encompassing skill.
Puma Pride Scores during Remote Learning
On Thursday, when reviewing student progress, we used a modified version of our "Follows Classroom Expectations" Standard. The rubric is pretty general, but should give us common language to communicate about how our students are performing during this remote learning experience. Sharing this information will give both students and parents more feedback about how well each student is doing in this environment.
Now that we know that our learning will be virtual till the end of the school year, we need to think about how we will examine the effectiveness of this experience for our students. Moving forward, I'll ask that you assess students, at least once per week, using this rubric with the following understandings:
- We will not retroactively score students, we will start assigning scores this coming week (4/20). I will send communication to both students and parents, sharing the rubric and explaining the rationale for its use at the beginning of the week.
- For our Students w/Disabilities, we will consult with Case Manager before we assign a weekly score. Some students may have modified expectations, and we should all be on the same page with how they did each week. This can be discussed during/after Thursday grade level meeting times.
I have consulted with the many different teachers last week about our plan, but am still looking for feedback about this plan as we move into next week. If you have questions or suggestions, please email me and we can discuss further. Thank you!
4th Quarter Grading Communication
A copy of the communication that was sent to parents this week about how students will be assessed for the remainder of this school year can be found HERE. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Relocating/Construction Prep Steps
With the recent news, we will be looking to organize all the moving that needs to take place before construction begins. Findorff will be getting in and starting sooner now that we know "normal" school won't be back in session this year. We will start by getting student belongings out of the building, then we'll focus on the moving of classrooms and renoation prep. Much more communication about this will follow this week.
Something Fun for Students??
I have seen a couple examples of videos that teachers put together for their students, offering encouragement and letting them know they miss them. I am interested to hear any creative ideas anyone may have about putting something together for our students. Send me an email if you have an idea or are willing to help lead an endeavor like this.
Resource of the Week
We have gotten off to a great start with our Remote Learning Plan, we have learned a lot, and we are sure to learn more as we go. I want to thank each of you for your efforts and dedication to our kids! I feel we have done a great job of reaching out and connecting with kids during this time when normal interaction is different, but also has never been more important. The first resource I'm sharing houses a plethora of thoughts on how to do Remote Learning best. The second provides a deep dive into the nuts of bolts of teaching empathy to our students....imagine a school culture where all students had a strong handle on empathy. We'll continue to do our part to help students gain this all-encompassing skill.
A New Reality: Getting Remote Learning Right - Resources provided by Ed Leadership magazine
"Nine Competencies for Teaching Empathy" - by Michele Borba
On Thursday, when reviewing student progress, we used a modified version of our "Follows Classroom Expectations" Standard. The rubric is pretty general, but should give us common language to communicate about how our students are performing during this remote learning experience. Sharing this information will give both students and parents more feedback about how well each student is doing in this environment.
Now that we know that our learning will be virtual till the end of the school year, we need to think about how we will examine the effectiveness of this experience for our students. Moving forward, I'll ask that you assess students, at least once per week, using this rubric with the following understandings:
- We will not retroactively score students, we will start assigning scores this coming week (4/20). I will send communication to both students and parents, sharing the rubric and explaining the rationale for its use at the beginning of the week.
- For our Students w/Disabilities, we will consult with Case Manager before we assign a weekly score. Some students may have modified expectations, and we should all be on the same page with how they did each week. This can be discussed during/after Thursday grade level meeting times.
I have consulted with the many different teachers last week about our plan, but am still looking for feedback about this plan as we move into next week. If you have questions or suggestions, please email me and we can discuss further. Thank you!
4th Quarter Grading Communication
A copy of the communication that was sent to parents this week about how students will be assessed for the remainder of this school year can be found HERE. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Relocating/Construction Prep Steps
With the recent news, we will be looking to organize all the moving that needs to take place before construction begins. Findorff will be getting in and starting sooner now that we know "normal" school won't be back in session this year. We will start by getting student belongings out of the building, then we'll focus on the moving of classrooms and renoation prep. Much more communication about this will follow this week.
Something Fun for Students??
I have seen a couple examples of videos that teachers put together for their students, offering encouragement and letting them know they miss them. I am interested to hear any creative ideas anyone may have about putting something together for our students. Send me an email if you have an idea or are willing to help lead an endeavor like this.
The Middle Update 4/13/20
We are heading into week 3 of the 4th quarter, and it appears like we'll have a little more certainty about what the rest of the school year looks like sometime soon. Once we know for sure when/if we are coming back to school for normal school days, we'll have much more information to share. For now, we'll continue down our Remote Learning Journey learning a lot along the way.
Resources of the Week
We've gotten off to a great start with our plans and tools, and the collective knowledge you all have shared with each other has been fun to be a part of, and this week's article provides more tools for you to consider or explore in our current situation.
"Formative Assessment in Distance Learning" - Andrew Miller
Teaching from home, taking care of kids, watching the news, being away from person to person interaction...I can feel the stress level rise just as I type those words...self care is as important today as it is every other day...The following article provides some insight into the importance of taking care of yourself.
"Prioritizing Self-Care While Working from Home" - John McCarthy
Schedule
We'll continue to carry out the plans that we have laid out for grading/reporting, and our meeting times. Remember, our goals for this Remote Learning Experience are:
-Stay Healthy
-Maintain/Strengthen Connections with Kids
-Move Student Learning Forward
Images from the Week
Pictures come from a Live workout that many Middle Schoolers participated in last week put on by Mr. Kartos and Mrs. Serstad.
The Middle Update 4/3/2020
Our first full week of Remote Learning is almost in the books. As we move past the "newness" factor, and have some time to reflect and analyze how it's going, we can begin the conversations about how to improve to make the most of the learning experience for each student. We know that we have a diverse population of students when they attend school normally, but think about how much the diversity increases when they have to rely on their Home network so much more in the situation that we find ourselves in now. Some students may be thriving and looking for more of a challenge and some may find the emails from Google Classroom piling up as a completely overwhelming situation and they don't know where to begin...As we move forward, we'll continue to reach out to kids, offer our support and encouragement, all the while keeping in mind that our connection with each student is the most important during this time. Being aware of Mental Health during this time is as important as ever, even though it may be more difficult when we can't physically be around the students. If there is a student that you worry or are concerned about, please reach out and share so we can all work to help in the manner that may fit that particular situation.
I am impressed and appreciative of each of you. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making the most out of this situation for our students during this unprecedented time in our world.
Calendar Update
As we look ahead, there will still be No School on Friday, April 10th. We originally had a PD Day scheduled for Monday, April 13th, however, this day will now be a normal day of Remote Learning.
Remote Learning Updates (credit to Mr. Hausser for some content here)
I am impressed and appreciative of each of you. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to making the most out of this situation for our students during this unprecedented time in our world.
Calendar Update
As we look ahead, there will still be No School on Friday, April 10th. We originally had a PD Day scheduled for Monday, April 13th, however, this day will now be a normal day of Remote Learning.
Remote Learning Updates (credit to Mr. Hausser for some content here)
We covered some of these nuts and bolts in our Staff Meeting on Wednesday, but wanted to verify and confirm some important pieces that we all need to know very well.
With the recent announcements by our Governor, it appears that the earliest we will be able to come back to school would be April 24th at 8:00am (at the time of this writing). However, this is a very fluid situation and the date could and probably will change at any time. Below are a few items of note:
Student Records and Grades - It's important that we give students some flexibility in terms of assessments. If you ask them to record themselves or submit a picture, there should also be an option for them to write about it, or demonstrate in some other manner that they attained the goal of the assessment. Please treat everything in Google Classroom as a student record, so please do not delete anything unless it is absolutely necessary. Please continue to post individual assessment grades into Infinite Campus, however, you do not need to post overall grades in IC. We'll continue to document student engagement/attendance using our shared spreadsheets and meeting notes.
Loom is a great tool, but please change this one setting
One of our savvy educators also had this tip to share which will also protect us from anyone downloading videos that we push out. Here is what she stated:
One of our savvy educators also had this tip to share which will also protect us from anyone downloading videos that we push out. Here is what she stated:
"One tip to share might be that videos recorded in Loom should be edited to turn off the ability to download the video. I don't think our viewers are likely downloading them to their own devices, but it might be a possibility and that ensures that our platform is indeed private."
Under 'Edit Your Video' - click 'Settings' - and then turn off 'Viewer can download'
See how HERE - thanks to Ms. Niemeyer
See how HERE - thanks to Ms. Niemeyer
Professionalism Online Reminder (We are learning lessons from other districts in this area...)
Please remember that online you are still staff members and are still "at work" when working remotely and must adhere to pertinent handbook rules. In other districts, educators have video conferenced/created content with their students while wearing bathrobes, beer shirts, etc. Please keep in mind that even though you are at home you are still working when in contact with students.
Also, some staff members in other districts have set- up virtual "happy hours" after or even during the school day with each other. They have partaken in adult beverages while using the school district's equipment, network, and platform. I know that our staff is smart and professional and these are personnel issues that no one wants to deal with, but at the same time, it has happened in other districts.
Finally, please remember that you are only to use our approved delivery systems and previously established curricular supports. We will not allow: Zoom. GoTo Meeting, Open YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitter/Snap/TicTok, etc. for use with our students. Currently, our virtual platforms are: Google Classroom, Google Meet: with restrictions (students cannot start a meet, record content, meet ends when teacher ends it, etc.) SeeSaw, and Loom (we'll need to review rights for that one). If it is something that you have used in the classroom already, like Scholastic News, Sumdog, Lucy Books, etc. those are already approved even if they are not on the list that we have started to create. We just want to make sure that we vet everything as a district before we sign-up for all the free offers that are out there. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Staff Meeting Wrap-Up
Thank you for the participation in our virtual meeting this past Wednesday. It is really important to maintain/grow our connections with each other. Hopefully the partner and small group discussion were opportunities to connect and was positive. I have learned that I prefer our face to face time together very much over trying to facilitate an online conversation with over 30 people...very difficult to do more than disseminate information. Nevertheless I'll be asking for some feedback and hope to learn as much as I can from the experience.
Overall Health and Wellness
During our BW Meeting times in the next couple of weeks, I'll be looking for your input on the Remote Learning experience so far, and how each of you are handling our current reality. Please make sure you are making time to maintain your Health...exercise, family time, etc. are all crucial for everyone during this time.
Homeroom Groups
Our Homeroom groups have an goal of ensuring connections. Those connections may be even more important during this time period. Some teachers have set up virtual meetings with their groups just to check in and hear how they are doing, and get some feedback on our learning situation. It has worked out well so far with these groups, and I'd like each teacher to try to set up a time once a week with your group to check in, see their faces and have them get the chance to see each other as well.
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