It's that time of year...

 

It's the time of year when we start to feel the excitement of the upcoming holidays!  A quick reminder that the best thing for kids for the next few weeks is to stick to routines as much as possible. Routines provide a framework for a child's life, and children feel secure when they know what is going to happen next.  They know and can anticipate what is going to happen in the day, which brings comfort and a sense of control.  We know that the holidays can cause some anxiousness for any child - so I'm asking that we do our best to keep things as calm and predictable as possible.  I'm not saying that we have to always adhere to the routine - but just reminding you to try to stay true as much as possible!

I want to recognize a big part of your own routine is helping and supporting your students - now more than ever.  These are challenging times, and your patience and creativity are being stretched every day.  Please know that these extra efforts are not going unnoticed - thank you.

Thank you.

 

Dear Staff;

I want you to know that you are valued.  You are essential.  I know all that goes into educating our students under typical circumstances - but your work during this pandemic is far from typical.  It's literally nothing school systems have ever done.  This isn't what you signed up for, and yet you're doing it anyway.  You're creating distance learning plans, navigating plexiglass, sanitizing, distancing, reminding, worrying - about people at home and at school, sanitizing some more, revising the way you've always done things - often adapting in a blink of an eye.

But remember... you're the first educators to tackle a challenge like the one we're facing now.  Years from now, 2020 will be remembered as the year we all learned how to live life at a distance from each other and continue to function as a society. The year we learned how to educate and connect to kids in a completely different way.

Pause for a moment and realize that what you're doing matters.  It matters not just for the students in our school today, but also for the future.  You're part of a large-scale systemic change, and you are making history.  So do you wonder why you're exhausted - mentally and physically?  This is hard work.  And I want each and every one of you to know how much I appreciate your hard work, thoughtful decisions, commitment to our building, and overall, maintaining a positive "can do" attitude throughout all of this.

Please take the Thanksgiving break to spend time with loved ones that may have been placed second due to school-related things, and to spend time on yourself - rejuvenate, rest, and enjoy the time off.

From the bottom of my heart, thanks for all you do -
Sue

End of First Trimester

 

The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said, "Desperate times require desperate measures."  What he meant is that in adverse circumstances, actions that might have been rejected under other circumstances may become the best choice.  And these are certainly desperate times! COVID has brought unprecedented challenges to educators throughout the world.  Assessment is one of the many areas that is proving to be a very challenging practice.

Teachers have worked diligently and creatively to try to measure their IDL students' progress, coaching and giving feedback whenever possible.  You have made phone calls home, set up reinforcement systems, met with students 1:1, created and implemented a variety of engagement strategies, and have worked harder than ever before.  As we approach grading and reporting, do your best.  There are not simple solutions or ideal circumstances, so use what you have to base your reporting on.  This may include concerns/conversations about engagement for some of your IDL learners, and that can be reflected on the report card as you would in class.  Do your best to communicate an accurate picture, with plans for next steps to support the student's progress - whatever that may look like.

These certainly are challenging times, maybe even desperate times!  Please let me know how I can help!
Sue

Houlton 2020-21 1st Trimester Report Card Schedule

Office will print / reprint report cards. 

Tuesday (11/24/20) - End of 1st Trimester/Early Release Day to work on report cards

Monday (11/30/20) - Grade window closes at 11:59 pm

Tuesday (12/1/20) - Office will print report cards; grade window opens after printing

Thursday (12/3/20) - Updated grades in Skyward by 11:59 pm

Friday (12/4/20) - Office will do any reprints, report cards are sent home with students

Note:

The second sample shows a subject which only needs Skills/Standards grades (note that T1 Learn and T1 Behav are not underlined, only the Skills/Standards are underlined).

Please make sure you grade ALL Trimester Grades and ALL Skills/Standards.   

Things to Remember:

• N/A is only used as a Grade Level on 2 Kindergarten standards in Reading and Writing, 1st Trimester only
• If the TITLE of the column is underlined, a grade is needed.
• The first sample shows a subject which needs a Trimester Grade (T1 Reading is underlined) and Skills/Standards Grades (those column titles are underlined). 
• The teacher is responsible for making additional copies if more than 1 report card iper student is needed. Extra report card envelopes are in the office.

2020 END OF TRIMESTER 1 TO DO LIST

Item to Check Off:	Due Date:
Grades 1-5 Math Interim Assessment after Unit 2 See Amanda McCarthy’s email	Should be completed so do if you haven’t:)
Update F&P Levels in Illuminate DNA	End of Trimester 1--Tuesday , Nov 24th
Kindergarten Teachers K Readers with fewer than 40 letters and fewer than 3-5 sight words can wait to formally assess using BAS. Input Literacy Assessment Data into DNA	End of Trimester 1--Tuesday , Nov 24th
Grades 3-5 Reading Interim Assessment See Amanda McCarthy’s email	End of Trimester 1--Tuesday , Nov 24th
NO ON DEMAND WRITING ASSESSMENT--optional if you chose to use for grading purposes
REPORT CARD SCHEDULE  IDL GRADING TID BITS	Report cards go home Friday, Dec 4th
SLO PRESENTATION  (detailed example included in the prezy for you to mimic into My Learning Plan)	Monday, December 7th

Self Care

The importance and benefits of self-care extend to every profession, but especially in education.  People in caregiving positions, like educators, often find it easier to tell others to take care of themselves than to do it themselves. Because educators are encouraged to focus so much energy on others (and so little on themselves), self-care is essential for everyone in the education profession to maintain good mental health.  Over 40% of teachers report feeling high stress every day during the school year.  Add on a pandemic, and this is something that we really need to pay attention to.

A few weeks ago we talked about the importance of school connectedness for students and families.  While that is extremely important, also a #1 priority is the health and well-being of our staff.  Education is a difficult job under normal circumstances, but when you add the additional stressors that 2020 has brought to us, it is even more challenging.  As we enter the holidays, report cards, etc. -  I want to remind staff of the resources Kristen has shared, and remind you to take care of yourselves - a  reminder that you can't pour from an empty cup.  

Staff Resources:

Staff Virtual Self Care Corner

HSD Mental Health Resources

Simple ideas for Staff Self Care

Going Home Checklist - quarters

Self Care for Staff - fall Welcome Back

Please refer to these resources as needed, and always reach out to others when in need.  We are here to support each other so we can do the work that we are here to do.

Take care!!
Sue

National Gratitude Month

 

November is National Gratitude Month, and a perfect time to practice and model the act of being grateful.  Here are some ideas for you, your students, and your family:

1. Play the alphabet gratitude game.

2. Show appreciation to others by sending thank you notes.

3. Encourage your children to start a gratitude journal. Keeping a gratitude journal has been shown to increase our sense of happiness by forcing us to acknowledge the positive moments in our day, no matter how insignificant they may seem. Whether it is a smile from a stranger, a good grade on a test, a gift from a relative, or an awe-inspiring sunset, we begin to feel calmer and more joyful by appreciating these experiences. You can really get creative with the type of journal you make, from collages to videos to drawings and paintings.

On Friday, we are asking staff and students to wear yellow and/or red - yellow to represent being the sunshine in someone's day, and red to represent a caring heart.

In honor of National Gratitude Month, I want to thank the Houlton staff for the commitment to education. dedication to our students, and perseverance to keep your head up and maintain a positive attitude this year.  I am impressed every single day with how hard people are working to make this a great year of learning for our students and families. 

School Connectedness

 

Research shows that students who feel a genuine sense of belonging at school are more likely to do well in school, and make healthy choices beyond.  This sense of belonging is described as school connectedness.  Factors that can help strengthen school connectedness for students include adult support, belonging to a positive peer group, commitment to high academic standards, and a positive school environment. School staff members are important adults in students' lives.  The time, attention, interest, and emotional support they provide help children feel connected at school while simultaneously encouraging student achievement. 

Houlton has many things in place that support student connectedness. Our staff works tirelessly to build relationships, with both our in-person and IDL learners.  Our continued high academic expectations set the bar for our students and families, with things in place to support all students and their needs.  And PBIS sets up the schoolwide expectations to provide a safe school environment.  

Last week's 5th grade camp experience further developed staff-student and student-student relationships through team building activities, and just spending time together in a different environment.  Although this year provides some challenges, we will continue to try to find ways to bring staff, students, and families together through things such as all-school BINGO, spirit days, and intentionally building connections.  Thank you to the staff and committees that have brought their ideas forward.

At this week's staff meeting, we will look at our students, and determine which ones are strongly connected to adults, and which ones might need to be more connected.  As in the past, we have found that this has had a positive impact on students and their connectedness to Houlton.  And I think staff have found it fulfilling as well.

As always, please let me know if there other ways we can build opportunities for staff and students to work together to build a positive school environment, to ensure we have strong school connectedness. This has always been important, but more than ever this year.

Have a great week -

Sue 

We are all different

 

Kim Osterhues shared the video below as a way to recognize and celebrate who we are.  While the video is about autism, it made me think about how we are all different in many ways.  Staff and students are all different in our responses to things, reactions to people, how we do things - yet we all work together and make it work.  The video also made me think about the board meeting conversations about equity, and helping staff and students recognize and embrace the wide range of people we encounter in our day.  

The video may make you think of something entirely different - but nonetheless, I think it's worth the 5 minutes to think, celebrate, and embrace the ways we are all different.  And that's what makes us awesome!

Ted Talk: We are all different - 10 year old Cole Blakeway- YouTube Link  (https://youtu.be/sQuM5e0QGLg)

Fall Conferences

 

Parent/Teacher Conferences

As we prepare for this week’s upcoming conferences, there are some challenges unique to this year.  The most obvious is that we will not be in person, so there will be an underlying concern that technology works!  It will also be difficult to judge reactions, opinions, etc.  Parents will be feeling the same way, so take a minute to share personal observations of their child so they can rest assured that you know their child..

Secondly, we know there has been regression for many students since they left in March.  We also know that our families had to navigate a difficult situation with their kids from home.  While it’s important to honestly share where students are, recognize that our parents were the “teachers” and did their best to instruct within their varied situations.  Approach the upcoming year as a collaborative team effort, and reassure families that their child/ren are going to be OK!

In addition:

• Assume positive intentions and that parents have done/are doing the best that they can
• Show how much you care for the student by sharing something that tells the parent you know their child.
• Begin with positive information/strengths
• Learn about the student from the parent/family perspective
• Most parents want to generally know how their child is performing socially and academically; think in general terms (i.e. meeting/exceeding expectations rather than specific BAS or MAP scores)
• Remember that you don't have to answer all questions immediately - tell the parent you will get back to them
• Have an opening and closing line for each conference (i.e. So happy to connect with you and learn about your child; What can you share to help me get to know your child better?  We have about 2/5 minutes left in our conference - have we addressed all of your questions/concerns? Thank you so much for sharing about your child).
• You do not need to share MAP scores at this time as national norms have changed and the district level data is not yet available to help us really understand trends and give us context.  Instead, use this time to build positive relationships with the family.

Tech Reminders

• Cally Ahlin will be reachable at x8078 for any Google Meet issues

• Instructions for Families (Teachers/buildings can share these with families.)

• Instructions for Teachers 

• Staff Guide for Google Meet

COVID Guidelines Review

 

As we get further into the year, and are starting to experience some COVID related absences, I wanted to take the opportunity to review our guidelines for this fall.  I know there was a lot of information shared at the beginning of the year, and some staff have asked for a review:

• Masks must be worn by all students and at all times when indoors, unless there's a medical exemption (we don't have any exemptions in our building at this time).
• Staff must maintain a physical distance of no less than 6-10 feet of students whenever reasonable based upon your job responsibilities.
• Masks must be worn when with another colleague or student when together more than 15 minutes, and/or within 6 feet of each other for any amount of time.
• In order to keep our teachers/teams healthy, teams may meet or eat with each other, but must maintain a 6 foot minimum distance, and must wear a mask when not eating/drinking.
• Staff may eat in the staff lounge, with a maximum of one person per table; support staff have first priority as they don't always have spaces of their own.
• Staff are expected to self screen for COVID-19 symptoms; those with two or more symptoms should contact their supervisor and Human Resources.
• Students may take masks off outdoors if distanced more than 6 feet.  If this distance is not able to be maintained, masks must be on, even outdoors.

Thank you to everyone for working diligently to meet these guidelines.  It's making it possible for us to stay in school!  Please let me know if you have specific questions.  

For additional information, please refer to:

• Complete HSD guidelines for return: HSD Covid Updates
• COVID-19 School Based Exclusion (from Public Health, 9/16)
• When does my child need to stay home? (St. Croix County, 9/16)
• COVID-19 School Closure Metric 

MAP Testing Update - fall 2020

 

SCHEDULE

 Houlton MAP Testing Schedule - fall 2020

PRACTICE/PREPARE

Here are some resources if you would like to do a little model/practice/intro of the MAP test with your students. 

Warm up videos

• Grades K–2: 

• Grades 2+

Practice Tests

1. Start students from either location:

• Practice Test Website: practice.mapnwea.org
  – or –

• NWEA secure browser App: Click Try the Practice Test from the log-in page.

2. Complete the generic log-in:

• Username = grow

• Password = grow

3. Select the options for grade, subject, language, and test.

MAP Testing Updates - from Amanda

There are a couple of assessment updates for you to be aware of:

• The testing window has shifted to 9/28-10/16.  With this shift, there is no expectation that MAP data will be shared at conferences.

• Any accommodations to the testing environment should mirror the same process used to determine accommodations for Forward.  For example, if a student is assessed on a math test in a small group consistently, then we should consider assessing that student in a small group on MAP as well.  We should not be giving students accommodations simply because they fit a specific group (ie: they’re in intervention)  This process helps to ensure valid and reliable data.

• When you are completing your MAP schedule, be sure to schedule your building techs as well.  It is helpful when they are on-site during testing and can troubleshoot issues that may arise.

• NWEA has released new 2020 norms.  This shift will require us to look carefully at past data as the 2015 normed data is not comparable with the 2020 normed data.  There is more information about the shifts in this document and in the tables below.    

• Please reach out to Amanda with any questions.  

IDL LEARNERS - from Amanda

Here are the parent directions and additional directions for you.   You will want to send out the parent directions a day before so they have a chance to check their device.  This information is intended to be supplementary to the information already sent to you via your Media Specialist.  If you do not want to test your IDL students remotely or you have no IDL students, please disregard.

• Your IDL students will be MAP testing this fall.  If families filled out the survey and chose an on-site or opt-out option, I have communicated that to those teachers.  If you have heard nothing from me, assuming they'll be testing.

• We're giving you an option for testing - IDL students can test from home on the same schedule as the rest of your class which will allow the schedule to remain "normal" (Funny, right?) or I will create a separate testing session for your IDL students to test at a different time. (This will likely mean they'll miss out on something else)

• The process for IDLs to access the test is basically the same - you will set up the test session, as you have in years past, share that with families (session name and password) and the student will go to the website, enter the session name and password.  Proctoring directions would be given while the Meet is live (just like any other IDL day), the student logs out of the Meet and tests from home.  Teaching and Learning is setting up a hotline for IDL parents to access if things go south during testing (you will not have to problem-solve for them).

• I have not shared specifics with parents - the teacher will need to share the testing information with them.

• If I am testing students, the teacher will communicate to parents and set up an assignment in Google Classroom, with the necessary links to connect me.

• If you would like me to proctor testing for your IDL students, please complete the Google Form and I will follow up with you in the next week.

• K-1 Parent Directions

• 2-5 Parent Directions

• Teacher Step-by-Step

Please let Amanda  know how you would like her  to proceed with the IDLs in your class. She is  happy to support you in any way that will make this go smoothly for you.

Positive Culture

 

Culture is a system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs that govern how people behave within an organization. Culture is difficult to change as it’s embedded in the behavior of individuals and can best be described as the personality of your organization. Climate, on the other hand, is how employees within your organization experience that Culture - think of Climate as the mood of your organization.

A study published in the Review of Educational Research suggested school climate should be a top priority for both educators, leaders, and communities. According to a report published in Teachers College Record, research indicates that positive school climate is associated with, and can be predictive of, academic achievement, effective violence prevention, students’ healthy development, and teacher retention. The quality and character of school life as it relates to norms and values, interpersonal relations and social interactions, and organizational processes and structures establishes a tone for all teaching and learning that is done in the school.

I want to share with you that I have had several people outside of our building comment on the climate at Houlton, and how even in this extremely challenging start to the year, our staff has remained positive, hard working, and focused on doing the job. This speaks so highly of our Houlton staff, and their dedication to our Houlton students. I think it is something I have come to take for granted, and I wanted to let you know that I am extremely appreciative of everything you do, even more so this fall. I am always impressed with how people in our building just step up and do what needs to be done. I am so proud of what the Houlton staff has always done, and continues to do every day!

Be a Rainbow in Someone Else's Cloud

Houlton Staff;

The past two weeks have been challenging, and have tested our patience, flexibility, and commitment to what we do.  I know these days have been hard. 

Kristen shared this video with me, and I thought it would be a great way to start the week.  It's short (1:53) and speaks to the importance of having rainbows in our sometimes cloudy days.

As always, thank you for all that you do under normal circumstances, but especially this year.  Look for the rainbows in your day, and try to be the shining rainbow in the days of others.

Sue

Dr. Maya Angelou, from Oprah's Master Class

Grace

 

Houlton Staff;

Thank you for your hard work and dedication this past week.  It was a long week, but with the help of everyone, it was amazing.  Your ears were probably burning this weekend as I was bragging about our staff - how everyone stepped up and just did what needed to be done. The week was a mix of exhaustion, relief, excitement, problem solving, and trust in the support of each other. And, a lot of grace!  As we work together, we learn the ebb and flow of our building, and of each other.  Continue to take care of those around you, as well as yourself.  We will make this a great year!

Here are some helpful resources that were shared throughout the week to support your work:

• IT Updates and Tips
• Staff Virtual Self Care Corner (Class Link under Staff Resources and Mental Health Resources.)
• Hudson School District Mental Health Resources (Class Link under Staff Resources and Mental Health Resources.)
• Welcome Back Tech Checklist for Teachers
• HSD Tech Support for families

Please let me know how I can support you.  Here's to another great week!

Sue