Just a friendly reminder that the Office should be the only place calling to send a student home. I love that you have regular communication with families through Remind, phone calls, emails, etc. That's great! Please remember that the Main Office should be the only spot calling home to send a student home (illness, rough day, accident, etc).
COVID - Contact Tracing:
Don't forget, we are still close contact tracing, in the event a student is positive and has been at school. Please have a clear way to track the partnerships that the positive student had with others (6 ft or less for over 15 minutes - masks do not matter). There have been a few situations where we've had to do this - and kudos to those teachers who were super organized! It helps a lot!
In case you are wondering, when we identify a close contact, we notify the family. The family is asked to monitor symptoms and get tested. However, it is a family decision if the student attends school or not.
Building Crisis and Emergency Response Team (formerly Crisis Team): Our BCERT Team met last week to discuss our crisis plan. We had two things come up to communicate to you:
Cell phones - it is highly recommend that you carry your cell phone on you. In the event of an crisis or emergency, this may be your only form of communication. Please have phone numbers programmed in.
Class Lists - make sure you have access to your class lists at all times. The team identified that we may run into a crisis where you evacuate the building (or internally hide somewhere). It is imperative that you have access to the class lists to check who is missing from your group.
Celebrate the Positives!
I know that our days get busy - I get it. Don't forget to take time to celebrate the positives - with students, as well as each other! We have Positive Office Referrals, McKinleyStrong slips, Good News Call of the Day, etc. Or, just telling a student how much you appreciate them! The positive energy goes a long way in building relationships and managing your space.
Also, don't forget about your Happy File Notebook. Let's get notes, emails, and other appreciations to each other!
Happy Friday, McKinley and Owatonna Online! A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone for making this first full week of school a success. I know there were times this week you were exhausted and overwhelmed. As you know, we have some students who are needing additional time and support to be ready to learn here at school. It can get overwhelming to reteach the expectations (often many, many times). Your care and compassion to our learners is greatly appreciated. Thank you everyone!
Fountas and Pinnell BAS: Please have your BAS information entered by Monday!
Nurse: A huge welcome to Jolene Ward, our new School Nurse! Jolene comes with a great background in the medical world. She's compassionate and focused on serving our students! Welcome, Jolene!
Learning Pit: As you know, we are continuing to learn more moving students from dependent learners to independent learners. One thing that is referenced in this work is the idea of a "learning pit". The basic idea of the learning pit is that students need the tools and support when they are challenged (and are in the pit). Instead of "pulling them out", we support them in working through the process of "getting out of the pit" or learning from a challenging task. Below is a 2 minute video - a great introduction to this. Please spend the 2 minutes watching this....
Manager of your Space - (Guest Blogger, Danielle Nystrom): Have you ever had a moment where things in your classroom have been chaotic and you weren’t sure what to do? Same here! We all know the intricacies of classroom management. Not to mention how challenging it can be when a student displays a behavior that doesn’t fit the classroom expectations. How do you respond? How do you let the student know that they are seen and heard without bringing too much attention to the display? How do you let the rest of the class know that you have this and that they are safe? As they say, the struggle is real!! While things are chaotic and disruptive at times, it's important to remember that you can keep the space calm and positive despite the disruptions that will inevitably occur.
Remember! Your presence has an impact. Your facial expressions, your body language, your voice tone. Everything you do impacts the environment and communicates something to those around you. Stay calm. Acknowledge that you hear the sound or see the movement, remind them that they are safe, and thank those who are doing their job. If the display continues, remind the class that they are safe and that sometimes we need different things to help regulate our bodies and emotions. Normalize it as much as you can. Everyone (kids and adults included) experiences big emotions and it's important to work through that. It looks and sounds different for everyone… and it is ok.
A great example of this comes from the first week of school. A student in one of the grade levels that I work in was seeking attention any way that she could get it. This included blurting out frequently and jumping off her desk and around the room like a frog. The teacher reached out for support, and we talked through the different scenarios and ways to approach it in a positive way, knowing she would have another opportunity (or several) to redirect the behavior. When the class came back, the student picked up right where she left off. The behavior was acknowledged, the positive behaviors were reinforced, and the class moved forward. While this doesn’t always end the behavior, the teacher reinforced the idea that she is managing the space and that the class is ok and safe, even when there are unexpected sounds and movements happening.
In the heat of the moment, we can easily be overcome with the emotions of the moment and unsure of where to go or what to say. Here is a reminder image that may help in those moments! It takes practice! Just like everything that we teach! Please reach out with any questions or if you are looking for support!
Speech/Language Referral Process: Have you wondered what to do when there are speech-language concerns with a student? Please use the Speech-Language Referral Form located on the McKinley Virtual Office page to get the referral process started. The Google Form is quick and easy and includes the following:
Student Name
Your Name/Classroom
Check box for areas of concern
Describe concern/provide example(s)
Parent contact information
The referral process is a way to keep consistency across classrooms and grade levels. It provides documentation of the referral, and is a simple way for Mrs. Wood to track incoming student referrals. The process is listed below:
Data and Responding Fall Subouts - Coming Soon! We have our "data and responding subouts" coming at the end of September. This is a time for classroom, special education, EL, and intervention teachers to get together and look at student data - and create a plan to respond. We will be providing an agenda next week. Below are two documents regarding our time together: Data and Responding Fall Subout Schedule
We've had another great week of routines, relationships, and learning! Thank you for your passion and love for our learners!
We Have This Opportunity:
We create our "weather". We create this environment and the exerience our students have, each and every day. Below is a very powerful video - 3min, 50 seconds. Well worth your time.
It grounds me in my words, body language, and behaviors toward others - am I creating barriers or eliminating those barriers? Am I creating a positive experience, or a negative one.
Take some time, please....
COVID Protocols -
As you know, COVID has mutated and is still impacting our lives. We still have active cases going in ISD 761 - including classrooms that have had to move to masks only due to the spread. Because of this, I'm asking again that you -
Seating Chart - have a consistent seating chart (including one that is replicated in specialists) for contact tracing purposes. Please have this out on your desk (in the event I need to come in).
Partners - if students work with partners, you are able to identify those partners. It would be best to keep them with people near them if we go over 15 minutes.
No Field Trips (this will be re-assessed after October 1). If you are thinking of scheduling something after October 1, please see me first.
In the event a COVID positive case appears, I would ask you to share your seating chart and any other information so I can contact trace. We do not require students to go home (unless they are positive) - we notify the family of the potential close contact. The family makes the decision if the child will stay home (we send work home, we do not live stream instruction) or they remain in school.
Please remember this is all HIPA and data privacy. We should not be discussing COVID cases or any other information with those who are not directly impacted. There's a line between a discussion of educational impact and gossiping.
Subbing:
We are already feeling a sub shortage, district-wide. Because of this, I wanted to clarify the sub and absence process at McKinley. This will hopefully help clarify the request(s) for coverage in rooms, as well as who will be pulled for subbing purposes in an emergency. Please take some time to read the linked document: Sub Process - McKinley
Infinitec Training - Due October 29!
Just another reminder that your Infinitc modules are ready to be completed! he required. Please click on this link Infinitec Instructions (2021) and follow the instructions. You will need to use your isd761.org Google account to access the modules. The training modules you need to complete are the following:
a. Harassment Prevention (previously anti-harassment training)
b.Bullying Basics
c.Mandated Reporting
d.Student Confidentiality
Once you have viewed each video, you must take the quiz and receive a score of 80% or higher, otherwise you will need to re-watch the video until you achieve 80%. DO NOT print out the certificate. We will pull reports from the system and provide the results to the appropriate administrators and committees. The training needs to be completed by October 29, 2021.If you have any issues, please contact your building Technology Integration Specialist, thank you!
Request for Supports:
Don't forget about the requests for student supports, if a student needs them. Below is more information:
Child Collaboration Team (CCT) - this team meets weekly to help brainstorm and plan with staff about students' needs. If you have a student you are concerned about (academic, behavior, social emotional) and need additional support, please fill out the CCT request. Katie Demmer and Sami Nelson will reach out to you to schedule the meeting (Friday mornings).
SEL Request- this is a request for Student Support Specialist, check/in, or a support group with Annette. This is for students that would benefit from any of these supports during the day. If you need this, please fill out the SEL Request form.
Traveling Parking Spot:
Please remember the "traveling parking spots" are for teachers who need to travel during the day. The goal of these spots is for someone who is teaching at one site and leaves mid-day to go to our site (or vice versa). If you come at normal time (or leave for lunch), please use a regular spot. This is for those who have schedules that are tight and need to arrive and leave quickly.
