Happy Sunday, ya'll! I am so grateful for all you have done to keep learning a priority for our learners and their FamiLEEs. You made it through week 1 of distance learning beautifully, and I PROMISE, week 2 is going to go even better! I'm so proud of your positive attitudes- we couldn't have had a better school theme this year!!
Welcome to sweet Hayes Massey who was born this week. He is home with Melissa, Evan, and the pups!
Thank you for sharing your trivia questions and for those that were able to participate. It was GREAT FUN! We will host another Trivia Night in a couple of weeks. This week, we are asking for people to upload a video of yourself as a Masked Singer (thanks Beth and Susie for the idea) to our Flipgrid. I will give directions later in the week for what we do next. For now, just upload your video. Don't know what Masked Singer is? Check out this trailer. Don't tell your friends it is YOU!
DID YOU KNOW:
- Leigh Ann will send out a Parent Link, today, so that parents know how they can view report cards in Home Access Center?
- we are able to hire for positions for the 2020-2021 school year? If you are planning on leaving CISD or Lee next year, please let Chantel know, this week, so that we can start scheduling interviews.
- APEX has some at-home work learners can participate in if you choose to share?
- The TELPAS Online training center http://texasassessment.gov/telpastrainingcenter will close for scheduled maintenance on July 1? At this point, we don't know how long Pearson will be down for maintenance. Pearson is advising that all educators print certificates prior to that date as an extra measure of ensuring all have their certificates for next year.
- we have new grading guidelines for the fourth nine weeks?
- Kindergarten registration will begin this week? If you have learners with siblings that will be kindergarteners next year, please have them read this information.
- we are going to share MAP reports with parents? PLEASE WAIT TO DO THIS UNTIL AFTER I HAVE PRINCIPAL'S MEETING ON TUESDAY.
- Thursday is Convocation t-shirt at home day? Tweet out a picture of you in this year's convocation shirt with #CISDTogetherAtHome
- that we will host a PTO Meeting next Tuesday Night through ZOOM? Look for the link on Twitter to attend virtually.
WEEKLY ZOOM MTGS WITH ADMIN
We will continue to meet virtually during your scheduled time. We will attempt to keep these as brief as possible, but want some time to check in face-to-face, with our groups each week. Feel free to add any content to the agendas that have been shared with you. *Specials- your time is 8:30 this week due to an ARD*
BLURB FOR LEARNERS IN NEED
If you have a learner that shares they are in distress, you must contact Chantel and Angela. In addition, we need to contact the parent. Here is a sample of what you can say: I'm reaching out to you about something your child shared with me (or posted on Schoology or on social media). They are sharing that ... (exactly what the student wrote or said).
BLURB FOR PARENTS/LEARNERS RE @SCHOOLOGY
You may have some learners that did not connect on Schoology with you last week. We need to keep in mind that there may be family issues that have created a speedbump for this. If a learner has not connected by tomorrow, I suggest you use Skype for Business on your Mac or iPad and phone home. Here is a suggested blurb to use when you call (parents are on email overload): I hope this phone call finds you doing well in this stressful time. We’re now in week 2 of Coppell ISD distance learning and I haven’t been able to connect with your child virtually through Schoology. Is there is a way that I can support distance learning for your family.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEXT WEEK
MENTOR/MENTEES
BRAINPOP and DATABASES
All BrainPOP databases should now be good to go through MackinVIA! Please let Natalie know if you come across any more issues. Some suggestions you may give learners/parents should they have any future trouble accessing databases that are working on our end:
If you have a learner that shares they are in distress, you must contact Chantel and Angela. In addition, we need to contact the parent. Here is a sample of what you can say: I'm reaching out to you about something your child shared with me (or posted on Schoology or on social media). They are sharing that ... (exactly what the student wrote or said).
BLURB FOR PARENTS/LEARNERS RE @SCHOOLOGY
You may have some learners that did not connect on Schoology with you last week. We need to keep in mind that there may be family issues that have created a speedbump for this. If a learner has not connected by tomorrow, I suggest you use Skype for Business on your Mac or iPad and phone home. Here is a suggested blurb to use when you call (parents are on email overload): I hope this phone call finds you doing well in this stressful time. We’re now in week 2 of Coppell ISD distance learning and I haven’t been able to connect with your child virtually through Schoology. Is there is a way that I can support distance learning for your family.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEXT WEEK
MENTOR/MENTEES
It is still the district expectation that mentors are meeting with mentees, weekly, and documenting on the Communication Log to be eligible to receive the Mentor stipend. All requirements that were in place prior to our school closure are still intact, they just need to be completed virtually. Now, more than ever, our mentees need guidance, support and a thought partner. The Communication Logs can be turned in digitally here.
BRAINPOP and DATABASES
All BrainPOP databases should now be good to go through MackinVIA! Please let Natalie know if you come across any more issues. Some suggestions you may give learners/parents should they have any future trouble accessing databases that are working on our end:
- Try to access it on the web (mackinVIA.com) if the app isn't working / the app if the web isn't working.
- Clear your cookies.
- Make sure you're logged in under your iStation username and password + have RJL selected as the school (not the guest log in).
FIELD TRIPS
Leadership, if you haven't already, please make sure you have made contact and cancelled your scheduled field trips so that we can process refunds. Please email Chantel and Shanna once you have done so. I already have documentation from 4th grade and Red House.
SUMMATIVES
Here is a link to this week's scheduled EOY summatives. We will assign your time this year and start with our employees who have been here longer, first. Do the best that you can to upload documentation of your goals in Strive. We know you cannot complete your final SLO. Samira and Kristina, if this is not enough time to pull things together, please just let us know. We realize this is VERY SHORT NOTICE!
ESL THIS WEEK
Embrace and lift up cultural differences- We all have culture. Let’s just get that out there. The thing is that when there are differences in culture we have the choice to ignore them, embrace them or ridicule them. Many people think that ignoring cultural differences is just fine. Actually, it’s not. Cultural blindness is “acting as if cultural differences do not matter” and thinking that everyone learns the same. Our job is to embrace differences and create opportunities to learn from one another. Recognizing that each student brings with him/her unique and valuable assets that can enrich the classroom and tapping into those resources will lift up students.
REMINDERS:
DATES TO REMEMBER:- contact those who have not been on Schoology
- make sure you assign and encourage time for iStation, DreamBox, Reflex each day
- ensure weekly schedules are uploaded and ready to go by 8:00 Monday morning
- morning greeting videos are live by 8:00 each morning
- make sure you signed up for teacher video chat consent
- make sure you reviewed video chat guidelines
- see which learners have/have not signed up to video chat (updated 10:50 AM on 4/3)
- tweet pic of self in covo shirt on Thursday
- complete school supply lists for 2020-2021 (week of March 16 Blog)
April 3- 2020-2021 Grade Level School Supply Lists Due
