Hey Panda Family,
It took 20 weeks, but all our grade levels are finally back in the building! What a joy it was to finally make these small steps back towards normalcy. I will continue to thank each of you for your hard work, dedication, and love for our students. It does not go unnoticed and you should be celebrated! 💚🐼 Here are our updates for the week.
Staff Meeting: We have a staff meeting this Tuesday, January 26 @ 3:30 via Zoom. Please use the "Staff Meeting" link located on the PGE Canvas Page to access the meeting. The majority of the staff meeting will focus on Boosterthon logistics and information. Here is the agenda: Updates, Panorama Survey, Boosterthon.
Report Cards: Report Cards are due to Ms. True by the end of the day on Wednesday, January 27. We will review & sign all report cards. We will send report cards home on Friday, February 5.
Specials: Please see the email that was sent from Ms. Mason on Friday that lists all the materials that students will need to bring with them to Specials. They are also listed here - Materials for Specials
iReady Check: Please make sure your students are completing their weekly iReady time for Reading & Math. I will start sending weekly checks again beginning this week.
PAW Forms: Don't forget the protocols for using PAW Forms. If a student gets 3 checks in a week you need to have a phone conversation with the parent regarding the child's behavior. If a student accrues 6 behavior checks in a week then it becomes an office referral. You must have a conversation with the parent via phone before it becomes an office referral. We want to give our parents every opportunity to help us correct the problem.
Panda Grams: Please send home Panda Grams (or positive Dojo points) if students in your class are doing something great. Fill that bucket! 😊
Breakfast & Lunch for Students: Breakfast & Lunch is free for all students for the remainder of the year. Please let your families know.
Chromebook Depot (from district): We will no longer refer our students with broken laptops to East Forsyth Middle. They can go to the Education Building for issues.
All Tech Depots have been merged to one depot that is operating out of the Education Building. Please direct parents here who are experiencing difficulty with technology.
CARES Update (from Ms. Ceglowski): Continue to report concerns and engagement obstacles to Mrs. Ceglowski. The Panorama survey is starting on Monday. Please encourage families to complete the survey as this will help us to better engage with all students and families. Students in grades 3-5 will be taking the survey with Mrs. Epperley in the Media Center during that special starting on Monday. Staff will be getting a link to the survey by Monday. Let me know if you don't get a link. Please take the time to complete the survey ASAP as I will just be sending you follow-up emails until I see you have completed it. Your answers are anonymous, but I get to see if you have completed it yet or not.
Timothy's Technology Corner: Cool Math Resource: 99 Math is an easy to use, free, online, gamified, formative assessment tool that combines Kahoot! with math. Students can access and solve math problems that are preloaded and premade from any type of device including computers, phones, or tablets via join code. As a teacher, all you have to do is sign up for a free teacher account using your WSFCS email.
To learn more about 99 Math, click on the following link:
Useful Resource: Although there is a lot of negative criticism directed towards social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, there are several Facebook groups created just for educators. One group that I belong to is Distance Learning for Educators. If interested, educators from across the globe can join and begin collaborating with each other. Over the weekend, I stumbled across a valuable resource which offers alternative ways in which commonly asked questions can be asked in the classroom, coaching, or essentially anytime.
To see the how you can ask the same question in a different way, click on the link below:
Black History Month Materials (from district): February 1 marks the official start to Black History Month; however, the history, legacy, traditions, and many contributions of African Americans should be celebrated throughout the year. Did you know, this annual celebration grew out of “Negro History Week,” started by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926 and is designated as a time to recognize, not only the achievement of African Americans, but also, their central role in U.S. history? Each year Black History Month has a designated theme, and this year the theme is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.” As your school prepares to celebrate Black History Month, a list of a few resources has been compiled for you to checkout and share with your staff. Additional resources will be shared from the Social Studies Department.
Meeting Requirements (from Mr. Hall - was sent to all Area Principals): "We had an anonymous tip come in today about meetings. It did not list a school, but I wanted to remind you all that we are still only having virtual meetings when the number in attendance is greater than 2. Please make sure you remind your staff so no one is meeting with groups face to face. Thanks again for all that you do."
Remote Learning Week February 15 - 19 (from district): The week of February 15th will be synchronous instructional days. All students should be engaged in live instruction with their teachers. It is a regular school day, just remote learning.
Teachers have the option of teaching from their school classroom or teaching from their home classroom but just assigning work is not an option for the week. These are not asynchronous days. Other employees that provide instructional support or social and emotional support should also be included in synchronous support. They also have a choice of where they perform their instructional duties, but no one has the choice to be inactive in the learning process.
We are not closing schools during this week because there are employee groups who must work from campus and cannot perform their duties at home. If they do not work, they cannot be paid, and we are not willing to take compensation away from these employees.
ES Principals - Please ensure that your K-2 students take home devices for the week.
Staff Childcare - At the beginning of the year, teachers were allowed to bring their child/children to school if needed. The same provision is allowed for the week of February 15th.
3rd Quarter Specials: Below is the link for 3rd quarter specials. There is a separate specials schedule for February 15-19. This is a Remote Learning Week. We will use the old Remote Learning schedule. (More details to come)
Morning Announcements: Here are the links to the Morning Announcements for this week.
Monday (1/25) - https://youtu.be/A9qG9Fx-taY
Tuesday (1/26) - https://youtu.be/XLi0-fyLod8
Wednesday (1/27) - https://youtu.be/KbbUsFaRlgc
Thursday (1/28) - https://youtu.be/HPlAkKji3f4
Friday (1/29) - https://youtu.be/p5DviRM80W0
Staff Spotlight: Congratulations to Ms. Erin Harman & Ms. Carol Bolchalk on being named Teacher of the Year & Classified Employee of the Year!
From Ms. Harman - I just want to thank everyone for the honor of TOY. I think we have the best staff so this really means a lot!!
Reminders from Previous Weeks
Positive/Exposed Covid-19 Students: Some parents are only contacting the teacher when their child has tested positive and/or been exposed to Covid-19. If you have a parent reach out to you in regards to their child testing positive and/or being exposed, please make sure they also let myself or Ms. Gardner know too. They can call, email, or message us on Dojo and we will follow-up. For every exposure and positive case we have to fill out specific information for the district. Thanks so much for your help with this!
Transportation Changes: Just a friendly reminder that all notes pertaining to transportation changes, including early departures for dentist and doctor appointments, need to be brought to Ms. Landreth by 10:00 AM every morning. If she has a question about the note the parent sent in, she will have plenty of time to handle it. She will make copies for you and put them in your box.
Valentine's Day: Valentine's Day is just around the corner! In an effort to be as safe as possible this year, we are going to make a few adjustments to this holiday as it pertains to your classroom. Please follow these guidelines for Valentine's Day. Please share with your parents as well.
- Students will not pass out individual Valentine's to each other
- Parents may send in Valentine's Day candies/treats that the teacher can pass out to students, or make goodie bags
- Encourage parents to consider sending in alternatives to candy - stickers, pencils, etc.
- All candies/treats must be individually packaged
- Classes are encouraged to have Valentine's Day Reading/Math centers as a way to celebrate
- You may still have a Valentine's Day party or activities, please just make sure all students have their own individual items
- The Teacher and/or Instructional Assistant will be responsible for handing out all treats/candies
Yearbook Pictures: Please go through your phone and begin sending Ms. True some good pictures of your students for the yearbook. We certainly understand these pictures will look much different this year, but we still want to capture these memories whether they be remote or in-person. You can text her pictures at 336-403-0458.
Treats for Parties: If a parent wants to send in birthday treats they may do so but they must be individually wrapped items (i.e. packaged Rice Krispie treats, Little Debbie packaged cakes, etc.). We can't serve any items that are not individually packaged, which means no Krispy Kreme doughnuts for example. Any items we serve to students from outside the building must be individually packaged.
Lesson Plans: In an effort to not add something else to your plate, we are going to be very flexible with lesson plans for the remainder of this school year. Even as you transition to concurrent teaching (in-person & remote) your Canvas page can serve as your "plans". Ms. Gardner and I will use your Canvas page to locate your standards and "I Can" statements for each week & subject. Remember the key components of Modeled, Guided, Independent, and Assessment as you plan your week. While we may not be checking for formal lesson plans at this time, it is still important that you have your own plans in place to guide your instruction.
PBIS Videos: The PBIS team created videos for you to use with your students when they return. The videos show the following:
- Socially distanced in the hallway/restroom
- Bus arrival procedures
- Socially distanced recess
- Restroom procedures.
To get to the videos, use the following steps:
- Click on PGE's Canvas Page
- Scroll down and click on the PBIS button (bluish-purple)
- Click on the 2nd link, "Here are the videos demonstrating our socially distanced procedures"
More videos will be added soon.
Please review the following when returning to in-person learning
Arrival
School-Wide Packet Pickup: We would like to coordinate a school-wide packet pickup day each week for all grade levels to best help our parents (this way our parents that have kids in multiple grade levels can get all materials in one trip). If you are preparing tangible packets for pickup please have them out and ready by the end of business day on Thursdays. This way parents have Friday and the weekend to pick up any materials needed for the next week. This is effective immediately. Thank you for your help with this!
Working Remotely: We can only approve individuals working remotely if it is COVID related. If you are not able to come in to work you must take sick, personal, or annual leave.
- You were within 6 feet of someone who has COVID-19 for a total of 15 minutes or more
- You provided care at home to someone who is sick with COVID-19
- You had direct physical contact with the person (hugged or kissed them)
- You shared eating or drinking utensils
- They sneezed, coughed, or somehow got respiratory droplets on you
Exposure has to be reported to Human Resources for contact tracing in case you should test positive. As a school, we are only required to communicate if we have a positive test from a staff member or student. At this time, we have not had any positive tests from staff members or from students that have been in-person. Remember the 3 W's - Wear your mask, Wash your hands, and Wait 6 feet. This will help us stay safe and healthy!
PGE Health & Safety Cheat Sheet: It was asked if we would create a document that would highlight the important health and safety protocols for Plan B. We have created a two page "Health & Safety Cheat Sheet" for you to reference during Plan B for each part of the day. A hard copy of this cheat sheet will be placed in each staff member's box. Here is the link to the Google doc if you would like to have access to the electronic version https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H8p_0GlaX-5tZRfxsRD_fjBvQvf1b-Lf6KAwYig84ko/edit?usp=sharing
IF Updates
Remote Learning Report Card Comments can be found here
It is almost report card time! Here is a link to all the report card comments and their powerschool codes. This is a copy that sorts the comments by content (thanks Mrs. Tall!). Both of these documents are in the “Report card and progress report” button on Canvas. This will come in handy as you prepare your progress reports and when you are completing report cards.
Preparing for iReady Diagnostic 2: This presentation will help you talk to your students about their work. Please feel free to use it.
Testing Information: Here are the testing google slides that I have been updating almost daily. Please take a look and note all of the testing that will be going on from January 11 to February 12.
Need an extra hand? If you would like some help with clerical assistance, PLEASE let me know. I may be able to use my magic wand to help you!
Update Testing Dates: Please make sure you update your calendar for your grade level test dates.
Jan 25 - BOG3 Test and iReady reading testing 4 & 5 Cohort A
Jan 26 - BOG3 Test and iReady reading testing 4 & 5 Cohort A
Jan 28 - iReady reading testing 4 & 5 Cohort B
Jan 29 - iReady reading testing 4 & 5 Cohort B
Feb 1-5 - iReady math testing K-1 and 3-5
Feb 4 - 3:30 BOG3 test: remote learners and virtual academy
Feb 8-12 - iReady math testing 2nd grade
Feb 22-April 23 - ACCESS testing
Upcoming Dates:
January 26 - Staff Meeting @ 3:30 (Boosterthon)
January 27 - Report Cards due to Ms. True
February 2 - 11 - Boosterthon (more info to come)
February 2 - PBIS & MTAC Committees meet @ 3:30
February 5 - Report Cards go home
February 9 - PreK, Kindergarten, 1st, 4th & 5th Cohort A Dance Fit Celebration (time TBD)
February 9 - Staff Meeting @ 3:30
February 11 - 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th Cohort B Dance Fit Celebration (time TBD)
February 15 - 19 - Remote Learning Week
February 16 - SIT @ 3:30
February 23 - School Pictures Grades 2nd - 5th
February 23 - SCC & Wellness Committees meet @ 3:30
February 25 - School Pictures Grades 2nd - 5th
Here is our Boosterthon kickoff video! Enjoy!
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