Harwood Staff Blog update, May 30, 2021

 

https://youtu.be/X3mVk0BEBk8

The Landing will be quite remarkable - landing in fog, gale winds, rain, ice and a wet 

Runway.  Flight attendants - please prepare the cabin for our final approach. 

Team - 

We want to acknowledge the major oversight of not sharing the new bus schedule for 2021-2022

that also impacts our school start and end time in advance of the community at large learning of it.

We recognize that everyone is running on fumes (or maybe even less) and that this in many ways

felt like the straw that broke the camel’s back.    

The continuous work and amazing efforts you have put forward this year are seen, heard and greatly respected.  To that end, THANK YOU! Thank you all for your incredible patience, support and resilience as we make landing from a very unique and trying school year.  

Reminders/Tasks for the last two weeks of school:

* Final course scores and comments due by 5p.m. June 9th with a printed copy to Susan by 8 am on

June 10th.  Here’s the JumpRope reminders to finalize courses.

*Ensure readiness for End of Year Reflections in TA

*Plan creative/fun activities for TA on -coming soon.  

*Plan creative/fun activities for class blocks - coming soon. 

sPIRIT WEEK 2021 

(Wednesday will be a typical Remote Day) 

(please note that the graduation tent will be available all week

on the front lawn) 

Dont forget about seating charts and attendance

LINK to Calendar

Final Week of 20-21 school year schedule

Curious  

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
Have a question - need an answer?	Add it to the Q&A.	Laurie, Meg and Duane
Hiring Update	Offers out  this week: Math teacher Science teacher Social Worker Nurse   Positions Posted this week: School Counselor   This week: Math teacher sample lesson English teacher sample lesson PFE interviews  Nurse interviews    Next week: Paraprofessional interviews Student Support services interviews	Meg and Laurie

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

Have a question - need an answer?

Add it to the Q&A.

Laurie, Meg and Duane  

Hiring Update

Offers out  this week:

• Math teacher

• Science teacher

• Social Worker

• Nurse

 

Positions Posted this week:

• School Counselor

 

This week:

• Math teacher sample lesson

• English teacher sample lesson

• PFE interviews 

• Nurse interviews 

 

Next week:

• Paraprofessional interviews

• Student Support services interviews 

Meg and Laurie 

Caring 

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
Reminders from the Nurses’ office	Please continue to be vigilant as we have seen an increase in the number of positive cases in our district. What we need to be doing to maintain a safe environment for staff and students: Ensure that you have completed your screening before coming to school. We ask that you contact your school nurse for further guidance if you have been a close contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have a fever.   Stay home when sick. COVID symptoms are very similar to other illnesses, including seasonal allergies. Stay home with any symptoms and follow up with your doctor or school nurse for the next steps.  Encourage all students to maintain a 3-6 foot distance from others in their classroom. A 6-foot distance is maintained between students when eating. Make sure students are PROPERLY wearing a mask. If students are having a hard time keeping their mask above their nose and mouth, provide a reminder to pull the mask up. If the problem persists, follow up with the nurses and administration.   Increase ventilation by holding classes outside or opening classroom windows as able.  Encourage students to wash their hands.  Sign up for a vaccine if you have not already done so.	Tracy and Amanda
Teacher Advisory	Jen D: TA Activity week of June 1st:  As the month of May comes to an end and summer is around the corner, the YEWS and Wellness Center want to remind you about the importance of mental health. Even as our community starts to open back up, you may experience increased stress. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions which can also lead to coping in unhealthy ways.  Please watch and share the video (please download then play) in the link below with your TA made by the YEWS and Gary Frankel, a local mental health counselor talking about how to take care of yourself this summer. Download Video Here  Also, pick up these mental health awareness supplies for your TA from the Wellness Center anytime (including a few HU mental health awareness bracelets, a handful homemade pins and resource cards). See pic below and cool sensory tools below not included.  Here are this week’s offering of  CASEL’s 3 signature Practices Playbook: Welcoming/Inclusion Activities Engaging Strategies Optimistic Closing Welcoming/Inclusion Strategies: What’s Up for Summer?  Have students work with a partner in close proximity. Be sure to find a partner for yourself as well.  Pose the question: What are you looking forward to this summer? Provide 1 minute for everyone to think about what they want to share Set a timer to 1 minute. One partner has the full minute to share while the second partner listens without commenting or questioning. At the close of the minute partners switch roles. Debrief: How did it feel to be fully listened to without interruption? How did it feel to focus on just listening? Engaging Strategies: Forward and Backward Circles  1. Point your arms toward the ceiling.  2. Keep your elbow straight and move your right arm forward creating a large circle. Continue making forward circles with this arm. Now do the same with your other arm except go BACKWARD. Continue with both arms moving at the same time. Make sure you have this pattern working before you continue.  3. While both arms continue to move, lift your right foot off the ground and make a ninety degree angle with your knee. Hold this for a few seconds.  4. Now extend your right knee out to make your leg parallel to the ground. Hold for a few seconds.  5. Stop. Repeat with left leg Optimistic Closing: Suit Yourself (will need a pack of playing cards) 1.Randomly pass out a playing card to each participant. Each suit describes a category  of  responses:  Hearts: Something from the heart. How did you feel? What did it mean to you? Clubs: Things that grew—new ideas, new thoughts, a new point of view.  Diamonds: Gems that last forever. What are some of the gems of wisdom gathered from people or classes?  Spades: Used to dig in the garden. Generate conversation about planting new ideas or things participants dug up during the year.  2. Pose the question: “What is one big takeaway from this year for you?” 3. Give one minute of quiet time for each participant to jot down (or think about) their answer. 4.  Share out in a circle Mental Health Awareness Video and Resources Much appreciation to Jen and the YEWS for creating a video to raise awareness of mental health and to provide some great tips to support us all this summer. Please be sure to share the video during TA this week. It should be a great spark for some conversations about summer break!	Ellen Berrings

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

Reminders from the Nurses’ office

Please continue to be vigilant as we have seen an increase in the number of positive cases in our district.

What we need to be doing to maintain a safe environment for staff and students:

• Ensure that you have completed your screening before coming to school. We ask that you contact your school nurse for further guidance if you have been a close contact with someone testing positive for COVID-19, have symptoms of COVID-19, or have a fever.  

• Stay home when sick. COVID symptoms are very similar to other illnesses, including seasonal allergies. Stay home with any symptoms and follow up with your doctor or school nurse for the next steps. 

• Encourage all students to maintain a 3-6 foot distance from others in their classroom. A 6-foot distance is maintained between students when eating.

• Make sure students are PROPERLY wearing a mask. If students are having a hard time keeping their mask above their nose and mouth, provide a reminder to pull the mask up. If the problem persists, follow up with the nurses and administration.  

• Increase ventilation by holding classes outside or opening classroom windows as able. 

• Encourage students to wash their hands. 

• Sign up for a vaccine if you have not already done so.

Tracy and Amanda 

Teacher Advisory

Jen D: TA Activity week of June 1st: 

As the month of May comes to an end and summer is around the corner, the YEWS and Wellness Center want to remind you about the importance of mental health. Even as our community starts to open back up, you may experience increased stress. Fear and anxiety can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions which can also lead to coping in unhealthy ways. 

Please watch and share the video (please download then play) in the link below with your TA made by the YEWS and Gary Frankel, a local mental health counselor talking about how to take care of yourself this summer.

Download Video Here 

Also, pick up these mental health awareness supplies for your TA from the Wellness Center anytime (including a few HU mental health awareness bracelets, a handful homemade pins and resource cards). See pic below and cool sensory tools below not included. 

Here are this week’s offering of 

CASEL’s 3 signature Practices Playbook:

1. Welcoming/Inclusion Activities

2. Engaging Strategies

3. Optimistic Closing

Welcoming/Inclusion Strategies:

What’s Up for Summer? 

1. Have students work with a partner in close proximity. Be sure to find a partner for yourself as well. 

2. Pose the question: What are you looking forward to this summer?

3. Provide 1 minute for everyone to think about what they want to share

4. Set a timer to 1 minute.

5. One partner has the full minute to share while the second partner listens without commenting or questioning. At the close of the minute partners switch roles.

6. Debrief:

1. How did it feel to be fully listened to without interruption?

2. How did it feel to focus on just listening?

Engaging Strategies:

Forward and Backward Circles 

1. Point your arms toward the ceiling. 

2. Keep your elbow straight and move your right arm forward creating a large circle. Continue making forward circles with this arm. Now do the same with your other arm except go BACKWARD. Continue with both arms moving at the same time. Make sure you have this pattern working before you continue. 

3. While both arms continue to move, lift your right foot off the ground and make a ninety degree angle with your knee. Hold this for a few seconds. 

4. Now extend your right knee out to make your leg parallel to the ground. Hold for a few seconds. 

5. Stop. Repeat with left leg

Optimistic Closing:

Suit Yourself (will need a pack of playing cards)

1.Randomly pass out a playing card to each participant. Each suit describes a category  of 

responses: 

• Hearts: Something from the heart. How did you feel? What did it mean to you?

• Clubs: Things that grew—new ideas, new thoughts, a new point of view. 

• Diamonds: Gems that last forever. What are some of the gems of wisdom gathered from people or classes? 

• Spades: Used to dig in the garden. Generate conversation about planting new ideas or things participants dug up during the year. 

2. Pose the question: “What is one big takeaway from this year for you?”

3. Give one minute of quiet time for each participant to jot down (or think about) their answer.

4.  Share out in a circle

Mental Health Awareness Video and Resources

Much appreciation to Jen and the YEWS for creating a video to raise awareness of mental health and to provide some great tips to support us all this summer.

Please be sure to share the video during TA this week. It should be a great spark for some conversations about summer break!

Ellen Berrings 

Connected 

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
ELO / FLEX	Use of Adaptive Scheduler - includes teacher screen casts for how-tos and the link to the updated student demo If you are out for the day, please be sure to include block 4 (whether Flex or ELO) in your sub plans.   We need all the ELO spaces available in order to schedule all students! Please make sure ALL your students are signed up for ELO before leaving TA on Tuesday and Friday. Reminder:   Last Flex Block is this Thursday 6/3 Last ELO Block is this Friday 6/4	Lisa T
Student Support Team Update	Bernadette, John, Eric, Melody, Laurie, Meg, Duane -  One Email :huhs-student-support@huusd.org New Updates Highlights from The Week: Restorative Educational In-School Support Days (REISS): Zero Log Entries: MAY:  20 - High School; 2 - Middle School. Please reach out to Melody if you need any guidance with completing a log entry. Student Support Wellness Plans (SSWP):  There are no new SSWPs We currently have 1 high school student on Tier 2 Cell Phone Plans. If you have any questions about particular students, you have questions about plans, or haven't heard directly from us about a “plan” you’ve heard of, please reach out to the Student Support Team. The number of these tier 2 plans are being monitored and will not significantly increase. There will always be a small percentage of students needing increased supervision and structure to support safety and academic engagement and success. We are working to standardize these plans so that for that group - it’s the same approach and set of expectations. Co-Curricular Students: We are continuing to work with holding our student-athletes and co-curricular students accountable. They are missing practices and/or games for cutting, repeated tardies, unexcused absences, and behaviors.  Please feel free to write a log entry; and connect with Joh, Bernadette, or Melody if there is a student you would like to discuss. Also - feel free to also connect with Chris Langevin, as he will follow up with you.  Thank you for your ongoing support as we work to hold high expectations and support our students in meeting those.  Special note for Flex Block: We realize that you do not have full PowerSchool access for all students on your Flex rosters.  During this time only, please use the following email (huhs-student-support@huusd.org) to report any behavior concerns. Log Entries For Class Cut or Behavior: Please complete a log entry for any:  Class cuts (leaving after class has begun, without permission; or absent for an unacceptable amount of time) Behaviors Student Support will connect with students, and with staff. If appropriate, teachers should follow up with parent/caregiver Melody will be setting up a time when we return from break for any new or returning staff to review how to complete a log entry on PowerSchool Log Entries are our documentation and allows the Support team to make sure we are closing the follow up loop with students and teachers. **If you have not received follow up from a Log Entry or call to Nancy, please let a member of the Student Support team know. We are working hard to follow up on all student support needs as they arise. Attendance: Important Reminders For Staff If a student is tardy or not present in your class within the first 10 minutes (unexcused) and was noted as being present earlier in the day, please immediately call Nancy (who will connect with student support) If a student leaves your class without permission (Class cut), please immediately call Nancy If a student is out for an unusual amount of time, please immediately call Nancy Cell Phones As students are adjusting and acclimating, we may see increased use of cell phones. As a non-negotiable, the first time we address it is a reminder, the second we remove the phone for the block, and the third is removed for the day. Feel free to have a Student Support Team member hold on to the phone for the day. If you need additional support with cell phones, don’t hesitate to reach out to John or Bernadette.  Here is a Script to encourage students in advance of class starting, if they are struggling with expectations: Script: Hey “Student,” I’ve noticed that you have been struggling with the phone in the class lately. I’m wondering if you think it would be helpful for me to hold your phone for the block so it’s not an issue? I’ll give it back at the end of class. I know it’s been hard for many students so you are not alone, and want to support you, Just a reminder that if I have to address it again, I will ask Student Support to keep it for the day. I really don’t want that for you. What do you think? Do you think that would be helpful? What do you think you can manage for today?	Melody
Upcoming Dates	06/07 - 06/11 -final week of school  sPIRIT week 06/04 - All Summatives for S2/Q4 need to be complete  06/09 - JumpRope finalized for the year with a printed copy of course scores delivered to Susan by 8 am 06/10. 06/11 - Last day of school 06/11 - Staff end of school year gathering TBD  06/12 - Harwood Graduation 10 a.m.  *more details forthcoming Staff Meeting Calendar	Duane and Laurie, Meg
6/2 Staff Meeting	Objective: To ensure clarity for the entire staff regarding how we will be driving our 5 year goals. Running Agenda Zoom Information:   Meeting ID: 858 1626 1603 Passcode: 9M1Hus	Laurie, Meg and Duane
Tech Updates	To continue to meet the tech support needs at HU moving forward (and to support Justin with any increased demands for his assistance), please submit all tech-related requests through our new "ticket" system. Technicians from across the district access all requests and will be able to support as needed.  The link to the site is: https://huusd.freshdesk.com/support/home	Justin

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

ELO / FLEX

Use of Adaptive Scheduler - includes teacher screen casts for how-tos and the link to the updated student demo

If you are out for the day, please be sure to include block 4 (whether Flex or ELO) in your sub plans.  

We need all the ELO spaces available in order to schedule all students!

Please make sure ALL your students are signed up for ELO before leaving TA on Tuesday and Friday.

Reminder:  

Last Flex Block is this Thursday 6/3

Last ELO Block is this Friday 6/4

Lisa T

Student Support Team Update

Bernadette, John, Eric, Melody, Laurie, Meg, Duane - 

One Email :huhs-student-support@huusd.org

New Updates

Highlights from The Week:

Restorative Educational In-School Support Days (REISS): Zero

Log Entries: MAY: 

20 - High School; 2 - Middle School. Please reach out to Melody if you need any guidance with completing a log entry.

Student Support Wellness Plans (SSWP): 

• There are no new SSWPs

• We currently have 1 high school student on Tier 2 Cell Phone Plans.

If you have any questions about particular students, you have questions about plans, or haven't heard directly from us about a “plan” you’ve heard of, please reach out to the Student Support Team.

The number of these tier 2 plans are being monitored and will not significantly increase. There will always be a small percentage of students needing increased supervision and structure to support safety and academic engagement and success. We are working to standardize these plans so that for that group - it’s the same approach and set of expectations.

Co-Curricular Students: We are continuing to work with holding our student-athletes and co-curricular students accountable. They are missing practices and/or games for cutting, repeated tardies, unexcused absences, and behaviors. 

Please feel free to write a log entry; and connect with Joh, Bernadette, or Melody if there is a student you would like to discuss. Also - feel free to also connect with Chris Langevin, as he will follow up with you. 

Thank you for your ongoing support as we work to hold high expectations and support our students in meeting those. 

Special note for Flex Block:

We realize that you do not have full PowerSchool access for all students on your Flex rosters.  During this time only, please use the following email (huhs-student-support@huusd.org) to report any behavior concerns.

Log Entries For Class Cut or Behavior:

1. Please complete a log entry for any: 

1. Class cuts (leaving after class has begun, without permission; or absent for an unacceptable amount of time)

2. Behaviors

2. Student Support will connect with students, and with staff. If appropriate, teachers should follow up with parent/caregiver

3. Melody will be setting up a time when we return from break for any new or returning staff to review how to complete a log entry on PowerSchool

1. Log Entries are our documentation and allows the Support team to make sure we are closing the follow up loop with students and teachers.

**If you have not received follow up from a Log Entry or call to Nancy, please let a member of the Student Support team know. We are working hard to follow up on all student support needs as they arise.

Attendance: Important Reminders For Staff

1. If a student is tardy or not present in your class within the first 10 minutes (unexcused) and was noted as being present earlier in the day, please immediately call Nancy (who will connect with student support)

2. If a student leaves your class without permission (Class cut), please immediately call Nancy

3. If a student is out for an unusual amount of time, please immediately call Nancy

Cell Phones

As students are adjusting and acclimating, we may see increased use of cell phones. As a non-negotiable, the first time we address it is a reminder, the second we remove the phone for the block, and the third is removed for the day. Feel free to have a Student Support Team member hold on to the phone for the day. If you need additional support with cell phones, don’t hesitate to reach out to John or Bernadette. 

Here is a Script to encourage students in advance of class starting, if they are struggling with expectations:

Script: Hey “Student,” I’ve noticed that you have been struggling with the phone in the class lately. I’m wondering if you think it would be helpful for me to hold your phone for the block so it’s not an issue? I’ll give it back at the end of class. I know it’s been hard for many students so you are not alone, and want to support you, Just a reminder that if I have to address it again, I will ask Student Support to keep it for the day. I really don’t want that for you. What do you think? Do you think that would be helpful? What do you think you can manage for today?

Melody

Upcoming Dates 

• 06/07 - 06/11 -final week of school 

• sPIRIT week

• 06/04 - All Summatives for S2/Q4 need to be complete 

• 06/09 - JumpRope finalized for the year with a printed copy of course scores delivered to Susan by 8 am 06/10.

• 06/11 - Last day of school

• 06/11 - Staff end of school year gathering

• TBD 

• 06/12 - Harwood Graduation 10 a.m. 

*more details forthcoming

Staff Meeting Calendar

Duane and Laurie, Meg

6/2 Staff Meeting

Objective: To ensure clarity for the entire staff regarding how we will be driving our 5 year goals.

Running Agenda

Zoom Information:  

Meeting ID: 858 1626 1603

Passcode: 9M1Hus

Laurie, Meg and Duane

Tech Updates

To continue to meet the tech support needs at HU moving forward (and to support Justin with any increased demands for his assistance), please submit all tech-related requests through our new "ticket" system. Technicians from across the district access all requests and will be able to support as needed.  The link to the site is: https://huusd.freshdesk.com/support/home

Justin