Harwood Staff Blog update, May 9, 2021

Happy Teacher Appreciation week!

We appreciate:

• Curtis - for all his work ensuring our readiness for SBAC testing.
• Mel - for all her work to purchase, set up and communicate expectations re: lawn games
• To everyone who balanced SBAC and AP proctoring with all of the many other balls in the air!
• Nancy - for fielding all the emails and calls from parents around dismissal 
• Shannon - for all your scheduling magic - including interviews, sample lessons et al!
• Jen D. - for the tireless work of transition - both 7th and 9th!
• Michael Woods for all his years (I believe over 14 at Harwood) of tireless, heartfelt work with kids and staff
• Jonah, Shannon, Sally, Amanda and Nancy for their work on prom.

Today attendance was taken in all but 3 TA’s - this was our best collective attendance all year.  NOW, our challenge is to make it 100%!

Let’s continue our work to end the year strong by:

• Ensure you are in your TA room by 7:45 to ensure students are supervised.
• Please only allow one student leave at a time
• Please keep students in their assigned lunch room 
• Please ensure students have a pass when they’re in the hallway- Find a gift of paper passes in your mailbox! 
• Wait until the bell to dismiss
• Early dismissal for students should be directed from the front desk
• Take attendance in 1st 10 min.
• Call front office if ANYONE is missing

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	New Hires this week: Assistant Director of Student Support Services (MTSS  & summer school coordinator)   Offers out to: HCLC teacher   Next week: SPED coordinator interviews Social Worker interviews Initial hiring committee meeting for Innovative Teacher  Initial hiring committee for History Teacher Initial hiring committee for Math Teacher	Meg and Laurie
Guided Instruction	Please find the guided instruction proposal here.   We are eager for teacher feedback regarding students who would benefit from this Tier 2 support - please complete the google form here.
JumpRope updates 5/14	A reminder that next Friday, May 14 is the mid-point of Quarter 4 and progress reports will be emailed home.  Please make sure that JumpRope is as up-to-date as possible and that you have reviewed/updated any course comments.
9th graders SBAC	9th graders who had their math course during Semester 1 will complete their SBAC testing during block 4 on Monday and Tuesday (5/10 and 5/11).  Your Flex Block rosters have been adjusted accordingly - they’ll return on Thursday.

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

Have a question - need an answer?

Add it to the Q&A.

Laurie, Meg and Duane  

Hiring Update

New Hires this week:

Assistant Director of Student Support Services (MTSS  & summer school coordinator)

 

Offers out to:

• HCLC teacher

 

Next week:

• SPED coordinator interviews

• Social Worker interviews

• Initial hiring committee meeting for Innovative Teacher 

• Initial hiring committee for History Teacher

• Initial hiring committee for Math Teacher

Meg and Laurie 

Guided Instruction 

Please find the guided instruction proposal here.

 

We are eager for teacher feedback regarding students who would benefit from this Tier 2 support - please complete the google form here.

JumpRope updates

5/14

A reminder that next Friday, May 14 is the mid-point of Quarter 4 and progress reports will be emailed home.  Please make sure that JumpRope is as up-to-date as possible and that you have reviewed/updated any course comments.

9th graders

SBAC

9th graders who had their math course during Semester 1 will complete their SBAC testing during block 4 on Monday and Tuesday (5/10 and 5/11).  Your Flex Block rosters have been adjusted accordingly - they’ll return on Thursday.

Caring 

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
Reminders from the Nurses’ office	As the weather outside continues to improve, please keep in mind the current guidelines for gatherings:  How many people can be at a gathering or event?   Vermont has limits on social gatherings and events based on whether you are fully vaccinated or not. You are fully vaccinated 14 days after your final shot. Since children under age 16 cannot get vaccinated at this time, they are considered unvaccinated. As of May 1, the following limits apply to both social gatherings at a private residence and events at a venue. If you don’t know if someone is fully vaccinated, then assume everyone is unvaccinated and follow that guidance. Find out when the limits will change again. For indoor gatherings: There can be one unvaccinated person per 100 square feet up to 150 unvaccinated people (whichever is less), plus any number of fully vaccinated people. 100 square feet is about the area covered by a big sports utility vehicle (SUV). If only fully vaccinated people are at the gathering, no one needs to wear a mask or stay 6 feet apart. If anyone at the gathering is unvaccinated, at higher risk of severe COVID-19, or lives with someone who is at higher risk, then everyone needs to wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart. For outdoor gatherings: There can be 300 unvaccinated people, plus any number of fully vaccinated people. When you’re outdoors, masks are only required when you’re in a crowd or with multiple other households where you can’t maintain a 6-foot distance. Follow this guidance whether you are vaccinated or not. If you are a visitor traveling to Vermont and staying at a lodging establishment, short-term rental, or with friends and family, must follow these gathering restrictions. Staying with another household is considered a social gathering and you must follow the rules listed above. Check the current mask requirements. Find tips from the CDC about hosting gatherings or cook-outs and attending an event or gathering.	Tracy and Amanda
Teacher Advisory	With the move to 4 days in person, questions of the week will now be adapted to include ideas for CASEL’s 3 signature Practices Playbook: Welcoming/Inclusion Activities Engaging Strategies Optimistic Closing Welcoming/Inclusion Strategies: Picture This (facinghistory.org) Project an interesting image at the start of advisory or class. A great resource for images can be found in the New York Times weekly feature What’s Going On in This Picture? In partners, small groups or as a full group you can use the See, Think, Wonder strategy to explore the image.  What do you see? What details stand out? (At this stage, elicit observations, not interpretations.) What do you think is going on? What makes you say that? What does this make you wonder? What broader questions does this image raise for you? Another possible twist is to have students write their own caption for the picture and share out. Which is the most creative, thought provoking, funny, etc…? Engaging Strategies: Zip Zap Zop Stand in a circle. Place your hands together, fingers pointing outward. Begin by pointing your hands at a member of the circle saying zip. The person receiving the zip points their hands at a different person and says zap. This person points at a new person saying zop. Continue the pattern picking up the pace. When the group makes a mistake everyone shouts hooray and continues on. A more challenging variation: Do this as a counting activity replacing multiples of a number with the zip, zap, zop pattern. For example count by 7 to 70 and replace every multiple of seven. (seven is zip; 14 is zap; 21; zop; etc). Start slowly and work to pick up the pace.  Optimistic Closing: Compass Points (facinghistory.org) Give each student a copy of the Compass Points Document. Provide 3-5 minutes for students to complete this on their own. Move to discussion in partners, small groups or as a full class. If in smaller groups, ask the groups to summarize ideas in the 4 quadrants with the larger group. Collect the completed documents to review on your own. Follow up anonymously with the group on ideas shared or with individual students as needed.  End of Year Reflection (EOYR) We are continuing the process of engaging in the reflection with our students. Here is a link to the slideshow from our staff meeting should you need the questions. These questions are intended to support your work with your TA groups and you are encouraged to adapt your process to meet your students’ needs.  As a reminder this document (shared in our March faculty meeting) contains the full outline of the process.  A BIG thank you to Rachael Wells who shared her approach to this reflection with advisory. Check out her guiding slideshow. Rachael completed one with her responses to the prompts.  As a reminder of another way to personalize this reflection process here is the  link to the document Alex shared with me.  The dates for the conferences are May 25 and 27th. Next week: Monitor your google doc sign ups. Be prepared to call any parent/caregiver who has not signed up during the week of May 17th. Here is the sample letter to invite and schedule with parents/caregivers. Remember to include a google doc link for scheduling. (sample doc if you would like to copy). Some folks are using google calendar for sign ups. This works too!	Ellen Berrings

Topics 

Information/Links

Tasks/Point people 

Reminders from the Nurses’ office

As the weather outside continues to improve, please keep in mind the current guidelines for gatherings: 

How many people can be at a gathering or event?  

Vermont has limits on social gatherings and events based on whether you are fully vaccinated or not. You are fully vaccinated 14 days after your final shot. Since children under age 16 cannot get vaccinated at this time, they are considered unvaccinated.

As of May 1, the following limits apply to both social gatherings at a private residence and events at a venue. If you don’t know if someone is fully vaccinated, then assume everyone is unvaccinated and follow that guidance. Find out when the limits will change again.

For indoor gatherings:

There can be one unvaccinated person per 100 square feet up to 150 unvaccinated people (whichever is less), plus any number of fully vaccinated people. 100 square feet is about the area covered by a big sports utility vehicle (SUV).

• If only fully vaccinated people are at the gathering, no one needs to wear a mask or stay 6 feet apart.

• If anyone at the gathering is unvaccinated, at higher risk of severe COVID-19, or lives with someone who is at higher risk, then everyone needs to wear a mask and stay 6 feet apart.

For outdoor gatherings:

There can be 300 unvaccinated people, plus any number of fully vaccinated people.

• When you’re outdoors, masks are only required when you’re in a crowd or with multiple other households where you can’t maintain a 6-foot distance. Follow this guidance whether you are vaccinated or not.

If you are a visitor traveling to Vermont and staying at a lodging establishment, short-term rental, or with friends and family, must follow these gathering restrictions. Staying with another household is considered a social gathering and you must follow the rules listed above.

Check the current mask requirements.

Find tips from the CDC about hosting gatherings or cook-outs and attending an event or gathering.

Tracy and Amanda 

Teacher Advisory

With the move to 4 days in person, questions of the week will now be adapted to include ideas for CASEL’s 3 signature Practices Playbook:

1. Welcoming/Inclusion Activities

2. Engaging Strategies

3. Optimistic Closing

Welcoming/Inclusion Strategies:

Picture This (facinghistory.org)

Project an interesting image at the start of advisory or class. A great resource for images can be found in the New York Times weekly feature What’s Going On in This Picture?

In partners, small groups or as a full group you can use the See, Think, Wonder strategy to explore the image. 

1. What do you see? What details stand out? (At this stage, elicit observations, not interpretations.)

2. What do you think is going on? What makes you say that?

3. What does this make you wonder? What broader questions does this image raise for you?

Another possible twist is to have students write their own caption for the picture and share out. Which is the most creative, thought provoking, funny, etc…?

Engaging Strategies:

Zip Zap Zop

Stand in a circle. Place your hands together, fingers pointing outward. Begin by pointing your hands at a member of the circle saying zip. The person receiving the zip points their hands at a different person and says zap. This person points at a new person saying zop. Continue the pattern picking up the pace. When the group makes a mistake everyone shouts hooray and continues on.

A more challenging variation:

Do this as a counting activity replacing multiples of a number with the zip, zap, zop pattern. For example count by 7 to 70 and replace every multiple of seven. (seven is zip; 14 is zap; 21; zop; etc). Start slowly and work to pick up the pace. 

Optimistic Closing:

Compass Points (facinghistory.org)

Give each student a copy of the Compass Points Document. Provide 3-5 minutes for students to complete this on their own. Move to discussion in partners, small groups or as a full class. If in smaller groups, ask the groups to summarize ideas in the 4 quadrants with the larger group. Collect the completed documents to review on your own. Follow up anonymously with the group on ideas shared or with individual students as needed. 

End of Year Reflection (EOYR)

We are continuing the process of engaging in the reflection with our students. Here is a link to the slideshow from our staff meeting should you need the questions. These questions are intended to support your work with your TA groups and you are encouraged to adapt your process to meet your students’ needs. 

As a reminder this document (shared in our March faculty meeting) contains the full outline of the process. 

A BIG thank you to Rachael Wells who shared her approach to this reflection with advisory. Check out her guiding slideshow. Rachael completed one with her responses to the prompts. 

As a reminder of another way to personalize this reflection process here is the  link to the document Alex shared with me. 

The dates for the conferences are May 25 and 27th.

Next week: Monitor your google doc sign ups. Be prepared to call any parent/caregiver who has not signed up during the week of May 17th.

Here is the sample letter to invite and schedule with parents/caregivers. Remember to include a google doc link for scheduling. (sample doc if you would like to copy). Some folks are using google calendar for sign ups. This works too!

Ellen Berrings 

Connected 

Topics	Information/Links	Tasks/Point people
ELO / FLEX	FLEX - I’ll take your BRIGHT PINK scoring sheets as soon as possible but due by 5/10 Use of Adaptive Scheduler - includes teacher screen casts for how-tos and the link to the updated student demo Flex - happens during block 4 on Monday and Thursday ELO - happens during block 4 on Tuesday and Friday Mon Tues Wed Thur Fri FLEX Round 3 begins May 3 and stays the same through June 4. ELO part A 1:27 - 2:01 Signed up by the end of TA on Tues. ELOs on Wednesday are set up to match the class block. ELO 4 matches Flex Block. FLEX Round 3 begins May 3 and stays the same through June 4. ELO part A 1:27 - 2:01 Signed up by the end of TA on Fri. ELO part B 2:06 - dismissal Signed up by the end of TA on Tues. ELO part B 2:06 - dismissal Signed up by the end of TA on Fri. ELO  Please make sure ALL your students are signed up before leaving TA on Tuesday and Friday. Please don’t use Special Educators as “a spot for a student to go”; they are providing specific services during that time. Please use the session notes option to describe your focus for the day and help students make good choices. Note that each student is limited to twice a week for a  “quiet study” option.	Lisa T
Student Support Team Update	Bernadette, John, Eric, Melody, Laurie, Meg, Duane -  Check out our new listserv so you can reach the entire team at the same time!  huhs-student-support@huusd.org Highlights from The Week: We have had some great restorative work with students this past week; also some Student Wellness Plans have gone into effect and are resulting in positive changes and increased class time! New Updates:  Log Entries: 20 total for all reason in the month of April (High School); 1 for Middle School Attendance: Chris L. has sent out a number of emails to students (30 from this week’s TA); 10 students with cuts or significant tardy patents who will be missing practices; and we will continue to hold them accountable and out of games if necessary. 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.  Log Entries:  Please reach out to Melody if you need any guidance with completing a log entry.  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	05/22 - Sr. Prom 05/25 & 5/27 - Parent/TA conferences  06/07 - 06/11 - 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 06/12 - Harwood Graduation 10 a.m.  *more details forthcoming Staff Meeting Calendar	Duane and Laurie, Meg
5/12 Staff	Objective:  Department time needed to end this year strong and begin next year well.   *Stand by for link from your Dep’t head.	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

FLEX - I’ll take your BRIGHT PINK scoring sheets as soon as possible but due by 5/10

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

Flex - happens during block 4 on Monday and Thursday

ELO - happens during block 4 on Tuesday and Friday

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thur	Fri
FLEX Round 3 begins May 3 and stays the same through June 4.	ELO part A 1:27 - 2:01 Signed up by the end of TA on Tues.	ELOs on Wednesday are set up to match the class block. ELO 4 matches Flex Block.	FLEX Round 3 begins May 3 and stays the same through June 4.	ELO part A 1:27 - 2:01 Signed up by the end of TA on Fri.
	ELO part B 2:06 - dismissal Signed up by the end of TA on Tues.			ELO part B 2:06 - dismissal Signed up by the end of TA on Fri.

ELO 

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

• Please don’t use Special Educators as “a spot for a student to go”; they are providing specific services during that time.

• Please use the session notes option to describe your focus for the day and help students make good choices.

• Note that each student is limited to twice a week for a  “quiet study” option.

Mon

Tues

Wed

Thur

Fri

FLEX

Round 3 begins May 3 and stays the same through June 4.

ELO part A

1:27 - 2:01

Signed up by the end of TA on Tues.

ELOs on Wednesday are set up to match the class block.

ELO 4 matches Flex Block.

FLEX

Round 3 begins May 3 and stays the same through June 4.

ELO part A

1:27 - 2:01

Signed up by the end of TA on Fri.

ELO part B

2:06 - dismissal

Signed up by the end of TA on Tues.

ELO part B

2:06 - dismissal

Signed up by the end of TA on Fri.

Lisa T

Student Support Team Update

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

Check out our new listserv so you can reach the entire team at the same time!  huhs-student-support@huusd.org

Highlights from The Week: We have had some great restorative work with students this past week; also some Student Wellness Plans have gone into effect and are resulting in positive changes and increased class time!

New Updates: 

Log Entries: 20 total for all reason in the month of April (High School); 1 for Middle School

Attendance: Chris L. has sent out a number of emails to students (30 from this week’s TA); 10 students with cuts or significant tardy patents who will be missing practices; and we will continue to hold them accountable and out of games if necessary.

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. 

Log Entries: 

Please reach out to Melody if you need any guidance with completing a log entry. 

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 

• 05/22 - Sr. Prom

• 05/25 & 5/27 - Parent/TA conferences 

• 06/07 - 06/11 - 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

• 06/12 - Harwood Graduation 10 a.m. 

*more details forthcoming

Staff Meeting Calendar

Duane and Laurie, Meg

5/12 Staff 

Objective: 

1. Department time needed to end this year strong and begin next year well.

 

*Stand by for link from your Dep’t head. 

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