Team -
Harwood Hacks I Used to Think, but Now I Think...: With my older students, we often have to continue a conversation or come back to a classroom issue because of time or complexity. I have used this sentence starter as a check-in on the topic to include everyone and honor that they may have new ideas, thoughts, or are seeing the issue in a different way from when we last met. The check-in leads into continuing the discussion. |
It’s that wonderful time of year again - SPIRIT WEEK!
Friendly reminders:
Please sign YOURSELF up for a Carnival activity to supervise.
Please pre-book and/or include a note for each of your ELOs on Wednesday 5/24 (see email from Jess)
Carnival sign ups FOR STUDENTS begin tomorrow morning (5/19) during TA! See the TA section for a NEW process!
Be sure to track the number of students dressed in costume during TA! Please update the spreadsheet daily.
Please plan to stick around at the end of the day on Friday to help with cleaning up after the carnival. Many hands make quick, light work!
Plan your outfits
Calendar:
05/19 - Middle School Musical - 7pm
05/20 - Middle School Musical - 2p.m. 05/20 - Jr. & Sr. Prom
05/22 - 05/26 - SPIRIT WEEK!! (schedule here)
05/25 - MS Spring Concert
05/31 - Team Aqua Celebration of Learning - 10:30 - 12:20
06/01 - HS Spring Concert
06/02 - Step up Day for incoming 7th and 9th - 10 - 12p.m.
06/06 - Music Department Senior Showcase - 5pm
06/06 - Harwood Middle/High School Art Show - 6pm
06/07 - Senior Field Trip
06/08 - 8th grade Spirit of Ethen Allen
06/08 - Final Assembly 1:35 p.m.
06/08 - Senior Awards Night - 6pm
06/09 - Middle School day of service
06/10 - Graduation - 10am
LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL (grades 7-11):
Monday 6/12 | Tuesday 6/13 | Wednesday 6/14 | Thursday 6/15 | |
Gold Day | Black Day | Gold Day | High School Modified Black Day 8:40 - 8:50 TA 8:55 - 10:00 Awards Assembly 10:05 - 10:50 Block 5 10:55 - 11:40 Block 6 11:45 - 12:30 Block 7 12:30 lunch to go/dismissal! | Middle School Modified Black Day 8:40 - 9:00 TA 9:00 - 10:00 Team game rotation 10:05 - 10:50 Specials C 10:55 - 12:00 Core 12:00 lunch in the MS 12:30 dismissal! |
Appreciations:
Staff Member | Appreciations |
Jeannie | For her thoughtful role on the Spanish teacher hiring committee - it is so fun to hear you speak Spanish. |
Kate Stauss | For the way in which she continues to go above and beyond in her support of NHS (with the HUGE success of the community event a few weeks ago) and another beautiful Socrates Cafe. |
Jodie | For her incredible recruitment efforts - go team! |
Molly | For keeping a million different balls in the air at all times - Spirit week, Middle School Musical, All State Musical Festivals and all of her day to day responsibilities. |
Ellen Parent | For leading the charge with the staff Spirit Week video. |
Andrea | For her leadership and help with the Middle School musical. |
Genevieve | For creating the form and the idea and Susannah for helping with the randomizer. |
Jonah, Randy, Rachael, Ellen and Chelsea | For your amazing communication to TA’s about Spirit week. |
Safe - seen, heard, respected & understood:
Topics | Information/Links |
Student Support Services
Health Office Updates
| Student Support Collective: Please see our SSC Agenda and Notes - If you have any questions or want to learn more related to the notes/agenda items, please contact our team using this Email: hu-collectivess@huusd.org.
Student Voice Collective: Please see SVC Agenda and Notes - If you have any questions or want to learn more related to the notes/agenda items, please contact Melody Frank or Ellen Berrings
See a mug in your classroom that doesn’t belong to you? Please bring it into the Health Office. We are missing quite a few! FYI - Snacks and the Health Office….please do not send students down for snacks as we are out. We do have crackers for those who need them for medical purposes. Thank you for sending students with a pass. If they have not checked in with you before they come to us, we are sending them back. |
TA update
| Appreciations! To all of the TA teachers who did their best to support two important surveys this week. Please know that we will consider the calendar next year in order to better schedule activities like these. On Wednesday, May 31st we will be exploring the DESSA data for our grade with our TA groups. There are two options to choose from based on what you think is best for your group. The links are below in case you would like to explore them ahead of time. They are also embedded in your TA slideshow. 1) Engaging with Data (requires making hard copies of the activity sheet) Spirit Week Student Sign Up! When: Begins Friday during TA How: Students will be sent a Google Form to fill out with their 1st-3rd choices of activities at 8:30 on Friday morning. The form will close at the end of the day on Friday. TA teachers should have students check their email for the form and have them fill it out. IMPORTANT note to share: If there are more students signed up for an activity than there are slots; all of the names will be sorted randomly to select the correct number of participants. If an activity requires more participants, please help to recruit students and sign them up on the spreadsheet. |
Rigorous & Robust Academic Program:
Topics | Information/Links |
Staff Meeting  | Objectives: To deeply listen and consider how we, as adults, can continue to partner with our students to foster a sense of belonging at Harwood. Where: Library When: 3:30 - 4:30 We will have the opportunity to observe a few students having a conversation in a circle in a fishbowl format. We are doing this because we've had the opportunity to hear some of what they have to say and we wanted all of you to have this opportunity as well. A fishbowl is a format that allows voices to be heard in a deeper way than usual and who may not always have air time due to the power dynamics involved. At Harwood, this process is in alignment with the priority we place on student voice through the Harkness process, the H-1 change process, and other ways that are built into the fabric of the culture and values here. In this circumstance, a fishbowl allows us as educators to witness a conversation we might not get to hear otherwise. It also frees us from responding so we can listen deeply. Afterward the students have left, we will debrief the fishbowl conversation in small groups. Please see this resource about adultism that builds on the work we've already done. Also please see this guidance for us as adult circle observers:
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Summer Session
| Based on some questions I’ve been hearing, I wanted to clarify the purpose of Harwood Summer Session (9-12). Proficiencies can be complicated and confusing, but there are two reasons that a student may attend summer session:
When students have a combination of these two reasons, we work to meet as many of their needs as possible (for example, sometimes in completing a course, LE scores also improve at the same time). Summer session is NOT mandatory - if a student does not attend summer session, we will work to meet these needs through ELOs, guided classes, or independent work in the fall. *There are some cases/subject areas where summer session is not an option due to staffing. |
Performance Indicator Feedback
| REMINDER! The Teaching and Learning Leadership Team is gathering feedback on any Performance Indicators and rubrics that you think are in need of revision. Here is the survey. It is written such that you can fill it out to give feedback on performance indicators and rubrics that you have suggested changes for. You can fill it out as many times as you want to (once per indicator that you are suggesting changes to). If you think all the performance indicators and rubrics are perfect just the way they are, no need to fill out the survey at all! |
Positive school climate and culture:
Topics | Information/Links |
Hiring Update | Hires:
Offers out:
Interviews this week:
Posted positions still:
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 | Here is an overview of the professional development sessions. More details for PreK-12 days will be provided by your building administrator in the coming weeks.
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| Harkness Course for Saint Michael's College Credit For the past seven years Harwood staff have employed the Harkness Pedagogy of student-driven inquiry in their classroom practice. This approach to instruction is transformative and is based on principles of brain research that indicate that “the one that does the work does the learning.” If you are new to teaching, to the HUUSD or if you need a “refresher” and support to integrate this practice into your classroom, this two-credit graduate class offered through Saint Michael’s College is for you. Instructors: Adam Sargent, HUHS History Teacher, Katherine Cadwell, Harkness Mentor, 2016 Rowland Fellow Dates: Mon, June 26-Thurs, June 29, 9:00 AM - 3:30 PM/Wed September 21, 3:30- 5:00 PM/ Wed Dec 7, 3:30- 5:00 PM Fees: Cost of 2 graduate credits is $280.00. Teachers outside of HUUSD pay an additional $150 course fee. Register: Complete the form linked HERE Here is a link to the full flyer. |
| Dear HUUSD Educators, When you’re about to do something hard, what is something you say to yourself? My little mantra is “you got this.” Turns out, I also say it out loud to my kids, to my students, to my friends. You.Got.This. You can handle more than you think and sometimes you need a little reminder. More than that even, sometimes you need a little optimism. Optimism is more than just looking on the bright side. Optimism has been shown to be deeply connected with health and happiness. Optimism is a protective factor, helping individuals overcome risk, adversity and change. It can help us be more resistant to stress and may even be linked to people living longer. At its essence, optimistic thinking helps individuals be more positive about themselves and those around them, it helps them believe in themselves and their abilities. It helps to instill a hopefulness despite the challenges that are bound to exist for an individual, and increases confidence. This is not to say that tough things won’t happen, that we won’t fail sometimes, or that life won’t hand us a bowl of lemons. It will, as we’ve written about before. That is where the growth and learning happens, when we make a mistake, when we come in last, or someone drinks the last glass of lemonade you were dreaming of. Optimism helps us cope; ‘I learned what not to do,” “I know what I have to do to improve,” “I can make more lemonade soon.” There are two amazing phrases that go along with this idea that I try to model; “maybe next time…” and adding “yet.” These little phrases can reframe a moment and shift toward optimism (even for this realist). Given this, you can see that it is so important to teach and foster the skills and practice of optimistic thinking as part of their social emotional learning. Here’s a couple quotes to spark a conversation or for reflection:
Below are resources for your practice:
Thanks for the important work you do! The SELTF (Shannon, Skye, Justina, Tara, Chelsea, Mandy) |
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