The Baltz Brief
Summer Communication - #1
The Baltz Bear Brief
September 28, 2026
🐻Ready. Set. Level Up for Week 5🐻
Calendar Highlights - September/October
Staff are Expected to Review the Shared Baltz Outlook Calendar for a Listing of all Meetings/Happenings
- September 28 - Dr. Grundy Visits Baltz in the AM
- September 29 - Level Up T-shirts will be disseminated (see schedule below)
- September 30 - Level Up Attendance Spirit Day
- DTGSS/DPAS Goal Setting Conferences (Evaluators will send schedule); DTGSS Fall Conferences held (see Outlook for 15-minute individual sessions during planning).
- October 1 - Horace Mann Sponsors Lunch for Staff; Have 3 days of Emergency Sub Plans Ready (See Staff Handbook - link below)
- October 5 - SAEBRS SEL Screener Window opens; Author Visit, Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Student-led morning announcements begin this week (please sign up your students) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ODAY-SCJQFnz4Heu8PB5AyHzLCVKp7V7wVk8SRWFkw0/edit?usp=sharing
- October 8 - Faculty Meeting - Building Agenda
- October 16 - No School for Students - In Service Day
- October 19 - Picture Day
*Full Calendar shared via Outlook
Celebrations
A big thank you to everyone for all that went into making Open House a success. After a full school day, you welcomed families into your classrooms and spaces with warmth and gave them a chance to see the learning, routines, and community their children experience each day.
It was wonderful to see families engaged, asking questions, connecting with staff, and simply enjoying being in the building with their children. We know it was a long day, and we truly appreciate the time, preparation, and energy you gave to making families feel welcome at Baltz.
Thank you for continuing to build those connections, one student and one family at a time.
Absence Request - Procedures Review
ABSENCE
If you are going to be absent or late unexpectedly, please email/text the Principal and the Assistant Principal to let them know for planning/coverage purposes. All absences should also be entered in AESOP (Frontline) and DSC in a timely manner so that a substitute can be secured for the absence.
¼ AM - Come in at 10:45
½ Day - Come in at 12:30 or leave at 12:30
¼ PM - Leave at 2:15
1. Administration will review absences on a periodic basis.
2. Individuals will be counseled for unusual absenteeism patterns, or high absenteeism, on an as needed basis.
3. Written medical excuses will be required when in our opinion, it is deemed necessary.
4. Abuse of accrued sick leave can result in disciplinary action, which may include termination.
AI High School Job Shadow Experience - Looking for 7-9 Host Classrooms
From 10-11:00 AM - Please email Jackie and Aaron if you are interested in hosting, thank you in advance!
Level 2 students in A.I. High School’s K-12 Academy are exploring careers in education, myths about teaching, and why teachers either stay in education or sometimes decide to leave.
They would like our visit on 10/28 for a "Job Shadow" type of observation that may include classroom and Unified Arts teachers, paraprofessionals, Reading Specialists, Special Education teachers, nutrition workers, custodians, administrative assistants, and any therapists that may be available at the time (speech, physical, occupational). Students will have an observation sheet and they may want to ask a few questions of the person they are shadowing, while trying not to disrupt the flow of their work day.
The visit would be between an hour and an hour and a half in the morning.
Author Visit - Hispanic Heritage
🎉 THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has signed up so far for our Hispanic Heritage Night! 🎉
We truly appreciate all of our volunteers! ❤️ We would still LOVE to have more of you join us!
👉 Sign up here: https://form.jotform.com/262575775752067
And don’t forget… 👀
These volunteer hours can be used as BUY BACK to have Wednesday, November 25th OFF! 🎉
So come help us celebrate, have some fun, and earn those buy-back hours! ❤️💙
Interim Progress Schedule (for 4th/5th) and Mark Reporting (K-5)
Level Up Attendance Spirit Day
Grade Levels Come to the Cafeteria on Tuesday, September 29 for T-shirt pick up. See Schedule Below.
2nd grade: 9:30 am - 9:45 am
3rd grade: 9:45 am - 10:00 am
Kindergarten: 10:00am - 10:15am
4th grade: 10:15 am - 10:30 am
5th grade: 2:00 pm - 2:15 pm
1st grade: 2:15 pm - 2:30 pm
MTSS Cycle Review & MTSS Implementation Guide - RCCSD
Thank you to Ms. Bolling for leading Math Cycle Review. Grades 2 through 5 are required to provide Math MTSS for students who have a need. Math MTSS for Grades 2 through 5 will be held on Thursdays and Fridays. Ms. Bolling will have groups entered in DSC by the end of this week. See the note below for first grade Math MTSS.
Parent Square
Teachers, please share out the flyers from the Family Bulletin again through Parent Square. Include:
- Attendance Spirit Day
- Author Visit
- Title 1 Meeting
- Trunk or Treat
- Data Form QR Code Flyer
- Unity Day flyer
Thank you!
Professional Learning Workshops
Our Professional Learning Workshops (PLWs) are an important part of our Continuous Improvement Plan and our commitment to ensuring that every student receives a great lesson every day. PLWs provide dedicated time for teachers to strengthen instructional practice and apply that learning directly to classroom instruction. Here is the link for the schedule shared at the beginning of the year: 2026-2027 PLW/PLC
This week, our focus will be lesson internalization, continuing the work from our recent professional development day with the Arts & Letters coaches. Ms. Turner will facilitate these sessions as teams dig into upcoming lessons, consider the intended learning and rigor, and think through how students will engage with the content.
Another shout-out to our BLT, who unpacked this work over the summer and helped shape our beginning-of-year CIP plan. Below are a few snapshots from the BOY presentation as a reminder of where we started. At our most recent BLT meeting, the team further reviewed the district and school level data and its connection to our schoolwide priorities. We appreciate our team leaders for continuing to help lead this work with their teams.
PLW Schedule & Coverage: We are using our designated morning SEL time to support this structure while continuing to provide meaningful social-emotional learning for students. We’re grateful to Ms. Urick, our school counselor, Ms. Londono, our school social worker, Ms. Turner, our instructional coach, and Mr. Manny, our Community Support Advisor, who will facilitate SEL sessions with classes during this designated time. This allows teachers to participate in PLWs during their regularly scheduled planning time. Kindergarten will follow a slightly different structure due to its unique schedule.
At the link below, you can find the PLW coverage schedule through October. We will also include each day’s schedule in the morning email as a reminder. We’ll gather feedback on how the structure is working during this first round before setting the schedule for the remainder of the year.
This work connects directly to our Continuous Improvement Plan: strengthening Tier 1 instruction, supporting the whole child, and keeping students at the center of our work.
Spelling Bee Information (4th/5th)
Admin will reach out to 4th/5th team leads.
Ms. Turner's Coach's Corner
Contributed by Ms. Turner
Hello!
I hope everyone had a great weekend! The instructional tip is below for this week 🙂
Happy New Week Baltz Bears!
Turn & Talks
The instructional tip (and resources!) of the week is all about Turn & Talks! Not only are they a great way to increase student engagement and participation, but it is a perfect total participation technique AND it gets our students talking, collaborating, and engaging! Below are some different ways to change up your turn and talks to make them a little more exciting. I have also included links to partner pairing cards, group pairing cards (groups of 2,3, or 4), turn and talk posters, sentence starters, turn and talk visuals and tangibles to hold!
Stop by Room 002 if you would like any of the resources that are linked - I have printed copies that are ready to use in your classrooms!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zc5cr_PXqSIS3F9k0PLIIl90dlHJC4hYuq24OI3TzLY/edit?usp=sharing
Please reach out if you have any questions or need anything! Have a great week!
Running a Second Week
Attendance - Follow-Up & Unit Count Updates
- We're in the last 10 days of the Unit Count which began on Wednesday, September 16. Please collect work for every student, with their name and date, for every day from 9/16 to 9/30. Also be sure to have work from before 9/16 for low shows. Maintain all work samples for any student with 5 or more absences to date.
- Please follow up with absent students from last week.
- Review your roster for any students who have not yet reported to school this school year.
- Make every effort to contact the family to confirm student is okay and determine their enrollment status.
- Document all contact attempts in DSC.
- Notify BaltzOfficeStaff of any student who has not yet reported to school, including whether you have been able to reach the family.
- For Unit Count, in addition to entering attendance in IC, please fill out the paper form for Ms. Green.
Progress Book
Progress Book Training
Contributed by Stephanie Fleetwood
New Date!
Progress Book Training for K-3 Teachers: September 28th from 4:30-5:30
Google Meet joining info -https://meet.google.com/uqf-sezy-vhp
Register on DSC 136862
This training is a follow-up for new educators or any teacher who may have switched grades and needs more support with Progress Book. We will review how to enter grades and learn about some of the reports that are available in Progress Book.
Case Load Equity Plan & Substitute Coverage Plans
The plans below were reviewed by BLT. We welcome all staff to email input to Jackie and Aaron.
Case Load Equity Plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1jjuVbhB8WX2elwpKOGehcKvprgkhavcVTtnA-QV2Gkc/edit?usp=sharin, includes Give Back Time 504/IEP Meeting Give Back Time 26/27
Coverage Plan When No Substitutes Baltz Coverage Plan When No Substitutes Available
DTGSS/DPAS
Fall goal-setting conferences will be scheduled for the week of September 28. Individual emails will be shared with teachers/staff by the designated evaluator.
Walkthroughs
Walkthroughs will begin this week. We will use the updated district tool through DSC shared last week (Here is a link to the tool: 26 - 27 Walkthrough Tool). We will also use our Learning Framework to check in on the student experience and how students are experiencing learning across our school.
