Hello All,
I hope you are well, had a lovely weekend, and all is good. Thank you for your work, time, and communication with students during last week's retake days. We are collecting the data from semester one to see how often a student was called to a Solon block, missed Solon Block, their grades, and whether retake days had an impact. We can review the information in our grade-level ESTs.
As we start semester two, please continue to communicate with caregivers, sign students up for a callback, and communicate with students to check the adaptive scheduler in TA.
Thank you for a positive first semester, and I am looking forward to our continued time together and the events that bring us together; Soup for the Soul, Pizza for the People, The Tweth Night Play, athletic events, daily connections, Prom, Sustainable Fashion Show, the Consent Senior Assembly, Race Against Racism, April 8th Eclipse (meh) and I am sure much more. Thank you for your communication and mentorship of students.
Have a great new week, and see you all Thursday:)
Sincerely,
Jason
"Believe in yourself, learn, and never stop wanting to build a better world."
-Mary McLeod Bethune
Novelist and writer Marguerite Yourcenar on helping others become who they are and not who we want them to be:
"Our great mistake is to try to exact from each person virtues which he does not possess, and to neglect the cultivation of those which he has."
Source: Memoirs of Hadrian
Edutopia Articles of the Week
PD Opportunity VT Holocaust Education Week April 1-5, 2024
Important Happenings this week:
Monday 1/29/24
Emily and Jason G are out until Thursday
Early Release Day. MHS Dismisses at 1:00 PM
No TA or Solon Block
7:30 MHS Office Hours
2 New students to MHS Start. J. Reeves and E. Sanders.
1:00-3:00 Equity Learning in the Library with Gio and Laura
IA's attend MHS Equity learning in the library from 1:00-3:00
3:00 Faculty Meeting AGENDA
3:00-3:15 MREA Union Meeting
3:15-4:15 Grading Time
Tuesday 1/30/24
Emily and Jason G are out
7:30-8:05 Grading Time for teachers
Bake Sale
1:00 Long TA during Solon Block- Belonging Circles
Wednesday 1/31/24
Emily and Jason are out
7:30-8:05 Staff Please use this time to grade
1:00 Normal Solon Block
Thursday 2/1//24
7:30- 8:05 9th Grade EST Meeting. If not in 9th grade team, planning time.
Normal Solon Block
Winooski Jazz Festival Field Trip. Ally T & Sadie J
Friday 2/2/24
7:30- 8:05 Planning Time
Matt M is out
Grades are due
Normal Solon Block
Winooski Valley Jazz Festival Field Trip Ally T & Sadie J
Reminders:
- If you have a student attending your SB who was not signed up with you, PLEASE assign them to your SB immediately so that the attendance can be accurate.
And, if you have a TA student called back to a different teacher, please advise that student where to go. The BIPOC space in room 221 is requesting clothing donations for a screen printing project with clothing to raise funds for the space. We are asking for: T-shirts, long sleeve shirts, Hoodies.
Reminder Updates from Becca G:
There is now:
A link to the full 504 or the Present Levels of Performance + Accommodation in the pop-up box
A list of the top 5 most frequently used accommodations for each student under the link*
*NOTE: You are expected to read the FULL IEP or 504 for any student you teach and you are expected to provide ALL accommodations. We’re giving you the top 5 (-ish) so that you can see those that are used daily or almost daily at a glance - please know the rest too!
This document will show you how to access the accommodations in PowerSchool.
And From Becca:
Here is a summary of the tips and feedback I got from you all during morning meetings. (If I missed something please let me know!) Below are tips from you all as well as a list of where things stand.
Tip #1: Make the most common accommodations universal. (extended time, breaks, clear & concise directions, break down assignments, etc. can be provided to ALL students)
OR
Say "If you are someone who gets x accommodation let me know or write it on the top of your paper"
Tip #2: For critical accommodations (ie. medical) mark with a sticky note or symbol on a paper attendance sheet that you keep at hand
Tip #3: To stay up on less common accommodations, review plans once a quarter (or more if needed)
Some things we've already accomplished thanks to your feedback:
Schedule 504 meetings without all the polls
- Look at student schedules (which students should NOT switch teachers? Which need to be separated from each other? etc...)
- List the case manager for each student - now in PowerSchool!
- Reminder to share IEPs/504s with teachers at the beginning of the semester (now in Pandora w/Accommodations in PowerSchool)
