Team, 

Something personal: 

Something Professional 

Staff Meeting CIA Reflection: 

Please review what people thought regarding our CIA/Staff Meetings. Thank you for sharing your voice. This is a huge help for me as we plan for next year. A summary: 

• 25 people took the survey. 
• Only 2 people like staff meetings that are sit and get. 
• A majority prefer staff meetings that include break out sessions or time with their teams to plan and work around a goal.
• All but one person felt good about the idea of vertical teams working together around a common goal. 
• Some of the favorite staff meeting topics are also shown below. 

In the last few years, what is the one staff meeting that you found most meaningful? Why?

The ones where we are given choice to pick which topic is most meaningful/beneficial to us personally. I also like time being able to collaborate with team & other colleagues.

The choose your own adventure sessions are my favorite. There are always great choices and it gives us a chance to learn from our colleagues. It's a great use of time.

The times when I would work on my own and focus on my area/level but have a common goal with the rest of the teachers.

I liked the one where we put stickers by kids to see who we knew and connected with, as well as saw those kids who do not have too many connections. It made me conscious of getting outside my room more and knowing our school as a whole. I would like more staff meetings devoted to learning more about our school's whole population.

Topics related to diversity and reading

It was really great to collaborate as a team to create a lesson plan at our last CIA meeting. As a specialist, I don't always to get to sit with teachers from different grade levels and co-plan. It was a great experience and I would love to have scheduled times to do more of that!

I liked the activity where we went around and put a sticker next to students that we work with or have a connection to.

Inquiry focus

Our work around executive functioning and SEL-we had one meeting that was a choose your own adventure, one that was like a science fair where we wandered and one that let us work on an executive functioning lesson as a team. All three were about the same thing. I felt like I made a lot of progress with my teaching that year due to the constant focus.

last year - 5-10 teachers shared a strategy for a topic

When other members of our teaching staff are sharing their knowledge and tips/strategies that can be applied to our own classrooms.

Choose your own adventure

I enjoyed the inquiry book study this school year. I have also liked when we can pick which presntation that we go to. I find those helpful because they tend to have specific info that can be used in our classrooms with students.

Working together around specific goals or adding a fun element.

community circles-good time to connect and discuss things occurring in Hilton

Planning inquiry activities with our grade level.

Time spent either with our team to discuss a specific issue, or working vertically to solve a problem or come up with ideas. They feel helpful/useful.

I loved the inquiry activity and SIT work. It is always so relevant.

Pledge--student/staff rights: 

Did you know: 

Students and staff are allowed, by law, to not participate in the pledge. Because we allow hats in our school, this would include not having to remove their hat if that is what they wish to do.

Because we are an elementary school we do not see this occur a lot, however, our job is to provide a time for the pledge each morning. If a student does not want to stand, that is their right under the law. 

Why am I sharing this? We have some students that are choosing to not participate in the pledge at this time. Although we don't see this often at our level, it is important to be aware of what the law says. 

A Message from Tech: 

Effective immediately, stickers should no longer be placed on any district laptop or Chromebook, staff and students included. Though this hasn't been common practice, this is included in the HCSD 1:1 user agreement, stated as "Students will keep their device clean and free from stickers or other items..." 

At this time, the number of both staff and student devices being sent out for repair has been steadily increasing. When a device is sent for repair, all stickers must be removed prior. In addition, when a student or staff member leaves the district and a device needs to be repurposed, it is difficult to remove all stickers and residue in order to be able to reassign the device in a like new condition. 

This is a change in practice that we recognize will take some time. As new devices are handed out to students and staff, a reminder will be included in both communications and at hand out. We appreciate your support in this messaging. 

A Second Message from Tech: 

K-2 Chromebooks Transition to Classroom Sets

 

After recent discussions with elementary building principals and the Office of Instruction, the decision has been made to keep K-2 Chromebooks in the classroom for in school use, effective June 2023. This means all Chromebooks assigned to K-2 students will remain in classroom charging stations. This was the plan for devices for K-2 prior to COVID, with the need to pivot to 1:1 during remote and hybrid instruction. 

 

During the summer, Technology Department staff will work to reset to this model by permanently wiring charger cords into charging stations and cleaning the devices, including removal of stickers. The classroom set will be assigned to the classroom teacher, and the classroom teacher should designate a device to each student to utilize as needed for the duration of the school year. Any accidental damage to a Chromebook in a K-2 classroom will be handled internally.

 

Please begin to ask students to bring in their chargers if they aren't already in the classroom. All chargers will need to be collected by the classroom teacher by June 20th. If all chargers are in the classroom, the Technology Department would be happy to get a start on wiring the charging stations this spring. If your classroom has all chargers prior to June 20th, please feel free to submit a ticket to incidentIQ to let them know your charging station is ready to be wired. 

 

Please note this means no devices should go home with this school year's K-2 students for this summer. This year's second grade students will be given new Chromebooks in the fall, when they return as 3^rd graders. The Technology Department will be working with the Office of Instruction to assure that any K-2 summer school Chromebook needs are met.