Lead Learners, 

Something Personal: 

In Tibet, the monks use the word 'mitakpa' when they meditate, which translates to 'impermanence' in English. While this may seem ominous at first, it simply means that everything in life is here for a moment in time. This reminds us to enjoy each moment and accept, in all its beauty, the life cycle of life...and that cycle of a school year!

Life is in constant movement and everything is impermanent. Hard times don't last, good times come and go, people come and go, and our children and students grow up and move on. Despite the current stresses and the craziness of June, it is important to remember that this too shall pass. As crazy as it can get, there is no doubt we may someday miss it...just a little!

At QUEST, we started the year with the idea of being intentional, symbolized by the hourglass. Making daily choices that have the largest impact on our students is a way of life for us. As the school year comes to a close, let's continue to savor the moments we have with our kids. We will all be starting summer before we know it, but the impermanent nature of a school year means that students will move on from our care and we will continue to grow and change as a school community. Let's enjoy these final days together and cherish the memories we have made. We all deserve it.

Something Professional: 

Student Supply Orders

It is time to start plugging in those student supply orders. Please remember, your cost should be $25 or less for each student. We do the purchasing, so if you have a pricing question, please reach out to Paula. Click here for the order form link.

Change in Literacy Profiles

Lit Profiles of students staying with you should be boxed and placed on your counter. Lit Profiles of students moving up should be handed to next year’s teacher and placed with literacy profiles they are retaining (returning students)…please do not place them in the staff lounge as it will be much quicker for us to pass them on to the receiving teacher. Please note: we no longer do lit. profile cover sheets.

Graduation  

Graduation is scheduled for Tuesday, June 13^th at 1:30.

 

• Each classroom will have one special during graduation day.
• Each classroom will have an assigned lunch time. Please review location as well as we are literally moving kids through quickly and using a secondary spot to eat for elementary level.
• Each classroom has a specified bus number. Bus numbers will be located in the windows. Please be ready to board the bus at 1:05 with a pull away time of 1:10.
• Graduation starts at 1:30. QUEST students sit in the back of the auditorium. There are exams during the graduation. When you enter, please make sure students are not chatting or talking (similar to how they behave in our halls).
• K-2 classrooms are assigned an additional adult to help the classroom teacher and sit with students at graduation.
• We will return to QUEST at 2:45 ish. Please board the same bus with the same class you entered with.

  

Click link for lunch, specials, bus assignments, and extra support assignments.  

 

From Tech: 

 

As shared previously, a group of teachers and students in K-12 ELA and Math classrooms piloted IXL beginning in January 2023. After reviewing the feedback from teacher check in surveys throughout the pilot, end of pilot surveys for both students and teachers, and classroom walk throughs, the decision has been made that for the 2023-2024 school year, we will be purchasing IXL ELA and Math for all teachers and students in grades K-8. We will be continuing to pilot ELA and Math at grades 9-12, and Spanish at grades 7-12 (Spanish I content only available at this time). Keep your eyes out for further information and training opportunities in the future.

 

Kristy Shafer

Director of Technology and Data Protection Officer 

Hilton Central School District

(585) 392-1000

Every Student, Every Classroom, Every Day! 

 Team, 

Something Personal: 

Have you heard of Chat GPT? More than that, have you used it? Chat GPT is a chatbot tied to AI (artificial intelligence). It is already starting to transform how some do business, and you likely have noticed it making headlines on the news.

I recently went in to this, I gave it all the criteria for a student that's a level E struggling with fluency, specifically with phrasing and omissions, and I asked it to create a 5 minute daily intervention. It delivered quite an impressive 6 week intervention to try. With our goal of being a progressive school, I challenge you to start exploring it. Consider the following guided questions: 

• What is it?
• What might the future of it look like?
• How could, or will, this impact my job? 
• What impact could AI have on the lives of our students? 
• How can this change education?

Check out the video above! 

Something Professional: 

June 6 CIA: Adult Only Evacuation Drill

 On June 6, we will run through our evacuation plan from 8-8:30 am. Please meet in the cafe. I will review quickly and then send us on our way from there (we will head outside and actually go to our locations if we needed to leave the grounds). 

This will be shared with families, and in the fall we will add students to this in order to have the new layer to a typical evacuation. 

Field Day

Hello,

 

Field Day is next Thursday, June 8 (June 9^th is the rain date). We hope for good weather!!!

Below you will find a link with the master schedule for the day and above you will find an attachment for the field day map.

 

Classroom Teachers: will have a lunch when your class is in the cafeteria having lunch. Your planning will be during the playground (#9) and tug of war (#10) stations. You will drop off your class at the playground station and head to your planning. You will need to come back mid-way through the tug of war station at the end of your planning.

 

Support teachers and staff:  on the bottom of the master schedule is where you will be assisting us on field day.  Please be at your station by 9am to familiarize yourself.  Most stations have 2/3 people teams.  Please make arrangements with your teams for your lunch.  All planning times are at the end of field day around 255p until 340p.

 

Let me know if you have questions.

 

Thanks for all your help and support!

 

QUEST PE

 

Field Day schedule:

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17f54GFwUD0EFb-fIE6Nbjyi8oLg3WTptLRq-HDvB5VQ/edit?usp=sharing

 

Jim DePrez

QUEST Back to School Night for 2023-2024

You have summer on your mind, and the last thing you are thinking about is next year! But our management team has been busy ensuring that we have clarity around the move away from Information Night...we will now have a Back-to-School Night (think more traditional open house, but a QUEST vibe!). Please review the following: 

Roles: 

-Teachers be in your classroom

-Support staff teachers, float in halls to connect with families and help them navigate the building

-Teachers, do not overdo it…this is not a show and share. This is a back to school night so kids get familiar with their classroom and can introduce their parents to the school

-Principal will organize ice cream to become an ice cream social (changes the original date!) 

-Management team reps will make a common scavenger hunt for all to do

-We are also looking to have wonder walls outside each room to foster a sense of curiosity about the year!

Next steps: 

-Scavenger hunt created…

-Derek to work with PTSO and staff around ice cream social

-Place in blog this week (you're reading it!); place shift to families in blog as well

-Chat with your team about common information share-out (no formal presentations!) 

WHY did we make this shift?

• Not having kids join contradicts our values. 
• It lacked parity...different expectations for all based on role in school.
• Parents wanted a change. See the survey before (70% wanted a change!).
• We've been having poor attendance! 

From Tech: 

BrainPOP has shared they will be phasing out the generic/shared login option for their product. For Hilton CSD users, teachers and students are able to login via Clever. However, BrainPOP has informed us that in the past 30 days, the district has had over 1,000 logins via generic/shared logins. 

 Please be sure when accessing BrainPOP, both students and staff, that you are utilizing the Clever login option. If you need any assistance or have any issues logging in to BrainPOP via Clever, please submit a ticket via incidentIQ at https://hiltoncsd.incidentiq.com/.

 Kristy Shafer

 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. 

 

 

Weekly Update for 5/15/23

Lead Learners, 

Something personal: 

The district started interviewing for district based openings, and each time I attend I am reminded about the impact we can have on a student's life. This week was no different. 

A candidate shared how their teacher from 3-4th grade contacted them after they graduated college to wish them well and to share how proud they were of them. It seemed like a small gesture, but this act was just one small detail and didn't compare to the emotionally and psychologically safe environment that they got to be part of in their youth. The teacher was likely just doing what they do best--teaching--but their intentionality had an impact on someone deciding to teach, which will then impact kids for generations to come. 

Meeting standards is crucial and part of what we get paid to do, but nurturing students in an environment of love and care is more important. The daily, small choices we make can have a lasting impact, and when we do it right, our students are left with fond memories and a rich childhood--one that included safety and care from a trusted adult. 

As we finish the year, let's hold tight to the environments that we create--your legacy depends upon it. Let's continue to do the little things, like standing at a door, playing music, and asking our students about their interests. We can put our stress aside and make our kids feel important...in doing so, it helps tame that overwhelming feeling of May. And you never know, you may just be adding a teacher to the profession.

Something professional: 

CIA Reminder: 

When: 5/23 at 7:50

Where: Café

What: CIA on Suicide Prevention

Who: All teaching staff (this is required to attend)

CIA Survey: 

Please take two minutes to provide some feedback regarding CIA(staff meetings). This will help inform our plan for next year. 

CLICK HERE TO TAKE SURVEY!

MTSS Update: 

Please notice the posting for our MTSS position at QUEST--this will be posted for about 5 days. Please reach out if you have any questions. 

License Plate Readers: 

You may notice some digging occurring at QUEST. This is happening at the other schools as well. These are going to be license plate reader cameras that are there to provide an additional safety measure. 

Building Schedule Update: 

We are mid-way through building our schedule for next year, and obviously there will be some implications given MTSS shifts our district is taking on in order to increase learning. 

So far, we have: 

• Met about shared staff. We know the shared staff arrangement for special areas. This is the starting point of schedule building. 
• We have the template created. 
• We have generic classes assigned (for example, we write in K1, K2, K3 to represent our three kindergarten classes). Thanks to Shana for her help with this puzzle piece part--she is really quick and awesome at it.
• Grade level meeting days have been assigned to ensure they are on days when there are two plans. 

Next steps: 

• I will go in and assign teacher names in place of K1,K2, K3.
• Create the lunch schedule.
• Meet with interventionists and REACH to assign intervention times (for example, K lab will be at _________, primary AIS for reading will be at __________). 
• Send out to people to look for errors. 

Placement Update: 

Our school is almost done with placement. Lyza is currently inputting into IC, and from there we will send out our rosters. Please remember that these stay confidential until parents get on June 6th. 

Hopefully class lists will be ready to share by Memorial Day. 

Another Reminder: 

When: 12:15-12:45 ish, on 6/9. 

Where: Front bus loop

What: Ride for Missing Children 

To do: have students make signs. If it is during their lunch period, they will go out front as a class and will eat and cheer in the front. 

Weekly Update for Week of 5/8/23

 Team, 

Something Personal: 

This last weekend, Ashley and I woke up as tired parents and did what we knew inherently wasn't good for Bennett...we turned on Bluey in hopes to distract him for a few in order to have a quiet moment with our coffees. He looked at the TV for a moment, but then immediately stood up on the couch and started looking outside. As he looked out the window, he started jumping with excitement and pointing to birds he was watching as they constructed a nest on our pergola. Bluey continued on in the background, but Bennett just continued to stare and point, communicating for us to come over and notice as well. 

This perspective comes so naturally for a toddler, and even elementary aged students are able to view the world with wonder and awe; but everything in our sight is competing for our attention. Our smart phones and all the apps within have brilliant minds constructing click bait that have a goal to engage us for as long as possible, creating a dopamine hit when we click or view our likes--this leads us to want more. Our work tells us to work beyond our regular hours and to always be available. The news tells us that there is so much we should be worried about, and that we should constantly be looking toward the future. 

Despite all of the changes our world has faced, kids still look with wonder and awe at birds. Our students are still mesmerized by the salmon swimming upstream in a creek, and bunnies that have created a home near the playground. Our youngest humans have an innate ability to notice and to look at the world with complete amazement. 

We have six weeks left. The weather is changing, and although the to do list is growing by the day, I challenge you to ignore Bluey on the TV and to stop and notice the birds (like Bennett did!). I challenge you to put down the screen from time to time and allow yourself to notice what's happening in the sky, or notice the flowers sprouting up.

When we stop and notice, it keeps us centered and allows us to live in the moment. It reminds us that all we really need to worry about is this moment. That's it. 

I hope you have a weekend full of noticing, sunshine, and inner contentment. And of course, if you are a QUEST mom, I wish you a very Happy Mother's Day! 

Something Professional: 

QUEST being a trend setter with the Zones (Zones Pilot in 23-24)!

Below are survey results from earlier this year. To summarize, it appears that most of us believe that teaching self-regulation is essential. 

Action: QUEST is going to start a pilot journey next year regarding the Zones of Regulation. Our mental health team is looking for 1 classroom teacher from each level, 1 special area teacher, and 1 specialist to adopt the Zones and to pilot the zones, with support from the mental health team and one another. Staff meeting time would be used to collaborate around the Zones as well. 23-24 is going to be a pilot year with the goal of being implemented school-wide, if all goes well, in 24-25.

If you are interested in participating in the pilot for 23-24, please email Derek. 

Please know this is not to add something to the plate. Instead, it is a management approach to your entire classroom...an approach that teaches self-regulation! 

MTSS Coach

As you know, the Leadership Council has been working collaboratively to develop a plan for full implementation of Multi-tiered Systems of Support over the next few years. Out of that work came the recommendation of MTSS coaches for each of the elementary buildings. Pending approval of the budget vote on Tuesday, May 16th, we will post for 2.5 new positions at the K-6 level with the title of MTSS coach. 1.0 coach will be placed in Village and 1.0 at Northwood, with a 0.5 FTE at QUEST to serve in this role. Below is a job description that has been co-created with input from the Leadership Council members, HCSTA leadership, and the Office of Instruction. Give the timing in the school year, the District and the HCSTA have agreed to a five-day internal posting for this position. If the budget is approved, we will post these positions after May 17th. 

 

MTSS Coach Job Description 

 

• Plan, lead, facilitate MTSS meetings at the building level 
• Collect, analyze, and communicate building benchmark data on cyclical basis 

• Apply criterion and norm referenced data to inform decisions on qualification for beginning, changing, or ending a student’s services 
• Assist teachers in the collection of qualitative data measures 
• Provide leadership in the implementation and maintenance of MTSS systems 
• Scheduling of interventions by student need 
• Systems for progress monitoring student growth  

• Creation of SMART goals for students 
• Determination of appropriate interventions 
• Monitoring of cut score validity 
• Serve as a liaison between the building and Office in Instruction regarding MTSS 
• Collaborate with building level administration 

• Participate in shared decision making among buildings and with administration 
• Provide professional development, resources, and/or coaching to colleagues to support MTSS 
• Ad hoc participation in specific Leadership Council Meetings, compensated with claim form 
• Participate in District-wide MTSS coaches meetings 
• APPR evaluator will be Assistant Superintendent for Instruction and/or designee 

Weekly Update for week of 5/1/23

 Team, 

Something Personal: 

Don Miguel Ruiz is a thought leader that has a book titled The Four Agreements. This book has always resonated, and so much of his advice seems profound in its simplicity. If you were to look at the four agreements--as shown below--which ones do you think you do well in? Which ones might need some work? 

To take it to a different layer, which ones do WE, as a school, do well with? Which ones do WE, as a school, need to work on?

...just something to chew on. 

Something Professional: 

The Ride for Missing Children

The ride will be coming through QUEST this year. I recall cruising through the loop the year I became the principal and getting to see our learning community cheering on all the riders loud and proud. 

When: 12:15-12:45 ish, on 6/9. 

Where: Front bus loop

What: Ride for Missing Children 

To do: have students make signs. If it is during their lunch period, they will go out front as a class and will eat and cheer in the front. 

QUEST Moving Up Ceremony 

Our school is allowing the K-elementary to join in person for the Moving Up Ceremony. We have reserved buses. 

This is during testing, so as you enter the building at the HS it needs to be completely silent. A modified lunch/planning schedule will be developed as we get closer. 

New Walkies

QUEST has received its new walkies. These will be worn by Derek and Sayra, but will be on in the offices as well. 

New procedures: 

• If you are taking your class down to the creek, please grab a walkie from the main office. Return it once you are back. That allows us to communicate with you if there is an emergency. 
• If you need support, please call the main office--do not text or call personal cell phones. The office will radio for Derek or Sayra to offer support. 

Staffing

Please note that the following is just some of our staffing--grade levels and special education. This is being shared as it aligns with our placement process. 

 

Graduation 

NEW Fri 5/19 Deadline to Sign Up to Participate in Graduation

Please consider signing up to participate in the 2023 Commencement Ceremony, which will take place at the Brockport SERC on Saturday, June 24th at 2:00 PM.  Graduation is a great opportunity to celebrate the success of our Cadets and all of the hard work that staff, families, and the community have invested in our graduates.

 

Please sign up to participate as a line leader in graduation by Friday, May 19th by using this link.  Attending a graduation rehearsal will not be expected.  Graduation volunteers will receive a video with instructions in advance of the ceremony.

 

We are incredibly proud of the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 and hope that you will help them celebrate this momentous occasion. 

Thank you,

High School Administrative Team

 Jeff Green, HS Principal 

Technology Session

Want to learn about Kami Auto Grade and how to potentially accelerate learning or just grab a doughnut? Drop into Jason's office anytime on Monday, May 8th.

Several Teachers have been using the Grade by Page and Auto Grade feature of Kami to provide quicker feedback to students, save time assessing work and help teach their students basic tools they will need next year for Computer Based Testing. Stop by Jason Cring's office anytime during the day on Monday, May 8th to learn how you can create a paper worthy classroom and potentially accelerate student learning with Kami Auto Grade and Grade by page or just to grab a doughnut and say hi.

QUESTival Help Needed!!!!

QUESTival is approaching! We had our student council meeting this morning and started making posters. QUESTival is May 25 at 5:30-6:30. Please consider running a booth. You can ask your student representative for help. Please use the sign up below if you would like to run a booth. If you need funds to purchase something, please let us know.

 https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E094CA4A82BA7F85-questival2