Awesome!

We have kids who are crushing goals! Awesome!

Mindfulness Temperature Check

As the responsibilities of November round the corner, we'd like to check in with the staff. How are you? We invite you to take this brief (optional) "Mindfulness Temperature Check" before Halloween. This will help guide next steps in the area of self-care. Thank you!


https://goo.gl/forms/DI6QswuwyNUIBaTW2

Oh November, we are ready...

Every season in education is a busy season, but doing things well and being great--which is what we strive for-- often comes at a cost, and in some cases that cost is the resource of time. Three-way conferences are an example of this. Let's be honest, they are powerful. Kids as agents of their learning, parents as partners...

Some of us have these down to a science, others of us are learning about them and doing them for the first time, and a few of us are reinventing how we do them altogether. Regardless, let's be honest: this incredible work that we do during November can make life at school feel busy. With being busy comes stress. 

Team, this year I want to push you to be incredibly disciplined about taking good care of you during November. I've added a third week of no meetings out of respect and honor for the work you do, but I would ask that you also acknowledge the chaos of the season. With that, I would respectfully request that you then meet that chaos with a mindful approach. 

Maybe: 

• Keep a gratitude journal again. 
• Find time, during the day, to go sit in silence in the auditorium.
• Make time to laugh with your colleagues and students.
• Exercise.
• Schedule a date night with your spouse.
• Turn your work email off and be home when you are home.
• Choose to see the good in the busy.

Not every principal gets to lead a staff of people who ALL dump their entire heart into their work, but with that comes my job responsibility of reminding you to take time for yourself. I value the work you are doing this month with parents and kids, and I appreciate all the efforts that go into it. 

WE are QUEST. Let's make November a great month for kids. 

Enjoy no meeting weeks.

Need-to-Knows

• Halloween reminder: the 31st is a half day. We have a school-meeting at 9:30 am. We will walk to this meeting in our costumes, hear some jokes, have student council speeches, then walk back to rooms to parents in the hall. If it is nice out, I will invite parents to go outside and we will parade by them. Trying to keep it simple! 
• Next Friday, instead of SWEET, we will have a 2:45 assembly--location TBD. Teachers are going to be getting slimed for how great we did with the fundraisers, and the PTSO has a few students to celebrate for being the big sellers. We will also just celebrate how well we did as a school. Nothing too crazy. Wait, who am I kidding, we are going to get them fired up, slime teachers, and then send them home to their parents! 
• BEDS is due by November 7th. Please be sure this gets done so that we can get that out of the way.

Looking Ahead

TIME TO DO BEDS!!!!

BEDS season is upon us. We GET to do BEDS.  :)

What? 

QUEST Staff BEDS Deadline: Wednesday, November 7th

Who? 

Teachers AND some non-teaching (counselors, nurse, pysch...) 

How? 

1. Log-in to the ePMF site with your TEACH id.
2.  Validate the information that was uploaded into your school snapshot. Most data should be accurate, but there could be a few discrepancies. If you think some of the data is not accurate, please let Derek know what is wrong and what you believe it should be. 
3. For those who are instructional, you will also need to enter the course you teach, assignment code (see link), assignment name, grade level and the amount of students in your courses. 

Where do I log-in to start?

Log-in HERE

What resources might I need?

The BEDS ePMF User Guide, FAQ's, and Assignment Codes are now listed on the SharePoint called QUEST Shares (schedules) at the top of our blog. Inside that sharepoint there is a folder. Or, click Here

Need to Knows for week of 10/22/18

• I have given Nate a budget to use for equipment for SWEET, that way we are not always pulling from the gym. Please see Nate if there is a specific item you feel like we need. 

Dance Planner FYI

November 13th-December 14th the dance master schedule will be in effect.

From the Office of Instruction

-12, we have commons assessments for numerous purposes. Some of them go into eDoctrina, and some do not- but we do them all.  In essence, "District Assessments" reflect those common assessments that need to be entered into eDoctrina.   We still have other common assessments that are administered..  An example is ELA module assessments.  We understand this title/way of thinking for ELA is a change for folks.    

We would liken it to how we handle the math assessments.  There are common assessments for almost every unit at every grade 1-4.  Teachers are responsible to administer all of them; however, only a couple are entered into eDoctrina.   Students still do them all. 

We also have SS unit common summative assessments for K-4. None of them are entered into eDoctrina, but they are not optional- students do them all. 

So in summary, the list on SharePoint titled "District Assessments" reflect only those common assessments that are entered into  eDoctrina.  We also have other math, ELA, and social studies common assessments embedded in the curriculum units that are required. The science common assessments are in the BOCES 4 kits.

Make A Difference Day is coming!

Hilton Cares will be working with Model UN to collect coat/hats/mittens again this year for Make a Difference Day.  Pull up in the upper high school loop between 10-12 to donate!