Week of May 28th

 Something Personal 

Summer is coming, and it is never too early to start organizing some good books to challenge your thinking. Some of my new favorite books that are worth checking out: 

Something Professional 

Repost:                         GoGuardian

As we look to continually develop digital citizens and teach students about online safety, a new feature of GoGuardian is being rolled out. This new layer of monitoring will be send building leadership an alert anytime a student searches for explicit material on a school-issued device--both during the day and outside of the instructional day. Although our filtering system blocks such searches, this new layer of information will be communicated with the student's family, by the school administrator, as necessary when an alert comes through. 

Parents will be notified of this shift in the near future once it is all up and running, however, please be aware of this shift and continue to foster environments that promote internet safey and digital citizenship. Once this new system is up, running, and communicated to families, you will be notified. 

From: Office of Instruction

We are excited to announce that the Hilton School District will be initiating a comprehensive review of our K-12 ELA/English and K-12 Art programs starting in the 2024-2025 academic year. Program evaluation plays a crucial role in understanding student achievement and how our curriculum, assessments, and instructional methods contribute to this success.

This evaluation will be an annual process, focusing on two to three departments each year to ensure a thorough and thoughtful review. The plan is to cycle through all K-12 departments, guaranteeing that each program undergoes evaluation once every five years, beginning with Art and ELA.

We are currently seeking volunteers to join the K-12 ELA/English and K-12 Art program review teams. This process is open to all staff members, as we value a diverse range of perspectives to enrich the evaluation process. Details about the commitment of team members can be found in the form's introduction.

If you are interested in being part of this important process, please complete the form by June 7, 2024. Your participation will be invaluable in shaping the future of our ELA and Art programs.

·                     ELA/English Program Evaluation Team Interest Form

·                     Art Program Evaluation Team Interest Form

Thank you for your dedication and commitment to our school community. I look forward to working together on this exciting endeavor.

 Kristen Paolini

Assistant Superintendent for Instruction

Hilton Central School District

Science Fun Day!

Please read your Science Fun Day email. All paperwork for classes will be found in your mailbox at the end of the day, May 30th. Don't forget Science Rules!


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1urPuA8SYnBxVKhKMj5EUX4YQw3djHjXIMgaY7EusAFA/edit?usp=sharing

Library Reminders:

Important dates for the end of year library operations

Interlibrary Loan (for faculty/staff to request books from other school libraries)

Last Day to request ILL: Thursday, May 23
Return ILL: Friday, June 7, 2024

Students:

Last day to checkout books: Friday, June 7
Start to return your books on Monday, June 10
Last day for K-4 classes: Friday, June 14

Faculty
Faculty can continue to borrow books from the QUEST library  until the last day of classes.

The library staff will communicate with students and faculty/staff about any books or other equipment that has not been returned. Q? Contact Michelle or Mindy

Week of May 20th

 Something Personal 

Something Professional 

CIA 5/28/24

What: Gift of time

When: In place of the CIA on 5/28/24

Why: Because I see you and how hard you work this time of year. Thank you. 

From tech: 

Check out the Elite course offerings for next year, as well as information on how to sign up! 

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Bees? 

Context: 

Yes, Bees was our theme going into this year, however, they took it a little too serious. Lately, with the weather warming, we've had several bees join our learning community in hopes to be part of all these fun end-of-year events!

Action: 

In my office, several bees got in because my screen was somewhat open (sliding parts you have to open to open the window). Please make sure these stay closed so our bee friends can go outside and thrive in their natural environement. 

GoGuardian

As we look to continually develop digital citizens and teach students about online safety, a new feature of GoGuardian is being rolled out. This new layer of monitoring will be send building leadership an alert anytime a student searches for explicit material on a school-issued device--both during the day and outside of the instructional day. Although our filtering system blocks such searches, this new layer of information will be communicated with the student's family, by the school administrator, as necessary when an alert comes through. 

Parents will be notified of this shift in the near future once it is all up and running, however, please be aware of this shift and continue to foster environments that promote internet safey and digital citizenship. Once this new system is up, running, and communicated to families, you will be notified. 

From the Libary: 

Important dates for the end of year library operations

 

Interlibrary Loan (for faculty/staff to request books from other school libraries)
Last Day to request ILL: Thursday, May 23
Return ILL: Friday, June 7, 2024

 

Students:

Last day to checkout books: Friday, June 7
Start to return your books on Monday, June 10
Last day for K-4 classes: Friday, June 14

Faculty
Faculty can continue to borrow books from the QUEST library  until the last day of classes.

 The library staff will communicate with students and faculty/staff about any books or other equipment that has not been returned. Q? Contact Michelle or Mindy

Week of May 13th

Something Personal 

If you haven't done so yet, check out the budget presentation!

Something Professional 

Safety Reminders

• Please be sure to lock and close windows and your door when you leave for the day. 
• Immediately report any propped doors, or doors presenting issues with the badge swipe, to Derek and Mike. 
• Please close your door when leaving your workspace. 

Building Schedule for 24-25: 

Please check out the most up-to-date version of the schedule for next year. Reach out with any questions. CLICK HERE!

From the Data Office

Communication Plan for Staff and Families 

Starting Monday, May 20, parents/guardians will have an additional option to notify the attendance office of their child's absence via Campus Parent (IC Parent Portal).  The Campus Parent Attendance Feature is available for all HCSD parents/guardians to enter absences for their children. 

 Campus Parent Attendance has a user-friendly interface, making it easy for parents to navigate and submit absence requests through Infinite Campus. Upon submission of an absence request, parents/guardians will receive confirmation that their request has been submitted. The primary goal of this tool is to provide an additional absence notification option for families.  As always, phone and email will remain options to report absences.  

The HCSD IC Portal Support Page for families highlights a tip sheet for families.  Families may connect with the HCSD IC team via icportal@hilton.k12.ny.us.  

From the Libary: 

Important dates for the end of year library operations

 

Interlibrary Loan (for faculty/staff to request books from other school libraries)
Last Day to request ILL: Thursday, May 23
Return ILL: Friday, June 7, 2024

 

Students:

Last day to checkout books: Friday, June 7
Start to return your books on Monday, June 10
Last day for K-4 classes: Friday, June 14

Faculty
Faculty can continue to borrow books from the QUEST library  until the last day of classes.

 The library staff will communicate with students and faculty/staff about any books or other equipment that has not been returned. Q? Contact Michelle or Mindy

From Tech: 

• PANORAMA: Panorama is a survey platform the district has established as a resource that will be utilized in mid-June for an annual Strategic Plan Survey beginning this year. In the future, this platform will be a resource for Social Emotional Learning in terms of screeners and a playbook to support SEL instruction. Look for the strategic plan survey in June. 

• TECH INCENTIVES 24-25: Looking ahead to 24-25, a new tech incentive option will be added to the two that already exist. Pre-planned tech incentive projects and self-created projects will continue, while district pilot tech incentive projects will be added. Additionally, for pre-planned projects, a meeting in the fall with a supervisor will not be required. Further details to follow!

• LUMIO PILOT UPDATE: This year, the district engaged in a limited pilot of Lumio given that SMART Notebook eventually will not be available as a platform. The pilot was not conclusive, and the tech department continues to explore next steps. A survey will be shared soon to gauge how much SMART Notebook is utilized. Feedback from teachers regarding SMART Notebook usage will be important to help the tech team make informed plans.

Due to the districtwide adoption of MagicSchool for the 2024-25 school year, your MagicSchool pro accounts are active now! Access the website here, and utilize "Sign in with Google" to login. 

The Instructional Techs are offering an optional opportunity for an overview of Magic Scho and how to use the tools to start streamlining your workflow on May 23rd at 1pm, with a 2 PM offering also for Elementary (Location(s) TBD depending on responses).

Sign up here to join them for this magical learning journey! 

Week of 5/6/24

 Something Personal

A huge shout out to all of the QUEST mothers and those that serve as mom in some capacity. You are appreciated; here's hoping for a beautiful weekend!

Something Professional 

Vertical Teams (final staff meeting of the year!) 

When: 5/14, 8 am

Where: Cafe

What: Vertical team final meetings

Moving Up Day Rescheduled

Moving up day: June 18th at 9:05 am! 

End of Year Staff Celebration

I recognize that before school isn't ideal, however, with the schedules of k-2 teachers and staff all not working on the 24th-26th, this is the one time that would work for all. 

What: Staff Breakfast and Retirement/Years of Service Celebration

When: June 21st at 7:50 am

Where: Cafe 

What to bring: click here to sign up!

From the Office of Instruction

The Office of Instruction has created a Reading Shifts Roadmap to share the district's direction with shifting reading instruction to align with the newly published NYS Literacy Briefs. This roadmap builds on our work with Jan Burkins and Kari Yates' book, Shifting the Balance: 6 Ways to bring the Science of Reading into the Balanced Literacy Classroom. Please take a few minutes to listen to this video, explaining the roadmap. A pdf of the roadmap is attached to this message for your reference. More information will be forthcoming from Grade Level Leaders and Staff Development in the coming weeks. 

Science Testing

Our 5th grade students have science testing on Tuesday at 9 am. Please be aware that they will be testing in Reese/Healey/Moore's room, with the office/discovery center/reading center being used for testing modifications. There is no change in schedule, but please be aware of the noise factor. 

From PTSO: 

It has been awesome seeing so many endeavors funded by the PTSO surplus funds! We were able to honor nearly all surplus requests, and in doing so, we have reduced our funds significantly. Per the bylaws, we must maintain a working budget of $6k to carry over into the 24-25 school year.

 

To ensure we remain in good working order, please submit any outstanding out-of-pocket expenses you may have asap. You may continue to use your classroom budgets accordingly as well 😊 We will need to be extra cautious approving funding requests above the defined budgets through the end of the year to ensure our compliance and set PTSO up well for the 24-25 school year. 

 

Feel free to direct any questions/concerns via email to me.

 

Thanks for all you do!

Molly Arnold, Quest PTSO Co-chair”

From Tech: 

As shared previously, a group of teachers and staff piloted MagicSchool AI beginning in January 2024. After reviewing the feedback from check in surveys throughout the pilot and the end of pilot survey, the decision has been made that for the 2024-2025 school year, we will be purchasing MagicSchool AI for all staff. Keep your eyes out for further information and training opportunities in the future.

MTSS Survey

Last call (by Friday!) 

For your convenience, here's a link to the form: https://forms.gle/5HbGhjTZoBBmviKr5

QUEST Art Show

 

Week of 4/29/24

 Something Personal 

Anyone else feeling the love from May? I promise I am with you and can walk in your shoes...this time of year always gets a bit crazy, extra stressful, and quite frankly...hard! 

One of your colleagues reminded me about the Covey's four quandrants, and right now is the perfect time to organize and audit our time--I believe looking at how you spend your time through the four quandrants can help conquer that end-of-year grind. 

Check it out, and as we were reminded from the musical this year...just keep swimming! 

Something Professional 

SIT Update

Below is the teacher and parent survey that were taken earlier in the year about communication and volunteerism.   This is to provide you with feedback to help you best plan how you would like to communicate with families in the future.   Please take a few minutes to review it.  If you have any questions you can reach out to SIT (Cathy, Brenda, Nicole, Katie, John, Amanda, and Derek)

SIT’s action this year is to create a working document for parents to have all the information in one spot (a simplified version of the HUB).  The document will be organized into months with what events are happening, days off, anything that might be due (ex: Kindergarten applications), report card availability, and so on...think of it as a communication reminder. There will also be links available for parents on where to go to get more information.  We will send this out at the beginning of the school year for you to share with families (or perhaps link it to below your signature on your emails).

 VIEW THE SURVEY RESULTS HERE!

From Greg: 

It’s hard to believe but our grads are quickly closing in on their final week of their Exhibition and are starting to prepare for how they will share their learning to the school community next Friday morning (May 10^th). See below for the tentative Exhibition 2024 Presentation Schedule. The official schedule with room assignments and student sign-ups will be shared out on Monday morning. All classes will meet in the auditorium for a 30 minute kick-off assembly at 8:55 and will then head back to their poles for the start of student presentations which will start at 9:30. Most of the classrooms will have students sharing in them during Sessions 1-4 (9:30-10:45). Teachers will be assigned to classrooms for classroom management purposes and to help are grads with any technical needs.

 Date: Friday, May 10^th

 8:55-9:25         Auditorium                     Kick off Welcome, Exhibition Video, Student Presentation

9:30-9:45         Classrooms                     Session #1 of Student Presentations

9:50-10:05       Classrooms                     Session #2 of Student Presentations

10:10-10:25     Classrooms                     Session #3 of Student Presentations

10:30-10:45     Classrooms                     Session #4 of Student Presentations

 As mentioned at a previous staff meeting, we are keeping the rotation of student presentations within the poles this year. For example, students in the south pole will only attend Exhibition presentations of Brenda and Jacquelynn’s students and those presentations will all take place in south pole classrooms.

 There will be no specials next Friday and lunches will follow the usual schedule. Please see the Exhibition Planning Schedule that Derek made for the afternoon so all can get a planning period.

 I just wanted to make sure all of you were aware of the specific times of the event so you can get them on your calendars and plan accordingly.

 Exhibition is an opportunity for these students to demonstrate how they have developed the attributes of the IB Learner Profile while sharing their learning with the school community. Thank you all for being flexible with your schedules once again and for supporting our grads as they prepare for this significant event in their QUEST journey.

NEW Fri 5/17 Deadline to Sign Up to Participate in Graduation

Please consider signing up to participate in the 2024 Commencement Ceremony, which will take place at the Brockport SERC on Saturday, June 29th at 1:30 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 17th 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 2024 and hope that you will help them celebrate this momentous occasion. 

Thank you,

High School Administrative Team+

IB Profile of the Month 

The sun is shining and the birds are singing! The month of May is finally here and the end is in sight.

The IB Learner Profile for the month of May is Communicator.  

 

Please continue to keep the IB learner profile attributes in the forefront of our day to day interactions with our students. See below for our kid friendly definition of Communicator.

 

Communicator – I can express myself in lots of different ways. I like to share my ideas with others.

 

Tech Incentives

Don't forget to turn in your data, do your reflection, and meet with Derek for a brief meeting if you did a tech. incentive. 

QUESTival!!

It is almost May meaning it is almost QUESTival!! QUESTival will take place this year on Thursday – May 30th from 5:30-7:00pm. It takes place on the front lawn of QUEST.

If you have any questions or need funds to purchase supplies, please let us know. Thanks so much for helping to keep this QUEST tradition alive! 

Use the link below to sign up for a booth or game 😊

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qNH56-EL4Ak1HVOisU97eggFKzZv4COvCL-6egEs408/edit?usp=sharing

Em and Val 

Week of 4/22/24

 Something Personal 

It's important to note that our classrooms are transitioning towards the science of reading. This shift doesn't negate all the practices we once considered tried-and-true. Instead, it emphasizes the need for language-rich learning environments. Even if we don't explicitly teach reading, we all play a role in immersing our learners in rich literacy experiences.

As we evolve in our approach to teaching reading, our district is embracing the work of Jan Burkins and Kari Yates. Explore their article on their blog and reflect on how you, regardless of your role, can implement language development strategies.

The five key practices to focus on are:

·         Turn-and-talk

·         Repeat and expand

·         Elevate YOUR language

·         Ask a follow-up question

·         Provide wait time

Dig in more by clicking here!

Something Professional 

Staff Meeting

When: Tuesday, April 30th at 8 am (done by 8:25 for testing)

Where: QUEST cafe

What: Suicide Prevention (please come see Derek if this content is triggering for you and you need to have the content delivered differently than large group)

Who: Liz T. is coming to present to us

caMp Update

At this time, we are closing the request form for our consultation and are only scheduling follow up meetings in the remaining weeks. If for some reason you need to have an emergency, last minute problem solving meeting on a student, please reach out to Derek to schedule. 

Testing Reminder

Next week we begin our Math state testing on Monday and Tuesday. As a reminder: 

click here for the modified schedule!

Next week is the NYS math test on Monday and Tuesday. Here are some quick need to knows.

 

• Accommodation groups are the same

 

• Grade 6 Session 2, students should have exclusive use of a four-function calculator with a square root key or a *scientific calculator
•         Graphing calculators are NOT permitted.
• Note: For students testing on computers in Grades 6–8, a calculator is provided as part of the computer testing delivery system, but schools should continue to supply students with exclusive use of the type of hand-held calculator mentioned above. 

 

• When you are ALL finished testing

 

• email or remind Kristy and can you also highlight your name on the google doc below. This will allow Derek and I to know who and when to move kids still testing. You cannot send kids still testing to the library on their own, but if you are in a modification group, and the class is finished and your student is finished you can send them back once their class is finished ( highlighted)

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1O_1BPsvcNf5_tDcYjeIFHprfbqKUF_svtjaNKdMXa6U/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

SIT Problem Solving

Problem #1:

It seems as though the interior badge swipe (door near Mrs. Carpenter and Miss Smith’s rooms) does not always work. I tested it with five different badges and only one badge gave us an issue, but all others worked fine.

 

Solution: With that being said, I think it is finicky and you have to grab it quickly. Mark Edwards will be working with tech. to see if we are able to adjust the time on it so it stays unlocked longer when you swipe. This will hopefully help.

 

Problem #2:

We have a lot of students who are coming in mid-recess and knocking on that door (south pole interior door with badge swipe) while the students in the intermediate classes are working in order to be let in for the bathroom or the nurse. This happens many times throughout a day. Please be sure to let the students in at the equator door so they are not banging on that door. 

 

Solution: Please encourage students to use the bathroom prior to recess, but more than that, if they do need to be let in, please swipe any student in by the equator door and have them use those bathrooms near that door. If they need to use the nurse, please also have them go through the equator door as well.

 

From District Communications

We would like to begin gathering footage for the year end video centering on our Cadet Cornerstones (Intentional values.) We are planning on visiting each building during the school day on Wednesday (5/1). We wouldn't be in the building too long, maybe a half hour. If this doesn't work for you, please let me know and we can try to find a better time. Also, is there is something that you are aware of that will be taking place in any of your classrooms on that day let us know and we will try to plan our visit accordingly.

Thanks!

Dave

From the Office of Instruction

The Office of Instruction, in collaboration with the members of Leadership Council, is seeking your feedback on Year 1 of MTSS Implementation. Please take a few moments to complete this MTSS Feedback Form to provide your input. We will use the feedback obtained in this survey to reflect on and revise (where necessary) the action steps for 24-25. The feedback form will be open for your input through May 10, 2024.

 

Week of 4/15/24

 Something Personal 

The school has been buzzing with students taking action through Exhibition. No matter how big or small the action is, the idea is all about agency. But agency itself is not limited to the big, grand moments of action tied to a particular planner at the end of intermediate. Rather, agency can, and should, be part of each classroom, each day. 

Agency is about ownership, empowerment...keepin the student in the driver seat. I often tell parents that it is our job to help the student know who they are and what they need as a learner...that level of agency will transcend the walls of QUEST and provide each child with the tools to be successful for years to come. In my day-to-day travels, this has looked like: 

• Students having a choice in how they will show their learning. 
• Students working toward learning or AtL goals.
• A teacher providing clarity around what success will look like but the student determining whether or not they've arrived and can demonstrate the learning goal. 
• Students sharing their ideas in class through routines like accountability talk (math talk). 
• Students using modifications and accomodations that help THEM as a learner...and initiating that. 
• Students taking action as a result of a planner. 
• Students determining what Zone they are in emotionally and what strategies they could use. 
• Students banging down my door to share, yet another, idea for the building.

Check out the two visuals below, and hats off to agency! 

Something Professional

PTSO Surplus

As you've likely heard, almost all surplus projects were approved by the PTSO. We are at the end of their surplus funds, meaning that the PTSO will have to be extra cautious when approving anything extra. This does not include any allocated budget line, but just be aware that any extra funding that moves beyond your allocation is at risk for a potential no vote. If you read this entire paragraph, please pat yourself on the back! Proud of you.

Kudos for all of the thoughtful funding requests--they were great. We are extremely lucky as a small school to have such an incredibly hard working PTSO that supports our goals. 

Vertical Teams Update!

Placement (repost from last week)

We are starting placement next week. The process has been revised this year, specifically what needs to be done by classroom teachers. Our goal is to align it with MTSS systems and make it fact based, while removing subjectivity. See the timeline below and check out the quick video to review how the process is different. Please note that each week you will get instructions as we move through this timeline, however, it is good to be on top of it and aware of the shifts. 

PLACEMENT VIDEO!

Safety Reminder

In the event of a lockdown drill, or real lockdown, please remember:

•  to sign-in to navigate;
• quickly look in the hall for any kid passing by...pull them into your room for safety;
• keep kids and yourself out of the line of sight from the door;
• lock your door; 
• stay in a lockdown until all is cleared. 

Week of 4/9/24

 Something Personal

The culture of QUEST is the sum of all the micro-cultures. Included in this are various teams and how they operate. Consider the team you are on...does your team align wiht the areas above? If not, what is holding you back? What does your team do well that can further be leveraged to grow? 

I'm most impressed with the ability of QUEST to collaborate. Thank you for making the health of the school, and the health of the teams you are on, a priority. Appreciate you! 

Something Professional 

Testing Reminder

We begin NYS Computer Based Testing on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Some reminders: 

• Here is our modified schedule: click here!
• The teacher directions, by level, using this link: click here!  
• A reminder re: proctor training: click here!
• Updated proctor list: click here!

During the state test, please remember to send any questions to Kristy Shafer at Command Central either via email (kshafer@hilton.k12.ny.us) or by replying to the text message you will receive in the morning from the QE 3-8 CBT Remind Class. If you are a Remind user, please do not use the website or app to contact Kristy during the simulation. Only reply to the text sent in the morning. If you haven't yet joined the Remind class and would like to use it to communicate with Kristy during testing, directions on how to do so can be seen here. The code is @bd94fe7. 

 

Placement

We are starting placement next week. The process has been revised this year, specifically what needs to be done by classroom teachers. Our goal is to align it with MTSS systems and make it fact based, while removing subjectivity. See the timeline below and check out the quick video to review how the process is different. Please note that each week you will get instructions as we move through this timeline, however, it is good to be on top of it and aware of the shifts. 

PLACEMENT VIDEO!

CIA Vertical Teams

When: 4/16/24 @ 8 am

Where: Cafe

What: Vertical team work!  (done by 8:25 due to state testing)

Tutoring Interest? 

At times, tutors are needed at the elementary level for district-provided tutoring. The district is looking to build a list of potential tutors that can be called on should a tutoring need arise, which can range from one day or longer. 

Please complete the form below if you wish to be on the list of potential tutors. Know that in completing this form that there is no commitment on your part as you would be able to decline any tutoring requests you may receive in the future as needed. 

If interested, click here to fill out the form.

From the Office of Instruction: 

Shared below is a video from the Office of Instruction with updates from the Superintendent's Conference Day kickoff on Shifting the Balance with Kari Yates. Please watch this video for updates on Professional Learning offerings as well as next steps. For those of you looking for early entry points to this work, you will find two resources below.

 

·                     Video Message: WIN_20240327_09_11_03_Pro.mp4

·                     PD Options : SUMMARY OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPTIONS FOR SHIFITNG THE BALANCE.docx

·                     NYS Literacy Briefs: https://www.nysed.gov/curriculum-instruction/literacy-briefs

·                     Dialogic Conversation Protocol: Dialogic Conversations.pdf