Weekly Update #24

                                    

"Success isn't about how much money you make, it's about the difference that you make in people's lives."   ~  Michelle Obama

This Week's Schedule

COVID Survey - every morning before 7:30

Monday, March 1, 2021              Clinical Meeting, Budget Mtg.-Glenda and Liz

Tuesday, March 2, 2021              Wellness Team Mtg.,Staff PD (2:00-3:30pm) 

Wednesday, March 3, 2021         ILT

Thursday, March 4, 2021           Glenda - Superintendent Meeting 
Friday, March 5, 2021               

                                                     

                                                       PLT's are MATH with Katie L this week

Things to Consider

Please read the weekly update carefully.

FYI: In meteorology for the Northern hemisphere, spring begins on March 01, 2021. 

It is also called the beginning of meteorological spring. 

The meteorological seasons are divided according to the calendar months.

• It is time for ACCESS! - ACCESS Testing begins on Monday, March 1, 2021. All staff are expected to be in the building during all testing days. 

• • Orientation for Grades 1-2 AND Grades 3-5: Monday, 3/1 - 2 hour sessions (planned with cleaning time in between sessions) 

  • Grades​ 3-5: Wed 3/3 and Fri 3/5

  • Grades 1-2: Tues 3/9 and Thurs 3/11

  • Kindergarten ACCESS will begin after we have completed testing Grades 1-5 and will be done by the ESL Team.  

  Please note that students will have arrival times staggered during testing according to the groupings document.  The student testing times are 8:15am-12:15pm.   
• During ACCESS testing, all students who are not designated as EL's will be engaging in asynchronous learning. To prepare for this, we are asking classroom teachers to create a PowerPoint for 1 (one) day- Monday, 03/01/21. This PowerPoint should follow your regular daily schedule but only include previously taught content materials.  Some ideas could include: a Read Aloud from a previous unit read by a guest speaker, a task connected to the Read aloud, or an Art activity or fun Math activity, etc. Be sure to include time for Imagine Learning, ST Math and RazKids Plus stories to read. The other 4 testing days will be planned by a support team. 
•  During testing, please return testing folders to Colleen Flick's mailbox in the office after testing is completed each day.

• Glenda, LeeAnn, Carolina, Candice, Liz R. and Liz D. will be in the building every day.  All staff will report to the building on all testing days and your previously scheduled days. If you have any concerns about your report days, please contact Glenda and Liz. 
• School Reopening Plan - Please refer to the Superintendent's communication and the most recent School Committee meeting about Quarter 3's school plan.
• Here is our PPT from Wednesday's Staff Meeting:
• https://lynnpublicschools.sharepoint.com/:p:/r/sites/conneryshare/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7Bc435f139-addb-4864-a932-c8962f98f220%7D&action=edit&wdPreviousSession=ac10fd11-49cd-f01a-6207-1b4c2933f408

Technology:

• Please submit tickets to helpdesk for staff computer issues, even if you are calling helpdesk.
• iReady - The district opened the tools in iReady to use. The instructional side is open for teachers to use as well.
• Our 2nd iReady training, will be Tuesday, March 2 from 2:00 - 3:30. Please dismiss your students at 12:45 with 30 minutes of asynchronous work. Lunch for staff will be from 12:50 - 1:20 and Prep/PLT's will be from 1:20-2:00pm.  Kindergarten, Rooms 100, 220 & G1 teachers can leave your Zoom meeting at 12:45 and have your Para's finish out the PM session. 

• Expectation - Every student should log into Schoology and RazKids daily.  If this is not the case for EVERY student in our school, please contact me with information on the student and a plan on how we can rectify this.  (Special considerations for PreK and K) --- We are aware of students placed in interventions for 40 minutes and ESL.
• Subs - Please update sub folders.
• Update Your Zoom Information - Zoom Information
• Student Laptop Passwords - New passwords Schools2021$$
• Zoom Authentication Video - Set Zoom Only Authenticated Users can Join.mp4
• If you did not complete the form about ClassLink, you may email me directly about apps that you'd like to see added.
• Imagine Learning / ST Math - Please reach out to families whose children are not logging into Imagine Learning and ST Math.  This is asynchronous work for all grades.
• Homework - Please look over usage of ST Math, Imagine Learning, and RazKids. Use this information to contact families about the usage.
• Laptops - Please make sure that all students have LPS issued devices. Please have families call helpdesk to receive LPS devices.

Staff Information:

• Observations -  The final round of observations will begin after ACCESS testing is completed. We will be coming into your Zoom meetings to observe Small groups and/or Guided Reading lessons.
• Family Engagement- Please continue to log all your communication with your parents. This on-going connection helps us continue to work towards achieving our Student Learning Goal.
• You should use this as evidence in your TeachPoint in order to support your goal.
• Lesson Plans- Please put all lessons plans (PPT for most) into your grade-level folders on SharePoint. You access your grade-level folders on SharePoint through the Unit Plans folders. Lesson Plans should be shared with your team and then put onto SharePoint at least 1-2 days before they will be taught.
• Para and Teacher Absences - Please post all absences on Aesop and connect with your CIT and your Sub before your scheduled day.
• Small Groups Instruction - At this time, it is the expectation that we are transitioning our students to use buttons for small groups. Hybrid learning is fast approaching and this detail will be very important after we transition.
• Attendance - Please post attendance on time and everyday.  There have been lots of staff members on the non-submitter report.
• Resource - Electronic Office Referral
• Updated Class Assignments - Click Here (This has been updated as of 02/10/21 to include bathroom assignments for both adults and students at Connery.)
• Connery School Calendar - Mentor dates are updated.

Misc. Info:

• Special Ed Compensatory Services - The team chairs will hold the CCS meetings for students that have an annual due between Sept. 1, 2020 - Jan. 4, 2021 and between Feb. 26, 2021 - June 17, 2021.
• Extra Curricular Clubs - We can still take submission for Spring activities! 
• We can do a club that focuses on tech support for students and parents!
• Book Inventory for Professional Development
• No Contact List - Like last year, we ask that you add no contact or no attendance students to the following form: 
• Limited Contact List

                                                                District Updates

 

Progress Reports/Report Cards

• Trimester Two Progress Reports due: February 12th and distributed by February 26th (schools will determine distribution dates)
• Trimester Two Closing Date for grades: March 26th ***no change from original schedule
  
• Trimester Two Report Card Distribution via School Messenger: April 9th ***no change from original schedule

ClassLink

• If  staff or students cannot access ClassLink or if they are missing apps, please email servicedesk@lynnschools.org, bansfields@lynnschools.org, mowerj@lynnschools.org, wryd@lynnschools.org, and colellac@lynnschools.org
• After much thought, we have decided not to add Schoology to ClassLink. We are recommending that all teachers add the ClassLink URL, https://launchpad.classlink.com/lynnschools to their course pages so students will be able to access all resources both from within ClassLink as well as through the link pushed out by the Help Desk.
• We have requested the Helpdesk push the link and chrome browser extension to all laptops and the app to iPads.

Teams

•  Teams messenger has been turned off for all students. Please let the helpdesk know if problems continue with students accessing.

Testing

• HelpDesk will notify principals when they have devices ready to swap out old student laptops
• All student devices have been updated with the most recent version of Windows 10.

Technology Issues

• Please remember to submit all technology issues to the Helpdesk by emailing: servicedesk@lynnschools.org . Be sure to provide as many details as possible including name of user having issue (email or stu#), problem, program being used, etc.
• Please enter tickets for EACH problem they encounter with as much information as possible included.

Looking Ahead

• March 8 & 10- Soft Opening: PreK, DD (room 100) & II (Room 220) teachers in Training and Parent Orientation for reopening
• March 11 - PreK, DD (room 100) & II (Room 220) students return to school. 
• March 29 & 31 - Soft Opening for Kindergarten
• April 1 - Kindergarten students return to school