Staff News for the Week of September 21, 2020

 

Thank you for supporting each other as we navigate the many changes this year brings. We are an amazing team for our students and their families! 

This Week at Brown School

9/21 Virtual BTS Night (see information below)

9/22 

9/23 Late start day! (9:45 student arrival)

     PTO Playground Painting Party @ 4:00 (see below)

9/24 Fire Drill 9am

     Tech Meeting 4:15 - 5:15 (location TBD)

9/25

Coming Up...

9/28 

9/29   Fire Drill @ 1:20 p.m.

       School Improvement Mtg 4:00-4:30 in the Media Center

9/30   Late Start Day

Picture Day (in gym) - support staff & itinerants photos can begin @ 9am (classroom teachers will have their photos taken with their class)

10/1 

10/2  Popcorn Friday! 

10/5  IEP/CST Day - schedule 

Late Starts

We begin late starts this Wednesday! To clarify, your plan time will continue to be 8:10-8:45 on late start days. Please plan to join your grade level team from 8:45-9:45. As you know, this time should be dedicated to student data discussions and instructional decision-making. Please be sure to share your weekly notes in your grade level's shared Google folder.   

The fogging schedule will be adjusted for late start days as we will not be taking first recess. You can anticipate that your learning spaces will be fogged during your last recess. 

Scheduling Updates

Inter-Richment Schedule 2020-21

In addition to lunchtime support, you can anticipate support per the following grade level schedule:

Y5/K (Carol): 10:30-11:30 & 1:15-1:45 (Y5)

1st Grade (Kristi): 9:30-10:00 (not on Wednesdays) & 1:15-1:40

2nd Grade (Megan): 9:30-10:15 (not on Wednesdays)

3rd Grade (Megan): 10:20-10:50 & 11:10-11:30

4th Grade (Carol): 9:30-10:30 & 1:45-2:15 

5th Grade (Kristi): 10:45-11:15 & 1:45-2:15

Speech and Language Block Scheduling 

We are working hard to schedule grade level blocks of time for students to receive speech and language services this year. This is not only a safety consideration, but it also helps to ensure consistency in scheduling. This is a benefit to students and staff members - hooray! Gaby will spend Thursdays in ECDD, so you can anticipate that she will schedule 30-minute sessions with groups on M/W and T/F. 

8:45-9:15  Virtual Students

9:20-9:50  Y5/Kindergarten

9:50-10:20  Fourth Grade

10:20-10:50  Second Grade

10:55-11:25  Fifth Grade (group 1 - 30 minutes each)

11:25-12:25  Third Grade (two groups - 30 minutes each)

1:20-1:50    Fifth Grade (group 2 - 30 minutes each)

1:50-2:20   Virtual Students 

2:20-2:50  Evaluations

2:50-3:20  First Grade 

3:20-3:50  1:1 appointment 

*Please note that some blocks may impede on your grade level's protected block time. We worked around these as much as possible, but prioritized that students be present in classrooms at the beginning of your protected block as this is most likely your mini-lesson/direct instruction time. Please let Gaby/Kristen know if you have any concerns. 

Specials on Half-Days and No School Days

For half days of school, the regular classroom teacher will show the lesson sometime on that day before school dismisses.  These days occur on Thursdays and Fridays.

Week 4 - Th/F

Week 8 - Th/F

Week 9 - F

Week 17 - Th/F

Week 22 - F

Week 35 - Th/F

For full days off, the specials teachers will designate a day within the same week where the lesson will be shown by the regular classroom teacher.  These days occur on Mondays and Fridays.

Week 5 - M

Week 10 - (W, Th, F Thanksgiving - we will not provide lessons for these days)

Week 16 - M

Week 19 - F

Week 20 - M

Week 24 - M

Week 26 - F

Week 30 - M

Week 34 - M

As a reminder, students should not be moving throughout the building as in years past. Please call the office, kitchen, media center, etc. if you need assistance. For everyone's safety, do not send students on errands. 

Back to School Night Details

Your virtual presentations are going to be amazing! Don't fret - they should be prerecorded and a maximum of 10 minutes. Please be sure to include at least the following elements:

• Welcome and a bit about you
• Routines and procedures (classroom specific - FAQs/need to know information)
• Information about accessing your weekly blog, Classroom, and SeeSaw
• Curriculum highlights - specifically the essential standards & how they can support their child in attaining mastery
• How to reach you & your eagerness to partner with them this year

Directions for scheduling/pushing presentation out:

Schedule your presentation to post on your classroom or grade-level blog Monday, Sept. 21 at 5:30 pm. At 6 pm on the 21st, I will send out a text/email blast on Messenger with a link to our Brown School News blog. From there, families will find my Back to School Night video and I will direct them to find your presentations linked in your blogs.

Other Details...

Your families should not need to complete volunteer forms this year. Please do not send them out in BTS Night communications. In addition, we are not collecting field trip money this year. 

Fall conferences will be scheduled as Google Meets - we will not be able to meet face-to-face.   

The SJPSF has started a new blog for the sole purpose of spreading positivity, and building community throughout the district. Check it out! 

https://sjpsfoundation.org/amaizing-times-blog-posts/1-1/

PTO Playground Painting Party 

Our PTO purchased new game stencils for the blacktop. This will provide our students will new options for recess play! We are planning to use spray paint to apply the graphics on Wednesday after school. In addition, our amazing families will fix up Andy's Place. You are welcome to join us! 

 

Thank you for your blog links! You do not need to send it to me again, they automatically update when you publish a new blog post each week.