Happening this Week, Jan 31-Feb 4 2021
Happening This Week Jan 29-Feb 4
Welcome back to this week’s edition of “Happening this week”. This Weds we reach the Mid-Point of Q3. The year is moving along rapidly!
This week we invite you to take part in the interactive challenge "Where is the world?". Please go to the bottom of this post and see the comments section. In it post who you are, what you teach, where in the world you are, and a short weather update. Let's get to see where everyone is around the world!
Below you will find:
A video greeting from me including an invitation to the where in the world challenge
Important upcoming dates
An update on letting students into class to avoid 'crashers' and hacking. a focus of Tuesdays PD
An update on Students at Risk
An Update on Class Visits
A link to the ‘Weekly Family Update’ that families receive each week
A link to the Sunday Morning Announcements that are emailed to students each Sunday morning
- Tuesday Meeting. Staff meeting with Dr. Lori. Letting students into class will be a major topic
- Jan 3-March 10 Quarter 3 Start and Finish
- Feb 25-28 no School. National Day/Liberation Day
- March 18 Parent-Teacher Conferences
The plan moving forward to deal with students 'Crashing' class:
1. Please ensure you do not allow anyone into class that shows guest.
2. Please do not allow me (Dr. Lori) into your class this next week – IT WILL NOT BE ME!
3. We are having a really difficult time catching these students and are not sure if they are our boys or someone from outside of our school. (IP addresses cannot be tracked on TEAMS)
4. There will be a session this week regarding the creation of your teams classes – EVERYONE MUST abide by the new procedure.
5. There will be a video coming out hopefully on Sunday followed up by individual support from IT to get everyone using the teams programs in the same manner.
6. The issue is sharing of LINKS.
7. There should NEVER be – unfortunately I see it every week – a student starting your class – we will fix this issue.
There are a number of other things happening, but it will all be clearly explained this next week. I want to thank you for your support. We will eventually eliminate these hackers.
Finally, if this happens in your class your MUST IMMEDIATELY send a message to me. – Thank you, Lori
PS- girls campus is having a similar problem.
The VIDEO will appear here after Sunday (Under Constructions)
Class Visits:
Dr. Lori and I are continuing with Class visits. For more information please click on the tab at the top of this landing page “Class Visits”. One of the goals of the class visit is to let teachers know they do not have to go it alone. Please see the link at the top for an idea of what to expect with the classroom visits. The HOD's and HOY's are joining in on class visits. They are not visiting for supervision or evaluation, they are there to provide peer support and let teachers know that we are not going it alone this year, despite our differences.
(Dr. Lori is taking this week off From the visits, so please do not let her in class, as it may not really be her. HOY, HOD, and Patrick will continue)
Students at Risk:
We have the failure list for Semester 1. All Students in grade 9-12 will have to take online courses at the University of Nebraska to make up work. We are still working on a plan for 6-8.
Reminder, please to be in contact with students and parents who are failing or missing work. If you are having trouble contacting parents or are not hearing back, contact myself, Mr. Patrick for 9-12 and Dr. Lori for 6-8. CC Ms Abeer. We can set up a meeting.
At the end of Q1 there was a lot of confusion over grades and we were very flexible as it was a very unusual circumstance. At the end of Semester 2 we are standing confidently behind our grades. This is because of the work teachers did following up with students and families. Please continue doing this, and we will continue encouraging families to follow their children's grades on NEO and we can stand by grades that the students earned.
We are also trying to keep families and students involved with the 'Weekly Family Update'. We are stressing the importance of students communicating with teachers and using office hours, and of parents seeing NEO and grades on NEO on a regular basis.
A reminder for communication. Mr. Patrick is the contact for grade 9-12. Dr. Lori is the contact for 6-8.
Link to Sunday Morning Student Announcements:
The Sunday Morning Student Announcements are being sent out each Sunday Morning. There is a focus on Students making use of office hours, and keeping their cameras on in class. Here is this Sunday's Announcement, Sunday Jan 31.
Where in the World Challenge
In the comments section below, write who you are, what you teach, where in the world you are, and a short weather update. Have Fun!
Patrick Sweeney, Assistant Principal 6-12. Currently in Ikskile Latvia https://goo.gl/maps/3aBw8AaGnCXoKLtcA It is just below freezing with about a foot, or 20 Centimeters of snow and growing fast.
ReplyDeleteDanielle Karpakis, Grade 11 History and Psychology teacher. I am currently in South Africa where it is summer so it gets really hot some days. Temperatures can reach up to 35 degrees Celsius in my area, but for the most part it stays in the high 20's. We are also getting some much needed rain now which makes it very nice.
ReplyDeleteJosh Hoppe, Grade 9 Physical Science Teacher. I am set up in Manitoba, Canada. The temperature has been freezing cold, with most days dipping below -30 degrees Celsius. There have been some warmer days (still negative temperatures) that allow me to go snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing. It's been snowing for the past two days, which really makes things look beautiful.
ReplyDeleteKacey Campbell, Grade 8 LA. I am currently in Kuwait and we are sitting comfortably around 70 degrees F. I am enjoying my walks after school!
ReplyDelete