To everyone who helped with, and/or attended, our Dia de los Muertos event. Oner, Carmen, Montse, Cari, Norm, Gizelle, Niccole, Sarah, and all the students and families that participated!!
and
To everyone that has contributed to our Get Along wall...it looks wonderful!
and
To Michelle Serini for supporting 4 of her students as they competed in the Featherweight Super Bowl on Sunday.
and
To Melissa Jakstas for helping with supervision of our home basketball games on Monday.
-From Jeff Sefcik
To Jeff Sefick for building a bridge to our Mexican families through the Dia de los Muertos. This was a huge effort!
and
To Tiffany MIhovilovich for being a ray of sunshine. Your emails, service projects, and commitment to making the world a better place truly are inspiring!
-From Heather
Thank you Amanda Lorenz for allowing the Kinder team to come observe your Ready lesson, and thank you to Erica Barraza, Natalie Udstuen and all of our super flexible and helpful Specials teachers for rearranging plans to make it possible for us to do a peer observation together.
-The Kindergarten Team
Special thanks to Gayle McManamon for always being so flexible/accommodating with her Art schedule! We appreciate you....more than you know.
and
Shout out to Becky Vedder for sharing all her delicately used Scholastic News with third grade. We are working so hard to keep our talented readers growing! You just made a positive differences! All IN! We plan to pay the knowledge forward!
-From Third Grade
Kudos to Pam Exon for doing an amazing job cleaning up the staff lounge these past few weeks! It has looked better than ever!
-From Becky Vedder
When you have a kudo to share for someone, please just email me and I'll include it here! The goal is to create system celebrations--so your input is truly welcome!
Business Office Updates
PTA Proposals
In order to streamline projects and to make sure everyone is on the same page regarding requests and funding, please note that all proposals for PTA funding special projects MUST be pre-approved by your building principal and by me. For example, prior to the Lotus climbing wall going to PTA, Lisa Huck and Amber Mysliwiec drafted a proposal including pricing for Matt and me to see and give feedback on before talking with the PTA. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Time and Attendance
We are moving quickly to be ready to implement Frontline’s Time and ATtendance module, which will allow us to have all hourly staff clock in and out and--hopefully--eliminate all paper timesheets. More to come, but please note that, when the program launches, all hourly employees will be required to scan in and out.
Just a Reminder
Certified staff: If you have had any recent life changes (marriage, divorce, deaths, birth of children, etc.) be sure to take a few minutes to update your beneficiary information with TRS. In order to update beneficiary information you must also provide proof of birth (birthday) if you have not previously done so. There are two very simple downloadable forms that you should fax to TRS to take care of both of these items.
Curriculum Updates
Math
Goal=45 minutes per week, per student. Let’s make it happen!
PIZZA PARTY CHALLENGE---pizza for all staff when we reach 80% of students meeting the 45 minute goal!
SEL
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FOR NOVEMBER 2018
Click here to view our newsletter on our ELC Assistive Technology Website. Cheat sheets for apps/software and ELC made (upcoming) training videos are available online.
Infinitec is an Special Education and Assistive Technology Initiative that provides webinars, workshops, resources and other services to member districts. Their website not only includes a calendar of events of one day webinars and workshops, but also free archived webinars of a variety of topics for staff with any level of knowledge. Please contact Brandt Rosen (brosen@elced.org) for more information of what Infinitec has to offer.
Click here to register for a free account. For ELC member district staff and parents ONLY. When signing up, under "District/coop," be sure to type in the "Exceptional Learners' Collaborative." With an account, you can access live webinars and archived training videos for a variety of tools and topics. Please visit the MyInfinitec Online Classroom for archived webinars and earn CEUs.
FREE NOVEMBER INFINITEC WEBINARS and ONLINE TRAININGS: (click here to view all available archived webinars)
Part 1 - How to lead Ethically in a demanding environment, it isn't easy! (Archived)(Beginner)
By Jerry W. Robicheau, Ph.D. Administrative Credentialing, Studies in Doctorate in Educational Leadership Concordia University
-November 7th - 3:30-4:30 - Click here to register
Part 2 - How to lead Ethically in a demanding environment, it isn't easy! (Archived)(Beginner)
By Jerry W. Robicheau, Ph.D. Administrative Credentialing, Studies in Doctorate in Educational Leadership Concordia University
-November 8th - 3:30-4:30 - Click here to register
Visual Supports: The Next Generation (Archived)(Beginner/Intermediate)
By Dr. Joanne Cafiero, National Speaker
-November 13th - 3:30-4:30 - Click here to register
When Helping isn't Helping: The Importance of Prompt Awareness in AAC Instruction (Archived)(Beginner/Intermediate)
By Rachael Langley, MA, CCC-SLP, Reach Language, LLC
-November 14th - 3:30-4:30 - Click here to register
Navigating the Transition into Adult Services for Students with Autism (Recorded)(Beginner/Intermediate)
By Julie Collison, M.Ed., Transition Coordinator and Middle School/High School Supervisor at Monarch Center for Autism
-November 19th - 11:30-12:30 - Click here to register
Resources for All Learners: A Guided Tour of myinfinitec.org
By Jenn Skalitzky, Assistive Technology Facilitator, Infinitec
-November 27th - 11:30-12:30 - Click here to register
I Hate to Write! - More Strategies for Rescuing our Reluctant Writers (Recorded until 12/15)(Beginner/Intermediate)
By Kathy Oehler - MS, CCC-SLP & Cheryl Boucher - MSEd, OTR, National Speakers
-November 28th - 3:30-4:30 - Click here to register
Beyond 90/90/90: Developing and Supporting Seating and Positioning for Task Engagement and Task Performance by Karen Kangas, 11/27/18 at Greenbelt Cultural Center, North Chicago
Multisensory Math: Strategies for Teaching All Kinds of Learners at the Secondary Level by Marilyn Zecher, 12/6/18 at Infinitec Southwest
Multisensory Math: Strategies for Teaching All Kinds of Learners at the Secondary Level by Marilyn Zecher, 12/7/18 at Days Inn Conference Center, Rock Falls, IL
Classroom Interventions for Students with CVI by Aileen Arai and Tike Demarco, 12/12/18 at Infinitec Southwest
FREE ISBE SPONSORED WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
FUN APPS, SOFTWARE OR RESOURCES:
- Infinitec Resource Section of Website- access printable and online resources for a variety of subjects and areas of special education/assistive technology
- www.Startnet.org- Northern Region 2 website, and Chicago Region Website, With StarNet, one can attend a variety of trainings related to special education for professionals and families. Take a look!
PLEASE CONTACT BRANDT ROSEN brosen@elced.org or (224)513-6455 FOR ANY QUESTIONS OR ISSUES
Regional Assembly Delegate Election Coming November 30th
On Friday, November 30 all members can vote for the RA Delegate of their choice. Members will have an opportunity to vote at both Stanton and Lotus... stay tuned for additional details coming soon.
The Region 49 Social Media Challenge is On!
During the month of November, for every post a member likes and/or shares on Region 49 social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)... you will earn one entry into a drawing for a $50 Visa gift card... be sure to follow Region 49 so you don't miss out! I've seen lots of our local members participating... hope to see an EAFL winner, it’s not too late to start racking up those entries!
Looking for FREE CPDUs?
Go to http://ieanea.org and log into your member dashboard. From there, look for the yellow button "Online Learning Portal" on the right side of the screen that will take to a listing of all the classes available in the Learning Portal. OR you can click you name in the upper right corner which will bring up a drop down menu, from there is you select "Online Learning Portal" you will see the featured courses (be sure to use the < > arrows at the bottom of the page to see all the featured courses).
Melissa Jakstas, President
Maureen DeVoss, Vice President for Certified Staff
Chris Brown, Vice President for Non-Certified Staff
Katy Gardner, Treasurer
Betty Cwiak, Secretary
Cathy Jawnyj, Region Representative
Kendra Smeigh, Stanton School Representative
Tiffany Tardio, Lotus School Representative
*check here for documents most frequently used/requested
Please let Heather know of suggestions for any documents to add to this folder!
Blue Cross Blue Shield:
SEL Pacing Guides
Stanton:
Questions to Consider
What is our collective “WHY”?
What is your “WHY” for working in D114?
What is Your Why?
Jonathan Vander Els
Many efforts at school improvement have been stymied despite the best intentions of those involved. Once schools are in the thick of things, and the change efforts schools are engaged in begin to inevitably face challenges and the initial excitement begins to wane, schools will be faced with a decision. Do we continue to push forward, despite the difficulties we are facing, or do we go back to what we have always done and what is, in many ways, easier?
As a school principal, I was prepared for the “implementation dip.” I remember clearly listening to Dr. Rick DuFour discuss how (and when) it would happen. Sure enough, our school faced this implementation dip around 5–6 months into a substantial change that we had collectively initiated. We were beginning to utilize professional learning community structures in our school to work collaboratively, provide students with a tiered system of interventions and extensions, and focus our efforts on issues directly related to student learning, rather than adult-centered issues.
But, as many of you know, this work is not easy. The level of communication required to collaborate effectively is difficult. And the level of trust required to do this well takes time. We had neither the experience nor the depth of trust within our working relationships necessary to do this work seamlessly, and therefore, we struggled.
I remember clearly sitting in my office prior to a meeting with all staff, understanding that we had to have open conversations about these difficulties, because if we ignored them, like so many do, our original intent in making these changes would falter, and ultimately, our efforts would fail. I began the discussion by recognizing that meeting the needs of all learners is tremendously challenging, but that it was important to talk about what specifically these challenges were. The answers varied, but revolved mostly around the time needed to do this effectively, the level of communication and collaboration needed to successfully support the needs of all students, and the difficulty in formatively assessing students, with very different needs, in a way that was manageable.
I listened, and didn’t attempt to offer “answers,” but ultimately asked our staff two questions:
- Why did we decide to undertake this change in the first place?
- Can we ever go back to doing things the way we were doing them before, knowing what we know now?
The first question spoke to the lengthy discussions we had when we started our PLC work. We asked questions like, “What is it we want for all students?” and “Do we believe all students can learn at high levels?” As a staff, we worked through these questions and came to consensus on what this meant to us as a staff. We developed a vision and mission that helped us to develop norms and create SMART goals that would support our “why.” The results of these conversations became our guiding North Star.
Staff were able to recall and revisit the vision for learning we had articulated the summer before, and it seemed to get us back on course. Additionally, the answer to the second question (Can we ever go back…) was a resounding “no”. Everyone agreed that to do so would be “educational malpractice.”
Eventually, one teacher stood up and said, “I don’t know if this is going to work, but I’m going to do everything I can to help make it work.” I responded to her that this was all any of us could ask. That same teacher stood up four months later, after we had pushed through this implementation dip (it would not be the only time we faced significant challenges), and after seeing the improvement her students had made, and said, “This is the best thing we ever could have done as a school for our students.” We were on our way.
Upon reflection, I think about the importance of clearly articulating the “why.” If we had not done that as a staff, it would have been very difficult to put the challenges we were facing in perspective. In my work with schools across the country, I stress the importance of ensuring that the “why” is clear to all, so that when the inevitable challenges we face in our schools rear themselves, we are able to remember precisely why we recognized the need to change in the first place. It begins, and ends, with meeting the learning needs of every single student that comes into our classrooms.
Wednesday, November 14--Support Staff Appreciation Day!
Thursday, November 15--Board of Education Appreciation Day!
Tuesday, November 20--Board of Education meeting at Lotus, 7:00 PM
Welcome Holly Roman, new paraprofessional at Lotus!
