We get to have more kids onsite this week!!!!! 👍💖

2021 Word List---send me YOUR word if you're willing to have it added!

Thank you to all the staff members that came back from break and jumped into the CICO program! Renee Kanari, Dani McCarthy, Jamie Smeigh, Lemar Wilson, Molly Goodsite, Dan Olson, Gizelle Wells, and Laura Livesay!

Thank you to the Check-In coaches: Renee, Kanari, Lemar Wilson, Jamie Smeigh, Molly Goodsite, and Emily Armbrecht for making CICO work in your morning schedule! This program would not be working without your help!

Thank you so much to all the new volunteer CICO coaches: Trina Neukam, Rich Bressett, Michelle Serini, Samantha Maentanis and Matt Shannon! The PBIS team really appreciates you taking time out of your day to make this program work for the students.

-From Katie Jalove

Thank you to Katie Jalove for putting together the CICO information to present to staff.

and

Thank you to Samantha Maentanis for taking the lead with the PBIS Barcode presentation.

and

Thank you to Gizelle Wells for allowing me to come into your ELA class and teach a lesson - I'm so excited to be back in a classroom!!!

-From Stephanie Kaye

I want to give a shout out to the entire Lotus Staff for going over and beyond in helping our struggling students and their families. This has been an incredibly challenging year and I am so grateful to be working among a truly kind, caring and amazing family of educators <3.

-From Kim Mack

Huge shout out to Angela Morris for always being flexible and for jumping right in to join our team. We are so lucky to have you.

and

Also, huge shout out to Jenn Wenc. Those first graders are going to love you. You’re amazing for changing your schedule to help provide the best education for students. We will miss you up here in 4th!

and

Shout out to Gina Crosthwaite for being our own personal Penelope Garcia. You’re amazing.

-From Kally Kibitlewski

Here's our data from the week of January 11:

Please note that kids' time spent taking the diagnostic doesn't count in this data, so the numbers here are skewed low because of that. 💙

Our Goal:

85% of students engage for at least 30 minutes.

Reminders for the Week

Please remember that all staff are expected to report onsite starting Tuesday per the guidelines and timelines in the Hybrid Launch Plan.

And, a reminder about reporting expectations (from this document, sent 10/9/20)

All certified staff members working on site will be required to assist with supervision of students starting at 7:25 for Lotus staff and 8:10 for Stanton staff.

Classroom teachers will supervise students in their classrooms
Other certified staff members will be assigned to help with supervision around getting students from buses/cars to their classrooms

Certified staff members will keep a timesheet of additional hours worked and be paid at the rate of $34/hour for time worked.

Lotus: 7:25-7:40 should be logged
Stanton: 8:10-8:25 should be logged

Emergency Procedures--Staff

As we get ready to have WAY more staff onsite, I wanted to review emergency procedures.

If Sharon or Marc (our nurses) or any administrator makes the call that a situation is emergent and that calling 911 is the safest step, that is what is done. Once 911 is onsite, our employees can decide how to proceed. Now more than ever, we are NOT messing around with safety.

We have nurses at both sites because they have the expertise to make medical decisions, and I trust them.

Please reach out with ANY questions whatsoever.

Meals and Materials Moving Forward

Starting 1/19:

*Both kitchens open for Grab and Go and for meal service. Kitchen staff helps with meals for onsite kids, preps as needed, and assists with lunch supervision.

*Grab and Go open at Stanton 6-7:30 and Lotus 8-10 daily.

*Materials pick up using Grab and Go on Fridays at each site. Lotus materials picked up at Lotus, Stanton materials picked up at Stanton.

*Materials not picked up go in weekend boxes at each site.

*Materials not picked up over the weekend brought to each office for pick up.

*We have a list of 18 kids/9 families who cannot pick up meals and materials. We'll deliver meals to them on Wednesdays and materials to them on Fridays.

What if There's Inclement Weather?

Given the fact that we will still have students learning remotely with the Hybrid plan and we have certainly proven our capacity to teach in remote ways, should the weather get nasty, we will ALL shift to remote learning as our emergency/inclement weather plan for this winter. This is only in place until 1) we are able to have all students back on site and 2) until we draft our Remote Learning Plan specific to inclement weather in "normal" attendance conditions. The EAFL executive board and I are working in collaboration on this---it obviously has not been a priority at this point. As soon as the decision is made to call a weather-related full remote day, I'll notify everyone via email/phone call and will also post on the website. Given this, I'd encourage everyone to watch the weather and leave each day--especially if the weather seems to be getting nasty--ready to work remotely the next day. Please let me know what questions you have and we'll work through them together!

COVID Updates

Updated dashboard data 1/17/21:

The dashboard with our most current data looks like this:

Onsite COVID Testing

We have receive our CLIA number and will soon be able to provide symptomatic staff members with COVID rapid antigen testing at both schools. This is a 15 minute result screening that--if a staff member is positive--we will take a "presumptive positive" approach and have the staff member begin quarantine. This is to limit the spread and know who needs to quarantine as quickly as possible.

COVID Vaccination Updates

We are now working to organize Lake County so that both Round Lake High School and Stevenson High School open as pods for vaccinations for educators living/working in Lake County. We are working to open the week of February 1.

If you haven't already done sone, please use this link to register for the COVID-19 Vaccine is: AllVax.lakecohealth.org. Even if you don't plan to get the vaccine in the near future, please register so you are included in the Phase 1B position count. Be sure you have selected that you are an ESSENTIAL FRONTLINE WORKER. You will get an email later this week asking you to then identify as and EDUCATOR.

Employee Assistance Program

PLEASE WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR EAP PROGRAM.

Please remember that ALL employees are able to use the services in the EAP program. Any support is strictly confidential. These are DIFFICULT times, so please don't hesitate to reach out for help!!!

Two-Minute Tip: How to organize your Chrome bookmarks - LIFE SAVER!

i-Ready ️Winter️ Diagnostic

Testing Window

January 11th-February 2nd

Reminders:

✅Teacher assigned lessons will still be available to students during testing.

Webinar

Using Break Out Rooms Effectively in the Writing Classroom

Dr. Troy Hicks (@hickstro) presented ideas on how to use break out rooms effectively. Dr. Hicks challenges us not to worry or think about what meeting platform we are using, but how we want to use our breakout rooms.

http://chippewariverwp.org/2020/10/22/using-break-out-rooms-effectively-in-the-writing-classroom-session-2-of-the-crwp-2020-21-webinar-series/

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🧘‍♂️Mindfulness🧘

Check out this mindfulness choice board that can be used with students or adults. Try beginning your team meetings with one of these exercises to ground yourselves and ready your mindset.

Copy of Mindfulness Choice Board- Shared

Lotus PBIS

Matrix for remote behavior expectations

Matrix for in person behavior expectations

Discipline T-chart

Stanton

Please inform students that PBIS store purchases will need to be picked up at STANTON beginning this Friday!

COVID-19 SAFETY PROCEDURES

-Updated FAQs

-Updated Decision-Making Tree

Safety Protocols

*If you have any COVID-10 like symptoms at all or are not feeling well, please DO NOT come onsite.

If coming onsite:

*You must continue to self-certify using Skyward.

*All staff must enter through the main entrance at each site.

*You must sign in using the sign in sheet, mark that you self-certified, and take and record your temperature. IF YOU HAVE A FEVER ABOVE 100.4 YOU ARE ASKED TO LEAVE IMMEDIATELY AND REACH OUT TO YOUR PRINCIPAL AND HEATHER.

*Once Sharon/Marc are onsite, they will review the sign in sheet and cross check with the self-certification report. If anyone is NOT cleared or did NOT self-certify, they will meet with them to ensure they are safe to be onsite. If not, they'll refer that employee to Heather.

*If you arrive after Sharon/Marc are onsite, please will report to the Health Office to check in so we know you have self-certified. Your temperature will also be taken and recorded. Employees will know to do this because, when Sharon/Marc arrive, they will pick up the sign in log and put out a sign that says "Please come to the Health Office to check in".

When you come onsite, you can work in your classroom/workspace. Please feel free to use it as your own. I'd just ask that you work in that space as much as possible and not travel out much. You can, of course you can use the bathroom, lounge, copiers, etc. as needed. Please do not congregate in the hallways or in other spaces. We simply want to keep you safe.

If you are alone in your workspace and the door is closed, you may remove your mask. If anyone enters that space, everyone in the space MUST wear a mask and stay 6 ft apart at all times.

When you DO leave your room, I'd ask that you strictly follow the 4 W's to help keep yourself and others around you safe:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Wear your mask.

3. Watch your space.

4. Wait your turn.

If you are concerned that you have COVID-19 or have been exposed to COVID-19 and have been

or are scheduled to be onsite, please let your principal, and/or me know

immediately so we can partner with you for your safety and for the safety of others.

You can trust that we will keep all this information confidential, balancing staff privacy and system

safety needs.

All staff MUST wear masks AT ALL TIMES

when onsite and in public spaces.

If you are working in an office/classroom

with the door closed, you may remove your

mask. It must be worn when anyone enters

that space with you.

We are so excited to have even more kids return to school in the hybrid model this week. Best wishes to our K, 3, 5 & 8 teachers and paras. You are going to be amazing!!

Don't forget that the school board meeting is this Tuesday, January 19. We would love to see familiar faces!

CDC Guidelines for Returning to In Person Learning- feel free to check these out to familiarize yourself with procedures and guidelines to in person learning.

Take advantage of this great opportunity: All IEA members are encouraged to apply for IEA SCORE Grants! Grants for up to $1,000 are available for IEA members and their local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service or school projects. Visit the SCORE webpage for the online application and a list of previous projects for ideas. Application deadline is Jan. 18.

And finally, would you like to know more about Biden's Education Secretary Designate? Click below to learn more. Meet Dr. Miguel Cardona, Biden’s Education Secretary-designate

Maureen DeVoss, President

Melissa Jakstas, Vice President for Certified Staff

Chris Brown, Vice President for Non-Certified Staff

Katy Gardner, Treasurer

Betty Cwiak, Secretary

Cathy Jawnyj, Region Representative

Michelle Serini, Stanton School Representative

Tiffany Tardio Weber, Lotus School Representative