Amy, our ARC coach, gave us the goal to have power goals identified for 30% of our population by Friday and we have identified power goals for 87% of our students!!! Wahoooooo! Well done, Lotus!
and
Shout out to Morgan Figel! Morgan’s extraordinary ability to remain patient in crisis coupled with her consistency and kindness has made such a positive impact on our most complex kiddos. We are all so lucky to have you!
and
Huge kudos to all K-4 teachers for hosting two different ELA/ARC learning walks! The most exciting part of the experience was how engaged students were in reading and writing and how much fun everyone seemed to have. Thank you all for your commitment, dedication, and willingness to be vulnerable.
Huge kudos to all K-4 teachers for hosting two different ELA/ARC learning walks! The most exciting part of the experience was how engaged students were in reading and writing and how much fun everyone seemed to have. Thank you all for your commitment, dedication, and willingness to be vulnerable.
and
Thank you, Amber Mysliwiec, for just being YOU! Amber has such a great attitude and is willing to do anything for anyone. She’s also willing to try new things and does an outstanding job incorporating grade level content into P.E
-From Erica Barraza
Mike Fefferman, Melanie Schlesser, and Lisa Amposta for helping with extra bus supervision daily.
and
Thank you to Melanie Schlesser for helping with an extra prek friend in the am!
and
Sue and Paula for labeling all of the testing kits on a moment's notice and always making sure things are organized and ready to go.and
Linda for distributing all of the testing kits to every classroom.
and
Thank you to Sonia Miller for helping get food out to a family in need!
and
4th Grade Team for having admin from both buildings join ELA block to learn and understand ARC from the student perspective. THANK YOU!
-From Natalie Udstuen
To the third grade team: What a wonderful way to start the year! Thank you for being so flexible, so ready to jump in and fabulous at making such a positive impact on this group of kids. We really have become a well oiled machine, ready to pivot on a dime! Thank you!
and
When I say third grade team that includes Victoria Miller! Victoria comes into my room to help several days a week for approximately an hour. Her expertise with technology and the students is priceless. Again, such a smooth transition into the room and such an easy time teaching together. I appreciate every moment she is in the room!
and
Mike S. -- I have stopped him in the hallway more than I can count in order to help with technology...it could be the kids, me or even to move out desktop computers. His customer service is swift and spectacular. Big thanks to Mike!
and
Kim Jacobs-Leable....Thank you so much for helping me with my ESL friends. You are welcome in the room anytime/all the time!! You have a wonderful way of getting kids focused and getting them working hard. Thanks so much!
-From Theresa Kovach
I wanted to send a kudos to Erica Barraza:
Thank you for always being so willing to help and meet with me to go over any questions I have!
Thank you for having lunch with me today and walking me through getting my small groups started and reminding me to cut myself some slack!
You are amazing and I’m so grateful to get to work with you!
-From Vicki Alper
Kudos to Liz Anderson for being so flexible in FLEX while teaching Second Step. She had the students read video captions when the sound would not work on the video. Students were really engaged and following along with the text on the screen. Way to "just go with it" and make it work!
and
Kudos to Dani McCarthy for always being willing to try something new when it comes to her students. She never gives up until she finds something that works.
Kudos to Dani McCarthy for always being willing to try something new when it comes to her students. She never gives up until she finds something that works.
and
Kudos to Scott Donovan for constantly believing in and pushing his students to reach their potential and do their best.
Kudos to Scott Donovan for constantly believing in and pushing his students to reach their potential and do their best.
and
Kudos to Makaila House for striving to do what's best for her students' success. She is constantly planning and thinking ahead on how to best meet her students' needs.
Kudos to Makaila House for striving to do what's best for her students' success. She is constantly planning and thinking ahead on how to best meet her students' needs.
-From Stephanie Kaye
I wanted to send a quick Kudos to Stephanie Kaye for taking the time to create a spelling kahoot for the spelling words in the 5th grade. It was a great day to engage and have fun with the kids.
-Liz Andersen
Thanks!
-Dani McCarthy
Kudos to Amanda Lorenz for making me some ABC folders for some of my students! Thank you so much!
-From Kim Leable
Thank you to Cathy Jawnyj for joining my class one period a week! I appreciate you, your contributions and having another set of eyes! Along the same lines, thanks to Maddie Hansen and Bryan Bailey. You both make FLEX, 7th and 8th hours run more smoothly each and every day!
and
Thank you to Rachelle Peters for responding quickly and pleasantly to e-mails and texts about MAP testing, study hall, timesheets, sick days and subs, etc. I'm surprised you haven't changed your phone number.
-Liz AndersenTo our Para Squad for welcoming our students every morning and for their extra supervision at the end of the day.
and
My office mates!! Jill, Michele, Lora, David, and Rachelle - a well-oiled machine!! The way we support one another is admirable.
and
The GCHS bus drivers that got our CC team to their meets last week.
-From Jeff Sefcik
Kudos to Ryan Hochman for stepping in and helping me with a student who was having a difficult time getting back to class. I appreciate it!
-From Katy Gardner
Thank you to Nicole Mild for sharing the BIG news of Kinders sustaining reading for 14 minutes. I appreciate how you knew I needed good news at that moment and shared this smiley news with me.
-From Heather
Please send me KUDOS to give shout outs to colleagues! I LOVE to put them in the Monday Memo! 🎉
Wellness Screenings
Empower Health Services will be at Lotus on Friday, October 15, 2021 from 6:30 - 9:30AM
The wellness screenings will consist of three components:
- The Core-Screening package (see attached for more information)
- Seasonal Flu Shot
- Additional Test Options
Registration is now open! Please follow these steps to sign up:
- Visit the Empower Health website by clicking here.
- Returning Participants: Enter your Member Login information in the left box. If you forgot your username and/or password, click "Forgot your login"
- New Participants: In the New Program Registration box, create an account by entering our Client Code: foxlake114
We are planning for the move out of our old furniture and the move in of the new furniture at both sites over Winter Break. As you can imagine, this will be a BIG task and we'll need some help!
When: Monday, December 20
Time: 7:00AM-appx 3:00 PM
Our fabulous custodial crew will be onsite, but if you're willing to be part of this effort, we will pay $15/hour to those who are willing to help make the plan happen.
Let me know if you are interested!
Also:
*Staff will have paid time to take things out of desks/get ready for the move out.
*Staff have get paid time to set rooms back up.
*Supply money deadlines will be extended through the furniture installation in case you need new stuff for your rooms with the new set ups.
*Details on all the above will be finalized once we have a confirmed final plan for the furniture move.
Suggestions and questions are welcome!
Surveillance Testing Logistics--effective 9/21/21
THANK YOU to everyone for a very, very smooth first week of testing. YOU are appreciated!
If you are opting in for testing but have tested COVID+ in the last 90 days, you may want to consider NOT testing at this time, as results may still indicate the presence of COVID-19. If you are a mandated tester, you still must test but, if needed, we will partner with you to review prior positive results with the Health Department to see what next steps will be.
Students
Students are given their pre-labeled kit each Monday (PreK) or Tuesday.Students return the samples on Wednesday upon arrival.
Staff
Staff come to the Nurse’s Office to pick up their kit and label each Tuesday starting THIS TUESDAY, September 21, 2021.Staff can leave their sample on Tuesday or can take it home and return it on Wednesday. NOTE: a few staff members have requested spit tests instead of swab tests. We have met these requests, and the nurses know who has requested the saliva test. WE CAN NO LONGER MEET REQUESTS FOR SALIVA TESTS.
Any employee who must test and who doesn’t pick up their label and kit OR provide an outside negative test will be contacted individually by the nurses to remind them to test each Tuesday at the end of the day.
If any unvaccinated employee (mandated tester) don’t submit a sample time/negative test by the time the samples are picked up on Wednesday (appx 9:00 AM), the nurse notifies Maddie Mercado and she will follow up with the employee individually to notify them that they must take a Binex test OR submit an outside test result by that Friday (or the last attendance day of that same school week) at the end of the day.
If any employee does not comply, due process will be followed and disciplinary action may be taken in compliance with the EAFL/D114 contract.
Current Local COVID Data
D114 Internal Data
9/24/21--Click here for Daily D114 COVID data.
CDC thresholds and local data for Lake County
D114 Local Zip Codes Data from Northwestern University COVID Dashboard--ALL DATA INCLUDES ACTUAL AND PROBABLE CASES!
Teaching & Learning
-September’s iReady Goals
Be thinking about how you can encourage your students to create goals around
proficiency rather than time on task. Try this: Set a classroom goal and support all
students to reach that goal by working together and cheering each other on.
Be present and walk around when students are working on iReady paths. Check their
lessons and time on task. If you see yellow or red flags, check in with students on
these lessons. Flags are an indication that they need some reteaching with a teacher.
-September’s Formative Assessment (updated bi-weekly)
Four Corners: Encourage physical activity while gauging general student comprehension through
this aptly-named exercise.
Relationships Matter
-Building Relationships
Building relationships with students is by far the most important thing a teacher can do.
Check out this section weekly for community/team builders and tips on how to create a trauma
informed, culturally
responsive environment that is equitable for all.
- Here are TEN tips this week for building relationships and
setting your classroom culture!
-Community Builder:
Meet Me In The Middle:
Students are paired with a partner. Partners stand on opposite sides
of the classroom (or hallway) facing each other, one on one.
1. Call out an activity to do. Students walk to the center and meet
their partner to do the activity.
2. After completing the activity, students turn & walk back to their
original places.
3. Add 1 activity each time. For example: 1st time - meet partner in
the middle and do a right handed high five. 2nd time - right-handed
high five, add left-handed high five. 3rd time - right-handed high five,
left-handed high five, call out favorite physical activity.
4. Add more of the activities: left-handed low five, over the top (back
to back), shoot through legs (back to back), right shoe sole, left shoe
sole, curl-up five.
-Weekly Cheer/Silly Sport/Brain Break:
September 29 @ 2:00 PM
Don't forget....Union Articulation will be on Wednesday, September 29 @ 2:00 @ Stanton. We are excited to get together and let you know the latest union news and information.
Please note: due to dismissal of Stanton students, please arrive at Stanton before 1:30PM or after 1:45 PM. This will allow the busses and walkers to leave the school before Lotus Staff arrives and will keep the parking lot congestion to a minimum.
We are offering a hybrid option for this meeting for anyone who is uncomfortable attending in person. However, we would really encourage everyone to be there in person. There will be a treat for our in person attendees!
Here is a great way to honor a special Support Professional in your life:
2022 Education Support Professional of the Year: The IEA ESP of the Year award is meant to emphasize the contributions of education support professionals to their schools, their association and their communities. Deadline to submit nominations is Dec. 15. Only online nomination forms will be accepted.
SCORE Grants –The purpose of SCORE is to encourage early career members (1-10 years as an educator) and their local associations to collaborate and create opportunities for community service projects for school projects. A list of previous winners and the application can be found at www.ieanea.org/score
Ongoing Trauma Informed/ACEs training throughout the year through IEA. Typically training lasts anywhere from 1-3 days. Stay tuned for more information. For more information about ACEs and Trauma Informed Systems: https://ieanea.org/resources/
Check out the IEA Teaching and Learning Portal on the IEA website for FREE clock hours on your own time! It is found on the IEA Members Only section of www.ieanea.org.
Lotus Updates!
PBIS points are meant to be given in response to positive behavior that occurs at any time. Our purpose is to elicit consistent student behavior by recognizing individual moments when they occur. When verbal praise/encouragement is missed in the moment, teachers should enter comments to coincide with points. 1. For parents logging in with QR Code issues: The PARENT APP must be downloaded first. Please direct them to: Jessica Urban, Kim Van Hoorelbeke, Cortnee Snell or Emily Welsh for further assistance.
2. Did you know you can generate your own classroom Reward Store? Super easy just go to the store once you're logged and then click add. Name and create. :)
THANKS EVERYONE!!!!!!!
Stanton Updates!
Creating groups:
In the web version of PBIS Rewards, from the home screen you will see a "Groups" tab in the left toolbar. Upon clicking it, you can add individual students to a group. Doing this will allow you to distribute PBIS rewards quickly across a number of students.Why do this?
- Encourage positive group behaviors during classroom activities.
- Reward all students quickly that sit at the same table or desk clump.
- Reward an entire class for being on time or cleaning the classroom properly.
September 29--EAFL Articulation Meeting--see agenda and meeting details above
October 8--Staff Institute Day
October 11--No School--Columbus Day
October 12--Board of Education Meeting
Link to D114 Business Office Share Folder
*check here for documents most frequently used/requested
Please let Heather know of suggestions for any documents to add to this
folder!
Enjoy the week!
Heather
