Monday Morning Memo: Monday Morning Memo 10/10/22

For all those who do Medicaid billing, this is your reminder to do it! We need you to please stay on top of this!!! THANK YOU!!!! 😁

If you have no idea what this means...you don't have to do it! YAY!!!!

I want to say thank you to Sue Pinkawa and Paula Kvacik for helping one of my students this week. When I went to pick her up from her classroom for reading, she was crying because her very special stuffed snake, that was given to her by her father, had an eye that had fallen off. Sue and Paula came to the rescue and helped to put the eye back on the snake. If that wasn’t kind enough…Sue even sewed up the hole in the snake.This above and beyond work that they do is so appreciated and essential. This brightened the student's day, and it helped her to be ready to learn. On the way back to class, she said " Since they were kind to me, I am going to be kind to someone else today!" Isn't that the best! It does take the whole D114 team to support our students and to help them grow as learners and people.

-From Joan Kantenwein (Reading Specialist at Lotus)

Thanks, as always, to the wonderful Lotus Kitchen Staff! You continue to prepare and serve us delicious breakfasts and lunches. You're all appreciated!

and

Thank you, also, to Emilly Reczek, Abbey Kadera and Alana Carlson for meeting together to support a student. Alana, your ideas were invaluable.

Mary Santi (Second and Third Grade Case Manager)

Kudos to the amazing Lotus and Stanton Kitchen Staff for one more amazing service for Teacher Institute Day.

Never stop shining your light girls, you brighten up the cafeterias every day.

Thank you for all yo do.

Much love.

From Georgette Franco (Food Services Coordinator)

Thanks to everyone for making the Day of Service happen at full-ish steam again and for an amazing Institute Day! I'm so proud to work with you!!!

-From Heather (Your very grateful and blessed Superintendent)

Please send me your kudos for colleagues each week! I'll happily post them in this section!

Here's a link to all the ideas gathered for the HOW and WHY of the Friz 5...I'll keep adding as great ideas come forward.

Based on the feedback on the Jot Thoughts exit slips from both sites, it seems that engagement strategies are a place we want to continue to GROW. I loved seeing all the GLOWS about Personal Greetings at the Door!!!

Let's think back to the session that I got to lead with everyone. There were very purposeful engagement strategies used:

Lotus--Natalie did a Stand Up, Hand Up, Pair Up check in with you using the emojis.
4 Corners discussion groups--when you moved to Compass Points. This can work if you put up 4 different questions/ideas and ask students to move to a corner to focus on that question/idea. You can keep kids moving around the corners or stay in one place like we did.
Rally Robin--when you did the back and forth brainstorming on the 5 questions I gave you. This is a GREAT review strategy when you're asking students to recall key information or quickly brainstorm ideas.
Collaborative Writing--when you worked in small clusters to come to consensus on what's easy for you in the Friz 5 and what's challenging. This works for anything where you want kids to work together on a task.
Stay and Stray--when two members of your cluster left to learn with another group and two stayed, then we flipped it. This is a fabulous way for kids to share learning and then learn from others. This is a great option to consider instead of students presenting one at a time for the class. I also gave you a structure with starter phrases to give positive feedback.

We'll keep building these into our work together and allow time for you to think about how you could use the strategies!

Here are links to the slide decks I used on Friday.

Lotus Friz 5 Review

Stanton Friz 5/Engagement Review

Specials/Exploratories/Wellness Discussions

Thanks to everyone for engaging in the learning on Friday and for your honest reflection. I loved reading the jot thoughts and really appreciate your input. I also truly appreciate how everyone is doing your best to bring the Friz 5 to life. It's great for our kids!!!

OCTOBER WELLNESS CALENDAR

Thanks to Laura Livesay and Matt Shannon for putting together this October Wellness Calendar and for letting me share it with everyone!

National School Lunch Week!

This week kicks off National School Lunch Week! This year's theme from the National School Lunch Program is: Peace, Love, & School Lunch! It's the 1970's baby!!!

Ongoing: starting this week and running through October 11th, is a COLORING CONTEST!

Starting 10/11-10/14 - there will be some fun game sheets on the tables at lunch for students to do while eating / if they don't go out for recess, and maybe even taste-testing new menu items at lunch!

Friday 10/14 - bring on your tie-dye and hippie outfits!!! Let's support the 75 years that National School Lunches have been around!

WELLNESS SCREENINGS!

It's time for our annual Wellness Screening Event through NIHIP!

Empower Health Services will be at Lotus on Friday, October 14, 2022 from 6:30am - 10:30am. The event is available to ALL staff.

The wellness screenings will consist of three components:

The Screening package (see attached for more information)
Seasonal Flu Shot
Additional Test Options

Screening package and Flu Shots are available at NO COST to employees and spouses on any district health plan.

Additional test options are available and covered for all BCBS PPO members and on a self-pay basis for all BCBS HMO members.

Employees and spouses not on the district's insurance plan can also participate on a self-pay basis.

For those only interested in the Seasonal Flu Shot, you must register online and select the "Flu Only" option when creating an appointment . Flu Shots will only be provided to those with an appointment.

Registration is now open! Please follow these steps to sign up:

Visit the Empower Health website by clicking here
All participants must create a new account
Complete "New User" fields and enter
client code: foxlakedist114EHS

Flyers will be posted in the lounge at each building.

Please reach out to Maddie Mercado if you have any questions or concerns.

WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO HOLD THESE AT STANTON NEXT YEAR!!!!

Found this great article this week about the importance of sharing learning targets (academic and SEL) with kids! Check it out if time permits!!!

Thanks to everyone for your feedback! Erica and Stephanie are sending out Lotus- and Stanton-specific supports, but I'll also post the link to a folder containing them all here so they are easy to find, everyone can see everything, and you're reminded to check them out!

EAFL T-Shirts should be in soon! Please join us for our next EAFL Spirit Day on Tuesday, October 11. Then stop on by the school board meeting @ 7:30 PM!

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

The NEA will be hosting national PSLF webinars on Oct. 11 and Oct. 18 from 6 to 7 p.m. Experts on the topic will help members understand all they need to know about the process and what they need to get done before deadlines hit. Please register here.

Grants up to $1,000

Schools and Community Outreach by Educators (SCORE) 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. Apply by Jan. 15!

California Casualty’s Thomas R. Brown Athletics Grant program is back and will award $1,000 grants for school athletics programs. Apply by Jan. 15!

Interested in learning more about our region? Check out the Region 49 Newsletter!