The Final Friday Focus - May 27, 2022

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

1. We made it!!!!

2. This email was sent from a struggling student to their teachers and other staff members. It is messages like this that make all our hard work worth it:    

 Most of you have known since freshman year. some of you have only known me for a year or two, maybe three but no matter how long you have known me. I have to say it's been a long ride but I do have to give credit where credit is due. I probably wouldn't be graduating without all the work everyone of you have put into teaching me and reminding me of stuff I have due. As my high school career comes to an end. I just wanted to say thank you to all the amazing adults I have had in my life helping me get here. I owe it to each and every one of you because without all of you I won't be graduating this friday.  

Nuts & Bolts Notes:

I will be emailing the agenda for the PD days this weekend (I'm sorry I don't have it ready yet for you!)

*Next week you have to park in the MS/HS parking lot

Tuesday, May 31st - 

*Advisors - please turn in your class list locker cleanout sheets so we know which student lockers still need to be taken care of. 

All of the following equipment must be turned in by Tuesday, May 31^st End of Day:

1. Document Camera
2. Web Camera w/Tripod
3. SuperDrives
4. Belkin iPad Keyboards
5. Logitech Mice
6. Microphones
7. Green Screen Kits
8. Bluetooth Headsets w/Charger
9. Specialty iPads (iOgrapher / Osmos / Speech)

If you need any of the above equipment for Summer School, you will still need to turn the equipment in by May 31st. The equipment can then be checked back out on Wednesday June 1^st or Thursday June 2^nd.

Just a reminder...

Certified Staff – We have yet to receive the new laptops that will be issued to you. At this time we will not be issuing new laptops on June 6^th as we had hoped. I am hopeful we will be able to start issuing new technology mid to late June. With that timeline we are expecting all currently issued  iPads and Laptops to be turned in no later than July 15. If you cannot commit to having your district issued iPad and Laptop turned into the Tech Department by July 15^th you can turn in your technology prior to you leaving for the summer. Any technology not returned by July 15^th will be issued a technology fine for the replacement costs of the devices.

End of Year stuff to complete:

*Alternative Compensation foms must be submitted to me for approval. I will then print it out for you to sign and return. 

*Grades due by NOON on Thursday. 

*Any purchase reqs for next year need to be turned in to me. 

*Submit extra duty forms. 

The Final Countdown Friday Focus!

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:
*Many of our seniors were awarded scholarships on Wednesday night. It is incredible to see such great kids with strong academics, athletics and citizenship.  We truly are lucky to have such support from our community organizations to support our seniors off to college after all of their years of support from you!

*I've seen several end of semester projects for students demonstrating their learning in different ways: published pieces of writing, posters, videos, and presentations. It is great to see such high engagement in your rooms at the end of the year, which only happens with great planning and maintaining consistency in your classrooms to keep the engagement! 

*Staff rallying around students who need the extra support (and kick in the pants) to finish the year with success, whether it is to make sure they get to walk across the graduation stage or just pass classes to not have to come to summer school. Thank you for helping to support students through to the end!

*I really appreciate the problem-solving/idea-generating conversations to be prepared for the final week and starting planning for next year!

Upcoming Events:

Wednesday - MS/HS Faculty Meeting

Thursday - last day for seniors (and they need to turn in iPads 8th hour)

-ms students turn in ipads 6th hour

Friday - 9-11th grades turn in iPads 8th hour

9:30 HS Graduation Rehearsal

THE HELP OF EVERYONE IS NEEDED AT DISMISSAL!!! Please check this document to see where we need you to go to help supervise.

6:00 PM Graduation :)

Week of May 31

Monday - Memorial Day parades in our communities with our hs band participating :)

Tuesday- Packing Day for HS teachers

 8:30AM MS proactive behavior planning meeting

Wednesday/Thursday - Target Based Professional Learning/Target based curriculum work time -schedule to be shared with you next week

Thursday - 8:30 in IMC High School IEB brainstorming discussion to plan for next year

-Grades due by noon

"Nuts & Bolts" Notes:

Middle School Last week details

*As students are cleaning out lockers, there will be bins for any supplies that can be donated to the Purple Purpose room. As you are cleaning (at school or home!) and have clothes or supplies in good condition, the NHS will gladly take your donations for Purple Purpose.

*If you need to review the end of year iPad procedures with students in your advisory, the slides are HERE.

*Any additional tech checked out by students must be turned in to the library (keyboards, hotspots, mice)

*It is SO important that teachers check when students are turning in ipads/blocks/cords and check off/initial their label.  Our awesome tech team begins going through these right away and we do send bills to students/parents.  If a student brings something to you after everything is collected, send them to the Tech Department.  Thank you so much for your help with this!

*Classroom tech equipment needs to be turned into the IMC by May 31 (i.e. doc cameras, tripods/web cameras, superdrives, belkin ipad keyboards, bluetooth headset/charger, etc.)
*Staff iPads/Laptops must be turned in by 7/1/22 for Certified staff. Support staff must turn in technology by 5/27/22.

Getting on my soapbox:

*Something I've heard this week is "kids probably won't be here the last day." I have heard this too and it's partnered with "nothing happens the last day."  Remember how much you planned for the first day of school to hook them in? What are you planning for the last day in their classrooms so they can't wait to come back after summer?  If you have nothing planned, then you're perpetuating the idea that nothing happens the last day and there's no reason to come. 

How to Keep Students Engaged at the End of the School Year

4 Meaningful Activities to Mark the end of the School Year

Sponge Activites at End of School Year. - A fun one on this list that stands out to me is 7)Philosophical Chairs Debate, 

Dates to keep on your calendar:

August 15 Dodgeland Summit
August 28, 1:00 - 3:00 Building Celebration and Tour

Friday Focus - May 13, 2022

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

*Our students' musical talents were incredible at both the middle and high school concerts this week. Kudos to Mr. Muenchow and Mr. Robinson for all of their hard work and preparation with students to be ready for two great nights of music!
*Several of our middle school students (who call themselves the Dodgeland Student Association) have been hard at work with passion and excitement to elicit student feedback to have some student-led changes to come next year. Thank you Mrs. Schulte for leading this.  They are also excited to help transition 5th graders to get ready for middle school!
*Our NHS students have been great recruiters to fill up the calendar for the blood drive. 
*Our seniors voted on their class gift to purchase a banner for inside the high school that reads: "Individuality makes us different, respect brings us together." What a great motto!

Upcoming Events:

Today - Neon Dance after school for middle school students

Wednesday - High School Faculty meeting (last week planning!)
 7:00 PM Senior Scholarship and Awards night (all are welcome to attend)

Thursday - Mr. Sterling's last day with us
3:15 - additional MS meeting to finalize plans for the last day of school (this wasn't on our calendar, but I know there's still a lot of details to plan!)

*While I want to announce our new principal, I still need to wait until after the board meeting. 

*Do you have your calendar marked for the August 15th Dodgeland Summit? This year we will also kick off our day of learning with a keynote by Keith Mountain on Rethinking Technology Through Engagement at Any Age. 

*Next Week's IEB/Advisory Doc is HERE

Reminders as you're preparing for summer:
* Middle School classrooms will be used for Summer School.
*High School staff will not have access to high school classrooms after May 31st.  If your room is getting windows for the skylights, all your cupboards will have to be packed up. That day will be for packing/cleaning. We will be in the IMC together on June 1st for PD/target based work.
*Classroom tech equipment needs to be turned into the IMC by May 31 (i.e. doc cameras, tripods/web cameras, superdrives, belkin ipad keyboards, bluetooth headset/charger, etc.)
*Staff iPads/Laptops must be turned in by 7/1/22 for Certified staff. Support staff must turn in technology by 5/27/22.

Friday Focus - May 6, 2022

 

Great Things I Noticed this Week:

*We recognized over 80 students at the Juneau Lions Paideia on Wednesday night. Since COVID started around this time in my first year, this is the first time I got to be a part of this event. It was so great to be together with our high achieving students and their parents to celebrate their accomplishments. Our students in attendance got to hear an incredibly inspiring message from Dodgeland alumni Christine Kjornes (Yes, relative of our current Kjorneses) about her zig zagging journey after high school.  Note to the ACP committee -we need to have her join our alumni panel next year!
*Sophomores highly engaged in reading the Julius Caesar script, excited to act out certain scenes. Even the students who don't like reading or literature were excited about it!
*I heard students return from AP testing eager to tell their teachers what was easy, what was hard, how they think they did. 
*ACT Aspire testing is DONE! Thank you to those of you who let me pull students out of your classes to get caught up on all the makeups. That's a wrap for all forms of state testing! (Although Mr. Sterling is still proctoring AP exams)

Upcoming Events:
Saturday - PROM :)
Monday - EP Support time in the IMC after school - no training, just a dedicated space/time if you need it and I'll be there to answer any questions you may have on the Documentation Log or the Alternative Compensation form. 
Middle School Music Concert at 7:00PM

Tuesday - Our new counselor, Mrs. Buss, will be here for the day. Please introduce yourself and welcome her to Dodgeland!
High School Music Concert at 7:00PM

Wednesday - MS Faculty meeting (planning for the last week!)

Wednesday, May 18th - 7:00PM Senior Scholarships & Awards Program (all are welcome to attend!)

Nuts & Bolts:

*Just a reminder that next Wednesday's advisory time is for preparing students' iPads for end of the year turn in.  Review the slides of this slidedeck before Wednesday so you have time to ask any questions to be ready to lead your students. 
*The IEB/Advisory doc for next week can be found HERE.

Blogs, Quotes & Tweets:

*Suceed in (Don't Just Survive) the Last Days of School