February 1 - 5

  D.C. Everest Senior High School Staff Update

Weekly Happenings

I am so proud of the work we accomplished over the first semester.  There have been plenty of challenges, but I fully believe that as an organization we are doing our best for our students and community.  Thank you for making it through the first semester, adapting to the changing landscape, and maintaining a positive and supportive demeanor with our students!  I'm looking forward to a successful second semester!  A few pictures from over the semester below courtesy of Audrey Kemp!

This weekend we hosted many home sporting events including the regional wrestling meet. A big shout out to Jim Sekel, Nicki Bolen, individual sport coaches, and everyone who had a hand in pulling this weekend off. These events take a considerable amount of more work when factoring in Covid protocols.  A few pictures below from Audrey Kemp who also attended all the events to take pictures!

Two cool alumni stories this week.

First Matt Schafer and Cole Abt had a signing ceremony as they enter their career as carpenters with Findorff construction.  Aaron Hoffman and Chad Pernsteiner were invited to participate!

Also, great story on Maggie Plaza from WSAW this weekend!  Link Here

Curriculum and Instruction

8 Quick Checks for Understanding

Formative assessment is a proven technique for improving student learning, and the strategies shared here by Jay McTighe work both in the classroom and remotely.

By Jay McTighe
January 28, 2021

Using formative assessments designed to check for understanding and provide students with feedback and support is one of the most effective ways to improve and enhance student learning. Yet because of the need to cover large amounts of information and develop many skills, teachers may not take time checking to make sure students understand a concept or can effectively apply a skill, and, if they don’t, figuring out ways to improve their learning.

Thankfully, there are practical, proven formative assessment techniques that teachers can use as a quick “pulse check” to gauge students’ understanding. The eight techniques here can be applied across grades and subject areas in virtual, hybrid, and in-person learning environments.

The results of these checks should not be graded since the purpose of formative assessment techniques is to obtain feedback to use in improving teaching and learning, not to evaluate learning. It’s important that students understand the purposes of these techniques, that mistakes are OK—and even expected—and that they will not be graded on their responses.

1. SIGNAL IT

Ask students to display a designated hand signal to indicate their degree of confidence in their understanding of a concept, principle, or process. For example:

• Thumbs up: I understand _____ and can explain it in my own words.
• Wave hand: I’m not completely sure about _____ and doubt I could explain it.
• Thumbs down: I don’t yet understand _____ and cannot explain it.

Self-assessment and self-reporting can be unreliable, so use a random calling technique to periodically select students with their thumbs up (e.g., pull names out of a bowl) and ask them to explain.

In virtual learning environments, students can signal on camera or post designated emojis to signal their understanding levels.

2. CHOOSE IT

Present students with a few binary-choice statements or questions containing an understanding or a common misconception and have them select a response (e.g., True or False, Agree or Disagree) and share it via a whiteboard, cell phone app, or hand signal (e.g., thumbs up or down). This efficient technique is particularly effective to use in checking students’ prior knowledge or potential misconceptions before beginning new instruction.

Here are a couple of “choosing” formats with examples:

• True/False: When dropped from the same height, a bowling ball will land before a marble.
• Agree/Disagree: Is this an example of alliteration?

In virtual learning environments, students can use the chatbox feature to record their choices or respond to a poll.

3. PICTURE IT

Visual representations, such as graphic organizers and concept maps, are widely used to enhance learning, and can also be used as formative assessments. Have students create a visual or symbolic representation (e.g., a graphic organizer, web, or concept map) of information and abstract concepts and then be prepared to explain their graphic. Picturing techniques are especially useful to see if students understand how various concepts or elements of a process are related.

Examples:

• Draw a visual web of factors affecting plant growth.
• Develop a concept map to illustrate how a bill becomes a law.
• Create a story map or sequence diagram showing the major events in the story.

In virtual learning environments, students can post their visuals on a Google slide or Pinterest board, or in Nearpod or Jamboard.

4. TROUBLESHOOT IT

One of the most efficient and effective quick checks for understanding involves troubleshooting. Present students with a common misconception or a frequent procedural error. See if they can:

1. Identify the flaw or error, and (even better)
2. Correct it.

Their responses will provide a quick check of the depth of their understanding.

Examples:

• Present a rough draft of writing and ask students to serve as an editor to mark compositional and grammatical errors.
• Have students review work on a multistep word problem to identify computational mistakes and reasoning errors, and correct them.
• In a photography class, show photos reflecting common compositional errors or flawed exposure or lighting, and have students recommend needed corrections using photo editing software.

5. SUMMARIZE IT

Having students regularly summarize what they are learning is not only an effective means of helping them increase comprehension and retention of new material, it can also provide teachers with insight into whether students are really grasping important ideas.

Here are a few examples of this technique:

• Compose a tweet in 280 characters or less answering the question: What is the big idea that you have learned about _____?
• Record a one-minute podcast or vodcast using an app on a smartphone or tablet to summarize the key concepts from one or more lessons.
• Prepare a weekly letter to your teacher (or parents) summarizing something that you now understand as a result of your learning during the past week.

Khan Academy has helpful videos on summarizing nonfiction texts and fiction texts.

6. APPLY IT

Understanding is revealed when students can transfer their learning to new situations. Accordingly, one of the best checks for understanding is to see if students can apply material in a somewhat novel context. This technique includes asking students to find or create new and novel examples to illustrate a newly learned concept.

Here are some examples:

• Create a “real life” word problem to see if other students understand how to calculate surface area.
• Locate a news article or blog post that presents an example of the tension between individual rights and the common good.
• Find examples of symmetry somewhere in our school or on the playground.

7. TEACH IT

This is a more involved, but valuable, formative assessment technique. Ask students to teach a new concept or skill to someone else—a new student, a student who has just returned from absence, or a younger child. You’ll be able to gauge their degree of understanding as you review or observe their lesson. Here are two examples:

• Develop a five-minute lesson to teach a younger student about how supply and demand can affect the price of things. Use one or more specific examples that we have not discussed.
• Your friend has been absent and missed the last two lessons where you learned about community helpers. Draw a picture of at least five helpers in our community to help them understand the concept of a community helper.

In virtual learning environments, students can record a lesson using a laptop, tablet, or cell phone camera.

8. ANALOGIZE IT

A more sophisticated technique invites students to develop an analogy or metaphor to illustrate a newly learned concept or skill. The effectiveness of their explanatory analogy or metaphor can give you insight into their understanding. However, be cautious when interpreting student responses to this technique—a student may very well understand a concept but be unable to generate an appropriate analogy. Asking students to explain their analogies will give you further insight into their understanding.

Here’s a prompt for students: A _____ is like a _____ because _____.

Examples:

• A fraction is a part of a whole like a wheel is a part of a bicycle.
• Formative assessment is like tasting a meal while you’re cooking because it provides feedback that a cook can use to make adjustments to improve the meal.

Students can also create visual analogies (combining techniques 3 and 8). In virtual learning environments, students can post their analogies and metaphors in a chat box or on a Google slide or Pinterest board.

Note: Several of these techniques (especially 1, 2, 5, and 8) can be naturally used in conjunction with another popular formative assessment technique—an exit card—given to students at the end of a class period or end of the school day.

While these techniques can provide valuable information about the effectiveness of teaching and the quality of students’ learning, they’re not ends in themselves. Instead, they should be seen as the first step in a “feedback cycle.” The next step is to act on that feedback—reteaching something that many students failed to learn; correcting misconceptions that may be revealed; and/or providing scaffolded support to students who need it. Moreover, when students are given feedback, they must also be given opportunities to use it, such as revising their work, practicing the skill, or correcting errors. (Getting feedback without a chance to use it is like eating without digesting!) Then, the formative assessment cycle reboots as revisions can be assessed again, with progress noted and new learning goals set.

Announcements/Week Ahead

Teacher Locator for Semester 2 - The teacher locator for semester 2 has been updated, thank you Philena. Here is a link so that you can see your schedule and let Dawn know if something needs to be changed. It is a read-only link so please send all updates to Dawn Seehafer. On the bottom of the "Art/Business" sheet it shows PLCs, EVA teachers, and team-taught class information. Here is the link Staff Locator SEM 1&2 2020-2021

Friday, February 26th - This date has been deemed to be a day off for all employees. There are no professional expectations for any employee on this day - enjoy the long weekend!

Junior ACT Testing - Yes, it is that time of year again. Materials will be delivered the week of February 8th and the first teacher meetings start Monday, February 15th. More information will follow soon.

Any “I- Incomplete,” that was issued for the first semester will be changed to an “F” on Friday, Feb. 5th after 12:00. Please make sure you notify Melissa of the name of the student, name of the course, section number, any comments, and updated grade by Friday, Feb. 5th. Grades will be posted on the transcript Friday, Feb. 5th in the afternoon.

Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for Fall 2021 are due to counselors by Monday, February 1st.  This is a change as the applications must be approved during the February Board meeting. Please remind any of your students you know that were planning on filling out an application.

Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 25th - Conferences on February 25th will be from 3-6:30 p.m. through WebEx or phone call.  There will not be an early release on this day. Teachers will have an additional 3 hours for parent-teacher contact from March 1 - 10.  Contact refers to Webex, phone calls, or emails.  We have chosen not to schedule these hours to increase the flexibility for both faculty and parents.

Semester 2 Cohort A & B Schedule Updated - Since there will not be an early release day on February 25th, it will be a normal Cohort B all day schedule.  We will not have an altered schedule.  Here is a new copy 2020-21 Updated Semester 2 Cohort A & B Schedule

Important Dates, February:

1             Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for are due to counselors, BLT, 2:50pm

5             SH Flex Friday/Teacher Work Day

6-7          Mock Trial Virtual Competition

10-11      Yearbook Group Photos

10.          BLT at 2:50

12           Secretary PLC Mtg, 9-10am

15           ACT Accommodation Mtg, 2:50am - details coming

16           ACT Accommodation Mtg, 7am - details coming

16           ACT Meeting, 2:50pm (for all teachers/aides other than accommodations) - details coming

17           ACT Meeting, 7am (for all teacher/aides other than those testing accommodations) - details coming

17           Virtual Faculty Meeting, 2:50pm

January 25 - 29

  D.C. Everest Senior High School Staff Update

Weekly Happenings

I want to take a moment to send a HUGE thank you to Holly Hartwig! Holly is completing her second long-term substitute position for us this year.  We are lucky Holly was willing to help us out in F/CS and Math!  If you see her around subbing please say thank you!!!

I would also like to say thank you to Renee Bucholz! Renee filled in early for us in English when our numbers got way too high!  We are very thankful Renee was willing to come back to help us out!

I would like to welcome Caitlyn Filtz, our new Math teacher to the building! If you get a chance to swing by Caitlyn please give her a Hello and a Welcome!  

Lastly, welcome back Kathryn Larson! Kathryn is rejoining us for this semester from the Middle School. We are happy to have her back!  

Please Offer congratulations to the following students for their participation in DECA's District Career Development Conference held this month. 

In the Business Finance series: Mike Brierton earned two medals and placed 1st overall in this series. 

In the Entrepreneurship series: John Belton and Liberty Christianson each earned a medal. Liberty placed 4th, and John placed 2nd overall in this event. 

In the Food Marketing series: Autumn Lippert earned a medal and placed as an Honorable Mention in this event. 

In the Human Resource Management series: Emma Footit earned two medals and Rylee Hommerding earned one. Rylee placed as an Honorable Mention and Emma took 1st place in this series. 

In the Principles of Hospitality and Tourism series: Emma Schueller earned two medals and placed 3rd overall in this event. 

In the Principles of Marketing series: Morgan Stenstrom earned two medals and placed 1st overall in this event. 

In the Quick Serve Restaurant Management series: Ashlyn Lewis is a medalist and placed 4th overall in this event. 

In the Restaurant and Food Service Management series: Kayleigh Oestreicher medaled two times and places 1st Overall in this event. Aidan Morgan is a medalist and earned an Honorable Mention in this event. 

Eleven members move on to compete virtually at DECA’s State Career Development Conference this March. They compete at State to move onto DECA’s International Career Development Conference later this spring. 

Congratulations to the Dance team who a week ago placed first in division one Pom at the Kaukauna classic.  That was their first competition of the season.

News story this week on the progress of the wrestling team. Link here.

News story on Colton Hall being selected as the Athlete of the week by WAOW - Link Here

Interesting Information

I came across this article from the American Psychological Association. As we reboot second semester, please take time to talk with your students about healthy living, successful study habits, and the soft skills necessary to find success.  This part of their education is as important as any part.

Resilience guide for parents and teachers

Children’s problems include adapting to a new classroom, bullying by classmates, or abuse at home, but resilience is the ability to thrive despite these challenges.

We tend to idealize childhood as a carefree time, but youth alone offers no shield against the emotional hurts, challenges, and traumas many children face. Children can be asked to deal with problems ranging from adapting to a new classroom or online schooling to bullying by peers or even struggles at home. Add to that the uncertainties that are part of growing up in a complex world, and childhood can be anything but carefree. The ability to thrive despite these challenges arises from the skills of resilience.

The good news is that resilience skills can be learned.

Building resilience—the ability to adapt well to adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or even significant sources of stress—can help our children manage stress and feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. However, being resilient does not mean that children won’t experience difficulty or distress. Emotional pain, sadness, and anxiety are common when we have suffered major trauma or personal loss, or even when we hear of someone else’s loss or trauma.

10 tips for building resilience in children and teens

1. Make connections - Teach your child the importance of engaging and connecting with their peers, including the skill of empathy and listening to others. Find ways to help children foster connectivity by suggesting they connect to peers in-person or through phone, video chats, and texts. It’s also important to build a strong family network. Connecting with others provides social support and strengthens resilience.
2. Help your child by having them help others - Children who may feel helpless can feel empowered by helping others. Engage your child in age-appropriate volunteer work or ask for assistance yourself with tasks that they can master. At school, brainstorm with children about ways they can help others in their class or in grades below.
3. Maintain a daily routine - Sticking to a routine can be comforting to children, especially younger children who crave structure in their lives. Work with your child to develop a routine, and highlight times that are for school work and play. Particularly during times of distress or transition, you might need to be flexible with some routines. At the same time, schedules and consistency are important to maintain.
4. Take a break - While some anxiety can motivate us to take positive action, we also need to validate all feelings. Teach your child how to focus on something that they can control or can act on. Help by challenging unrealistic thinking by asking them to examine the chances of the worst case scenario and what they might tell a friend who has those worries. Be aware of what your child is exposed to that can be troubling, whether it’s through the news, online, or overheard conversations. Although schools are being held accountable for performance or required to provide certain instruction, build in unstructured time during the school day to allow children to be creative.
5. Teach your child self-care - Teach your child the importance of basic self-care. This may be making more time to eat properly, exercise, and get sufficient sleep. Make sure your child has time to have fun, and participate in activities they enjoy. Caring for oneself and even having fun will help children stay balanced and better deal with stressful times.
6. Move toward your goals - Teach your child to set reasonable goals and help them to move toward them one step at a time. Establishing goals will help children focus on a specific task and can help build the resilience to move forward in the face of challenges. At school, break down large assignments into small, achievable goals for younger children, and for older children, acknowledge accomplishments on the way to larger goals.
7. Nurture a positive self-view - Help your child remember ways they have successfully handled hardships in the past and help them understand that these past challenges help build the strength to handle future challenges. Help your child learn to trust themselves to solve problems and make appropriate decisions. At school, help children see how their individual accomplishments contribute to the wellbeing of the class as a whole.
8. Keep things in perspective and maintain a hopeful outlook - Even when your child is facing very painful events, help them look at the situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective. Although your child may be too young to consider a long-term look on their own, help them see that there is a future beyond the current situation and that the future can be good. An optimistic and positive outlook can enable children to see the good things in life and keep going even in the hardest times. In school, use history to show that life moves forward after bad events, and the worst things are specific and temporary.
9. Look for opportunities for self-discovery - Tough times are often when children learn the most about themselves. Help your child take a look at how whatever they’re facing can teach them “what am I made of.” At school, consider leading discussions of what each student has learned after facing a tough situation.
10. Accept change - Change often can be scary for children and teens. Help your child see that change is part of life and new goals can replace goals that have become unattainable. It is important to examine what is going well, and to have a plan of action for what is not going well. In school, point out how students have changed as they moved up in grade levels and discuss how that change has had an impact on the students.

Resilience and high schoolers

Although your teens may tower over you, they still are young and can keenly feel the fear and uncertainty of both the normal stresses of being a teen, as well as events in the world around them. Emotions may be volatile and close to the surface during teen years, and finding the best way to connect to your teen can be difficult.

Talk with them whenever you can, even if it seems they don’t want to talk. Sometimes the best time to talk may be when you are in the car together; sometimes it may be when you are doing chores together, allowing your teen to focus on something else while they talk. When they have questions, answer them honestly but with reassurance. Ask them their opinion about what is happening and listen to their answers.

Find a place that your teen can create as their safe place, whether it’s their bedroom or somewhere they find comfort. In high school, emotions can intensify, and rejection, taunting, or bullying can also be present. A space of their own can serve as a constant and a place for them to have as their own. Your children may prefer to be with their friends rather than spend time with you, but be ready to provide lots of family time for them when they need it and set aside family time that includes their friends.

When stressful things are happening in the world at large, encourage your teen to take “news breaks,” whether they are getting news from the television, magazines or newspapers, or online. Use what they’re seeing and hearing as a catalyst for discussion. Teens may act like they feel immortal, but at bottom they still want to know that everything will be ok. Having honest discussions of your fears and expectations can help your high schooler learn to express their own fears. If your teen struggles with words, encourage them to use journaling or art to express emotions.

Many teens are already feeling extreme highs and lows because of hormonal levels in their bodies; added stress or trauma can make these shifts seem more extreme. Be understanding of feelings and emotions, but also be firm when teens respond to stress with angry or sullen behavior. Reassure your child that they will be ok and you are looking out for their best interest

The journey of resilience

Developing resilience is a personal journey, and you should use your knowledge of your own children to guide them on their journey. An approach to building resilience that works for you or your child might not work for someone else.

If your child seems stuck or overwhelmed and unable to use these tips, you may want to consider talking to someone who can help, such as a psychologist or other mental health professional. Turning to someone for guidance may help your child strengthen resilience and persevere during times of stress or trauma.

Announcements/Week Ahead

Restarting the Semester - As we restart the semester please take time to go over your expectations within your classroom.  Let's set students up for success from the beginning!

Quarter 2 SH Pat on the Back Winner - Congratulations to Elizabeth Mammano for winning the senior high quarter 2 $50 Pat on the back drawing.  The next drawing will be the last week of quarter 3.  Recognition to a co-worker goes a long way and only takes a minute.  Here is the link again for your convenience.  https://patontheback.dce.k12.wi.us/

A note from Sunshine - A sympathy card was sent to Michelle Bahr for the passing of her mother-in-law. Our condolences go out to Michelle and her family.

Dr. Nye Listening Session - Dr. Nye will be in the senior high on Wednesday, January 27th, from 12:30-3:30 pm in the conference room 210.  Stop by and see him if you have any questions, concerns, or would like to touch base on anything.

Superintendent Listening Sessions - Dr. Gilmore will have one more Listening WebEx session on January 26th.  Refer to Ellen Suckow's email on 1/6/21 for links, access codes, and meeting passwords for each session.  

Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for Fall 2021 are due to counselors by Monday, February 1st.  This is a change as the applications must be approved during the February Board meeting. Please remind any of your students you know that were planning on filling out an application.

Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 25th - Conferences on February 25th will be from 3-6:30 p.m. through WebEx or phone call.  There will not be an early release on this day. Teachers then will have an additional 3 hours for parent-teacher contact from March 1 - 10.  Contact refers to Webex, phone calls, or emails.  We have chosen not to schedule these hours to increase the flexibility for both faculty and parents.

Semester 2 Cohort A & B Schedule Updated - Since there will not be an early release day on February 25th, it will be a normal Cohort B all day schedule.  We will not have an altered schedule.  Here is a new copy 2020-21 Updated Semester 2 Cohort A & B Schedule

Grading Reminder - S1 grades will be due by NOON on Tuesday, January 26th. Any grades need to be entered or changed after NOON on Tuesday, January 26th will have to be emailed to Melissa. S1 grades will be posted to report card and transcripts on Thursday, January 28th and will be available on the parent portal. S1 Report Cards will not be printed.

Important Dates, January:

25       Quarter 3 Begins

26       Superintendent Listening Session, 6:30pm, see Ellen Suckow's email for WebEx Info

27       Dr. Nye Listening Session, 12:30-3:30, Room 210

27       BLT Meeting, 2:50pm

Important Dates, February:

1         Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for are due to counselors, BLT, 2:50pm

January 18 - January 22

  D.C. Everest Senior High School Staff Update

Interesting Information

Occasionally I'll take in Alan Borsuk's (educational reporter) column from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. During this time of history that we are currently experiencing, I found this article to reaffirm purpose in our awesome responsibility as educators.

The tangible education problems presented to children in recent months are hefty. With some exceptions, students are not making the progress they would be making in normal times.

But the intangible problems are also huge – maybe even more formidable than the tangible ones, and they affect kids of all social, economic and racial backgrounds, and levels of school success. It may prove more difficult to finds ways to recover from the intangibles than the tangibles when All Of This is over.

In simple terms, students may be able to use summer school or tutoring or other means to make up for lost time in learning to read, do math, or understand science.

But how will they recover from what is being done to their character?

Before 2020, schools were already seeing greater need to support the social and emotional needs of kids and were dealing with more mental issues, including depression and stress issues. Those trends are all the more concerning now.

 

Character gurus such as Angela Duckworth of the University of Pennsylvania, who played the biggest role in popularizing the term “grit” in recent years, emphasize that the kind of character traits they are talking about are not just something people are born with and can’t change. Positive traits can be encouraged and grown. The reverse is all true.

I fear there’s stormy weather on those fronts. Consider some of the things that have been dampened, at best, by what is going on now:

Weaker relationships with teachers. Positive energy in classrooms, especially between teachers and students, is a great thing. It hasn’t been wiped out by the events of our recent times, but, even where school is in person, social distancing, masks, and other health rules make it harder to come by. And for kids learning remotely – many of them already in need of big support – it is all the harder.

Constrained youth activities. Taking part in school sports programs or music or theater or arts programs can be big boosts to kids' character development and their involvement in school. Even in situations where there is much effort to continue those programs, these are weird times. Valuable extracurricular activities are taking a beating.

Just plain social life. Playing with friends on weekends, sitting with other students at lunch tables, social life of all kinds, whether among pre-schoolers or high schoolers, all have been limited for so many kids. Some kids are thriving. Many are not. Feeling confined and facing no-fun tedium are not ingredients in the recipe for a thriving childhood.

Then you get to the specifics of our times. How are children processing all that is happening around them? How will this affect them one, five, 10, 30 years from now?

The pandemic has brought almost everyone, including children, face to face with fear – fear of going out of the house, of getting close to people, or doing things that were once normal. For far too many, including kids, it has brought actual loss – in many cases, elders in their lives who have died.

Another layer of this is what all has happened since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. This may turn out to have long-term positive impacts. In the short term, it has put the nation on edge and led many, especially Black adults and children, to feel more anger and dismay at what they face in life. And don’t think this has faded, as the events in the last few days have shown. One aspect of Wednesday’s events in Washington was how white rioters were treated more gently than Black peaceful protesters were sometimes treated elsewhere. 

 
The impact of hate on children

Which brings us to those Washington events. All the scenes from the past few days – what impact will they have on children and how they feel about this nation?

We live in such hate-filled times. I’ll say no more except to repeat the question: What impact does this have on children?

We live in times when the facts don’t matter to so many people, when honesty isn’t valued, when thoughtful processing of what is going on is dismissed by many. What impact does this have on children?

I have wondered how parents and schools can teach anti-bullying when kids see that bullying people, calling them names, and treating them with no respect can bring power and fame of the highest order?

Character education experts say that among the most valuable traits are optimism about the future, including a sense that hard work will pay off, that good things are possible, that you can get a fair deal. What are these times doing to such thinking among children? 

 
A positive, well-balanced life

So what do we adults do?

As parents, grandparents, community members, citizens, we need to rise to the occasion. Despite our own stresses and the major demands on us, we need to be there for kids.

This is especially true for parents who in many cases have played such big roles for many months in the daily lives of their kids. Many have been doing great, even heroic, things to keep their families on solid ground. The importance of positive, well-balanced home life is so abundantly clear now.

For educators – so many of them facing personal challenges as they deal with professional challenges no one envisioned – the need to connect as much as possible with kids is so important. Again, many are doing awesome work.

We’re better than what we’ve seen so much of lately, aren’t we? We need to find within ourselves ways to show that and to convey that with optimism and hope to our kids.

Because character traits are intangible, they can be accessible to all. Now is a time to reach for them, embrace them, and lead our kids to have dreams and not nightmares.

Alan J. Borsuk is senior fellow in law and public policy at Marquette Law School. Reach him at alan.borsuk@marquette.edu.

Announcements/Week Ahead

Finals Week - I have been asked about expectations for student attendance this week. For clarity, students are expected to attend classes fully throughout the week, however, on Wednesday and Thursday, you as the teacher have three choices.  1) Give a summative assessment with your class (There is no administrative expectation that you are giving a final).  2) Continue with the class as you normally would.  or 3) Work specifically with a smaller group of students who may be on the bubble of credit attainment for the semester.       Our schedule is not altered for Finals this week.

Dr. Nye Listening Session - Dr. Nye will be in the senior high on Wednesday, January 27th, from 12:30-3:30 pm in the conference room 210.  Stop by and see him if you have any questions, concerns, or would like to touch base on anything.

Issuing "I's" -  When determining grades at the end of the semester we are asking that I's be used very sparingly with students. If you are going to issue an Incomplete to a student, a written plan must be given to the counselor of that student before the end of the semester with a hard timeline for completion.  The lack of flexibility in scheduling this semester has made it difficult for counselors to address students who end up with an F at the end of an "Incomplete Plan". These issues will lead to difficulties in getting students the courses they need for graduation.  Please only issue an I if in your professional judgment that student will meet the competencies of that course in a short amount of time.

Superintendent Listening Sessions:  Dr. Gilmore will be having two more Listening WebEx sessions in January.  They are on the 19th, and 26th.  Refer to Ellen Suckow's email on 1/6/21 for links, access codes, and meeting passwords for each session.  

Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for Fall 2021 are due to counselors by Monday, February 1st.  This is a change as the applications must be approved during the February Board meeting. Please remind any of your students you know that were planning on filling out an application.

Important Dates, January:

19            Superintendent Listening Session, 3pm, see Ellen Suckow's email for WebEx Info

20            Faculty Meeting,  2:50pm - Link to follow

20            Board Meeting, 6:30am

21            Semester 1/Quarter 2 Ends

25            Quarter 3 Begins

26            Superintendent Listening Session, 6:30pm, see Ellen Suckow's email for WebEx Info

27            Dr. Nye Listening Session, 12:30-3:30, Room 210

27            BLT Meeting, 2:50pm

Important Dates, February:

1         Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for are due to counselors, BLT, 2:50pm

 

January 11 - 15

  D.C. Everest Senior High School Staff Update

Weekly Happenings

We had a lot of events happening this week - Below is a picture of Girls Hockey, a picture from our ski and snowboard team, and a picture of our dance team as they begin preparing for competition season. It is amazing the number of opportunities our students have to compete, learn, and grow - Thank you to all of our coaches, advisers, and mentors for making them happen!

Interesting Information

This article was printed in the Wisconsin School News monthly Journal in December. It was written by the parent of one of our students and Dr. Nye as well as our students are quoted throughout. It provides some really interesting feedback gained this Fall about the ongoing experiences our students are facing.

Link to full article found here. Please scroll to page 10

Announcements/Week Ahead

Issuing "I's" -  When determining grades at the end of the semester we are asking that I's be used very sparingly with students. If you are going to issue an Incomplete to a student, a written plan must be given to the counselor of that student before the end of the semester with a hard timeline for completion.  The lack of flexibility in scheduling this semester has made it difficult for counselors to address students who end up with an F at the end of an "Incomplete Plan". These issues will lead to difficulties in getting students the courses they need for graduation.  Please only issue an I if in your professional judgment that student will meet the competencies of that course in a short amount of time.

Senior Graduation Packets:  Graduation packets for ordering caps, gowns, announcements, etc. are in period 2 class teacher mailboxes. If you have seniors on your period 2 roster, you should have the packets in your mailbox or if too big, they are on the table with your name on it.  Hand them out on Monday and Tuesday.  If they are absent, hand out Wednesday or Thursday.  There are no extras.  Each senior only gets one.  An IC blast will be going out to all senior parents and seniors regarding this.

Sophomore Period 2 Teachers:  Class ring packets will be put in mailboxes of any period 2 sophomore teacher prior to Wednesday, January 13th.  Please hand one packet out to each sophomore on Wednesday and Thursday, January 12th and 13th.  If absent hand out on Monday and Tuesday of the next week.  If they do not want one, please return extras to Dawn in the main office.  

Superintendent Listening Sessions:  Dr. Gilmore will be having three Listening WebEx sessions in January.  They are the 13th, 19th, and 26th.  Refer to Ellen Suckow's email on 1/6/21 for links, access codes, and meeting passwords for each session.  

Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for Fall 2021 are due to counselors by Monday, February 1st.  This is a change as the applications must be approved during the February Board meeting. Please remind any of your students you know that were planning on filling out an application.

Semester 2 Cohort & Testing Calendar:  The calendar is still being worked on with the other schools.  It will be emailed as soon as we confirm the Friday Cohort days.

Important Dates, January:

11&12     Hand out senior graduation packets in period 2

13            BLT, 2:50pm

13&14     Hand out sophomore class ring packets in period 2

14            Grading Table opens (refer to Melissa Barwick's email for more information)

20            Faculty Meeting,  2:50pm

20            Board Meeting, 6:30am

21            Semester 1/Quarter 2 Ends

25            Quarter 3 Begins

27            BLT Meeting, 2:50pm

Important Dates, February:

1         Early College Credit & Start College Now applications for are due to counselors, BLT, 2:50pm

 

January 4 - 8

 D.C. Everest Senior High School Staff Update

Weekly Happenings

To all who helped with food distribution - Thank You!

A huge thank you to Merrill Steel for donating 60 new welding helmets before break - A value of over $6,000 to our tech. ed. program!

Thanks once again to Audrey Kemp for attending, shooting, and sharing a bunch of activity photos from contests over break.  Below are a few of the shots.

Interesting Information

I have had this conversation with many of our teachers - What stays? What goes?  This article hits on a few of the highlights, but as we really start ramping up towards planning for a new school year, it would be worth the time for departments to seriously talk about what a "return to normal" might look like for us at the Senior High School.  This question speaks not only to structure - but to standards, assessments, flexibility, communication, and everything else we have had to address and modify throughout this year.  Let's take lessons forced upon us and make the changes that improve student connection and learning.  Let's make sure to get rid of the things that do not.  BLT will continue this conversation for the coming months.

Has the Pandemic Ushered in New Norms in Education?

Less reliance on high-stakes testing and more emphasis on student choice could be here to stay.

By Heather Wolpert-Gawron
December 24, 2020

Remember when you had growth spurts as a teenager and your joints hurt because you grew, like, four inches overnight? For schools, 2020 has been a bit like that. It hurts to grow sometimes, but it’s necessary. And, whether we’re ready or not, education is evolving.

Reflecting helps us process our growth. So as we wrap up this difficult year and look toward the next one, I thought I’d reflect on what may prove sticky and what I hope will retain a permanent place in education.

Now, I’m not talking about technological growth. Heaven knows, we’ve all done a lot of that! From Zoom to Google Classroom, Flipgrid to Nearpod, we’ve all been building our edtech tool kit throughout this time.

Pedagogical growth is the kind of growth we need to recharge and reimagine education. I’m also talking about something I’m calling “educational character” growth. It’s the flipping of priorities in order to address achievement or the reprioritizing of community and compassion over content as a means to positively impact curriculum and student achievement.

My district, San Gabriel Unified, is a small Title I district in Los Angeles committed to carving out reflection at this time. We’re reflecting on what’s happening to our students, our families, our staff, and our community. We’ve purposefully taken time to talk to all of our stakeholders: students, parents, teachers, local business owners, outside experts, and educators from other schools and districts in Los Angeles and beyond. And we’re asking ourselves, what do we want to see stick? These same conversations are happening in schools, districts, and states all over the country.

It’s clear that education’s needle is being pushed. After all, while Covid-19 is (hopefully) temporary, some things we’ve learned during this time might not be. So, I’ve created a list of things that many are predicting will prove sticky long after we’ve emerged from this pandemic. I’ve also created a list of what many hope will prove more permanent as well.

WHAT IS PREDICTED TO STICK

1. Assessments are a-changing. Assessments don’t need to be high-stakes, nationwide, standardized tests. There are many ways to diagnose learning levels, check for understanding, and hold students accountable. And people are talking about how to better align assessments with 21st-century learning instruction rather than align instruction with 20th-century testing practices. I was even in a webinar with college admission directors from a number of schools who were talking about the movement to look at portfolios and project-based learning culminating artifacts over ACTs and SATs. It’s not the reality yet, but the discussions are happening.

2. Connecting with students comes first. Understanding and being empathetic of our students’ circumstances has helped us individualize for their needs, understand their assets, and support them during this time. Social and emotional learning and awareness will become embedded into lesson planning as well as classroom culture in a more intentional and frequent way. Much as we check for understanding, we’ll also be checking for wellness.

3. Communicating with the community is vital in this partnership of learning. We will continue to involve families and parents in the learning process. We have learned to communicate in a variety of ways with flexibility at the heart of how we approach families. They are the key to engagement and learning.

4. Engagement strategies must be used if students are even going to tune in to learning. Engagement strategies like connecting with students, allowing for choice, using project-based learning to make lessons and units more meaningful, and incorporating visuals and recordings to make text more multimodal are key in bringing students to the learning table. As author/educator Kelly Gallagher says, “Engagement first, then content, then rigor.”

The world outside of education also has learned a lot during this time, and those lessons might also be predictors about elements that could be here to stay. They’ve learned that there’s a lot more to school than just content delivery (duh). And all classes provide deep and necessary experiences that far exceed mere academic access. Schools also provide a consistent food source, exercise, and social interaction.

We’ve learned that we can’t sell our kids short. Kids of all ages can learn how to navigate this virtual world. It’s amazing.

WHAT I HOPE IS HERE TO STAY

In the position paper “Education Reimagined,” put out by the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning, authors Michael Fullan and Joanne Quinn state, “Even before the pandemic there was readiness building for a new system of learning.” They list the trends toward using school to help students make an impact on the world around them as well as building on the interests of students to leverage learning. During this time, we’ve seen movement on other topics as well:

• Prioritizing skills and standards
• Using mastery portfolios to assess learning
• Using inquiry and project-based learning to assess process over product
• Examining the importance of feedback over grades
• Deepening respect for the dedication and resilience of teachers

During hardships, we often want nothing more than to wrap ourselves in a blanket of what’s familiar. But crisis creates opportunity, and if we don’t move beyond this chapter without having evolved in our practice, it will have been an opportunity wasted. This opportunity is about growth. It’s about reflection on what needs to stay and what needs to go.

Wouldn’t it be great if compassion and community were the foundations upon which academic learning was built? I think we’re on our way.

Announcements/Week Ahead

Commitment to Covid protocols - As we begin after a long break, please be vigilant in your approach to our covid protocols. I believe that our model and our protocols have given us the ability to stay open as a school.  We cannot become complacent.  We must model the appropriate behavior and must expect the appropriate behavior.  Wear masks - social distance - wash hands - sterilize items between uses.  Please make it a point to touch on these expectations with your classes each hour.

EVA Transition: For your information - communication was sent to all EVA students transitioning to or from the High School for the second semester. These transitioning efforts include a welcome back orientation for our students.

An Update from Sunshine: Sympathy cards were sent to Rachel Lintereur for the passing of her mom and Kathy Lee and Jennifer Gipp for the passing of their fathers. Our condolences go out to the three families for their loss.

January Second Friday Count:  January 6th & 7th at the beginning of period 2, the January second Friday count will be completed.  Please watch for an email from Carla Kietlinski for details in completing this very important task. 

BLT Virtual Meeting:  The meetings for January are on the 13th and 27th starting at 2:50pm.  Watch for an email with the WebEx invitation prior to meetings.

Grading Table Opens:  The grading table opens Thursday, January 14th.  More information will be emailed to all teachers from Melissa Barwick.

Semester 2 Cohort & Testing Calendar:  A semester 2 combined calendar with Cohorts and testing dates have been compiled but are subject to change.  It also identifies the ELTs for the ACT, Forward, and Aspire testing along with 2020-21 class scheduling.  It will be emailed to SRH-everyone and posted on the web on Monday.

Important Dates, January:

4         School Resumes

6-7      Second Friday Count first part of period 2

13        BLT, 2:50pm

14        Grading Table opens

20        Staff meeting,  2:50pm

27        BLT meeting, 2:50pm