Dodgeland Download - September 11, 2020

 Hear Ye, Hear Ye

• So many people stepped in to help out in so many places around the school this week.  This is what makes us a great team!
• A teacher used a video that she created last spring to provide instruction and an activity for her students while she took care of individual needs of students.  Many of you had fantastic creations last spring.  Will any of them fit for lessons this year?  Can you reuse them?
• Students patiently waiting for their turn to pick up their breakfast in the morning.  
• A student showed me her most recent submission to an activity on SeeSaw.  She was so proud of herself.
• Students are learning new ways to greet others in our socially distant world. I know that is coming from your instruction.  Every time I am greeted with an elbow, I think, isn't it great that they we can still connect, just in a different way?

What's Happening at Dodgeland?

Monday, September 14

• Picture Day 
• This will take place in the Elementary gym this year due to COVID guidelines from LifeTouch.  It will be open for staff starting at 7am that day. There will also be opportunities for our blended and virtual students to get their picture taken starting at 3:30 that afternoon. (They received a link to sign up for a time through School Messenger.)
• Classrooms will be called to enter the gym by the bathrooms and exit by the commons.

Tuesday, September 15

• Yearbooks from last school year are scheduled to be distributed to classrooms for students that ordered them.

Wednesday, September 16

• Workout Wednesday!!

Thursday, September 17

Friday, September 18

• Recess Academy for grades 4K and 5K (watch email for times)

Nitty-Gritty

• Fall Fundraiser
• For a number of reasons, the annual fall fundraiser that we usually do in September is cancelled for this year. There remains some money in each activity account from last year for each grade.  For specific totals, please see Marie.

• Oasis Reminder
• It is so great to see students utilizing the Oasis again.  A quick reminder that it is really important that staff is using the QR code to sign students in to the room and to reflect on what brings them there. We use this data to make future decisions and also look for trends with students.  If you have any questions, please see Mindy or myself.

• i-Ready
• The tech department has been extremely busy for months, but this week alone, they have spent so much time on the phone with companies trying to get things up and running for students and staff.  The latest one that is ready to go is i-Ready.  Please plan a time to have your students take the reading and math assessments.  Before the day of the test, please have students go to self-service and reinstall the app to make sure they have the most up-to-date version of the app on their iPad.  For students in grades 2-5, students can use the same login credentials as they do for their google sign in.  For grades K-1, students will continue to have the login cards.  A copy of these login cards will be in your mailboxes by Monday morning.

• WIN Interventions
• The interventionists in our building will be connecting with you about a schedule for students to see them during the WIN time.  This year, each classroom will be doing their own WIN groups except for the Tier 3 (and maybe Tier 4 depending on Sp. Ed. staff availability) students.  Tier 3 students will continue to receive instruction with one of our interventionists.  In order to provide intervention to students that need it most, they will be working with each teacher to determine the best schedule for all parties.  Let me know if you have any questions regarding this.  Most will begin on Monday, September 14.

• Dismissal Update
• Dismissal is getting more and more efficient.  Even today wasn't too bad, considering the increase in the number of cars due to the rain!  It is all because of the numerous staff members that are outside with students getting them off to their grown ups.  Now that we are getting into this new routine, the staff that is assigned supervision duties outside in the afternoon can take it from here.  However, we would never say no to extra help, but don't feel like you need to walk them outside each day.  This is especially true if you need that time to meet as a grade level for common planning.  

• Dodgeland Apparel store
• The Dodgeland Apparel online store will be closing at the end of the week.  If you are planning to order, please do so before Friday, September 18.  Click HERE to get to the site.

• SeeSaw Login
• Christina sent an email on 9/1/20 about how to get students logged in to SeeSaw that is different than what she shared during inservice.  This is because we need students linked to their art, music, PE classes as well.  This means that you should be using her directions for student logins, NOT the QR code method.  See below for the directions she sent us.
• Download Seesaw from Self Service
• Select "I'm a student"
• Select "Google/email sign in" at the bottom in blue
• Select the Colorful G at the top for "sign in with Google"
• Select continue on the popup
• Select the student's account or type in their information
• email: first.last@dodgeland.k12.wi.us
• password: DSDstudent#
• If you need assistance with this process, please let Christina and/or myself know.  We would be glad to help out.

PD Spotlight

I don't know about all of you, but there are days that I almost fall asleep before my head hits the pillow at night. We all knew when we started this school year that it was going to feel and look different.  We had brand new skills to learn, new ways to connect with students, and communication tools to master.  We also had the uncertainties of our safety measures and the procedures and what experiences our students would be bringing with them in their emotional backpack.  What academic skills will they bring with them?  These are big deal questions and situations.  So is it any wonder that so many of us are exhausted and perhaps a tad stressed.  During inservice, we learned about the many ways that stress affects a person and the quote heard most often was, "A stressed brain can not learn."  This is true, but that is not the only thing that stress may affect.  Some people that feel stress may say things to others in a voice that gives a totally different message than intended.  Some people under stress are forgetful, or more disorganized.  Others interact with those around them in a short way or avoid others altogether.  I don't think any of these things are personal attacks, but rather unconscious responses to stressed brain at that moment in time.  

Considering that we are all leaders here, the podcast from Ted Neitzke that I relistened to this week helped me to reflect on our situation as educators this year.  It is all about "Judging Good."  I don't know about all of your experiences during the pandemic.  I don't know the to-do list that is waiting for you all every day. I don't know about the any additional responsibilities in your life outside of school.  I don't know about the worry or anxiety you may be experiencing. 

What I do know is:  

• The staff at Dodgeland Elementary are talented and exceptional human beings. 
• The staff at Dodgeland has had many new things to learn in the last 6 months and have taken it all on like professionals and are doing incredible work.
• The staff at Dodgeland truly cares about their students and what happens to them long after they are in their classroom.
• Others recognize what we can not always see; we have an amazing school here.  (Today we had a brand new CESA support person enter our building for the first time.  Before she left, she told Mrs. Heun that we have a wonderful school that felt welcoming and full of caring educators.  She is so excited to be with us this school year.)  

I also know:

• We are human and forget to do something sometimes.  (Anyone else get a copy of the paperwork that Kimi needs in your mailbox today like me?)
• We say things that we don't mean or in a tone of voice that comes across gruff or short.
• Students who need our love the most ask for it in the most unloving ways.

So in the spirit of Ted Neitzke's advice, let's make a pact.

• Let's make a conscious effort to reflect and recognize in ourselves when we may be sharing our stress unconsciously with others.
• Let's help each other with reminders of deadlines.
• Let's check in on others.  Does your colleague need support, help?  
• Let's accept help from others when it is offered.  I know this can be hard, but this allows others to lighten the load and build a relationship with adults in our system too.
• And for me personally, I will work harder on being the principal you need and deserve by focusing on my own stress management as well as creating more balance in my life. If you see me exhibiting these signs, call me on it.  I would never want any of you to feel like I was gruff or unkind to you or to a student for that matter.

Click here to listen to Ted Neitzke's Podcast. (less than 15 min. long) 

Friday Funny

Caption for this photo is:  "One of these things is not like the other..."  Sigh, it's always a Huelsman in these situations, isn't it?