January 12, 2024

 What's Happening at Dodgeland?

• Monday, January 15
• Bus Duty: CaineT, Riege, Juech, Vertz (4K/5K playground)
• EP meeting in the IMC at 3:15pm

• Tuesday, January 16
• Badger Day - Wear Red or Badger clothes
• Social Media Posts due: Stampfl, Chambers, Mook
• Lunch Detention Supervisors
• 12:00 - Schuett
• 12:30 - BCaine
• 1:00 - TCaine

• Wednesday, January 17
• Early Release, no AM recess
• Jenny out of the building for dr appt until 10am
• Workout Wednesday
• SEL Grade level mtg 5th gr 11:10-11:45am
• SEL Grade Level mtg 3rd gr 12:40-1:15pm

• Thursday, January 18
• Academic Grade level mtg 4th gr 12:35-1:25pm
• Lunch Detention Supervisors
• 12:00 - Open
• 12:30 - Open
• 1:00 - Open

• Friday, January 19
• End of Semester (Report cards due on Monday, 1/22/24 at 8am)
• 4K SEL Grade level meeting 11:40am-12:25pm
• Pyramid Model Leadership Meeting at 1pm
• Did you finish your KnowB4 training yet? (due by the end of January)

Nitty-Gritty

• Class Pictures
• At this time, the goal is to reschedule the class picture day from last Friday.  When it is scheduled, we will announce to families and staff.  The schedule may need to be modified depending on the day of the week that it is scheduled.

• Staff Meeting Presentation
• Last Wednesday, Jessica had a presentation on budget.  At the conclusion of the meeting, she shared a link to a survey asking staff to share some information or feedback related to thoughts you have on what needs we have to do our jobs and the things we use the most often at school.  The link is HERE if you haven't shared your ideas yet.

• Report Cards
• We will be sending home report cards through our messaging system as well as a paper copy for 1st semester.  After this semester, paper copies will only be sent home by request, it will be sent through Bright Arrow at the end of the semester.

• Indoor Recess
• This week it looks like we will be spending a lot of time inside for recesses.  Please see Teresa's email with details regarding locations and logistics of indoor recess this week.  The document is HERE with supervision details.  PLEASE remind students that personal items are NOT ALLOWED at indoor recess.  This usually ends with issues or conflicts when it is in the gym or PLTW room.

• Google Classroom- VERY IMPORTANT Changes COMING!
• We are thrilled to announce an exciting change in our ongoing efforts to enhance the learning experience for our students and educators. After careful consideration, we have decided to transition from Schoology to Google Classroom as our primary learning management system.

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  This change comes with numerous benefits that will streamline communication, collaboration, and overall efficiency within our educational community. Google Classroom offers a user-friendly interface for all grade levels, seamless integration with other Google Workspace tools, and a variety of features that will empower both educators and students.

  
  

  The district will transition to using Google Classroom for all levels starting the 24-25 School year with the availability to access Schoology content from previous years. Google Classroom will be the only Learning Management System used for all K-12 students. After our smooth transition into Google Classroom, Schoology will no longer be available for the 25-26 school year.

  
  

  Here is a quick video of Google Classroom

  
  

  Key highlights of the transition include:

  
  

  1. Simplified Collaboration and Integration: Google Classroom provides a centralized platform for teachers to create, distribute, and grade assignments, making collaboration more efficient and effective. Enjoy seamless access to Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and other Workspace tools directly within Google Classroom, fostering a more integrated and organized digital learning environment.

  
  

  2. Product Development: Google has continued to develop Google Classroom each year with new enhancements being released quarterly. Most recently Google launched sharable video presentations and interactive questions for YouTube videos. Schoology has not had a product enhancement in the last 8 years. Since PowerSchool purchased Schoology in 2019 there have been significant performance issues and numerous outages.

  
  

  3. Mobile-Friendly Experience: Google Classroom is designed to be accessible from various devices, offering a mobile-friendly experience that allows students and educators to stay connected on the go.

  
  

  4. Training, Help, and Communities: Google does a great job with its training and collaboration opportunities. Most training comes at no cost and can be done asynchronous.  Google offers educators to be part of communities to collaborate and learn from other educators. 

  
  

  Here is a Google Classroom 101 Training Series channel on YouTube. As you look through some of the videos, know that some features will be automated for you such as class creation.

  
  

  Our next steps moving into Google Classroom as a district:

  • We are looking for grade levels and/or departments to start this epic transition second semester. Those willing to participate will be working closely with the tech department as you learn, navigate, and succeed! Please let your building principal know if you are interested.

  • We have multiple learning opportunities scheduled to learn more about Google Classroom, so stay tuned.

  
  

  Thank you for your continued commitment to education and the success of our students. If you have any questions about this move to Google Classroom, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your building principal

TechKnow Tip

If you have a teacher assistant, please be sure to enter a grade for them. This needs to be completed by ALL elementary, middle, and high school teachers who have a TA. Once logged into PowerSchool, select “Dodgeland High School” from the drop-down in the top right corner. Select “PowerTeacher Pro” under one of your teacher assistant courses. Select “Grading” along the left and then “Traditional” under the grades tab. Click on the white box under “S1” and select “P” (pass) or “F” (fail) along the right. Select the green “Save” button.

Friday Funny (on a Sunday!)

This was last week, now it'll all freeze to ice!  I am so sorry I every said anything negative about winter!