Summer Hive 2

 

Inspiration for Our Work

In case you (like I do) need some inspiration to continue doing the herculean work that we have endlessly been engaging in please watch this video. It is Boston's Youth Poet Laureate, Alondra Bobadilla, reading one of her original works. If you, like me, did not know that there was a Youth Poet Laureate Boston.gov describes the position as "...an advocate for poetry, language, and the arts. They create a unique artistic legacy through public readings and civic events. The mission of the Youth Poet Laureate is to raise the status of poetry in the everyday lives of Bostonians."

Here is Ms. Bobadilla's biography from Boston.gov:

    Born and raised in Boston, MA, for most of her life, Alondra Bobadilla found and nurtured her love for     writing since she learned her first letters. Besides writing, she has participated in multiple performance     art forms since she was a little girl, finding ways to express herself beyond poetry alone. She’s curious,     lively and loves to learn. In her free time, she spends it with friends and loved ones, always trying to put     first the people that matter most. She is a student at Fenway High School, and was named Boston's             first-ever Youth Poet Laureate in January 2020.

 Please take a few minutes out of your busy day to watch the video and reflect on Ms. Bobadilla's message to us!  Boston's Youth Poet Laureate

Fundraising

I, like you, have noticed many Donor's Choose fundraisers that are happening in other schools in Boston. While I do not think two wrongs make a right, I know that the District is not going to adequately fund what we need to do the right thing for our students and families. I appreciate how all of you respected the fact that I asked you not to do individual fundraisers during the spring. I am lifting that moratorium with the caveat that what you raise funds for will remove the barriers for those that are the furthest away from educational opportunity. I would like for you to think of ideas that are whole-school efforts or at least grade level efforts that will benefit all of our children not just those on your class list (which you do not have yet). If you are starting a fundraising effort please share it with all of us so that our entire community knows what is happening where and we are not working in silos.      

Health Conversation

I have spoken with Nurse Sam who is looking forward to meeting with you for an optional meeting to discuss any health concerns that you may have about returning to work in the building. Keri sent you an invitation to this event on Thursday. I want to reiterate what was in that email:

I am opting not to attend this meeting in case you feel uncomfortable being fully open and transparent about your concerns. We truly want this to be an opportunity to have your questions answered. Shortly after this discussion, I will be distributing a survey about how comfortable you are feeling returning to the building, and if you are planning on returning. The sole purpose of this survey is to best plan for our students. We know your commitment to your profession and our students and families. No matter what your decision is that will NEVER be in doubt!   

I hope that if you have concerns you can find time to attend this meeting. 

BPS Long Term Leaves Policies Related to COVID-19

The Office of Human Capital has established leave procedures to request approved leave from work, including FMLA Leave if an employee or a qualifying family member has medical conditions that may prevent them from returning to work. Through December 31, 2020, employees may also qualify for benefits under the Families First Coronavirus Act, including leave to care for a child because the child’s school or place of care has been closed or the student’s childcare provider is unavailable, due to COVID-19 precautions. Employees may also seek reasonable accommodations for qualifying conditions.

District Stuff

Professional Development

The district has continued to say that the Learning Management Software for ALL students K0-12 is Google classroom. I agree with a consistent platform because we heard that loud and clear from our families. That being said some departments are really pushing SeeSaw. A challenge that we on the ground are going to have is how to use Google Classroom as the container and integrate SeeSaw as individual lessons and activities. I am counting on your expertise here because I do not have a good answer. I know that those of you that have used it really like SeeSaw so I am sure that together we can figure something great out! Here is a list of upcoming SeeSaw Webinars offered by the District. 

We have been wondering about how much time we are going to have for District mandated PD vs. what we know we need/want as a Lee Academy Community for PD. This is the District response to that tension:

 

A cross-functional planning team is working to determine what mandatory professional learning will be required across all schools to prepare for reopening during the 9 days prior to the start of school. As soon as we know the amount of time that will need to be dedicated to district-wide mandatory professional learning, we will let you know.  We anticipate that you will have flexibility in terms of how you schedule district-wide mandatory professional learning into your building-specific schedule. The following central office teams are planning content and preparing resources to support our educators in the reopening of school buildings and launching the school year.

Academics, Special Education, & English Language Learners content, Anti-racism training/pd/conversations, Behavior Health & Trauma plans for adults and students, Facilities Protocols, Food Service (for appropriate staff), Health Protocols & Preparedness, Safety Services (plan/protocols for not allowing traffic in School Buildings), SEL-WELL for adults and students, Taskforce recommendations, Technology. ~ Al Taylor Jr. 

Guidance from The Early Childhood Department for K0-Grade 2 Classrooms

School leaders were provided with the following slide show at an optional District operations meeting on 8/20/20. Please keep in mind as you read this we are not being allocated additional funds to purchase new supplies. Please focus on the spirit of the ideas. This may also help you inform budget requests.

BPS Early Childhood Classroom Recommendations 

More District News

The district began this week to reach out to families to document their selection. I was informed Wednesday that they have set August 28 as the deadline for submitting the form so that we can complete all preparation work. For families who do not reply, students will be assigned into the hybrid model and to school bus transportation if eligible.

After day 1 we had 34 responses. Of those 34 responses, the majority were expressing a preference for fully remote. I will keep you updated as I learn more. 

Phased Roll in Schedule V.2 of the Plan

Grades 1-12 start school on September 21 but all are learning online and taught remotely, not in school buildings, until their grade level is rolled in as specified below:

• Grades PreK (K0/K1/K2) - Kindergarten start school on September 23rd. Students who have opted into Remote Learning start remotely; Students who have opted into either Hybrid A/B or Hybrid C come back to school within the hybrid model (half on campus, half learning remotely), as assigned.
•  Grades 1-8 come back to school within the hybrid model (half on campus, half learning remotely) on September 28th.
• Grades 9-12 come back to school within the hybrid model (half on campus, half learning remotely) on October 5th.

I have been told that there may be a potential version 3 of the plan with a modified timeline. I will keep you updated.