Summer Hive 3

What We Know, Sort of Know, and Don't Know

I have tried to make this table to address some of the concerns that have been brought to my attention. I am under no delusions that this addresses everything that is on your mind (or mine). Please reach out with other questions, thoughts, or concerns. If you are thinking about something chances are someone else is as well.   

Know	Sort of Know	Don’t Know Yet
Teachers will have remote PD beginning 9/8.  Teachers will return to the building for additional PD on 9/14.  Part of our PD will continue our active anti-racist work Part of our PD will be on organizingSeeSaw for families so that we have a common template Part of our PD will be on STMath and other applications that we are using.	50% of the PD time will be taken by the district. It most likely will be asynchronous	What our specific PD will be or the schedule
150/198 families have responded to our survey about their learning model preference (3:00pm 8/28)	We should be able to have fairly stable class lists to you by Wednesday We will have a hybrid instructional model for you to react to hopefully by next Friday Starting in October we will have approximately 65 students in the building per day. We will have some number of students in person on 10/1 because they were designated as high needs by the District. The District will be contacting these families directly	How many or if those high needs students will be attending school 4 days a week
The district has provided us with a building opening checklist this checklist includes an updated link to custodial protocols.  We will follow EEC guidelines for placing nap mats. Students will be unmasked during nap.  We will have protocols for entering and exiting the building, handwashing, hand sanitizing, moving throughout the building We will have one an atomizing steam cleaner machine	I have asked for a facilities expert in ventilation to walk the building with me and identify the appropriate place for fan placement for optimal air circulation We are hoping to purchase two large tents to create an outside space for lunch and potential teaching. This is dependent on if we can determine a way to stake them to make safe in the wind, theft-resistant, and uninhabitable after school hours.  When the atomizing machine is coming	A specific plan for mask breaks and storage
No one beyond the assigned students and staff will be allowed in the building beyond the office.  This includes all BPS partners The central staircase will only be for adult use.
		Schedules- once we have model, # of students in each and class lists we will be able to start this process
Our budget is going to be extremely difficult Seesaw will be our learning management system We will be using Lexia and ST Math We will be using Talking Points to communicate with families The district has provided us with a list of minimum at home learning supplies that we must supply for every child. The initial purchase based on our current enrollment will be $2,434  We will need to replenish these supplies.	We may have to purchase applications because we are an autonomous school. The District may provide emergency financial relief If we have to purchase Lexia and SeeSaw that will be $7,063 from our budget The total for required materials could be $9,497 from our supply budget which is $11,000.  I will transfer the budget set aside for field trips into the supply line which will give us approximately $3,500 more for supplies We will also have to purchase tents, a way to stake them, and face shields.

Survey about Educators Returning

We have reached the point in the planning process where we need to know how many of our staff are planning on returning next year. I need each and every one of you to know that I recognize how intensely personal and difficult this decision is for each of you. I deeply admire and respect everyone's professionalism and dedication to our LAPS students and families. No matter what you decide that will never be in doubt. I believe in each of you as an individual and in our team as a collective. 

As your principal, I am committed to both making your return to the building as safe as possible and supporting you if you feel that you cannot return. In last week's Hive, I provided you the information about the BPS Leave Policy and the types of leaves that are available to you. I know that the BTU has also provided you with this information. 

I am asking you to log into your BPS account and please complete this survey by Wednesday 9/2/20. Your answers will be kept confidential. 

Thank you for your professionalism and dedication to your craft! 

Professional Learning Opportunities

From DESE

On September 2nd, the Center for Instructional Support will release the Remote Teaching & Learning Modules Series. This is a free, 5-part series of self-guided modules for teachers and other school-based educators who will be engaging in remote teaching and learning this coming year, whether through a hybrid or fully remote model. Each module includes specific instructional practices, tips, and strategies for remote teaching in key areas such as Curriculum & Planning, Learning Environment, Family Collaboration, and Professional Collaboration. Educators will also have the opportunity to dig deeper into content-specific strategies aligned to MA curriculum frameworks, reflect on culturally responsive practice, and explore digital tools and resources supportive of both live and asynchronous instruction.

Each module includes a learning and exploration section, followed by recommended reflection activities and applications to a teacher’s specific school and classroom. 

If possible, we encourage educators to experience the modules in pairs or teams to maximize collective knowledge and take-aways.

The modules will be available through the CIS website on September 2nd. No registration is necessary. If you’d like to be notified upon their immediate release, please share your contact information here. Please direct any additional questions to EducatorDevelopment@doe.mass.edu.

From the District

Professional Development Opportunities for Early Childhood

• Early Childhood Hybrid Learning Environments (K0-2)
• Training on Seesaw (K0-2)
• Foundational Literacy Skills Assessment (K2-2)

Free from Outside Providers

Simple K12 

• Creating Choice Boards with Google Slides

SST

We will need to get our SST up and running fairly quickly. Meetings will be virtual and completed at a time that is mutually agreed upon by the team. There will be some additional time required for asynchronous training on the Panorama student support platform and SST processes. Please let me know ASAP if you are interested.

Budget

You may have gathered from reading above that our budget situation is pretty grim. All that being said I am asking you to submit your budget requests by Friday, September 4th so that we can get what we are able to order. Please prioritize items that are essential for your classroom to function. In order to assist you with this, we are providing you:

Your spring 2020 Budget Requests

Blank Sheets by vendor for August 2020 requests