The Marshall Blue Note Blog: February 2015

Updates -- 27 Feb. 2015

Hello everyone,

The potential for a storm of practically unprecedented proportions, that's what we're looking at for the near-term. Some 6+ inches of precip looks to be on its way here Saturday through the early part of next week. If it falls as rain, it'll be impressive. If it falls as snow, it'll be epic!

I'm positively giddy with anticipation.

Lockdown Drill
Great job during today's lockdown drill. The school was a ghost-town about 15 seconds after I made the announcement. That's pretty awesome.

A number of teachers contacted me afterward asking, "What do I do about my missing kids during a lockdown?" It's a great question. And, fortunately, ensuring the safety of kids in the halls, restrooms and elsewhere in the building during a lockdown is already a component of our plan . Our Lockdown Procedures state:

If you encounter a student in the hallway as you are closing your classroom door, bring that student into your classroom, whether they are yours or not. In the event of a lockdown, members of the Crisis Team have been assigned to check restrooms and will retrieve these students and escort them to a safe and secure area.

If you have a kid that's missing from your classroom during a lockdown, don't wait at the door for them. Lockdown. Make certain the children you have are safe. Trust that someone else in the building has followed our guidance above and made your missing child safe elsewhere. Don't ever deliberate during a lockdown. Don't ask, "Is this a drill?" Don't wait by your door. Lockdown. As you're shutting your door, glance into the hallway and grab everyone you can, whether they're your's or not, and get everyone safe as quickly as you can. Lockdown.

We're all in this together.

Legislative Concerns
I am pretty fired up about what's going on down in the state capitol. Our new governor, as well as a majority of the members of the House and Senate, seem dead-set against adequately funding or supporting public education lately.

What's happening down there really is another kind of storm of practically unprecedented proportion.

I'm so worked up about what could happen if some (or God-forbid all) of the currently proposed legislation passes, I did something the other day I've never done before. I wrote a letter to an elected official, our new governor, Doug Ducey. And then I forwarded my letter to each of our elected representatives (their emails and telephone numbers at the capitol are listed on the Marshall School Blog). And then I plastered it all over my Facebook page and the school's Facebook page, too. A few others picked it up and shared it around on their Facebook pages as well. I've included a screen-grab of it below, click it to enlarge it:

I know there's a typo in the last sentence.
Like a Navajo weaver, I like to leave at least one small typo in everything I write.
To let the evil spirits out.

I encourage you to do the same: write a letter or make a call. Seriously. It's all we've got: our voice of dissent. I hope you will consider contacting Gov. Ducey and Reps Thorpe, Allen, and Barton to let them know how you feel about all of this. If you do, do so ASAP. They've not been reluctant to pass measures in quick succession and under the cover of night, this new legislature of ours.

To help you better understand all that's going on, you can download a helpful overview of most of the proposed anti-public-education legislation, prepared by Finance Director Ken Garland. Be forewarned: it's kinda scary.

Calendar
Week B

Tuesday, 02 Mar.

All 3-5 students to Symphony @ NAU, 8:45-11:00

Wednesday, 03 Mar.

PTO in the Library, 6:30-7:30

Thursday, 04 Mar.

Coe @ Fifth-grade Ski Trip, all day

Friday, 05 Mar.

End of Grading Period #3
Jump Rope for Heart in the Gym, 8:45-10:30

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Updates -- 20 February 2015

Hello everyone,

Happy Friday.

It's always the short weeks that seem the longest...

Here's to a relaxing weekend.

Conferences & Connect To School #2
This is the official low-down on our schedule for 11-13 March:

Wednesday March 11^th 11:10 dismiss APTT confs.

Thursday March 12^th 12:25 dismiss P-T confs.

Friday March 13^th 12:25 dismiss P-T confs. and prep

And below is the low-down on when your APTT-inspired Connect To School group conferences will occur on Wednesday, and where (and by whom) the correspondent child-care will take place.

Send-home child-care RSVP flyers will be in your box on Monday.

My thanks to the Parent Involvement Committee for pulling all of this together and to all of you who have willingly chipped in to supervise child-care while your peers are conferencing.

APTT 11:45-12:45

1^{st Hulls}

1^{st Wyres/ Burgoon}

SEI Ingols/ Poland

3^{rd Grade Team –}Price, Foubert, Bergs, Hardwig

4^{th Grimmett}

5^{th Kasch}

APTT 1:15-2:15

1^{st Shaw}

2^{nd Overton}

2^{nd Thompson}

3^rd

4/5 ^{Fisher/
Kohl}

5^{th Arnold}

APTT 2:45-3:45

2^{nd Koenig}

2^{nd Macias}

SEI

3^rd

4^{th Heck}

4/5

5^{th Fisk}

Childcare 11:45-12:45

GYM	FitKids (Under 5 yrs.)	Science Lab
Hanno	Arnold	Thompson
Overton	Travis A.	Koenig
Macias	Fugett	Heck
Fisher	Reasor	Kohl

Lucky

Childcare 1:15-2:15

GYM	FitKids (Under 5 yrs.)	Science Lab
Bergs	Price	Grant
Foubert	Hardwig	Fisk
Grimmett	Amber M	Hobson
Ingols	Edwards	Lucky

White

Childcare 2:45-3:45

GYM	FitKids (Under 5 yrs.)	Science Lab
Hanno	Paulsen	Grant
Edwards	Poland	Kasch
Fugett	Perkins	Hobson
Lucky	Ronn	White

Power Outage

Please remember, our power will be fully disconnected most of the day TOMORROW, Saturday, 21 Feb. You will be unable to access the building via the keycard system and your refrigerators, computers, and other electronic devices will be off until power is restored sometime late in the afternoon.

Friday Absences

Human Resources has asked me to "please cover this at your next staff meeting." Since we almost never have those, here's what you need to know about calling off on Fridays:

"A standard teacher's contract is for 7.5 hours per day. Even though students go home early on Friday, the teachers are required to work a full day. As a result, if a teacher takes a 1/2 day off on personal leave, they must work the other half. What we are finding is that people are calling off for 1/2 day AM. By doing this, it means they must come in as work in the afternoon 1/2 day. If they do not, it is a gift of public funds."

Hallway Expectations Redux

A number of folks continue to bring to me concerns related to student hallway behaviors, especially during our "passing periods" between RTI classes, recesses, and lunch.

Please review with your students our PBIS Safe-Responsible-Respectful Hallway Expectations at some point early in the coming week.

Likewise, please have your Blue Tickets on hand throughout the week to support and reinforce appropriate behaviors in the halls whenever you observe them.

Science Fair
Please remember: We'll hold our annual Marshall Science Fair next week. As always, and for all the right reasons, the Fair will somewhat impose on our regular schedules and routines all week long.

Calendar

Week A

Monday, 23 Feb.

Science Fair: Sack lunches in classrooms
Science Fair judging, all day
Coe @ Admin, 1:00-4:00

Tuesday, 24 Feb.

Science Fair: Sack lunches in classrooms

Wednesday, 25 Feb.

Science Fair: Sack lunches in classrooms
Kindergarten Registration Open House in the Science Lab, 4:00-6:30
Science Fair Open House in the Gym, 5:00-6:30

Thursday, 26 Feb.

Coe, White at PBIS meeting 4:00-5:30
Kinder APTT Connect To School conferences, 5:30-6:30

Friday, 27 Feb.

B-GDM in Rm. 26, 7:45-8:30
Lockdown drill, 10:00
Two-hour professional development seminar -- CANCELED

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Updates -- 13 February 2015

Hello everyone,

Happy second Trifecta-Friday of 2015!

Faculty Meeting
We will meet together next Thursday morning at 7:45 for a rare Faculty Meeting in the Library. The Parent Involvement Committee will have APTT-inspired conferences information and updates for you at that time. It's essential that all certified members of our faculty attend this meeting, regardless of your role.

Please make every effort to arrive on time.

When the committee has concluded their updates, Asst. Superintendent Mary K Walton will be on-hand to update our third, fourth, and fifth grade teachers on aspects and advantages of FUSD's many unique middle school programs.

Family Fitness Night
Please remind your students that our first-ever PTO-sponsored Family Fitness Night will take place here at the school this coming Wednesday evening from 5:30-7;00. PTO has indicated that there will be some 30 or 40 presentaters, demonstrations, and activities for students and parents to interact with that evening as well as numerous prizes.

They're hopeful you will attend as well to show your support for this new stand-in for our longstanding Explorations Stations Night.

Click to enlarge

Hallway Expectations
Lately, a number of folks have brought to me concerns related to student hallway behaviors, especially during our "passing periods" between RTI classes, recesses, and lunch.

Please review with your students our PBIS Safe-Responsible-Respectful Hallway Expectations at some point early in the coming week.

Likewise, please have your Blue Tickets on hand throughout the week to support and reinforce appropriate behaviors in the halls whenever you observe them.

Calendar

Monday, 16 Feb.

NO SCHOOL - Presidents Day

Tuesday, 17 Feb.

Science Council in the Science Lab, 4:00

Wednesday, 18 Feb.

PTO Family Fitness Night, 5:30

Thursday, 19 Feb.

Faculty Meeting in the Library, 7:45

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Updates - 06 February 2015

Hello everyone,

Oh, how pleasant to be typing two-handed and ten-fingered.

As promised, we are officially through the halcyon days of January. The end (of the year) is nigh.

Off to the races!

Workers' Compensation
Did you know (this has been said before):

You must report work-place injuries to Malinda right away, as soon as they occur... if you don't we get scolded.
You must call the "nurse triage" telephone number (1-888-252-4689) immediately after you receive the workers' compensation paperwork... if you don't we get scolded.
You must follow the "nurse triage" nurse's directions to the letter... if you don't we get scolded.
If you are instructed to visit East Flagstaff Family Medicine and you don't... we get scolded.
You must return the workers' compensation paperwork to Malinda post-haste... if you don't we get scolded.

Please help us cut down on our scoldings: if you get hurt at work, report it right away. If you have questions about this process, just ask.

Solar Power Project

It's anticipated that major construction on the solar power facility will conclude during the third week of February. It is hoped that APS will be able to "certify" the structure sometime soon thereafter. We hope to be producing energy from the sun sometime around 01 April. This structure will produce more than 80% of the power needed to run our school year-round.

In order for our facility to be connected to the grid it will be necessary to fully physically disconnect our entire campus. This will take place on Saturday 21 February. You will not be able to access the school that day and all electronic devices will be without power from 8:00-4:00.

Food and other FUSD facilities services have all been notified. Within your own domain, please plan, back-up, and disconnect accordingly.

Proposed School District Budget Cuts
Governor Ducey has proposed a bill which would require all Arizona school districts to reduce "non-classroom" spending by 5%. It might seem, initially, that such a cut in spending would have little impact on our day to day operations or our ability to carry out our mission. However, such a cut would not only have a lasting effect on school administration and front office staff, it would also adversely impact custodial services, food services, transportation services, telephone services, counseling services, nursing services, instructional support services, as well as RTI and special education teachers.

Classroom spending accounts for 54.2% of FUSD's operating budget and includes teacher salaries and benefits and para-professional wages and benefits exclusively. The entire remaining 45.8% of FUSD's budget is for "non-classroom" services such as those outlined above.

Overall, if required to make 5% cuts in the aforementioned areas FUSD would be compelled to reduce spending by more than $1.7 million in these areas.

Brenda Barton, Sylvia Allen, and Bob Thorpe represent our region in the Arizona State Legislature. They might be curious to know how you feel about these proposed mandatory cuts to public education spending.

TPEC
The newly reformed TPEC committee has been asked to solicit feedback from all-y'all about the TPEC evaluation tool. If you have comments, questions, concerns, ideas, or other input into the process, please let me or Cindy Foubert know your mind.

Measles
Hopefully you read Mr. Sauer's email about measles. If you hope to be able to continue to work in the event of an officially declared measles outbreak, it's essential you take action now if your records show you lack this vaccination.

Middle School Programs
Fourth and fifth grade teachers ONLY: FUSD middle school program brochures have been placed in your mailboxes. These are to be distributed to interested families during your upcoming conferences.

APTT Spring Conferences
The Parent Involvement Committee has determined that we will hold Academic Parent Teacher Team (APTT)-inspired conferences again this spring during our regular parent-teacher conference early-dismissal days on 11-13 March. More information about the specifics of how, where, when and why will be provided to you by members of the committee at a faculty meeting on 19 February at 7:45.

Meantime, please look for childcare sign-up information to be sent home with students in your mailboxes. It is essential that we soon have a clear picture of the number and ages of children who will require supervision during this event.

You will be collaboratively scheduling your grade-level's APTT conference times during your CT meetings in the coming weeks.

Calendar

Tuesday, 10 Feb.
Site Council, CANCELED
Wednesday, 11 Feb.
Coe @ Elementary Admin, 7:
Thursday, 12 Feb.
Coe, Fugett, White, Paez, & Edwards at PBIS training, all day
Friday, 13 Feb.
Fifth grade middle school registration in the Gym, 9:00

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