Last Weekly Update!

**Two students in MMSD had to be administered Epipens yesterday.  Please be extremely careful with students with known allergies if you will have any end of year celebration today.**
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We made it!  Here we are 181 school days later--smarter, leaner.  We have really pulled together as a team this year, and you can see the impact it has made on our students academically, socially, and emotionally. We have a long way to go still in years to come, but I am confident in this school community's ability to meet any goal we set.

Our Restructuring for Biliteracy efforts will require you to really think about your teaching practices, challenge you to do some things new or some things differently, but in the end we will accomplish these goals as well, because we are a team and we support each other.

I'm now going to break a promise I made to some of you and bring back the Wisdom of Geese video. Corny, I know, but the message rings true.  Our long-term success will only be ensured by working as a team and supporting each other.  No islands.  No burn-out.

Let's get through these next 8 hours with no fights, major medical emergencies, probably some tears, and lots of love for these kids and each other.

Then let's go to Luz' house for margaritas.

Thank you all so much, it has been my pleasure to serve as your principal this year.  It's an experience I'll never forget.

Josh

Kudos

• Chris Powers for taking over on the Fun Run.  It was a huge success!
• Marissa Gehrke-Incredible work as our SOH Volunteer coordinator (See Updates)
• Gina Nolan for cleaning out the staff fridge, even while injured!

Updates

• I have seven parents who have indicated interest in forming a Homework Policy Group that will meet a couple of times over the summer to hammer out, once and for all, a K-5 policy for homework for our school.  I need teacher representation on the group.  Please let me know if you are interested, this will only work if parents and teachers come together.  Extended employment offered.
• From Marissa:  Last year at this time, SOH volunteers had logged 150 hours.  This year 415! Booyah!
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Important Dates

• 6/12 -- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!  (Full Day)
• 8/11-8/13 -- Leadership Institute 
• 8/14-8/15 -- Behavior Education Plan Institute
• 8/21 -- Registration 
• 8/25-8/26 -- New Educator Training
• 8/27-8/28 -- Professional Development Days (mandatory for all teachers)
• 8/29 -- All Staff Report to Schools -- Ice Cream Social and "Meet your Teacher, Drop off your Stuff" from in the p.m.
• 9/1 -- Labor Day (Schools Closed)
• 9/2 -- First Day of School!

Special: Updates to the Collective Bargaining Agreement

As many of you already know, the district and MTI agreed on a new contract for 2015-16 and the Board ratified it on Wednesday.  I will not review all of the changes, but want to tell you about one important change that we discussed at the principals' meeting.  The elementary schools in MMSD have been struggling for years to have a clear agreement on planning time and the use of Monday early release time for individual planning and team planning as well as professional development.  The new contract took all the old, confusing language out of the contract and started all over.  I think the new agreement will vastly improve our work as a school and the district.  Here are the key points:

1.  The changes around planning time are not only effective for the 2015-16 school year, but also apply to this coming school year (14-15).

2.  All teachers get 4.5 hours of planning time outside of the Monday early release.  This has not changed.  (As a note, at Nuestro Mundo we have worked with the schedule to maximize the amount of common planning time at each grade level).  However, this time is all individual planning time, but may be used to collaborate and plan as teams, at your discretion.  

3.  Each month, regardless of how many Mondays there are in the month, we will have one full early release available for professional development activities aligned to the SIP.  This is like our old staff meeting/PD sessions that currently occur on the first and third Mondays.  

4.  If there is a fifth Monday (there is only one this coming school year), that time is individual planning time.

5.  All other Monday will include:  10-15 minutes to safely exit students from school to buses, taxis, parents, etc., 1 hour of "structured team planning" activities, and the remaining 45-50 minutes is individual or team planning time.  The content of the one hour of structured team planning will be created by the principal with input from the School Based Leadership Team (SBLT).

6.  If there is a month (like December) with only three Mondays, one of those will be a SIP aligned full PD or collaboration session.

If you have any concerns or questions, you are invited to attend the SBLT meeting on Tuesday, June 10th from 3:30-4:00 to discuss the Monday schedule for next year.  Your feedback is welcome before we finalize our SIP and school PD plan.  

We will be providing a lot more information and details on this plan when we have our welcome back professional development in August as well as our first Monday meetings in September.  

It is an exciting time for our collaborative work.  

Josh

June 6 Updates

One more week to go! Keep those kids engaged and stay vigilant.  Remember to get permission and inhalers if you are leaving the school grounds.

K and 5th grade promotions were a smashing success yesterday.  I feel really good, and you should too, about the young men and women we are sending on to middle school.

I am behind on email once again, please use the code words in the subject line, especially if something needs immediate attention.

Thanks for all the hard work you do everyday.

Josh

Updates

• Daniela Ocampo has accepted a position at Sandburg Elementary School for the 2014-2015 school year.  Daniela has played an integral part in the functioning of the school for many years, including the separation from and Frank Allis and the big move to Monona, five 5th grade graduation ceremonies, seven Kindergarten graduations, the Tamalada, and countless other cultural celebrations.  Please be respectful of Daniela's time and space for the remainder of the school year so that she can wrap things up here at Nuestro Mundo.  Please join me in thanking her for her years of service to Nuestro Mundo. We wish her the very best at Sandburg!
• The Foundation for Madison Public Schools has made $883 available for grants from Nuestro Mundo's account for the 2014-2015 school year.  Please submit grant ideas to me by August 29, 2014.
• If anyone has an extra kidney table in their room please let me know.  We need one for Julia Lippi-Guerron, our new interventionist.
• 3rd-5th grade teachers see these instructions for Keyboarding for next year.

Kudos to...

• Daniela for all the behind the scenes things she does for Nuestro Mundo.
• Romina for her tireless dedication to our students and school community.

Important Dates

• 6/6 -- Fire Drill 9:15 (Last one!)
• 6/10 -- La Follette Dancers--8:30-9:40
• 6/11 -- Field Day
• 6/12 -- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!  (Full Day)

June 3 Updates

I would like to take a moment to address the recent issue of the lack of substitute teachers, particularly when related arts teachers are out.  I know this is not ideal and requires classroom teachers to lose sacred planning time, I remember what this feels like.  Please know that when sub positions are not filled, Daniela and I make every possible effort to get those jobs filled.  Emily Moe and Rachel Donahue in the sub office know us by name because we almost always call to make a personal request when sub jobs are not filled.  For example on Tuesday of last week, when we were short 7 subs in the building, I called Rachel and she told me that there was one sub who had an appt in the morning, and that she would be available after 10:00.  Because I made that phone call, she was sent here despite the fact that there were a number of schools in a similar situation.

When related arts teachers do not get subs, that means that substitute teachers with that certification, Art for example, have already taken other jobs due to a district-wide shortage of subs that we are currently in.  It is a hassle for everyone and a safety concern when we are understaffed, I greatly appreciate your flexibility and dedication to the safety of the kids when you give up your planning time in these situations.  We really do make every effort possible to avoid this situation.

Daniela will send you a confirmation email when your compensation time has been entered for losing planning time.

Thanks,
Josh


Updates

• Thursday is K and 5th grade promotion.  To allow for set-up and decorating, all lunches will be served in the breezeway and students will eat their lunch out on the blacktop.  Lucia has ordered cold lunches for that day.  Please line kids up and take them to the breezeway at the normal time. Teacher's are welcome, but not required, to enjoy lunch with their students.
• Due to our meeting all of our growth goals on the MAP and being #1 in the district for attendance, Chris Powers and I will get Mohawks in front of the kids at Breakfast on Friday Morning!
• Remember to take inhalers with you on field trips, even to Dream Park.

Important Dates

• 6/5 -- Deep Dive with Asst. Superintendent Nancy Hanks (10:30-1:00)
• 6/5 -- Kindergarten Promotion (at the end of the school day)
• 6/5 -- 5th Grade Promotion 6:00-8:00pm
• 6/6 -- Fire Drill 2:35 (Last one!)
• 6/10 -- La Follette Dancers--8:30-9:40
• 6/11 -- Field Day
• 6/12 -- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!