Week of April 30

Bus/Parking Lot Duty: Fehling and Hamill
Monday 4/30:  Non Work Day
Tuesday 5/1:  
Wednesday 5/2:  Field Trips - Beck and Eastman
Thursday 5/3  
Fri 5/4  

Bus/Parking Lot Duty: Cooley and Doering
Monday 5/7: 8:00 staff meeting; 9:30 Department meetings
Tuesday 5/8:  
Wednesday 5/9: Teacher/Staff Appreciation Day - Lunch
Thursday 5/10
Friday 5/11  

Subs and Half-Day Subs
We have been fortunate to have Val available to cover for staff who needs to be gone for a period or two here and there.  However, we are getting to that busy time of year when she needs to be available for other things.  If you need to be gone during your teaching time, please put in for a sub for the full or half day.

Extended Learning Friday
Students and staff are reporting positive outcomes for our extended learning time on Fridays.  We tighten up a couple of issues in order for this to work well.

1. If students haven't earned a pass by 11:05 on Friday, they can't earn a pass.  If they finish the work they have, they can stay with the teacher, go to a different teacher who has work for them or go back to their advisory teacher.  They can't get a pass to go to the gym or commons.
2. If you send a student to another classroom, how do you know they went there?  We need to either come up with a pass system, or use the phone to ensure that kids are going where they're supposed to go.
3. Lunch.  No early release on Friday.  Last Friday, many kids were released about five minutes early for lunch.  This isn't intended to be an extended lunch period.  Lunch begins at the regular time. 
4. Restrooms.  The restrooms are really, really busy during extended learning time.  If students must use the restroom, please - only one at a time and for a short period of time.
5. If you are going to be gone on Friday, please have passes prepared for the substitute.  

21st Century Skills Class

It was a pleasure visiting classes this week and seeing students engaged in activities to help them function better in their personal and professional lives. One class is reading a book together, another is making class flags featuring character traits they value, another was using a class meeting format to talk about a growth mindset and so on. Sometimes it’s awkward. If they were adept at using these skills, they wouldn’t need the class and they wouldn’t need Venture. The work is messy and hard. Thank you for doing it.