FWR+ (Oct 1, 2010)

FWR +

Please help us with the following items...

Paper 

• If you place a ream of paper in the copier or a printer and notice our supply in the office is low, please see Paula to let her know.  We have no additional reams of paper today and we were not aware we were low on paper.
• Reams of paper and copy/printer paper is not for classroom scratch paper or art/writing/drawing.  Please do not take a ream of paper for this purpose.  

Printers 

• Two very large print jobs came through on our printers today.  Both from Florida Center for Reading Research (Phonics) and at least one full ream of paper.  If these print jobs were yours, please see me as they are in my office - do not print again.   If you feel the need to print a large file from your computer, please check with Lyndsay, Leslie or I prior to clicking print.  In this instance, Leslie has master copies of the materials or could provide you with similar resources.   It is not cost effective to print to our printers if copying is an option.
• Please pick up your print jobs.  We continue to see a lot of paper left in the printers.
• ONLY print what you need.  Do this by print-previewing the document before you print - maybe you don't need that 3rd page with only 2 words on it?  Only print the first two pages.  

I'm looking to spend some money adding pdf-scanning capabilities to our copier.  This will allow teachers to scan files to their computer versus printing or copying them.  I do know that the pdf-scanning will be more effective if we get projectors in the rooms so you can project a worksheet, file or information onto your whiteboard versus running 25 student copies.  My thought is the more we save in copying, the more we can invest in technology.

I know it may sound like micro-managing, but all print, paper and copy costs come out of our Maple Grove building instructional budget.  What we don't use in copying, we are able to use for classroom resources, classroom books, technology and other needed supplies.  If we all pitch in, we can create huge cost-savings in this area!  

October 1, 2010 (Thursday edition)

   NO STAFF MEETING ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 1ST   

A couple additional posts can be found below this week's FWR.

SMART Goals/ITPDPs are to be signed and in my box before you leave on Friday.  Please see previous FWRs for the details.


Problem Solving Packets have been ordered and we will let you know when they arrive.  We do have the digital copies teams/teachers can use but we wanted to wait until our next PS Core meeting so we could 'train' your core members.  Since we are out of packets, if teachers are interested in using it now to get a kid started in the process, please see me and I can walk you through how to use it. 


PBIS Data - Please get your tracking sheets to Erin Peek's mailbox each Friday before 4 pm.  Erin has generously volunteered to enter all data into H.E.A.R.T. but the data is only as good as what is entered/given.  :-)  We appreciate your timeliness!


Parent Teacher Conference - If you have not turned your conference template (available times) in to Paula, do so before you leave today.  Special education teachers need to write their scheduled meetings on your sheet prior to us posting them.  Paula will be getting that information ready on Friday so I can post them in the hallway Sunday night.  Parent sign-ups will be in the hallway and ready to go next Monday.


Fire Drill - AWESOME job on Wednesday!!  The kids I observed did a wonderful job and should be commended!  Let me know if you have questions about the procedure and how it went with your classroom.  Warning...we will have a tornado drill in the near future.


Professional Development - On October 6, we will be meeting in across-grade level teams for early dismissal. Instructional coaches and Sharon Ingebrand will be facilitating these meetings throughout the district. Locations are listed below. The focus of this professional development will be to: 1) Learn more about the Common Core and the alignment process 2) Review the fundamentals of standards-based reporting 3) Examine the finalized Progress Report (report card) standards.

K - WE

1st - MG

2nd - SE

3rd - BV

4th - EE

5th – WH

PTO Fundraiser - A letter will be going with students this Friday or next Monday.  Please take time to read the letter yourself and follow-up with parents through your classroom newsletter.  We went the route of a building incentive versus individual incentives and I hope to have more information for you about that next week.  I will be visiting each classroom for 5-10 minutes next week to share the goal, the incentives and talk about why we do the fundraising.


Yearly Hearing Screens start on Monday Oct 11-14. An audiologist through AEA will be conducting them. We will also have a parent volunteer to help with the process. They will pull a few kids out of the classroom at a time for testing. I have posted sign up sheets on the bulletin board near the mailboxes. Please sign up for a time that works best for your classroom. If possible I would like K-2 to sign up on the first 2 days and 3-5 on the last 2 days. Please fill up the earlier slots first so we do not have gaps in the day. This way we can finish up as early as possible. Hopefully this will go smoothly and not cause too many interruptions. Thanks for being so cooperative. - Kara Hedrick RN, BSN


TV's and VCR/DVDs - Eleven television are being kept in storage and we are looking at getting additional carts so these extra TVs can be placed in grade level locations.  We also have multiple DVD/VCR combo machines that are available for these carts.  I will keep you posted.


Kudos go to... (Thanks for sending me some this week!  Keep them coming)
...Our associates are awesome!  Wow...do they bust their bums or what?  Thanks gang for always going the extra mile.
...I am so THANKFUL to Lindsey Millsap for all of her help this year. Whenever I have a question or am in need of a strategy she is always willing to share her knowledge base with me!
...Paula makes me laugh.  Thanks Paula.
...Amy Adamson, Tara Broich, Sara Swyter, and Kelli Van Meter for taking care of the Book Room this month.


Dates to Note (Always look at the calendar below for the full weekly/monthly schedule)
Monday
- Parent Teacher Conferences sheets posted
Tuesday
- K-2 PLC (8am)
- District Science Curriculum Mtg
Wednesday
- 3-5 PLC (8am)
- Early dismissal (District Wide PD)
Thursday
- Kindergarten Field Trip
- Jone's 5th Clsrm Field Trip
- Barry @ Instructional Rounds (WMS)
Friday
- Problem Solving Core Mtg (8am)
- PICTURE RETAKES! - more info to come!
- Grimm's 5th Clsrm Field Trip

From HR & Fran Reel

A message from Fran Reel - HR Specialist
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have had several questions in regards to how the sick leave is set up in AESOP.
This only affects the new hires or those who have very few sick days.  You may
want to pass this information on to those employees.

Sick leave is a little complicated now that it has been entered into AESOP this year.
AESOP is set up with 3 categories - "Employee Sick Leave", "Family Illness", and "Sick
Leave (category balance)."

Anyone who does not have more than the alloted number of days that are allowed
for family leave will show a zero balance for their own sick leave.  That does not
mean the employee can't take sick leave.  When employees enter an absence for
themselves, they will get a message stating "Saving this absence would exceed the allotted
balance for the following absence reasons."  They need to click on "Save Anyway" (located
directly underneath this message. The absence will be subtracted from the Family Illness day
and the Total Sick Leave.  This allows us to keep track of the family illness days so that
an employee does not take more than the allotted amount.

Each employee needs to go into AESOP and click on Absence Reasons and they will see
how it is set up.  The only category that they really need to care about is the Total Sick
Leave.  It should be self-explanatory.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me.  

-- 
Fran Reel
Human Resource Specialist
Waukee School District
560 SE University
Waukee, IA 50263
515-987-5161 x4529