March 25, 2021 RCSD Educator Blog
Interpreting a photo.
Last week, my youngest daughter assisted me in selecting a few photos for her fifth-grade yearbook. It is always fun to go back through pictures and tell stories about our memory. While we scrounged through the pics online, she stopped me and said, "This is the one I want in the yearbook."
When I asked why this photo, she responded, “It perfectly summarizes my childhood.”
Huh! There was so much looking at the photo and hearing her words that I did not come up with a follow-up question. Like maybe: You got to be creative, you liked dress-up, you are fun, or was it my fear of...you let me dress myself, things happen when you ignore me, or I was born to keep you on your toes!
Isn’t it funny that a photo can mean so much to one and so little to another? It got me thinking about the images I have seen this week of neighboring districts bringing students back to school. Reading about their fears, anxiety, and then the pictures of joy as they remember how fun it is to work in-person with students. I am so happy for the staff and students in those districts.
Here is a picture that I took on the first day of in-person instruction in November. I know it seems like it is just a parking lot, but it was the parking lot before the bell rang. The excitement to have students in school brought every parent on-time, even early, to drop off their student. I remember the silence as I teared up from the relief of normalcy. Students in school-probably the most critical place outside of homes. This photo is at the end of parking lot duty, and I could not be more thrilled to have witnessed it!
And then this last week, I took this photo while waiting to ensure that my “middle school” daughter was let into early cross country practice. Of course, it was from a distance not to embarrass her waiting in front of the school. She was so nervous about running with the team after so many long months. Yet, she was also excited to be out playing a sport with friends and teammates. To some, this picture is so dull; it brought me the biggest smile of the week.
And this photo is Derk, on the Association of Supervision and Curriculum (ACSA) lunch webinar, sharing about opening our district to both in-person and online instruction to students in November. And rightfully so sharing about our amazing classified and certificated staff, working together, and blessed to have been able to open schools on November 4, 2020, to those students that wanted in-person instruction.
And lastly, to celebrate Women’s History Month, I celebrate my mom. She is pictured here 60 days before she died of a stroke. After her death, a note was found taped to her site in the columbarium. It read, “Thank you for sharing your mother with all the other students and me she supported. I struggled with reading, and your mother gave me the tools to read and know that having patience and persistence were talents that would outweigh having a learning disability. I write this letter today as a teacher, yes, a teacher. Because of your mom, I am a teacher because of her commitment to students like me and her commitment to a greater world. Thank you for letting me spend each day with children to help them rise, be strong, and persevere through their education to be bright young citizens. Your mother is still assisting others in learning. I will be forever grateful.”
#Celebratewomen
#Celebratemoms
Ed Services Updates
Progress Report RemindersMiddle School Teachers: An email from the school site will go home on Friday, April 9th to remind parents they can check grades in Otus. Here is a sample of the message that will be sent home by the school site. A reminder all student should have a grade for both Engagement and Work Completion.
A reminder, Elementary Progress Reports need to go home by Friday, April 9th.
There are two minimum expectations from the District when it comes to Progress Reports.
Teachers are allowed to send additional information or send information to all students if they choose, but that is a PLC decision.
Teachers can communicate using the District form, or you may use your own form of communication. If you are going to communicate using something different than the District provided form, you must let your administrator know.
Below is a document that has different progress report options. There are two types of files, PDF or Google doc. All 3 trimester options are on there for the Google doc version, please select Trimester 3 if you are using Google doc.
RCSD Elementary Progress Report Master Document
Second Step Slide Decks are READY!!
All K-5 Second Step ready-made slide decks are back up and running! There are a few minor tweaks you can do to make them your own. Thank you for your patience while the links were all being updated. Here is access to the entire folder and please email Julie Murdaugh if something isn’t working properly.
K-5 Math Quick Quizzes
In your Otus “Shared With Me” grade level folder you will begin to see the Expressions Quick Quizzes built and ready for use. If you have any questions, please contact Megan Spears.
K-8 Science Learning Opportunity
Low Floor, High Ceiling: Making Science Tasks More Spacious
Apr 19, 2021 03:30 PM
Apr 26, 2021 03:30 PM
Register here: limited space is available
Please click here for some commonly asked questions from staff regarding COVID-19. We will continue to update this sheet as more questions come in. Thank you.
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