Last RCSD Educator Blog for the 20/21 School Year

Message from Jamey Schrey

I remember when…

I remember the day when Dennis Snelling was concerned about so many student and staff absences in November and December 2019.

I remember when every day during the week before March 13th, we were glued to our phones and local online meetings about “the ship” and possible illness.

I remember the day I told my children that I did not know when they would return to their school.

I remember picking up my grocery bags with gloves and trying to wipe down the bags.

I remember watching tv every night, holding on to hope for something miraculous.

I remember watching hardworking staff members organize their students’ work and computer for pick-up.

I remember working with others developing an online program, four hybrid models, and an in-person model, only to be told in a blink of an eye that we would all be online in August.

I remember watching my daughter practice soccer with her team on Zoom during the summer.

I remember that my dog was the happiest family member in the pandemic.

I remember sobbing because I was so scared that I was going to fail our district students.

I remember days when I got busy so early online that I did not brush my teeth until noon.

I remember trying to be empathetic to the different families and different points of view.

I remember realizing that I will have a job where yoga pants are the norm in my next life.

I remember looking online with thoughts of buying lipstick and then seeing my stack of masks.

I remember being so thankful for the staff coming back to in-person instruction with new ways of doing school while others were innovating with online learning.

I remember playing family games with my sister and cousins to stay in touch with family.

I remember trying to smile in front of my children when I was afraid.

I remember surprising my daughter with her cousins on her birthday, at an outside restaurant, two days before it shut down in the Bay Area.

I remember discovering Unfogger for glasses after my daughter's trimester without them.

But mostly, what I remember now is a blur of time, which makes me more thankful for what I have in my life.

I remember feeling so stressed while walking the aisles of Safeway and realizing I was not following the arrows on the ground correctly.

This weekend I will turn 52, and I am so thankful for gifts such as having my girls go to great schools with caring staff, soccer games, and hugs.

One thing about working in schools is that there are clear beginnings and endings. And then new beginnings.

When I blow out the many candles this weekend, I will wish that our 2021-2022 new beginning starts with regular school days, filled with learning and enrichment, filled with children, family, and staff, and the many gifts that each of these groups brings to education.

I wish you and your family the very best for the summer and hope that it is filled with healthy days, unforgettable hugs...and yoga pants. 

Congratulations to all the certificated and classified staff that are retiring. I wish you many fun and rewarding days ahead on your new journey!

Jamey

Here is a secret bottle of pandemic wisdom that I recently discovered brought to you by my 5th-grade daughter and her best friend.

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RCSD PDAC Plan

Please take a moment to look over the memo from the RCSD Professional Development Advisory Committee.  The information below is an overview of where we are headed with professional development over the next three years.  At the start of the 21/22 school year we will send out a more detailed plan for the year.  If you have any questions about the memo or information, please reach out to Brandon Blom and Lisa Shrider.

PDAC Memo, May 2021- This memo gives an overview of the process, survey results, and recommendations for professional development moving forward.   

RCSD PDAC 2021-2024 Video Explaining Details and Data- This 8-minute video explains the data on the slides and additional details.

RCSD PDAC 2021-2024 Slide Deck- This slide deck has a lot more information regarding RCSD Data and survey results.

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Technology Updates

Upcoming Staff Login Changes

Tomorrow, Thursday, May 27th at 5:00 PM, Technology Services will begin the process to migrate all RCSD Kids student accounts into our RCSDK8 staff domain.

What this means for you…

Once the migration is complete, we will be disabling HelloID authentication and begin using Google’s built-in authentication. On or before June 4th you will need to replace any District Gmail bookmark you have saved with gmail.rcsdk8.org. Just a reminder, you can always get to your District Gmail using the Staff Resources link on the District website. An email reminder will be sent out by technology services.

The only thing you will notice is how the login page looks different. Below is a screenshot of what to expect:

Optional- How to Backup Your Google data

Google Takeout is a service offered by Google, that backs up all your existing Google account’s data into a zipped file, which you can then download and store externally, using a portable USB thumb drive, or outside your RCSD account, using a personal consumer email account (i.e. outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, etc.)

Please follow the steps below to use Google Takeout:

Guide:  How to use Google Takeout (Backup your Google Drive)

Video:  How to use Google Takeout (Backup your Google Drive)