9-21-20

“Challenges are gifts that force us to search for a new center of gravity. Don’t fight them. Just find a new way to stand.”

-Oprah Winfrey

Good Evening Team and Family –

Week 2 is already upon us. After a historic week 1, we are set to continue building upon our “plane while flying it”. There will continue to be highs, and lows, however as the saying goes, “the rainy days [will] make us appreciate the sunny ones even more”. To that effect, I remember something that Mr. Acosta said today in a meeting, which was, “This year, there will be few opportunities to really get settled. Each week will present a new challenge, but that is ok, we will be ready.” After hearing this, I could not help but think about one’s personal journey of becoming the best version of themselves. The process itself isn't always pretty, but the fruits of the labor are always sweet. I hope that you all can stop and smell the roses along the way during our founding year-it only comes once.

Today’s “broken windows” meeting was another success. We continue to develop efficient systems and procedures to best serve our students because of our ability to show vulnerability, and execute with a solutions-oriented approach. That is a testament to our amazing collection of teachers at Lyceum Prep. The love and collaboration that you pour into the work shows day in and day out. I implore each of you to channel this same energy as we enter day #2 of week 2. Please refer to the big rocks below:

1. Attendance – Thank you all for your feedback regarding attendance. Your feedback allowed us to notice that access was denied for certain sections in PowerSchool. Furthermore, some teachers noted that they were assigned homerooms to take attendance for, but some of the students in their lists were not a part of their regular caseload. The solution to these issues at the moment, are to take note of them, and continue to flag them for the Admin Team to remedy. Remember, PowerTeacher is a piece of technology, and because of this, it is prone to error-so thank you for continuing to show grace around these hiccups (when they occur).

2. Schedule – Our kids are showing up. So much so, in fact, that they are trying to access classes before they are scheduled to take place, and well after they are finished. In noticing this trend, we have identified that our students might long to be social with one another. Kudos to our staff for recognizing this, and the idea of carving out time in the school day to allow our students to socialize with one another is a great idea. These are the types of innovative ideas that will separate us from the rest of the pack in regards to remote learning. We want to build a community where our students feel loved, appreciated, and connected to their community. Please continue to keep the ideas flowing!

3. Systems & Procedures– Mr. Albertorio and Mr. Torres touched upon a procedure that needs to be followed regarding inappropriate student behavior. These behaviors should be documented, and followed up by the teacher as the first point of contact. If the behaviors escalate beyond an initial point of contact (between the teacher and parent(s)), then they should be brought to the attention of the Admin Team for additional follow up. Also, please adhere to our system of scheduling asynchronous meetings using Google Calendar. This will keep lines of communication open amongst our staff, and students as well. Please reach out if you need support with this.

Tomorrow, we will continue visiting more classrooms and providing support as needed. We have now entered a phase in our observation and feedback cycle where “real-time coaching” is set to begin. This messaging is meant to serve as more of a heads up, so please understand that this is a part of our #levelup mantra. We also want you to continue to send admin any feedback or thoughts regarding ways that we can best support you. We truly appreciate all of your efforts today.

Next Steps & Things to Keep in Mind:

1. STEAM classes will not happen for the first 2 weeks. STEAM teachers place this info in your classroom, and teachers be sure to inform your students

2. Update roster from PowerSchool

3. Students who need assistance with accessing their SLPREP student emails should be directed here

4. SLPREP student emails & phone numbers are located here

5. Add any missing students directly into your Google Classroom by clicking on ‘People”.

6. Students will be able to view any teacher-invitation directly in their Google Classroom

7. Check links, codes, and folders for accuracy before assigning work to students. Direct students who are still having trouble with links to this process

8. Provide language support, and help teachers who might need an extra person (when possible)

9. When conducting parent outreach, please make sure to complete our outreach log here

10. Refer to this document when helping students with questions

11. Teachers, please use this resource to help students navigate the days on their schedule that are synchronous vs asynchronous (add this to your Google Classrooms)

12. Here are some scripted answers that you can use in the event you need to begin responding to parent questions about technology Scripted Answers

13. Rebekah Zayas will provide additional support to Mr. Rodriguez (period 1) and Mr. Follis (periods 6 & 7) for the remainder of the “runway” period

14. Create a Google Classroom for your breakout/small group sections. Please use this document to send invites to your students

Week 2 will be full of new opportunities. Opportunities to continue to connect with your students (and their parents). Opportunities to reflect upon your journey as an educator. Opportunities to shape the community in which you serve. Most importantly, this week will present opportunities to continue to build upon your legacy! #LEVEL-UP

Respectfully,

Dexter Miller