WEEKLY BULLETIN for Week Beginning 10.10.17

CALL TO ACTION

● CONNECTING WITH LOST SOULS

Thank you once again to all of you for taking this situation so seriously and becoming emotionally invested in the life and death of this student– so many of you contacted us about students who were possible candidates. The relationships you develop with your students is so important to handle these situations so they will open up about what is bothering them – our students need to know that they have adults looking out for them. This should remind us of how important it is to report all matters, including students who seem depressed, acting strangely and bullying concerns, and to communicate with families.   

● COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS ABOUT SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Please make sure that you communicate with our students about anything going on in the school – a club meeting, sports game or program opportunity – you can do this by including it in our Daily Announcements email / Jupiter message – here is the procedure for submitting this information:

(1) Go to the HSFI Staff Home page - https://sites.google.com/a/hsfi.us/hsfi-staff-portal/home?pli=1 

(2) From there use the Announcement form link on the left hand side of the page - all announcements should be requested by 3:00 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

● COLLEGE APPLICATION WEEK / GOLLEGE GEAR DAY

College Application Week is next week from October 16 – 20 where our seniors will begin the submission of their college applications – we will kick off the week with College Gear Day on Monday, October 16 – please wear college gear on this day (shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc.) to help encourage our students with the college application process.  We will also have signs that encourage students of all grades to ask you about the college that you attended.  We always get great participation for this day – it should be fun.

● SUPPORTING OUR LATENESS PLAN

I sent a message to students and their families clarifying the timing for the Lateness Plan.  For 1st period on regular schedule, students need to be in the school building by 8:15 am (5 minutes after the music stops playing) to NOT be considered late.  For 2nd period on regular schedule, students need to be in the school building by 9:04 am (5 minutes after the music stops playing) to NOT be considered late. As always, we will check train delays and cancel the plan based on transit delays.  Continue to highlight the importance of getting to school on time.  Make sure you are recording students’ readiness grades to insure accountability for being on time.  Here is the spreadsheet with the list of students who were late thus far:

https://docs.google.com/a/hsfi.us/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vTWE1P2yjxJ5lljxmoP8QIsxxzlnE1f7jOPXv_AFAGPN7NOZvD1mz2HsQsg5tRN244B0fsZpww7CZlB/pubhtml?gid=973077440&single=true

● STAFF ADVISORS NEEDED FOR 3 ACTIVITIES

Please consider being the advisor for:

(1) STEP TEAM

(2) DEBATE TEAM

(3) ROCK MUSIC CLUB – here is a description submitted by HSFI student Aaryanna Herrera: “A club involving music of all roots of rock, metal, punk and alternative.  Inviting all band geeks and people who just want to hang out.  Doing things like: (1) Playing music; (2) Bringing in instruments to play or practice with; (3) Talking about rock related stuff; (4) Learn about new bands, old bands, big events in rock history, idols and discovering bands people never heard of; (5) Watching concerts, tv shows related to rock, cartoons, old scary movies, and people playing their instruments in person; (6) Playing the video game ‘Rock Band’

PLEASE CONTACT ME OR MR. RAU IF YOU ARE INTERESTED – THANK YOU

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
OCTOBER 9 NO SCHOOL COLUMBUS DAY	10 *Regular Bell Schedule PM Supervisor: M Frank (Rm. 121)	11 *Regular Bell Schedule PM Supervisor: A Rodrigues (Rm. 515)	12 *Regular Bell Schedule PM Supervisor: S Kohm (Rm. 531)	13 *Regular Bell Schedule PM Supervisor: J Tallone (Rm. 201)

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONAL REMINDERS

● OUR INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS FOR 2017-18 & BEYOND

□ Every student feels cared for

□ Every student feels challenged

● THE WRITING REVOLUTION FOLLOW-UP / RESOURCES AVAILABLE

If you've attended TWR PD over the past two and a half years, you can register for access to a very useful TWR Resource Library:
This resource provides customizable templates for construction of TWR tasks, samples, videos and more.
To register, the URL is www.thewritingrevolution.org/register
Once you submit, you'll be sent a password.
Once set up, the library can be accessed directly at www.thewritingrevolution.org/resources
If you want access to the library, but haven't attended TWR training, connect with your AP.

● TEACHBOOST EMAILS MIGHT GO TO YOUR EMAIL JUNK FOLDER

Instructional supervisors are using Teach Boost to record observation feedback – if you have not received your feedback email from your supervisor, check your Outlook email junk folder to see if it is there.

● TESTING HANDBOOK

It is awhile away from administration of the January 2018 Regents, but the NYCDOE has published its ‘Testing Handbook’ – make sure you read through the handbook before the testing period – the handbook will be attached to an email headed your way.

● SPECIAL EDUCATION INFORMATION

As the end of the quarter draws near, we in room 329 wanted to provide everyone with a reminder regarding students with IEPs and SESIS as well as the sections of the IEP which you may find most helpful when planning your instruction. While reviewing the IEP you may notice your Teacher Form responses or information you shared during the meeting- this is a great example of how your insight helps us to create an authentic, student specific IEP.
In addition to asking a special educator, you can easily determine which students in your class have IEP's by reviewing your class roster. If the first or last character of the students’ official is a letter, the student has an IEP. Generally, but not in all cases, a letter at the end means the student receives SETSS services, while an I, C, or T at the beginning will signify an ICT placement.
There are exceptions where students have been moved from one placement to another based on their needs and this is why it is incredibly important to reference the IEP. Students within our
D75 Inclusion Program will have an L as the first letter of their official class and at this time will not appear when you log-in to SESIS. We are working to gain access for those who need it. In the interim you are invited to stop by 329 to speak with Ms. Smith-Brown and review a hard copy of their IEP(s).
This year we will continue to distribute an electronic standards-based Teachers Form. The information you are required to complete on this form is subject specific and your insight will better help us in determine the needs of our students with IEPs. The Teacher Form in conjunction with your participation at the IEP meeting (if you are invited) are two critical elements we need in order to best serve our students. We try to plan our IEP and Triennial meetings with teacher schedules in mind, however there are times when families are only available at specific times and a coverage will be requested for your class.
Our monthly SIT meeting addresses concerns surrounding Special Education (placement, initials,
etc) and is announced in advance in the Weekly Notes. All are welcome and encouraged to attend and if you are interested in becoming a regular member just let me know. Please feel free to stop by room 329 if you have any questions and thank you for your continued support of our students.
The Access-VR meeting for 12th graders with disabilities will be held in the Principal's Conference room on Wednesday October 11 at 12:00pm - a list will be sent out on Tuesday, please excuse these students from class.

● PARENT INFORMATION LISTING

Familiarize yourself with our student list with all their Parent Contact information 

https://docs.google.com/a/hsfi.us/spreadsheets/d/1yEo3ZbWPZqU_4C7Tr6HaPRevPjr28h5N5q1_PAhW0Q4/edit?usp=sharing

If you get an updated phone number and/or email of a student that is different from the information in this document, email AP Danielle Silva at DSilva3@schools.nyc.gov – include Student Name & 9 Digit ID - with the correct, updated contact information.  This list will also be added to the Staff Homepage

● STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS

Over 900+ students have filled out the Student Information survey that we gave out to students – here is the link to the survey results – please familiarize yourself with the spreadsheet and encourage your students who have not filled out the survey to do so.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1r6-RcqMd1SUZS9cHx-NEJq4pc2_m6MhU1t952cMa5n0/edit#gid=0

Here is the information on the survey:

Student Name; OSIS; Counselor; Grade; Name In class I would like to be called; In class please use this pronoun (He, She, They/Them); Would you like us to use your preferred name when calling home? (Yes or No); What borough do you live in?; How long does it take for you to get to school?; Do you have any medical conditions we should know about? (Yes or No); Siblings names and ages:

Personal Interests

Are you involved in any clubs or activities at HSFI; If you are not in a club or activity, what are you interested in joining?; What would you like us to know about you?; What is something I can help you with this year? (Choices – Academic, College/Career, Personal, Homework/Organization, Job / Internship / Volunteer); What are your strongest subjects?; What subjects do you struggle in?; Any additional information you would like to add to get to know you better?

OPERATIONAL NEED TO KNOW

● CHECK YOUR DOE & HSFI EMAILS EVERYDAY

● HSFI STAFF HOMEPAGE LINK - https://sites.google.com/a/hsfi.us/hsfi-staff-portal/

● PARKING PERMIT INFORMATION

DOE parking permits expire on November 1.  You can sign up for a parking permit OR you can renew parking permits through the DOE’s parking permit application using this link: self-service portal by October 12 (note that the portal works best in Google Chrome).

You will need the following information to submit this application:

#1 – Reference ID # that can be found on your paystub

#2 – License Plate #

Once you submit your application through the portal, the DOE will deliver parking permits to our school by November 1.  The DOE parking permits may only be distributed after we have collected expired parking permits from your staff.  DOE parking spaces will continue to be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

● PROTOCOLS FOR RESPONDING TO CLASSROOM INCIDENTS

In the event of an incident in your classroom that creates disruption (student is defiant and / or uncooperative) but is NOT A THREAT to student and/or staff safety, the following protocol should be followed:

□ Classroom management, i.e., using your skills as an educator to move on from the situation, followed by

□ A phone call to your Supervisor informing them of the incident and the steps you have taken to address the matter, followed by

□ A referral to the Peace Center and/or the Guidance Department via Google Docs., followed by

□ Outreach to parents, informing them of their child’s misbehavior, and request for family support to correct the matter.  

In the event of an incident in your classroom that involves an immediate THREAT to student and/or staff safety, the following protocol should be followed:

□ A phone call to the Peace Center (x1491 or x1431) informing available staff of the incident and requesting assistance, followed by

□ A phone call to School Safety (x1341) informing them of the location and nature of the incident and requesting assistance, followed by

□ A call to your Supervisor informing them of the incident and the steps you have taken to address it.

HOW TO SUBMIT LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION ON NAVIANCE

Guidance counselor Alex Jones sent you an email this past week on how to upload letters of recommendation onto Naviance.  At this point if you don't have an active Naviance account, please send a separate email to Mr. Jones – Ajones22@schools.nyc.gov or call him at ext. 1011 - and he will set you up with one.  

1. Enter your Naviance Log in Info

2. Click on Manage and Complete your College Recommendations

3. See a list of your student’s names

4. Click on UPLOAD FILE for a specific student (far right) - this will take you to a student’s EDOCS page, complete with a list of yellow tabs, documents checklist, and a section that says TEACHER DOCUMENTS

5. Scroll down to TEACHER DOCUMENTS and click the +ADD icon

6. Click UPLOAD A FILE

7. Under Applications, select ----ALL APPLICATIONS

8. Under Type, select ----LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION

9. Click BROWSE and find your saved letter of recommendation that you have typed (from Word, a thumb drive, etc)

10. Open the document and press UPLOAD FILE

11. Go back out to the EDOCS screen (where you started with the yellow tabs underneath the student’s name)

12. Scroll down to TEACHER DOCUMENTS and click the +ADD icon again

13. Click on PREPARE A FORM

14. Under Type, select ----COMMON APP TEACHER EVALUATION

15. Click on PREPARE FORM

16. Answer all of the questions and select SAVE

You must complete BOTH actions for each student, including uploading a written letter of recommendation AND completing their Common App Teacher Evaluation. After you have done both of those, your job is finished.

WEEKLY PARENT COMMUNICATION

● FASHIONABLE TIMES BLOG

Just like we maintain a blog for staff, we maintain a weekly blog for HSFI Parents that includes a weekly message from me.  The link is:

http://hsfifashionabletimes.blogspot.com/

STUDENT INFORMATION RESOURCE

● NYC DOE STUDENT PROFILES

The NYC Department of Education has created a central location to access key student information – www.nycenet.edu/studentprofile

You have been emailed a one page summary of this resource.  Here are the key categories of the ‘Student Profile’:

● Grades – current and historical report card grades

● Assessments - previous Regents scores

● Attendance - current and historical daily attendance including lateness

● Schedule – students’ current schedule

● Details – student biographical and demographic information including Special Education and English Language Learner (ELL) status

● Enrollment – enrollment history including all NYC schools attended

● Guardians – all the adults on the students’ biographical record including contact information and preferred language

STAFF MEMBERS WHO SOARR

The SOARRing staff showcased below come from nominations from their supervisors and their colleagues.  You can nominate a colleague by using the email: PBISDataTeam@hsfi.us

Please include the reason why your colleague has SOARRed!

Thank you to THE ENTIRE HSFI STAFF for your reaction to becoming aware that a student was in distress – thank you for the care you display day in and day out!

Thank you to MS. RIVIERE for her efforts in searching out for students in crisis and identifying the students that needed to be connected with.

Thank you to MS. HACKLEMAN for developing a relationship with a student that resulted in her opening up and allowing the school to address her concerns and get the support that the student required to be comfortable coming to school.

Thank you to MS. MAGNER for taking the time to meet with a potential community partner who might be providing some valuable Math tutoring to our 9^th graders.

Thank you to MS. HERZOG for coordinating the many coverages needed for 34 teachers to attend TWR PD on Tuesday and Wednesday. It's a big job that ultimately helps our students become stronger writers!

Thank you to MS. La TANZA for their participation in Geometry professional development.

Thank you to MR. KILPATRICK, MS. BOHNER & MS. MOLLOY (CONAGHAN) for participating in Vertical Alignment professional development that focuses on increasing the rigor of student work from grade to grade.

Thank you to MS. TROTTA for all the work she does on behalf of HSFI – she handles the copy room, the guidance and main offices as well as student records.

Thank you to MR. RUSSELL for taking on the task of running our first ever Advanced Placement Art Studio class.

Thank you to MS. NOBLE for her partnership with Clark University for the second year in a row to facilitate the Shark Tank Event with our business marketing students.

Thank you to MS. SERRANO & MS. DAMIAN for welcoming the RAPP Coordinator, Ms. Naghi, into their room to participate in workshops, as well as, create an advertisement campaign to be displayed around the school and on the TV screens.

Thank you to MS. RODRIGUEZ for assisting in the attendance office this past Friday and her efforts in supervising our SAT administration.

Thank you to MS. CHAVEZ for representing HSFI at the Middle School 217 & Mott Hall High School Fair.

Thank you to MS. BAKHOUM & MS. SAN JORGE for their quick action during the medical emergency that took place during the evacuation drill.

Thank you to MS. ANZALONE, MS. FRAGA-ZWIBEL, MR. KALISCH, MS. LISSAUER, MR. TRAPANI & MS. SIDERIS for opening their classrooms to the Manhattan Field Support instructional lead for a round of professional learning in Global history.

VTODs FOR THE WEEK

October 10 Science Tuesdays - Chemistry

Density: (n) 1. The quantity of people or things in given area or space: The rural area with its low population density had to rely on an urban area for many goods and services.  2. Density is the amount of matter in something that is shown by the relationship between its weight and its size.  The teacher demonstrated density by weighing the same sized blocks of foam, wood, and iron which though taking up the same space, certainly, didn’t weigh the same.

October 11, CTE Wednesday - Visual Merchandising

Contemporary: 1. (n) Simultaneous, happening or existing during the same period of time. Jackie Robinson’s contemporary and team-mate Pee Wee Reese, gave Robinson significant support as he broke the color barrier in baseball.  2. (adj.) marked by characteristics of the present period: modern, current.  The boutique owners added contemporary raw steel nesting tables for displaying their products.

October 12– ELA Thursdays – 11th Grade

Develop: (v) 1. to make an idea or theory easier to understand by giving more information.  The teacher helped her students develop effective outlines for their research papers. 2. to bring out the capabilities of; to bring to a more advanced state:  Developing its tourism industry helped the beautiful but remote island grow its economy.

October 13, Social Studies Fridays – 11th Grade

Pledge: v. 1 to promise a certain amount of money for a particular purpose. The international community pledged $500 million for reconstruction of the war-torn country.  2. to promise seriously and publicly to do something.   In her inaugural address, the new governor pledged to reduce crime and lower taxes.

ADDITIONS TO THE BLOG

If you are interested in adding something to the Weekly Bulletin Blog, please email Angela Ianniello – AIanniello@schools.nyc.gov – by Wednesday of that week.  Submissions emailed after this deadline will be placed in the following week’s Blog.