WEEKLY BULLETIN for Week Beginning 1.8.17

CALL TO ACTION

● 2 FULL WEEKS LEFT IN THE FALL TERM

We are in the homestretch of the Fall term with 2 weeks of classes until Regents.  Make sure students understand that the grades they receive at the end of January are the grades that colleges and universities will see.  Encourage students to take advantage of staff tutoring and tutoring from our National Honor Society students.

● KEEP THE REFERRALS COMING

Once a student starts heading in the wrong direction, how hard it is to reverse that trend.  If you notice a student heading the wrong way, connect with the student, reach out to the family and fill out a referral to let the school know what is going on.

● MENTORING FOCUS FOR HSFI

As you know, we do the best we can at identifying students who need additional supports.

Here is a page that you can nominate a student to receive Mentoring who you believe is at-risk and needs additional support – we are calling this our Mentoring Connection Survey:

https://sites.google.com/hsfi.us/mentoring-at-hsfi/mentoring-connection-survey

SING - WHO TELLS YOUR STORY – THIS THURSDAY & FRIDAY – PLEASE COME & SUPPORT

Please make plans to support Ms. Vega and our students for this year’s SING production.  This year’s production is inspired by Hamilton the Musical.  The shows are on:

Thursday, January 11 at 4:00 pm

Friday, January 12 at 7:00 pm

FIRST MONDAY REDESIGN FOR SPRING TERM

Last June, staff and students engaged in “Genius Hour” where we brainstormed responses to important questions facing our school such as “How can we get students to feel more connected to the school?”, “How do we help students develop their voices as citizens in a complex world?” and “How can we make more cross-departmental curricular connections?”  We compiled the responses and found that there are many suggested activities that we could engage our students in, but we are unable to implement them given the constraints of our existing school day structure.

I am proposing that we redesign our 1st Monday structure so that instead of having students rush between short class periods, we use that time in a more meaningful way to engage in extended activities centered around areas of student and staff shared interest.  This was discussed at some of our staff town halls throughout the Fall term.  I am hopeful that this opportunity will go a long way toward community building and ensuring that all students feel connected and cared for.  I am encouraging all staff to consider hosting a student activity.  There are endless possibilities and areas for exploration and enrichment such as:

Museum visits, Social Issues exploration, Music study, Running Club, Acting/Improv, College Trips, Sports/Physical Fitness, Community Service, Art Projects, etc.  This time could be used as an extension for existing clubs or classes or for something entirely new.  You could develop your own activity or team up with another staff member.

This will take a lot of planning and coordination.  The first step is to find out what activities staff members may be interested in offering students.  Please click on the link below to submit a description for how you might use the First Monday time.  

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf31dl6WuAWmQRNbEs9D07qx4-hmMA5DVDH1kPwqahxt0EbnQ/viewform

After I have collected staff responses, I will reach out to students in order to gauge of their interests.  I will then look to match up student and staff interests as closely as possible.  Our goal is to begin on Monday, February 5. Student/staff activity assignments would then last for the duration of the school year on our First Mondays.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with a questions or concerns.

STOP EVERYTHING & REFLECT – BEGINS THIS MONDAY, JANUARY 8

As part of our ongoing efforts to check-in with our students to see how they are doing and feeling, we will be asking students to write a brief reflection every 2 weeks where they would respond to the following questions:

□ Share something POSITIVE going on in your life

□ Is anything BOTHERING you at school? If so, let us know in a sentence or two.

□ Is anything BOTHERING you at home? If so, let us know in a sentence or two.

This will begin this coming Monday, January 8^th during the 5 minute announcement time during Period 3 – besides the Pledge of Allegiance, there will be no announcements on that particular day.  Teachers can decide which 5 minutes of the class period that they want students to do this activity.  Every student will need to participate because we need to know how every single student is doing, so we can look out for them.  Every 3^rd period teacher will need to participate and provide this opportunity to students to write this reflection.

It is important that this exercise is communicated as a Reflection, not a Survey.  It is important that you communicate this reflection as a way to get students’ the support they need.

I will be sending out the Reflection form link to students via their HSFI emails and Jupiter grades.  Please have your laptops and chromebooks charged and ready for students to use.  There will NOT be paper copies available for these responses considering the fact we cannot transfer all the student writing into the Google spreadsheet.  It is critical that we get every student to respond, so we can help them.

The expectation is that teachers in the classrooms have been and will continue to check-in with students on a daily basis – the main purpose of this reflection is to provide information to the guidance staff about students.  Teachers spend a lot more time with students and educational research indicates that students share more information with teachers because they see them every day and develop a strong comfort level with them.  Counselors will see the responses from the students in their caseloads and be able to follow up appropriately to do additional check-ins and provide resources to students and their families.  These reflections will provide important information to our guidance counselors in order for them to contribute even more to looking out for our students.

If you have any suggestions for this reflection piece and/or logistics for implementation, please feel free to speak with me about it or email me suggestions.  Thank you!

MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
JANUARY 8 *First Monday Bell Schedule DROP EVERYTHING & REFLECT Period 3 Professional Learning Communities & Dept. Meetings PM Supervisor: B McGuinness (Rm. 329)	9 *Regular Bell Schedule NOCTI Fashion Design Exam Administration Periods 2, 3 Learning Partners Visit to Brooklyn Bridge Academy High School PM Supervisor: S Rau (Rm. 829)	10 *Regular Bell Schedule NOCTI Fashion Design Exam Administration Periods 2, 3 PM Supervisor: K Boulamaali (Rm. 703)	11 *Regular Bell Schedule NOCTI Fashion Design Exam Administration Periods 2, 3 SING Performance @ 4pm INTERVISITATION TO LANGUAGE & DIPLOMACY HS / INCLUDES HSFI, LAB SCHOOL AND BARD EARLY COLLEGE HS PM Supervisor: S Kohm (Rm. 531)	12 *Regular Bell Schedule STUDENT TOWN HALLS Periods 4-7 SING Performance @ 7pm PM Supervisor: A Rodrigues (Rm. 515)

THE ANSWER IS IN THE ROOM

Here are some highlights of the best practices shared by HSFI Staff Members.  This round focuses on the use of TWR in the classroom:

In the Math Department, Ms. Kucker created a transition word activity where students were first prompted to factor an expression and then use appropriate transitional words to write out their steps.  This is a good activity in which students must describe in words what they have done mathematically (they are also encouraged to use proper math vocabulary).  

Transition Words

In the English Department, Ms. McGoldrick created an "unelaborated paragraph" activity for her ninth grade students studying A Mid-Summer Night's Dream.  There are two different versions of the activity to support multiple levels of student ability.

Unelaborated Paragraph 1 Unelaborated Paragraph 2

If you would like to see all of the activities compiled from last year, as well as the weekly additions, you can check out the shared Google Folder via the link below.

HSFI Best Practices Folder

*If any staff member would like to share a lesson, activity, or best practice, send it to Ms. Paz at spaz@hsfi.us or Mr. Kearns at kkearns@hsfi.us 

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONAL REMINDERS

● OUR INSTRUCTIONAL FOCUS FOR 2017-18 & BEYOND

□ Every student feels cared for

□ Every student feels challenged

● CHANGES TO THE OBSERVATION CYCLES

For our second observation cycle, here are the important dates:

□ Week of January 9 – End of Evaluation Cycle #2

● FIRST MONDAY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ACTIVITIES

□ All Physical Education teachers, report to Ms. Sostre in the Third Floor Gymnasium

□ All CTE Teachers, report to Ms. Boulamaali in RM 844

□ All English, Math, Science, and Social Studies Teachers and Paras report to your PLC Assignment listed below

□ 9th – 11th Grade Teachers—bring a COPY of TWR tasks you want feedback on

□ 12th Grade Teachers--bring a copy of your December CCSS Assessment.

□ All Spanish teachers report to Ms. Silva

● FASHION DESIGN TESTING ADMINISTRATION

12th grade fashion design students will be taking their NOCTI examination (‘Fashion Regents’) on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of this coming week.  The FD NOCTI exam (both practical and written) is divided into multiple sessions and will be administered during 2nd and 3rd periods.

Since students with special testing accommodations may receive extended time, it is likely that their exam will run into a portion of their 4th period class. Students will be provided with a late pass to 4th period if taking the exam. Thank you for your understanding and support as we administer this exam. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tara Ricci at ext. 1929.

● NO NEW HOMEWORK WEDNESDAYS

One topic that always comes up at the Student Town Halls is ‘No New HW Wednesday’ – Please remember that as part of our school-wide HW Policy, no new HW assignments are to be given to students on Wednesdays.

● SPECIAL EDUCATION REMINDERS

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. 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 studentswith 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.

                                  

● 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

OPERATIONAL NEED TO KNOW

● CHECK YOUR DOE & HSFI EMAILS EVERYDAY

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

● FALCON HEALTH CENTER PHONE ISSUES / CONTACT #

There is a glitch with the Falcon Health Center phone system, so unfortunately the only way to get in touch with the Falcon Health Center is to call directly using the number (646) 559-9351.  Their phone system is being serviced and we hope to get you a direct extension soon.

● TEACHERS’ CHOICE DEADLINES

January 14, 2018 is the deadline for purchasing.

January 19, 2018 - Accountability Report w/original receipts due.  Please bring to the Payroll Office.

● ELECTRONIC W-2 FORMS

To choose this option, log into your NYCAPS Employee Self-Service account at nyc.gov/ess.

Select the Change W2 Print Status option.

● ATTENDANCE SHEETS ARE LEGAL DOCUMENTS

There continue to be issues with staff filling out attendance sheets – absent students are being marked present which could put the school in legal jeopardy.  Make sure your attendance sheets are accurate.

□ Confirmation Sheets are due back by January 5th. 

□ Please hand in any and all December Attendance Sheets by Friday January 5th

● CANNOT LEAVE STUDENTS UNATTENDED

You cannot leave students unattended anywhere in the building – a classroom or office, the Auditorium or Cafeteria – if you have to leave a particular area, ask the students to leave with you.

● 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.

● KEEPING TRACK OF STUDENT ACTIVITY / COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS ABOUT SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Tracking Activity

In our effort to understand how ALL our students are doing, we need to know how much students are participating in activities around the building – this includes:

TUTORING / CLUBS & ACTIVITIES / PSAL SPORTS – PRACTICES & GAMES / ESL ACADEMY

MAKE-UP LABS / NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY PEER TUTORING / USING THE COMPUTER LABS

Use this link to keep track of student attendance in these activities - https://sites.google.com/a/hsfi.us/hsfi-staff-portal/attendance-for-student-activities

Doing this is mandatory if you oversee these activities and needs to be done every time you meet with students.  You must be signed in to your own hsfi.us account when you do this.  Contact Shannon Kohm with questions at skohm@school.nyc.gov, or ext. 5311

Communication

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.

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 all the staff members who have contributed to our best practices sharing - MS.  KUCKER & MS. McGOLDRICK - the sharing spirit at HSFI is alive and well!

Thank you to the 12^th grade English teachers - MS. ABRAMYAN, MS. ADAMCZYK, MS. BOHNER, MS. CUFFIE, MS. DRABMAN, MS. EISENBERG, MS. HENEY & MR. WIEDA for engaging our students in thoughtful "courageous conversations" connected to our work on disrupting inequity.

Thank you to MS. HERZOG & MR. TALLONE for handling the scheduling challenge of this past Friday with over 30 staff absences; Thank you to MS. IANNIELLO, MR. ABDALLAH, MR. KOHM, MS. CARTER, MS. KLEPACKI & MS. McKEON for supporting these efforts.

Thank you to MS. RICCI, MS. VACCARO & MS. WEINREB for planning and organizing the NOCTI written exam in Fashion Design and Visual Merchandising, which will be given to students next week.

Thank you to MS. RUFF for sharing resources with Ms. Newell and ensuring that little instructional time is lost between now and the 9th grade Global History midterm exam.

Thank you to MS. DAVID & MS. DAHILL for all their efforts in planning and organizing a Spring break trip to Madrid, Spain with 16 of our students.  International trips are an intense process with all the NYC DOE rules.

VTODs FOR THE WEEK

January 8, Math Monday

Parallel: 1. adj. A shared quality or characteristic. The designer found many parallels between the worlds of fashion and fine art.  2. happening at the same time or in the same way but separately. Two children separated by decades embark on parallel journeys to fill gaps in their lives. 3. (math.) parallel lines are equidistant or the same distance apart at every point along their whole length.  Students were asked to label each pair of lines as parallel, perpendicular, or intersecting.

January 9, Science Tuesday

Infiltrate: (v) 1. to pass into or through something by filtering or permeating.  Water can infiltrate the soil easily.  2. to become a feature of something gradually. The panel discussed the ways that technology has infiltrated both home and work.  3. To secretly enter a group etc.; to do harm or get information. The staff had been infiltrated by spies.

January 10, CTE Wednesday

Granular: (adj.) 1. made of or appearing to be made of small pieces or granules.  If you can, ski on light, powdery snow since granular snow makes for terrible skiing. 2. Finely detailed.   Mobile marketing measurement tools can operate on the granular level,   breaking down the details of   individual campaigns by month, week, day, hour and even quarter hour.    

January 11, ELA Thursday

Integrate: (v.) 1. to make (a person or group) part of a larger group or organization. Some immigrants can find it difficult   to integrate into American culture. 2. to combine (two or more things) to form or create something. She integrates elements of jazz and rock in her music. To complete the research reports, students had to evaluate and integrate multiple sources of information. 

January 12, Social Studies Friday

Interdependent: (adj.) mutually dependent; depending on each other. The interdependence between plants and animals has been evolving for millions of years.   Economic interdependence occurs when countries become dependent on each other for the resources they do not have

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.