September 28-October 2

One month down, nine more to go! How are you feeling today? Hopefully as energetic as our paras! They have been all over working out all kinds of kinks and processes with arrival and dismissal procedures, lining up incentives, patrol, walking school bus, classroom support, and lots of office activities including copying and laminating. The good news---they are still smiling! KUDOS to all of you for helping reinforce safety and providing customer service with a smile! Now let's just hope it looks that way in June, huh? :)

CELEBRATIONS:

• Teaming & Collaboration--I can't tell you how proud Erling and I are of the terrific and INTENTIONAL work going on with each of your teams along with support staff! Our students aren't going to have a chance to slip through the cracks this year! Way to go keeping the focus along with a great attitude and confidence in what you are doing! I guess you gotta break a few eggs to make an omelet, and you are all cooking up a whopper!
• Thanks to all of you who added your names to the committee and stipend lists. Lots of great activities and events for kids are coming up soon and it is through your dedication, support, and wise decision-making that we can offer so much more for our students. I can't wait to visit with each of our new committees over the next few weeks. Have you checked out our social committee list? If we don't have fun this year, it isn't for a lack of organizers!
• Congrats to Danielle for being cancer free! What a great discovery after a very complex surgery today. Let's all work on staying healthy this year!
• Would you like a celebration posted here next week? Email me with your input and we will Carsonize it on the BLOG! You know you want to celebrate something or someone, so now is the time!!!!

MONDAY

DIBELS Testing in the GYM

Watch DOG--Mark Boyd---Jenna 205

TUESDAY

Watch DOG---Jim Jones--Joseph 135

Grade Level Team Meetings AM or PM for 45 minutes

Fire Drill 10:20AM

Taproot Theater 12:45-1:30PM Grades 1,2,3

Taproot Theater 1:45-2:30PM Grades K,4,5,6 (chairs for 6th grade!)

WEDNESDAY

Watch DOG---Jim Jones--Joseph 135 (day 2)

STAFF Meeting 7:30-8:15 Library--are you responsible for treats this time?

INDIVIDUAL LIC

THURSDAY

SRC 7:40 Conference Room

FRIDAY

Watch DOG--Peter Black Camren 138 & Kaylie 225

Forza Friday 7:00am

PTA Movie Night!!! 6:30pm Monsters v Aliens

BITS & PIECES

Online Required Trainings

How are you doing on completing your online anti-harrassment and safety trainings? As of this writing, Carson staff have completed 226 quizzes, but there are still 154 more to be taken! In other words, we are about 60% done at this time. Be sure to complete all of your quizzes by Wednesday, September 30th. Check with me if you are a classified employee and have not yet been able to have the time to finish the online tests. Karen has the instructions with the web site link if you need another copy. Happy clicking!

Special Opportunities

Let me know if you are interested in either one of these terrific art opportunities and I will forward you more info!

1. Tacoma Museums and Educational Groups “Back to School Night” October 1, 2010. Museums and organizations that offer resources and programs for educators will be available to share their innovative ideas and ways to bring the arts, social studies, science and other subjects into the classroom or bring your students out into the community.

2. Professional Development Opportunities for Classroom teachers in the Arts--Broadway Center for Performing Arts in Tacoma--Professional Development in Integration of Drama or Dance

2 Shows, 2 Dinners and 2 Workshops all for $100.00

Olweus Topic

If this is your first class meeting, the best thing to do is to establish your team meeting norms. Next step is to discuss each of the anti-bullying/harassment rules and what they mean. If you are beyond that one already, your topic is: tattling What does it mean? What are examples of tattling? What are examples of things that need to be told?

Banner Year!!

First off, thank you to those that contributed your $10 either last year or this year to support our college banners in the lunchroom. I would like to put our order in for the Gold Ribbons with staff last names on that contributed. If you would like yours included, please give $10 to me, preferably by check but cash is ok, and I will get your ribbon AND banner ordered if we don't already have one for your alma mater! Let's celebrate as we EDUCATE!

Note from Dr. Reifel re. eSchool Plus

September 11, 2009

Dear Puyallup District Staff,

During the phased implementation of Teacher Access Center over the last two years there has been much input shared by teachers, counselors, administrators, and parents regarding its usability. During this time we have shared these concerns with the company. As you know, the entire student information system, including Teacher Access Center, was upgraded over the summer to eSchoolPLUS+. I would like to thank PSD teachers Lorraine Hirakawa, Brenda Whitt, Maija Thiel, Scott Bosen, Larry Swanson, Kevin Cummings, Michelle Heeb, Amy Query, Rachel Johnson, Brenda Ransom, Nina Williams and Charlotte Palumbo who volunteered to review the planned upgrades to Teacher Access Center last spring.

With this upgrade, eSchoolPLUS+ including Teacher Access Center and Home Access Center is now the only supported student information system for the district. Beginning now, all staff members who work with student data are required to use the upgraded system. At all levels, teachers are required to use Teacher Access Center (TAC) for attendance and report cards. At the secondary level, teachers are also required to use the TAC grade book to post assignments, scores, and interim progress reports. Elementary teachers will also submit lunch counts via TAC.

Information regarding secondary student grades may only be posted online on the Home Access Center through the use of Teacher Access Center. Student grades may not be posted to the internet through any other web site. Teachers will still be able to use their SWIFT websites to provide parents and/or students with information regarding class calendars, announcements, class activities, projects, special events or to post student work.

The implementation of a fully integrated student information system has presented a number of challenges. Through your work and that of the Information Technology Center staff, we believe you will find the upgraded eSchoolPLUS+ to be a smoother and more user-friendly system; capable of meeting a much broader range of needs for all users. Thanks very much for your patience in getting to this point of full implementation.

Best wishes for a great 2009-10 school year.

Jay Reifel, Ed. D.