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BSD Staff Updates
Monday, April 20, 2020
We appreciate our volunteers
We have a volunteer newsletter going out today to all volunteers, and any volunteer with at least 100 volunteer hours for this school year will get a hand-written thank you note in the mail! Our theme for Fun Friday this week is "Thank you volunteers!" and we are asking staff and families to share their appreciation for BSD Volunteers.
We hope you will take a moment to contact volunteers who have helped in your school or classroom and let them know you appreciate them and are thinking of them during Volunteer Appreciation Week!
Bremerton Council PTSA Announces 2020 Founder's Day Award Recipients
Each year in the spring, Bremerton Council PTSA honors volunteers, staff and community members with a awards. These awards are given out at the annual Founder's Day dinner and auction that was canceled this year due to the governor's stay-at-home order.
Golden Acorn Award
The Golden Acorn Award is a very prestigious WA State PTA award given out to individuals who have demonstrated exemplary and outstanding volunteerism.
- Su Ferguson Bremerton Council PTSA
- James Gardner - Armin Jahr Elementary
- Danielle (Emi) Beaton - Armin Jahr Elementary
- Stephanie Gleason – Armin Jahr Elementary
- Tera Wittner – Bremerton High School
- Breanna Harvey – Crownhill Elementary
- Bruce "Bobo" Jensen - Kitsap Lake Elementary
- Breanne Johnston – Mt. View Middle School
- Shannon Campbell – Naval Avenue Early Learning Center
- Laura Stone – View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy
- Jessica Diehl - West Hills STEM Academy
Outstanding Educator Award
The Outstanding Educator Award is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to their community to enhance the educational outcomes of all children. An educator is not limited to a teacher and may be defined as teacher, assistant, specialist, support staff, administrator or community member.
- Anabel Smith – Armin Jahr Elementary
- Leah Zimmer – Bremerton High School
- Amy Wilcox – Crownhill Elementary
- Michelle Bowman – Kitsap Lake Elementary
- Jacqueline Thornton – Mt. View Middle School
- Katie Exum – Naval Avenue Early Learning Center
- Jennifer Saurer – View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy
- Allyson Smith – West Hills STEM Academy
Outstanding Advocate Award
The Outstanding Advocate Award recognizes individuals for their advocacy and commitment to helping create strong policies relating to the health, welfare, safety and education of children and youth.
- Iva Scott – Bremerton Council PTSA
- Marshaun Thompson – Mt. View Middle School
Check it out! BHS "The Bulletin"
The Bulletin can be found on Bremerton Knights TV YouTube channel. If you have content you would like to submit for The Bulletin, contact Media Production teacher Jay Montgomery at jay.montgomery@bremertonschools.org.
Visit the Bremerton Knights TV YouTube channel then subscribe and click the bell to receive notifications when new videos are uploaded.
Here is a link to the most recent edition of The Bulletin: 041420 Bulletin.
Social Media Campaign: What does home-based learning look like?
Our buildings may be closed, but we've got some great stuff happening in the District. We want to tell our story via social media with a "campaign" called: What does home-based learning look like? We will be featuring examples of different home-based learning on the District's Face page (see example on right).
BSD staff are encouraged to submit photos and videos of “home-based learning”
- Submissions MUST include brief-write-up to explain the photo/video. This is a chance for us to showcase the great stuff we are doing and share all of your creative ideas!
- Students will not be named in any social media post but must be cleared for opt-outs prior to submitting.
- If you do not have access to your building's opt-out list, please email your OC the names of the students and ask them for assistance. Thank you, OCs!
- While we will not be using student names in the posts, we can use student grade, school, teacher's name and/or subject.
- I will tag buildings when I feature staff/students from that building.
- In each post, we'll ask families to comment with their pictures of what "home-based learning" looks like for them. We may end up featuring some of these in posts down the road. But we are currently NOT going to ask families to send in photos by email.
- Staff should send photos and information to Karen.Bevers@BremertonSchools.org
- It doesn't have to be a perfect or super artistic photo....It is about telling our story - not perfection!
- NO RUSH on this. I plan to continue doing this through the remainder of the school year so this is an ongoing request!
REPORTING ANTI-ASIAN HATE ACTIVITY
A message from from: Seattle Chapter Japanese Americans Citizens League (JACL)
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has coincided with a dramatic rise in racist anti-Asian hate incidents. The incidents have occurred across the country and have ranged from outright violent attacks to various forms of verbal harassment and discriminatory exclusion. Anecdotal information shows that incidents have occurred throughout the Puget Sound area as well, including in Bellevue, Issaquah, Renton, Seattle, and Tacoma.
Police and governmental officials in Seattle, Bellevue, and other localities encourage individuals experiencing or witnessing incidents to report all hate crimes, including verbal harassment, so that an accurate picture of anti-Asian hate activity can be created. Call 911 right away in order to report an immediate threat or an ongoing incident. Incidents that occurred in the recent past can be reported online or by phone.
In addition to reporting incidents to law enforcement, the JACL has gathered a list of resources for families to access for support:
- Reporting verbal harassment, discrimination, or hate crimes, call Seattle Office for Civil Rights at (206) 223-7100 or file a complaint online.
- Also submit a report online to the Coronavirus Anti-AAPI Racism Incident Report to help build a national response. Responses can be anonymous, and reports can be made in English or in 11 different Asian languages.
JACL requests that school districts post these resources in a prominent and accessible location on their websites for families, staff and students to refer to if needed. This information can be found at www.BremertonSchools.org/COVID-19.
Where to find links to BSD Teach
- In your short cuts under "BSD Staff" in Google Chrome.
- On the bottom, right corner of the District home page (look for the BSD Teach graphic below the District calendar.
- Under the "STAFF" drop-down tab on any District webpage.
- On the BSD "Directory" on the website (www.BremertonSchools.org/Staff)
Important reminder about settings in Google Classroom
Sharing information from an email from Kati Carthum in an email 4/14. If you need help with this, please contact your building's MMIS teacher, or Kati Carthum.
As Google Classroom becomes more central to the education of our students in this challenging time, you may have parents requesting access to their students' classes. Here are a couple of things to keep in mind:
1. Parents can NOT join Google Classroom. This is not allowed by Google, for federal privacy law reasons.
2. Parents can, however, receive Guardian Summaries from Google Classroom that let them know what assignments are coming up, what assignments are missing or late, and how their student is doing in class.
3. In order for a parent to receive Guardian Summary emails, their email has to be added to their student(s) account in Google Classroom. This has to be done by a teacher.
4. Steps:
In Google Classroom, click on the "People" tab.
Next to a student name, click on "Invite Guardian".
Type in the parent email address.
FINAL STEP: click on the settings icon in the upper right corner. Under the "general section", turn on Guardian Summaries.
5. Note: Once a guardian email has been added to a student account for one class, it does not need to be added again by another teacher. The guardian access is for student accounts, not for specific classes.
Ask Joe! Tech help available every Wednesday!
And for more tech help, especially as it relates to this brave new online learning world we're exploring together, visit BSDTeach. There's a whole new section on Digital Teaching and Learning you can find here: https://sites.google.com/bremertonschools.org/bsd-teach/instruction-and-engagement/school-closure-resources-for-teachers
If you need assistance, you can also contact Kati Carthum (360-473-1056).
Google Meet now an option for communicating with students
(From Kati's email Monday, 4/20)
Google Meet has been unblocked for students. It is now an OPTION for videoconferencing with students, and you can determine whether Zoom or Meet is a better choice for you and your students.
There are differences between Zoom and Meet, and I encourage you to explore Meet with colleagues before launching it with students. Meet has far fewer controls and options than Zoom does, which can make it easier to use, but it may be frustrating for those used to more granular control of meetings. As the teacher, you have the option to mute or remove any student from your Meet, but a student who has been removed is able to rejoin by clicking on the link again. One nice feature of Meet is live captions, which anyone can turn on to caption their own screen. (You cannot turn it on for other people, so if you want students to use this, you’ll have to tell them about it.)
Over the weekend, we gathered several resources and training materials for Google Meet, which are available on BSDteach. The direct link is here: https://sites.google.com/bremertonschools.org/bsd-teach/instruction-and-engagement/school-closure-resources-for-teachers/digital-teaching-learning-platforms/google-meet-support Be sure to check out the best practices for using Meet with Google Classroom - it will help keep your Meets safe and secure. I have also attached a document on videoconferencing considerations that you may be helpful.
At this time, we are still blocking Chat for students in the interest of safety and security online. We will continue to evaluate it as a possible tool for older students to use in an academic manner, and will update you if and when the situation changes.
Thanks for your support and understanding in these constantly changing times. If you have questions or concerns, please let me know.
Kati Carthum
Digital Education Coordinator
360-473-1056 / kati.carthum@bremertonschools.org
What Software/Websites Can I Use?
(From Kati's Tech Tip of the Week 4/20/20)
The Bremerton School District provides access to a wide range of software, apps and websites that are approved for teacher and student use. Here are some ways to identify what can be used, and tips for avoiding breaking student data privacy laws.
HOW CAN I BE SURE MY PROGRAM IS APPROVED?
- Clever. All programs on Clever are district-approved.
- Check the Approved Digital Resources list on the Technology Services site. It is updated frequently.
- Check the Technology Playground. There may be additional resources listed there that don't require student logins and, therefore, may not be on the Tech Services list.
WHAT IF I FOUND A GREAT RESOURCE THAT ISN'T LISTED?
- Does it require student data in any form - a student login, account creation, or even a class list to be used just by the teacher? Sorry, you'll have to put it on hold until later. Technology Services has halted the approval process for the time being as we deal with the distance learning situation.
- If it does not require student data, you may use your professional judgment.
WHAT ABOUT THIS GREAT FREE RESOURCE THAT I SAW IN A SPREADSHEET/GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT/A FRIEND TOLD ME ABOUT?
- Be wary. What data do they want? How are they going to monetize it?
- Even if they don’t want your (or your students’) data, what are you planning to do next year when it is no longer free? Unfortunately, the district has limited resources for software purchases/subscriptions, and most likely will not be able to support or pay for it when the free trial ends.
- Remember, if you have a technical problem with non-approved software or websites, you will have to work with the company for help, not BSD technology services.
We understand and appreciate the desire to provide your students with engaging, academically-sound resources during this time of distance learning. We also hope that the resources currently vetted, evaluated, approved, and (in many cases) paid for by the district will meet that need. And if there is something you’re trying to do but the tool you found isn’t approved, please check with your multimedia specialist, teacher-librarian, tech leads, or Kati Carthum for suggestions. Often another option is already available and approved.
Got a question? Please check our website!
- Information about our meal distribution program can be found at www.BremertonSchools.org/Meals.
- Visit Bremertonschools.org/COVID-19 to view our school closure information page with copies of all of our updates, helpful links and information about community resources.
NOTE: There are links to these pages at the top of every home page, too.
Character Trait for April: Respect
No board highlights this issue
You may review board information at anytime on our BoardDocs site.
Follow BSD on Social Media!
- View past issues of the Staff Updates newsletter
- Submit ideas or content for the Staff Updates newsletter to: Karen.Bevers@BremertonSchools.org
BSD Staff Updates Newsletter 2019-20 / Issue #16 : 4/20/2020
Photo: Grab-n-Go Meal assembly at MVMS (photo by Larry Steagall).
Website: www.bremertonschools.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BremertonSchools/
Twitter: @BremertonSD