District Newsletter October 2024
Barrington School District
October 16, 2024
Hello Barrington Families;
It looks like we have several days of beautiful weather ahead of us! This puts a smile on my face as I am a summer girl to the core. I hope you are all able to take a little time and get outside to enjoy the sun and warmth. Encourage your kiddos to get outside as much as possible to bike, run, jump, dance, play or whatever puts a smile on their face! On the flip side of warmth and sun are cold and dark short days which of course brings snow. A quick reminder to please ensure that we have your correct contact information for the upcoming snow season. Connect with your child’s school directly if you need help with this.
This past Thursday and Friday, October 10th and 11th, District staff participated in Youth Mental Health First Aid training offered to us through a grant via the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). I am extremely grateful to have been offered this opportunity. Ms. Suzanne Weete, Co-Founder of the Dover Mental Health Alliance and Community Engagement and Education Manager for Community Partners coordinated this training for us. Here is some of the feedback received by staff following this 1 ½ day training event.
“Thank you for the opportunity. Having one extra tool in our toolbox is never a bad thing. Although none of us want to be in a position to have to use some of the skills we learned today, there is a high probability that we will need to use them.”
“Thank you so much for setting this training up! It was so so helpful and our presenters were great! It’s always a great feeling when you’re walking away from a training with the feeling that you’ve acquired more tools to put in the briefcase!”
“I just wanted you to know that this training was wonderful, relevant and IMPORTANT.”
“Thank you for providing us the training, the space and the ability to keep seeing students as whole people.”
I share this with you so that you have a clearer understanding of how your educators spend their Professional Development days. I can imagine that it must be challenging for some of you to arrange care for your children during these early release days and workshop days. Please know that this is time well spent. Here is an overview of how we have spent the first few workshop days of the year:
- 8/26 - classroom set up day and educator planning
- 8/27 - Opening Day/District Meeting/Annual Required Trainings/Building Staff Meetings
- 8/28 - Suicide Prevention Training, Professional Evaluation Plan training on software program and requirements, Grade Level Team time for norm setting and data protocols
- 9/10 - Active Shooter training and drills, goal setting based on data results, One Trusted Adult training, CPI training and certifications, Enrichment and Tier 2 planning, Medicaid, Nature Based Learning, PK new progress reporting system training
- 10/10 early release & 10/11 - Youth Mental Health FIrst Aid Training, small group working on Portrait of a Learner Essential Skills
In closing, I would like to invite you to follow our budget process which got underway at this past Tuesday’s School Board meeting. The recorded meeting will be available soon on our District website under the School Board tab (please be patient as we update our website). The budget portion of the meeting consists of a big picture overview of who we are as a District, our goals, and our needs in this upcoming budget cycle in order to reach those goals. This will be a particularly important budget year as we balance District needs with being fiscally responsible along with proposing new high school tuition contracts and a new educator contract. Don’t forget that our meetings can be accessed online by visiting our website and logging into WebEx.
Thank you all for your support and please do not hesitate to reach out.
Take good care,
Greetings Barrington Families,
The Fall colors have finally arrived and they are gorgeous! The school year is off to a busy start and it has been fun to see students settling into their new routines and schedules.
I was able to attend both the 8th grade field trip to Portsmouth and the whole school field trip to Mt. Agamenticus with BES. While I don’t always get to go to these types of events, I try to find time to see students across the district in different settings thriving. Students often rise to the occasion while out in the community and are able to demonstrate their knowledge in a different way, often a way that makes sense to them. It’s always fun to see all students being able to access the curriculum in such a fun and creative way.
I will continue to use this year to educate you on topics within special education and student services. Next month I will compare and contrast 504 plans and IEPs. This is often a discussion we have with families and my hope is to shed some light on what both plans are and how students qualify for them.
I look forward to our continued collaboration this school year.
Sincerely,
Hello Barrington Families.
Important FSA (Family Service Announcement)
I want to bring attention to an alarming increase in damage to school issued Chromebooks since the start of the school year.
During the month of September alone we have received over 50 broken devices. Some are legitimate equipment failures however, many are damaged due to misuse, some beyond repair. I have personally observed devices left on the floor, outside of their protective cases, where they get stepped on or fall out of backpacks onto the concrete floor. Costs to repair these devices have increased.
Beginning November 1 there will be a price increase for repair or replacement of a device that has been damaged due to neglect, loss or theft. Screen repair will be increased from $30 to $50 and device replacement will increase from $100 to $170.
Artificial Intelligence
You may have heard about Artificial Intelligence or AI. It has been in the news a lot lately. As a classroom technology resource, AI has benefits as well as potential challenges. The focus of the Barrington School District IT committee discussions this year will be to make sure the district has an appropriate plan and procedures in place to maximize the benefits and mitigate the challenges for teachers and students.
By carefully considering the implications and addressing potential challenges, we can harness the power of AI to create more personalized, effective, and equitable learning experiences for all students.
Here are some key implications:
Potential Benefits:
- Personalized Learning: AI can tailor educational content and pace to individual students' needs, ensuring a more effective learning experience.
- Intelligent Tutoring: AI-powered tutors can provide personalized guidance and support, helping students grasp complex concepts.
- Automated Grading: AI can streamline the grading process, freeing up teachers' time for more meaningful interactions with students.
- Accessibility: AI can help create more inclusive learning environments by providing accommodations for students with disabilities.
- Data-Driven Insights: AI can analyze student data to identify areas where they may be struggling and provide targeted interventions.
Potential Challenges:
- Bias and Fairness: If AI algorithms are not developed and trained carefully, they may perpetuate existing biases and inequities.
- Privacy Concerns: The collection and use of student data raise privacy concerns and the potential for misuse.
- Job Displacement: There is a concern that AI could lead to job displacement for teachers and other school staff.
- Lack of Human Interaction: Over reliance on AI could reduce opportunities for human interaction and social development.
- Digital Divide: The availability and accessibility of AI tools may exacerbate the digital divide between students from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
Key Considerations for discussion:
- Ethical Guidelines: Establish clear ethical guidelines for the use of AI to ensure that it is used responsibly and equitably.
- Teacher Training: Teachers will need to be trained to effectively use and integrate AI tools into their classrooms.
- Student Privacy: We must prioritize student privacy and implement robust data protection measures.
- Human-Centered Approach: AI should be used as a tool to enhance teaching and learning, not as a replacement for human interaction.
Happy Fall!
Best,
Hello Barrington Families,
Veterans Day is upon us. I would like to honor those that have served, are serving and will serve this great country of ours The United States of America. At last year's talent show we were able to raise money for an individual that goes over and above while working here at the Barrington School District. Her husband, a veteran of the armed forces, was in need of a new roof. The money that became available and a generous veteran of the armed forces, Mr. Jeff Banes of JB Roofing, was willing and able to collaborate in the efforts for this new roof. The homeowner was able to purchase the material needed with the raised funds and JB Roofing graciously donated his crew's labor to complete the project.
It humbles me to know that we were all able to help each other in this endeavor. Although I am personally not a veteran, it gave me great pleasure to support and assist with making the right connections. I would like to give a special thanks to the kids that started this whole project by wanting to raise some money for a good cause. Keep up the good work! JB Roofing has gone on to do three of these type of projects: Vets helping Vets.
Best,
Safety Drills and Procedures
Barrington School District approaches school safety with a focus on Prevention, Protection, Mitigation and Preparedness. One way that we ensure our staff and students know how to respond to specific events is to conduct periodic safety drills.
Over the course of the school year, your learners may participate in the following drills:
- Evacuation/Reverse Evacuation:Activated when it is necessary for staff and students to exit/return to the school building.
- Clear Hallways: Activated when it is necessary for staff to keep the hallways clear and restrict movement of students and staff around the inside of the school.
- Shelter in Place: Activated to protect from airborne hazardous materials
- Secure Campus: Activated when it is necessary to protect staff and students from a threat from outside the school building.
- Lockdown: Activated when it is necessary to protect staff and students from a intruder or any other situation that would entail securing staff in areas that can be locked.
Exercises
When students aren't at school, the Barrington faculty, staff and administration regularly participate in training and exercises that allow our school teams to engage with our emergency response plans so that they feel prepared and knowledgeable in the event of an actual emergency.
These exercises frequently involve one or more of our community partners. Through our collaboration with Barrington Police and Fire Department, we have established a comprehensive approach to school safety, emphasizing prevention, intervention, and response. Together, these measures combined with industry best practices ensure that the Barrington School District Community is prepared for school-based emergencies.
Sue Williams
Food Service Director
Fresh Picks Cafe
Barrington School District SAU74