EUSD Staff Newsletter
November 2018
Teachers Refresh! Now is the perfect time to have your student swipe out of all tabs in Safari and close all open apps for a fresh and clean start!
Four Pathways for PD
This first semester has been filled with great Professional Development as teachers selected pathways and have been engaged in learning new skills that they can apply into their classrooms right away. This year we had 4 Pathways for Professional Development: Cognitively Guided Instruction Year 1 and 2, Project Based Learning with CraftEd, Personalized Learning for Students and a Personalized Pathway for teachers to choose another topic/strategy to learn. As a reminder, all PD plans must be approved and completed on the Google Form prior to November 30th in order to use PD funds. For more information, please click here.
Jenny Pieratt from CraftED
CGI Instruction
Personalized Learning for Students Pathway
REMINDER: Helpful Parent Videos are Online!
News from Administrative Services
EUSD Welcomes the Following New Employees:
This school year, we see many new faces among our staff.
We are delighted to welcome Paula Loedel as School Service Secretary at Ocean Knoll Elementary. Paula joined us at the beginning of the 2018/19 school year from Grossmont College, where she served as an experienced administrative professional working in the child development center. Paula is replacing Deb Guthrie Ferrell who retired from this position in the summer. We wish Deb well and are excited to have Paula join the Ocean Knoll team.
Please join us in welcoming Sandi Wamsley to the Administrative Services Department! Sandi joined us in October as our Human Resources Technician. She comes to us from Casa Grande Elementary School District in Arizona, where she served as an Administrative Assistant in the Human Resources Department. With a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm for the position, Sandi is settling in nicely. Sandi is replacing Melissa Martinez and we wish Melissa every success in her new position with the City of Santee and are excited to have Sandi join our team.
We are thrilled to welcome Theresa Huard who recently joined the El Camino Creek team as School Service Secretary. Theresa has worked as a Noon Supervisor, Safety Monitor and clerical substitute within our district over the past few years, and brings a great deal of knowledge and experience with her. Theresa is replacing Christy Anderson, who moved to a new position as Data Specialist with the Educational Services department. Please join us in congratulating Theresa on her new position.
The Business Department is so excited to welcome Ashley Whitaker. Please help us in welcoming her as our new Accounting Technician. Ashley started last Monday, October 29th and previously worked at Palomar College. She will be replacing Yvette Cervantes. We wish Yvette well in her new endeavors. Feel free to stop by the Business Department to meet Ashley!
BenefitFocus for Benefited Employees and American Fidelity
For those of you with American Fidelity products, the Open Enrollment period will be at the end of November to up to the first week in December.
EUSD is very fortunate to be in partnership with Brandman University and offer our employees and the employees’ spouse and dependents the opportunity to continue higher education professional development.
*Please click the above links for more information.
Reflection on the Newcomer Intersession
Promising Educational Technology
Destiny Discover App - The Destiny Discover App is found on all student iPads and it is a wonderful tool in the research process. Once students have formulated their own questions (of course) this app will connect your students with multiple sources of information about a specific topic of choice that includes:
- Library books (found in your library)
- MyOn digital books
- Britannica Online Media
- World Book Online Media
- Culture Grams ProQuest Media
- Info Bits – Gale Media
- And much more….
If you would like to know more about this powerful tool and implementation options, please contact: glen.warren@eusd.net
Media and Information Literacy Month
What better way to support your students with Media and Information Literacy than to take your professional understanding of evaluating sources deeper with these two mini-courses from KQED and ProQuest. You may discover many points that you will want to share with your students and your families.
KQED – Media Literacy (open educational resource)
https://teach.kqed.org/course/finding-evaluating-information
ProQuest – Information Literacy (requires you to be using the EUSD network)
Farm Lab and DREAMS Campus Update: Did you know?!?
- Since spring, 11,000+ pounds of organic produce has been harvested from our certified organic farm. We rocked Farm to School month in October!
- The Great Design Challenge is underway! The interior of the new Design and Research rooms (‘Dill’ and ‘Rosemary’) and the shared deck area are being designed by fourth and fifth graders from Flora Vista. Stay tuned for the winning design!
- The DREAMS Campus most recently hosted kindergarteners from around the district for a one-day learning experience. Observing, analyzing, measuring, recording, picking, planting, and play made for a purposeful and engaging day of learning and discovery!
· Additional Design Challenge opportunities are coming soon!
· You can follow Farm Lab and DREAMS Campus on Facebook and Twitter!
To view more photos and this news in full format click here.
Highlight! Fourth Grade Farm Lab
EUSD 4th-grade students experienced transdisciplinary learning with an emphasis on real-world problem solving during this new week-long EUSD DREAMS project. Students were tasked with becoming experts in designing the "Design and Research" studio rooms at Farm Lab, by creating multi-use environments. This included the walls, furniture, design & research tools, storage, and the surrounding exterior space for outdoor learning opportunities. Day one, Superintendent Tim Baird presented the district's overview of what could be in contrast to what should be. Students spent two days in inquiry reviewing information and listening to a design expert, two maker space experts, and district experts in construction, purchasing, and budgets.
After the informational design phase, students entered the research phase, by diving into the Question Formulation Technique and also measuring the space, taking photos, and finding supporting resources. Upon return from Fall Break, teams will submit their design plans and budgets, and determine selections for a combination of their ideas. Stay tuned for a new progress update...
representatives from El Camino Creek Elementary School presented
how “Smiles and Laughter Make a Happily Ever After!” at their school.
Click above to read the full meeting highlights.
Reflection from ELD Professional Development
The November 9 districtwide professional development had an English language development focus. At three different sites, teachers and administrators simultaneously engaged in professional learning on how to support a wide range of English learners. Teachers walked away with these fundamental understandings:
- The differences between Designated and Integrated ELD
- The 3 key instructional components that English learners need to be successful
- How to plan designated and integrated ELD instruction using the 3 components
Here are the locations and the schools partnered for the professional development:
Introduction to ELD TOSA Erika Garcia
Inconsistent or Consistent: How to Assess World Ready Skills
Inconsistent or Consistent: How to Assess World Ready Skills
A few years ago, valuable feedback was received from teachers indicating confusion and inconsistency in measuring World Readiness Skills. In response, a rubric was created as a tool to support teachers in measuring student performance in the six skill areas. It is simply a tool (NOT a required document) on which you can draw when making decisions about student performance on World Ready Skills within the context of your classroom instruction. It may provide an opportunity for district-wide calibration in this area, and supports the district’s initiatives in the area of digital literacy. Please refer to the section on page 3 titled “Usage” to explore other ways in which the tool might be used to support your work. Click HERE to view the rubric.
ASPIRE Facility Upgrades
Environment is everything when it comes to success! Over the break, the ASPIRE classrooms received a much-needed facelift. Gone are the bulky wooden cabinets, old furniture, and mismatched shelving. We are excited to roll out our new look with brightly painted rooms, a redesigned ASPIRE logo, wall art signage, and fun, functional furniture. Out with the old and in with the new! Click HERE for a sneak preview.
Enrichment Teachers Experiencing EUSD Learning Objectives & Goals
Enrichment Teachers have been attending Professional Development Sessions where they have explored the following topics.
District Enrichment Teachers (DET)
Health & Wellness Program & Curriculum Overview
What is Yoga? Who is it for?
Video: “If I Knew Then What I Know Now” (lessons learned from past teachers)
Creative Teaching Strategies: Tips from returning staff
How to Plan for a Substitute
Behavior Management Strategies
DET/SET
Creating a Struggle Free Classroom (Pupil Personnel Services)
Setting Expectations From Day 1
PowerSchool
Site Enrichment Teachers (SET)
Revisiting Rules and Expectations in the Wheel Setting
NGSS (for Science / Garden / Nutrition Teachers)
Have a NEW Student?
Easy Parent Video for Digital Programs at Home
REMINDER: STAR TECHS are Here to Help!
Encinitas Union School District
Email: heather.hultgren@eusd.net
Website: www.eusd.net
Location: Encinitas School District, 101 South Rancho Santa Fe Road, Encinitas, CA 92024, USA
Phone: 760-944-4300
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EncinitasUSD/
Twitter: @eusdtweets