Monday 11

• Principal Meeting 8:30am- 10:30am
• 1pm Core+ Parent Meeting
• 2pm: Cairns IEP
• BFV Meeting at 6:30pm

Tuesday 12

• Staff Meeting: English Learners 7:15- 8:15am
• Cara out from 10:30-11:30am
• Picture Retake Day1pm: Custodial Meeting

Wednesday 13

• World Kindness Day- I attached a Kid President Video you could show your class
• 8:30am Nader Re-eval
• 9:30-11:30 Daly MET IEP
• 1pm Core+ PBSP review

Thursday 14

• Bagel Day- we sometimes have extras so if a student brings $1, they can buy an extra if we have them
• 1pm Lockdown Drill
• Evening Conferences

Friday 15

• TGIF!

“Rut” stories are those in which we feel stuck or powerless:

😞 ”These parents never…”

😞 ”I have the class with the most challenging behavior.”

😞 ”I don’t have the time…”

😞 ”These types of kids can’t…”

“River” stories allow us to feel open, connected, and optimistic:

🙂 ”Some parents have work schedules that make coming into school challenging. They might have insight on other ways we could connect.”

🙂 ”Many of my students are distracted during math. I haven’t yet figured out the best way to engage them.”

🙂 ”The way I’m prioritizing things isn’t serving me reaching this goal.”

🙂 ”This student is struggling with ___, but she really excels at ___. I bet I could leverage that.”

After you finish conferences, please let me know how many attended. We are always shooting for 100% so if you need to schedule a phone conference for any No Shows, that's okay too!

Mr. Monroe, Mrs. Tepper, and potentially others from the Board Office will be visiting Beck on November 25th in the afternoon. They will be meeting with me first to speak to what strategies and interventions we are using in our classrooms and then doing a walk through to view the amazing learning that is happening at Beck!

I thought you'd all get a kick out of me adding his picture!

UCS Foundation Grant Opportunity- The UCS Foundation for Educational Excellence is inviting and encouraging all UCS educators to submit an application for the UCS Foundation Chelsie Bemis Teacher Grant Program. The overview and rubric (1A) contain information about this year’s grant program. Beginning this year, the application is to be completed online via this link. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, December 20, 2024. Specific questions about the application can be emailed to Chelsie Nobar, UCS Foundation Marketing Specialist at email@ucsfoundation.org.

Title IX compliance training, as required by federal statute, is to be provided annually to all Utica Community Schools staff. The deadline for completion of the required training is December 5, 2024.

Administrators/supervisors are asked to provide time during the workday for administrators, clerical, paraprofessional and other support personnel to complete the required training (approx. 35 minutes), recognizing that staggering of times to minimize disruption may be necessary. Electing to complete the required training off-site is allowable but is not compensable. An opportunity for professional staff to complete the training will be made available during the November 5, 2024 professional development day.

The attached directions (10A) must be downloaded by staff to access the training. Certificates of completion are required to be printed and submitted to building administration and/or department supervision.

Reminder, when entering an absence in Aesop, DO NOT choose custom time when entering a full day absence. Just select "Full Day."

To request a substitute for professional development and school business, teachers should complete the following steps at least 2 weeks prior to the event.

1. Log into Absence Management and select the date for the substitute.
2. In the drop-down menu, select “Prof Development” and click Submit.
3. In the “Notes to Administrator” box please place the name of the Professional Development you are attending.
4. Fill out sub paperwork (2A) and give to Cathy.
5. Cathy will have Cara sign it and then she will submit the form to the melissa.willman@uticak12.org

The district in partnership with Savvas will be providing in-building coaching sessions of My World Social Studies for Kindergarten – Fourth grade teachers this school year.

November

• 19th: Savvas Training for k- 4 at Beck
• 19th: Fire Drill 1pm
• 21st: Principal Meeting afternoon
• 25th: Giving Tree Hats and Mitten donations begin
• 26th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 27th- 29th: No School Thanksgiving Break

December

• 2nd: Poinsettia Sale begins
• 2nd: HMH 6th grade Into Literature Coaching 8:30-11:30am at Beck
• 2nd: Elf Shop Begins 🎅
• 4th: Principal Meeting, morning
• 9th: Choir Cluster Concert 7pm
• 10th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 12th: Bagel Day
• 16th: Candy Gram Sales
• 17th: Staff Meeting @ 7:15am
• 17th: 1pm Too Good For Drugs "Celebration"
• 17th: Skate Night 6-8pm
• 19th: 1st/2nd and 6th Grade Concerts 7pm
• 20th: Half Day
• 20th: Assembly 10am- Holiday Sing Along and Teacher Spirit Competition- I'll explain soon! 🎅❄️🎄
• 20th: Half Day End of 2nd Card Marking
• 23rd- January 3rd: Winter Break, no school

January

• 6th: Back to school!
• 7th: Staff meeting @7:15am
• 8th: Principal Meeting afternoon
• 16th: Bagel Day
• 20th: Martin Luther King Day No School
• 22nd: BFV meeting 6:30pm
• 23rd: Principal Meeting, morning
• 28th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 28th: 5th grade to DIA 8:30am
• 29th: Kindness Gram Sale Begins (til 7th)

February:

• 3rd: Principal Meeting, afternoon
• 4th: Skate Night, 6-8pm
• 5th: Young Fives and Kindergarten Open House 7-8PM
• 7th: Kindness Gram Sale ends
• 11th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 13th: Bagel Day
• 17th-21st: NO SCHOOL - Mid-Winter Break

March: Reading Month!

• 3rd: Principal Meeting, morning
• 4th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 13th: Bagel Day
• 17th: 2nd grade/VanDeWinkle to Troy Historical Village
• 18th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 19th: Principal meeting, afternoon
• 19th: BFV meeting @6:30pm
• 20th: Tornado drill 1pm
• 21st: Half Day of School - End of Marking Period
• 24th - 28th: NO SCHOOL - Spring Break

April:

• 2nd: Principal meeting, morning
• 8th: Staff meeting @7:15am
• 16th: Kindergarten Field Trip to Burgess-Shadbush Nature Center 9:30- 11:45am
• 17th: Fire Drill 11am
• 18th: NO SCHOOL - Good Friday
  
• 22nd: Earth Day
• 22nd: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 24th: Principal Meeting, afternoon
• 25th: Skate Night 5-7pm
• 29th: 3rd/4th grade concert 7pm

May

• 6th: Staff Meeting
• 13th: Lockdown Drill 10am
• 14th: Fire Drill 9am
• 15th: Principal Meeting, morning
• 15th: Bagel Day
• 20th: Staff Meeting @7:15am
• 21st: BFV meeting 6:30
• 22nd: 3rd Grade field trip to the Zoo
• 26th: NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
• 28th: Principal Meeting, afternoon
• 30th: Skate Night 5-7pm

June:

• 2nd: 5th Concert/6th Band Concert, Time TBD
• 10th: 6th Grade Graduation
• 10th: Half Day of School - Dismissal at 12:04pm
• 11th: Half Day of School - Dismissal at 12:04pm - LAST DAY!

The Michigan Reading Association is hosting the annual K-12 Kaleidoscope Writing Contest. Attached is the informational flyer (6A) from the Michigan Reading Association. This year we are encouraging all buildings K-12 to participate.

Please complete the Kaleidoscope Submission Form by Monday, December 2, 2024. The link to the entry form is below.

https://tinyurl.com/UCSKaleidoscope2025

In addition, submit the completed manuscript electronically as a Microsoft Word attachment, a photo of the student and an illustration if desired to Catherine Einhaus (catherine.einhaus@uticak12.org) by Monday, December 2, 2024. Be aware that the specific word limit guidelines must be adhered to otherwise the entry will be rejected by the Michigan Reading Association. Please save files using the following guidelines before submitting them to Catherine Einhaus:

Writing piece – Student Last Name, First Name, Title of Story

Student photo – Student Last Name, First Name, Title of Story, Photo

Student illustration – Student Last Name, First Name, Title of Story, Illustration

For your convenience, UCS will be compiling all entries and submitting them to the Michigan Reading Association.

On August 26, 2024, all staff members participated in a DPPD session with Mark Perna.

Mr. Perna’s presentation centered around the Competitive Advantage Track for our students. Teaching and Learning alongside the System-Wide Department Chairs and Consultants are working on K-12 activities surrounding the “Why”.

Mark Perna writes: “While today’s young people fall into many categories, we call them the Why generation based largely on their need to understand the rational for why they should do something.” “If we want to better understand how to unlock the potential of young people in a way that allows them to build fulfilling and productive lives, we need to meet them where they are.”

Please hold some time in your lesson plans for November 25, 2024 and November 26, 2024 to participate in these exciting activities with students. More information will be provided

As a reminder, Michigan Campaign Finance Law restricts the use of school facilities or work time to support specific election proposals and candidates. The act prohibits the contribution of public funds or resources to a campaign for a candidate or ballot proposal while permitting the dissemination of objective factual information and permitting employees to volunteer services or express their views on their own time.

For more information, please see this link for a summary created by the Miller Canfield Law Firm.

Language assistance services (written translation, oral interpretation) may be necessary to ensure that all students and families of the district are being provided access to Utica Community School’s educational program and activities. Language assistance may be accessed through various pathways which include but may not be limited to utilization of the following resources:

• MISD interpreters/translators - Contact building administrator and/or Teaching and Learning, ext. 1070
• Language Line - Contact building administrator
• Utica Community Schools district interpreters/translators
• For Albanian: (586) 797-6946
• For Arabic: (586) 797-6906
• For Spanish: (586) 797-6986
• For additional assistance contact Teaching and Learning, ext. 1070

Language assistance may be necessary and should be accessed in the following instances:

• As identified on the district’s “home language survey”
• Upon notification that language assistance is needed or requested
• As needed in known instances that language assistance will provide access to educational programs and activities (such as IEP, 504, district hearings, etc.)

Please note: The utilization of family, friends and students to provide language assistance (translation and interpretation services) is not an approved pathway to obtain these services. Issues of confidentiality, privacy, or conflicts of interest may arise with the utilization of family, friends and/or students for language assistance. If a parent has chosen to provide their own interpreter or translator, a district provided interpreter or translator is recommended.

BFV Blank forms are by the mailboxes. Get the reimbursement form, fill it out, include receipts, and place it in the completed forms place in mailbox area

Don't forget that BFV can also reimburse Safety Patrol, Super Pals, Service Squad, Science Olympiad, Recycling, Salmon in the Classroom. Reach out to Laura Brown if you are unsure of your amount that can be reimbursed.

Per legislative guidance, school districts are to provide all staff with an English Learner Program Handbook (3A in Sup'sbulletin) informing them of their responsibility to English learners in their classrooms. The Federal courts have determined that it is not enough to provide the general education program to students who speak a language other than English. General education teachers must be prepared to provide specific instruction to English learners in their classrooms. The handbook also includes processes for all staff to be aware of and follow.

• Thursday, October 31: AM Specials
• Friday, November 1: PM Specials
• Thursday, November 7: AM Specials
• Friday, December 20: PM Specials
• Friday, March 21: AM Specials
• Tuesday, June 10: PM Specials
• Wednesday, June 11: No Specials

DATE CHANGE!

CONTACT: Jennifer Hernandez, ext. 1083, Ardiana Ivanaj, ext. 1437, Christine Jarzyna, ext. 6155 and Gabriel Nikollaj, ext. 6362

Language and Literacy is a two-day professional development that presents proven instructional practices and strategies to support and promote academic language and literacy for English learners. A schedule of cohort training is below. Space is limited to 30 participants and registration is required. Use the link in the attached flyer (3A) to register and be prepared to upload your sub request. Subs are provided

Date Time Audience Location

Cohort 1 12/3 & 12/4

If you are new to this, it is SOOOO EASY. Ask me for help please if you are apprehensive. Break the seal, try new things.

The district provides each school building with access to Language Line interpreter and translation services. To access this service call 1-(800)-752-6096. You will be prompted to enter the district code (508320). You will then be prompted to enter your building code- BECK IS 8459 Buildings should use this service for time sensitive translations and interpretations at their building or upon request of a parent, family or community member.

School buildings are obligated to provide written communications to families in their preferred language. Communication can be translated using translation software such as Microsoft Word, Google Translate, Smores, etc. This type of service works well for school newsletters or other information coming directly from the school to parents and families.

The district has three interpreters/translators accessible by calling their direct line or sending an email. Buildings should use their services for scheduled meetings such as meetings pertaining to special education, discipline and attendance.

Spanish

Aned Bazan

Aned.bazan-bird@uticak12.org

797-6986

Albanian

Luljeta Guri

Luljeta.guri@uticak12.org

797-6946

Arabic/Chaldean

Raad Tomika

Raad.tomika@uticak12.org

797-6906

Purposefull People

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Username: ucsbeck

Password: character2022

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