Posting for SY25-26 Instructional Vision School Team Positions with the Barr Funds
Through our work with the Barr Foundation, we have planned some incredible opportunities for students and made significant progress in aligning our priorities with Gateway’s instructional vision. We are excited for this work to continue into the 25-26 school year.
Over the next school year, each school will have an Instructional Vision Team consisting of three to five members, who will work in close partnership with the school principal to implement initiatives that align with the district’s instructional vision and expand innovative opportunities for students. These initiatives include planning and supporting instructional shifts and practices, out-of-classroom learning experiences, and community events that showcase the school’s unique work. High school students will also serve as team members for each Instructional Vision Team.
One member of each school team will also serve as the school’s representative on the District Instructional Vision Team, helping to ensure alignment and shared learning across schools while acting as a liaison between the district and their individual site.
Team members will coordinate and execute planning for:
Instructional practice implementation and shifts for the school aligned to the vision and strategic plan;
Out-of-classroom learning experiences for students;
Community-facing events that highlight school innovation and student experiences;
Review of data to make decisions about programming and experiences;
Collaboration with the student interns for full inclusivity in planning;
Communications that tell the story of the school’s work with Barr Foundation support.
All team members are also eligible for coaching through Springpoint, which provides targeted support for effective instruction. Limited coaching spots are available, so this will not be available to all team members.
Gateway Regional School (GRS) team members will participate in the June convening hosted by the Barr Foundation in Northampton June 23-25. Elementary team members will meet with Barr leaders once over the summer for strategic planning, dates TBD.
Pay for these positions is $50/hour. It is expected that school team members will work up to 30 hours over the course of the school year and district representatives from the school teams will work up to 50 hours over the course of the school year.
There will also be one or two district instructional vision team leaders in addition to school team representatives. The district instructional vision team leader will:
work closely with the Superintendent to lead the District Instructional Vision Team
Coordinate the logistical tasks of the Instructional Vision Team and facilitate the completion of tasks, including planning for staff site visits throughout the school year
Support the overall budget allocation of the Barr Foundation Grant
Manage overall communication about the Barr Foundation Grant with the community
Oversee the work of all schools to ensure alignment and collaboration when appropriate
Plan community events for the district using Barr funds, complimenting the work of the schools
Pay for this position is $50/hour @ 2-3 hours per week. (Some weeks may require additional hours, while others may require less.)
*Send a letter (email) of interest to Kristen by Friday, May 16. Please be specific about what position you are applying for.
Every Conversation Counts!
We know how easy it can be to vent after a long day—but every conversation we have with friends, family, and neighbors is also a chance to share the amazing things happening in our schools.
Recently, a few staff members have reached out to me with incredible ideas to get the good word about Gateway out to the community with the goal of increasing school choice enrollment and positive engagement with our towns and families. We spoke about building a more robust marketing strategy at our leadership team meeting this last week.
One of the easiest things we can do is to be mindful about our conversations with friends in the community! Whether it’s a new program, a successful student event, or an exciting learning opportunity, your voice helps shape the perception of our district. Let’s use those everyday moments to highlight our strengths and celebrate what makes our community special. Every conversation counts :)
Illustrative Math- Intro to IM360 for grades K-8
Gateway (grades K-8) will be shifting from IM to IM360 (the update) next year. IM360 is now available for you to check out the updated version through a demo account. We are not changing the version of IM over before June 30 because the online materials would not match your workbooks. If you have questions, please reach out to Deanna LeBlanc. Here is the login to check out the update:
ILC trial for Gateway Regional School District
URL: https://imagineim.ilclassroom.com/
Username: gatewayregional@example.com
Password: teacher
End Date: 6/30/2025.
Multiple users can use the same login.
Lockdown Drill Reminders
We will have a lockdown drill this week, which counts as one of our four required pre-planned safety drills with the local police department. I also want to share that there is a new state police school liaison as Trooper Shannon Guilbeault has stepped into a different position in the department. Please welcome Trooper Orlando Huertas to the role!
Lockdown Drill Key Points:
- Do a quick peek and call any known and trusted students/staff in from the hallway (vocalize “LOCK-DOWN DRILL! LOCK-DOWN DRILL!”) Everyone needs to SHOUT "Lockdown Drill" once or twice after they hear the lockdown called (you would do this regardless if the lockdown was initiated over the loudspeaker or initiated organically, by a staff member calling/shouting "lockdown").
- Lock and close the classroom doors promptly.
- Ensure that the students are staged in the room’s safe spot in a posture that they can move from readily such as standing, kneeling, or crouching. Please do NOT have the students sitting on the ground or under their desks.
- Turn off all sources of light (including PowerPoints/monitors/projectors/etc.)
- Close blinds and shades (where available) in addition to closing and locking any windows.
- Teachers should also be poised for quick movement. At least one teacher per room should be on their feet and in closer proximity to the classroom door than their students.
- Take attendance when the circumstances permit.
- Refrain from answering a knock or request to open your door. A police officer will key into your room or office- do not open the door for anyone.
- Remain vigilant.
- Be ready to MOVE!
- Be ready to ACT!
- Constantly RE -ASSESS your circumstances!
Yearbooks Available!
High School yearbooks will be distributed soon! Only a limited number of books are available - did you reserve your copy already? The current cost of the 120 page full-color book is $60. Buy online at JostensYearbooks.com or bring cash/check to Mrs. Wing.
Reminders: Recommendations from the Tech Department
As we approach the end of the school year, it is important to perform some preventive maintenance on your laptops to help extend their use cycle:
1. Hard Drive Disk Space: It is important that everyone utilizes Google Drive for storage of all teaching materials. Disk space on laptops is limited to 128 GB and the amount of storage you use does affect performance. Please schedule some time to transfer all documents/pictures/videos etc off your laptop and into Google Drive. Typical locations to look are desktop, downloads, and documents. Follow these directions to upload desired files into Google Drive:
- Go to drive.google.com: Open the Google Drive web page in your browser.
- Click "New": Locate the "New" button in the top-left corner and click it.
- Choose "File upload" or "Folder upload": Select the option based on whether you want to upload individual files or entire folders.
- Select files/folders: Navigate to the files or folders you want to upload on your Mac and select them.
- Click "Open" or "Upload": A file selection window will open where you can choose the files, and then click "Open" or "Upload".
- Monitor progress: You'll see a progress bar while the files upload.
Please move any unwanted files into your trash bin. Once they are in the trash bin, you do need to 'empty the trash'
- Locate the Trash icon: Find the Trash icon, which resembles a trash can, in the Dock.
- Empty the Trash:
- Method 1: Using the Dock: Click the Trash icon. A window will appear. Click the "Empty Trash" button.
- Method 2: Using the Finder: Click on the Finder icon in the Dock, then choose "Finder > Empty Trash
It is important to remember that your Google Drive is online storage and can be recovered on any device simply by logging in to your account. If your hard drive goes bad, in most cases your data (desktop, documents, downloads etc) will be lost, or unrecoverable. Utilizing Google Drive and the features associated with your account is an easy way to help prevent data loss if managed properly. Additionally, free space on your hard drive is a necessity for us to provide operating system and security updates to your laptop.
If you need clarification on any of the following procedures, please submit a help desk ticket and we will contact you to set up a time.
April/May Instructional Vision Challenge!
We will continue into April and May with the last opportunity to share how YOU are implementing a part of our instructional vision.
This month's focus are the fifth two bullets in the instructional vision are:
Students will know what they are learning and why they are learning it.
Staff will empower students to know what and why they are learning.
Staff are invited to fill out a brief (2-3 sentences!) summary of how you are implementing this part of our vision. It can be specific or general, and it should clearly describe how your actions are moving this part of our instructional vision forward.
Here is the link to share!
https://padlet.com/ksmidy1/april-may-instructional-vision-challenge-t8m7i9h8aot0argp
To add to the board, click the plus sign in the bottom right corner and write in your submission. Finally, hit Publish and voila! You're done!
Staff who share how they are implementing or supporting implementation of the last focus area of the instructional vision by May 31 will be entered to win a $50 gift card to one of the following locations: Carms, Common Table, Moltenbreys, Amazon, Big Y, Dunkin or at a place of your choice that I can get a gift card with relative ease 😂
