Nieman Principal's Bulletin (PB) 22
January 21 - 28
Calendar of Events
Monday, 22 - KINDNESS WEEK - NEON DAY!!
- Vick out of building
- Shannon from BIST here
- 7:50 - 8:30 - Art Team Time
- 9:30 - 10:00 - Coach / Admin Team Time
- 10:00 - Tornado Drill
- 3:15 - 4:00 - Choir Rehearsal
- 3:30 - 4:30 - BLT meeting
- 6:00 - Board of Education Meeting (5:30 Public comment)
Tuesday, 23 - Dress up like someone who is kind!
- 6th grade to SMN for area band concert AM
- 7:50 - 8:30 - Library Team Time
- 8:15 - 9:00 - Sped team meeting
- 8:45 - 2:00 - 5th Grade field trip to Starbase
- 10:25 - 11:05 - 3rd Grade Team Time
- 11:30 - 1:00 - Miles in meeting
- 11:45 - 12:30 - Kindergarten Team Time
- 1:30 - 2:10 - 3C SIT for DB (Tenbrink, Miles, Kohl, Cohen, Blankenship, Soto, Kline / McNamara, Vick)
- 2:20 - 3:05 - 6th Grade Team Time
- 3:30 - 4:15 - Staff Meeting (Agenda: Action Teams)
- 7pm North Area Band Concert
Wednesday, 24 - Heart / Red Day
- 7:50 - 8:40 - IST Team Time
- 12:30 - 1:20 - 1st Grade team time
- 1:25 - 2:10 - 5th Grade Team Time
- 3:30 - 4:00 - Mathletics Practice
Thursday, 25 - Dress fancy!!
- Euston out PM
- 7:50 - 8:30 - PE team time
- 8:30 - 9:20 - 4th grade team time
- 9:20 - 10:10 - 2nd grade team time
- 10:15 - 11:00 - Hocker Grove visit for 6th Grade
- 1:20 - 2:15 - 6H SIT for KF (Tenbrink, Miles, Hammouda, Kline, Blankenship, Vick)
- 2:15 - 3:00 - 3O IEP for TG (Orth, Tenbrink, Miles, Twibell, Venzor, Wersland, Vick)
- 3:15 - 4:15 - Movement Club
- 3:15 - 4:00 - Nieman Knitters and More Club
Friday, 26 - PJ Day
- Euston out early afternoon
- Miles out PM
- 7:50 - 8:30 - Music team time
- 9:20 - 10:20 - 4Macher IEP for CB (McNamara, Tenbrink, Miles, Macher, Vick)
NEXT WEEK:
Monday, 29
- 7:50 - 8:30 - Art team time
- 9:30 - 10:00 - Coach / Admin meeting
- 10:20 - 10:50 - 1Mc IEP for JT (Tenbrink, Twibell, Miles, McGinnis, Vick)
Tuesday, 30
- No staff meeting
- 7:50 - 8:30 - Library team time
- 8:15 - 9:00 - Sped team time
- 8:45 - 2:00 - 5th Grade field trip to Starbase
- 10:25 - 11:05 - 3rd Grade team time
- 11:45 - 12:30 - Kindergarten team time
- 2:20 - 3:05 - 6th Grade team time
Wednesday, 31
- 7:50 - 8:40 - IST team time
- 8:30 - 11:30 - Tenbrink and Miles out of the building (CAA)
- 12:30 - 1st grade team time
- 1:25 - 2:10 - 5th grade team time
- 3:30 - 4:00 - Mathletics practice
Thursday, February 1
- Euston out PM
- 7:30 - 8:50 - PE team time
- 8:30 - 9:20 - 4th grade team time
- 9:20 - 10:10 - 2nd grade team time
- 1:20 - 2:20 - 5M IEP for TR (Tenbrink, McNamara, Miles, Messer, Vick)
- 3:15 - 4:15 - Movement Club
- 3:45 - 4:15 - Tenbrink and Miles in meeting
Friday, Feb 2
- 7:50 - 8:30 - Music team time
- 9:10 - 11:30 - First grade field trip
- 12:55 - 1:35 - KS Eligibility meeting for LH (Twibell, Tenbrink, Salas, Vick, Miles)
If your name isn't in the 2nd shout out you should read me...
ReviewingExpectations
We were going to review some expectations this past Tuesday at staff meeting, but with the snow day we were not able to do this. Please take a moment to review these expectation and then email Misty and I letting us know that you have read them.
Family Newsletters- should be sent to families bi-weekly at a minimum
Sharing hard/difficult information- Phone call until raport is SOLID. Tone and intention can not be read.
Grades- If a student is to receive a final grade of a D or an F it should never be a surprise to the parents or administration. This does not mean the week before. Also, comments are required under Work and Study Habits in the freeform section EVERY quarter.
Morning Meetings- Everyone is expected to do this with their classrooms every morning. These should NOT cut into your core learning time so start on time, be planned and prepared.
Arriving to work- As a reminder, you are expected to be ready to RECEIVE children at 7:50am, not be walking into the building.
Lunch- You must arrive and pick up students from lunch on time because we run a really tight schedule- also, it is just respectful. The lunch crew notices and they tell me.
Recess- Again, these are timed for a reason. It is NOT safe for us to have multiple grade levels out at recess at a time. ALSO, adults MUST be spread out and supervising during recess, this is not a time to congregate with your team or be on your phone. 1st and 2nd do a really great job of this if you need to ask what they do.
Handbook Hub is your go-to place for info!
Every Child Can Read - be sure to share with families
Our amazing IST team will be completing these forms for all our grade levels. Once they are given to you please make sure you send home promptly.
Under the terms of the new Every Child Can Read Act, we have a legal responsibility to send information home about students’ progress in writing using the district-developed form.
- All third-grade teachers must complete the appropriate form to report to parents of all students in writing no later than January 31, in anticipation of spring conferences.
- All other grades must use the form to report to parents of students who score below benchmark in reading on Acadience.
- There is an alternate letter for students whose IEP involves alternate curriculum and assessments (DLM-qualifiers).
The forms (in both English and Spanish) are available on the C&I staff website, which can be accessed here.
Capital Outlay Requests - DUE JAN 21
It is time for Capital Outlay requests for the 24-25 school year.
Guidelines:
1. All expenditures attributable to capital outlay shall be paid from the capital outlay fund.
2. The following criteria for defining equipment and furniture needs will be utilized.
- The capital outlay item requested must:
- Represent a district investment of money greater than $300.00, which makes it feasible and advisable to capitalize the item.
- Retain its original shape or appearance with use.
- Be non-expendable, that is, if the item is damaged or some of its parts are lost or worn out, it would usually be more feasible to repair it rather than replace with an entirely new unit.
- Not lose its identity through incorporation into a different or more complex unit or substance.
3. ELIGIBILE EXPENDITURES: All of the following items could be purchased from the capital outlay fund: Athletic field expansion, fire extinguishers, equipment in general, file cabinets, furniture, lighting athletic fields and school grounds, site improvements, mowers, musical instruments, projectors and screens, remodeling kitchens & eating facilities, science & laboratory equipment, scoreboards, television
equipment, tractors, uniforms (band, pep band, athletic, etc.).
Note: Computer software and operating system upgrades are eligible capital expenditures, but can only be submitted, approved and purchased through the Technology Department.
4. INELIGIBLE EXPENDITURES: The following items would NOT be proper expenditures from the capital outlay fund: Athletic “supplies” such as balls, bats, etc., cleaning supplies, supplies in general, contracted services-consultants, DVDs, instructional charts, maps, music, publications, supplies for professional services,
textbooks, toiletries, and videos.
Please submit Capital Outlay ideas through this Google Form https://forms.gle/vZ9UBVc9RocnsGkn8
If you are unsure about your request please speak with your BLT representative, Misty, or Kiley about it. BLT will review all ideas, determine the most essential building needs and prioritize our requests.
Yearly Staffing Survey - DUE JAN 26
It is that time again where we start planning for the 24-25 school year. For anyone new to Nieman, this starts with our yearly staffing survey. In this survey we are wanting to get your individual feedback on grade level placement, intentions to stay or leave, etc. This helps us plan to ensure we are making the best decisions for student success as well as know your future goals and see how we can help support you. We are asking that all certified staff member complete this survey by FRIDAY, JANUARY 26th. https://forms.gle/CHwzmei6v93FiGN9A
If you would like to sit down prior to completing this survey to talk through anything please let us know as we are happy to do this!
Parent Teacher Conferences - DUE FEB 7 (at the LATEST, please)
If you have not yet reached out to parents regarding conferences, please do so as soon as possible. Once you have scheduled your conferences, be sure to enter them into the spreadsheet linked below. It is NOT the case where "Fall for All, Spring for Some." ALL families should be given the opportunity to meet with you in spring conferences.
Conferences can be offered as in-person or via WebEx according to parent preference, and should take place at the building for conference dates listed below and for the entire duration.
Night conferences are offered for 3 hours (February 8th).
- Conferences will be from 4:00 - 7:00 PM.
- Staff should communicate with parents, schedules reflecting available times to conference.
- When communicating availability, the entire 3-hour block should be an option for families to choose from.
- These conference evenings are 2 of the 5 required night events for certified staff.
Day Conferences (February 9th) should be communicated and offered to all parents/guardians from 7:50 am - 3:30 pm.
- Staff should communicate schedules reflecting available times for parents all day with the exception of 30 minutes for lunch and 30 minutes for a personal plan.
We will be collecting all conference schedules on a shared document linked on the button below!
A statement from a couple of our Fox Fam teammates....
Dear Fox Fam,
It is with mixed emotions that I will be leaving after this contract year. You all(and our students) hold a special place in my heart, and will be missed.
I am excited to announce that I have accepted a new opportunity to educate our future nurses and nursing students in a hospital setting with my alma mater. This role aligns perfectly with my passion for health education and my career goals in shaping the next generation of healthcare professionals.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for making my time here memorable and rewarding. The bonds we've formed extend beyond the workplace, and I will carry the lessons learned and the friendships made with me into this next chapter. Also, I truly appreciate you all working with me to advocate for the health of our students.
I look forward to staying connected with all of you. Please keep in touch, and know that you will be missed dearly.
Thank you for making me these past two years one for the books!
- Nurse Sarah
Dear Fox Fam -
I can’t believe how quickly two years have come and gone! I have loved living in the Midwest and teaching at Nieman, but unfortunately the Marine Corps doesn’t ever let us stay in one place too long! We will be moving back to the DC area in June and my husband will be back at the Pentagon in July. Thanks so much to everyone for the friendship and support the last two years! I will miss you all!
Jenn Jones
Progress Monitoring
We will start progress monitoring again next week!
Please make every effort to complete progress monitoring the students you have been assigned so IST will have the most up to date data available to review. We will continue to review grade level data during our IST Wednesday. Reach out to your grade level IS if you have any questions.
Chrissie - 3rd Grade, 5th Grade & 6th Grade
Kelsey - Kindergarten & 2nd Grade
Meredith - 1st Grade & 4th Grade
Repeat Posting - KELPA Schedule
Staff Shout Outs!!
Dan - Thank you for responding so quickly to all of the building heating issues! The staff may not see the number of SchoolDude repair requests you put in after each of the snow days - - - but we do and we appreciate you working so hard to keep our building warm and ready for us! - Misty
Pagan, Jones, Medlock, Davidson, Kilgore, Harris, Cohen, Aue, Johnston, Berkowitz, Winn, McNamara, Venzor, E.Carter - Thank you for reading last week's PB and replying to the requested response.
Shout out to Meredith, Kelsey, and Chrissie - for leading some awesome data chats! - Jo
- Ronda - for sharing her knowledge of Heggerty and helping make it accessible for our teachers. - Jo
- Michael - for always keeping things light and fun and shouting out some great growth from our ELL students. - Jo
- All teams - for being so open and reflective. Winter data chats are my favorite because everyone comes in ready to work, learn, and celebrate. - Jo
- Kiley and Misty - for being such integral parts of our data chats. That doesn’t always happen with Admin and we are super lucky to have true instructional leaders. - Jo
Misty and Anne - For getting me Starbucks after my coffee catastrophe :) - Jennifer Ake
Kristen D - Love your immersive unit on nocturnal animals--it've like walking into a cave!
Meredith, Kelsey, Chrissie, JoAnna, Ronda, Michael - Great job leading the dåta chats. You have vital information ready and plans for student and teacher success!
Kindergarten and Alex- Thank you for welcoming your new teammates (and returning teammate) in with warm and open arms!
- Kindergarten team- Thank you for your communication and support of families during the 2nd semester transition.
- Jo and Amber- Thank you for presenting at the iFair!
- Abby- Thank you for taking the time to write an E2 grant for Nieman and our students!
- Kahmann- Thank you for sharing your lamps with a classroom that didn’t have any lights when we came back on Wednesday!
- IST- Thank you for your flexibility, planning and preparation with data chats! They were all phenomenal!
- Grade Level Teams- Thank you all for your dedication, vulnerability, and action planning during our data chats. I am so proud to work with such dedicated and driven educators!
- Sarah and Perla- Thank you for your work and communication to help a family understand the health needs of a student this week!
- To anyone who had to work outside in the bitter cold this week- Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Snow Day Clarification
When Plan A and Plan B inclement weather days are called, classified personnel should enter Administrative Leave (ADM LV) in Kronos for those specific dates. This is not a change to current practice; rather, it is an attempt to clarify the protocol.
Kdg - 5th Grade ELA News
Are you a member of the Open Court Community yet? Consider joining as it is a great way to access additional support and learning around OCR. There are weekly tips, examples of use, and regular webinars that are recorded and available to view at your convenience--all of which could be used towards your teacher-directed professional learning. See flyer for directions on how to join the community.
New Teacher Mentoring
There are two remaining dates for new teacher mentoring this school year. Please mark these dates on your building calendars and be sure not to schedule conflicting events. New team members and mentors are required to attend these meetings.
Wednesday, April 24 at SMW 4 to 6 p.m. Mentors Only
Thursday, April 25 at SMW 4 to 6 p.m. Mentees Only
Google Account Authentication
Google accounts will soon begin taking advantage of the familiar Microsoft authentication dialogue already used for applications such as Canvas, webmail, and Microsoft 365 that use district network credentials (mvsmith@smsd.org, 80001234@smsd.org, 315xxxx@smsd.org). A separate Google account password will no longer be necessary!
- Briarwood, Indian Woods, and SM Northwest were transitioned last semester without issue.
- CAA transitioned on Friday, January 12, 2024.
- All remaining buildings transitioned on Wednesday, January 17, 2024.
After the transition, whenever users are asked to provide a password for accessing their Google account, they should use the same SMSD password that they normally use when signing into a MacBook or Windows computer.
Repeat Posting - Canvas Expectations
Canvas Home Page Expectations:
Please make sure you have everything you need ON your Canvas HomePage. Not only do we want to make sure everything is there, but we also want to ensure that students know HOW to access. This is something that needs to be practiced and talked about on a regular basis. Below are helpful resources to know what is expected and how to set a HomePage.
This is especially important as the winter months come. If a school must close for any reason (frozen pipes, no electricity, Plan C remote learning day, etc, our students need to be knowledgeable in HOW to access class remotely from Canvas.
Repeat Posting - Retirement/Resignation Incentive
Active professional employees who tender their resignations/retirement prior to February 1 will receive a $1000.00 incentive payable at the conclusion of their current contract. Professional employees must complete their contract year to be eligible for the payment. This provision will sunset after the 2023-2024 school year if not renegotiated.
Repeat Posting - 2024-25 School Year Biometrics Open!
Greetings!
We have a screening event that has opened for registration and will be taking place at the Center for Academic Achievement on January 30th 1:00-6:30pm.
Find registration instructions in the pdf attachment.
Attendance at an onsite biometric screening event fulfills the biometric screening requirement of Wellbeing Incentive Option A. **Please note you will still need to complete the Health Risk Assessment Questionnaire to fulfill Option A fully.**
What is the wellbeing incentive?
SMSD staff members enrolled in the District’s medical plan have the opportunity to receive a $50/month wellbeing incentive on their 2025 medical plan by completion of qualifying activities. The wellbeing incentive applies to all medical plan options.
Who is eligible?
Any SMSD staff member who participates in one of the District’s medical plans.
What do you need to do?
Choose Option A or B or C. You can complete any or all the options, but you must complete the required activities related to at least one option to qualify for the wellbeing incentive on your 2025 medical plan. All incentive activities are in the Marathon Portal, NOT the BCBS “A Healthier You” portal.
- Option A
- Complete a Biometric Screening (onsite screening, biometric screening at PriorityOne Health Center or completed physician screening form) AND
- Health Risk Assessment completed on your Marathon Health portal
- Option B: Complete a total of Four (4) Online Workshops on Marathon Health Portal
- Option C: Complete Two (2) Health Coaching Sessions with a PriorityOne Health Center Provider
Click HERE for instructions on how to complete the option of your choice.
When can I get started?
All activities completed between January 1, 2024 and October 31, 2024 will count toward participation for the 2025 wellbeing incentive!
The SMSD Wellbeing Incentive is voluntary. See the EEOC Notice for Employer Sponsored Wellness Program. If you have questions regarding the wellbeing incentive, Please note the SMSD Wellbeing Incentive is voluntary. Please see the EEOC Notice for Employer Sponsored Wellness Program.
If you have questions, or are having trouble signing up, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Danielle Shaw
Principal Tenbrink
Email: kileytenbrink@smsd.org
Website: https://nieman.smsd.org/
Location: Nieman Elementary School, West 67th Street, Shawnee, KS, USA
Phone: 913-481-4974
Twitter: @Tenbrink512