BCSD Staff Newsletter January 2017
Superintendent Letter to Staff

The letter is visual this month.  Please enjoy the customized graphic designed by Dr. Holmes.  Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!
Teacher and Student Voice


Friday, February 17 Staff Professional Development With Dr. Quaglia

Student Voice: Why is student engagement important?  How does engagement impact the achievement and opportunity gap?  How do teachers engage students?  How do we change the climate in our schools to value student voice and still manage student learning?

Teacher Voice: Your colleagues on the Teacher Advisory Committee, along with students from Wood River High School, are creating a professional development opportunity with Dr. Quaglia on Friday, February 17.

All teachers, parapros and principals will attend the event with Dr. Quaglia on Friday, February 17 from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Wood River High School gym.  Continental breakfast and an ENGAGING conversation about student engagement will take place.

Thank you to the Teacher Advisory Committee for being the voice of teachers in creating the format and focus for the event with Dr. Quaglia. 

Student Voice Book Club: Did you read the book Student Voice?  If so, look for an invitation to the book club event in your email and save the date for the evening of Thursday, February 16.
Teaching & Learning
Pictured left to right, Marcia Grabow, Angie Martinez, Aaron Bronson and Debi Gutknecht.

Social Emotional Learning

It's official. In their December 2016 meeting, the Blaine County Board of Trustees approved the Social Emotional Learning Standards that were developed by a team of educators, parents and administrators over the past 18 months. The standards were developed as a result of the BCSD Strategic Plan Goal 4: All students will be Empowered by 2020 to make independent positive choices through continual social emotional development.

You may be wondering why Social Emotional Learning is important in an already full day of learning in our classrooms. Research studies indicate that the intentional teaching of social/emotional skills improves positive academic outcomes, increased attendance, improved school culture and the development of social/emotional competencies that lead to a better quality of life. Can one find a more compelling set of reasons to further this part of the educational process? The standards are based upon the CASEL framework which is already in place and has been used by our Social Workers. The 5 CASEL competencies include:
  • Self-awareness,
  • Self-management,
  • Social Awareness,
  • Relationship Skills and
  • Responsible Decision Making.
Along with these five anchor standards and the corresponding 16 learning standards, the team also developed Performance Indicators and Sample Activities.

What does this mean for secondary schools? Carey, SCHS and WRMS will work to create curriculum maps of the standards. The maps will determine how, when and where the standards will be taught throughout the school year. Implementation will occur during the 2017-18 school year. A WRHS team will review the standards and align them with their current Advisory curriculum as part of their review process.

What does this mean for elementary schools? An Elementary Social Emotional Learning Team will be created for the 2017-18 school year. This team will map the curriculum for the K-5 grade level spans.
Human Resources
Pictured left to right, Kandy Blackburn, Jeff Loosli and Shannon Maza.

Check out why you should be contributing to an additional retirement account and what the limits are for those currently contributing in 2017. To view your Quarterly OMNI Update go here. 
Transportation

I hope everyone had a great holiday season in December and New Years Day.  Since we came back, we've seen the rare and elusive snow day appear a couple of times this week.  It has been challenging for bus drivers, parents, and others trying to drive and get from place to place.  I want to recognize our fleet of bus drivers for their dedication on those days we are in school.  It can be difficult driving our own vehicles in all the snow and weather let alone getting in a big bus and trying to get around picking up students.  They are an outstanding group of staff dedicated to getting everyone safely to the places they need to be. Take a minute and thank them when you see them out and around. - Rex Squires

Safety and Security

"Oh the weather outside is frightful..." and it can be dangerous too.  For those who have lived here for several years, it's been a long time since we have had this much snow fall this quickly.  If you haven't lived here very long, it may have been quite a shock to see this much build up so quickly.  I want to thank those who are out checking roads, schools and temperatures whenever things are questionable.  Then the follow up is the crews that come in and diligently work to make sure that our schools, sidewalks and parking areas are all ready when staff and students show up.  Depending on the situation some will show up at  midnight ,  2am , or sometimes work from the evening before.  The bottom line is that we want everyone to be safe as we go about the business of education.  Drive safely, walk carefully, say something if you see a need so it can be taken care of. Who knows what weather the next couple of months will bring.  Everyone helping each other stay healthy will be the key that gets us through those times. - Rex Squires