The
Principal's Playbook
is a collaboration between the Office of Leadership Development and the Office of Communications. The Playbook is the main source for communicating with principals. This weekly newsletter includes department action items, professional development opportunities and other updates that directly affect principals and other school leaders. Each Playbook also includes communications and marketing content
to help schools communicate with their families.
Departments
should not directly email principals and must submit items
to the Playbook at
spps.org/principalsplaybook
by following these guidelines:
- Provide quick, key points in less than 200 words.
- Provide links to additional information or documents if needed.
- Limit attachments and use links to Google Docs when possible.
- Apply directly to principals/school leaders (other staff information should be submitted to The Bridge).
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MONTHLY CHECKLIST
Click on the link below for a list of important tasks for school leaders that affect students and families, budgeting, communications, professional development, building operations and more.
All checklists can be found in the
2019-20 Administrator Handbook.
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New Wording for Lockdowns
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The Office Security and Emergency Management (SEM) has revised procedures and language when referring to a lockdown. Please note the changes below, so your site can be prepared. This new language will be included in situation reports (SitReps) relevant to your school or building. For details on procedures for each event,
please review your school/site Emergency Operations Plan.
For schools that currently have emergency buttons for Lockdown and Lockout, SEM is currently working on updating the audio language for these alerts. Until this is completed at your school, please use the pager system on your phone (dial **00*) to notify your building. For questions, contact
alexander.corey@spps.org.
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Extended Day for Learning (EDL) Site Leaders
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Extended Day for Learning (EDL) offers Saint Paul Public Schools students the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive through fun and engaging activities that are different from the regular school day. For details, click
here
.
By Monday, Sept. 9, please forward your EDL site leader’s name to either:
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Key Roles and Responsibilities for Special Education Instructional Coach
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Please review the roles and responsibilities of the
special education coach
to support their work in increasing student outcomes.
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Office of Specialized Services
Contact Information and Coaching Assignments
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Clever Portal for Teachers and Students
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This fall, all students and teachers have access to the Clever portal. Clever is a way to streamline the login experience for educational accounts and resources.
Students and teachers will log in to Clever with their Active Directory account. This single sign-on will log you in to other apps connected to Clever and eliminates the need to remember multiple usernames and passwords. For more information about Clever, click
here
.
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Seesaw Account and Login Information for
K-2 Teachers
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Kindergarten, first and second grade teachers and elementary specialists have a new, simpler way to sign in to Seesaw this fall. Staff can sign in using their employee Active Directory information using the Clever portal. For detailed login instructions, click
here
.
When adding co-teachers, staff should use the @stpaul.k12.mn.us email address, NOT @spps.org. All building principals will have administrator access to Seesaw and will be able to access their accounts using Clever by Sept. 6.
Benefits of the new Seesaw login method include:
- Automatic class rostering and updating: Class lists update from Campus each night - similar to Schoology.
- District Activity Library: This space is for the Office of Teaching and Learning staff to post resources and materials for all schools to access. School staff should not post materials to the district library. Materials may be removed if posted to this location.
If you have questions or difficulty logging in to your Seesaw account, please submit a Service Desk Ticket using the ‘Seesaw’ category.
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Digital Citizenship Month
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September is digital citizenship month in Saint Paul. Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) regulations require that all students receive a minimum of three lessons on digital citizenship, online safety and privacy, and cyberbullying every year.
Principals will designate and notify teachers/staff responsible for teaching digital citizenship CIPA lessons by September 30
and throughout the year for newly enrolled students. More information is available
here
.
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Attn: Secondary Schools
Changes in How Courses are Imported into Schoology
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For secondary schools, there is a change in how courses are imported into Schoology from Campus.
Past practice:
- Courses were scheduled for import on a semester basis, spanning over two quarters; this required courses to have two grading periods.
New practice:
- Beginning fall 2019, courses will be scheduled in Campus on a true quarter basis
- Courses will now import into Schoology as quarter-long courses with one grading period
- There is no need to change grade period weight percentages in 'grade setup' at the end of each quarter
- A year-long course will now have four sections, one for each quarter
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Congratulations to the Members of the
2019-20 Student Engagement and Advancement Board
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The 2019-20 members are:
- Anindita Rajamani (Capitol Hill, Highland Park Senior)
- Cheng Vang (Hamline Elementary, Linwood/Monroe, Creative Arts Secondary School)
- Diamond Thlang (Capitol Hill, Highland Park Middle, Harding Senior)
- Selah Cheyenne Jacoway (Highland Park Senior)
- Alma Sanchez (Highland Park Senior)
- Atquetzali Quiroz (Crossroads Elementary, Open World Learning)
- Marianna Suna Xiong (Dayton’s Bluff, Hazel Park, Harding Senior)
- Kalid Ali (Linwood/Monroe, Central Senior, Como Park Senior)
- Jordanna Marshall (St. Paul Music Academy, Hazel Park, Harding Senior)
- Simon Mulrooney (Capitol Hill, Central Senior)
- Tochi Onuegbu (Nokomis Montessori, Parkway Montessori, Harding Senior)
- Malachi Raymond (Open World Learning)
For more information on the Student Engagement and Advancement Board visit
www.spps.org/SEAB.
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Talent Development and Acceleration Services (TDAS) Foundations Training
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Talent Development and Accelerated Services (TDAS) certificate professional development pathway is available to licensed elementary staff district-wide. This is a great opportunity to strengthen one’s ability to recognize the needs of advanced learners and learn strategies to challenge students and increase depth and complexity in lesson planning and instruction.
There are two opportunities to take the first, foundational course this fall:
TDAS: Foundations in Talent Development and Advanced Learner Education (TDAS1906)
Saturday, September 21, 7:30 am - 2:30 pm, or
Saturday, November 2, 7:30 am - 2:30 pm
Upon successfully completing the foundations course, staff can take advantage of multiple topics for elective courses that follow. All elective courses are held Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. throughout the school year.
For more information, see:
Courses are open and available in PDExpress.
Please encourage any interested staff to register or contact
benjamin.lacina@spps.org
(TDAS Supervisor) with any questions.
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Mon., Sept. 16
4 - 5:30 p.m.
360 Colborne, Rooms J/K
Audience: 1st-year principals and 1st-year assistant principals
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Wed., Sept. 18
8 - 11 a.m.
360 Colborne, Rooms A/B
Audience: Principals and Division of Academics leaders
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Wed., Sept. 18
1 - 4 p.m.
360 Colborne, Room A
Audience: Assistant Principals - Cohort A
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Wed., Sept. 25
8 a.m. - 12 p.m. (Your calendar invite says until 11 a.m.; most likely this meeting will be extended to 12 p.m.)
Location: TBD
Audience: Principals and Division of Academics leaders
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Wed., Sept. 25
1 - 4 p.m.
360 Colborne, Rooms D/E/F
Audience: Assistant Principals - Cohort B
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Important holidays, no school days, special religious days and family engagement events are available online at
spps.org/calendar.
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Sept. 3 - First Day of School (1-12)
Sept. 5 - First Day of School (Pre-K and K)
Sept. 29-Oct. 1 - Rosh Hashanah
Jewish New Year and holy days. Days of renewed responsibility. The first of the High Holy Days marked by solemn religious observance.
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The
Principal's Playbook
is a collaboration between the Office of Leadership and the Office of Communications. The Playbook is the main source for communicating with principals. This weekly newsletter includes department action items, professional development opportunities and other updates that directly affect principals and other school leaders. Each Playbook also includes communications and marketing content
to help schools communicate with their families.
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Jada Wollenzien
Program Manager, Leadership Development
Office: 651-744-5074
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Communications Consultant
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