From the Desk of the Superintendent | | |
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New Professional Learning Director Focuses on Literacy | |
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The new school year started with not only new classrooms and excited students, but also presented a new statewide literacy plan looming on the horizon. The plan was initially shared to those in education this past June and then unveiled to all Illinoisians during virtual listening tours during the month of July. The Illinois State Board of Education plans to make edits to the plan and then roll out one additional listening tour before the final plan will be ready.
ROE 4 PL Director Carrie Brockway shared, "In the state literacy plan, ISBE identifies the roles for all education stakeholders, and the Regional Office of Education is charged with supporting its member districts in their literacy professional learning needs." And, Mrs. Brockway has taken that to heart.
Her literacy experts are well on the way to drilling down the details of the most innovative and impactful professional development on this pathway. Her team is working on completion of a variety of PD opportunities based on current requests from districts supported by the ROE. This will also put into place content that will be at the ready for all regional schools by the time the draft becomes mandate on January 1st.
Please reach out to her directly at cbrockway@roe4.org for a complimentary consultation to help guide you on your literacy journey or to customize sessions specific to your school or grade band.
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ROE 4 Welcomes Professional Learning Coaches
Last month, our ROE 4 Connections newsletter introduced you to SEL's new Specialist/Coach. This month, we're proud to welcome Leanna Keith and Kim Wagner, the newest additions to the heavy hitters of the PL Department at the Regional Office.
Both Leanna and Kim spend most of their time in the field, actively delivering content to schools and districts in their roles as Professional Learning Coaches. Feel free to connect with Leanna at lkeith@roe4.org or Kim at kwagner@roe4.org or call PL at 815.636.3060 to speak directly with Director Carrie Brockway to discuss meeting your PD needs.
Check out these delightful new members of the ROE 4 work family!
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Learn About Graduate Credit Offered via
University of St. Francis and Boone-Winnebago ROE 4
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Have you taken or are currently enrolled in an online ROE 4 course that offers graduate credit? Or have you heard that you can earn grad credit through ROE 4 but the process and affordablity aren't entirely clear?
If so, join us for this one-hour, online information session to learn more about our college credit opportunites through the University of St. Francis. We will be discussing current course offerings as well as taking a sneak peek into future classes and workshops. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions in the scheduled Q&A portion with a USF representative, where you'll learn more about the easy application process and how to earn those credits.
Simply click this link to receive the Zoom information prior to the 10/24 session!
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Administrators - there's still time to attend the 2023 Update on School Law Conference with Attorney Brandon K. Wright. In-person attendance is now closed, but you still have a few days to register to attend virtually. Conference Topic: AA #820: Legal Standards for Management of School Personnel.
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PD Podcast: Foundational Literacy 3-5: The brand new Shifting the Balance 3-5 book focusing on the Science of Reading for upper elementary is HERE! It is one of the two books to choose from for the upcoming PD Podcast course. We preordered the books to have them on hand for the fall workshop, and it just arrived on Wednesday! YAY!
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Hey, CTE Teachers: Carrie and Leanna have just begun their CTE work in partnership with Career Education Associates of North Central Illinois (CEANCI). The initial session was a huge hit, so keep an eye out for the upcoming rollout of this PD initiative for CTE. There are upcoming follow-on PD events virtually and in-person for CTE teachers.
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Social Emotional Learning | |
Nashold Early Childhood Center Attends
Poverty Simulation Experience at ROE 4
Nashold ECC of Rockford Public Schools recently attended a Poverty Simulation Experience at the offices of ROE 4. The administrators of NECC and the entire staff were on-site to participate in the dynamic event, designed for educators who work with a student population of every demographic and age range.
This hands-on workshop is designed to help participants begin to understand what it might be like to live in an average low-income family trying to survive from month to month with typical economic and geographic challenges. During the event, attendees play the part of family members and have access to community resources and services. The roles of those employed by community agencies were played by the Area 2 SEL Hub Specialists and Coaches, as well as the ROE 4 At-Risk Student Services team.
The objective is to sensitize participants to the realities faced by students and their families who attend our regional schools and are identified as low income.
This experience is a simulation - NOT a game.
At the conclusion of the event, Principal Desiree Wrightsel was quick to voice her appreciation of the entire day. She also mentioned the profound impact the time spent with the ROE would llikely have on her staff going forward. Thank you, Nashold, for joining us!
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New and Noteworthy for SEL in September | |
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New Area 2 SEL Hub Specialist Jennifer Kaiser has stepped up like a champ for school wellness, recently traveling to Rock Island County in Northwest Illinois to work with the Hub's newest Specialist/Coach, Hannah Reade. Jennnifer and Hannah spent an entire week onboarding and doing a deep dive into the Hub's REACH program, as well as it's accompanying content. Jennifer has proven to be an amazing mentor, while Hannah is shining as a quick learner. She is also extremely motivated to share SEL principles in her region, visiting 16 schools in her first week on the job.
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Area 2 SEL Hub Coaches and Specialists held a two-day team planning session at ROE 4, during which time they focused on refining the Area 2 SEL Hub website, as well as their onboarding checklist for schools and data collection processes. This will streamline the amount of lead time each partnering school and district will be required to invest to be fully engaged with the most up-to-date SEL training. This will allow Area 2 SEL teams to spend a greater amount of time supporting and implementing action plans in each school community, where the true support is needed throughout the State of Illinois.
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Area 2 SEL Hub is putting the finishing touches on the upcoming HEART Summit and will soon open registration on the ROE 4 website to all administrators, educators, and staff in Area 2. Expect details soon for the virtual Healing Educators And Responding to Trauma (H.E.A.R.T.) Conference, which is set for February 1, 2024. Save That Date!
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Pictured Above: Area 2 SEL Hub during a two-day session to prepare for
upcoming Area 2 projects and partnerships
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❤ 2024 Virtual HEART Summit! ❤
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ROE 4 Receives Workplace and Personal Safety Training from Winnebago County Sheriff's Office | |
Winnebago County Sheriff's Deputy Frank Ingardona spoke to the entire Regional Office Team about active shooters, situational awareness, and personal safety. The afternoon session was organized by Elmer Rice, At-Risk Student Services McKinney-Vento and Student Services Coordinator at ROE 4. Thank you to WCSO for presenting and to Mr. Rice for bringing this important information to the ROE! | |
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ROE 4 Shifts into Overdrive to Serve Community
The Regional Office Central Office Team has been on fire, supporting community members, local districts, and school communities by assisting with licensure, fingerprinting, training, and issuing permits five days a week. The numbers (for the last 35+ days) speak for themselves - job well done!
- Individuals Fingerprinted: 190
- Worker Permits Issued: 3
- School Bus Drivers Trained and Certified: 31
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School Bus Drivers Recertified: 99
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2024 THOSE WHO EXCEL
& TEACHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS
The Illinois State Board of Education is currently accepting nominations and applications for the 2024 Those Who Excel and Teacher of the Year Awards. It is the perfect way to celebrate the accomplishments of exceptional educators throughout the State of Illinois.
We encourage everyone to nominate deserving teachers in our community. This could be a colleague, friend, or your child's teacher who is an exemplary member of our region's education circle. The 2024 Those Who Excel & Teacher of the Year Awards are open to anyone - simply by submitting a nomination. Plus, you can submit as many nominations as you'd like as there are no limits to the number of submissions by any person, school, or district.
Take the time to submit a nomination for this noteworthy distinction by recognizing an individual on your staff or in your school for the highest educational honor in the state. Nominees will be eligible for an award with successful completion of the application materials by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 15. Hurry - time is running out. Check out this webinar to learn more.
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Scripps National Spelling Bee: Enroll Your School TODAY! | |
The Regional Office is bee-ginning to plan for the 2024 Spelling Bee! School offices should have received the first Bee info letter for the FY24 school year. Bee sure to get your school enrolled ASAP. Check your inbox, Hive! 🐝 | |
School Improvement Focuses on Effective Teams Training for Several Regional Districts | |
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Local administrators have become familiar with the ROE 4 School Improvement Division, looking to Chris Collins and his group for innovation in developing teams that make a difference for students and staff alike. School Improvement created six events for school teams with a total of 210 attendees just over the last month.
One of the districts that partner with Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education recently requested a one-page graphic that would precisely explain the work ROE 4 School Improvement can bring to the schools and districts they support. The district wanted the ability to demonstate to their staff the work they would be engaged in over the coming year.
This district, like so many others, had struggled to design effective teams that had the tools to implement consistent initiatives across their organization. Building effective teams is often complex but can be achieved by developing the appropriate processes that must include all stakeholders. Success is then realized by co-creating the outcomes. The concept is simple, but the results are beyond compare.
Chris Collins is your contact to learn more about Effective Teams for your building or district at 815.636.3060 or at ccollins@roe4.org.
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Chris Collins, Director of School Improvement for ROE 4, authors the monthly Four: For Leaders article. Receive F4L delivered monthly to your inbox by checking Four: For Leaders on this quick form to subscribe! | |
ARSS Welcomes Three New Attendance Interventionists | | | |
September is Attendance Awareness Month
September is most commonly associated with everything back-to-school. For ROE 4 At-Risk Student Services Director Meghan Hawkinson and her team, they take back-to-school literally.
As attendance interventionists, the group takes every opportunity to share the message about the importance of consistent student attendance. During September, they supercharged this effort by sharing reminders on social media, boosting McKinney-Vento Act information by offering in-person and virtual sessions on the topic, as well as putting a voice to the attendance topic with students, families, schools/districts, and the community.
The ARSS Division partners with many local districts to identify all barriers to education that, unfortunately, affect far too many students and families in our region. The dedicated group functions at all truancy levels, from welfare checks and transportation issues to legal cases.
Often, removing barriers to education can be a straightforward solution, such as a family meeting, sharing resources of every kind to families, and arranging transportation. Court cases are truly a last resort to getting students back into the classroom.
No matter the seriousness of the challenge, Mrs. Hawkinson pointed out, "Missing just two days a month over the course of a school year can make it more difficult for elementary kids to learn to read. Plus, students of all ages can fall behind by being absent one or two days every couple of weeks." Attendance is important. It's imperative for youth to be in the classroom every school day. #schooleveryday
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Multi-Tiered System of Supports
Having Positive Results at Summit Academy
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According to the Center on Multi-Tiered System of Supports, MTSS is defined as "a proactive and preventative framework that integrates data and instruction to maximize student achievement and support students social, emotional, and behavior needs from a strengths-based perspective." Summit Academy Executive Director Nicole Corbett has implemented this strategy for her middle and high school students. And, the data has demonstrated true success.
She shared, "There have been approximately 550 resets via our behavior intervention MTSS Team through early intervention. This intervention strategy was implemented in an effort to maintain restorative practices and avoid the school-to-prison pipeline for the students (who attend her regional alternative school)." Nicole went on to say, "We have had ZERO codes that resulted in hands-on a student or police intervention."
Mrs. Corbett gives credit to the dedicated MTSS Team (several members of that team are seen pictured above). When speaking about this special team, she added, "They work so hard!" The program fits perfectly into the ideation of Summit school leaders and staff: "Reset. Connect. Restore. Return." #excellent
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Golden Apple Foundation Treats Summit Teachers | |
The Golden Apple Foundation of Rockford recently visited local schools to symbolically recognize educators for the work they do in our communities. Summit Academy teachers were on the list of recipients on Apple for the Teacher 2023 delivery day. According to the crew at Summit, the sweet honor was a fun and welcome bright spot for staff. The smiles say it all! | |
🍏DON'T FORGET! Only 10 days remain to submit nominations for Golden Apple Teacher Awards! The deadline to submit is October 12th. It's an awesome way to show gratitude for how a teacher has influenced a life and/or our community at large. | |
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In Her Own Words...
"It takes a really special place to have the ability to change lives, and that's exactly what Summit does - for staff and students. From the moment I walked into Summit for my first interview, I knew this was where I was meant to be. I am forever grateful for Summit Academy/ROE 4 and all the amazing people here for changing my life for the better and finally giving me the opportunity to find my vocation and a place to call home."
McKenna Manalli
Director of Technology
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Human Resources & Finance | |
FY24 Human Resources Advisory Council Holds Meeting | |
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The HR Advisory Council is back in session for FY24. Changing the format slightly for this year, the September meeting was hosted at ROE 4 for in-person attendees and broadcast simultaneously via Zoom for virtual attendees. The meeting time was also shifted to an 8:30 a.m. start to accommodate those who wished to get back to the office earlier in the day.
The agenda on the day included a discussion on ways to create a more efficient onboarding process for new hires. Guest speakers on the topic were Dr. James Robinette, Personnel Recruitment for Consolidated High School District 230; as well as Monica Schroeder, Deputy Superintendent, and Val Kilen, Teacher on Special Assignment, for North Shore School District 112. Discussion included experience with a wide range of digital programs, in addition to SEL training, ideas for recognition, bootcamps, and mentoring for new staff. It is important to note that those who attend the meetings will have access to excellent resources, which are always linked in the meeting notes.
The next HR Advisory Council is scheduled for October 10 at 8:30 a.m. Beginning this year, participants are required to register on the ROE 4 website registration page. This is to aid in correspondence and sharing of information as the numbers continue to grow. As always, everyone is welcome to attend.
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Regional Office Updates
The ROE is happy to welcome John Ulferts to the staff as an addition to the Health/Life Safety Team. Summit Academy introduces a new schoolwide paraprofessional with the hiring of Melissa Resendez.
Current Open Positions Include:
- Facilitative Teachers
- Administrative Assistant for Professional Learning
- Social Emotional Learning HUB Coach
- Senior Accountant
Please contact Jamie Watts at jwatts@roe4.org for all Human Resources questions or search "Boone Winnebago Regional Office of Education" on Indeed or "ROE #04" on the Illinois Job Bank under the Job Seekers section.
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Learning Technology Center of Illinois Monthly ROE 4 #TechTip
Or should we write #TRENDTip? It only takes 5 short minutes to learn "Creative Tips on How to Use Canva's AI Features to Enhance Photos" in this month's #TechTip with Learning Technology Center of Illinois and ROE 4. Let's go!
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Quote of the Month:
"Act as if what you do makes a difference.
It does."
~ William James ~
American Philosopher
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300 Heart Boulevard, Loves Park, IL 61111 • (815) 636-3060
www.roe4.org
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