Monday Memo - 10/26/20

Reflections on last week
I would like to thank all of you for attending the meeting(s) last week regarding our return to school. We know there are many unanswered questions, but we will have a lot more information to share with you this week. Please understand that we are moving as fast as we can to answer all of your questions and finalize our building plan, but even after all the planning and preparation we do, it is simply not possible to know everything or plan for every single scenario. We have never had to re-open a school that has been closed for eight months due to a global pandemic that is continuing to surge throughout the world. These are truly unprecedented times and we are doing the best we can with the resources we have to bring everyone back to school safely. The best way forward is to work as a family of Hixson educators who support one another and show kindness in these very challenging times. 

If you have concerns, please contact the Hixson administration directly. We are always happy to talk with you about your needs, and we appreciate the trust that you have in us to help you address those needs.

Cool Tech Tip
From Leslie Creath - "If you're looking to be more inclusive in the clipart/images in your lessons, https://www.freepik.com is a great website that has lots of free images of people of all races and ethnicities."

Click HERE to submit a Tech Tip.

Important dates
October 28 - Return to School Staff meeting at 1:00 pm
-We will review our return to school building plan.

November 2 - Jimmy John's Night for Hixson Middle School

November 3 - Professional Development
- District ABAR PD in the morning, Building PD related to our return to school in the afternoon
Alive and Well will work with our staff during 2nd semester instead of November 3. Dr. Mayes will send details about November 3 later on this week.

November 9 & 10 - Teacher work days

November 11 - first day back to school for students in Responsive Learning Plan

DOMAIN 1: HIXSON & COVID-19

Got questions about our return to school?
If you have specific questions or concerns regarding our return to in-person school, please submit them HERE. These questions are very helpful as we plan for our return to school.

Work location plans
Click the Google Forms below to communicate your work location plans. If you need to change your plans after you've already submitted your response, email Sarah Magruder so she can update your information. Work location plans for the week of 11/2 to 11/6 are due today by 3:30 PM.

Work Location Plans - 11/2 to 11/6

Monday Mindfulness with our counselors
Join the Counselors for a mindfulness zoom session on Mondays, at 8am.

Here is the link for the staff mindfulness time.

Meeting ID: 977 1740 0071

Passcode: Mindful​

DOMAIN 2: HIXSON & EQUITY

Addressing equity in the STEM pipeline
The next event from the Kirkwood Educational Equity Speaker Series (KEESS) will be a webinar titled Addressing Equity in the STEM Pipeline. Kirkwood's description of the event is below: 

    "A panel discussion designed to share the current data concerning the underrepresentation     of students of color in STEM careers, and begin a deep dive into the educational                    experiences we can create for our students to promote interest and participation in STEM        programs throughout their academic career."

This event will take place on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 beginning at 4:00 pm. Click on the link below to register.

https://www.kirkwoodschools.org/Page/9358

Webster Speaks: Dialogues on Race, Equity and Inclusion

On October 28 at 7:00 PM, Webster University will have their 9th episode of Webster Speaks. Cbabi Bayoc (the artist who painted our beautiful mural) and Dail Chambers, two prominent St. Louis artists, will be the guest speakers. They will discuss the intersection of art and Black activism. Click the link below to register.

https://www.webster.edu/diversity-inclusion/webster-speaks/