Important dates
December 7 - Department meetings (optional)
December 8 - Amighetti's Night for Hixson Middle School
December 23 to January 3 - Winter Break
January 4 - Records Day
January 20 - Picture retake day
Question to ponder
There are technology refreshes on the horizon for Hixson and Steger. We are not quite there yet, but I would like to start getting feedback from staff on the following question:
- If budget were not an issue, what type of technology would you want for your classroom or for use in your role at Hixson? Click HERE to submit your feedback! Please note, the survey is optional. (I am very serious about this question!)
Attendance reminders
Please make sure your attendance is taken within the first five minutes of class. Mrs. Banks has been asked by Hixson administration to email parents when their student is marked absent throughout the day, unless the absence has been verified by a parent. If your attendance is entered incorrectly, then Mrs. Banks ends up contacting a parent by mistake, which causes unnecessary stress and worry on both ends.
If you notice that a student is already marked absent and you think it is a mistake, please contact Mrs. Banks directly to correct the attendance. If you change it yourself, that overrides what she has already entered, which may require her to go back in and enter the information again. Please do not change attendance markings and notes that have already been entered without talking to Mrs. Banks.
We have been working with the district technology office to set up an automated email that will notify parents twice per day (11:30 am and 3:30 pm) if their student has been absent throughout the day. These emails will go out to all students who have been marked with an A (absent) for at least one class. This is another reason why attendance needs to be marked quickly and accurately.
Requesting time off
There is a substitute shortage throughout Missouri and
other states. Because of this, human resources has worked to increase building subs, and they continue to try to hire subs each week. There has been an increase in teacher absences, particularly on Mondays and Fridays, and also around recent holidays. Therefore, HR would like to remind staff about the district's policies and procedures on requesting time off, particularly if the request is before or after a holiday. I have included some wording from the policy below:
"Tenured teachers may request the day before or
after a school holiday or
vacation period as a personal leave for graduations in the immediate family
(defined in section II above). Approval of the building principal and/or
superintendent or designee will be necessary in these circumstances."
"Personal leave is not otherwise to extend a school holiday or vacation period. Special circumstances
may be appealed to the superintendent or designee."
There is nothing in the Support Staff policy
GDBDA that provides this allowance.
If you need to request personal time off before or after a "school holiday" or "vacation period", or if you are requesting time off that will result in a salary deduction, you will first need to complete the pre-approved absences form (below) and submit it to me. I will look it over and either approve it or deny it. If I approve it, I will sign the form and direct you to send the signed form to Dr. Wiley Skinner for her approval. If she approves the time, then you may enter the absence into Aesop. You only need to do this for absences before or after a holiday/vacation, or salary deduction. The rest can go straight to Aesop.
DOMAIN 1: HIXSON & COVID-19
Water bottles
If you have a student who needs a water bottle, please contact the office and we will have one delivered to the student.
Disinfectant wipes
There are containers of disinfectant wipes available in the office. Please come get some if you'd like! Just so you are aware, they are not Lysol brand wipes.
Teaching remotely
Click HERE to access the protocol for teaching remotely.
Hixson COVID-19 Reporting Form
Click HERE to access the Hixson COVID-19 Reporting Form. This form can also be found on the Hixson Network.
Supporting students who are quarantined
As we try to figure out how to best support students who are quarantined, it is important for students and parents to know exactly where to find assignments for their classes while they're out. Therefore, I need each team and department to submit a one pager that very clearly explains where a student should go to find assignments.
Click HERE to view an example created and already in use by 7 Yellow. Please submit your team/department's one pager to me by Thursday, December 10 so that I can include it in Hixson Happenings and post it on our website next week.
DOMAIN 3: HIXSON & STEGER
Transition Task Force Updates
Equity - The Equity group of the Transition Task Force is seeking your feedback on the current state of equity at Hixson. Please complete the anonymous survey by December 18, 2020. The Equity work group will use the information to help inform plans for the 2021-2022 school year.
Rebranding & Campus Beautification - This group has launched a
Hixson Logo Re-design contest as part of our rebranding efforts. This new logo will go on our letterhead, spirit wear, the new gym floor, signage and more! Please visit the Hixson website for more information.
If you are interested in joining the Transition Task force, please contact Dr. Mayes!
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