Month: November 2020

Great Things Seen & Heard

  • One CALM student that took an interactive baby home commented that she’s tired of being a single mom after a long night!
  • A male CALM student that held a wailing interactive baby in the hallway was counselled by a younger student to take precautions next time (but in much cruder language, of course).
  • Overall, the CALM babies were not calm at all: we could hear them crying from the office!
  • Overheard: isn’t Cuba close to Cape Breton?
  • You know you’ve got too many students vaping when you see a chocolate on the floor and think it’s a vape…
  • New vocabulary: shack-whacking means “stir crazy” (being cooped up inside at home too long)
  • We have a new code word for announcements: code “buzz” means come help, it’s a work bee!
  • Another new staff member: Bernard (or is that just a previous staff member with yet another new name?)

Clips & Tips

Jigsaw Learning isn’t the only organization calling on continuity, seeing support for students not as a lineal “point A to point B” trajectory, but more circular, as a continuous cycle: The National Council for Special Education in Ireland illustrates it a bit differently than what we saw on our last PD day, but the different language could help us understand more. Check it out here:

Bits & Pieces

  • Class times are the same online as they would be in person—let’s keep the students in the routine for when they come back.
  • We need to have a global list of students that cannot connect to their teachers online. We will organize a paper chain early in the week.
  • The interactive robot previously scheduled to visit our school on December 3rd won’t come, but it’s possible the administration team will still be meeting trustees online.
  • We have been reminded that any international travel over Christmas is to be followed by a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
  • Our school will be quarantined during Christmas break (only cleaning staff allowed inside). We will put all plants that need water in the staff room for the cleaning staff.

Events This Week

  • Monday, November 30th: First day at school without students. Any EA’s assigned to shop, cooking, or fabric probably have new duties for those blocks. (New schedule at school.)
  • Monday, November 30th: Cleaning food out of fridges (both hot lunch program and food lab).
  • Monday, November 30th: Cleaning out lockers (check for food there, too).
  • Tuesday, December 1st: PD for Administrators at 9:00 AM.
  • Thursday, December 3rd: CSTAG training at 9:30 AM (may be cancelled).
  • Thursday, December 3rd: Trustees visit administrators online.
  • Friday, December 4th: We will cancel previously scheduled Lock-Down practice with police unless enough staff members express an interest in practicing without presence of students.

Great Things Seen & Heard

  • We have a tight race for first place with the Wellness Google Challenge: way to go SM, CW and JA for cheering on your Block 2 classes!
  • One of our staff members has been on the Oprah show! She’s a celebrity!
  • When a teacher told a student that he did a good job, he thought he’d get the day off tomorrow!
  • This week (November 19th) we had full staff for the first time since September 8th!
  • I heard what the best thing is to do on a Friday night: to go home and lay like broccoli! (That’s a different way of saying to “veg out”; I hope it doesn’t mean the same thing as “Netflix and chill” since I’m quoting it in public.)

Bits & Pieces

  • We may adjust our regular bi-weekly staff meeting (or Collaborative Team meeting) to have only one meeting in December—watch for confirmation and date.
  • An interactive robot is scheduled to visit our school on December 3rd. The robot will be asking questions of staff and students so put on your best behaviour!
  • We have been reminded that any international travel over Christmas is to be followed by a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
  • Our school will be quarantined during Christmas break (only cleaning staff allowed inside).

Events This Week

  • Monday, November 23rd: Last day to buy poinsettias.
  • Monday, November 23rd: Student Success meetings in CG’s office in afternoon.
  • Monday, November 23rd: Hot lunch is Chef’s Salad.
  • Monday, November 23rd: Collaboration Team meetings, 3:45PM to 4:45PM.
  • Tuesday, November 24th: Hot lunch is Ham with Scalloped Potatoes & Veggies.
  • Tuesday, November 24th: Learning Supports Meeting at 12:30 PM.
  • Tuesday, November 24th: Boys’ basketball after school.
  • Wednesday, November 25th: Hot lunch is Chicken Tacos.
  • Wednesday, November 25th: Last volleyball session after school.
  • Thursday, November 26th: Hot lunch Pasta and Meat Sauce.
  • Thursday, November 26th: Boys’ basketball after school.
  • Friday, November 27th: PD Day—meet at 8:30 in Learning Commons.
  • Friday, November 27th: Webinar (Collaborative Response) at 9:00
  • Friday, November 27th: Indigenous Coaching Session at 10:30
  • Friday, November 27th: Lunch Break from 11:30 to 12:30 (free time)
  • Friday, November 27th: Second webinar (Collaborative Response) at 12:30
  • Friday, November 27th: Discuss lock-down procedure at 2:00 PM followed by collaboration time
  • Friday, November 27th: The Santa Parade starts at our school shortly after 7:00 PM! (Did we know that ahead of time?)