Category: Administrators’ Desk

Action Items

For All Administrators (Action)

For Building Administrators/Principals/Title IX Coordinators (Action)

SIT Coordinators Meeting – Tuesday, September 21

From Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Please share with your Building SIT Coordinator(s)

Greetings SIT Coordinators and Principals,

Our first SIT Coordinator meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 21 from 4:00pm-5:00pm via Zoom. Principals are invited to attend as well. Please use the following Zoom invite to access our meeting:

Topic: SIT Coordinators Meeting – September 21
Time: Sep 21, 2021 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89223625554?pwd=YzFSL2dKODZtNFZsRHluL2xidTE0UT09

Meeting ID: 892 2362 5554
Passcode: 488541
__________________________________________________________

Principals, if you have not done so yet, please use this Google sheet [SIT Building Coordinator Contact Sheet] to update the names of your building SIT Coordinators. Please use the following recommendations as you determine who will be your SIT Coordinator for this school year:
– Basic understanding of the SIT process to help lead others through the process in your building
– Credibility with all staff as an instructional leader with knowledge of evidenced-based instructional strategies
– Knowledgeable about the principles of Trauma Sensitive and —Resilient Schools and the ability to apply those when working with children and adults
– Ability to use and coach others on how to use Infinite Campus
– Schedule that allows for attendance at regularly scheduled SIT Coordinator meetings

Principal Approval – September 20th

From ESOL

All EC-5 administrators will need to collect screenshots of push-in schedules for their buildings. Upload these screenshots to the Google Folder for your building, uploads are due September 15th. These need to be collected from ESL staff and any push-in/pull-out support (SPED, Gifted, Reading Intervention). This is the “final approval” for September 20th, this task was previously completed in IC Web. Due September 15th.

All Secondary Administrators will need to collect screenshots of push-in schedules for ESOL aides. Upload these screenshots to the Google Folder for your building, uploads are due September 15th. This is a new task for secondary admin. Due September 15th.

**NO Changes to push-in/pull-out schedules until after October 4th.

For Title I Principals (Action)

Required District Title I Advisory Meeting/Staff & Parent Representatives

From Curriculum & Instruction

The Required District Title I Advisory Meeting will be held virtually this year, due to COVID mitigations. Similar to what we did in 2020-21, we will hold 3 separate virtual advisory meetings to increase engagement opportunities for all participants. The meetings are scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, 9/21/21 – 4:30 – 5:30pm: Argentine/Arrowhead/Central and Elementary Schools (Alpha order-Banneker-Grant)
Wednesday, 9/22/21 – 4:30 – 5:30pm: Carl B Bruce/Gloria Willis and Elementary Schools (Alpha order: Hazel Grove – New Chelsea)
Thursday, 9/23/21 – 4:30 – 5:30pm: Eisenhower/Rosedale and Elementary Schools (Alpha order: New Stanley-Whittier)

Please confirm participation of your required 1 certified staff and 1 parent representative and make sure you’ve forwarded the calendar invitation with the Zoom link to your stakeholders.

Extra duty pay must be pre-approved by BOE.

For Secondary Administrators (Action)

KCTC Survey

From Student Services

Our district utilizes the Kansas Communities That Cares (KCTC) Survey to gather information needed to plan prevention strategies and judge their effectiveness, measure the district’s social-emotional strengths and weaknesses, and provide data for our current KESA plan. Between November 2021 and January 2022, our district’s 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students will be participating in the KCTC survey and we are asking for your help in doing this. Please complete the linked spreadsheet with your point of contact for the KCTC survey (KCTC Point of Contact Spreadsheet) by September 17th. This person can be a counselor, FACES, or another individual who supports KCTC administration in your building.

KCTC Info PDF

Informational Items

For All Administrators (Informational Item)

New COVID-19 Vaccine Event on October 2, 2021

From Communications & Marketing

Please share this information with your staff and families:

Whether it’s your first Covid-19 vaccine or your second dose, KCKPS is happy to be partnering with the Wyandotte County Health Department to host our fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Event. This family event will take place on Saturday, October 2^nd from noon until 3pm at J. C. Harmon High School.

In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, the health department will also be offering flu vaccines and sports physicals.

The Health Department will be offering the Pfizer vaccine (2-doses) and Johnson & Johnson vaccine (1-dose). Remember, the vaccine is safe for those 12 and up, but minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Those that get vaccinated will receive free meal vouchers for the food trucks on site. Those receiving the first vaccine will also walk away with a $50 gift card.

In addition to vaccines and physicals, KCKPS has teamed up with some amazing community partners  for free giveaways to get students ready for the winter months. Free food, free ice cream, and much more will be offered. In addition, you will get a chance to hear from some of the KCKPS bands in what we are calling “March to the Beat: A KCKPS Band Showcase.”

The Swope Parkway Mobile Dental Truck will also be there, providing free screenings and fluoride for children.

If you need a ride, we also have you covered.  KCKPS Transportation Services are for those 5 years and older. No one under the age of 5 can ride due to safety concerns. If you need special accommodations, please call 913-627-3100 before Monday, September 27th.

We hope to see you there.

COVID-19 Vaccine Event PDF Flyer in English
COVID-19 Vaccine Event PDF Flyer in Spanish

Through collaboration between the National Education Association (NEA) and California Casuality there are three (3) opportunities for members and their schools to benefit.

1. California Casuality Arts and Music Grant ($250)
CalCasMusicArtsGrant.com
2. California Casuality Athletics Grant ($1000)
www.calcasathletics.com
3. $2500 Educator Jackpot
readyfor2500.com/NEA

All new hires in the district (certified and classified) will need to attend the in-person orientation, which are held on the Wednesday following a regular BOE meeting. All trainings will be held at the central office from 8am to 4pm. Please make sure your new hires attend the orientation. If you have questions, contact Sherrie Piedimonte. Thank you!!

Electronic Reporting Forms for Injuries and Incidents

From Communications & Marketing

Just a quick reminder that many of the forms you need when it comes to incidents are now electronic.

Student injury forms have now been included to the list.

To find the reporting form for students go to this link: https://form.jotform.com/212366215525047

To make the reporting of workman’s compensation accidents less time consuming, the Supervisors Accident Report is now an electronic form.

Regardless of severity, immediate supervisors & directors are required to report all work-related injuries within 48 hours to Risk Management.

To do so, please use the following link: https://form.jotform.com/212304621025035

The Incident Report helps document any incident involving non employees.

This includes our students, visitors, parents and guardians.

The incident form is to be filled out for a number of situations including: a child is missing, if a student is injured in a way that could require medical attention in the future, police have to be called during an incident,  there is a fight,  or even to report property damage.

An example of a fight that needs to be recorded- a fight that breaks out that others are around and it may have been recorded. A fight that someone may not realize they are injured immediately but could later on in the day. Fights that do NOT need to be recorded: two kids on the playground hit each other in the arm over a ball.

There may be other incidents that could also require use of this form.

If you have questions about whether an incident falls into this category, please reach out to your IIO.

Here is a link to the Incident Report form:  https://kckps.org/incident-report/

For EC-5 Principals (Informational Item)

PD Recording: Built for These Times – Making the Shift to the Science of Reading

From Curriculum & Instruction

Thank you to everyone who joined us via Zoom for Friday’s special presentation of Built for These Times: Making the Shift to the Science of Reading with Susan Lambert & Natalie Wexler. To view the recording, please use this link. Instructional Coaches have been emailed this recording with specific guidelines for use in PLCs or as PD. Please contact Alli Rice at allison.rice@kckps.org with any questions.

Event Flyer PDF

For Elementary Principals (Informational Item)

Pat on the Back!!

From Diploma+

Teachers in these buildings are already requesting live sessions on the Connector!

Banneker
Caruthers
Claude Huyck
Eugene Ware
Frances Willard
Frank Rushton
Hazel Grove
John Fiske
Lindbergh
Mark Twain
McKinley
ME Pearson
Quindaro
Stony Point North
TA Edison
West Park
Whittier

Principals – we know this does not happen without your support and encouragement. Thanks!!

Curriculum Department Open House

From Curriculum & Instruction
We want your feedback! Come and preview the proposed K-3 ELA resources for the 2022-2023 school year. All staff, parents, students, and community members are welcome to come to Central Office Room 132 on Thursday, September 23rd anytime between 4:30 and 6:30. Please use visitor parking and enter through the main entrance.
Open House PDF Flyer

For Secondary Principals (Informational Item)

Canvas Training for Secondary Schools – Wendy Will Come All Day!

From Curriculum and Instruction

This is for SECONDARY schools only. Wendy Elkins has provided multiple sign-up opportunities to come to your school for the entire day and collaborate with teachers and administrators on how to use Canvas. Sign-ups begin on Sept.20th and run until Oct. 19th. Options on how to best utilize the time is determined by each site, some suggestions are:

PLC’s could meet with Wendy for training and planning (central location).
Teachers and administrators could come to a central location to get help when they are available.
Other

Use this link  to schedule your site visit. The appointment title you are looking for is Site Canvas Help. Make sure you are logged into your google calendar. In the title of the appointment, please put the name of your school and in the description, please provide the name of a contact person that Wendy can coordinate with.

For BusinessPLUS Users (Informational Item)

Lunch & Learn

From Purchasing

The Purchasing Department will be hosting Zoom sessions to go over important information related to purchasing and accounts payable. These sessions will be your opportunity to hear about department processes, resources, staff and hot topics… as well as your chance to ask questions about the things you aren’t really sure about.

We look forward to your participation and seeing you.

Meeting Info PDF

Action Items

For All Administrators (Action)

Update School Improvement Plan (SIP) Indicator Selections by 9:00 AM, Monday, 9/20/2021

From Federal Programs

Annually, the Federal Programs team must submit a required report to KSDE by 9/30/2021. As a part of this annual report, KCKPS will be required to submit a secondary report for EACH school that will include the Indicators your leadership teams have decided to work on as a part of your 2021-22 School Improvement Plans. All plans must be updated in KansaStar with final selections on the 3-5 indicators you plan to focus on for the coming year by Monday, 9/20/2021.

For Building Administrators/Principals/Title IX Coordinators (Action)

United Way Campaign Coming Soon

From Communications & Marketing

As KCKPS gets ready to launch this year’s United Way Campaign, we need your help. This is the time for each of our schools to pick the person who will serve as your school’s point of contact.

Please send that person’s name, email address and phone number either via email to  Juli O’Mealey Simmons  or by filling out this link. We cannot wait to announce this year’s plan to help out a great organization.

Title IX Complaints Issue

From KCKPS Police Department

It has been brought to my attention that several Title IX Complaints being processed by building Coordinators have been missing our Police Department Case Number and or the responding School Resource Officer (SRO/Police Officer) and supervisor/manager (Police Sergeant) name in the applicable spaces of the form under section “notifications.”

I will be addressing these concerns with the Police Management Team and all department staff members (Sergeants, Police Officers, Campus Officers, and Administrative Support Staff). Our goal will be to remind police department staff to make sure this important information passed along to the Title IX Coordinator or Administrator responsible.

Notifications:

●        District Title IX Coordinator/Date:  ____________________

●        Building SRO:  Y / N      SRO Name/Police Supervisor___________________/__________________Case No: _______

●        Other LE Agency Notified:  Y / N                                                                   Agency Name: _______________________

●        Department of Children/Family Services:  Y / N                                            DCF Case No:_________________________

Thank all of you for the individual attention to these details. Compliance is key to our district’s success.

Any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact my office or the District Title IX Coordinator’s Office.

Henry R. Horn, Chief of Police

SIT Coordinators Meeting – Tuesday, September 21

From Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Please share with your Building SIT Coordinator(s)

Greetings SIT Coordinators and Principals,

Our first SIT Coordinator meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 21 from 4:00pm-5:00pm via Zoom. Principals are invited to attend as well. Please use the following Zoom invite to access our meeting:

Topic: SIT Coordinators Meeting – September 21
Time: Sep 21, 2021 04:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89223625554?pwd=YzFSL2dKODZtNFZsRHluL2xidTE0UT09

Meeting ID: 892 2362 5554
Passcode: 488541
__________________________________________________________

Principals, if you have not done so yet, please use this Google sheet [SIT Building Coordinator Contact Sheet] to update the names of your building SIT Coordinators. Please use the following recommendations as you determine who will be your SIT Coordinator for this school year:
– Basic understanding of the SIT process to help lead others through the process in your building
– Credibility with all staff as an instructional leader with knowledge of evidenced-based instructional strategies
– Knowledgeable about the principles of Trauma Sensitive and —Resilient Schools and the ability to apply those when working with children and adults
– Ability to use and coach others on how to use Infinite Campus
– Schedule that allows for attendance at regularly scheduled SIT Coordinator meetings

Title & Board of Education Compliance Checklists 21-22SY Due 9/10/21

From Federal Programs

Stay on track by reviewing the KCKPS Required Documents Compliance Checklists to make sure you’re covering all of the Title (IX, VI, VII, I) requirements as we start the 2021-22 school year. There are TWO checklists located in the Federal Programs shared drive; Elementary & Middle Schools and Early Childhood, High School and Alternative Schools. School checklists should be submitted to Lisa Walker by 9/10/21.

Principal Approval – September 20th

From ESOL

All EC-5 administrators will need to collect screenshots of push-in schedules for their buildings. Upload these screenshots to the Google Folder for your building, uploads are due September 15th. These need to be collected from ESL staff and any push-in/pull-out support (SPED, Gifted, Reading Intervention). This is the “final approval” for September 20th, this task was previously completed in IC Web. Due September 15th.

All Secondary Administrators will need to collect screenshots of push-in schedules for ESOL aides. Upload these screenshots to the Google Folder for your building, uploads are due September 15th. This is a new task for secondary admin. Due September 15th.

**NO Changes to push-in/pull-out schedules until after October 4th.

Re: FastBridge SAEBRS and mySAEBRS

From Multi-Tier System of Supports

Please share this information with your staff.

As part of our MTSS Framework, KCKPS developed a Comprehensive Assessment Plan/Schedule,  which includes screening our students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional (BSEL) needs. For this, KCKPS will be using the FastBridge SAEBRS and mySAEBRS screener assessments in conjunction with other relevant SEL data points to determine what supports may be needed to assist our students socially and emotionally and/or behaviorally. The mySAEBRS is a brief self-rating of student risk for emotional and behavioral problems. This year, teachers will administer the SAEBRS and the mySAEBRS using the FastBridge system. Teachers will need to ensure they complete the necessary certifications for these screeners. Social workers and counselors will also need to certify in these assessments as they will be analyzing the SAEBRS and mySAEBRS data. DERA has already entered social workers and counselors into the FastBridge system. Staff can find directions on how to access FastBridge in the Illuminate FastBridge Staff Guide​ .

Our goal this year is to use the data from these screeners to identify student strengths and areas of need to provide support to increase positive outcomes for all our students. Based on the data, some students may then need to be referred to the behavioral health teams for potential Tier 2 or 3 supports. As we continue to learn more about what the SAEBRS and mySAEBRS provide, we will be working on a plan for how the data supports what we do in Tier 1 instruction using our district-provided resources.

Horizon Award Submissions

From Human Resources

It is time to start submitting your nomination for Horizon Awards. Please see the attached document for more information. The deadline for submissions is September 24th. Please send completed submissions to Jared.Alexander@kckps.org.

Horizon Award Nomination Package PDF

For EC-5 Administrators (Action)

For Elementary and Middle School Principals (Action)

Building Spelling Bees & Wyandotte County Spelling Bee

From Curriculum and Instruction
The 2022 Wyandotte County Spelling Bee, hosted by KCKPS, will be held on Saturday, February 5 at 9:30. The event format (online or in-person) is currently undecided. Building spelling bee sponsors will organize a process at the building level (elementary & middle schools, grades 3-8) to determine a student to represent each building at the county spelling bee. Chosen sponsors in each building must complete the form linked below no later than Friday, October 1. Each building/sponsor will be registered with Scripps National Spelling Bee to support preparation for the building and county bees.

We will also schedule a district on-line meeting for sponsors in late October or early November. One building sponsor per building will be compensated for 10 extra duty hours.

Please complete the form even if your building chooses not to participate.

For Secondary Administrators (Action)

Secondary FastBridge CBMReading Extension

From Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
As a reminder, we are following all KSDE Dyslexia requirements and screening all students K-12. The state requires districts to administer an Oral Reading Fluency assessment (i.e., CBMReading) to any 6th-12th grade student who scores below benchmark on a nationally normed reading screener (i.e., FastBridge). We know there have been many questions/concerns regarding the CBMReading assessment for secondary schools. One of those concerns is the sheer number of students who will need this assessment administered. To get this accomplished, we are extending the assessment window for the CBMReading ONLY. All other FastBridge assessments must be completed by the current end date of Friday, September 17. This extension will allow buildings time to develop a plan on how to get the students who are at High Risk assessed on the CBMReading. Please prioritize CBMReading administration to the students who scored in the High-Risk category first to complete them by Thursday, September 30. Then, complete all follow-up CBMReading assessments for students who scored at Some Risk by Friday, October 15.

KCTC Survey

From Student Services

Our district utilizes the Kansas Communities That Cares (KCTC) Survey to gather information needed to plan prevention strategies and judge their effectiveness, measure the district’s social-emotional strengths and weaknesses, and provide data for our current KESA plan. Between November 2021 and January 2022, our district’s 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grade students will be participating in the KCTC survey and we are asking for your help in doing this. Please complete the linked spreadsheet with your point of contact for the KCTC survey (KCTC Point of Contact Spreadsheet) by September 17th. This person can be a counselor, FACES, or another individual who supports KCTC administration in your building.

KCTC Info PDF

Informational Items

For All Administrators (Informational Item)

New COVID-19 Vaccine Event on October 2, 2021

From Communications & Marketing

Please share this information with your staff and families:

Whether it’s your first Covid-19 vaccine or your second dose, KCKPS is happy to be partnering with the Wyandotte County Health Department to host our fourth COVID-19 Vaccine Event. This family event will take place on Saturday, October 2^nd from noon until 3pm at J. C. Harmon High School.

In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, the health department will also be offering flu vaccines and sports physicals.

The Health Department will be offering the Pfizer vaccine (2-doses) and Johnson & Johnson vaccine (1-dose). Remember, the vaccine is safe for those 12 and up, but minors under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Those that get vaccinated will receive free meal vouchers for the food trucks on site. Those receiving the first vaccine will also walk away with a $50 gift card.

In addition to vaccines and physicals, KCKPS has teamed up with some amazing community partners  for free giveaways to get students ready for the winter months. Free food, free ice cream, and much more will be offered. In addition, you will get a chance to hear from some of the KCKPS bands in what we are calling “March to the Beat: A KCKPS Band Showcase.”

The Swope Parkway Mobile Dental Truck will also be there, providing free screenings and fluoride for children.

If you need a ride, we also have you covered.  KCKPS Transportation Services are for those 5 years and older. No one under the age of 5 can ride due to safety concerns. If you need special accommodations, please call 913-627-3100 before Monday, September 27th.

We hope to see you there.

COVID-19 Vaccine Event PDF Flyer in English
COVID-19 Vaccine Event PDF Flyer in Spanish

New Link to Share with Staff for Language Support During FA, Please Share with Staff!

From Student Services

We want to remind everyone that this year we have an on-demand / live video Interpreters service for FA. This is a great and easy to access resource for all staff. We also continue to offer over-the-phone interpreter services for those who prefer it. Both services will be active all FA week. Due to covid-19, we have a very limited number of in-person interpreters available. Please make sure you submit all in-person interpreter requests by Monday, September 13.

If you or anyone in your team has questions or needs additional information, they can email Language.Support@kckps.org, contact Naomi Tolentino (913-279-2247), or Kourtney Rogers (913-627-5626).

Propio One Instruction Card 1 PDF

Propio One Instruction Card 2 PDF

Student-Centered Coaching Training

From Curriculum and Instruction
Reminder that Coaches will be attending Student-Centered Coaching Training all day on September 13th and the afternoon of September 14th. The agenda for those sessions (topics and times) can be found here.

Principals will be attending the morning session only on Tuesday, September 14. Please see the agenda for times and topics.

**We have scheduled principal and coach training at separate times to allow for either the principal or the coach to remain in the building for support.

Wyandotte County Spelling Bee and KCKPS Literacy Festival

From Curriculum and Instruction

The Wyandotte County Spelling Bee will be held this school year. Communication regarding how to participate is included in a separate item today. However, the KCKPS Literacy Festival WILL NOT be held this school year. Instead, buildings should consider creative ways to encourage students to read.

Admin Guide

From Human Resources

Hello All,

We have had some instances where Administrators are not able to get into the Admin Guide. The admin guide should be a first point of Reference for Human Resource related questions. The Admin Guide can be found under “Staff Links” from the kckps.org Home Page. Click here to fill out the form for access.

Evaluation Information

From Human Resources

HR is currently working with PowerSchool/TalentEd Support to get our evaluation information automated for the future. In the meantime, we are asking that if principals are missing staff or need staff added/removed from their list in TalentEd Perform to email those requests to deandre.tuggle@kckps.org In the email please provide the employees first and last name, employee ID#, and if they need to be added/removed. If you have any issues with your staffs list in iObservation please email tanya.selectman@kckps.org We will provide additional updates in the coming weeks.

Classroom Coverage

From Human Resources

I hope you are well. We wanted to make sure you were aware of some questions that have been coming into the HR office. We have had some questions about compensation for classified staff covering for a teacher’s absence. Although you might be aware of the protocol, below is some follow-up.

We are not utilizing classified staff to cover for a certified opening(s).
If a classified individual is the “classroom monitor” because another teacher is zooming from the other room (due to distancing/capacity), then they can be utilized as the “aide” and not the instructor.
The classified employee should be reassigned for the day to this new role and not expected to perform their normal duties. This would allow them to keep their daily rate without the expectation of additional pay for two roles.
If we have multiple sections of one class (i.e. 4th grade), then those other teachers who are 4th grade teachers should split the classroom and will be compensated appropriately.
65% or more of the classroom, teacher receives full hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)
Less than 65% of the classroom, teacher receives half the hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)

We are working hard to make sure that all positions are covered to the best of our ability, but as you know we are short in total. We are hoping we can maneuver and help with the absences and vacancies.

Electronic Reporting Forms for Injuries and Incidents

From Communications & Marketing

Just a quick reminder that many of the forms you need when it comes to incidents are now electronic.

Student injury forms have now been included to the list.

To find the reporting form for students go to this link: https://form.jotform.com/212366215525047

To make the reporting of workman’s compensation accidents less time consuming, the Supervisors Accident Report is now an electronic form.

Regardless of severity, immediate supervisors & directors are required to report all work-related injuries within 48 hours to Risk Management.

To do so, please use the following link: https://form.jotform.com/212304621025035

The Incident Report helps document any incident involving non employees.

This includes our students, visitors, parents and guardians.

The incident form is to be filled out for a number of situations including: a child is missing, if a student is injured in a way that could require medical attention in the future, police have to be called during an incident,  there is a fight,  or even to report property damage.

An example of a fight that needs to be recorded- a fight that breaks out that others are around and it may have been recorded. A fight that someone may not realize they are injured immediately but could later on in the day. Fights that do NOT need to be recorded: two kids on the playground hit each other in the arm over a ball.

There may be other incidents that could also require use of this form.

If you have questions about whether an incident falls into this category, please reach out to your IIO.

Here is a link to the Incident Report form:  https://kckps.org/incident-report/

All Principals (Informational Item)

KCKPS Wishlist Update

From Communications & Marketing

T-Mobile informed us that they did their best to acquire the majority of the products on the list, but some items they could not purchase due to the cost. The shipment of these items could begin early next week.

So principals, please be on the lookout for your school’s Wishlist items. The shipping label will read “TMO Giving Event” along with the Teacher/Principal’s name in the address field. This makes it clear that the delivery is from the submitted school Wishlist.

I hope your teachers and students enjoy the items you requested. Thank you for your participation.

Grading Policy and Guidelines

From Curriculum and Instruction
Please share the following information with your staff.

Please use this link to access the KCKPS Grading Policy and Guidelines document. This document was created to support staff with understanding our district grading policy and practices.

Please note that TIS no longer manages grading windows for progress reports. See the Progress Reports section of the document for further information.

Middle and High School Only-To assist with using the Canvas grading “Passback” feature and the grading practices of High School advanced programs/courses (AP, IB, KCKCC, etc.), the preprogrammed grading categories in Infinite Campus have been removed. Therefore, teachers/PLCs will need to create their own grading categories before assignments can be created in Infinite Campus. See the Grading Guidelines section of the document for further information.

For Building Administrators/Principals (Informational Item)

TalentEd Perform

From Human Resources

Human Resources has updated TalentEd Perform for the 21-22 evaluation for certified staff. Due to a technological glitch, we had to manually change each person in the system. To the best of our abilities, we have aligned the right employees to the correct schools. We understand that there might be some mistakes. We ask that you send an email to Ronald.Knight-Beck@kckps.org and DeAndre.Tuggle@kckps.org stating the following:
Who needs to be added to your list that is missing.
Who needs to be removed from your list that is still remaining.
Let us know if they resigned or transferred within the district.
If you know the school building of transfer, please let us know.
If you have someone on your list that you are not evaluating this year, rather one of your colleagues within your building or district, please reassign the evaluator inside of TalentEd. Under My Staff>>>Staff>>>Evaluation. Find the person who you would like to Assign and click “view” on their account. Once in “view” click the “assign” button. Search for the person they need to be assigned to. Additionally, if you need to shift a bunch of people. You may select the checkboxes next to their names, scroll down to the bottom and select “assign evaluator” from the drop down.

For EC-5 Principals (Informational Item)

Science of Reading PD

From Curriculum and InstructionThe Curriculum & Instruction Department is excited to welcome Susan Lambert, host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, and Natalie Wexler, author of The Knowledge Gap, to KCKPS today Friday, September 10th from 1:00-2:30pm via ZOOM. Click the link to register for the event and receive the Zoom link to your email. This is going to be FANTASTIC learning and I hope many of you will join us!

Event Flyer PDF

For Elementary Principals (Informational Item)

Curriculum Department Open House

From Curriculum & Instruction
We want your feedback! Come and preview the proposed K-3 ELA resources for the 2022-2023 school year. All staff, parents, students, and community members are welcome to come to Central Office Room 132 on Thursday, September 23rd anytime between 4:30 and 6:30. Please use visitor parking and enter through the main entrance.
Open House PDF Flyer

For Secondary Principals (Informational Item)

Canvas Training for Secondary Schools – Wendy Will Come All Day!

From Curriculum and Instruction

This is for SECONDARY schools only. Wendy Elkins has provided multiple sign-up opportunities to come to your school for the entire day and collaborate with teachers and administrators on how to use Canvas. Sign-ups begin on Sept.20th and run until Oct. 19th. Options on how to best utilize the time is determined by each site, some suggestions are:

PLC’s could meet with Wendy for training and planning (central location).
Teachers and administrators could come to a central location to get help when they are available.
Other

Use this link to schedule your site visit. The appointment title you are looking for is Site Canvas Help. Make sure you are logged into your google calendar. In the title of the appointment, please put the name of your school and in the description, please provide the name of a contact person that Wendy can coordinate with.

Access to Social Studies Active Classroom for Non-Classroom Teachers

From Curriculum and Instruction

Administrators, instructional coaches, special education teachers not assigned as a co-teacher, ESOL teachers not assigned as a co-teacher, and any other support teachers who would like to access Social Studies Active Classroom resources can use the district log-in for access. Classroom teachers and co-teachers need to continue to access Active Classroom through Clever.

To sign into Active Classroom
Visit: https://www.activeclassroom.com/
Email: kckps@activeclassroom.com
Password: Active1

For Principals and IIOs (Informational Item)

Trauma Sensitive and Resilient Schools Update

From Student Services

Trauma Team Expectations for 21-22

– Trauma Team Meetings 1x quarter (at least) – Please send me a calendar invite!
1. Trauma Sensitive Schools Checklist – fill this out as a TEAM.
2. Implementation Survey – Each team member will fill this out INDIVIDUALLY
3. PROQOL – Each team member will fill this out INDIVIDUALLY (if you’d like a google form version to use with your staff, please let me know)
I will need your responses by September 20, 2021. I will send out reminders at two weeks out and one week out.

– Identify SMART goal for this school year – add to your School Improvement Plan in KansaStar (ask your principal for help with this)

– Each school will end the year with a TSRS Portfolio that details their work (I will help you put this together)

– ***Spend your Mini-Grant by October 1st, 2021 – submit resource requests HERE***

For Title I Principals (Informational Item)

Planning for 2022 ESEA National Conference

From Federal Programs

The 2022 ESEA National Conference is scheduled to take place in New Orleans in February 2022. We are encouraging staff to attend the conference virtually due to the following factors:

-ESEA is charging a 10% cancellation fee.
-ESEA refunds a smaller % of the hotel cost incrementally as the conference nears.
-If New Orleans were recognized as a COVID Hot Spot, staff will be required to quarantine up to 14 days upon return.

If you have already registered and reserved a hotel room through ESEA, you can change your current registration to the virtual option.

Please contact Bridgette DeSmet (627-2475) if you have any questions.

Action Items

For All Administrators (Action)

Family Advocacy

From Student Services

Please share this with staff.

Family Advocacy is rapidly approaching and we are pleased to announce that we will continue to provide interpreter support during FA scheduled for September 15 and 17. This year we are very excited to launch a new resource: Propio On, our new on-demand (live video) interpreter services. Teachers will now have access to live interpretation on their laptops during FA when they need it using the information below. This is the same resource we provide to all schools to be used at the front desk. How great is that?!? We do want to highlight that these services will be available during FA. For language support outside of FA, please follow the Langauge Guide provided in the Principal’s Handbook.

In addition, we will continue to provide interpretation services via over-the-phone for those who prefer it. Information is also attached.

If your school still wants to schedule an in-person interpreter for FA days, we do have a limited amount of interpreters available. Please fill out this FA interpreter request  and we will do our best to find an interpreter. We will accept requests until Monday, September 13. However, we do ask you to please encourage staff to use video live interpreters.

If you or anyone in your team has questions or needs additional information, they can email Language.Support@kckps.org, contact Naomi Tolentino (913-279-2247), or Kourtney Rogers (913-627-5626).

Propio One Instruction Card PDF

FA Week OPI Instruction Card PDF

Attendance Awareness Month

From Student Services

Please share with staff.

September is  Attendance Awareness Month!! The Attend to Achieve (A2A)  team is working with the communication team to provide a variety of  activities to increase attendance awareness at KCKPS. Please read and share the information we sent you early this week. Here are the  instructions on how to submit a student for the Attendance Recognition raffle:

“ Make it a goal to show up” Campaign:  Starting in September we will be collecting student nominations  from principals to recognize students that have demonstrated extra effort to improve his/her attendance and/or students who have perfect attendance. We will then draw a name by level (elementary, middle and High). That student will be recognized by the A2A team and will receive a Sporting KC jersey. Additionally, we will share their accomplishments with the community (social media, etc.). We will do this monthly until May. We ask you to please submit all nominations on the first Monday of each month using this link. Winners will be announced one week after. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jonathan Wilson via Jonathan.Wilson@kckps.org/913-981-3325 or with Naomi Tolentino via naomi.tolentino@kckps.org/913-568-0147. First nominations are due next week!

For additional resources during Attendance Awareness Month please visit the A2A Portal/Attendance Awareness month.

For Building Administrators/Principals (Action)

Re: FastBridge SAEBRS and mySAEBRS

From Multi-Tier System of Supports

Please share this information with your staff.

As part of our MTSS Framework, KCKPS developed a Comprehensive Assessment Plan/Schedule,  which includes screening our students’ academic, behavioral, and social-emotional (BSEL) needs. For this, KCKPS will be using the FastBridge SAEBRS and mySAEBRS screener assessments in conjunction with other relevant SEL data points to determine what supports may be needed to assist our students socially and emotionally and/or behaviorally. The mySAEBRS is a brief self-rating of student risk for emotional and behavioral problems. This year, teachers will administer the SAEBRS and the mySAEBRS using the FastBridge system. Teachers will need to ensure they complete the necessary certifications for these screeners. Social workers and counselors will also need to certify in these assessments as they will be analyzing the SAEBRS and mySAEBRS data. DERA has already entered social workers and counselors into the FastBridge system. Staff can find directions on how to access FastBridge in the Illuminate FastBridge Staff Guide​ .

Our goal this year is to use the data from these screeners to identify student strengths and areas of need to provide support to increase positive outcomes for all our students. Based on the data, some students may then need to be referred to the behavioral health teams for potential Tier 2 or 3 supports. As we continue to learn more about what the SAEBRS and mySAEBRS provide, we will be working on a plan for how the data supports what we do in Tier 1 instruction using our district-provided resources.

Horizon Award Submissions

From Human Resources

It is time to start submitting your nomination for Horizon Awards. Please see the attached document for more information. The deadline for submissions is September 24th. Please send completed submissions to Jared.Alexander@kckps.org.

Horizon Award Nomination Package PDF

SIT Coordinator Updates

From Multi Tier System Support

Each year, building leaders identify members of their school teams to be the building SIT Coordinator(s). Please use the following recommendations as you determine who will be your SIT Coordinator for this school year:
– Basic understanding of the SIT process to help lead others through the process in your building
– Credibility with all staff as an instructional leader with knowledge of evidenced-based instructional strategies
– Knowledgeable about the principles of Trauma Sensitive and —Resilient Schools and the ability to apply those when working with children and adults
– Ability to use and coach others on how to use Infinite Campus
– Schedule that allows for attendance at regularly scheduled SIT Coordinator meetings

Our first SIT coordinator meeting will be in September. The date and time are still TBD and will be communicated with you soon in an upcoming Administrator’s Desk.

Please use this Google sheet [SIT Building Coordinator Contact Sheet] to update the names of your building SIT Coordinators. Also, the current number of SIT Coordinators may change based on your building’s enrollment and the number of SIT plans on file in Infinite Campus.

For EC-5 Administrators (Action)

Susan Lambert & Natalie Wexler Zoom Event

From Curriculum & Instruction

ONE WEEK AWAY!!!
The Curriculum & Instruction Department is excited to welcome Susan Lambert, host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, and Natalie Wexler, author of The Knowledge Gap, to KCKPS on Friday, September 10th from 1:00-4:00pm via ZOOM.

To learn more about these incredible presenters and RSVP for the event, please view the UPDATED event flyer linked here. You will enter your email address to receive the Zoom link.

Please contact allison.rice@kckps.org with any questions.

For Secondary Administrators (Action)

Help with Canvas

From Instructional Technology

Wendy Elkins has provided multiple sign-up opportunities to come to your school for the entire day and collaborate with teachers and administrators on how to use Canvas. Sign-ups begin on Sept.20th and run until Oct. 19th. Options on how to best utilize the time is determined by each site, some suggestions are:
*PLC’s could meet with Wendy for training and planning (central location).
*Teachers and administrators could come to a central location to get help when they are available.
*Other

Use this link to schedule your site visit. The appointment title you are looking for is Site Canvas Help. Make sure you are logged into your google calendar. In the title of the appointment, please put the name of your school and in the description, please provide the name of a contact person that Wendy can coordinate with.

Informational Items

For All Administrators (Information)

DEI Building REP INFO: This was sent to all DEI Building Reps

From Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We will be holding training after school on the third Tuesday of every month. There will be two training times offered: 3:00 PM and 4:00 PM. You only need to attend one training session per month. If you need additional time for understanding and questions, we would suggest you set a time on a different day so we can respect everyone’s time. All learning material will be housed in Canvas and all training will be held virtually over Zoom.

The first DEI training will be Tuesday, September 21st at either 3:00pm or 4:30pm. A Zoom link will be sent soon. Please notify us to if when or if you cannot attend a meeting. We will work with you to make-up the missing time.

Admin Guide

From Human Resources

Hello All,

We have had some instances where Administrators are not able to get into the Admin Guide. The admin guide should be a first point of Reference for Human Resource related questions. The Admin Guide can be found under “Staff Links” from the kckps.org Home Page. Click here to fill out the form for access.

Evaluation Information

From Human Resources

HR is currently working with PowerSchool/TalentEd Support to get our evaluation information automated for the future. In the meantime, we are asking that if principals are missing staff or need staff added/removed from their list in TalentEd Perform to email those requests to deandre.tuggle@kckps.org In the email please provide the employees first and last name, employee ID#, and if they need to be added/removed. If you have any issues with your staffs list in iObservation please email tanya.selectman@kckps.org We will provide additional updates in the coming weeks.

Classroom Coverage

From Human Resources

I hope you are well. We wanted to make sure you were aware of some questions that have been coming into the HR office. We have had some questions about compensation for classified staff covering for a teacher’s absence. Although you might be aware of the protocol, below is some follow-up.

We are not utilizing classified staff to cover for a certified opening(s).
If a classified individual is the “classroom monitor” because another teacher is zooming from the other room (due to distancing/capacity), then they can be utilized as the “aide” and not the instructor.
The classified employee should be reassigned for the day to this new role and not expected to perform their normal duties. This would allow them to keep their daily rate without the expectation of additional pay for two roles.
If we have multiple sections of one class (i.e. 4th grade), then those other teachers who are 4th grade teachers should split the classroom and will be compensated appropriately.
65% or more of the classroom, teacher receives full hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)
Less than 65% of the classroom, teacher receives half the hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)

We are working hard to make sure that all positions are covered to the best of our ability, but as you know we are short in total. We are hoping we can maneuver and help with the absences and vacancies.

COVID-19 Dashboard

From Student Health Services

The COVID-19 Dashboard is now live and provides a weekly snapshot of new COVID-19 cases and new quarantines in the district, as well as information on current USD500 COVID-19 procedures. The Dashboard will be updated each Wednesday to reflect a snapshot of information for the previous week. Due to the volume of weekly cases, Dashboard reporting may be affected by Case investigation status and the availability of data at the time of reporting each Wednesday. If a school has 5 or fewer positive cases within a 7-day period, no cases will be displayed to maintain individual privacy.

COVID-19 Student and Staff Flowcharts (New)

Also located on the Dashboard are a Student Flowchart and a Staff Flowchart. Each flowchart contains a decision tree that provides parents, staff, and supervisors with guidance and action steps if a student or staff member experiences symptoms, is exposed, or is diagnosed with COVID-19. Staff and parents with questions about District protocol can be directed to the Flowcharts and the Dashboard.

Change to KCKPS Quarantine Period (effective September 7, 2021)

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, CDC, and the Unified Government continue to recommend a 14-day quarantine following exposure to COVID-19, as the incubation period for this disease is 14 days. CDC has released modified guidance allowing for shorter quarantine periods. Effective September 7, 2021, USD500 will follow a 10-day Quarantine period:

-After exposure, monitor yourself for symptoms daily for 10 full days.
-If you have no symptoms during the 10 days, you can be released from the quarantine without a test on Day 11.
-KDHE recommends all exposed people should self-monitor for fourteen (14) days from exposure and contact their healthcare provider if symptoms develop. Disease can still develop through day 14.

Supervisors: Please review and edit any District templates or letters you may have saved prior to September 7th, 2021 that may reference a 14-day quarantine. Household exposures that were previously quarantined for 24 days will now be quarantined for 20 days.

For students and staff currently in quarantine for 14 days:
To avoid parental confusion, students who are currently in quarantine and were advised prior to September 7th to quarantine for 14 days will NOT be notified individually of this change in District protocol. Students who were advised to quarantine prior to September 7th have a “Do Not Admit–See Nurse” flag in Infinite Campus and their absences have been pre-excused in Infinite Campus for the duration of the 14-day quarantine. Any students who are allowed to return after 10 days due to this change will need to have their attendance updated by the attendance secretary and the flag will have to be removed by the building nurse. Students may return to school or activities after 10 days provided they have met criteria for return. If a student develops symptoms during the 10-day quarantine period following exposure, they do not meet criteria for early return and should be directed to speak with the building nurse.

Supervisors with staff who were advised to quarantine prior to September 7th may request that staff return after 10 days of quarantine, provided they have met criteria for return. If a staff member develops symptoms during the 10-day quarantine period following exposure, they do not meet criteria for return and should be directed to speak with the building nurse. Supervisors may need to adjust timesheets or contact HR Leave if staff return sooner than originally planned.

Electronic Reporting Forms for Injuries and Incidents

From Communications

Just a quick reminder that many of the forms you need when it comes to incidents are now electronic.

Student injury forms have now been included to the list.

To find the reporting form for students go to this link: https://form.jotform.com/212366215525047

To make the reporting of workman’s compensation accidents less time consuming, the Supervisors Accident Report is now an electronic form.

Regardless of severity, immediate supervisors & directors are required to report all work-related injuries within 48 hours to Risk Management.

To do so, please use the following link: https://form.jotform.com/212304621025035

The Incident Report helps document any incident involving non employees.

This includes our students, visitors, parents and guardians.

The incident form is to be filled out for a number of situations including: a child is missing, if a student is injured in a way that could require medical attention in the future, police have to be called during an incident,  there is a fight,  or even to report property damage.

An example of a fight that needs to be recorded- a fight that breaks out that others are around and it may have been recorded. A fight that someone may not realize they are injured immediately but could later on in the day. Fights that do NOT need to be recorded: two kids on the playground hit each other in the arm over a ball.

There may be other incidents that could also require use of this form.

If you have questions about whether an incident falls into this category, please reach out to your IIO.

Here is a link to the Incident Report form:  https://kckps.org/incident-report/

Hotspots

From Superintendent’s Office

KCKPS IT Department has done it again! Additional hotspots have been delivered to school sites as determined by student enrollment and need. It is important to recognize that no additional hotspot devices will be provided following this rollout. Therefore, principals please communicate this with your staff and families and your building creates a strategic plan on how hotspots will be disbursed. As families use devices as needed, put in a process for those devices to be returned to the school site to assist other families who may also need to technology support.

For Building Administrators/Principals (Information)

TalentEd Perform

From Human Resources

Human Resources has updated TalentEd Perform for the 21-22 evaluation for certified staff. Due to a technological glitch, we had to manually change each person in the system. To the best of our abilities, we have aligned the right employees to the correct schools. We understand that there might be some mistakes. We ask that you send an email to Ronald.Knight-Beck@kckps.org and DeAndre.Tuggle@kckps.org stating the following:
Who needs to be added to your list that is missing.
Who needs to be removed from your list that is still remaining.
Let us know if they resigned or transferred within the district.
If you know the school building of transfer, please let us know.
If you have someone on your list that you are not evaluating this year, rather one of your colleagues within your building or district, please reassign the evaluator inside of TalentEd. Under My Staff>>>Staff>>>Evaluation. Find the person who you would like to Assign and click “view” on their account. Once in “view” click the “assign” button. Search for the person they need to be assigned to. Additionally, if you need to shift a bunch of people. You may select the checkboxes next to their names, scroll down to the bottom and select “assign evaluator” from the drop down.

Constitution Day Info and Resources

From Curriculum and Instruction

Constitution Day commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787 by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Each year, on September 17, Americans celebrate Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. In addition, September 17-23 is also recognized as Freedom Week. Publicly funded educational institutions and federal agencies celebrate the day by providing educational programming about the history of the Constitution.

Here you can find a list of resources and activities that teachers may choose from to celebrate with their students.

Communications

Career Expo 2021 Virtual Event

 The 2021 Public Service Career Expo, scheduled for November 3-4, 2021, is going VIRTUAL this year! Cities and counties across the Kansas City region are once again joining forces to co-sponsor this high-impact event giving students the opportunity to interact with local public sector employees in 10 different public sector career areas. 

We are as excited as ever to carry out the event’s purpose, which is “to raise awareness of the variety of exciting and meaningful career opportunities available locally within the public sector and to generate increased interest among students to consider pursuing a future career in public service.” 

During this two-day event, schools throughout the region can explore careers in law enforcement, corrections, fire/EMS, public works, parks & recreation, information technology, public administration, human services, courts, legal, and community development. This new virtual format will enable students to attend the variety of live, interactive sessions through our online platform. Schools are welcome to attend as many as they choose over the course of the event. 

Registration is now open for all schools (public, private, charter, and homeschool) who would like to reserve a spot. One “registration” is needed for each classroom that will participate. (i.e., if a school plans to “show” the event in three different classroom locations, then three teacher registrations will be needed to enable us to provide three separate logins). Click here to register for this free event. 

Visit our event website at www.careerexpokc.org or contact me at avaughn@marc.org for more information. We welcome you to share this flyer with all teachers, school counselors, or administrators who may be interested. 

Incident Reports and Supervisors Accident Reports

 To make the reporting of workman’s compensation accidents less time consuming, the Supervisors Accident Report is now an electronic form.

Regardless of severity, immediate supervisors & directors are required to report all work-related injuries within 48 hours to Risk Management.

To do so, please use the following link: https://form.jotform.com/212304621025035

The Incident Report helps document any incident involving non employees.

This includes our students, visitors, parents and guardians.

The incident form is to be filled out for a number of situations including: a child is missing, if a student is injured in a way that could require medical attention in the future, police have to be called during an incident,  there is a fight,  or even to report property damage. An example of a fight that needs to be recorded- a fight that breaks out that others are around and it may have been recorded. A fight that someone may not realize they are injured immediately but could later on in the day. Fights that do NOT need to be recorded: two kids on the playground hit each other in the arm over a ball. 

There may be other incidents that could also require use of this form.

 If you have questions about whether an incident falls into this category, please reach out to your IIO. 

Here is a link to the Incident Report form:  https://kckps.org/incident-report/

Students of the Month

We know the school year is just getting underway but this is a great time to start identifying people in your class/school that are going above and beyond. Do you have a student that helped others on their first day? Excelling inside and outside the classroom? This is your chance to nominate them for Student of the Month. To do so, please follow this link.

For Central Office (and Non-School Buildings)

Please view your department’s pages on the website (which you should be able to find here), and let Mike Keener know if there’s anything that needs to be updated  for the beginning of the school year.

Enough is Enough Sign-Up

Principals,  please share this pledge page with your staff – and ask them to share it with students and parents.

Question: When to reach out to the media? 
Answer: Never

KCKPS has a Communications Department to handle this for you. If you know of a newsworthy story and want to see it covered by local media please send an email to Sharita.hutton@kckps.org or Edwin.birch@kckps.org. We will work closely with you and your school to figure out the best way to tell the story and which media outlet is the best for the story.

If media reaches out to you, please get the reporter’s name, number, and media outlet they are with. Include information on the story they are asking to talk to you about and get a hold of Sharita or Edwin immediately with the information. We will work with you to figure out the best way to tell the story. No interviews are to be done without prior approval.

If you have questions, let us know and you can always use our cell phones to reach out to us.

Curriculum & Instruction

ACTION ITEMS

Attn: EC-5 Administrators

Re: Built for These Times: Making the Shift to the Science of Reading

DETAILS FOR THIS EVENT HAVE CHANGED

The Curriculum & Instruction Department is excited to welcome Susan Lambert, host of Science of Reading: The Podcast, and Natalie Wexler, author of The Knowledge Gap, to KCKPS on Friday, September 10th from 1:00-4:00pm via ZOOM. 

To learn more about these incredible presenters and RSVP for the event, please view the UPDATED event flyer here. You will enter your email address to receive the Zoom link. 

Please contact allison.rice@kckps.org with any questions. 

INFORMATION ONLY

Attn: K-5 Administrators (please share with teachers)

Re: Eureka Math Affirm Student Errors

We are aware that some students are receiving error messages when trying to access assessments via Affirm.  Great Minds is aware of these errors, but has not found a universal solution yet.  We apologize for the frustration that these errors continue to cause.  We will provide an update as soon as there is a permanent solution from Great Minds.  

Attn: K-5 Administrators

Re: Access to Amplify Science and CKLA for non-classroom teachers

Access to Amplify Science and CKLA is available through Clever for classroom teachers only. For administrators, coaches, special education teachers, ESOL teachers, and any other support teachers  there is a district log-in for access to all grade levels.  

K-8 Science & CKLA

Go to my.amplify.com select “Log in with Amplify”

• Username: kckps-sci-ckla@tryamplify.net 
• Password: AmplifyNumber1

Diploma+

Human Resources

Admin Desk

We have had some instances where Administrators are not able to get into the Admin Guide. The admin guide should be a first point of Reference for Human Resource related questions. The Admin Guide can be found under “Staff Links” from the kckps.org Home Page. Click here to fill out the form for access.

Evaluation Information 

HR is currently working with PowerSchool/TalentEd Support to get our evaluation information automated for the future.  In the meantime, we are asking that if principals are missing staff or need staff added/removed from their list in TalentEd Perform to email those requests to deandre.tuggle@kckps.org In the email please provide the employees first and last name, employee ID#, and if they need to be added/removed.  If you have any issues with your staffs list in iObservation please email tanya.selectman@kckps.org  We will provide additional updates in the coming weeks.

Horizon Award Submissions

It is time to start submitting your nomination for Horizon Awards. Please see this document for more information. The deadline for submissions is September 24th. Please send completed submissions to Jared.Alexander@kckps.org.

Classroom Coverage

I hope you are well. We wanted to make sure you were aware of some questions that have been coming into the HR office. We have had some questions about compensation for classified staff covering for a teacher’s absence. Although you might be aware of the protocol, below is some follow-up.

• We are not utilizing classified staff to cover for a certified opening(s).

• If a classified individual is the “classroom monitor” because another teacher is zooming from the other room (due to distancing/capacity), then they can be utilized as the “aide” and not the instructor.

• The classified employee should be reassigned for the day to this new role and not expected to perform their normal duties. This would allow them to keep their daily rate without the expectation of additional pay for two roles.

• If we have multiple sections of one class (i.e. 4th grade), then those other teachers who are 4th grade teachers should split the classroom and will be compensated appropriately.

• 65% or more of the classroom, teacher receives full hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)

• Less than 65% of the classroom, teacher receives half the hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)

We are working hard to make sure that all positions are covered to the best of our ability, but as you know we are short in total. We are hoping we can maneuver and help with the absences and vacancies.

TalentEd Perform

Human Resources has updated TalentEd Perform for the 21-22 evaluation for certified staff. Due to a technological glitch, we had to manually change each person in the system. To the best of our abilities, we have aligned the right employees to the correct schools. We understand that there might be some mistakes. We ask that you send an email to Ronald.Knight-Beck@kckps.org and DeAndre.Tuggle@kckps.org stating the following:

1. Who needs to be added to your list that is missing.

2. Who needs to be removed from your list that is still remaining.

   1. Let us know if they resigned or transferred within the district.

   2. If you know the school building of transfer, please let us know.

If you have someone on your list that you are not evaluating this year, rather one of your colleagues within your building or district, please reassign the evaluator inside of TalentEd. Under My Staff>>>Staff>>>Evaluation. Find the person who you would like to Assign and click “view” on their account. Once in “view” click the “assign” button. Search for the person they need to be assigned to. Additionally, if you need to shift a bunch of people. You may select the checkboxes next to their names, scroll down to the bottom and select “assign evaluator” from the drop down.

NEA-KCK

NEA-KCK Membership

We are not just a union, but we are also the professional organization for workers in the education field.  The Association works to provide the support that the members deserve. A few of the benefits of being a member of the union is that you are never on your own, you are able to amplify your voice both locally and nationally.  As a professional organization, a few of the benefits are using your NEA members’ benefits for everyday discounts, free professional development opportunities, discounts on travel/vacations, your home, car, insurance programs, and personal finance, including help with student loans.  See your building rep for more details or reach out to Dom DeRosa dom.derosa@knea.org.

New members can join here.

Special Education

Communications

Incident Reports and Supervisors Accident Reports

 To make the reporting of workman’s compensation accidents less time consuming, the Supervisors Accident Report is now an electronic form.

Regardless of severity, immediate supervisors & directors are required to report all work-related injuries within 48 hours to Risk Management.

To do so, please use the following link: https://form.jotform.com/212304621025035

The Incident Report helps document any incident involving non employees.

This includes our students, visitors, parents and guardians.

The incident form is to be filled out for a number of situations including: a child is missing, if a student is injured in a way that could require medical attention in the future, police have to be called during an incident,  there is a fight,  or even to report property damage. An example of a fight that needs to be recorded- a fight that breaks out that others are around and it may have been recorded. A fight that someone may not realize they are injured immediately but could later on in the day. Fights that do NOT need to be recorded: two kids on the playground hit each other in the arm over a ball. 

There may be other incidents that could also require use of this form.

 If you have questions about whether an incident falls into this category, please reach out to your IIO. 

Here is a link to the Incident Report form:  https://kckps.org/incident-report/

Students of the Month

We know the school year is just getting underway but this is a great time to start identifying people in your class/school that are going above and beyond. Do you have a student that helped others on their first day? Excelling inside and outside the classroom? This is your chance to nominate them for Student of the Month. To do so, please follow this link.

For Central Office (and Non-School Buildings)

Please view your department’s pages on the website (which you should be able to find here), and let Mike Keener know if there’s anything that needs to be updated  for the beginning of the school year.

Enough is Enough Sign-Up

Principals,  please share this pledge page with your staff – and ask them to share it with students and parents.

Question: When to reach out to the media? 
Answer: Never

KCKPS has a Communications Department to handle this for you. If you know of a newsworthy story and want to see it covered by local media please send an email to Sharita.hutton@kckps.org or Edwin.birch@kckps.org. We will work closely with you and your school to figure out the best way to tell the story and which media outlet is the best for the story.

If media reaches out to you, please get the reporter’s name, number, and media outlet they are with. Include information on the story they are asking to talk to you about and get a hold of Sharita or Edwin immediately with the information. We will work with you to figure out the best way to tell the story. No interviews are to be done without prior approval.

If you have questions, let us know and you can always use our cell phones to reach out to us.

Curriculum & Instruction

INFORMATION ONLY

Attn:  Elementary Principals (please share with teachers as needed)

Re:  Eureka Math Assessments available through Affirm via Great Minds tile in Clever

We no longer pay for access to Edulastic.  Instead, all Eureka Math assessment content is accessible in Affirm, which you can find through the Great Minds tile in Clever.  Once Math InSync opens, click on the Great Minds Apps Selector waffle in the top right-hand corner to see Affirm.

The following resources support the use of the platform:

• Complete Navigation Webinar (30 mins)
  • 30-minute webinar session which includes a walkthrough of the platform and its features for class management, assignments, and reporting.
• Technical Support Page – Affirm
  • Includes three separate articles around different navigation components

Attn:  All Principals/Instructional Coaches/IIOs/District Directors (C&I, SPED, ESL)

Re:  Student – Centered Coaching Training

Please mark your calendars for September 13 and 14 for Student-Centered Coaching training provided by Julie Steele, local coaching expert and trainer.

Instructional coaches – will attend all day Monday, September 13 from 8:30 – 3:30 in-person at Central Office; training rooms 131-133 and on Tuesday, September 14 from 12:30 – 3:00 in-person at Central Office; training rooms 131-133.

Building Principals – will attend on Tuesday, September 14 from 8:30 – 11:30 in-person at Central Office; training rooms 131-133. You will only attend one half-day training session. 

Topics for training include: Building a culture for coaching, fostering authentic coaching engagement, goal-setting and learning targets, coaching cycles, and the Results-Based Coaching Tool.

ACTION ITEMS

Attn:  All Principals

Re:  Canvas Training and Support for Staff (Please share with building staff)

Canvas Training & Support for the 21-22 School Year

Canvas Training and Support Survey – Please send to all staff to complete – please provide the survey link to staff so that we can determine what Canvas training support needs to be provided district-wide.

CANVAS TRAINING HUB – Share with staff

Training Opportunities (click titles to go to courses or websites)

• Preparing to Launch Course
• Canvas for Administrators and ICs
• On Demand Videos – Canvas Youtube Channel
• Training Services Portal (must be signed into Canvas to utilize)
  • Free Live Training
  • Free Canvas Self-Paced Courses
• Preparing to Launch LIVE – facilitation guide (Coming Soon)
• Parent Orientation Course – no login required

Where to go for help or support?

• Login help ONLY – support@kckps.org
• KCKPS Canvas Support Cadre – see names below
• Everything else – Canvas support (available 24/7)
  • Chat with Canvas (must be logged into Canvas)
  • Call 877-710-6720

KCKPS Canvas Support Cadre

• Bailey Bacon (HS)
• Megan Cooper (EC)
• Wendy Elkins (MS/HS)
• Allen Lehman (MS)
• Christopher McLean (ES)
• Jennifer Mendez (MS)
• Robert Nowlin (SPED/MS)
• Rebekah Stigers (MS)
• James Todd (MS/HS)
• Judith White (SPED/ES)

**Please note, these are all classroom teachers. Give them at least 24 hours to respond to questions. If your question is urgent, contact Canvas support.**

DERA

The Fall assessment window for FastBridge has been extended one week to allow staff extra time for certifications and student assessment administration. Please see the updated dates located in the 21-22 Assessment Schedule. Supporting staff during assessment is a DERA priority and we hope this extension adds some flexibility to your schedules.

Human Resources

Admin Desk

We have had some instances where Administrators are not able to get into the Admin Guide. The admin guide should be a first point of Reference for Human Resource related questions. The Admin Guide can be found under “Staff Links” from the kckps.org Home Page. Click here to fill out the form for access.

Evaluation Information 

HR is currently working with PowerSchool/TalentEd Support to get our evaluation information automated for the future.  In the meantime, we are asking that if principals are missing staff or need staff added/removed from their list in TalentEd Perform to email those requests to deandre.tuggle@kckps.org In the email please provide the employees first and last name, employee ID#, and if they need to be added/removed.  If you have any issues with your staffs list in iObservation please email tanya.selectman@kckps.org  We will provide additional updates in the coming weeks.

Horizon Award Submissions

It is time to start submitting your nomination for Horizon Awards. Please see this document for more information. The deadline for submissions is September 24th. Please send completed submissions to Jared.Alexander@kckps.org.

Classroom Coverage

I hope you are well. We wanted to make sure you were aware of some questions that have been coming into the HR office. We have had some questions about compensation for classified staff covering for a teacher’s absence. Although you might be aware of the protocol, below is some follow-up.

• We are not utilizing classified staff to cover for a certified opening(s).

• If a classified individual is the “classroom monitor” because another teacher is zooming from the other room (due to distancing/capacity), then they can be utilized as the “aide” and not the instructor.

• The classified employee should be reassigned for the day to this new role and not expected to perform their normal duties. This would allow them to keep their daily rate without the expectation of additional pay for two roles.

• If we have multiple sections of one class (i.e. 4th grade), then those other teachers who are 4th grade teachers should split the classroom and will be compensated appropriately.

• 65% or more of the classroom, teacher receives full hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)

• Less than 65% of the classroom, teacher receives half the hourly rate (per negotiated agreement)

We are working hard to make sure that all positions are covered to the best of our ability, but as you know we are short in total. We are hoping we can maneuver and help with the absences and vacancies.

TalentEd Perform

Human Resources has updated TalentEd Perform for the 21-22 evaluation for certified staff. Due to a technological glitch, we had to manually change each person in the system. To the best of our abilities, we have aligned the right employees to the correct schools. We understand that there might be some mistakes. We ask that you send an email to Ronald.Knight-Beck@kckps.org and DeAndre.Tuggle@kckps.org stating the following:

1. Who needs to be added to your list that is missing.

2. Who needs to be removed from your list that is still remaining.

   1. Let us know if they resigned or transferred within the district.

   2. If you know the school building of transfer, please let us know.

If you have someone on your list that you are not evaluating this year, rather one of your colleagues within your building or district, please reassign the evaluator inside of TalentEd. Under My Staff>>>Staff>>>Evaluation. Find the person who you would like to Assign and click “view” on their account. Once in “view” click the “assign” button. Search for the person they need to be assigned to. Additionally, if you need to shift a bunch of people. You may select the checkboxes next to their names, scroll down to the bottom and select “assign evaluator” from the drop down.

Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)

Police Department

SAFEDEFEND™

Members of the SAFEDEFEND™ team will be in USD 500 buildings over the next two to four weeks (August – September 2021) to assist enrolling district personnel into the system. This is a routine process to assist building administrators and their safety team in attempt to get our employees enrolled into the system. Police staff will be accompanying the SAFEDEFEND™ team as needed to assist. We would like to express our appreciation to all those leaders and their staff who during COVID protocols have been proactive in their efforts to assist with enrollment.

The following are some of the issues we will be collectively working on with you and your team during our visits:

• Enrolling employees specific to the building (staff name & fingerprints)
  • Validating or updating active or inactive staff members
• Assuring and determining system wellness
• Assisting with educational or training materials
  • All related materials can be found in the Principals Notebook.
    • Police Tab
    • Crisis Planning Section
    • SafeDefend (Harm Mitigation & Crisis Management System)
• System testing without students or minimal impact on instructional time (During PD or PLC)
• Sequence of familiarization to building personnel; lead team, faculty & staff)

Action Needed: Principals and or Principal Secretaries, please be ready to assist. We will attempt to contact the Principal’s Office in advance.

NEW Standard Response Protocol (SRP 2021)

SRP is Action Based

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is based not on individual scenarios but on the response to any given situation. Like the Incident Command System (ICS), SRP demands a specific vocabulary but also allows for great flexibility. The premise is simple – there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is labeled with a “Term of Art” and is then followed by a “Directive.” Execution of the action is performed by active participants.

• Hold (most commonly used) is followed by the Directive: “In Your Room or Area” is the protocol used when hallways need to kept clear of occupants.
• Secure (no more lockout)  is followed by the Directive: “Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors” is the protocol used to safeguard people within the building.
• Lockdown is followed by “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place.
• Evacuate and may be followed by a location, and is used to move people from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
• Shelter State the Hazard and Safety Strategy for group and self-protection.

Action Needed by the Building Administrators:

• Order required printed materials from District Print Shop for each building.
  • Required updated SRP 2021 Materials are available in the District Print Shop only (See these PDF instructions).
  • Uniformity on SRP Posters and signs are required throughout all district buildings.
  • You building team will need to eliminate or sanitize any old or outdated SRP materials from your building.
  • Coach your staff and students to the new SRP 2021 standards.
• The District Print Shop can print additional SRP materials or you may download them from the I Love You Guys Foundation Website: www.iloveuguys.org.
  • Standard Response Protocol “purple tab” in the lower left corner in the section of Pre-K 12.
• This information can be reached through the Principals Notebook.
  • Police Tab
  • Crisis Planning Section
  • New Standard Response Protocol (2021)

Professional Development

District Content PD Locations/Links

ALL 9:00 Elementary School Principals

ALL Middle School and Sumner Principals,

• *Sumner Teachers attend District Content PD with High School PD – NOT – with Middle Schools. (There was an error in the information shared in the Admin Notice on August 20 and 24.)
• Please send the following link to all staff as a reminder for where they are supposed to be on Wednesday afternoon.  21-22 District Content PD – Locations/Links. Encourage them to bookmark this link – we will use the SAME link all year.

Mentor Program

If for some reason you have not completed the Mentor/Mentee Match for your school, please do so ASAP. The mentors will need to be notified of the training. 

21/22 Mentee and Mentor Match

IDP Reps

All Principals and Department Directors,

• If you have submitted the name of your IDP Rep for the 21-22 school year, then I sent them a meeting invitation for both meetings. If you haven’t had a chance to submit your IDP Rep, please complete the following form ASAP.

• • IDP Representative 2021-22

Sept. 1, Oct. 6, Nov. 17

Jan. 5, Feb. 2, Mar. 9, Apr. 6, May 4

District Continuous Improvement Plan (DCIP)

Professional Development Series

IN CANVAS

2021-2022 Objectives

By the end of these modules (8), learners will be able to

1. Describe updates regarding Family Advocacy Time (advisory period)
2. Implement/Utilize Diploma+ tools including Nepris the Connector and Naviance
3. Recognize the importance of culturally responsive teaching and examine communication
4. Identify and build/improve micro-skills directly related to Adult Social-Emotional Learning and Trauma Sensitive and Resilient Schools
5. Connect the work of Student Services, Diploma+ and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion as part of the effort to improve academic and social outcomes for all students.

Principals will receive their school’s Canvas Section Code in an email.

Student Services

Department: Volunteers and Community Partners

Community Volunteers (Action Required)

To: All Building Administrators

One-time projects, on-going projects and flexible times are ways to volunteer or mentor to support schools, students and teachers.  This includes individuals or small groups but Community Organizations will also need a Memorandum of Understanding.

Click here to apply to be a volunteer.

Application requirements are:

• An email address
• Three character references

Applicants will need to answer questions that cover grade level, job history, skills and/or interests you like to share.

Once the application is submitted a background check is completed the search results come back within 24 to 48 hours. A required orientation is held at the KCKPS Central Office to provide an overview of District expectations, Covid procedures and student/family confidentiality.

If you want to learn more, contact Rosie Rodriguez in the department of Student Services at 913.279.2248. Please make sure any current volunteers or mentors have completed this process.

Wellness