IEM August ES Agenda 2008/9

Please read the agenda, along with each of its highlighted links (all links available in ES Handbook for future reference).

The agenda quiz must be completed in your ES WEBfiles BEFORE attending your ES meeting!         

 

Please note that if you must miss your ES meeting, you should inform your Area Facilitator and ES Advisor and make arrangements with another AF to attend another meeting that month. (All meeting times and dates are posted in the ES handbook along with AF e-mail addresses and meeting date, time, and location). If you miss the meeting altogether, you will be reminded of your responsibility to attend and will be held responsible for the information given at the meeting. If you miss another meeting, it will become a discipline issue and may result in a drop in your student load. We do not believe that you can effectively serve your students if you miss critical information about the school and your job. Thank you for making these meetings a priority as you schedule your time for this school year!  The ES Support Department.

 

1) Dates to Remember and Dated Duties

a) All ES Meeting:

·         The date of your school’s All ES meeting should be on your calendar already (SSCS-August 19, 2008; OGCS-August 26, 2008) for 8am to 4pm.  If you have not received the listserve emails regarding this day, contact your ES Advisor for info. Every ES is required to attend as a part of their job duties. If you cannot make the day of your school’s meeting, you are invited to attend the other school’s meeting; there are no other make-ups for this meeting; all ESs must attend on one of these 2 dates. Let your advisor know if you expect to attend the other school’s meeting so we are prepared for you!

·         Lunch and snacks will be provided.

·         Print out a new ID card for this year from View/ES Detail, ID card button. Attach a picture and bring with you to the meeting.  At the check-in table, the school secretary will be ready to laminate your card.

 

b) CAHSEE: Check your school calendar (posted on the school webpage) and inform the students needing CAHSEE (11th and 12th graders who have not passed both sections—no 10th graders allowed in the Fall session) to save those dates now, inform their employers, start arranging for transportation, whatever they need to do NOW in order to be there for their critical test session. Remind those who will need school ID cards to send in their pictures for those cards ASAP.

 

c) Paperwork Timetable: Print out a copy of your school’s paperwork timetable for 2009 from the school website and place important dates on your calendar now!

 

d) Scantron Info: More Scantron information and specific directions will be given to you at your All ES Meeting.  Do not Scantron test ANY students prior to your All ES meeting.  After that, you will have 20 school days to test all new active 2nd to 12th grade students (who come in at any time this school year) from their date of enrollment.  This year, all 2nd grade students will be required to take the Scantron test.  If they are a non-reading 2nd grader, please e-mail Becky at bcote@ieminc.org, so that she can exempt them from Scantron and you can give them the WRAT4 test instead.  Schedule in your returning students to test during the testing window listed on the school calendar (9/15/08-10/24/08).  After testing a student, mark an “X” in Webfiles, view/students on the Student Checklist, Scantron box. Remember, it is critical for our NCLB compliance and future charter renewals that the ES proctor all Scantron online assessments, or send them to one of our approved vendors for the testing. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD A PARENT OR STUDENT BE GIVEN ACCOUNT ACCESS and/or take a test without you there to proctor!

 

e) WRAT4:  This year, it is mandatory for all Kindergarten and 1st grade students to take the WRAT4.  Any ES with a Kindergartner and/or 1st grader can pick up their WRAT4 kits at Check-in at the all ES meeting in August.  When you have finished testing your K/1st students, return your WRAT4 materials to your Area Facilitator as directed at the All ES Meeting.  Then you will be able to check out a WRAT4 test as needed from your AF at any time throughout the year.

 

e) Constitution Day, Wednesday, September 17th: In 2004, Congress passed a provision requiring every school to teach about the Constitution on September 17th, the day the document was adopted in 1787.  In response to this mandate, we have posted to our school’s website some links to website lesson plans, informational articles, museums, institutions, and books that you will find interesting and helpful for your teaching on Constitution Day, September 17th.  Order materials and/or inform your families NOW so there is time to prepare. Go to the website, click on Educational Resources, Educational Resource Home Page, Curriculum, scroll and click on “Month-Specific Curriculum”, then “September”.

 

f) Preliminary Graduate Assessment due before September 26, 2008: All 1st semester 2009 graduates preliminary assessment (See Grad Procedure in ES Resources) must be emailed to your ES Advisor prior to September 26, 2008.

 

g) Payroll Snapshot date: August 15, 2008

 

2) Things to Do

a) Computer Preparation: Now is the time to prepare your computer prepared for the school year. 

·         Install or update Primo pdf.

·         Install or update a virus scan program—we recommend AVG.

·         Go to your control panel on your computer, go to "add/remove programs" remove (uninstall) all Acrobat Reader versions. Restart your computer, go to the Adobe Reader Website and download the most recent update of Acrobat Reader (9). It is a free program that you need to keep updated YEARLY!

·         If you have not installed the program for IT Support, please do so now!  Pick one main work computer for the installation.

·         Download or update the Webex Player applicable to your computer system from the ES protected page, video link.

·         We recommend that you have some system for computer backup for your school files; either a flash drive, an external hard drive, or another system. Some ESs who have been “too busy” to consistently back up their computers have had to redo work…

 

b) It is critical that you check and update the information in your Student Detail Screens before September 26, 2008, conferring with your families if needed for the following:

·         Check for any new contact info (address, phone, e-mail, etc.) for the families

·         Check the student grade level- tests will be ordered early using this information.  Remember to check high schoolers transcripts for their correct grade level.

·         Check that Instructional Funds were deposited for each student in the correct amount according to the IF calc chart and their grade level

·         Check that Immunizations, Student Agreement, Charter, etc. are all marked "in" for each student

·         For any 2008 potential graduates that didn't graduate, change their grad date to 2009

·         Enter grad date info for any new students or make changes for any continuing students

·         Enter any program funding for each student of yours in a program, using the information in Webfiles on how much of the IF is to be co-opted this year (OGCS only)

·         If a student is repeating Kindergarten this year, complete the K Retention form ASAP!

If you have any address changes for the student detail page, please e-mail stuchange@ieminc.org.  If the student is “active” and IF has not been deposited, email jmarsh@ieminc.org.

 

c) Check your ES Detail Screens today for accurate contact information.

·         Please note the place for you to list an alternate e-mail address (Email2), so we can reach you if the school's e-mail server is ever not functioning.

·         Be sure we have a shipping address for you (you can enter or change it here), or your orders will not be sent out to you from the vendors.

·         Enter your work cell phone, as this is the one that the office will then use to contact you, instead of your home phone.

·         Look to see what NCLB certifications are entered for you.  If you have not mailed back forms, please send those to Linette asap.  You will need to sign any students up for SME’s now based on what Webfiles shows for you.

 

d) Items to complete with or give to your Returning Parents at your first meeting:

·         See the new student’s paperwork link for new students to be sure all is done and use this checklist: http://www.ieminc.org/genericforms/eschklistogss.pdf .

·         First Meeting Information Sheet (Updated in Webfiles July 15—do not use any printed prior to this date): Remember to complete a First Meeting Information Sheet (Webfiles form) with each of your families, both new and returning. These forms are kept by the ES, but be prepared give them to your advisor or the school office if they are needed. Some of the key items listed on this First Meeting Information Sheet for all students:

o    Graduation Requirements Agreement and Graduation Requirements Worksheet: Please do a Graduation Requirements Agreements for all of your new 9th graders and for any high school student new to our school, planning out your student’s high school career. This information should then be inputted in WEBfiles by going to View/Students, clicking on the student number, adding the information regarding the expected grad date, ceremony participant (if appl.), and after grad plans. Please highlight the new information at the bottom of the form regarding Basic Courses. After marking it complete on the Student Checklist in WEBfiles, this form should then be kept in your student's file for future reference, and passed on to the next ES in case of a transfer.

o    General Information Sheet: Don't forget to print out General Information Sheets from WEBfiles for each of your families. This gives them information they need to have throughout the year, so be sure they keep it in a prominent place. Yes, the Webfiles form is now updated with this year’s information!

o    State Standards: A copy of the parent overview of the state standards for the appropriate grade level for each of your students.

o    School-wide Writing Assignment Info: Info is posted on the website and more info will be given at the All ES meeting.  Let your parents know about this assignment due to you in December ASAP.

o    Scantron testing Window: (9/15/08-10/24/08). 

 

e) Parent Checklist in WEBfiles: Remember to enter the info in the Parent Checklist in WEBfiles when you have completed the required forms and paperwork! Your advisor will be checking to see that this has been completed, and may routinely ask ESs to bring copies of forms to ES meetings for random checking.

 

f) Student Agreements and High School Courses: After your first family meeting, please check to see that the coursework on the report card/student agreement is accurate and change if needed. This information will be used for ordering STAR tests. Be sure to code the course names with the correct HQT. Do not mail in your high school student agreements until you have entered the student’s course names on the report card in WEBfiles, done a WEBfiles Student Agreement that lists the courses (which appear when the report card is done), and checked the accuracy of all of the dates and info on the SA.  Do not mail an incomplete or handwritten SA to the office, and do not fax an SA to the office, as it cannot be accepted. The SA is an auditable document, and must be complete and totally accurate, and you will get a new SA Error message if your document is not error-free.

 

g) Computer Equipment Tracking: Remember that every family/student who receives a school computer MUST SIGN a Computer Equipment Tracking form prior to a computer system being left in their home (print from webfiles if needed). Check the Computer Equipment Tracking (CET) form button on the Materials detail screen for each computer system a family has checked out to them after you have the form filed in your ES Files. Please go back and check (select the "X" from the dropdown list) each family's materials list for computers, then check the box if you have the CET form in your possession. If you do not have a current CET form, please print one from Webfiles and have the family sign it ASAP. You can do a quick view of which families have a signed CET from your main materials webfiles page, but you cannot enter the check on that layout. If you transfer a computer to another family, go to your View/Materials list and change the family name to the current family in possession of the computer.

 

h) Portfolios: It is not too early to start collecting materials for your portfolios—in fact, please collect work samples at every meeting in addition to the portfolio sample with your students! Print out your portfolio checklist for each student right after completing their Report Card/SA. The portfolio label templates for the portfolio samples are for Avery Address Labels 5160 and for the envelope labels for Avery 5663. It is best to purchase and print the labels now so that the portfolio samples can be labeled as you collect them. Remember we do pay a supply fund amount directly in your ES paychecks to cover supplies you may need to purchase for the job. We will be viewing 1st semester portfolios at your December ES group meeting—we expect they should be mostly complete at that time, except for newly enrolled students.

 

i) School-wide Writing Assignment: The  yearly school-wide writing assignment is to promote writing amongst our students.  We hope this will help prepare our students for their 4th and 7th grade writing tests and the CAHSEE, to prepare our school for WASC visits in the future by assessing our student’s writing levels and progress, and to encourage parents to tackle this daunting task one writing application at a time, one step at a time. You will receive info at the All Es meeting.  The writing application for 2009 is Response to Literature. All students 2nd to 11th grades (or 12th graders who have not yet passed CAHSEE) will be required to submit a summary sample to their ES by their December LR meeting.  They will then be scored with a school rubric and kept by the school. Let your families know of this asap, along with the fact that we will not be returning the sample.

 

k) IEM Employment Information Sheet for 2009 School Year: Be sure to read the updated job information if you have not already done so at:

http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/esjob/IEMesemployinfo2009.html.

 

l) High School Transcript coding:  Code your high school transcripts with the new system that will be trained in a session at the All ES Meeting prior to  Oct 10, 2008—start with your 2009 grads, as they must be complete by 9/28/08.

 

m) Professional growth info for 2009:This information will be given to you at the All ES Meeting.

 

n) Where to go for help chart: Remember to check this chart posted in the ES Job Information section of the ES Resources webpage for information of who to contact for what.

 

3) Training Items

a) Special ED and SSTs: Jill Brogan, our Special Ed director will be teaching a session at the All ES Meeting.  To prepare for this session, please read the SST document and watch the Webex training on SST’s. Then bring your questions with you to the All ES Meeting.

 

b)Attendance Rollsheets:

- First of all, print out and use the Attendance Rollsheet Checklist. Refresh your memory (veterans) or check yourself (new ESs) by going over each of your first couple month’s rollsheets by using this checklist. Remember to mail your rollsheets to your ES Advisor, until instructed to do otherwise. As auditable documents, these must be totally PERFECT!

 

c) Materials Accountability: When ordering from vendors that sell both non-sectarian and sectarian materials, the items must be screened carefully by the ES before ordering. Please remember to check any items that you may be ordering, that you are unfamiliar with, to determine that they are items that can be purchased with Instructional Funds according to our IF Materials Policy. ESs are responsible to make sure that all items are Non-Sectarian before giving them to their students.

 

d) Truancy Definition: Please read the Truancy Policy regarding the Definition of Truancy.

"The definition of 'truancy' for this charter School is defined in the policy below as a missed appointment/attendance period. This is not the same definition of "truancy" as defined by California Education Code, nor are the practices and procedure below defined by California Education Code, but by this charter school." If the student is attempting 25 credits for a semester, and does any school work on a school calendar day, they receive attendance credit.  Do not confuse this attendance credit with grades and credits earned.  Bring your questions to the All Es meeting, Agenda session.

 

e) Where to find those Webfiles forms: You may want to print out this document and post near your computer: http://www.ieminc.org/genericforms/webfilefms.htm .  Remember, the generic forms posted on the school website forms page are for emergency usage only.  The forms to be mailed to the office are to be printed out of ES Webfiles.  Hard copy forms that will only be accepted from WEBfiles are the auditable documents:  Student agreement, attendance rollsheets, portfolio checklist.

 

f) Contract Programs courses for HQT SMT: The HQT SME’s high school core classes are entered in the ES Webfiles CP database.  The courses all start with the name of the school, “SME”, then course name. If your student must take that course with a HQT SME, please “enroll” them in their correct classes in Webfiles ASAP .  Please enroll your students NOW, not later in the semester if they will be earning 5 credits! More details at the All ES Meeting.

 

4) Messages from School Departments

a) IT

·         New Transcript coding: Directions will be given at the All ES Meeting

·         New Learning Record Template addition: Directions will be given at the All ES Meeting

·         Training test: There is a new and improved monthly quiz file in Webfiles.  Choose Create ES Test in Webfiles and follow the directions to take your monthly quizzes.

·         New Email info:

o    On our Microsoft Exchange email system, the send/receive function is automatic for receiving messages—there is no need to push “Send/Receive” to get your email messages.  In fact, this is a problem in our system—please retrain yourself to NOT do this function.

o    Be aware that with Exchange what you do online with your email will be reflected in your Outlook application on your local computer. Do not delete mail in one place expecting it to still be in the other. They are all linked. What you do in one place will be reflected in the other. This is different than Horde email.

o    The best way to clean out old email is to set up auto archiving. To do that in MS Outlook, go to Tools>Option>Other (tab)>AutoArchive (button) and set this function to work on default settings.More information about archiving is available at http://office.microsoft.com/training/training.aspx?AssetID=RC010265551033

·         Webfiles One-Click Log-in: See instructions at http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/computerrel/webfiles/quickstart.htm .

 

b) ASSESSMENT

All STAR results have been uploaded into FRED and a copy has been mailed to your families.  You might get some phone calls from parents asking questions regarding the results and what they mean to their child.  The STAR report did have a guide attached explaining the scale scores and performance levels.   Please go to the STAR website at http://www.startest.org/reports.html to see an explanation of your student’s scores as to how to read and explain it to your student's parents

.

c) VENDOR RELATIONS

- When you cancel a PO for a service vendor, please remember to notify the vendor of the cancellation.

-New approved vendors since May 2008 are listed on this school link:  OG/SS

-Vendor PO Ordering Information – ESs should check both “Notes Boxes” on the PO before ordering for ordering information and special school pricing.  Then, if there is more information that will not fit in either of the “Notes Boxes” (typically online vendors), that information can be found by going to http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/vendor/vendor_info_index.dwt.  You can get to this link by going to the school website, clicking on Educational Resources, Educational Resources Home Page, Curriculum, Vendor Info and Online Vendor Ordering Info, List of Online Vendors.   Currently, in this section, we have information for ALEKS, K 12, Odysseyware, and Power-Glide. 

-Reminder: Vendor Requests and PO Inquiries are now done in WEbfiles

 

d)BENEFITS:  OPEN ENROLLMENT

The 2008/9 CalPers Medical Plans Open Enrollment is September 15th-October 10th. During Open Enrollment, eligible members may enroll, change health plans, or add eligible family members not currently enrolled under this program. Employee’s currently with CalPers Medical Insurance will be receiving information in the mail. Please note there have been premium increases mostly with the HMO programs. These changes will take place January 1st, 2009. Contact Cary Sharp for additional information at personnelbenefit@ieminc.org . Phone 530-295-3566 or 800-979-4436.

 

e) CURRICULUM AND CP COURSES: (ESs: If you are teaching a CP course and wish your info to be included in a future agenda, please email a short info blurb like the ones below AFTER the course is posted in Webfiles and ready for sign-ups.)

- Constitution Day links

-Ordering and Pricing Information – The ordering and pricing information for many of the mainline publisher’s California Edition textbook programs are available in the ES Only Website/Vendor Info area.  This ordering and pricing information has been made available first over other publisher information because it is the hardest to obtain and is the most confusing for our teachers when it is time to order and who ask, “What do I really need to order for this student?”  Explanations of the program items have been included in with the pricing information, and some program website links.

-Saxon Math - Saxon has come out with their new high school math program.  They now have complete Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, programs, using the same spiral method that has made Saxon math a popular math program for independent study students.  Ordering and pricing information can be found on the Saxon Publisher’s website, or by going to the ES Secure Website/Vendor Info, click on math and the high school grade, then the math course.  Scroll to the Saxon math pricing towards the bottom.  The school has gone to the new Saxon math high school textbooks over the older integrated math textbooks because we do not use integrated math course titles.  The new Saxon math textbooks do not currently have CA correlations and it is a national program.

-A-G Courses – Beginning 2009, UC is requiring that all A-G Courses be textbook specific.  The Curriculum Department has posted the list of A-G textbooks on the school website, http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/ag_es_textbks.pdf. The department has also posted the complete ordering and pricing information to the A-G textbook programs in the ES Secure Website/Vendor Info, click on the A-G subject/grade for program ordering.  Please note that the SSCS a-g courses for the 2009 school year have not yet been approved, although we expect they will be, but there is no guarantee that these courses will be approved as submitted.  We will notify you when we hear from the UC system. Check with your HQT SME teacher before ordering highly expensive program items.  They may be able to tell you how you can do the program without purchasing those items.

-A-G Science Labs – South Sutter only is offering A-G Science Labs for 2008-2009 in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.  Students must enroll in the A-G science lab in addition to their HQT SME course (if applicable), purchase the appropriate textbook, and purchase any lab equipment that is required for that lab course (Biology requires students to purchase through IF PO, the Biology Lab Kit by Quality Science Labs).  Students will complete their textbook course work at home under the supervision of their daily instructor, not the lab instructor.  Students who are not A-G, but who may wish to take the lab class, should contact the instructor before signing up.  The lab classes will be held in Folsom in a private home.  Class dates/times will be available soon.

-Introducing the South Sutter Charter School Only Apprenticeship Coordinator – ES Dennis Fuller—Welcome Dennis to this position!

The job duties are two-fold:  1.) Develop and oversee apprenticeship opportunities with businesses for the students in South Sutter Charter School.  2.) Be the liaison between the school and Sacramento ROP for all students taking any ROP course.  Students taking any ROP course will now sign up their student for the CP ROP course in addition to the ROP course.  The cost for the CP ROP-Administration course is $36.00/course/semester.  The cost of the apprenticeship program is $150/student/semester/apprenticeship.  The apprenticeship program is still in the development phase. Dennis is available to answer your questions about either of these two wonderful programs for your high school students by emailing, dfuller@ieminc.org.

-CP Online Writing Classes Using Write Reflections Curriculum for SSCS only - Kim Hunter is offering three online writing classes using the Write Reflections curriculum for grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12.This will be a great way to jump start your students and parents into understanding and using the Write Reflections writing program.   Contact Kim Hunter, khunter@ieminc.org, for student computer specifications and program questions. 

-Writing assignments info for 2009 (linked here) to be presented at All ES Meeting.

-HOW TO ORDER CA EDITION & A-G TEXTBOOKS: http://www.ieminc.org/handbook/curriculum/order_proced_textbk.pdf

 

f) GUIDANCE

BRIDGES – We have purchased subscriptions to two online, interactive programs from Bridges.

·         Choices Planner is a tool to support students’ self discovery and exploration of post-secondary education &/or career options.

·         Ability Profiler provides assessments that help students discover more about their career aptitudes.

Both of these tools are available to our students for free! Students, Parents, and Teachers can access these resources by going to the Bridges website http://www.bridges.com and entering our school’s Usercode and Password (Passwords are available in Webfiles -- select View, ES Detail, then the Passwords tab). It  is not required that users create a personal portfolio but it is recommended that they do so in order to benefit more fully from these resources.  Entry without a portfolio prevents the full integration of information compiled from the various assessments, surveys, etc. ESs have access to additional resources by entering the Professional Account Access Key.  Note:  It is very important that you do NOT share that key code with parents or students.  To do so would provide them access to other students’ private data.  In addition to student data, teachers are provided access to tutorials, lesson plans, and other resources. As a suggestion . . . you may find that the best way to familiarize yourself with these wonderful resources is to check out information about Choices Planner and Ability Profiler in the Resource Materials information http://www.bridges.com/resources  and Quickstart Tutorials http://bridges.com/tutorials   areas.

Enjoy!

 

g) SCHOOL LIAISON INFORMATION

Fundraising: Our schools are using fundraising this year to better fund things like graduation, STAR testing snacks (so you don't have to!), and other ideas that the parent council has.  You will be receiving packets for each of your families at the All ES meeting this month.  When you arrive at the meeting, please know ahead of time how many families you have so you will know how many to take. They will be made available throughout the year if you need more.

·         Escrip:  We will be continuing with escrip.  This is a very easy fundraising method.  Parents need to sign up online, however and this can be difficult for  some of them.  ES's are encouraged you to ask them when you Scantron their children if they would like to sign up with escrip with your help.  You can do this at www.escrip.com.

·         Raley's Quality of Life Cards:  There is one set per family packet.  If they shop at Raley's or Bel Air(for South Sutter) or Nob Hill (Ocean Grove), they swipe their card and the school gets $$!  They do need to register their cards on line.

·         Box Tops for Education:  Ask your families to clip these from common food items.  They are seriously on everything.  Collect them at your meetings and bring to your AF meetings.  AF's will mail them to the school Liaisons each month.

·         Target Take Charge of Education: This program works by registering your Target Red Card or Target Visa card on their website for use in fundraising for our school. Again, the parents may need some assistance from you to sign up on-line.

·         Save Mart Apples for the Students:  Parents collect receipts, give to ES. Es brings to AF meetings and AF mails to Liaisons.  No registration on part of parents!

 

5) ES Networking: Come prepared to your ES meeting to discuss the following

a) No assignment this month, as we have our All ES meeting instead!  Bring your questions with you for the Agenda session.