Daisy Daily for the Week of April 27, 2020

Daisy Faculty & Staff,

Thanks to ALL who contributed photos and videos for our inspirational Staff Video for our students and families.
The result is fabulous and, hopefully, will help to motivate our students and families to sustain their dedication as we enter Week #5 of Distance Learning!!!  I believe it's also providing a boost to us as well!!!

Many, many thanks to Lisa and Alicia for all of their dedicated work in putting this amazing video together!

Enjoy the video by clicking here:

DAISY STAFF VIDEO APRIL 2020

I hope that you all enjoyed a restful weekend andwere able to take in some of the beautiful weather on Saturday.

As we enter Week #5 of Distance Learning, please know:

• We will hold virtual Grade Level and Special Area Team Meetings this week.  I was able to grant the days/times as requested by teams and these are listed on our Daisy Staff Google Calendar at:

• DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

• All important dates are also on our Staff Calendar.  Please note that Daisy Leadership Team Meeting will take place the following week, on the "off week" when Grade Level Meetings don't meet.  Just trying to make meetings more managable as our calendar is filling up with virtual PPT meetings as well.
• Due to staff generosity through "Dress Down Funds" and other donations, we were able to distribute $200 work of grocery gift cards to some of our families in need.  If anyone would like to donate additional grocery gift cards, please contact Corey Ehrlich, who is coordinating this.
• Originally, we had "Bus Driver Appreciation Day" scheduled for this week.  If you have students who would like to show some love to their bus driver (electronically), please encourage them to send an email (with attachment, if necessary) to our office staff and me.  I will also reach out to families regarding this and I will get these messages to our Bus Drivers.
• If you hear of a family of one of your students who is in crisis, please contact Marilyn Brown, Corey Ehrlich and me, as we will work virtually to assist the family, as well as to enlist the help of our School Crisis Team.
• Please continue inviting me to live team meetings and small group sessions and I will attend as many as possible.

Thank you again and again for everything that you are doing for our students in these challenging times.  It is because of YOU that they are motivated to do their very best with Distance Learning.

I appreciate and love you all!!!

Warmly,

Ruth

Daisy Daily for the Week of April 20, 2020

Don't forget to make a positive message

for our students!!!

Daisy Faculty & Staff,

I sincerely hope that the April break gave all a chance to rest, reflect and revitalize and that you and your families are in good health.

As we embark on Week #4 of Distance Learning (DL), here are a few notes:

• Over the break, our office staff updated our Daisy website with lots of important information for Daisy families and staff.  Some color changes in the format may have impacted classroom pages, so please check for readability and visual clarity.
• I will continue to update our Google Staff Calendar, which, as always, is available here:

• DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR

• We will hold our next weekly cycle of Grade-Level Meetings and Team Meetings the week of April 27.  I'd like each grade level/team to offer optimum days/times for meetings with the office, as our schedule has changed.  On the first round, I offered all meetings at 1 pm, but that may not be the optimum for all, so please let me know your thoughts as a team.
• Wed., April 22, is Earth Day.  I sent out an earlier email with a link to the official Earth Day site and you may want to draw upon some of these ideas for our students.
• We will plan to hold Dept.-based PLCs this week, which were originally scheduled for Wed., April 22, from 3:15-4:15 pm.  We can be flexible with the time and schedule what works best with our new daily schedule.  You will hear further details from your Dept. PLC Leader.
• The office footprint at each of our schools has been reduced in order to follow the policy of social distancing.  If you have a compelling reason to come into the school, please put that in writing in an email to me, requesting an appointment, so that appropriate arrangements can be made.  The school is not open to public and, at this time, staff can not just drop in, but must make an appointment.
• Please continue to invite me to virtual Morning Meetings and Class lessons as I'd like to join as many as possible on a rotating basis.
• I look forward to the Professional Development that our paraprofessionals will be involved in, with a kick-off virtual meeting on Monday morning at 10 am.
• PLEASE join us in creating a video for our students and families by sending in a pic or short video with a positive message, sign, etc.  Please email this to myself, as well as Alicia and Lisa, by Wed. of this week.  If anyone is willing to help compile this into a video, please let me know.  This is something that we'd like ALL staff members to be involved in.

Thanks so much for all you are doing for our students.  You are all doing an amazing job and your work is so very much appreciated!

We are in this together and I look forward to supporting your work in every way possible.  If you are feeling the impact of the COVID-19 crisis directly within your family and need support or wish to discuss specific circumstances, please reach out to me.

Look forward to "seeing" you this week and I know that our students are looking forward to seeing you as well!

Warmly,

Ruth

On the lighter side.....

More seriously......

Daisy Daily 4/6/20: Week #3 of Distance Learning

Daisy Staff,

As always, our amazing colleagues have risen to the occasion and completed Week of Distance Learning in a very successful fashion.
As we prepare for Week #3, please continue to check our Daisy Staff Google Calendar at:

DAISY STAFF GOOGLE CALENDAR


As you know:
--We have a four-day week ahead, with Friday, April 10, being a holiday for Good Friday.
--Wednesday, April 8, will be "BRING YOUR PET TO SCHOOL DAY."  Let's find a way for students to share about their pets during a virtual morning or class meeting.  (Please let me know other ideas for Spirit Days you have in the comments section, as we continue to motivate our students/adults with distance learning!) Here's the first response: for students who may not have a pet, let's encourage them to bring a stuffed animal to meetings with them on Wed!
--We will take April vacation during the week of April 13-17, as scheduled.
--When there's a holiday, we will skip over the rotation day (i.e., Purple, Green) as we always have with a rotating schedule.

Thanks to all who donned BLUE for World Autism Awareness Day last week.
I was able to capture a few images from one of our many virtual meetings.


Also, please know:
--We sent Report Cards to families through the mail last Friday.
--Progress Reports (for students with IEPs) are being sent home separately through the Special Services Dept.
Please remember:
---Please continue to send me invitations to Morning Meetings, Live check-ins and lessons, etc., as I'd love to join you as possible.
---Please do not video record meetings with students, whether full class, small groups or individually.
---It is fine to teach "live" with these groups; just not to record.
---Please feel free to video record yourself "live" introducing concepts to students, so that families can access these at convenient times.
---Please remember that our students' families may be under a lot of stress during this time (as are we) and we need to be flexible and adjust instruction to fit their needs.  I've encouraged parents/guardians to reach out to teachers, support staff and me if they have specific concerns.  Please keep me in the loop and inform me of needs expressed by families.  I will do the same for you.
---We'll hold virtual team meetings this week, as needed, and please watch for future dates for Daisy Leadership Team Meetings, to be announced.
---"Grab and Go" Lunches continue to be offered weekdays from 12:30-1:30 pm to all children up to 18 years old, from the Daisy circle.


Please remember that we're all in this together and I'm always available to discuss your concerns as well.  I have the utmost faith in each one of you and I care about you deeply, so please reach out through our office phone, email, or call/text my personal cell (203-974-9737).
We've got this!
Warmly,
Ruth
Signs of Spring at Daisy...

Signs of the times...