SCHOOL NEWS
Welcome to 2022! I hope you were able to take some time over the holiday break to relax and rejuvenate. Many of us spend some time over the holidays making New Year’s resolutions related to our physical or mental well-being, financial health, or daily habits. Many of us do well on our resolutions for a brief time, and then return to old habits. Why is this?
The word “resolute” is defined as “admirably purposeful, determined, and unwavering.” This makes me think of educators over the last two years. Regardless of position, those who work on behalf of our region’s children have been steadfast in their work. They have been purposeful in building bonds with our students and their families. They have been determined to create and maintain effective programs for our students. They have been unwavering in supporting our staff and students. And while being resolute, they have been doing so during their own personal challenges and joys. To our educators who remain resolute and dedicated to our students, thank you! Your unwavering support of our students and staff is noticed and acknowledged.
January is School Board Appreciation Month. Serving on a school board is frequently a voluntary position with a great deal of responsibility and little recognition. Thank you to our board members around the region. Your leadership is appreciated!
As we move through January, focus on being resolute in your service to our students and staff, but also to your own health and wellness. Be well!
GENERAL EDUCATION
MICIP (School Improvement)
MICIP is designed for you!
Many local districts are now in the midst of implementing the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process (MICIP). Administrator teams are designing work flow; district improvement teams are collaborating; teachers are participating in full-staff MICIP professional learning. If you'd like to know more about what some of our districts are doing, check out these regional examples.
For additional MICIP information and resources, you may wish to visit this ISD-developed MICIP website. Also, if you wish to subscribe to the MDE Continuous Communication (MICIP) newsletter, please click on this link. Previous issues of the newsletter and other resources are available on the MDE MICIP web page.
Reminder: MDE is requesting each district have at least one goal in the MICIP platform by June 30; the process of developing this goal can/should be tailored to meet district-level needs.
Please contact Lindsay Brindley (brindley@eupschools.org) to set up a time to discuss direct support.
Social Studies
Regional History Day
Mark your calendars – Friday, March 11, 2022 is Regional History Day! This event will be held virtually. Registration information will be shared soon. Please contact Helen Craig (hcraig-isd@eupschools.org) or Julie Coneset (jconeset@eupschools.org) for more information.
CTE
Adult CTE classes will begin on January 31, 2022, Welding, CNA, and Microsoft will be offered at Sault Area Career Center. Woodworking will be offered at Rudyard High School. Contact Randy for more information: 906-259-3289.
EUP MiSTEM Region
A number of excellent opportunities are coming up in January and February for students and teachers including the kickoff of FIRST Robotics, STEM ILT meetings with field trips for community connections, and live online workshops for EUP teachers which will show how to use online tools such as Sage Modeler and GIS to seamlessly integrate computer science into your existing Cereal City Science instruction. Be sure to register soon!
- See all details in the EUP MiSTEM Region January 2022 Newsletter
Regional Data Systems/Instructional Technology
REMC 22 Lend-Items Library Access
Teachers, REMC 22 has a library of classroom materials that can be checked out to support student engagement and learning... books, robots, maker materials, tools, and technology. Contact Marianna Ripple (mripple@eupschools.org) if you have questions or if you need to set up your account.
REMC FREE Virtual Courses for January
REMC Association of Michigan offers free virtual courses for SCHECH credit every month. Courses include: Assessment Tools for the Classroom, Applying Google Apps for Education in Chrome, Digital Tools for Classroom Collaboration, and many more. Need SCECHs? REMC Free Virtual Courses
NWEA Winter
The winter testing session is open during the month of January (Jan. 3 – Feb. 4).
Regional Data Manager Meetings
Data Managers from all regional schools are asked to participate in these meetings in order to create and communicate regional processes related to student enrollment, NWEA, technology, and reporting. Please see Wisdomwhere to register for the meetings.
1/13/2022 - 3/17/2022 - 5/12/2022
Health
January 2022 Newsletter
The January 2022 Health Education newsletter for administrators, PE & Health teachers, and health-adjacent school staff is now available. The newsletter includes registration information for trainings, scholarship opportunities, and health curriculum updates. Featured topics include:
- The Michigan School Health Coordinators’ Virtual Learning Series. Upcoming topics include the Healthy School Action Tools (HSAT), School Health Profiles, & MICIP.
- Health & PE Teacher Professional Learning Calendar updates:
- Sex Education & HIV Framework trainings (Registration Link).
- Michigan Model for Health:
- K-6 (Registration Link)
- Middle School (Virtual only – Registration link)
- Health & PE Curriculum Resource Team (next meeting – January 11)
SPECIAL EDUCATION
Speech-Language Therapy and Executive Functioning
Executive Function is a set of mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control. These skills are used daily in learning, working, and going through events in day-to-day life. When a child or teen struggles with executive functioning it can be a challenge to follow directions, focus, or even handle emotions. Speech and language pathologists are involved in the world of executive functioning because executive function is guided by language. While executive functioning begins with nonverbal working memory (thinking about what may occur) it moves to verbal working memory (the language of our self-talk and our intent). There are helpful language therapy techniques that can be used at home and school that improve executive functioning for students of all ages. Click HERE to read more about this topic.
Student Assistance Team as part of a Multi-Tiered System of Support
General education intervention occurs when a child demonstrates needs that are not currently being met within the general education setting. The process begins as early as preschool and requires schools to have data-based documentation of appropriate instruction in general education settings delivered by qualified personnel, repeated measures of academic achievement showing progress during instruction, and the general education interventions and strategies implemented for each child.
General education intervention can be conducted using two models:
- A school-wide approach to providing multi-tiered systems of support to all children to achieve more successfully
- Individual child problem-solving often referred to as Student Assistance Teams
While schools are transitioning to a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework, the Student Assistance Team (SAT) may continue to function as a single, separate team. However, the Student Assistance Team is the student-level problem-solving component of the collaborative data team structure of MTSS. Once a building/district has fully implemented the MTSS framework, Student Assistance Teams will be embedded within existing processes.
To learn more about the Student Assistance Team Process, please visit the EUPISD Student Assistance Web Page.
EARLY CHILDHOOD
Please take just a few minutes to complete this survey about child care needs in the EUP.
https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSc.../viewform...
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Please write or call with your comments, suggestions, and/or concerns.
Angie McArthur, Superintendent – angiem@eupschools.org
