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PPS EDUCATORS OF COLOR
INSIGHTS REPORT
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The Educators for Color Insights Report will be distributed to all staff via special bulletin later this week. Hard copies of this report will also be made available to all staff next week.
This important report details the research conducted by an external research team in collaboration with the district to better understand the experiences of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color (BIPOC) staff at PPS. In addition to sharing the report, optional reflection sessions will be offered to staff as well school level PD. More details to come later this week.
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The Maine Department of Education has released an update on school staff vaccination opportunities as outlined in the State of Maine's new vaccination prioritization plan. Interim information on the vaccine rollout for educators can be found here. |
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The Portland Public Schools puts out a weekly COVID advisory each Friday. It includes the number of positive cases associated with our schools during the past week and any outbreak declarations or building closures as a result. Staff, families and staff at impacted schools are immediately notified of positive cases and closings, but the weekly advisory is an effort to keep the broader PPS community informed. The advisory is posted at the end of the day on Fridays in the District Spotlight section of the district's homepage. Here’s the link to the Feb. 26 update. (Note: There was no update on Feb. 19, due to February break. The next update will be on March 5.) |
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 Wellness Corner
Welcome to the first edition of the Wellness Corner. This is a space where we will share tips on how to survive and even thrive during the pandemic, as we await widespread vaccination.
Wellness is about maintaining your health and well being, enhancing resilience, and staying centered, grounded, and positive as you engage with your work, family, friends, and colleagues.
For this inaugural edition of the Wellness Corner, we have a very short survey for all staff to use to share ideas for districtwide implementation: What menu of options should Portland Public Schools offer all of its employees to support staff health, engagement, and overall well being?
This survey will take you less than 5 minutes to complete. Click here: Staff Wellness Survey
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PUBLIC FORUM ON FY22 BUDGET
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Monday, March 8, 2021
6:00-7:30 p.m.
Superintendent Xavier Botana, the Portland Board of Public Education and its Public Affairs Committee invite Portland residents to a public forum on the district's budget priorities, which are focused on advancing equity, one of the four goals of the Portland Promise, the Portland Public Schools’ strategic plan. For more information and a Zoom link, click here.
Flyers and translations:
Acholi, Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese
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In January and early February, Superintendent Botana, along with members of his leadership team, met with each school’s Leadership Team to gather feedback on the successes and challenges of the first half of the school year. They were also asked what support they might need from the district office in order to be more effective in delivering instruction that advances achievement and attends to the social emotional well-being of students and staff. Read more.
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MS and HS Science Teachers
GIZMOS training #3, Wednesday March 3rd 1-3pm, contact Brooke Teller telleb@portlandschools.org if you need the login information. Optional training on GIZMOS STEM Cases, Thursday March 4th, 8-9:30
Student reading about science/systems at Talbot (with a stuffed friend on the student's shoulder).
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"Teachers Pay Teachers": Users Beware!
More and more research is coming out about how lessons available on "Teachers Pay Teachers," particularly those pertaining to cultural studies, race, and racism, and history, perpetuate harm in classrooms. Read more here. Please seek out resources from reputable sites, such as Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), The Zinn Project, and Facing History and Ourselves.
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We know this year has posed many challenges as it comes to teaching and learning. We also know that PPS educators have a wealth of knowledge and expertise to share with others, as well as many new skills that you have just attained! And so, we present SKILL SHARE - a series of short, less-than-10-minute videos by teachers for teachers to lift our collective practice to teach in a remote or hybrid setting in the areas of technology, engagement, student discourse, effective feedback, and essential standards.
Here are a bunch of different examples from each of these areas to kick us off!
Please look for more Skill Share videos in the Tuesday Bulletins to come, and email Jesse Robinson at robinj@portlandschools.org if you have something to share or know of someone that does! We will pay you $150 for your time, and provide video editing support for those who want it.
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Living Earth Teach-In and Student Programs
Consider registering for an amazing opportunity to learn about Indigenous Food Ways through a webinar organized by the National Museum of the American Indian, Native Knowledge 360 learning initiative. Register here. More webinar recordings from Native Knowledge 360 are available through their website. |
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Curriculum and Technology Integration PD and Resources
Illustrative Mathematics K-5 PDs that support our Equity Goals:
- IM K–5 Math as a Support for Culturally Responsive Pedagogy, 3-3:30 on Friday, March 5th
- Advancing English Learners in IM K–5 Math, 2-2:30 on Friday, March 5th.
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Also, check out Ashley Powell, our current Presumpscot math coach, deliver the PD on the “new” K-5 curriculum!
RazPlus PD Recordings If you missed these PDs, here are the recordings!
Updates to SeeSaw You can now record clips for each image on a page. You can lock sizes and more - this is great for creating assignments and for feedback!
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Equity Leaders Cohort
Third Training-of-Trainers is this week for all PPS Equity Leaders. Session runs Wednesday, March 3rd, from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
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PRE-K Lottery Application Now Closed - Wait List Open
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The PreK Lottery Application window closed on Feb. 26. Families may still apply to be placed on our waitlist via the application and translations below.
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KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
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The Kindergarten enrollment window is from February 8-March 5. Registration is online. Here is the Kindergarten Registration flyer in different languages: English, Acholi, Arabic, French, Khmer, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese. Please note that the second page of the flyer is the Language Use Survey that all new families need to complete and send to the school for inclusion in the student’s cumulative file. This is an Office of Civil Rights (OCR) requirement.
Please disseminate the flyers as you see fit.
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Support for Youth-Led Projects
The Riley's Way Foundation's Call for Kindness program will provide grants of up to $3,000 to 30 teen-led projects in 2021. Funded projects may tackle anything from pressing equity and social justice issues to building meaningful connections. Five grants will be dedicated to projects related to food insecurity. Teens ages 13-19 may enter by essay or video describing a new project, or an improvement to an existing project. Each project is required to have a partner organization and an adult mentor. Winners will join a cohort of fellows from across the country to participate in a dynamic leadership development experience. The application deadline is April 7, 2021. More information here.
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Workshop Series by Maine Intercultural Communication Consultants
Moving Toward Understanding: Fostering an Intercultural Learning Environment
 A two-module workshop series for educators that seeks to inform and open up conversation about critical subjects. Module one, Demystifying Islam; Culture, Community, and Place, takes place on Thursday, March 18, 7:00-8:30 PM and Thursday, March 25, 7:00-8:00PM. Module two, Microaggressions: Their Impact on Student Learning, will take place Thursday, April 1, 7:00-8:30 PM and Thursday, April 8, 7:00-8:00 PM. Presented by the Maine DOE. Learn more and register here. |
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EDUCATION INNOVATORS SERIES FEATURES
TALBOT SCHOOL TEACHER OF YEAR CINDY SOULE
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The theme for Social Work Month 2021 is Social Workers Are Essential.
Our nation's almost 700,000 social workers have amazing tenacity and talent. They confront some of the most challenging issues facing individuals, families, communities and society and forge solutions that help people reach their full potential and make our nation a better place to live.
PPS employs 30+ Social Workers!
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The Atlantic Black Box: Researching and Reckoning with New England's Past
Two-Part Session:
Thursday, March 18, 2021
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
5:30-7:00 p.m.
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Join the Atlantic Black Box Project for a two-part exploration into New England’s role in the slave trade and how this history can help us understand our present. Below is the Zoom link to join the webinar:
https://zoom.us/j/98827401569
Or iPhone one-tap: US: +13126266799,,98827401569# or +16465588656,,98827401569# Webinar ID: 988 2740 1569
Here is the flyer in different language:
Acholi, Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Somali, Spanish, Vietnamese
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Send us your feedback, suggestions, questions, and contributions to the PPS Staff Resources page. Contact us at communications@portlandschools.org.
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