AM Brew - November 29, 2021

Here's What's Brewing Today

Monday, November 29, 2021

We hope you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving!

We are monitoring reports about the spread of the new omicron variant of COVID-19. We encourage everyone to get vaccinated. The new MOA, the result of over a month and a half of hard work and late nights from the WTU contract bargaining team, includes time-off for you to receive your boosters as well as getting fully vaccinated. The full MOA is available here. If you have any symptoms, please report them immediately to our school administration and be sure to inform your Field Representative.

All are welcome to the WTU IMPACT meeting – November 30 at 4:30

We’ll be discussing the pros and cons of the Danielson and Marzano frameworks for teaching and the teacher observation process. Via Zoom. Meeting ID: 873 0146 8847; Passcode: 755793.

Indoor Air Quality Report October

Per the MOA to reopen schools in-person, DCPS is required to release monthly information on the air-quality of schools. This month's report is available here.

OSSE is offering LETRS training.

LETRS, Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling, a new science of reading training. ELA educators invited to participate include: instructional coaches, reading specialists, classroom teachers, special education teachers, English Learner (EL) teachers and instructional leaders. Applications are due December 16th. Please follow the link to this Google Folder to see the relevant information: 11.2021 LETRS Info Session

Dental and Vision Open Enrollment

DC government has announced its open enrollment to run from 2022 for Monday, November 8 through Monday December 13, 2021. This is an annual opportunity to review your current benefits elections and make changes. This is also an opportunity for you to make any changes to your dental and vision benefits. Click here for details on your dental and vision coverage or if you have any questions regarding these benefits, contact Valerie Kilby at [email protected].

If you have questions regarding enrollment into the plans, contact DCPS benefits at [email protected].

AM Brew News and Notices will be archived at https://www.wtulocal6.net/AMBrew.

Professional Development

Additional PD highlights are posted to the PD Blog at https://www.wtulocal6.net/pdblog

Join the Flagway League!

We launched the Flagway League on Monday, October 25 led by coordinator Raphael Bonhomme. Our next meeting will be December 6 @ 5pm-once you register, you will receive a calendar invitation from our league coordinator .

"The goal of The Flagway™ Game is to create environments where students can practice and celebrate learning math. There are many different ways to create a cultural context in which mathematics emerges naturally from students’ experience. One method used by the YPP and the Algebra Project is to create mathematically rich games and experiences." Find more info about the game here: http://www.typp.org/flagway.

Strategies for Student Success (FREE!)

Instructor: Laurine Kennedy

Tuesdays: November 30; December 7; 4:15-7:15pm

The following modules will be offered in this section: Dimensions to a Better Life; Navigating the Journey Between Stress and SEL, Electrifying Online Learning, The Game Factor. Participants will receive 4 PLU’s for each session. RSVP HERE: https://www.wtulocal6.net/fall_2021_strategies_for_student_success

WTU Tech Tuesdays Are Back!!!

Next session is Tuesday 11/30 @ 4:30-5:30pm, coordinator Sarah Elwell for a session on Electrifying Instruction with Online Tools.

Upcoming Events

Council Hearing -- Register To Testify about teacher and principal turnover in DC. Thur. Dec 16th, 1 pm

Sign-up here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdHNnzH4QfA3KGISnwl7vDoAlVXlMDX3zsG81hjraEbnl2Wwg/viewform

Partner events and other upcoming events of interest are also posted to the AMBrew Blog.

Reminders:

Report unsafe conditions at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings

As part of the MOA, the WTU and DCPS teams will meet weekly to review and find solutions to any violations of the #ReopenStrong: School Building Readiness Checklist. If you see something out of compliance, please report it at http://bit.ly/WTUSafeOpenings. As you click on an area of the form, a drop-down box will appear to allow you to enter comments. Or simply complete the text box at the end of the form. All reports will remain confidential and no identifying information will be provided to DCPS.

IMPACT

Thank you to everyone who completed the IMPACT survey. The WTU is working with the AFT to create a teacher development and evaluation system that is fair to teachers and good for students. We are looking for members who would like to be part of a team that is writing the strands for Teacher Observation, Student Performance and Professional Growth. If you would like to help with this effort, please email Regina Bell at [email protected]

ICYMI: DC Educator Wellness Center

In partnership with EVERFI, a social impact educational technology company, the WTU is pleased to share with you the DC Educator Wellness Center. The funding for the DC Educator Wellness Center is provided by Johnson & Johnson. In the DC Educator Wellness Center you will find access to a prevention-forward, self-guided, digital microlearning experience designed to provide you with on-demand content related to mental health. The growing list of topics includes Mental Health Basics, Managing Mental Health Challenges, Developing Resilience, Supporting Loved Ones With Mental Health Challenges, and Mindful Living. You can read more here.

We’re continuing to update our database.

Please help us ensure we have your current personal contact information on file. Email [email protected] to provide us with updated information.

Be sure to follow the WTU on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to keep up on the latest from your Union.

Do you like this post?