Week of December 7, 2020
Message from the President
I want to start off by thanking everyone who made a monetary donation or dropped off toys. It was another successful year! I will be honest, I didn't know what to expect. We usually have drop off locations around the district and because of all that was going on, we chose not to do that this year. This year, we also tried something different. We expected monetary donations in lieu of actual toys or games. The members of this Union, once again, we extremely generous. We know that many of you do things with your school, church or community organization. I will proudly drop off the toys to the nearest Hillsborough County pod on Monday and will probably be donating the money collected to our local Toys for Tots! Thank you all, so much, for your generosity!
The Numbers:
250 games, toys, puzzles, stuff animals, Play Doh, Legos, etc. donated
$1,155.00 in monetary donations
Know Your Contract
Teacher Retirement Deadline Notice
Attention teachers considering retirement at the end of this school year!!!
Under Article 4.9A of the contract, in order to be eligible for your severance, you must submit a binding letter of retirement to the Superintendent no later than February 1, 2021.
I would also suggest that you set up an appointment with the New Hampshire Retirement System. In order to receive your severance, you must provide a copy of your first retirement check.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Binge Watching
With services like Netflix, waiting patiently for the next episode to air is a thing of the past for many shows. This has led to binge watching a season in a matter of days as opposed to over the course of a traditional season of the show. As someone who has done it - The Crown, The Queen's Gambit - it is both a blessing and a curse. As we approach a much deserved, extended break, many will turn to TV or streaming services for some down time. So, what should we binge? Share your top picks and I'll share the top 10 just before we head to break.
Free Opportunities for Members
AFT Professional Development Virtual Fair
December 8th at 6:00pm Click here to register and/or for more information
Supporting Students with Grief and Loss (Webinar) Powered by ShareMyLesson
December 21st at 3:00pm Click here to register
Starting
January 2021
Courses for Everyone
10 Trauma-Informed Strategies to Help Students Heal
Developing Problem-Solving Strategies with Bar Models: Winter Virtual Edition
Differentiating Instruction
ELL 101 Special Virtual Edition: Planning for the Success of ELLs
Make Your Virtual Science POP!
Meeting Writing Expectations in the K-5 Classroom: Recommendations for Improving Writing Instruction
Simple View of Reading: One Lens at a Time, the Full Picture
Teach Them to Think
Teaching for Engaged Learning Course Options:
The Classroom Management Puzzle: Putting the Pieces Together
Every Child Needs a Champion: Unlock Your Ability to Build Online Caring Relationships
Real Talk
What You Get Is What You Expect\
Costs for Members: $20.00 per course
For Registration, click here.
Courses for New Teachers
Differentiating Instruction
Teach Them to Think
Teaching for Engaged Learning Course Options:
The Classroom Management Puzzle: Putting the Pieces Together
Every Child Needs a Champion: Unlock Your Ability to Build Online Caring Relationships
Real Talk
What You Get Is What You Expect
Costs for New Teachers: $10.00 per course
For Registration, click here.
For All Courses and Members
NTU COPE
Upcoming Meetings: no meeting scheduled
Scholarship Opportunities
AFT Robert G. Porter Scholars Program - 2021
Union Plus Scholarship Program - 2021
Closes January 31, 2021
Sponsored by the Union Plus Education Foundation. The program is open to members, spouses and dependent children of unions participating in any of the Union Plus programs. See the Union Plus Scholarship Program website (link is external) for more information.
Self Care Tips
Look for Humor Everywhere
If you need a quick pick-me-up, check out some of these funny posts from Bored Teachers (search @boredteachers in Facebook!). Or really just any Facebook newsfeed should suffice.
Self Care tips are courtesy of Ashley Benoit, School Psychologist
Full the full Self Care Guide, click here
Favorite Cookie Showdown
The results of the first round are in, and there were no surprises. Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle and Monster Cookie blew their competition away with more than 70% of the vote. The only close race was between Peanut Butter Cookies and Oatmeal Cookies. Peanut Butter edged out Oatmeal with 58% of the vote. We're down to the Final 4.
For the NTU calendar, click here
For the BOE calendar, click here
For the BOE agendas and minutes, click here
Upcoming Events
- December 8th
- Board of Directors Meeting, 4:15pm, via Zoom
- BOE Finance and Operations Committee Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- December 10th
- Teacher Negotiations, 4:00pm, via Zoom
- To those who celebrate, Happy Hanukkah!!!
- December 12th
- Teacher Leaders via Zoom
- December 14th
- Para Negotiations, 1:00pm, via Zoom (for Negotiations Team only)
- BOE Curriculum and Evaluation Committee Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- December 15th
- BOE Policy Committee Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- December 21st
- BOE Human Resources Committee Meeting, 5:30pm, via Zoom
- Board of Education Meeting, 6:00pm, via Zoom
- December 24th - January 3rd
- No School; Have a great break!
- December 25th
- To those who celebrate, Merry Christmas!!!
- January 1, 2021
- HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
