Nightly News for February 7th

• I am in the final stages of the draft of staffing. This means I am not at the point where I am making calls to HR and ensuring I have everything set to input into the SMT (Staffing Management Tool). I will continue to check in with impacted staff in the next few days. 

• Triangulation...we discussed in our 8th grade kid chat the ongoing saga of students out of class wandering halls. We are working to identify those who seem to be out in the halls the most. One way staff can help is that you do not provide students with water for Raman during class periods. This becomes a reason to be out of class. Students needing to heat up Raman, can do so at lunch only. 

• This was in Admin Connect today and I felt it was worth sharing. I know it was also sent out to teachers.  I know when I find myself feeling defeated and hopeless I have to find something proactive to get me back to center. This may be something to look into. 

Self-Paced Mindfulness Courses for All Staff

In alignment with PPS’s vision to implement district-wide Transformative Social Emotional Learning (TSEL) and co-create a climate of health and wellness, HR is collaborating with our long-term partner, Peace in Schools, and with the PPS MTSS department to offer wellbeing resources and Professional Development opportunities for PPS staff. The courses are free, virtual and available to everyone in PPS. 

Three new virtual asynchronous courses are now available to all staff. These can be taken any time and PDUs are available. The self-paced courses are available in Pepper. Users can begin by following either set of instructions below.

PMTSS1004 Mindfulness Foundations 

• Decrease stress and anxiety

• Build emotional resilience

• Reduce overwhelm and burnout

• Support a mindfulness practice

PMTSS1005 Mindfulness for Burnout 

• Mindfulness basics

• Burnout and compassion fatigue

• Nervous system restorative practices

• Resilience and purpose

PMTSS1006 Mindfulness for Trauma 

• What is trauma 

• how it affects us and our students, 

• the science behind resilience

• how mindfulness can support trauma recovery

Locate the courses by…

Searching  by course name or code using the magnifying glass located on the top left of the screen.

Or

1. Login into Pepper (pepper.pps.net)

2. Click on the “Course Library” on the top menu

3. Click on the “Subject” filter

4. Scroll until you see “MTSS” and select

5. Click the course title and then "Sign Up & Start Course"

For the Love of Teaching: A simple mindful moment and short practice to start your week. This four-part series offers an accessible, grounding practice each week to support educators as they navigate the school day. Four, 15-minute weekly virtual sessions held on Tuesdays from 8-8:15 am. One contact hour can be put towards CEUs/PDUs. You do not need to register to join the class. 

Cultivating Connection and Centering Relationships: This monthly virtual series offers space to connect with colleagues in a structured way that provides relational tools and practices that nourish a sense of belonging and support overall wellbeing. Four, 60 minute monthly virtual sessions. Five contact hours that can be put towards CEUs/PDUs.