May 15 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley!

Another great week of learning, relationships, and memories!  

Love those Porcupines!  

As we move into the last 3 weeks (crazy!), please pull out your porcupines and reground yourself in loving those porcupines.  This time of year can be tough - for our kids, yourself, our colleagues, etc.   It's important we continue to provide grace, patience, and create positive memories with everyone (students, colleagues, etc).  We can love on those porcupines while still maintining consistency and love!  

Room Moves & Updates for 26-27:

A few updates in regards to next year.  We do have some room movement:

• K2 (Beck) is moving into Jen Schlauderaff's old room
• K3 (Peterson) will be in the empty Kdg room 
• K4 (Hager) will be in Danika Beck's old room
• SPED (Williams/Herbst) will be getting a door installed this summer
• SPED (Molly Hieb - new hire) will be in the front part of the empty 5th grade room; the back will be available for a flex space.
• EL (Stitzmeyer, Eickhoff, Seifert) will be located in Zupansic/Peterson's current Intervention room
• Intervention (Zupansic) will be in Caryn Boetel's old office
• 3D (Thurnau) will move to 3B (Seifert's old room)

PowerSchool:

Just a friendly reminder to get into PowerSchool to start closing out your end of the year tasks.  This includes evaluations, Peer Review, goal setting, etc).   Because of the back and forth signature process within the system, please do not wait until June 5.   

Class List Placement:

Just a reminder that next Friday, May 22, we will be meeting in collaboration time to work on class lists.  Please have the spreadsheet updated so we can print cards and be prepared for this.  Because of time, please try to join collaboration as soon as possible.   

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend - enjoy the beautiful weather Saturday!

-Justin

May 8 Update

Another great week at McKinley!  

Thank you for your help (and flexibility) with the breakfast pilot.  It's taken a team to make this happen and I appreciate each of you!  

Happy Mother's Day

Thank you for the countless ways you show up every single day. You love, guide, and inspire not only your own children, but our students who are lucky enough to learn from you. Balancing motherhood and teaching isn’t just a job—it’s a calling that requires patience, strength, and a whole lot of heart.

The care you give doesn’t stop when the school day ends. You carry it home, weaving together lesson plans and bedtime stories, grading papers and packing lunches, encouraging growth both in the classroom and at the kitchen table.

Your impact reaches far beyond what can be measured. You are shaping minds while raising hearts, and that’s no small thing.
Thank you for all that you do—for your dedication, your passion, and the love you pour into both your families and your students.

You are truly appreciated.  Happy Mother's Day!

Honorees:

On Wednesday night, our OEA hosted an evening of celebration - for years of service, retirees, and teacher of the year.  It was a great night to celebrate our McKinley staff!  

Retirees - Annette Warner, Caryn Boetel, and Lisa Revier

25 years of service - Gia Davison & Karla Wilke

30 years of service - Lynn Jensen

Each year, the OEA picks someone as the "Friend of Education" - someone who has made a signficant impact within Owatonna Public Schools.  This year, our Success Coaches were chosen.  This team is such an integral part of our work.  This past year, this team led the work to ensure our families were taken care of during the Operation Metro Surge.   

Thank you Sylvia and Nura for all you do for our students, families, and staff.   You are so deserving of the "Friend of Education" award!  

  

Last Day of Interventions:

Our last day of interventions will be Friday, May 29.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:
Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

May 1 Update

Happy Friday - AND Happy May! 

Educator Appreciation Week:

Next week is Educator Appreciation Week!  Each of you serve in a role as an "educator"... so let's celebrate each of you!  Check the picture above on the plan for the week.  

Monday's lunch will be brats, chips, and a dessert.  Please bring your own drink.  Lunch will be served in the lounge - but feel free to head out back (by the garden) to enjoy lunch outside, too!  

Toot Your Horn:

This week's Toot Your Horn is Pat Fails! Pat was nominated by Josh Tolle for "Pat makes McKinley a better place because he is here. He is fully present with a smile on his face and his joyful laughter resonating through the halls. On any given day you will see him gently teasing a student, encouraging students to make good decisions, or holding a little hand in his hands to help guide them. Pat also is a servant leader. On this particular day, Pat proactively went and grabbed a mop to clean up a spill in Aisle 5. I happened to be coming to get the mop for a spill in Aisle 23. He asked me where my spill was and said he would take care of it. It is these little things that add up to make a school culture. Thank you Pat for serving the students and staff here at McKinley. You are appreciated! Now get out there and toot that horn!"

Breakfast:

Just a reminder that breakfast starts before school on Monday! 

Breakfast begins at 7:45 and ends at 8:10am.  Students should NOT be down in classrooms or their lockers.  After 8:10, students will be given a breakfast and sent to class (we will monitor how many this is and adjust as needed).  We will not serve breakfast after 8:10 unless the student comes late (the office will make this decision and send them).    

For lunch slips, our kitchen team will put a slip in your mailbox at the end of each day (make sure you check your mailbox each morning).  The kitchen team will come around before 8:30am each day to get the lunch slip from you.  

This is a pilot, so we will adjust as needed throughout the month of May.  

Friday Grill Out:

We're getting closer and closer to May.... which means Friday grill out!  If your team is interested in having Justin grill your lunch, please sign up with your team.  On the day of, bring in your meat and mark with your name in the lounge fridge. I will happily get your food grilled and delivered to you!  Sign up if interested!  It's a great time to enjoy the outdoors and some good food! 

IM Implementation:

Our last question & thoughts from our pilot teams (K & 5th Grade):

Question:  If someone asked you for the big differences between Everyday Math and IM, what would you say?

Response: Teachers are noticing some clear differences between IM and Everyday Math. IM is designed to build understanding over time, with concepts connected across units, while Everyday Math tends to revisit topics in a more separate, cyclical way.

In the classroom, IM feels much more hands-on and student-centered. Students are exploring, discussing, and explaining their thinking, rather than just practicing skills on worksheets. There is a stronger focus on helping students understand the “why” behind math, not just how to do it.

IM also goes deeper into fewer concepts at a time, giving students the chance to build understanding from hands-on experiences to more abstract ideas. Everyday Math, in comparison, often moves more quickly and focuses more on practice.

Overall, teachers are seeing IM as a shift toward deeper thinking, meaningful conversations, and active engagement, with more opportunities for all students to participate and show their understanding.

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

April 24 Update

Happy Friday!

Another great week at McKinley!  One thing I noticed this week is all the smiles, positivity, and fun energy coming from staff.  Thank you for remembering to focus on relationships, positivity, and finding the fun at work!  

Staffing Update:

SSW - I am excited to share that Megan Schulz (she is getting married and will be Megan Douglas next year) has accepted the School Social Worker position.  Megan is coming from private therapy, but has experience as a School Social Worker and Youth Mental Health Navigator for Mankato Area Public Schools.  Our interview team was impressed with her energy, passion, connectedness, and organization.   We are SO sad to see Annette leave, but excited to have Megan join our team!  

EL - I am excited to share that Kate Seifert has accepted the EL Teacher position at McKinley.  As you know, Kate is a 3rd grade teacher who has an extensive background in co-teaching, language supports, and collaboration.   Additionally, Kate is bilingual in Spanish.  Please join me in welcoming Kate to this new role!  

Summer Maintenance Form:

Today is the last day to complete any summer work you are requesting - please complete the linked form. 

Absences & Leaving Early:

May is a busy month - both professionally and personally.  And, each year, we see absences increase in May.  A few reminders - 

• Please get your absences in as soon as possible.  We need to secure subs and can't just assume we will find internal coverage.  May gets hard.  
• If you are needing to leave early, please have a conversation with me.  In the past few weeks, there has been an increase in people stopping in the office to say they need to leave early,   Please plan ahead and go through me (Justin), not Steph.  

IM Feedback:

Below is the third part in our series where I surveyed our pilot teams on Illustrative Math (IM).  

Question - What do you wish you had known the year before implementing?

Responses - Several common themes have emerged that may be helpful for planning ahead. Many teachers found that time was required up front to explore the print curriculum and become comfortable with online resources. The planning and preparation can feel overwhelming at first, especially with gathering and organizing manipulatives, but it becomes more manageable as routines are established.

A key takeaway is the importance of trusting the process. While the pacing may feel slow initially, giving students time to build problem-solving, discussion, and collaboration skills leads to stronger independence and confidence over time. Along with this, intentionally teaching and revisiting “soft skills” like partner work, sharing ideas, and engaging in math conversations is essential for student success.

Teachers also noted the value of letting learning unfold—resisting the urge to over-explain and instead allowing students to discover strategies and concepts. With time and experience, the flow of lessons becomes more natural, and both teachers and students grow more comfortable with the structure and expectations.

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

April 17 Update

Happy Friday!

Another great week of learning and relationships at McKinley!  

Toot Your Horn Thursday:

We had three receipents this week - Denise Carlson, Andie Zwart, and Amber Sommers!

Amber Sommers was nominated by Liz Stitzmeyer - Amber consistently faces each day with energy and joy. She is a leader that leads by example and is always sharing strategies and encouragement to those of us on her team. She is ready to volunteer her time to help her teammates. Amber knows her stuff-she's so knowledgeable in strategies for teaching and reinforcing social skills. Her students adore her and so do I! Keep up the good work!

Andie Zwart was nominated by those who do time and effort -  A Time and Talent calendar, that is turned in every quarter, has been added to our work load. This has caused stress and frustration to many of us. Andi helped lots of us, last quarter, to get this together and sent to Shari Mensink on time. Andi was so patient with us. Well, she took it a step farther and sent us step by step instructions that we were able to follow and submit this ourselves. Yeah!!! Thanks for being amazing Andie!

Denise Carlson was nominated by Val Seath - Denise Carlson has always gone above and beyond in her role as an EA and as a SAC supervisor. Here are just a few examples from the last month alone-

Recently, Jaxen (my 4th grade son, who is also in SAC) brought home a small hand-knit dragon. It came with a folded origami box and handwritten note about how to take care of it. I asked him about it and he said that "Mrs. Carlson gave it to me. She gave them to everyone in morning SAC!" I was so touched that someone would spend the time to hand make the fun toy dragons, fold the boxes and write the notes- for each student! What an incredible heart Denise has! I also have a student that is diabetic. She came back from the library the other day with two brand new books that she checked out. She was thrilled that they were both picture books about children who also have diabetes. She was so proud and showing them to everyone with the best smile on her face! Denise orders books that make students feel like they belong and shine a light on different experiences to help grow empathy. My student's books about diabetes and Jaxen's dragon were brought home. Families see those things and they are clear examples to our families that Mrs. Carlson cares about our students at McKinley and cares about their lives beyond these walls. Thank you for being YOU, Mrs. Carlson.

Friday Grill Out:

We're getting closer and closer to May.... which means Friday grill out!  If your team is interested in having Justin grill your lunch, please sign up with your team.  On the day of, bring in your meat and mark with your name in the lounge fridge. I will happily get your food grilled and delivered to you!  Sign up if interested!  It's a great time to enjoy the outdoors and some good food! 

5th Grade Graduation:

FYI - we surveyed students this year about an interest in a formal graduation.  Our students chose against a graduation and instead wanted an afternoon at the park to celebrate their end of 5th grade.  I notified families yesterday, but wanted you to be aware too.  

Fastbridge Schedule:

With the end of the school year in sight, that means FastBridge testing is around the corner.  Our FastBridge Spring Benchmark Assessment window runs May 4th-22nd. Please open and view the relevant parts of this document that has all schedules, resources, and plans for spring benchmark assessments.  

FastBridge Benchmark Assessment Plan - Spring 2026

• ALL staff should look at page 1 (Schedule at a Glance) and note important testing days and times that may impact your schedule.
• Classroom Teachers: Read page 1 & 2 and click on the linked assessment plan for the grade you teach. Add dates and times to your calendars & lesson plans. 
• T2/T3 Intervention Teachers: Read page 1 & 2 and see schedule and plan on linked Intervention Plan Page. Prior to assessment, review testing protocols and gather materials for any assessments you will be giving (linked on your page).
• SpEd/EL: Read pages 1 & 2 and linked SpEd/EL Plan page and familiarize yourself with schedules and plans for any grade-levels you support. Prior to assessment, review testing protocols and gather materials for any assessments you will be giving (linked on your page).

Our benchmark assessment window is an important time to collect information and academic growth on all students. There's a lot of pieces to this puzzle and it's very important you are familiar with your role in helping collect all of this information as efficiently and accurately as possible. If you have questions, please talk with Katie Demmer. 

Illustrative Math (IM) Feedback:

This is the second part in an ongoing series where we hear more about our new math resource for next year.  As you know, our Kindergarten and 5th Grade teams are piloting this year.  Below are some thoughts from those teams around this week's question.  

Question - How does your math block look different this year when thinking of instruction and student learning?

Response from Pilot Teams - Pilot teachers are describing a meaningful shift in how math time is structured and experienced. Many have worked to create dedicated math blocks that allow for flexible small groups and partnerships, co-teaching, and different levels of language support to better meet student needs.

Instruction has become much more student-driven and hands-on, with less “sit and get” and more opportunities for students to explore, use manipulatives, and learn through stations. Teachers are talking less and instead facilitating learning—encouraging students to develop their own strategies, explain their thinking, and collaborate with peers.

There is also a stronger focus on student discourse and reasoning, even though it can require more wait time and patience to support all learners. Overall, classrooms are moving toward more engagement, deeper thinking, and reduced reliance on paper-pencil tasks, with teachers gaining better insight into student understanding through observation and discussion

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

April 10 Update

Happy Friday!

Today's update is a long one - sorry.  Please read carefully!  

No Toot Your Horn Thursday receipents this week - if you want to nominate someone, please complete the nominaton form. 

Staffing Update:

Another staffing update..  Steph Hager has accepted our Kindergarten position for next year.  Steph is not new to Owatonna or McKinley - she is an Owatonna graduate and is student teaching with Paige Larson.  Please join me in welcoming (as a full-time staff) Steph to her team!

Statewide Tornado Drill - Thursday:

This Thursday, April 16 is the MN Statewide Tornado Drill.  We will be doing our McKinley drill at 10:30am on this day (please note - we will not be doing the statewide drill time at 1:45pm although the sirens will still sound).  Please check the Virtual Office to see where your area/class goes for a tornado drill.  

Class List Process:

We are entering the time of creating class lists for next year.   This is a quite intense process in which teams look to the best placement/environment for our students to grow and thrive.  Click here to see details regarding the class list process.  

Please remember - all families need to complete the Classroom Environment form to request a placement.  If a family reaches out to you, please refer them to this step.   There are no "side deals" where parents are asking teachers to have students placed into seperate rooms.  We put a lot of time, energy, and thought into these placements and need the process followed.  

Breakfast - Pilot Program in May:

Starting May 4, we are piloting breakfast in the lunchroom before school.  This pilot will do two things - move breakfast to before school to create additional learning time AND provide our students warm breakfast choices each day.  This will be something we are piloting in May to see if we continue into the 26-27 school year.  

What is the plan to provide breakfast?   When students arrive, they will have the choice to go into the lunchroom to eat or stay outside.  Breakfast will be served and kids will eat in the lunchroom from 7:45-8:10am each day.  After 8:10, breakfast will become a grab and go (students will get the food and return to their classroom).   We will be mindful of late arrivals and buses and still provide students with breakfast. Additionally, we will be shifting some supervision from outside into the lunchroom with our AM arrival teams (I will share directly with those impacated).

Summer Maintenance List:

Linked is the request for summer maintenance work. This form is for items in your classroom/work area that need attention - fixing things, replacing broken, repainting chips or damage, etc. Please complete this by April 22. After that, we will notify you if your project is being addressed.

Illustrative Math (IM):

Next year, our district will be switching our math resource to Illustrative Math (often called "IM") in grades K-5 (Kindergarten and 5th Grade are currently piloting this).   This change will be a great thing - we have been long overdue for a new math resource.  As we get closer to next year, we are providing teacher teams some opportunties to learn more about IM.  Our Kindergarten and 5th Grade teams graciously completed an interview on their experience with math this year.  I have taken all of their responses and put into Chatgpt to help us understand the new resource a little more (from our internal experts).   For this week's blog, our teams will share their thinking around this week's question - "What are celebrations when you think of math and IM implementation?"

A big celebration is how students are thinking about math. They’re not just giving answers—they’re explaining their reasoning, trying different strategies, and learning from mistakes. Classrooms are becoming more student-centered, with rich conversations and collaboration happening regularly. Best of all, students are starting to see themselves as mathematicians and are building a more positive mindset about math overall. 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

March 27 Update

Happy Spring Break!

We've made it!  SPRING BREAK!  I hope each of you finds some time to...

Use the restroom whenever you want...

Drink your coffee before it gets cold....

Eating a meal in more than 26 minutes...

Not hearing your name 500 times in an hour...

Not tying shoes or redirecting students.....

I hope you instead can find some time to relax, enjoy those around you, and rejuvenate!  When we come back, we will finish quarter 4 strong!  :)

Toot Your Horn Thursday:

We have two recipents this week - Amanda Andrews & Jodie Dekam Valentine!

Amanda Andrews was nominated for A school is like a little community - when things are going well, you don't always see the "behind the scenes" to making that community run smoothly. Amanda is one of those "behind the scenes" that keep our McKinley community running. She jumps in to support our students and staff in a quick heartbeat. Recently, Amanda even took her dedication to the next level by sliding under a bathroom stall to unlock a door. I can't think of more dedication than that. Thank you for everything you do to keep McKinley a great place!

Jodie Valentine was nominated for I was walking a former student of Jodie's back to class from the nurse's office- he pointed to her room and wanted to go wave at her. Without the student saying a word, Jodie stopped what she was doing, invited him into the classroom, remembered his favorite brain break and proceeded to put it up on the smartboard. The whole class excitedly joined in on the brain break with her former student and the way his eyes lit up and the smile across his face is something I will always remember. I could tell in that moment the student felt important, cared about and seen -it was such a great reminder to me just how big of an impact a teacher has on a student's life. Thank you, Jodie, for making his day...and mine!

Keep up the great work, Amanda and Jodie!

Purchasing Deadline:

The purchasing deadline is April 30, 2026.  Please be aware of this wtih your any budgets you are in charge of.  If you want more information, please see Sarah Brandt's email from Monday.  

Also, please be on top of this and don't wait until April 30th.... 

Staffing Updates:

A few more staffing updates....

After spring break: 

Honey Rigge is (re)joining our team as an Educational Assistant starting after spring break.  Honey is replacing Judy and will be a great addition to our EA and Kindergarten team!  She will be working in Jen Schlauderaff's classroom.

Next Year:

Rachel Peterson will be returning to Kindergarten next year.   We reduced an intervention position in the building due to some Title realignment.  Rachel's background and passion for Kindergarten made her the ideal candidate.  I'm excited to have her return back to join Courtney, Danika, and a new hire in Kindergarten!  

Jen Bricko will be returning to 2nd grade next year due to a section move from 1st grade.  Jen has an extensive background in 1st and 2nd grade through her Montessori experience.  Another added perk - Jen doesn't need to move rooms! 

We have a Kindergarten opening, but this will be the MSU Fellow position.  This position is for a new graduate - they work full time and get some of their master's work paid through MSU-Mankato.  We haven't had this position at McKinley in a few years.  I am interviewing after break and will hopefully have a name to share with you at that time!  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin