November 13 Update

Happy Friday!
Thanks to everyone for another great week at McKinley! 

SISU:
If you think back to our welcome back week, we talked about the of "SISU" - that inner strength to keep going, even when things are tough.  It was easy to committ to the resilence, courage, and endurance of SISU in August.  Is it still as easy to committ?  

Each of you make an impact - good or bad.  What type of impact do you want to make? 

Cheers for Peers:

Karen Thurnau was nominated by Jodie & Katy - "Karen took the extra time after a long day of teaching and conferencing this past Tuesday, to deliver our Veterans Day letters and cards. She went to THREE different places, which likely made the rest of her night quite short, but she was happy to report the greetings were graciously accepted"

Liz Stitzmeyer was nominated by Karla Wilke - "I am amazed by Liz's creativity in her teaching every single day. Not am I so lucky to plan and teach with her but to learn how to be the kindest and fun teacher there is out there. She knows how to engage her students and she does so whether it is a planned out detailed lesson or an on the spot change of plans. She takes a common Notice and Wonder from same ole, same ole to the next level of engagement with balloon popping, movement, partner work, drawing and more. Her teaching is fresh, engaging and super fun. Liz does this with the biggest smile on her face and the best laugh! Students and staff LOVE working with Mrs. Stitzmeyer!"

Andie Zwart was nominated by Karla Wilke - "Every time I have a technology issue, I am amazed with how fast Andie arrives at my "door" to solve the problem. It is within 30 seconds and she is there! Andie bursts into the room with such joy and a positive attitude. She makes me feel ok that I don't understand what is going on and how to fix the issue. I can understand when she explains it to me. She always has a smile on her face and evidence that she loves her job. Her joy and energy is infectious. I always feel better after our paths cross. Thank you for your expertise and passion, Andie!"

Let's fill this building with gratitude!  If you have a colleague to nominate, please complete the form.  Don't forget, there is no moment "too small" to make an impact! 

American Education Week:
Next week is American Education Week - a week to honor all the educators who support and love our kids!  The term educator means all of you!  Linked below is our plan to celebrate you:

Staffing:
A couple of staffing updates:

• Tom Smith is retiring from his position at Winter Break.  A huge congrats to Tom for entering retirement!  He won't be leaving McKinley anytime soon - he will be covering for Kyle Melcher's paternity leave from January 4- Spring Break. 

• Luke Holt will be taking Tom Smith's position on January 4.  Luke taught PE here many years ago and is excited to return!  

• 3rd Grade LTS - we are currently looking for a 3rd Grade LTS for Katy Furniss.  Katy will be out from December 15 - February 16.  If you know of anyone, please reach out or have them apply online.

• Open Stride Para - we have an open Stride para position as Nicole Boehme has resigned.  The position is posted - if you know of anyone, have them apply! 

• Mallory Olson is filling in for Danika Beck from November 20 through March.  Mallory is coming to us from Lincoln where she has many years of experience in Kindergarten and 1st Grade.  

Wellness Week:
The below note is from Maria Terry and the Wellness Committee...
The goal of Wellness Week is to reinforce and build on the health and wellness information students are learning at school and at home. Here are a few tips to help make Wellness Week a success: 

• Use the interactive Wellness Week online module each day to share the lesson and complete a brief classroom activity. Each lesson takes less than five minutes. https://mccmscontent.mayo.edu/LSC/MayoClinicHealthSystemWellnessWeek/2026-2027/index.html#/ 

• Share the Wellness Week flyer with parents through email and/or your school newsletter. Web link: https://mcforms.mayo.edu/mc4400-mc4499/mc4484-328.pdf  and Spanish version https://mcforms.mayo.edu/mc4400-mc4499/mc4484-328sp.pdf (Also attached in both English and Spanish) 

• Remind students to talk with their families about the “at-home” topic each evening. 

• Provide the MCHS Pop-It cube to participating students at the end of Wellness Week as a thank-you item.

Weather and Emergency Closings:
Linked is a document that outlines what you do in the event of a weather or emergency closing.  Please save this so you can reference in the event school is closed.

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

Have a great weekend!
-Justin 

November 6 Update

Happy Friday!

As educators, our days are filled with countless choices, but one of the most powerful is where we direct our focus. When we look for the negative, we will always find it—in a challenging moment, an interrupted lesson, or a tough interaction. However, as the image reminds us, we hold the light switch. We get to control which lens we use to view our day. Take a brief moment today to reflect on where your switch is set: are you actively searching for the growth, small wins, and light in your classroom, or are you letting the darkness take over? Remember, the energy and perspective we choose not only shape our own day, but they also set the tone for every student who walks through our doors.

Cheers for Peers:

Jess Zupansic was nominated by Liz Stitzmeyer - Jess has been previewing the phonics stories with a few of our 4th graders during MTSS. These students have come to phonics the last 2 weeks SO excited to share about what they have learned, answer peer questions and be teacher helpers with the lesson. These are students who were NEVER raising their hands before. I'm so thankful that Jess has taken the time to invest in these students and to show them how interesting and fun reading can be. She puts in SO much extra time and care and this is something we should celebrate! Thanks Jess!

Paige Larson was nominated by Kate Seifert - Paige does an amazing job of incorporating technology in the classroom and bringing lessons to life. She achieves a great balance of reading, writing, videos, songs, and stories to keep kids engaged and learning. I am inspired every time I teach with her!

Kate Seifert was nominated by the 3rd Grade Team - Although we miss having Kate on our team directly, we are SO thrilled to have her as our co-teacher! She takes every spare chance she gets to make sure we are all set with the materials needed for lessons - even creating them herself frequently! We are so grateful to have a good amount of time each day to teach with her and so grateful our students get to work with her! Please know how grateful we are for you and how appreciated you are! We love you!

Photos & Media Opt Out: 

Just a friendly reminder to be checking for media opt out before you are submitting pictures online (or doing Positive Office Referrals).  We are assuming you are checking for this before submitting pictures.  If you end up with a student who is media opt out, please share this information with those involved.  

Doors:

As part of our safety work, we should only be using the front door for in/out of the building.  I understand there are times you want to use a door in your space - however, that is creating a risk of the door being left open, someone coming in, etc.  Moving forward, please plan on using the front door(s) if you are entering or exiting the building.  This does include using the outdoor classroom, garden, and nature center.  

Stride will be the only door that is used for arrival and dismissal.  Other than those two times, we should not use those doors for daily traffic either.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

October 30 Update

Happy Friday!

Another amazing week at such an amazing place.... 

Cheers for Peers:

Kinzie Kruschke was nominated by Katie Barth for "Kenzie is a wonderful para and does an amazing job supporting students with hearing loss at McKinley. She has learned all about the equipment, has built positive relationships with the students, and creates accountability for the use and care of their amplification equipment. She celebrates the student successes and she takes initiative to research and solve minor equipment issues. She is great at communicating with me and is willing to try new ideas to meet student needs. She truly makes my job easier knowing that when I am serving other schools, the students at McKinley are in good hands."

Josh Tolle was nominated by Brenda Hager for "Mr. Tolle has a special way of making learning fun while building genuine connections with students. He is down to earth and very approachable while still creating an environment where students are excited to learn. Mr. Tolle knows how to capture kids attention, get them involved and make even challenging lessons enjoyable."

Karla Wilke was nominated by Brenda Hager for "I want to nominate Mrs. Wilke for making learning fun, keeping kids engaged and bringing laughter into the classroom. They're so full of energy and prove that learning doesn't have to be boring. Seriously have you seen the classroom contraction lesson? How fun is that? Every school needs a little more of that kind of fun!"

November 2 PD:

Just a reminder - Monday is our November 2 PD Day. Please see email from Julie Sullivan.

Also, what a great gift we are provided - a day of reflecting, learning, and growing about our professional craft. I look forward to seeing/hearing about all your learning!

November Family Newsletter:

Linked is the November Family Newsletter that will go out to families today (Friday).  

Veteran's Day:

On November 11, we are required to provide an hour of instruction on Veteran's Day.  Below is our plan:

• Resources:  Linked are video links & other resources for Veteran's Day
• Wall of Honor:  Our school commnity is submitting pictures of Veteran's in their families.  On November 11, we will open our Wall of Honor for you and your class to visit.  This will count toward instructional time.  More to come!  
• On November 11 at 8:20, we will meet in the library.  Mrs. Huse will be singing the National Anthem.   

1:1 Barometer Check Feedback:

As you all know, I completed 1:1 barometer checks last week with almost all staff. Our Building Leadership Team will do some digging into the themes from these checks (they will not see names or specific comments).  More to come!  

As I listened to each of you, there was a lot in the first question to celebrate (What is something about our school culture or daily environment that makes you feel glad to work here?).  I wanted to share a couple big themes from this.  Please take a moment to read through this list of all the amazing things about McKinley - we have SO much to be thankful for.  

• Feels Like Home: Staff repeatedly describe the school as a "second family" and a safe space where they immediately feel a strong sense of belonging.

• Warm Everyday Environment: Consistent mention of friendly greetings, smiles, hallway hellos, high-energy starts to the day, and genuine daily check-ins ("How are you?").

• Low Staff Turnover: Staff note that people want to stay here and don't request transfers because of how special the environment is.

• "Our Kids, Not My Kids": Universal commitment to collective responsibility for every student in the building.

• Meeting Kids Where They Are: Focus on person-first language, high expectations, relationship-building, and supporting the whole child.

• Visible Leadership: Staff feel heard, seen, and supported by leadership

• Joy & Day-Brighteners: Appreciation for staff traditions, Wednesday snacks, coffee trucks, and social opportunities to connect outside of the classroom.

• Positive Energy: High job satisfaction overall, with many staff stating they genuinely love coming to work every single day.

We have SO much to be proud of.  One thing is clear - people take care of each other.   I'm so proud to be a part of our McKinley Family.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

October 23 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley!

Another GREAT week of learning, relationships, and teamwork!  

As I'm finishing up 1:1 Barometer Checks with Staff this week, I am so thankful to work alongside of each of you!  Each of you have such passion, love for our kids, and pride in our McKinley community.  Thank you for making an impact!  

Cheers for Peers!

I've missed a few weeks, so we have a few Cheers for Peers!

Yuska nominated the Stride Paraprofessionals for We all know how busy our workdays at STRIDE can be and how much we rely on one another to keep things running smoothly\. I’d like to thank everyone for the great teamwork that is developing among the paraprofessionals, as well as for the initiative to share the Setting 1/2 paraprofessionals with us today\. It really helped our day run more smoothly, and I truly appreciate the collaboration and support\!

Jess Zupansic nominated Tamra Gonzalez for Tamra genuinely loves her students and is passionate about helping them learn and grow. I especially appreciate that she is never afraid to ask questions or seek out new ideas.Every time I talk with her, she manages to make me smile and laugh, and I feel lucky to have her as a colleague!

Karen Thurnau nominated Tonya Goettl for Tonya has been so ready and prepared for our class to experience the Makerspace area. After the students come back she has provided me feedback and sent pictures of the students showing off their creations! The kids love to see pictures of themselves and love hearing the positive feedback! Thank you for making an positive impact Tonya!

Staffing Update:

A couple updates for staffing...

Mercedes Zavala has accepted the K-5 Educational Assistant position and will start today.  Mercedes was once a McKinley student herself and has experience working with Migrant Education. 

Mallory Olson will be filling in for Danika Beck during her maternity leave (end of November through early April).  Mallory has experience teaching Kindergarten and 1st Grade and will be a great addition to our Kindergarten team. 

National School Psychology Week:

School Psychology Week is coming up November 1st–7th, and it’s a great opportunity to show our appreciation for the amazing work our school psychologist does! We are so fortunate to have Cecile Dokkestul as a valued member of our team. She provides such important support to our students, and I’d love for us to take a moment to let her know how much we appreciate her!  

Please take a few minutes to fill out the digital appreciation card and share a note of gratitude, a kind message, or a few words about how Cecile has helped you or your students. Let’s make sure she feels celebrated and knows how much she means to our school community!

Thank you for taking a moment to spread some appreciation and kindness! Staff Social Squad

Safety & Emergency Updates:

Just a few reminders - 

• Linked is our Weather & Emergency Closing Plan.   Please save this somewhere - it will remind you of the plan in the event school is closed/released/etc.  
• This week, we had three different situations were staff were "aware of their surroundings" - seeing an unusual person on school grounds, checking for a badge, and then alerting us in the office.  GREAT JOB!

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!
-Justin

October 14 Update

Happy MEA Break!

A short weekly update...

I hope you each can find some time to turn off your school mind and enjoy the things you love.   Enjoy every minute of your four days away!  

Connection Day - 10/19:

We have our first connection day on October 19.  For those of you who are new to McKinley, we do a Connection Day after a long break.  The day is designed around rebuilding relationships & re-establishing routines.  A team has designed a choice board for you to do with your classroom at points during your day.  It's a great way to transition back to school after a long break!

Manager of your Space - (Guest Blogger former employee Danielle Nystrom): 

Have you ever had a moment where things in your classroom have been chaotic and you weren’t sure what to do? Same here! We all know the intricacies of classroom management. Not to mention how challenging it can be when a student displays a behavior that doesn’t fit the classroom expectations we have set. 

How do you respond? How do you let the student who is struggling know that they are seen and heard without bringing too much attention to the display? On the flip side… How do you let the rest of the class know that you “have this” and that they are safe when unexpected things happen? As they say, the struggle is real!! While things are chaotic and disruptive at times, it's important to remember that YOU are the manager of your classroom space. You can keep the space calm and positive despite the disruptions that will inevitably occur.

Remember! Your presence has an impact. Your facial expressions, your body language, your voice tone. Everything you do impacts the environment and communicates something to those around you. Stay calm (even when you have no clue what to do…. It happens to all of us!). Acknowledge that you hear the sound or see the movement (“I can hear the noise” or “I see there is more movement right now”), remind the class that they are safe, and thank those who are doing their job.  If the display continues, remind the class that they are safe (again) and that sometimes we need different things to help regulate our bodies and emotions. Feelings are big and sometimes unexpected things happen. Normalize it as much as you can. It helps build empathy and keep things calm. Everyone (kids and adults included) experience big emotions and it's important to work through that. It looks and sounds different for everyone… and that is ok. When we respond in this way, we are communicating that everything is ok, that we are managing what is happening, and that when big feelings happen- it’s ok. We work through it together. 

A great example of this comes from the first week of school last year. A student was seeking attention any way that she could get it. The display  included blurting out frequently and jumping off her desk and around the room like a frog. The teacher reached out for support, and we talked through the different scenarios and ways to approach it in a positive way, knowing she would have another opportunity (or several) to redirect the behavior.  When the class came back, the student picked up right where she left off. The behavior was acknowledged, the positive behaviors were reinforced, the attention was removed from the unexpected behaviors and the class moved forward. While this doesn’t always “end” the behavior immediately, the teacher reinforced the idea that she is the manager of the space and that the class is ok and safe- even when there are unexpected sounds and movements happening. 

In the heat of the moment, we can easily be overcome with our own emotions, especially if the display is something that has been repeated multiple times. We may feel unsure of where to go first, what to say, and how to juggle it all. Just remember… Your presence has an impact. How you respond will impact the rest of your class. You are the manager of your space and students will learn to trust that in watching how you respond to a behavior display.

Here is a reminder image that may help in those big moments! It takes practice! Just like everything that we teach! This is something that takes time to build. Students will give you many opportunities to practice. Use each display as an opportunity to validate feelings, meet students where they are at, and most importantly, manage the classroom space. 

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

Have a great weekend!
-Justin

October 9 Update

 Happy Friday!

This appeared in my social media yesterday.  This reminded me that we are responsible for finding those "happy moments", even in the chaos of the day.  It's important we find the "joy" and enjoy those little moments  - a laugh, smile, story from their life, etc.   And, I disagree with the end to this quote - research says a strong relationship creates safety in a classroom which in turn creates high levels of learning.   Find those joyful moments today!  

Indigenous People's Day - Monday:

Per state statute, we are required to provide 1 hour of programming on Indigenous People's Day on October 12.  Linked is a document that provides some resources to support your instruction that day.  

Connection Day - October 19

We have our first connection day on October 19.  For those of you who are new to McKinley, we do a Connection Day after a long break.  The day is designed around rebuilding relationships & re-establishing routines.  A team has designed a choice board for you to do with your classroom at points during your day.  It's a great way to transition back to school after a long break!

Lunch Count:

Starting Monday, October 19, we will be moving to an electronic lunch count (linked here).   Please have your lunch count entered into this sheet every morning.  We will use this same sheet every day (they will delete numbers after they have them).  I do have a request into Infinite Campus to have this be added as part of your attendance (hopefully someday).  This will start after MEA break. 

Perception Survey:

Next week, our staff and 4-5th graders will participate in a Perceptions Survey.  This survey is importnat information for our District.  Please watch for this email and take the survey when you can. 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend! 

Justin

October 2 Update

Happy Homecoming!

Looking forward to a great day - Teddy Bear Parade, Picnic, and the Parade.  Go Huskies!

EA Opening:

Gabrielle Howard, an EA, resigned early this week.  The position is posted if you know of anyone interested.  If they are, please have them apply ASAP.  I'm screening applications and setting up interviews this weekend.  

Starfish:

Back in August, we kicked the year off with the Starfish Story.  If you recall, the boy was throwing starfish back.   A man questioned him, stating there were too many starfish on the beach to save.  The boy threw a starfish back in and said "it matters to that one".   

Never underestimate the power of your everyday actions. The extra minute you spend listening, the quick word of encouragement, or the quiet patience you offer might feel small in the moment, but to the person on the receiving end, it can change everything. You may never see the full ripple effect of the light you bring to work each day, but please know this: every single little effort matters, and you are making a difference.

Halloween:
Halloween is on a Saturday this year. Woo hoo!! Just a friendly reminder - we have moved away from doing Halloween activities, including having students dress up on this day. Not only is the dress up a distraction (and fear factor of some costumes) but it becomes an equity issue with some not celebrating, having the funds to get a costume, etc. We are not doing any dress up.

Also, we have moved away from celebrating Halloween. This includes any jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, death, etc. Many teams have still found fun ways to turn this into a fall event - STEM activities around designing and building with a pumpkin, for example.

If your team is planning anything and want to run it by me, I'd be happy to offer any help.

McKinley Gear:

We will continue our tradition of McKinley gear on Mondays! 

A huge thank you to Steph for organizing our newest "gear"! 

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

Have a great weekend!  Go Huskies! - Justin