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

September 25 Update

Happy Friday!  Another amazing week! 

Cheers for Peers:

Congrats to this weeks' receipents - Christa Kain and Nura Elmi!  Congrats to these two educators! 

Christa was nominated by Mallory Baumann for "Christa sees many students every day, yet she still takes the time to learn about them so she can better support them. Whether it's for a short time or three times in one day, she always wants to see the full picture. The kids feel seen, and she makes our days smoother! Christa is the best! Thank you for all you do!"

Nura was nominated by Katy Furniss for "Nura comes into my room to support a friend and her face instantly lights up when Nura comes in to help her. Not only does Nura take the time to help this friend, but she also helps anyone else that needs it. She brings a patient and calm presence into our space that is so appreciated! You're the best at what you do, Nura! Thank you for everything you do to support staff and students at McKinley!"

Homecoming Next Week:

A few updates regarding early release...

Teddy Bear Parade - our 1st grade is doing their annual Teddy Bear Parade at 10:30am.  They will share a parade route.  Please be seated and ready by 10:30am.  

Dress Up Days:  The below graphic will be shared with families (via SeeSaw and social media) on Monday.

 Picnic Lunch - We are hosting our annual picnic lunch for families on this day.  Below is information and some documents regarding the day:

• Linked is more details around this event.  
• I am looking for help on this day to eat lunch with your class (the students who do not have a family member who came with).  
• Linked is a list of families who have RSVP (this will continue to be updated as families RSVP - RSVP closes Wednesday, September 23.  

Supervision at Parade (Teaching Staff Only) - please complete the linked form showing your plan for the early release.  We are trying to do a check on how many staff will be supervising the parade.  

Update from CEU Committee:

Hello Awesome Educators! This is a reminder from your CEU committee to check on your hours and renewal dates. Even if this is not your renewal year,  please stay on top of what requirements/hours you have already completed and what you have left to complete. Our CEU committee meets a few times a year formally, but works throughout each week to get hours approved. 

We moved to PowerSchool last school year. You can view all of the requirements that were completed from PD Express (our old system) by logging on to PELSB and looking up your license. 

1. Check in the PELSB site (online license renewal) for any hours listed from 2024 and earlier. 

2. Look at the transcript from PowerSchool to see what you still need to complete.  

3. Complete the missing requirements. 

All of the steps for completing hours, renewal, etc can be found on our district website, under License Renewal. If you have any questions, please reach out to our CEU committee! We are here to help!

Inclusive Schools Week:

Inclusive Schools Week is December 7-11, 2026. We are looking for a team this year to help create some district-wide activities for our students.  We are planning to meet 3-4 times (7:30am) to get this planning up and running.  Please let me know of your interest by October 2, 2026.  Thank you for considering!  

October Family Newsletter:

The following October Family Newsletter will be shared with families today.

Writing Letters of Support:
School staff are sometimes asked to write letters of support for parents, guardians, or others involved in child custody disputes or other legal or personal matters. Requests for letters written in your professional capacity, based on information obtained through your school role, or that could reasonably be understood to represent the district must receive prior administrative approval. If you receive such a request, refer it to your principal before agreeing to write or provide a letter. Additionally, employment verification requests should be directed to Human Resources. These types of requests require careful review to protect confidentiality, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and avoid involving staff or the district unnecessarily in private disputes or court proceedings. This expectation does not prohibit you from writing a personal letter on your own time as a family member or friend; for example, in support of a sibling. Such letters should clearly reflect your personal relationship and firsthand knowledge outside your school role. Do not use district letterhead, your district email account, your school title to imply district endorsement, or confidential information obtained through your employment. If your personal and professional roles overlap, or you are unsure whether approval is needed, consult your principal before proceeding.

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

Have a great weekend!
-Justin