Weekly Update- September 29, 2017

Happy Homecoming!
What a beautiful day for a parade!  I hope you enjoy your afternoon downtown- celebrating Owatonna!  Go Huskies!

Staff Power Hour Follow-Up:
Thank you for the great conversations and learning on Wednesday at our Staff Power Hour.  It is great to go even deeper with our work around PBIS and literacy.  Just to recap our learning:

PBIS:

• Lots of behaviors at recess, lunch, and in line.   We brainstormed some ways to be proactive in keeping our lines quiet and focused.  Remember- the volume is a 0-1 in the common areas (including hallways).
• Be aware of your proximity - we should be spread out in lines and outside. 

Literacy:

• Benchmarks are fully underway! 
• Continue to finish those up.   This resource- and the data collected- will help us shape the focus of our small group instruction and conferring.
• As you dig into this work, please invite Libby to either meet with you individually or at a common planning time so you can figure out how to support you with these resources. 

 
McKinley Building Goals:
Our Site Team has developed our two building goals for the year:

• Goal 1: My May 2018, all grade level PLCs will meet their goal of 100% student mastery of critical, teacher-identified reading Enduring Understandings. 
• Goal 2: By May 2018, McKinley Educators will closet the achievement/opportunity gap(s) by increasing each student group's proficiency by 10% as measured by the Reading and Math Comprehensive Assessments (MCA III). 

The team will be developing some action steps to achieve these goals.  Please make sure your PLC goal or individual goals are helping to support one (or both) of these goals.  More to come! 

 

What Does My Headscarf Mean To You?

I recently watched a 14 minute video on TED talks:  Click here to access the video

The video made me think about my biases and behaviors related to it.  I know that 14 minutes is a lot to devote.... so here are some key learnings. 

• You have biases.  Everyone does.  Biases related to class, race, disability, etc. 
• The goal is knowing your biases - and how to acknowledge them and navigate them.  

I really walked away questioning myself and how we work with families in a diverse building.  We all have kids and families best interest at heart- everyone does.  It's important we are aware that care isn't enough - we need to be aware of our own structures, words, and actions that support all. 

This year we will be doing some more work around this. 

EL Graduation- Tuesday:
We have our EL Graduation on Tuesday from 4-4:30pm.  This is a time for us to celebrate our students who have exited the program.  Join us for a fun reception and awards ceremony! 

Is Homework Valuable?
Another great article from Twitter (you know how much I love Twitter!) on the effectiveness of homework at the elementary level.  I think you will be surprised - click here to read the article

I want to add my two cents to this topic- in no way am I saying that you should never give homework.  If homework has a purpose and students have the support, homework can enhance the learning process.  However, the purpose and support aren't always there.

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


Have a great weekend, everyone!  Don't forget to make every second count! 
-Justin

Weekly Update- Friday, September 22, 2017

Happy Friday!

Word of the Year:

Just checking in on your "one word of the year" - how's it going?  Have you shared your word with an inner circle for accountability?  

Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessments

We will be using the results from these assessments to help us design extremely targeted instruction for our students during our reading small groups and conferring.  At our Power Hour on Wednesday, we will be digging into these results and doing some planning using the Literacy Continuum alongside of the assessments.  Please bring your Literacy Continuum book and all of the scoring sheets that you have completed for your students.

At the welcome back, we talked about the following assessments being completed:

       K- any students who know all letters and sounds and are reading some words

1. All students


2. All students


3. 8 or more students (including students who have not met other reading benchmarks)


4. 8 or more students (including students who have not met other reading benchmarks)


5. 8 or more students (including students who have not met other reading benchmarks)

It has been awesome to hear teachers’ reactions to using the assessments and the excitement around how much they are learning about their readers and the expectations for comprehension at various levels; it will be exciting to see how it helps to shape our instruction.

Entering DIBELS Data
If you have not already done so, please remember to enter your DIBELS scores (including DAZE scores for grades 3-5) into the DIBELS system as soon as possible.  You will want to double check that if you had any students added to your class after the first day of school, that they were in DIBELS.  You can email Kenneth Griswold (Data & Assessment Coordinator) if you are missing any students from your list.  The upload will happen to Viewpoint next week, and we want to be sure that all of our data is entered.

Staff Power Hour- Wednesday:
For those of you new to our McKinley Team, we call our staff meetings "Staff Power Hours".   Our meetings focus on learning and collaboration, not logistical updates.   I will always include those logistical updates at the top of the agenda - we will only discuss items that need clarification.

Click here to access the agenda

Please bring your Literacy Continuum book and any Benchmark Assessments that are completed!

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



Have a great weekend, everyone!
Justin

Weekly Update- September 14, 2017

Happy Friday, everyone!
We finished another great week of learning at McKinley! 

I shared this last year - it was something I found on Twitter.   Just something to keep fresh in your mind - what you do and say shows your priorities. 

It's been great seeing all the Tweets about what you are doing.  Keep that coming- you are telling people our "story" and our "why".  If we don't tell it, someone else will!

AM Arrival/PM Dismissal:
First, thank you for all your patience and flexibility with the AM arrival and PM dismissal.  It's been a learning experience, but I know we are headed in a great direction.  Just a couple reminders:

• Please continue to help outside in the AM and PM.  This is everyone.  And, please, be active during this (example: if you see a parent leaving their car, have a positive conversation with them). 
• Drop off and pick up is on the west side of the loop.  Please walk students over to that area and help get families to that spot.
• Keep being positive - even during a frustrating time.  Kids and families can feel it- stay positive and focused on kids. 
• We are doing a traffic study through the City.   The results will help us with our traffic flow.   This is coming soon....

Core Instruction v& Power 1/2 Hours:
Now that we are entering our third week of school, please make sure you are fully into your curriculum maps.   I appreciate all the work you have done to begin building solid relationships.  Please don't forget though- we should be fully underway with core instruction.

Our Power 1/2 Hours start on Monday.  I realize you may not have a common assessment to use for flexible groupings... that's ok.  Please brainstorm on what skills or strategies your students need at this point (this may be based off teacher observation only).  I know some grade levels are looking at ways to engage kids - and providing interventions and strategies based on this.   Great idea.    Please let me know if your team is struggling with this. 

McKinley Class of 2030!
Below are class pictures of our newest friends - the Class of 2030! 

EA Schedules:
I'm hoping to finalize our grades 1-5 EA schedules for next week.  I'm still looking at your requests and student need.  We will need to be flexible, as this may change.  But, until we get to a finalized schedule, please continue to support our new EAs in working in your classrooms. 

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

Valet Parking for the Week:
We have no valet parking for the week - as we have no principal parking spot!  When that is added, valet parking will return!



Have a great weekend, everyone!  Don't forget to make every second count!
-Justin

Weekly Update - September 8, 2017

Good morning!
We did it - week one is complete!  We've had a great start in a great new building.  It's going to be a terrific year.

DIBELS Testing-  Tuesday:
We start DIBELS testing on Tuesday.  We will be using the Learning Studio for all testing.   Libby created a schedule (click here to see the schedule).   Please be on time for your testing!  Also, please keep your students quiet in this area (we are missing a display case which is causing an opening into the Learning Studio).

AM Arrival & PM Dismissal:
A huge thank you to everyone who is helping make this work.  It was a crazy day one - however, things are starting to improve as we get into our routines.  Just a couple of notes:

• K and 1st Grade - you may want to dismiss a few minutes early to get through the front door and outside without the bigger kids. 
• Drop Off Lane - should be continually moving.  Parents need to wait in their car if parked in the drop off lane.  If they want to come to the door, they need to park.
• Parking Lot - please park back a bit so we leave room for families who visit during the day.  
• Exit - The exit onto Hemlock (from 22nd) is now a right turn only.  This helped tremendously yesterday with cars exiting our lot.  It's right turn only from 7:30-8 and 2-3:00pm)

PBIS Stations & Matrixes:

Please continue to teach (and over teach) the building expectations to your learners.  This includes all staff, not just classroom teachers.  The more we do in the beginning, the better the result will be!

I placed an order for signage in the building - particularly matrixes.  I will get those up as soon as they arrive.

Construction Update:

I found out yesterday they are finishing the flooring in the main lobby on Saturday.  It will be nice to get that area completed with flooring.   There will be some other projects this weekend, too.  Thank you for your flexibility with all the work that needs to be complete.  

I am meeting next week with Bob and Sal (Wold Architects) to walk the building.  After this, I will be able to place some additional furniture orders.  Again, thanks for being flexible!

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Morning Meetings:

I got to visit some morning meetings yesterday as I went around the building.  Wow. Even as an outsider coming in, I could tell the tone of the morning was way different - calm, fun, and focused on relationships & community.  It's great to see that already becoming a routine in all of our K-5 classrooms.  

Have a great weekend - take some down time to relax and rejuvenate!

-Justin

Weekly Update - September 3, 2017

Welcome Back, Staff!
Only a few more days until we start back at it... I can't wait!

Building Update:
A lot of progress was made today getting furniture delivered to learning commons and classrooms.  Below are some pictures.   Please do not swap out any furniture at this point.  Innovative (our supplier) is doing piece counts today and tomorrow.

As you can see, the building is looking great!  A huge thank you to Bob Olson, Superintendent Elstad, Mark Randall, and OEA President Todd Andrix for their help getting furniture delivered and placed.  It was an extensive project!

Also, a huge thank you to our design team who helped pick this furniture.  It is so amazing to see our planning work now turn into a real thing - a school!

I am very excited to meet families at Home-Child-School Day on Tuesday!  I think they will love the learning environments we have created at the new McKinley!

School Theme for 17-18:

As we are starting this crazingly (made this word up) exciting time, please remember our school theme for the year- "Make Every Second Count".  Remember your why - and what is important to you.  And, make time for those things.  Every second counts. 

Home Child School Day:
Home Child School Day is this Tuesday.  Please remember what I said about HCSD - your one and only goal is to make sure families leaving smiling and knowing you care about them.  The paperwork and traditional presentations are not what is important - the relationships you build are.

I sent an Instant Alert home to families on Friday night to let them know about the building progress.  I did explain that our building is not completely finished - the priority was classrooms and learning spaces.  Our hallways, office, landscaping/groundwork, and other common areas will be completed after school hours in early September.

Remember, we are meeting from 10-10:40 on Tuesday to discuss PBIS - mostly building expectations and how to teach these to students next week.

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

I am THRILLED to be starting the 17-18 school year in our new building.   And, as always, I am even more thrilled to be a team member for the best elementary school in the state.   You are amazing educators who do wonderful things.  I'm so thrilled to be starting again!

Enjoy your last day of break and see you Tuesday!
-Justin