Weeky Update- November 22, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

Core Instruction Reminder:
This was interesting to many of us last year- thought it was worth a revisit!  These are the guidelines for direct instruction of new content - how long can kids actually stay engaged and focused during new material in your classrooms?

#McKGratitude2017 Challenge:
We have only a few more days left of the challenge - keep tweeting (and watch your spelling of gratitude!).  We will announce our winner (and winning team) next week!

Engaging with Poverty in Mind:
Last year, we did some learning work around poverty, engagement, and the brain.  I spent some time last weekend looking back through this resource - I forgot about all the great ideas in this book!  It may be worth a "revisit" on your part, too!

I am going to highlight a strategy or idea each week to keep these ideas fresh.

Monday Review:
In our work, we discovered that many students are arriving to school each day with disregulated thinking - especially on a Monday morning.  Brain research shows that students who are exposed to stress and trauma are basically living in their emotional brain, or amygdala.  When a student is stuck in their amygdala, they can't access their prefrontal cortext, which is where learning takes place.

Our job is to help students move from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortext.  We learned that a few things help, especially on Mondays:

• Safe, welcoming environment - students knowing routines in the classroom, as well as knowing their classroom is predictable and safe.  
• A positive relationship: Greeting students on a Monday morning with a smile and showing them you missed them all weekend!
• Spending Mondays reviewing mastery from the previous week.  Students need to be regulated before they can access new learning. 

Staff Power Hour: 

Our Staff Power Hour is this coming Wednesday, November 29th at 2:40pm in Langlois & Seath's room.  We will focus on shoutouts, biases, and guided/small group instruction.  Can't wait!  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

This quote stood out to me this week - appreciating what you already have.   I am thankful for our McKinley family, each and every day.  This place is a special place with special people.  We are very lucky ... very lucky.


Have a great weekend with family & friends!  Take some time to relax, rejuvenate, and appreciate living "in the moment".
-Justin

Weekly Update- November 17, 2017

Happy Friday!

PBIS ~ Office Referral Data:
Our PBIS team met this week to look at discipline/office referral data from September and October.  Click here to access the September & October referral data

Our team had some recommendations/observations from this data:

• Don't let the data stop you from referring students.  This data is critical for our team to look at the true picture of what is happening at McKinley.
• We saw a decrease in behaviors in the playground - possibly because kids were actually able to start playing on real equipment!
• Referral motivators - please take some time to find out the "why" behind the behavior.  Why did a student misbehave?  What is their motivator?  Our team is really looking at this to determine if we need to add motivators to the referral.  

Our leadership jar is almost filled.  Please keep this is a secret - we are going to have a school wide movie (K-2 and 3-5 at different times) on Friday, December 1.  More information to come on this- we will announce this at our PBIS meeting next week.  Please keep this a secret!!

The Power of THINK TIME:

I recently came across this on Twitter - it reminded me of the power behind THINK TIME!  So often, we are under a crunch and forget about how important "think time" is for our students.  It's alright for us to give students time to process and think during lessons.  Plus, there is so much power behind making student have "productive struggle" with their learning.  My challenge for you is to start providing think time - more than just 15 seconds.  See how your students respond and engage with their learning.  

Family Listening Sessions:

This past week, we had our first family listening sessions for both our Latino & Somali families.  It was a great experience to hear from our families.   We had a better turnout at our Somali session on Thursday than our Tuesday session.  One of the things I want you to know is how powerful our relationship is with these families.   We heard comments of families saying how much they "loved McKinley" and how "McKinley teachers are my family and friends - I can call them for anything".  Families are grateful for all you do and how visible you are - and how easy you are to talk to.  We have some continued work to do - however, be proud of what these families are saying about you.  We are McKinley Strong!  

Student Support Position:

In the next few weeks, you will see a position posted for a Student Support Specialist at McKinley.  This position has grown from a need around behavior and social emotional needs with our students.  The position will work with identified, at-risk students in the areas of social-emotional learning and behavior - he or she will work closely with Annette.  This person is not dealing with discipline or students who are escalated.  This person will handle things like the Relaxation Room, Check and Connect, and other proactive interventions we are putting into place to make our students successful.  I will share more as this position is finalized - just wanted you to be aware.  

ASP Block II:
Classroom Teachers, please start thinking of what you focus will be for ASP Block II.  We will be sending paperwork out soon - block II starts in January.  Also, please let me know who will be teaching block II.

Also, Block I ends next Tuesday!


STEAM Night: 

Tuesday, December 5 is our Superbowl-themed STEAM night.  It's going to be a great night - and get us ready for the Superbowl in Minneapolis!  

McKinley- Education Edition:

Last month, McKinley was featured in the Owatonna People's Press Education Edition.  This is a community publication for us to highlight the work we are doing at McKinley.  Click here to access the Education Edition.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Make every second count in your personal life, too!

-Justin

Weekly Update- Friday, November 10, 2017

Happy Veterans' Day, everyone!
Thank you to all who served our country!

Gratitude Challenge:
It's been SO cool to see all the gratitude happening on Twitter!  We have A LOT to be thankful for!  Keep tweeting with the hashtag #McKGratitude2017.  If you haven't participated yet, you still have time! 

Family Reading Night:
Our Family Reading Night last night was a huge success!  We had almost 400 people attend!  A huge thank you to the committee who did all the planning, as well as volunteering at the event. This building remarkable!

Listening Sessions:
Next week, have two family listening sessions- Latino (Tuesday) and Somali (Thursday).  The listening sessions will be from 4:15-5:00pm in the library.  The goal of these is to listen and gather information from families on education, McKinley, and their students.  Superintendent Elstad will be joining. 

Assessment Days Note from Libby:

For years there has been discussion around Home Child School Day and many have questioned if it is the best venue for accomplishing the goals that we have at the beginning of the year.  This year, many of you have had conversations about how difficult it is to complete the Fountas and Pinnell assessments efficiently at the beginning of the year when routines are still being established. 

Several teachers have asked about the possibility of assessment days at the start of the year.  If you would like to provide feedback around assessment days, Michelle Krell will be available on Thursday, November 30^th at 3:10 in the District Office Board Room. 

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Buffalo Wild Wings Fundraiser:
McKinley's PTO, in conjunction with BWW, is offering a fundraiser all day on Wednesday, November 22.  A portion (I think 10%) of the proceeds from that day will go to McKinley School.  This includes take out orders!  What a great reason to go eat out!

Important Dates:
Just a reminder of some important dates at McKinley- click here to access the dates.  Reminder- all staff should attend our Staff Power Hours from 2:40-3:10pm. 

Building Newsletter:
The weekly newsletter will come out later today.  Lorri has been out sick the last few days!

Have a great weekend, everyone! 
-Justin

Weeky Update- Friday, November 3, 2017

Good morning!
Happy Friday!

At Welcome Back Week, we all chose a word to focus on this year.  Just checking in - how's it going with your word?  Are you thinking about it?  Using it?  Living by it?  Me-  not so much.  I need a good reminder to stay focused on my word of the year.  How are you doing?

November 6 Staff Development Day:
Monday, November 6 is a Staff Development Day at OHS.  Below is the schedule for the day:

7:40-8:00         Coffee & light grab-n-go breakfast at location of your first session

8:00-11:00       Professional Learning Session 1
11:00-12:00     Lunch (on your own)
12:00-3:00       Professional Learning Session 2

If you want more information on the agenda, see the email from Taylor Petrich on October 27.  

EA's, you do not report on this day.  I hope you have a productive day of learning!

Guided Library:
There's been some questions on the Guided Library - just a couple reminders!
1. Please check all guided library books out with Denise in the library.  If she is not there, you can record the barcode number and email it to her so she knows you checked it out.

2. The guided library books are for teachers to check out.  You cannot check these books out to students.

3. Junior Great Books, Ladder books, EIR books, Bill Nye DVD’s, the professional library and math manipulatives are all in the guided library now.  We are still waiting on one more book shelf to make things easier to find, but they are all in there and available for checkout.

Monday Monkey Message & Bell System:
I have an email into Maintenance to see when our paging system will be completely up and running.  Because the Scoop is now live on Monday mornings, we will not be doing a Monday Monkey Message.  

Reading Night- Thursday:
Thursday, November 9 is our Family Reading Night.  This is a day where we will "unplug from electronics and plug into a good book!"  Students (and staff) will wear pajamas to school and participate in a reading switch-a-roo at 1:50pm.  Then, that night, families can come to school in their PJs and enjoy pizza, books, and family time!  

A huge thank you to our committee for their work on this night - Mark Langlois, Lori Huisenga, Eric Oppegard, Val Seath, Kathy Feltes, Michelle Meiners, Sonya David, & Laurie Wolhart.  


A SnapShot of Learning:

Student Council worked with Young Professionals to create Buddy Benches for our playground!

A huge thank you to our staff who agreed to be "pied" at our PBIS Assembly! 

Weekly Building Newsletter:

This will be updated at some point today- Friday.

Don't forget to take some time this weekend and "YIELD"..... enjoy a relaxing weekend!  :)

-Justin