We successfully finished another great week at McKinley School!
Winter Blues Mindset!
I can feel it.... the winter blues mindset has set in amongst the building. It's that time of year - it's cold and there is no break in sight. I can feel it, too. However, I want you to take some reflection today (or over the weekend) to remind yourself why you are doing this job. What is your #oneword2018 for the school year? Where is your mindset when you enter the building each day? I can tell our "fuse" is short... things that wouldn't have bothered us in Sept/October are now. We are McKinleyStrong... we are a staff who puts students first. Please remember this as we continue our work over the next few weeks...
Engagement Strategy:
I found a great reminder from Engaging with Poverty in Mind (Jensen) that reminds us of the importance of less teacher talk and more think time:
Pause and Chunk:
Every few minutes, pause for 7-9 seconds. These pauses gives students time to mentally process the content and add a sense of anticipation and importance to the lesson. Taking slightly longer than 30-90 seconds may also help students focus . Dividing content into small "chunks" also supports attention and understanding. Keep your lectures short, 5-8 minutes at the elementary level. Then, have students process the information through strategies like summarizing, think-pair-share, or compare and contrast.
Opening & Closing Doors:
At Site Team, we discussed the concept of "opening" and "closing doors" for students. In what ways do we open doors (provide opportunities) and what ways do we close doors (close opportunities)? This has a lot to do with our mindset, body language, words, and actions. I can honestly say that our staff does a lot of opening doors. We still have a lot of work to do -however, be proud of all the ways we open doors for students. We will do more work around this as the year continues - however, I wanted you to start the internal reflection around the ways you open and close doors for students.
Money in Classrooms:
Please do not leave any money in your classroom/desk at night. There has been some theft in other buildings - all money should end up with Lorri in the office.
STEAM Night:
We had a lot of fun at our STEAM Family Night on Tuesday - "Design-Solve-Create Night". A huge thank you to Katie Demmer, Kate Seifert, and Catie Stephani for your help with planning and holding this night.
PTO Carnival:
We had a great turnout for our PTO Carnival last Saturday. It was great to see families having fun and enjoying our new space! 
McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
Our McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 3rd Grade Teacher Rachael Eickhoff! Rachael is collaborative, compassionate, and focused on what students need. One thing that impresses me about Rachael is her "never give up" attitude toward student needs. She understands that students need more than just academics - and she works hard to provide students the supports they need. Rachael is an asset to our building - Keep up the great work, Rachael!
Building Weekly Newsletter:
Click here to access the building weekly newsletter
Have a great weekend, everyone! Take some time to relax and enjoy those you love!
-Justin
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