I hope you are having some rest and relaxation this summer and have enjoyed the month of June.
Staffing Update:
Just an update on staffing for next year:
Paige Radue will be a long-term sub for Rachel Anderson (September-December). Paige student taught at Washington last year and does some coaching with Lacrosse.
Taylor Gritz will be teaching Kindergarten (K5) this coming year. Taylor has an extensive background in early childhood special education and is joining us from the Owatonna Education Center.
Chelsea Van Roekel will be teaching fourth grade (4A) this coming year. Chelsea is joining us from Blooming Prairie Elementary where she taught 3rd grade. Chelsea also serves as a co-facilitator for a Master's cohort at Southwest State.
Grace Thurnau will be a Special Education Paraprofessional in Kindergarten next year. Grace is completing her Bachelor's degree in Social Work and will be an amazing addition to our team.
EA positions are being finalized as we speak... more to come in the July update!
Equity-vs-Equality: 6 Steps Toward Equity:
As you know, we are continuing our journey around ensuring that all learners will grow and succeed at McKinley. Take a few minutes to read the below article on 6 simple things we can do to ensure that we are an inclusive environment.
Caring School Community:
This coming year, we will be implementing Caring School Community. This resource will help provide us with the resources and scope & sequence to address the social-emotional needs in the building. A pilot was done at Wilson this past year with great results! We will be doing more training around this in August. Click here to access a foundational video on how to build the culture for learning to implement this resource.
Click here to access some videos on CSC (sorry, they are really good but look old!)
Labels Matter!
As you know, your thoughts, beliefs, and language subconsciously (or sometimes consciously) impact a student's experience in your presence. Words like "Special Education student", "EL student, or "low student" create an unconscious belief and expectation toward that child.
Below is a graphic urging us to revisit what we call students - and remind us that our job is to teach behaviors, not just enforce them. Just like in academics, students can have deficits in behavior & social emotional needs that we need to continue to support.
SAVE THE DATE - McKinley Neighborhood Night:
Our third annual McKinley Neighborhood Night will be Thursday, August 1. Families are welcome to join, too. Save the date and join us if you can - it's a GREAT night!
Have a great 4th of July - and month of July! Make sure you find some time for YOU!
Stay cool this weekend!
-Justin
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