Weekly Update - Saturday, March 28, 2020

Hello, McKinley!

Virtual Learning - HERE WE COME! 

Just a few reminders regarding our new adventure:

• We've got this!  And, if you need help, we are all here to support you!  
• Communication Tool - please update this multiple times throughout the day.  This will become our weekly attendance "recording" to Selena.  Also, please check this before you make any contact with students/families.  I am making the changes that were requested on Friday in regards to phone calls - it will be finalized tomorrow.  
• Distance Learning Plan - take some time to read through this.  Lots of good information here!   Also, check out the Distance Learning Website!  
• Our Main Office is open and willing to serve!  We are open 7:15-3:45pm daily.  Steph, Selena, and I will be there - call, email, or text if you need anything! 

Family Weekly Update:

Starting this week, I will be providing families with a weekly newsletter to communicate updates and information to them.  I am thinking this will probably be a blog, but I am still not 100%.  I will share the information with you when it's released (probably Thursdays).  

Virtual Dress Up Days:

As an elementary team, we have decided on some virtual dress up days for students and staff.  Encourage kids to participate - and join if you'd like!

April 2- Husky Pride Day

April 9 - Bring Your Pet to School Day (stuffed animals count, too!)

April 16 - Pajama Day

April 23 - Hat Day

April 30 - Flannel Day

This will be communicated by the office on social media and our new weekly update.  Please share in your classrooms on Monday.  

Teaching with Empathy & Care:

Just a reminder - this COVID is challenging on many people.  People are stressed with the virus, isolation, and the loss of income.  Please keep this in mind as you are navigating this week.  I mentioned in our Hangout on Friday that I'm already hearing the challenges that some of our families are facing.  Please continue to relay that we are here to support & we do NOT expect them to be a teacher.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Keep smiling, being amazing & focused on all kids.  

You are the best! 

-Justin

Principal's Update - Friday, March 20

Happy Spring Break, everyone!
I truly hope you take some time next week to relax and unwind.  I know many of you had trips that are now not happening.   Make sure you still take some time to still turn school off and focus on YOU!

This blog will be short, as you've been on information overload all week. 

Video Pictures:
If you are interested in being in our student video, please send your pic (email or text) to Justin by 3:00pm today.  You should send a pic of you and a note that says something positive - "I miss you!", "I believe in YOU!", "I CARE about you!"

Perspective & Connecting:
As we talked about Tuesday, please check in on this picture below and think two things:

Check in on Each Other - We don't know what each other are going through, so check in on each other.  This includes an email, text, virtual happy hour, etc!

Perspective - I appreciate your positive energy and perspective around this situation.  Keep that going as we return from break.  You are the best! 

Facebook Group:
I have created a Facebook group for our staff - it's private and should be shared with each of you.  Join us if you haven't!

Communication Next Week:
I will try and leave you alone next week.  If I know any updates about school closure and/or our plan, I will send an email.  I will also post in our Facebook group when I emailed. 


We've got this.  I can't think of a better staff to go through something like this.  You are truly amazing educators and people!
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, March 13, 2020

Good morning- happy Friday! 

Update on COVID-19:
Since we met yesterday afternoon, a few things have changed per advice from the MN Dept of Health and MDE. 

First, we are discontinuing field trips until further notice.  I have already communicated with 4th Grade about next week's Mill City trip.  If you have an upcoming field trip in early to mid April, it will more than likely be cancelled. 

Secondly, we are discontinuing assemblies and large gatherings at school (not including lunch).  Until further notice, our assemblies are cancelled, including today's band performance.  Also, if you have any upcoming events that families are invited to, please come see me.  Again, this is all based on advice from MDH & MDE. 

Summer Curriculum Writing:
We are beginning to plan for summer curriculum writing and are now accepting requests. Available funds will dictate how much curriculum writing can be done so please review the preferences below and submit accordingly.  

  

Preferences will be given to:

1. Curriculum areas, teams, or grade levels where curriculum writing is deemed necessary due to new state standards and/or new courses. (6th grade Science, K-12 Art & Music, PE, new courses at OMS/OHS, 11th Grade Social Studies)
2. Courses needing revision, updating, or further alignment.

Requests must be submitted by March 31 using the 2020 Summer Work Request Form.

Teachers will be notified by April 17 if their request(s) have been accepted or denied based on available monies.

As teams/departments plan for potential summer work please note the general time allotment guidelines for curriculum writing below:

*New Courses = 6-12 hours

*Existing Courses = 3-6 hours

Dates available for summer curriculum writing are June 15, 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 and August 12, 13.

Please contact Ann Mikkalson or Wendy Eggermont if you have any additional questions.

F &P Goals:

Just a reminder - Fountas and Pinnell goals should be entered into Campus by next Friday!  

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

Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, March 6, 2020

Happy Friday, everyone!

It's that early March accountability check - how are you doing on staying grounded in your "why"?  This quote above resonated with me - do you really believe in all?  I keep thinking of Jimmy Casas's picture of Sandra Bullock at the beginning of the year vs February.  Remember how put together she was in September - and frazzled in February.  I believe this happens with our beliefs in kids, too.  Are we still saying respectful, student-first language?  Or, have we given up on some?   I want you to take some time to reflect on this question as we enter into the next few weeks before spring break.  If you have "lost your way", how can you find your way back to those beginning of the year beliefs?  

Supporting Students with Engagement and Motivation in Reading (PLEASE READ!)

Guest Blogger - Libby Zeman

The topic of reading engagement has come up in several grade levels.  I was asked to create a bank of strategies that people could pull from to try with some students.  While I am happy to do this, and there are things out there, I also think it is important to look at ways that we foster the love of reading.  This article from The Reading Teacher is on building reading habits (about an 8 minute read), and it reminded me of the importance of authentic literacy tasks.  How can we get kids reading about and responding to things in a relevant way for them. This reminds me of all of our STEAM work with integration and real world problems that we have done.  Are things coming up in IRA or GR texts that get kids excited about digging into some real world things? Could they then read some articles and respond by creating a short presentation or letter to be sent to someone in the community?  

Because every scholar is different, one strategy will probably not be effective for all students.  It’s essential that we keep trying until we find the ticket for each student. With high expectations and the belief that they really can (and will) be engaged in text with the appropriate support, they will be engaged! The following is a list of strategies that I have compiled from various individuals and sources; if you have other ideas, I’d love to add them to our list!

Strategy	Gist	Source
Use technology for response	Students could write or record a response in Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Seesaw, etc.	Various teachers at McK
Digital Reading	Students can read or listen to text and answer questions.	Readworks.org, NewsELA, EPIC, Read Theory, Edulastic
Confer with students	Independent reading is most effective when students are being checked on and held accountable for their reading.	*F&P *Fisher/Frey *Jennifer Serevallo
Use Reading Logs (Reading Log Rate Reflection)	Have students record and track their reading (this makes conferring way more efficient too).	Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 65
Vary the Length or Type of Text (“Break Reads”	Students set goals in their books and then get to read something else once they hit those goals.  For example, in a novel student reads 7 pages and then they get to read a World Record book or a graphic novel for a few minutes.	Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 49
Set a Timed Goal	Similar to the Break Reads, but this one goes off of time (when the timer goes off you get a break).	Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 55
Party Ladder	Set small goals and work your way up the ladder as you accomplish each goal.  When you get to the top, it’s a party (break). You could even laminate these so you could adjust the tasks without redrawing the ladder each time.	Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 57
Choose Books with your Identity in Mind (Find Reading Territories)	Coaching kids to see themselves as a reader with an identity helps them to go to the library and think, “I’m a reader who enjoys __________, so I think this book would be engaging for me.”	Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 63 Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 66
Buzz About Books	Getting kids talking about and recommending books for peers can be very engaging!	Reading Strategies Book (Serevallo) page 69
Book Tastings	Have kids read little bits of many books and talk about which ones they might like to check out and read.	Teams here have done this (I can’t recall where it is from).
Increasing Academic Motivation	This is a list of various things to increase student motivation (ie. social interaction, offering choice, etc.).  This is not reading specific, but the principles could be applied.	Intervention Central
Communicate home	Let students know this is so important that we will need regular communication home about engagement.  Be sure to follow up with the positive too!
Celebrate those who are on task	Find those who are on task and celebrate them with a leadership slip, positive office referral, good news call, note home, etc.	PBIS
Engagement Self Reflection	Have students reflect periodically throughout the independent time about if they are or are not on task.  Noticing the behavior is sometimes all it takes for students. Setting a class goal could help here.	Sample Reflection
Regularly review anchor charts on Independent Reading and choosing books	We know we need to continue to reteach behaviors just as we do academic content.  Keep these anchor charts up & refer to them often.	Reading Minilessons (F&P) PBIS
Friday Choice Time	Make up the time lost during Friday Choice Time.	Caring School Communities
Relationships	Kids work for teachers who they have a positive relationship established with.	Casas, Haddie...

*Remember, I am happy to come in and take an inventory on engagement.  That will help you to see who is engaged and who needs some specific support in this area.  

BrightBytes Survey- Grades 3-5:
Just a reminder - this survey should be completed next week.  Mark this in your calendars, send a reminder, use a post-it note, whatever you need to do.  We need these surveys completed.

IDEATank - Gopher Sport:
Gopher Sport is offering a PD around STEAM - see the details below!

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

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Enjoy the heatwave!
-Justin