Happy September, McKinley!
It's exciting to have you - and students - back in the building! Even with the crazy start, I can tell it's going to be a great year!
A huge thank you to everyone for your time, energy, and passion to making this year great. It's been a different start for sure. One thing that has not changed is YOU. Keep your head held high and know you are ENOUGH and you are making a DIFFERENCE!
AM Arrival:
Please see the PDF of the tentative arrangement of classes outside for morning arrival. In this, you will see the area your grade level should meet at. We will have a sign with your class and name on the first day. This is tentative - we are going to see how the first few days go. Also, please distance your class away from others at this time.
Also, you will notice my beautiful coloring and artwork in this map. Google Map still does not have a new aerial shot of McKinley, so you get Art by Justin. :)
Re-Entry Plan:
Re-Entry Plan:
As we know, students have been gone from school for almost 6 months. Coming back to school will be an adjustment for us all - learning to be back in a room, building our stamina around learning, etc. We had a team come together to create some ideas to help transition students back into our new normal. Please build in times to do some of these activities - we really need them.
Also, don't forget to regularly teach and re-teach expectations. I have created a basic sheet to remind you of the things we need students to know and practice - use this or customize it for your classroom.
Speech Para:
Amanda Wood will be working remotely this year; however, she is still servicing our students until the babies come. There will be a paraprofessional here each day from 8-11am to help get students set up to do a virtual session with her. The paraprofessional will help students find a spot, get set up, and get started with Amanda.
COVID Symptoms & Reporting:
I've had a few questions about COVID - what to do look for, who to report to, etc. First, we have to remember that we cannot know and/or share if a family has COVID. We have our District Nurse, Amy Jo Havelka, who gets involved and works with Steele County on tracing. If a student is suspected of COVID or tests positive, we cannot share any of this with colleagues or students. It's very similar to lice or other health conditions - we can't share information.
If a student is suspected of COVID, please let Selena, Steph, and Judy know.
Volunteer Coordinator:
Steph and Selena are our Volunteer Coordinators for the year. If you need background checks, or other things you went to Amy with, please connect with Steph and Selena.
Child Collaboration Team:
This summer, the elementary buildings came together to create one unified process on our child study and/or Problem Solving Teams. The elementary team moved away from the word "problem" to "Child Collaboration Team". This team is an assistance team if a student is struggling with academics, behavior, engagement, and/or other needs. Basically, if you have exhausted your options and still need help, you would complete a form to meet with this team. This is NOT the gatekeeper for Special Education. This team is open and available for ANY student who has needs - not just those who are in need of special education services. More information will be shared on the form. Below is the process outlined, which follows the other elementary schools. Our contact for this team is Libby Zeman.
Plan Ahead:
Please remember to be planning ahead in your needs and scheduling. If you have something coming up, please plan ahead. If you need time off, please plan ahead. I am getting a lot of last minute requests that should be communicated earlier. I understand emergencies come up - however, if you need to leave early or be gone for a planned event, please plan ahead and communicate this a few days before.
Building Weekly Newsletter:
Don't forget, EVERY interaction that we have is either a culture BUILDER or a culture KILLER. Which do you to do?
Enjoy your long weekend - rest up and enjoy your last weekend of summer!
-Justin
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