September 17 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley and Owatonna Online!  A huge, heartfelt thank you to everyone for making this first full week of school a success.  I know there were times this week you were exhausted and overwhelmed.   As you know, we have some students who are needing additional time and support to be ready to learn here at school.  It can get overwhelming to reteach the expectations (often many, many times).  Your care and compassion to our learners is greatly appreciated.  Thank you everyone! 

Fountas and Pinnell BAS:
Please have your BAS information entered by Monday!  

Nurse:
A huge welcome to Jolene Ward, our new School Nurse!  Jolene comes with a great background in the medical world.  She's compassionate and focused on serving our students!  Welcome, Jolene!  

Learning Pit: 
As you know, we are continuing to learn more moving students from dependent learners to independent learners.  One thing that is referenced in this work is the idea of a "learning pit".  The basic idea of the learning pit is that students need the tools and support when they are challenged (and are in the pit).   Instead of "pulling them out", we support them in working through the process of "getting out of the pit" or learning from a challenging task.   Below is a 2 minute video - a great introduction to this.  Please spend the 2 minutes watching this....

Manager of your Space - (Guest Blogger, Danielle Nystrom): 
Have you ever had a moment where things in your classroom have been chaotic and you weren’t sure what to do? Same here! We all know the intricacies of classroom management. Not to mention how challenging it can be when a student displays a behavior that doesn’t fit the classroom expectations. 
How do you respond? How do you let the student know that they are seen and heard without bringing too much attention to the display? How do you let the rest of the class know that you have this and that they are safe? As they say, the struggle is real!! While things are chaotic and disruptive at times, it's important to remember that you can keep the space calm and positive despite the disruptions that will inevitably occur. 

Remember! Your presence has an impact. Your facial expressions, your body language, your voice tone. Everything you do impacts the environment and communicates something to those around you. Stay calm. Acknowledge that you hear the sound or see the movement, remind them that they are safe, and thank those who are doing their job. If the display continues, remind the class that they are safe and that sometimes we need different things to help regulate our bodies and emotions. Normalize it as much as you can. Everyone (kids and adults included) experiences big emotions and it's important to work through that. It looks and sounds different for everyone… and it is ok. 

A great example of this comes from the first week of school. A student in one of the grade levels that I work in was seeking attention any way that she could get it. This included blurting out frequently and jumping off her desk and around the room like a frog. The teacher reached out for support, and we talked through the different scenarios and ways to approach it in a positive way, knowing she would have another opportunity (or several) to redirect the behavior.  When the class came back, the student picked up right where she left off. The behavior was acknowledged, the positive behaviors were reinforced, and the class moved forward. While this doesn’t always end the behavior, the teacher reinforced the idea that she is managing the space and that the class is ok and safe, even when there are unexpected sounds and movements happening. 

In the heat of the moment, we can easily be overcome with the emotions of the moment and unsure of where to go or what to say. Here is a reminder image that may help in those moments! It takes practice! Just like everything that we teach! Please reach out with any questions or if you are looking for support! 

Speech/Language Referral Process:
Have you wondered what to do when there are speech-language concerns with a student? Please use the Speech-Language Referral Form located on the McKinley Virtual Office page to get the referral process started. The Google Form is quick and easy and includes the following:

• Student Name

• Your Name/Classroom

• Check box for areas of concern

• Describe concern/provide example(s)

• Parent contact information

The referral process is a way to keep consistency across classrooms and grade levels. It provides documentation of the referral, and is a simple way for Mrs. Wood to track incoming student referrals. The process is listed below:

Data and Responding Fall Subouts - Coming Soon!
We have our "data and responding subouts" coming at the end of September.  This is a time for classroom, special education, EL, and intervention teachers to get together and look at student data - and create a plan to respond.  We will be providing an agenda next week.  Below are two documents regarding our time together:
Data and Responding Fall Subout Schedule

Thinking about My Students Reflection Tool (work with co-teachers to have completed by the subout)

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

It sounds like a gorgeous weekend - make sure you get outside and enjoy it with those you love!
-Justin