March 24 Update

Happy Spring Break!

We've MADE IT!  

When you leave this weekend, please "turn everything off".  Take some time this week to not follow a schedule, not check email, and take care of YOU!  Do something for yourself - sleep in - REST!  As the note says below, it's okay to rest!  

Transition Day:
After spring break, we have a transition day.  Linked are some helpful documents and resources to help guide you with this day.  A huge thank you to the team for helping organize this!

With the transition back, we may need to spend more than one day on transitioning back.  This might be a hard return for many.  Please be aware and plan accordingly.   

Ramadan 2022:

As I shared via email Tuesday, we have many student's, staff, and families who will be celebrating Ramadan when we return from break.   On Twitter, I found a "letter to educators" that helps people understand Ramadan and how we can support our friends during this time of celebration.  

MN Twins Home Opener:

Thursday, April 7 is the MN Twins Home Opener.  We will be participating again this year to hopefully kick off a great season!  Wear your MN Twins Gear on this day - and join us for a hot dog and chip lunch!  

Why are we McKinleyStrong?

Below are some tweets from the week - if you aren't using Twitter, make sure you get on there and share our story! 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here for the building weekly newsletter

Have a GREAT SPRING BREAK!  

-Justin

March 18 Update

Happy Friday, Amazing Educators!

I saw this on Twitter and it made me smile.  This is so true.  A huge thank you to everyone for helping "keep us afloat" when we have a colleague gone.  I know this has been a regular frustration, but I genuinely thank you for helping with supervision and classroom coverage.   This is another example of the "all hands on deck approach" that is believed and modeled every single day.  

New Technology Specialist:

As many of you know, Ian Simon was promoted to working district-wide with the Technology and Innovation Department.  We are thrilled - and proud - of Ian for this promotion!  

Starting Monday, March 21, we have Logan Harvey joining our team.  He will provide technology support for McKinley and Washington.  Logan will transition with Ian and the rest of the team next week.  Please start sending technology tickets to Logan Harvey.  

Welcome, Logan!  

Telling Our Story!  

Lots of learning, relationships, and fun this past week.  Don't forget, get out on Twitter and tell your story!  Let's show the world how amazing our school is!  

Relationships Reminder:

We are in the relationship-business.  Our entire day - and roles - are centered around developing relationships.  We immediately think of teacher-student relationships, right?  Don't forget about the power of colleague relationships, family relationships, and community relationships.  Those happen in every single thing you do - not just an organized family night.  We are engaging and building relationships all day, every day.  This next week (and after spring break), we may have to spend more time on this.  We have students who are leaving a predictable, safe environment to possibly not have that same routine, safety, and just overall feel.  Please be aware of this as we navigate around spring break, as well as into the spring.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

It's going to be a beautiful weather this weekend - try and get outside and enjoy the "spring" weather!

-Justin

March 11 Update

Good morning!

Another great week!  

Donuts with Grown-Ups:
This invite went out to families this week to join us for Donuts with Grown Ups.  This is a great time to see families (back in the building) and enjoy a breakfast treat!  

Staff are welcome to attend - please fill out a survey to RSVP! 

Checks for Understanding - with Student Voice:

One of the most important parts of our instruction becomes that "did they learn it" or checks for understanding before, during, and after learning.  Below is a picture of a strategy to add student voice to that check for understanding.  After a lesson, students turn their exit ticket into one of four bins.   There is a lot of power in this strategy, as it provides the teacher with where a student believes they are at in the learning process.  For example, a student who does not understand the learning and puts their exit ticket into the "4 -I'm a Pro!" shows a whole different support level than a student who does not understand the learning and puts their exit ticket into the "1 - I'm Just Learning".  This strategy really provides the teacher with the student's mindset around their learning and where they believe they are at in the learning process. 

Bio Bags (Guest Blogger - Eric Oppegard): 

What can people see about us?  What don’t people know about us? BIO BAGS!

Tying into teaching characteristics for language arts and connecting to our building theme, “What’s your story?” each student created a bio bag about themselves. This idea came from the book we are reading for our equity and inclusion team, START HERE START NOW A Guide to Antiractist Work in Your School Community by Liz Kleinrock. 

On the outside of the bag, students were asked to write the visible characteristics of their identity.  These were easy for most students as they are visible and observable.  I used the words tall, blonde, balding (hey now-be nice), but also included words like reader (I could be observed reading a book) walker (I could be observed going for a walk), etc.  I had them draw a picture of themselves to gain perspective of how they see themselves.  I shared the Youtube video on how to draw a portrait: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aWObfnb4mo. This helped them with their drawings. 

Students were then given notecards to place inside the bag.  On these notecards, students were asked to write characteristics about themselves that are not visible or aspects of their lives that people may not know.  This was a little more difficult for them to explain, but using my examples helped them.  This is a great way for your students to get to know you even better.  A few examples I used on my notecards were:  good work ethic-they might not be able to see that, but growing up on a farm taught me to always work hard.  I also shared my card that stated anxiety-you might not know that I have anxiety by looking at me, but I do. One card started adopted-you wouldn’t know by looking at me that I am adopted, but I am, and knowing this has helped form who I am.  Sharing my cards before they started helped them understand that there are parts of Mr. Oppegard that you don’t know just by looking at him, but they are part of who I am and part of my story.   

The students worked very hard, and you could see that they were really putting some inner, private pieces of themselves in their bag.  I told the students that these cards will be sealed up in their bio bags because sometimes there are parts of you that you may not want to share.  However, there are parts of us that we want people to know.  I gave them opportunities to share those aspects of them if they wished.  

The was a great learning experience for both the students and for me.  It helped us understand each other better and learn more about each other and our stories. As the year goes on, I would encourage you to hand their bags back, have them take out their inner cards to see if they are all still true or if they want to change or add to their bags.   

Students indicated that they really enjoyed this experience.  They shared it helped them really think about who they are, but also understand that even though we may look different on the outside, we share similarities on the inside.  One student shared with me that they understood themselves better after this and realized that they are not alone.  

As a teacher, this was definitely one of the most powerful activities I have done with students. 

Cleanliness of Building:
Just a reminder to be checking your classroom, lockers, resource spaces, and other spaces nightly to ensure they are clean. You can even have students do this before they leave! In all honesty, we have a beautiful building with so much flex space - and it looks awful at times. We've even had community members comment that it looks dirty. Please help keep our spaces (all spaces - classroom, open areas, conference room, lockers) clean and presentable.

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

Have a GREAT weekend!

March 3 Update

Happy March!

Another great week of relationships and learning!  

Kindergarten Kick Off: 

Last night, we welcomed the Class of 2035 to McKinley as our newest McKinley Huskies!  This is always a special night to see our students entered, so excited and ready for school.  A huge thank you to Steph for organizing a lot of this event and to our Kindergarten Team (and Jennifer and Amanda) for helping coordinate and lead this event.  It was a great night! 

McKinleyStrong Celebration:

On Monday, I will be notifying the students that we filled the jar.  We will be doing a school-wide celebration next Friday, March 11.  More information will be released on Monday.  This should NOT be shared with students - I repeat, this should NOT be shared with students!

Student Engagement:

I've heard from many of you that engagement is an issue lately - during whole, small, and independent times.  As a building, we will be putting some efforts toward this to help provide you with some ideas, resources, and tools to increase engagement as we enter spring.  If you are interested in helping brainstorm some ideas, please let me know.  

Additionally, please remember that we have Katie who can do some observations, planning, and support with engagement.  

School Social Worker Week:

Next week is a week to honor our School Social Worker, Annette Warner (and her intern, Alyssa Evans).  Please take some time next week to honor and recognize all the supports, love, and energy that this team provides to our students!  

Staff Absences:

Please remember a few things when you are absent:

• If it's less than a full day, please let Steph or I know.  If it's only a half day, or an hour, we like to internally fill the position before we bring a sub in.  
• If you are planning to be gone for any personal or planned days, please connect with Steph.  We have our intern, Darius Westrich, to use in situations like this.  Also, if you plan to be gone, please do not hold off until spring.  Get those days in ASAP. 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend - get away from school and enjoy those around you!

-Justin