October 28 Update

Happy Friday!  

Thanks for another great week!   

Sub Notes:

As you know, we have struggled with finding subs for all positions over the past few years.  We are glad people are helping this year with more subs on board.  A big rock I have for this year is to make our subs feel welcomed, valued, and supported as they cover a classroom and/or position.  With that, I need your help.  Please see below - 

• If you plan to be gone, please send your sub notes to Justin and Steph, as well as your team.  If your team is running late that morning or is busy, we are able to print the notes and greet the sub as they arrive.  Many subs show up early to get ready for the day - it's nice to have it ready in the office when they arrive. 
• Please have notes that are easy to implement and have enough planned for the sub to do.  
• If you are in a non-teaching role, please see Steph to make sure she has your sub folder ready.  When we get a sub for an EA or para job and have no sub notes, it makes the day very difficult.  

Carry the Banner!

If you aren't on Twitter sharing the positives, now is your time!  We have so many great things happening every single day - let's share with the world! 

EL Graduation:

We had a blast on Thursday celebrating our EL Graduates!  A huge thanks to Caryn, Liz, and Jen for organizing this amazing event!  It's great to see the cheers, smiles, and surprise videos from staff to celebrate our scholars! 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

October 19 Update

Happy MEA Break, McKinley!

I hope this break will bring some time to rest, rejuvenate, and relax with those you love!

Transition Day - October 24:

As we return from our four day weekend, we have our first Transition Day at McKinley.  These transition days have one goal in mind - to regulate students, re-establish routines, and re-engage learners.  This day provides us a time to ease back into school while supporting students and focusing on relationships.  Click here to see the recommended activities for our October 24 Transition Day.   A huge thank you to Sami Nelson, Michelle Meiners, Julie Bauer, and Justin Lang for planning this day!  

Also, as we return on October 24, please remember that break may have been a hard time for many of our students.  This can be for many reasons - worry about eating, fear of unstructured time, and just missing their loved ones at school.   Please be mindful in this as you ask students to reflect on their time away - and be ready to provide re-teaching and love to those who need that extra support in returning! 

EL Exit Ceremony:

You received an email from Liz regarding our scholars who are exiting our EL program.  This is a big accomplishment and something we celebrate each year!  I am personally inviting you to join us on Thursday, October 27 from 4:30-5:00pm to help celebrate our accomplished friends.  Additionally, Liz sent a link to help create short video clips to help celebrate each, too!   

Stress Response in Kids:

This graphic is a great reminder for us when we think of behaviors and our students.  As we know, behavior is communication.  This communication may stem from a fight, flight, or freeze response.  Each of the above behaviors reminds us that it's our job to support students where they are at - academically and social-emotionally.  

Carry the Banner:

Are you carrying that "McKinley banner"?  Let's share our story!  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great MEA break - take some time for you!

-Justin

October 14 Update

Happy October!

Another great week of learning and relationships!

Carry the Banner:

Lots of creativity this week!  Don't forget, if we don't tell our story, someone will tell it for us.  Share those positives and let's carry that banner to celebrate McKinley! 

Raptor Pilot - please read! 

McKinley is serving as a pilot to rolling out the Raptor app (Raptor is our system we use to scan visitors in the building).   The app will help us with the reunification process, in the event we have to evacuate the building.   It is connected to Infinite Campus- it will pull up your current roster (those present that day) and allow you to mark who is with you and who is missing.   A couple of things regarding this rollout - 

• Downloading the app is optional.  If you do not use it, you will need to communicate with office staff about which students are with you and where you are located (the app does this).   
• On Monday, October 24, you will receive an email from Missy Walter with some directions to accessing the app.  
• During that week, you will receive a "test drill" message.  I am not sure if this is through the app or through a text.  This is simply to ensure that you received the communication.  
• After the process is done, we will be asking for feedback on how this went.  

Because we are piloting this, there is still a lot to learn.  Please let me know if you have questions, comments, or concerns and I'd be glad to help!  

Staff Wellness Room Repurposed:

The office wellness room is different from the staff lounge or other space you might visit during your work day.  The staff wellness room offers a private quiet space specifically designed to help staff reset or briefly escape from the noise and other work-related stressors of the day.  This room can be used as:

• A private space for pumping or nursing moms

• For medical care through the Virtual Care Clinic provided by the district Mayo Clinic Virtual Express Care Guide

• Meditation 

• Stretching and relaxing

• A place to rest and relax, get grounded, and to “reset”

• A space to use the Learn to Live Program offered through the district.  The access code “isd761”

Where: Across from the Learning Studio in the employee wellness room

When: At your discretion - connect with Annette or the office if you need someone to fill in for you while you use this space.  

Why: We give our students time to rest, relax and reset when needed. This is your space to do the same. 

How: Make sure the room is not being used by checking the “unoccupied” sign on the door.  When using the room, feel free to lock the door and put up the “occupied” sign to ensure your privacy.  Be cognizant of your time in this space - it is meant for a brief “reset” similar to what we offer our students during the day. 

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 we have set. 

How do you respond? How do you let the student who is struggling know that they are seen and heard without bringing too much attention to the display? On the flip side… How do you let the rest of the class know that you “have this” and that they are safe when unexpected things happen? As they say, the struggle is real!! While things are chaotic and disruptive at times, it's important to remember that YOU are the manager of your classroom space. 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 (even when you have no clue what to do…. It happens to all of us!). Acknowledge that you hear the sound or see the movement (“I can hear the noise” or “I see there is more movement right now”), remind the class that they are safe, and thank those who are doing their job.  If the display continues, remind the class that they are safe (again) and that sometimes we need different things to help regulate our bodies and emotions. Feelings are big and sometimes unexpected things happen. Normalize it as much as you can. It helps build empathy and keep things calm. Everyone (kids and adults included) experience big emotions and it's important to work through that. It looks and sounds different for everyone… and that is ok. When we respond in this way, we are communicating that everything is ok, that we are managing what is happening, and that when big feelings happen- it’s ok. We work through it together. 

A great example of this comes from the first week of school last year. A student was seeking attention any way that she could get it. The display  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, the attention was removed from the unexpected behaviors and the class moved forward. While this doesn’t always “end” the behavior immediately, the teacher reinforced the idea that she is the manager of 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 our own emotions, especially if the display is something that has been repeated multiple times. We may feel unsure of where to go first, what to say, and how to juggle it all. Just remember… Your presence has an impact. How you respond will impact the rest of your class. You are the manager of your space and students will learn to trust that in watching how you respond to a behavior display.

Here is a reminder image that may help in those big moments! It takes practice! Just like everything that we teach! This is something that takes time to build. Students will give you many opportunities to practice. Use each display as an opportunity to validate feelings, meet students where they are at, and most importantly, manage the classroom space. 

Please reach out with any questions or if you are looking for support!

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend - take some time for you!

Justin

October 7 Update

Happy Friday!

Another great week of learning and relationships!  I love seeing the routines, energy, and passion that is felt every day in your classrooms.  Thank you to each of you for the gifts you bring to our scholars!   YOU MATTER.  

Think Time:

Our lives at school get busy.  With a packed schedule and many different needs, we often feel like we don't even have time to let our brains or bodies think.  The same is true for our students.  As you are providing instruction, how many times are you intentionally creating opportunities for wait time?  How often are you making a priority for silence and thinking?  

Linked are two resources - a visual and an article (a great article and an easy, quick read) on some ways to create think time in your classroom.

Student, Family, and Staff Surveys:

As part of our District & Building Goals and Vision Card, we will be surveying students, families, and staff.  Below is some information regarding these surveys - please read!  

Administration of Student Survey:

• Grades 3-5 only.  We will be administering on October 24 (Transition Day).  Students will take the survey in their homeroom class.  

• The survey link will be available as a Google Form link in the shared bookmarks on student Chromebook.

Staff and family surveys (all families) will be sent out via email on October 24 and should be completed by November 4.  

This information that went out in Connections:
In spring of 2021, Owatonna Public Schools surveyed students, staff, and families. That information was compiled and used to develop our "Desired Daily Experiences" for each group.
On Monday, October 24, we will share new surveys to allow feedback on our progress with the Desired Daily Experiences, so we can ensure students are having a positive school experience.

Student Survey: Students in grades 3-12 will take the survey, available as a Google Form link in the shared bookmarks on their Chromebooks. Surveys should be completed by Thursday, November 3. Watch for information from your principal on implementing the student survey.

Staff Survey: All staff members are encouraged to complete the anonymous survey. You will receive a link via email to the Google Form. Please complete the survey by November 4.

Family Survey: Families will receive a link to the survey via email. They may complete one survey for all of their children, or they may choose to complete a survey for each child, if their children's experiences differ significantly. The family survey will close November 4.

Screenagers:

Owatonna Public Schools and Exchange Club Center for Family Unity invite you to a free screening of "Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age," the first feature documentary to explore the impact of screen technology on kids and offer parents and families proven solutions that work.

Tuesday, November 1
6:00-7:30 pm
Owatonna Middle School, 500 15th Street NE
screenagersmovie.com
Register here

Carry the Banner!

As Jimmy Casas puts it, how are you carrying the banner?  How are you telling our "McKinley story" and sharing the great things we do every single day?  If you aren't sharing on Twitter, today is your reminder!  

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

Have a great weekend!

-Justin