I hope each of you had a great American Education Week! You all play such an impactful role for our students. I can't think of a better group of people to work with. I hope you had a week full of support and appreciation!
December 1 Connection Day:
A huge thank you to our 3rd grade team for planning the 12/1 Connection Day!
December 8-12 is Inclusive Schools week. During that week, all four elementary schools will be participating in some opportunties to learn more about inclusion. Linked is our plan for the week. More to come!
Stress Response in Kids: As we enter into the holiday season, the below graphic is a great reminder for us on all the ways that stress appears in students that may not appear (to an outsider) as "typical" stress. I saw this and was reminded of my (the adult) response. Students may be appearing to show refusal, defiant, or off-task. However, when we think of what is really happening, could it be stress? Personally, when I ground myself in that, I think my response to the situation changes greatly.
We had two receipents this week - congrats to Rachael & Amy!
Rachael Eickhoff was nominated by Danika Beck for "Rachael has shown amazing dedication this year as we’ve implemented Wit and Wisdom. She’s always eager to learn, collaborate, and support our students. Her positivity and teamwork make K2 a wonderful place to teach and learn!"
Amy Wencl was nominated by Danika Beck for "Amy goes above and beyond every day in K2! She jumps in wherever she’s needed and brings such positive energy to our classroom. Her natural ability to connect with students helps them feel valued and excited to learn. K2 is a better place because of Amy!"
American Education Week:
Next week is a time to celebrate EACH OF YOU! Below is our plan to celebrate the amazing people in this building. Reminder - each of you are an "educator"!
November 25 Early Out:
As you know, we have an early release on November 25. Bob Olson sent an email last Friday with some details. Due to this, the lunch schedules (staff and students) have been changed. Please click here to see that plan.
Just a reminder -
- Teaching Staff - if you have your required trainings done, you are done at 12:40pm.
- Non-Teaching Staff - you will be doing a safety training at 1:10pm at OHS that afternoon. We will get you a lunch in and you will have time to travel over at 12:40pm.
Unified PE Fundraiser - OMS:
Unified PE is partnering with Special Olympics Minnesota again this year to offer a t-shirt fundraiser. Proceeds from the sale will help provide experiences and equipment to the Unified PE students at OMS and OHS. Orders will need to be placed and paid for by December 1st. Shirts are $15 each, and payment options and pick-up information are on the form. The link is also in this week's Husky Howler. If you would like to order, please follow this Shirt Link.
This Monday (1pm), the Owatonna Fire Department will be doing a controlled burn in the nature center. Maintenance is aware of this and will monitor wind direction to ensure that the smoke is not being brought into the building. Please avoid the nature center and that area of the school grounds Monday afternoon.
Student 1:1 Interviews:
As part of our building goals, we are conducting 1:1 student interviews to hear voices about their level of belonging. Starting next week, we have a team (Amanda, Annette, Katie, and I) who will be coming around to do student interviews. We will pull students out one by one - each interview should only take 1-2 minutes. When we arrive, we will have a roster and just start pulling students out. Below is our schedule:
Monday, November 10 (12:30-2:00) - Kindergarten & 2nd Grade
Tuesday, November 11 (9-10am) - 4th Grade
Wednesday, November 12 (9-10:30) - 1st & 3rd Grade
Thursday, November 13 (12:30-1:30) - 5th Grade
Please note - this is a tenative schedule. We will come to your room when we are ready. This note is just an FYI (nothing you need to do).
United Way Fundraiser:
Take advantage of these opportunities to have fun and donate to a great cause! 2nd Grade has already bought the "Kiel Covers Your Recess" for a WHOLE WEEK!
October ORD (Office Referral Data) & Defiant Behavior:
We decreased to 25 office referrals for the month!
Tuesday is our highest day for requests.
1-2:40pm is our highest time for requests
Defiance continues to be our most frequent behavior (see video below for strategies).
What can you do for defiance? The video above is great - below is the summary:
1. Be calm - don't match their energy level.
2. Reduce verbal interactions - don't engage in power struggles; give directions 1-3 times and move on to incentives or consequences.
3. Give teacher approved choices - "feed the need for control" - have choices already generated and give them the control to make a choice.
4. Use classroom management systems - utilize your incentives and consequences. One idea she shares is "owed time".
Snow Day Choice Boards:
We will be waiting this year to send the paper copies home (they are being updated). They will be sent home after the first snowday, and you can also send them digitally if we get to the point of the third snow day. Remember the first two snow days are not e-learning days.
Toot Your Horn Thursday:
We had a few receipents this week - congrats to the following people:
Kinzie Kruschke was nominated by Ashlee Krauss for It is so clear that Kinzie is very passionate about kids and her care for them. When she brings kids into my office for any concern, she is amazing at being their voice and making sure their needs are being met. The students and staff are so lucky to have Kinzie here at McKinley. Thanks for all you do!
The Kindergarten Classroom Teachers were nominated by Caryn Boetel for These ladies are working with several adults in and out of their classrooms. They have 2 each co-teachers with heavy demands of planning. They are learning 2 new curricula. Each of them have major behaviors to juggle. Even when feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, they love their kiddos every day - all of them. They find delight in each of the little or big acheivements of their classes. This is a very hardworking team that needs to be celebrated
Lynn Jensen nominated Jayme Ulrich for I want to recognize Jayme Ulrich for her exceptional creativity, positive attitude, and dedication to creating a fun and engaging learning environment. Jayme brings learning to life through imaginative activities that spark joy and curiosity in her students. Her caring personality and genuine connections with students and colleagues make her classroom a welcoming place for everyone. Jayme’s enthusiasm and warmth remind us all of the power of kindness, creativity, and positivity in education.
The Physical Education Team was nominated by Danika Beck for I had the opportunity to sit in on part of PE today (Halloween), and it was such a joy to see! The students were having fun, fully engaged, and moving with energy and excitement. It was clear that this didn’t just happen by chance, but it’s the result of the thoughtful planning, creativity, and dedication that our incredible PE teachers put into every lesson.
Just a heads-up - we have an early release on Tuesday, November 25 (12:40pm). An email will be coming, but please plan on the following:
- Teaching Staff - if you have your required trainings done, you are done at 12:40pm.
- Non-Teaching Staff - you will be doing a safety training at 1:10pm at OHS that afternoon. We will get you a lunch in and you will have time to travel over at 12:40pm.
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