Happy Friday!
Another great week at McKinley! One thing I noticed this week is all the smiles, positivity, and fun energy coming from staff. Thank you for remembering to focus on relationships, positivity, and finding the fun at work!
Staffing Update:
SSW - I am excited to share that Megan Schulz (she is getting married and will be Megan Douglas next year) has accepted the School Social Worker position. Megan is coming from private therapy, but has experience as a School Social Worker and Youth Mental Health Navigator for Mankato Area Public Schools. Our interview team was impressed with her energy, passion, connectedness, and organization. We are SO sad to see Annette leave, but excited to have Megan join our team!
EL - I am excited to share that Kate Seifert has accepted the EL Teacher position at McKinley. As you know, Kate is a 3rd grade teacher who has an extensive background in co-teaching, language supports, and collaboration. Additionally, Kate is bilingual in Spanish. Please join me in welcoming Kate to this new role!
Summer Maintenance Form:
Today is the last day to complete any summer work you are requesting - please complete the linked form.
Absences & Leaving Early:
May is a busy month - both professionally and personally. And, each year, we see absences increase in May. A few reminders -
- Please get your absences in as soon as possible. We need to secure subs and can't just assume we will find internal coverage. May gets hard.
- If you are needing to leave early, please have a conversation with me. In the past few weeks, there has been an increase in people stopping in the office to say they need to leave early, Please plan ahead and go through me (Justin), not Steph.
IM Feedback:
Below is the third part in our series where I surveyed our pilot teams on Illustrative Math (IM).
Question - What do you wish you had known the year before implementing?
Responses - Several common themes have emerged that may be helpful for planning ahead. Many teachers found that time was required up front to explore the print curriculum and become comfortable with online resources. The planning and preparation can feel overwhelming at first, especially with gathering and organizing manipulatives, but it becomes more manageable as routines are established.
A key takeaway is the importance of trusting the process. While the pacing may feel slow initially, giving students time to build problem-solving, discussion, and collaboration skills leads to stronger independence and confidence over time. Along with this, intentionally teaching and revisiting “soft skills” like partner work, sharing ideas, and engaging in math conversations is essential for student success.
Teachers also noted the value of letting learning unfold—resisting the urge to over-explain and instead allowing students to discover strategies and concepts. With time and experience, the flow of lessons becomes more natural, and both teachers and students grow more comfortable with the structure and expectations.Building Weekly Newsletter:
Have a great weekend!
-Justin
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