September 25 Update

Happy Friday!  Another amazing week! 

Cheers for Peers:

Congrats to this weeks' receipents - Christa Kain and Nura Elmi!  Congrats to these two educators! 

Christa was nominated by Mallory Baumann for "Christa sees many students every day, yet she still takes the time to learn about them so she can better support them. Whether it's for a short time or three times in one day, she always wants to see the full picture. The kids feel seen, and she makes our days smoother! Christa is the best! Thank you for all you do!"

Nura was nominated by Katy Furniss for "Nura comes into my room to support a friend and her face instantly lights up when Nura comes in to help her. Not only does Nura take the time to help this friend, but she also helps anyone else that needs it. She brings a patient and calm presence into our space that is so appreciated! You're the best at what you do, Nura! Thank you for everything you do to support staff and students at McKinley!"

Homecoming Next Week:

A few updates regarding early release...

Teddy Bear Parade - our 1st grade is doing their annual Teddy Bear Parade at 10:30am.  They will share a parade route.  Please be seated and ready by 10:30am.  

Dress Up Days:  The below graphic will be shared with families (via SeeSaw and social media) on Monday.

 Picnic Lunch - We are hosting our annual picnic lunch for families on this day.  Below is information and some documents regarding the day:

• Linked is more details around this event.  
• I am looking for help on this day to eat lunch with your class (the students who do not have a family member who came with).  
• Linked is a list of families who have RSVP (this will continue to be updated as families RSVP - RSVP closes Wednesday, September 23.  

Supervision at Parade (Teaching Staff Only) - please complete the linked form showing your plan for the early release.  We are trying to do a check on how many staff will be supervising the parade.  

Update from CEU Committee:

Hello Awesome Educators! This is a reminder from your CEU committee to check on your hours and renewal dates. Even if this is not your renewal year,  please stay on top of what requirements/hours you have already completed and what you have left to complete. Our CEU committee meets a few times a year formally, but works throughout each week to get hours approved. 

We moved to PowerSchool last school year. You can view all of the requirements that were completed from PD Express (our old system) by logging on to PELSB and looking up your license. 

1. Check in the PELSB site (online license renewal) for any hours listed from 2024 and earlier. 

2. Look at the transcript from PowerSchool to see what you still need to complete.  

3. Complete the missing requirements. 

All of the steps for completing hours, renewal, etc can be found on our district website, under License Renewal. If you have any questions, please reach out to our CEU committee! We are here to help!

Inclusive Schools Week:

Inclusive Schools Week is December 7-11, 2026. We are looking for a team this year to help create some district-wide activities for our students.  We are planning to meet 3-4 times (7:30am) to get this planning up and running.  Please let me know of your interest by October 2, 2026.  Thank you for considering!  

October Family Newsletter:

The following October Family Newsletter will be shared with families today.

Writing Letters of Support:
School staff are sometimes asked to write letters of support for parents, guardians, or others involved in child custody disputes or other legal or personal matters. Requests for letters written in your professional capacity, based on information obtained through your school role, or that could reasonably be understood to represent the district must receive prior administrative approval. If you receive such a request, refer it to your principal before agreeing to write or provide a letter. Additionally, employment verification requests should be directed to Human Resources. These types of requests require careful review to protect confidentiality, maintain appropriate professional boundaries, and avoid involving staff or the district unnecessarily in private disputes or court proceedings. This expectation does not prohibit you from writing a personal letter on your own time as a family member or friend; for example, in support of a sibling. Such letters should clearly reflect your personal relationship and firsthand knowledge outside your school role. Do not use district letterhead, your district email account, your school title to imply district endorsement, or confidential information obtained through your employment. If your personal and professional roles overlap, or you are unsure whether approval is needed, consult your principal before proceeding.

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

Have a great weekend!
-Justin