Happy Friday!Another amazing week at such an amazing place....
Cheers for Peers:
Kinzie Kruschke was nominated by Katie Barth for "Kenzie is a wonderful para and does an amazing job supporting students with hearing loss at McKinley. She has learned all about the equipment, has built positive relationships with the students, and creates accountability for the use and care of their amplification equipment. She celebrates the student successes and she takes initiative to research and solve minor equipment issues. She is great at communicating with me and is willing to try new ideas to meet student needs. She truly makes my job easier knowing that when I am serving other schools, the students at McKinley are in good hands."
Josh Tolle was nominated by Brenda Hager for "Mr. Tolle has a special way of making learning fun while building genuine connections with students. He is down to earth and very approachable while still creating an environment where students are excited to learn. Mr. Tolle knows how to capture kids attention, get them involved and make even challenging lessons enjoyable."
Karla Wilke was nominated by Brenda Hager for "I want to nominate Mrs. Wilke for making learning fun, keeping kids engaged and bringing laughter into the classroom. They're so full of energy and prove that learning doesn't have to be boring. Seriously have you seen the classroom contraction lesson? How fun is that? Every school needs a little more of that kind of fun!"
November 2 PD:
Just a reminder - Monday is our November 2 PD Day. Please see email from Julie Sullivan.
Also, what a great gift we are provided - a day of reflecting, learning, and growing about our professional craft. I look forward to seeing/hearing about all your learning!
November Family Newsletter:
Linked is the November Family Newsletter that will go out to families today (Friday).
Veteran's Day:
On November 11, we are required to provide an hour of instruction on Veteran's Day. Below is our plan:
- Resources: Linked are video links & other resources for Veteran's Day
- Wall of Honor: Our school commnity is submitting pictures of Veteran's in their families. On November 11, we will open our Wall of Honor for you and your class to visit. This will count toward instructional time. More to come!
- On November 11 at 8:20, we will meet in the library. Mrs. Huse will be singing the National Anthem.
1:1 Barometer Check Feedback:
As you all know, I completed 1:1 barometer checks last week with almost all staff. Our Building Leadership Team will do some digging into the themes from these checks (they will not see names or specific comments). More to come!
As I listened to each of you, there was a lot in the first question to celebrate (What is something about our school culture or daily environment that makes you feel glad to work here?). I wanted to share a couple big themes from this. Please take a moment to read through this list of all the amazing things about McKinley - we have SO much to be thankful for.
Feels Like Home: Staff repeatedly describe the school as a "second family" and a safe space where they immediately feel a strong sense of belonging.
Warm Everyday Environment: Consistent mention of friendly greetings, smiles, hallway hellos, high-energy starts to the day, and genuine daily check-ins ("How are you?").
Low Staff Turnover: Staff note that people want to stay here and don't request transfers because of how special the environment is.
"Our Kids, Not My Kids": Universal commitment to collective responsibility for every student in the building.
Meeting Kids Where They Are: Focus on person-first language, high expectations, relationship-building, and supporting the whole child.
Visible Leadership: Staff feel heard, seen, and supported by leadership
Joy & Day-Brighteners: Appreciation for staff traditions, Wednesday snacks, coffee trucks, and social opportunities to connect outside of the classroom.
Positive Energy: High job satisfaction overall, with many staff stating they genuinely love coming to work every single day.
We have SO much to be proud of. One thing is clear - people take care of each other. I'm so proud to be a part of our McKinley Family.
Building Weekly Newsletter:
Have a great weekend!
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