October 9 Update

 Happy Friday!

This appeared in my social media yesterday.  This reminded me that we are responsible for finding those "happy moments", even in the chaos of the day.  It's important we find the "joy" and enjoy those little moments  - a laugh, smile, story from their life, etc.   And, I disagree with the end to this quote - research says a strong relationship creates safety in a classroom which in turn creates high levels of learning.   Find those joyful moments today!  

Indigenous People's Day - Monday:

Per state statute, we are required to provide 1 hour of programming on Indigenous People's Day on October 12.  Linked is a document that provides some resources to support your instruction that day.  

Connection Day - October 19

We have our first connection day on October 19.  For those of you who are new to McKinley, we do a Connection Day after a long break.  The day is designed around rebuilding relationships & re-establishing routines.  A team has designed a choice board for you to do with your classroom at points during your day.  It's a great way to transition back to school after a long break!

Lunch Count:

Starting Monday, October 19, we will be moving to an electronic lunch count (linked here).   Please have your lunch count entered into this sheet every morning.  We will use this same sheet every day (they will delete numbers after they have them).  I do have a request into Infinite Campus to have this be added as part of your attendance (hopefully someday).  This will start after MEA break. 

Perception Survey:

Next week, our staff and 4-5th graders will participate in a Perceptions Survey.  This survey is importnat information for our District.  Please watch for this email and take the survey when you can. 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend! 

Justin

October 2 Update

Happy Homecoming!

Looking forward to a great day - Teddy Bear Parade, Picnic, and the Parade.  Go Huskies!

EA Opening:

Gabrielle Howard, an EA, resigned early this week.  The position is posted if you know of anyone interested.  If they are, please have them apply ASAP.  I'm screening applications and setting up interviews this weekend.  

Starfish:

Back in August, we kicked the year off with the Starfish Story.  If you recall, the boy was throwing starfish back.   A man questioned him, stating there were too many starfish on the beach to save.  The boy threw a starfish back in and said "it matters to that one".   

Never underestimate the power of your everyday actions. The extra minute you spend listening, the quick word of encouragement, or the quiet patience you offer might feel small in the moment, but to the person on the receiving end, it can change everything. You may never see the full ripple effect of the light you bring to work each day, but please know this: every single little effort matters, and you are making a difference.

Halloween:
Halloween is on a Saturday this year. Woo hoo!! Just a friendly reminder - we have moved away from doing Halloween activities, including having students dress up on this day. Not only is the dress up a distraction (and fear factor of some costumes) but it becomes an equity issue with some not celebrating, having the funds to get a costume, etc. We are not doing any dress up.

Also, we have moved away from celebrating Halloween. This includes any jack-o-lanterns, skeletons, death, etc. Many teams have still found fun ways to turn this into a fall event - STEM activities around designing and building with a pumpkin, for example.

If your team is planning anything and want to run it by me, I'd be happy to offer any help.

McKinley Gear:

We will continue our tradition of McKinley gear on Mondays! 

A huge thank you to Steph for organizing our newest "gear"! 

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

Have a great weekend!  Go Huskies! - Justin

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

September 18 Update

Happy Friday!

We finished our first 5 day week!  It's great to see routines, relationships, and learning in full action!

We've been in school for 10 days - what kind of impact are you making? 

Cheers for Peers!

Last Year's 3rd Grade Team was nominated by Kate Tepp for "I want to thank third grade for their amazing work they did with Wit & Wisdom last year! Our first week routines have been so smooth thanks to them. We did our first Socratic seminar to end the week and it was amazing-- The listening, taking turns, the ideas, agreements/disagreements, the conversations... We had to bust out a box of Kleenex halfway through.. It was incredible! Kudos to you for building the foundation to it all, it makes us excited for the rest of the year!" Way to go, 3rd Grade!

Vision Card:

Linked is our 3 building goals plus the action steps. Please take a moment to look through these, particularly the action steps.

Science Fair:

I am checking to see who has interest in coordinating our science fair this year.  This event is well laid out - if you are looking for details or to know the committment, contact Jess Zupansic or Rachel Thiemann.  

Every Minute Matters:

Now that we are underway with our schedules, I want to stress the importance of "every minute matters".   First, I want to be really clear - I understand life happens.  There are emergencies that throw a schedule off.  I totally understand that.  However, our "emergencies" should be few and far between.  

When we go over in morning meeting or let instructional time slide by just 5 minutes a day, it seems harmless in the moment. But over the course of a school year, those 5 missing minutes stack up to 25 minutes a week, over an hour every month, and nearly 15 full instructional days lost by June. That is three entire weeks of reading groups, math interventions, and hands-on science that simply vanish. Every transition, start time, and lesson block in our master schedule is designed to maximize student growth; when we protect our clock, we protect our students' learning.

By the Numbers: How Lost Minutes Multiply

• 5 minutes lost daily: 25 minutes/week | 1.5 days of school lost per year

• 10 minutes lost daily: 50 minutes/week | 3.2 days of school lost per year

• 15 minutes lost daily: 75 minutes/week | nearly 5 full days of school lost per year

• 30 minutes lost daily: 150 minutes/week | 15 full days of instruction lost per year

Every minute matters.  

Homecoming Early Release:

A few updates regarding early release...

Teddy Bear Parade - our 1st grade is doing their annual Teddy Bear Parade at 10:30am.  More to come!

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.  

Indigenous People's Day - October 12:

Per state statute, we are required to provide 1 hour of programming on Indigenous People's Day on October 12.  Linked is a document from Teaching and Learning that provides some resources to support your instruction that day.  

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

I hope each of you can find some time to do something you love!  

Have a great weekend! 

-Justin

September 11 Update

Happy Friday!

Another great week.... we finished our first 5 days!  

Welcome Back List:

Don't forget to complete your Welcome Back list, including the required online trainings.  Please get this completed ASAP. 

Homecoming Picnic & Parade:

Friday, October 2 is our early release (12:40pm) for the Homecoming Parade (1:30pm).   This is the day we will also be doing the 1st Grade Teddy Bear Parade (10:30am).  More information will come in the next week; however, below is the lunch schedule if you are planning ahead.  I will be sharing the RSVP with families today (Friday).  

10:45-11:15	4th Grade
10:55-11:25	1st Grade
11:10-11:40	5th Grade
11:20-11:50	Kindergarten
11:35-11:55	2nd Grade
11:45-12:15	3rd Grade

Cheers for Peers:

Let's fill this building with gratitude and some positive energy!  Don't forget, if you see a staff doing something and want to acknowledge them, complete the Cheers for Peers form.  

Families in Transition (FIT) - Guest Blogger Megan Douglas:

As a school district, we are federally required under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to identify and support students and families experiencing housing instability. A student may qualify as a Family in Transition if they do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate place to live. This can include situations such as staying temporarily with friends or relatives, living in a hotel or shelter, or other temporary or unstable housing arrangements.

I’ve sent out a short form to help us identify students who may potentially qualify. If you have a student with an unusual or unstable living situation—or you are simply unsure whether their situation would qualify—please include them on the form. When in doubt, send them my way!

After a student is identified, I will follow up with staff for additional information and, when appropriate, connect with the family to learn more about their circumstances and offer support. Student housing information is also recorded and submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) annually.

Thank you for helping us make sure students and families have access to the support and resources they are entitled to!

Family Newsletter:

Our September Family Newsletter went out to families Thursday:  https://app.smore.com/n/fymg2.   

If you have items for the newsletter, please contact Tiffany.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

September 3 Update

Welcome Back!  It was great to have students in the building this week!

First Day Gratitude:

As much as I went home exhausted yesterday, it was a great day.  I know a lot of time and energy goes into the beginning of the year.  That time and energy does not go unnoticed.  Yesterday, I was quickly reminded of the power of this building - the way each of you COME together to make the POWER OF US.  All of you jumped right in to support each of our kids - regardless if they were in your class, program, etc.  I am truly honored to work with such amazing people who put kids first.  I'm looking forward to the best year yet!  

Responsive, Responsive, Responsive:

One of our focus areas this year is being responsive—the practice of taking our core curriculum and shaping it to fit our students' needs in real time. Think of it like cooking a great meal: when the cook tastes the soup while it’s simmering, that’s formative assessment; when the guests taste the soup, that’s summative assessment.  When the chef is preparing the soup, there is time to make adjustments (add spices, more protein, etc.).  After the soup is served to the customer, it's often harder to make those adjustments.  That's being responsive.  

While summative tests show us the final outcome, our daily observations, progress monitoring, and quick formative check-ins are how we taste the soup along the way. Paying attention to those lightbulb moments—and the furrowed brows—gives us the power to add a pinch of support or extend a challenge before the lesson is over.  This really is the art of teaching.  

Being responsive isn't about adding extra paperwork; it’s about using quick exit tickets, brief observations, and flexible pacing to meet kids right where they are each day. Every student enters our classrooms with unique strengths and learning styles, and when we let our daily observations drive our next moves, we show our students that we see them, hear them, and care about their individual growth. You are the master chefs of our school, and I am so grateful for your heart, dedication, and expertise as we nourish our students' minds and spirits this year. Let’s make it our best year yet!

Badges:

Part of our building security plan is staff wearing their district-issued ID badge.  It is required you are wearing that to work every day.  In the event of an emergency, you may be put into an unsafe situation (locked out of somewhere) without your badge.  Also, it's our way for staff to know you are cleared to be in the building (particularly if they don't know you).  

Cheers for Peers:

This year, we trying a new "Toot Your Horn".  Every Thursday, we will acknowledge a group in the building who is making an impact.  Today, our EA team was given this award.  Our 3rd Grade Team nominated them for "They jumped in and completed many teacher "to do" tasks during back to school week! You helped get us up and running!  You are appreciated - you don't go unnoticed!".  

The Cheers for Peers award is given every Thursday and comes from staff nominations.  Each of you can nominate someone!  To nominate, please complete the form (also found in the Virtual Office).  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a GREAT long weekend! 

-Justin

August 28 Update

It's GREAT to be back!

#BestEducatorsEver

#AdultsLovingOurKids

Welcome Back "Stuff":

Linked below are some items from welcome back week...

Welcome Back Checklist

Welcome Back Pre-Slide Show

Welcome Back Presentation (Tues morning)

Below are some pictures from our drawing activity 

Cheers for Peers:

We have switched our "Toot Your Horn" to "Cheers for Peers".   

Cheers for Peers is a way for our staff to acknowledge each other - and share their impact!  Linked is the form.  These will be shared every week in the Friday blog.  If you see something, fill this out! 

First Day of School:

We will need "all hands on deck" for the first two days.  Please plan on all staff being visible (outside, breakfast, etc) at 7:50 on Wednesday and Thursday.  After that, we will resume to our normal supervision plan.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to see the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

May 29 Update

Good morning!

Another great week at McKinley!

Can you believe we are down to 5 days left (including today)?  Let's make those last 5 days into some of the best memories yet!  

Toot Your Horn Thursday:

We have two recipents - Pat Fails and Val Seath!

Pat Fails was nominated by Denise Carlson for "Thank your for the extra 30 minutes. It made my day"

Val Seath was nominated by the 2nd Grade Team for Dear Master Gardener, thank you for bringing new life and beauty back to the McKinley garden! Your passion and vision does not go unnoticed. Thank you for organizing volunteers, getting students involved, and teaching us how to take care of the garden. McKinley will be blooming because of you! 💙🌻

End of Year Checklist:

Linked are the end of the year checklists - please make sure you are getting these items all taken care of.

Teacher Checklist

Para/EA Checklist

Last Day - June 4:

Just a reminder of our plan for Thursday, June 4:

• 9:10 - Google Meet about expectations
• 9:15-10:30 End of Year Stations in building (please sign up if you haven't already)
• Over lunch hour - PTO will be here with a treat for staff in lounge
• 2:20 - meet in gym (kids should have backpacks and be ready to leave from gym) to sing the school song to our 5th graders for the last time. 
• 2:25- Tunnel out of building for 5th graders (head to front door and Justin will help you get set up)
• 2:35 - head to McKinley sign to wave goodbye to kids
• 3:00 - Happy Hour at SpareTime

Retirees & Staffing Updates:

Just a reminder - we have some amazing staff who will be wrapping up their careers next week.  A huge thank you to Annette Warner, Bernie Jensen, Lisa Revier, Denise Carlson, and Caryn Boetel for all their dedication to Owatonna and McKinley.  Additionally, we have some staff leaving us for their next chapter - Kara Boerner, Jen Schlauderaff, Joann Bergemann, Michelle Gadient, and Jill Peterson.  Jill announced last week she was leaving for Northfield Public Schools and Michelle is heading closer to home to teach in Goodhue next year.  Both will be greatly missed!  Please take a moment next week to honor/thank/appreciate them.    

An update on staffing - Hunter Evenson and Mark Clauson will be returning to McKinley next year.  Hunter will be split between Lincoln, McKinley, and Washington and Mark will be between Washington, McKinley, and Athletic Director at OMS.  We are excited to have them (back) with us!  

June Family Newsletter:

The linked family newsletter is going out to families today.  Just an FYI for you.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

May 22 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley! 

After today, 8 days left.  We can do it.  These last few days are an exciting time for many of our kids - wrapping up a school year, doing special events, and getting ready for summer break!  And, for some of our learners, they are watching their safe person, predictability, and friendships fade away into the summer.  Please be mindful of this as we close out the year - some of our students will become escalated, anxious, and start to show behaviors.  They are struggling to see some of the positives of their life go away.   These next 8 days will require excitement, positivity, grace, and understanding.  Let's love those porcupines!  

Shout Out!

We received preliminary ACCESS scores for our multilingual learners this week.  Of the 25 students districtwide who graduated from programming, 14 of them are from McKinley!  WOW!  That is 56% of the graduates are coming from our building.   A huge shout out to our staff and students.   Another special shout out to Liz, Rachael, and Caryn for our supporting our learners!  

7 Splendid Send Off's:

Below are some ideas I saw online for a way to celebrate a great school year:  

Summer Updates:

Can you believe we are already almost to the end of another great year!?   A few reminders about McKinley this summer:

• Our McKinley Office is closed Monday, June 15 - Friday, July 31.  Steph and I will return to work on Monday, August 3.  
• Our building is being used for K Kamp from July 20-July 30 (you will know if your room is being used).    There is NO Minds at Work this summer.  

End of Year Checklist:

Linked are the end of the year checklists - please make sure you are getting these items all taken care of.

Teacher Checklist

Para/EA Checklist

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

-Justin

May 15 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley!

Another great week of learning, relationships, and memories!  

Love those Porcupines!  

As we move into the last 3 weeks (crazy!), please pull out your porcupines and reground yourself in loving those porcupines.  This time of year can be tough - for our kids, yourself, our colleagues, etc.   It's important we continue to provide grace, patience, and create positive memories with everyone (students, colleagues, etc).  We can love on those porcupines while still maintining consistency and love!  

Room Moves & Updates for 26-27:

A few updates in regards to next year.  We do have some room movement:

• K2 (Beck) is moving into Jen Schlauderaff's old room
• K3 (Peterson) will be in the empty Kdg room 
• K4 (Hager) will be in Danika Beck's old room
• SPED (Williams/Sommers) will be getting a door installed this summer
• SPED (Molly Hieb - new hire) will be in the front part of the empty 5th grade room; the back will be available for a flex space.
• EL (Stitzmeyer, Eickhoff, Seifert) will be located in Zupansic/Peterson's current Intervention room
• Intervention (Zupansic) will be in Caryn Boetel's old office
• 3D (Thurnau) will move to 3B (Seifert's old room)

PowerSchool:

Just a friendly reminder to get into PowerSchool to start closing out your end of the year tasks.  This includes evaluations, Peer Review, goal setting, etc).   Because of the back and forth signature process within the system, please do not wait until June 5.   

Class List Placement:

Just a reminder that next Friday, May 22, we will be meeting in collaboration time to work on class lists.  Please have the spreadsheet updated so we can print cards and be prepared for this.  Because of time, please try to join collaboration as soon as possible.   

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend - enjoy the beautiful weather Saturday!

-Justin

May 8 Update

Another great week at McKinley!  

Thank you for your help (and flexibility) with the breakfast pilot.  It's taken a team to make this happen and I appreciate each of you!  

Happy Mother's Day

Thank you for the countless ways you show up every single day. You love, guide, and inspire not only your own children, but our students who are lucky enough to learn from you. Balancing motherhood and teaching isn’t just a job—it’s a calling that requires patience, strength, and a whole lot of heart.

The care you give doesn’t stop when the school day ends. You carry it home, weaving together lesson plans and bedtime stories, grading papers and packing lunches, encouraging growth both in the classroom and at the kitchen table.

Your impact reaches far beyond what can be measured. You are shaping minds while raising hearts, and that’s no small thing.
Thank you for all that you do—for your dedication, your passion, and the love you pour into both your families and your students.

You are truly appreciated.  Happy Mother's Day!

Honorees:

On Wednesday night, our OEA hosted an evening of celebration - for years of service, retirees, and teacher of the year.  It was a great night to celebrate our McKinley staff!  

Retirees - Annette Warner, Caryn Boetel, and Lisa Revier

25 years of service - Gia Davison & Karla Wilke

30 years of service - Lynn Jensen

Each year, the OEA picks someone as the "Friend of Education" - someone who has made a signficant impact within Owatonna Public Schools.  This year, our Success Coaches were chosen.  This team is such an integral part of our work.  This past year, this team led the work to ensure our families were taken care of during the Operation Metro Surge.   

Thank you Sylvia and Nura for all you do for our students, families, and staff.   You are so deserving of the "Friend of Education" award!  

  

Last Day of Interventions:

Our last day of interventions will be Friday, May 29.  

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

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

May 1 Update

Happy Friday - AND Happy May! 

Educator Appreciation Week:

Next week is Educator Appreciation Week!  Each of you serve in a role as an "educator"... so let's celebrate each of you!  Check the picture above on the plan for the week.  

Monday's lunch will be brats, chips, and a dessert.  Please bring your own drink.  Lunch will be served in the lounge - but feel free to head out back (by the garden) to enjoy lunch outside, too!  

Toot Your Horn:

This week's Toot Your Horn is Pat Fails! Pat was nominated by Josh Tolle for "Pat makes McKinley a better place because he is here. He is fully present with a smile on his face and his joyful laughter resonating through the halls. On any given day you will see him gently teasing a student, encouraging students to make good decisions, or holding a little hand in his hands to help guide them. Pat also is a servant leader. On this particular day, Pat proactively went and grabbed a mop to clean up a spill in Aisle 5. I happened to be coming to get the mop for a spill in Aisle 23. He asked me where my spill was and said he would take care of it. It is these little things that add up to make a school culture. Thank you Pat for serving the students and staff here at McKinley. You are appreciated! Now get out there and toot that horn!"

Breakfast:

Just a reminder that breakfast starts before school on Monday! 

Breakfast begins at 7:45 and ends at 8:10am.  Students should NOT be down in classrooms or their lockers.  After 8:10, students will be given a breakfast and sent to class (we will monitor how many this is and adjust as needed).  We will not serve breakfast after 8:10 unless the student comes late (the office will make this decision and send them).    

For lunch slips, our kitchen team will put a slip in your mailbox at the end of each day (make sure you check your mailbox each morning).  The kitchen team will come around before 8:30am each day to get the lunch slip from you.  

This is a pilot, so we will adjust as needed throughout the month of May.  

Friday Grill Out:

We're getting closer and closer to May.... which means Friday grill out!  If your team is interested in having Justin grill your lunch, please sign up with your team.  On the day of, bring in your meat and mark with your name in the lounge fridge. I will happily get your food grilled and delivered to you!  Sign up if interested!  It's a great time to enjoy the outdoors and some good food! 

IM Implementation:

Our last question & thoughts from our pilot teams (K & 5th Grade):

Question:  If someone asked you for the big differences between Everyday Math and IM, what would you say?

Response: Teachers are noticing some clear differences between IM and Everyday Math. IM is designed to build understanding over time, with concepts connected across units, while Everyday Math tends to revisit topics in a more separate, cyclical way.

In the classroom, IM feels much more hands-on and student-centered. Students are exploring, discussing, and explaining their thinking, rather than just practicing skills on worksheets. There is a stronger focus on helping students understand the “why” behind math, not just how to do it.

IM also goes deeper into fewer concepts at a time, giving students the chance to build understanding from hands-on experiences to more abstract ideas. Everyday Math, in comparison, often moves more quickly and focuses more on practice.

Overall, teachers are seeing IM as a shift toward deeper thinking, meaningful conversations, and active engagement, with more opportunities for all students to participate and show their understanding.

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin