Weeky Update- November 22, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving!

Core Instruction Reminder:
This was interesting to many of us last year- thought it was worth a revisit!  These are the guidelines for direct instruction of new content - how long can kids actually stay engaged and focused during new material in your classrooms?

#McKGratitude2017 Challenge:
We have only a few more days left of the challenge - keep tweeting (and watch your spelling of gratitude!).  We will announce our winner (and winning team) next week!

Engaging with Poverty in Mind:
Last year, we did some learning work around poverty, engagement, and the brain.  I spent some time last weekend looking back through this resource - I forgot about all the great ideas in this book!  It may be worth a "revisit" on your part, too!

I am going to highlight a strategy or idea each week to keep these ideas fresh.

Monday Review:
In our work, we discovered that many students are arriving to school each day with disregulated thinking - especially on a Monday morning.  Brain research shows that students who are exposed to stress and trauma are basically living in their emotional brain, or amygdala.  When a student is stuck in their amygdala, they can't access their prefrontal cortext, which is where learning takes place.

Our job is to help students move from the amygdala to the prefrontal cortext.  We learned that a few things help, especially on Mondays:

• Safe, welcoming environment - students knowing routines in the classroom, as well as knowing their classroom is predictable and safe.  
• A positive relationship: Greeting students on a Monday morning with a smile and showing them you missed them all weekend!
• Spending Mondays reviewing mastery from the previous week.  Students need to be regulated before they can access new learning. 

Staff Power Hour: 

Our Staff Power Hour is this coming Wednesday, November 29th at 2:40pm in Langlois & Seath's room.  We will focus on shoutouts, biases, and guided/small group instruction.  Can't wait!  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

This quote stood out to me this week - appreciating what you already have.   I am thankful for our McKinley family, each and every day.  This place is a special place with special people.  We are very lucky ... very lucky.


Have a great weekend with family & friends!  Take some time to relax, rejuvenate, and appreciate living "in the moment".
-Justin

Weekly Update- February 24, 2017

Happy Snow Day!  I hope you stay off the roads and enjoy the day!

I thought this was a great example of all the growth mindset language we are trying to use with student (and ourselves) around the word "yet"....

Some "random" updates:

• Integration Subouts start this week.  The schedule is attached is the building weekly newsletter (below).
• We were accepted into a PBIS grant through the state of MN.  This grant will help us continue to develop our work around PBIS.  I'm super excited!
• The MCA schedule was sent out yesterday.  Thank you to Denise Carlson for your work on this schedule!

Staff Power Hour Follow-Up:
At our Staff Power Hour this week, we started our work with Eric Jensen's book "Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind".  We had a great conversation centered around ways to engage students.  The thing I appreciated the most about this meeting was how reflective and growth mindset-focused we all were.  Each staff was looking for ways to get even better. 

As a team, we agreed to trying three things before our next meeting:
1. Say what you do want instead of what you don’t want (rule #4 – page 29-30).
2. Finding time to get to know kids. Try a relationship thing every day. Let kids know something about you or do a mini-morning meeting (some personal sharing).
3. Watch your body language throughout your day. As we read, body language sends many messages to students, staff, and families (without us even realizing it!).  

Click here to access the Staff Power Hour learning notes

Furniture Group for New Building:
The furniture group went to a showroom last week to look at new furniture for our new building.  I went into the visit thinking we'd look at desks, tables, chairs, etc. that just looked newer.  It was amazing to see how much furniture has changed to meet student and teacher needs.  Below are some of the pictures of the furniture (and our McK furniture group).  It's amazing to hear all the ways this furniture can be used.  The group will continue to explore our options over the next few weeks. 

 Twitter for Educators:
This has shown up in previous blogs, but it's something worth sharing again!  For those of you who are not on Twitter, it's time to join.  You will love it.  For those of you who are on Twitter, below are some ways to continue your growth on Twitter.  This year, I started participating in "Twitter Chats" with fellow principals (below).  The conversation and PD is awesome!

Don't forget about our hashtags: 
#mckinleystrong for information and events around our school community
#mckinleyPD is a spot to share professional development ideas/articles/links


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

Valet Parking for the Week:
The Valet Parking for the Week goes to Marie Sjulstad!  Marie is an amazing paraprofessional who puts students' needs first.  She is flexible, focused on students, and collaborative.  One of the things I appreciate the most about Marie is how positive she is - she always finds something good in every situation.  Thank you for all you do, Marie!


Enjoy your weekend!
-Justin

27 Days left to influence, motivate, and educate.  Can you believe this?  This year has gone so incredibly fast.   And, even though 27 days doesn't sound like much, it really is...

3,240 minutes of a reading block in K-3
2,430 minutes of a reading block in 4-5
1,890 minutes of a math block

Let's take advantage of each of these minutes to finish the year strong!


School Board Presentation- Monday
McKinley is presenting at the School Board Meeting this Monday, 4/27 at 6:30pm.  Amanda Gislason, Tom Meagher, Jayne Jacobson, and I will be presenting.  We'd love to have all of you present to support McKinley! 

Formative Assessment Ideas
Below are the formative assessment strategies from our book study meeting.  The document has a lot of strong, effective ways to formatively assess students.  Click here to see the link

Staff Meeting- Monday (4/27)
We will continue our learning work with the book study.  For those of you who haven't been joining our book study, you are still required to attend this staff meeting.  At our meeting, we will go through some building updates and then dig into our work with universal screeners/benchmarking, common assessments, and tracking data.  Woo hoo! 

MCA's
What a crazy week with MCAs!  Thank you to everyone who has been flexible throughout this whole testing season.  It's extremely frustrating to find out you aren't testing and have to quickly adjust plans.  I understand that.  I appreciate everyone who has been flexible and made this a positive experience for our students.  A special thank you to Denise for all her extra hours and work making this work. 

Valet Parking of the Week
My Valet Parking for the Week goes to Amanda Gislason.  Amanda is a stellar art teacher who does whatever it takes to make learning meaningful, purposeful, and connected to our students' lives.  Additionally, Amanda does so much "behind the scenes" at McKinley- organizing the Perpich grant, putting together "The Scoop", Site Team, etc, etc, etc.  There are two things that continually impress me about Amanda- her dedication to all kids and her creative, forward-thinking mind.  Amanda is always looking for ways to make McKinley a great place to learn.  Thank you for all you, Amanda!  


I want to end up my weekly update with a recent phone conversation I had with a parent.  I called the parent regarding a discipline issue.  During our conversation, I explained all the interventions and assistance her child is receiving to help keep the child focused and successful.  At the end of our conversation, she said "I just love that school.  I hope everyone in your school knows how important they are to families." That has resonated with me all day.  The great work you are doing for kids is being appreciated. 

I get more impressed with McKinley each and every day. 

Have a great weekend!
-Justin  

Principal's Update- April 16, 2015

Happy Friday!  It's a beautiful morning and life is good around McKinley!  It's fun to see some of our students start to observe and explore the outside world.  I can't even count the number of worms I've had students bring me each morning.

32 days left to motivate, inspire, and educate....

STEM Hours
Just a reminder, Amy has graciously given us 2 days of STEM planning to do some work with math.  We will talk through expectations at our June 2nd staff meeting.  For now, decide on 2 days you and your team will commit to for June (6 hours a day).  Please let me know the dates/times you will be meeting. 

Also, June 5th is our PLC day (for those who participated in PLC's, you do not report).  Because this is an actual staff day, your team cannot be compensated for STEM hours to work this day (you can still meet, however, you can't be compensated through the STEM hours). 

School Board Presentation
McKinley is presenting to the School Board on Monday, April 27th @ 6:30pm.   We'd love to have you in the audience to help show support and answer questions regarding McKinley.

Book Study & Scheduling
After we met, I had an email (from a group I follow) about creative scheduling in an elementary.  This connects directly with the discussions and work we did at our last meeting.  Below is the link to the article- it's a great read.    

http://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/291/strategic-school-schedules-support-interventions

Translations
Please remember Sylvia and Nura need time to do translations.  They are getting more and more requests asking for the translation to be done in a day or two.  Because they have full schedules in classrooms, they need around 3-4 days to translate the documents. 

Student Council (Next Year)
If you are interested in serving as the Student Council Advisor next year, please let me know.  This position can also be shared between two staff members. 

Hettinga Fundraiser
As many of you know, Don Hettinga's cancer has returned.  Don and his wife, Chris, are both teachers in the district.  Their daughter, Lauren, is a kindergartener in Jen Koziolek's class.  To raise money for the family, there is a Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction on Friday, May 15th from 5-8pm at the Eagles.  We have tickets in the office for sale ($8, kids 5 and under are free).  Also, we are gathering items for a basket (see Jayne Jacobson with questions).    To visit their Go Fund site, click here:  http://www.gofundme.com/p21ekw

Valet Parking of the Week
Our Valet Parking for the Week goes to Karen Thurnau.  Karen is an amazing teacher and team member here at McKinley.  The thing that continually impresses me about Karen is her desire to advocate for every student in our building.  Not only does she intervene with students academically, but Karen understands how much the emotional and social pieces can impact student learning.  We are so fortunate to have Karen on staff.    Thank you for all you do, Karen! 

Have a great weekend!  Those of you on the Chocolate Run, have fun! 
-Justin

Principal's Update- Friday, March 27, 2015

It's here... Spring Break!  Woo hoo!  Stop in the lounge sometime today for some pre-Spring Break treats!   Like I stated in my email, please take some time to unwind and relax over break.  I'll be heading off to Vegas for the weekend... looking forward to the 90 degree weather!

Enjoy the week and get rested up so we can have a strong finish to the 2014-2015 school year!   

Here are some updates for when we return:

Jeffers Journals-
When you use the Jeffers journals in your class, take some pictures and send to Tom Meagher.  If we can show that we are using these (which I see every day in your rooms!), we can get more for next year. 

PBIS-
A team met Wednesday to talk through some initial planning for PBIS in our building.  PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports.  Our big task for this team is to come up with some common expectations/matrix for the building (hallways, lunchroom, bathroom, etc), as well as a referral system to the office for positive and negative behavior.  The referrals will help us start to collect data on where, when, and why behaviors are occurring.   More information and work will be coming in the next few weeks.  A huge thank you to this team for their help! 

Book Study:
Just a friendly reminder that we will be discussing chapter 3 of our book study (on Wednesday when we return).

Summer Hours:
I know a lot of you have calendars that are filling up quickly.  I am working with Amy LaDue to figure out what/how many hours we can work in June on STEM (in particular math).  I will be in touch soon.

Coaching/Classroom Walkthroughs:
I apologize for not getting around the last week and a half to classrooms.  The office and my schedule have been crazy busy!  I will return to visiting rooms/teachers after break.  Again, when I come in, keep doing what you are doing.  I want to see the great things you are doing! 

Valet Parking for the Week:
The Valet Parking of the Week goes to Marie Sjulstad as a prize for the Big Brothers Big Sisters raffles.  However, Marie has graciously given her parking spot to Lori Huisenga who, according to Marie, "needs it more than I do."  That's Marie- always taking care of others.  Thank you for all you do for McKinley, Marie. 

Again, have a great week of relaxing, resting, and enjoying those around you.  I'll see you April 6th for a strong finish to the school year!

-Justin

Principal's Update- March 19, 2015

Happy Spring!   Spring in an elementary school is my favorite time of the year.  It's a great time to celebrate the learning that has happened, as well as reflect and gear up for the 2015-2016 school year!

Looking ahead next week:

• On Monday, we will have some intervention teachers from Faribault in our building.  As a district, they are doing some learning work and want to see how some of the instruction here at McKinley.
• Tuesday night is McKinley's night at Buffalo Wild Wings.  Grab your family and friends and enjoy dinner at BWW! 
• Thursday is a lockdown practice.  Please take some time to read your colorful "Emergency Response Procedures".  As I said at the meeting, that "book" contains relevant information! 

Book Study Follow-Up
We had a great discussion on Monday regarding our book study.  Thank you to all who participated.  I'm excited to begin this learning to ultimately improve your system and structures here at McKinley. 

After our meeting, I had a couple staff ask- - "If the book study is for ALL kids, why aren't ALL staff participating?"  Wow.  Great question.  Looking back, specialists and all support staff should have read the first 3 chapters- philosophical, foundational information on the work we are doing.  This would have helped everyone have the basic understanding of our learning.  Beyond that, the book isn't applicable to their content area/position.  We aren't to the point where structures are available for all to intervene (we have reading and math interventions at this point).  Because of this, we won't be having them read the rest of the book.  However, I will be photocopying chapter 3 for specialists so they understand the rationale behind scheduling and structures. 

Just a reminder- please come prepared with your reading and ready to share your thoughts.  This is learning work-  a time for us to see what else is out there and decide how it works with our building. 


MCA Schedule
The MCA schedule was sent out earlier this week.  During this time, the library will have limited hours due to testing.  Click here to see the schedule.  As I stated in my email, I had to create the schedule to ensure that all kids get tested in our testing window.    

3rd-5th grade teachers, I'd like to stop in and energize your kids about testing.  Please schedule a 5-10 minute meeting the day before you begin testing (with Lorri).

ISD 761 Foundation Grants
McKinley was awarded a couple ISD 761 Foundation Grants- woo hoo!

• Guided Math Library- we will be creating a guided math library with games, manipulatives, and resources to use in whole and small group math.   
• 3D Doodle Pens (like 3D printers) and circuit scribe pens (you can draw a circuit that actually works)- thanks to Amanda Gislason for submitting this!

Teacher of the Year Nominees
Congratulations to Mark Langlois, Kayla Davis, and Tamra Gonzalez for their nomination to be the Owatonna Teacher of the Year!  What a great group of teachers to be up for this honor.  Also, I think it says something about the quality of our building- 3 of the 6 are McKinley Monkeys!  Congrats again!

Growth Mindset
For the past week, I've started re-reading Mindset by Carol Dweck.  For those of you who haven't read this, the premise of the book is around two concepts- growth and fixed mindsets.  The book really breaks down how powerful a growth mindset is.  For the next few weeks, I'll update the blog with some of things I'm learning/reflecting on from the book.  As I read, many parts remind me of the staff here- willing and ready to do whatever it takes to get the job done.  Below is a video I found that does a great job of introducing "growth mindset" (3 min, 50 secs- well worth watching!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_oqghnxBmY

Valet Parking for the Week
Our Valet Parking for the Week goes to Jen Koziolek.  Jen is an exceptional kindergarten teacher who is dedicated to our profession.  Whether it's tying a shoe, helping a student in small group, or walking down the hall, Jen always has a smile and positive attitude.  Jen is a true advocate for her students- both academically, socially, and emotionally.  We are very lucky to have Jen at McKinley!


Have a great Friday and weekend, everyone!  Take some time to "sharpen your saw"!
-Justin

Principal's Update- March 13, 2015

Good morning!
TGIF! 

This update will be short this week...

Staff Meeting- Monday
All certified staff should plan on attending the staff meeting on 3/16.  We will be discussing Simplifying Response to Intervention.  I will be emailing out some questions that will guide our discussion.  If you are a specialist or not participating in the book study, plan on attending to join our conversations.  They will be valuable. 

MCA Testing
MCA testing is approaching!  A master schedule will be shared later today.  I tried to schedule your testing with as minimal classroom disruptions as I could. 

To prepare for testing, anyone who is involved must be trained.  Next Wednesday, March 18, Erin Klecker will be here to offer training sessions (1:30 and 2:45).  If you are involved with testing, plan on attending one of these training sessions (required by MDE).  Most of you received a calendar invite about this a couple days ago.  Questions, let me know.

Valet Parking for the Week
Our valet parking for the week goes to Mark Langlois.  Mark is such a critical team player for our 5th grade team, school, and district.  Mark will do anything he can for our McKinley students, families, and staff- academically, socially, and emotionally.  He's a great teacher who keeps students motivated, engaged and excited about school (which isn't easy in the spring of 5th grade!).  Mark, we're lucky to have you on our team. 


Take some time this weekend to enjoy the beautiful weather with those who "ground" you.   It's important to find people who keep you balanced and focused as a person. 

I think the picture below represents many Minnesotans this past week...

-Justin

Principal's Update- 2/20/15

Happy Friday!  Take some time today to thaw out!

Classroom Teacher Sub outs:
Sub outs this week were a success.  Thank you for allowing others to enter your classroom!  Also, thanks to Jayne for setting this up and guiding us through the process.   I'm impressed with the level of dedication and growth this staff has.  Everyone is focused on students, learning, and ways to grow as a professional.  Jayne and I will compile the de-briefing comments and send out next week.

Teacher Book Study:
Books were delivered to teachers yesterday.  I also attached a plan for us to complete the book before June.  Thank you to the teams that provided feedback on this- I used the feedback to design our study of the book.  Like I stated in the meeting, this book focuses on how we, collectively, can structure ourselves to more efficiently and effectively support students.  If you have questions or concerns about the study, please let me know ASAP.

I Love to Read Finale:
Next week, we will gather to do our finale assembly (Friday @ 2pm).  There will be lots of prizes for students and classes who participated.  One of the prizes is "pie a teacher".  We will choose one student per grade level to "pie a teacher".  This is a SECRET as of now.  Do not share with students.  We will let you know by Thursday if you are being "pied" so you can dress appropriately on Friday.  Please let me know if you are absolutely opposed to getting pied.

Special Events Next Week:
Next week, we have the McKinley Blood Drive (Monday) and Science Fair (Thursday).  If you are interested in volunteering at either event, we'd love your help.  And, the kids would love to see you!

Valet Parking of the Week:
Our valet spot goes to Lori Huisenga.  Poor Lori took a fall and has broken her ankle.  She will need all the help she can get when she returns next week.  Let's make her "walk" into school a little shorter (although, Miss 6:30am is normally parked pretty close to the building anyhow!).  Help welcome Lori back when you see her!

Snapshot of the Week:

 

Lauren and Taylor Busho received a police escort to school on Friday.  This was a prize they received at the school carnival.  We better hope this is the only police escort we have this year!

Miles Grimmius was our Principal of the Day on Friday.  Again, this was a prize from the Carnival.  As much as he may have promised all of you days off or more pay, dream on! :)

 

Last Saturday, I pulled into the parking lot to work and found Lorri Harrison's truck with a police car behind it.  You'll have to take a minute to ask Lorri why the police were here Saturday! :)

 

Anyone else seeing a theme here- McKinley and police!??!

 

 

Have a great weekend, everyone!  Enjoy the heat wave!

-Justin