Welcome Back 2025-2026!

Welcome Back! 

Thank you for all the time and energy you have put into making the first Clasroom Connection day a hit!  It was great to see families back in the building.  

Don't forget to get some team/individual pictures in front of the balloon display and text/email it to me.  A huge thanks to Steph for organizing this!  

Your Impact:

As we ended Tuesday's time together, we focused on that idea of IMPACT.  Below is one of my favorite quotes.  Every day, we get to decide what kind of impact we will have.  Every.single.day.  

Don't ask, "Will I make an impact today?"

We don't get that choice.

We WILL make an impact on the kids and adults we interact with.

Instead ask, "What kind of impact will I make?"

We can be the reason they want to come to school or the reason they don't.

That's the choice. 

New Kids on the Block:

Each year, we honor our newest teammates with a New Kids on the Block bar!  Linked is the sign up sheet.  We need enough of their favorite treats for around 80 people, so multiple people can sign up.  If you are interested, please sign up and bring your treat in by next Wednesday.  

Homecoming Week - Dress Up & Picnic!

Just a reminder - Homecoming is early this year (September 15-19)  Below are the dress up days planned for that week.  Just a reminder - we have an early release that Friday (12:40pm) for the parade.  

Additionally, we will have our Family Picnic on this day, too.  Linked is a general plan for that.  Please note - the early release is very early this year.  I will be sharing the RSVP with families next Wednesday.  More to come!  

Raptor:

We will be utilizing Raptor for our safety drills this year.  Please either download the app or have a laptop you will use in the event of a crisis.  This will be the process we use for initating a drill/event, reporting which kids are with you, and other communication in the event of a drill or crisis.  

If you are having trouble logging into Raptor, please contact Paige Olson at the DO.  

EduClimber (formerly Viewpoint):

One of the new platforms we are using is EduClimber (this has replaced Viewpoint).   I am looking forward to using this as there are way more perks.  The site is way more user-friendly, you can dig down deeper into root causes, we can use it triangulate data (attendance, behavior, etc), and we can track interventions.   This will be a slow rollout to implement all these things.

As you are preparing for PLCs, goals, and instruction, you will need to access student data.  For now, Kenneth has made a screen recording of how to access the data, being mindful that you have a lot of new this year.  The video is linked here - Informational Video from Kenneth.  More to come on training and implementation!  

MESPA Roles:

I wanted to share with you that I am taking some leadership roles on within MESPA (Minnesota Elementary Principal's Association).  This year, I am serving as a the SE President, a principal mentor, as well as a Principal Fellow.  All of these roles will should not impact my role here other than a few times during the year when I'm out of the building.  One of my passions is leadership development and I'm thrilled to be able to support this statewide.   Just sharing with you! 

Toot Your Horn Nominees:

Each week, we honor different staff members through a "Toot Your Horn Award!"  Linked is the nominiaton form.  This is for those moments when you appreicate someone.   After they are chosen, they receive a horn and their picture is shared with staff along with your write-up.  Consider nominating a colleague today! 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the  building weekly newsletter

Monthly Family Newsletter (shared on today with families)

https://secure.smore.com/n/nfra4

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

-Justin

August 31 Update

Welcome Back!

I hope you all have found the week back to be energizing!  I'm excited to jump into another year with the best group of people I know! 

Last chance to order a shirt - please order this by noon today if you haven't already!  

First Day & Friday -

For the first two days of school, we need all hands on deck to help support morning arrival.  If you are in a classroom teaching role, please be ready for students at 8:00am.  If you are not in a classroom teaching role, we need you to be outside and in the hallway at 8:00am to help our scholars find their way.   We will need the same for dismissal, too.  

McKStrong Assembly - 

Our first McKinleyStrong Assembly has been moved to Monday, September 11 from 1:45-2:15pm in the gym.  In moving this, we will have all of Kindergarten here.  For those of you who are new, this is a time for us to connect, celebrate, and review expectations.  This first one will be a kick off to another great year! 

Team Building Activity:

For those of you who don't know, I have a secret love (and waste of time) for Tik Tok.  Below is a great team building activity to incorporate into your community building!  

Your Words Matter - PLEASE READ!

Remember, your words matter.  Our brains are wired to create as many connections as possible.  Your brain is designed to take your beliefs, words you use, and turn it into action.... even if it's a subconscious action.  In thinking about this, your words matter.  The way we talk about our student becomes our beliefs and actions.  

Years ago, we made the move to student-first language - all our kids are students first.  Instead of a "special education student", they are a "student on an IEP".    Instead of "a low student", they are a "student growing in comprehension" or a "student who struggles with self regulation". 

Remember, we are a student-first building.  If we are using "student' before their services or needs, we see EVERY learner as a student-first.  I highly challenge you to keep pushing yourself - and others - forward in student-first language. 

Practical Ideas for Relationship-Building in the Classroom - from the Search Institute (click here read entire article) 

Once we grasp the importance of student-teacher relationships, how do we jumpstart relationship-building once the bell rings?

The beginning of the school year is a great time to frontload and prioritize activities that establish trust and provide a foundation for growth. It’s a chance to get to know each other, establish group norms and create an inclusive environment where all students feel seen and heard.

Here are three suggestions for simple classroom activities that can help students and teachers experience stronger relationships.

1. Get To Know You and Establish Group Norms is a 30-minute activity that explores what students have in common, and what sets them apart from one another. It’s a great foundation for other relationship-building activities, and helps students vocalize what they need from the group to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feelings.
2. What Makes You Happy? is a 45-minute activity where students share their talents, interests, or activities — sparks — with the group. They’ll share what they are passionate about, what makes them lose track of time, and what kinds of ideas, people, and things turn them on. 
3. Identity Wheel is a 30-minute activity where students and adults share aspects of their background, heritage, talents, and skills. Sharing in this way builds and strengthens relationships as people learn to relate to their own identity and learn about other’s identities and experiences. 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a GREAT weekend - make sure you do something for YOU this weekend!

-Justin

August 2023 Update

Happy August!  
I hope you are staying cool and enjoying your summer!  It's gone by way too fast!  I hope this summer has found you some relaxation, rejuvenation, and time to do the things you love!  

Welcome to our new McKinley Staff!

Rooms Cleaned and Returning: 

Minds at Work and K-Kamp are wrapping up next Thursday, August 2. Thank you to everyone who has helped provide these summer experiences for our learners!   After August 2, Wayne and his team will begin to clean and get rooms/spaces ready for you.  If you have questions about if your room is ready, please contact Wayne before setting up or moving things.  There is a process to this and we need to follow it.  

Steph and I officially return on Monday, August 7 (please email or call if you need something - our hours will be different each day).  

Educational Assistant Positions:

We are in need of three Educational Assistants for the 23-24 school year.   There are different options for EA's this year - working school hours, working AM SAC, or working PM SAC.  As you know, we need SAC people, too, and the extra hours for the EA could be a beneficial thing.  

If someone has questions, they can contact me.  Please, please, please help get the word out! 

Link to Job Posting 

Welcome Back Week & Letter:

I will be sending out a welcome back letter in early August. This letter will contain more details for you - schedule, location, etc.  Below is a simple schedule in the event you need to plan ahead.  

Monday, August 28 - Teacher Workday

Tuesday, August 29 -  Staff Meeting (morning) and Staff Learning Work (PM)

Wednesday, August 30 - District Day at our new OHS (AM) and Teacher Workday (PM)

Thursday, August 31 - Before School Interviews, 7:40am-3:00pm

Friday, September 1 and Monday, September 4 - no work

Tuesday, September 5 - Before School Interviews, 11:40-7:00pm

Wednesday, September 6 - Before School Interviews, 7:40am-3pm

Thursday, September 7 - First Day of School! 

2023-24 Hours:

Just a reminder - our hours are changing next year!  

AM Supervision will begin at 7:45am (outside).  Students will enter building at 8:00am.

Teaching Staff's hours are 7:30-2:55pm

Para Hours are 7:40am-2:40pm

EA hours are different for each employee

Science of Reading:

The term is everywhere - the Science of Reading.  I'm sure it's appearing in your social media, email, etc.  So, what exactly is the Science of Reading?  Below are three videos (each around 1 min, 30 sec) that gives some introductory thinking around the SOR.  As we enter into the year, this is an area we will need continued growth in - what exactly does the research say about teaching reading?   Are we doing things we could do differently and more efficiently?  Take 5 minutes to ground yourself in the below videos.  

The Reading Brain

The Simple View of Reading

Scarborough's Reading Rope

I hope you continue to check out, relax, and enjoy your time off!  

-Justin