Weekly Update - Friday, April 5, 2019

Happy Friday, McKinley! 
What a great week back from spring break!   I can feel the energy in the building - lots of learning and relationships!  We had a great Transition Day, too.  Below are pictures of the team dancing, cheering, and welcoming students back in the drop off lane! 

School Board Presentation - Monday:
McKinley presents to the School Board this Monday at 5:30pm at the District Office.  If you are available, wear your STEAM gear and join us for the presentation.  It's a great sign when our building shows to support our building and the hard work we are doing.

A special thanks to Jen Koziolek, Dani Rypka, and Libby Zeman who are helping lead the presentation! 

#lovemyschoolday is April 11
This Thursday is #lovemyschoolday on social media.  This is a date for us to fill social media with the reasons we love McKinley.  Start thinking of what you love - and capturing that with pictures and words!  Let's spend Thursday telling our "why" and showing the great work we are doing at McKinley!  (If you have read this far, email Justin Kiel to have your name entered for a drawing!).

Have you met our school tech goal in your classroom yet?(Information from Libby)

With just a couple of months left of school, I wanted to check in and see how everyone was doing with our technology goal:  100% of students will receive experience utilizing at least three out of four of the following 21st century skills:

1. Google Documents
2. Communicating with others online (blog, Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Seesaw, etc.)
3. Taking and uploading video or audio recordings
4. Reading online content.

 
If you have not yet done three of the four, an efficient (and engaging) way to address two is through Flipgrid (addresses 2 & 3).  It's a fantastic way to bring all of the students' voices into the room.  I'd love to help you set that up, and would also be glad to co-teach that with you; please send me an email or stop by and we'll schedule a time.  

Other collaborative tools I've spent some time exploring and would love to collaborate with you around: Pear Deck, Insert Learning, Edji, Padlet, Seasaw, Google Classroom (and I'm happy to dig into anything else you're interested in trying out)!  

EPIC is a tool that I know many of our teachers are using for reading online content.  

Let me know how I can support you and your students with technology!  

Days Left of School:
Just a reminder - this time of year can start to be hard for students.  Not only has rigor increased, but days can become unpredictable (schedule changes, field trips, etc).  Also, students know their time with you is coming to an end.  Please be aware of this as we enter the spring season.  Behaviors may increase - students may need more hugs and attention - or just support in general. 

Also, please remember the real message we send when posting (or stating) things like, "____ Days Left of School".   In doing this, we are showing students that we are "passing the time" to get to that date to summer break.   Please be aware of this as we close out the year. 

19-20 Class List Process:
As you know, we have started the process of planning for the 19-20 school year.  Below is a tentative timeline for developing class lists:  

Week of April 1 - Finalize section numbers
Week of April 18 - cluster sections are finalized (SPED & EL) - initial placements can begin by EL & SPED staff.
May 10 - Subout to create class lists
May 13 & 14 - Specialists offer feedback on lists 

Selena will be providing classroom teachers with placement cards in the next few weeks.  Please have these finished by May 10 (at your subout).  If you need directions, please use this document to help guide you.  

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

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
The McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 1st Grade Teacher, Jess Zupansic!  Jess is a positive, collaborative, and caring educator who puts students' needs first in her classroom.  One of the things that impresses me most about Jess is her ability to be a "warm demander" - she believes in her students, provides the supports and relationships for each of them all while having high expectations.  Keep being #mckinleystrong, Mrs. Zupansic! 


Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, March 22, 2019

Happy Friday - and happy Spring Break!


Take Some Time for YOU Over Break! 
We've made it - Spring Break!  As we know, education can be a stressful job.   We are continually taking care of others, it's time to take care of ourselves!  Here is an article on the "21 Things Educators Should Do Over Spring Break" - if you are looking for ways to relax, check this article out!

I hope you all take some time to relax, rejuvenate, and focus on those you love!  You deserve it!

Transition Day - April 1:
We have a Transition Day on April 1.  As you know, the goal of a transition day is to rebuild relationships, re-establish routines, and regulate students.  Also, wear your jeans and McKinley gear to school (students included!).

A  huge thank you to Libby, Michelle Meiners, Lori Huisenga, Val Seath, Amy Wencl, Rachel Anderson, and Annette Warner for planning this important day! 

Click here for the transition day recommendations

MCA's Start After Break!
Just a reminder that MCA testing starts after break.  It's important that all staff check the schedule and keep the building, especially the 2nd-5th Grade Wing, quiet during testing.   Here is our MCA schedule for the spring. 

#lovemyschoolday is coming April 11! 

April 11 is #lovemyschoolday.   This is a day to fill social media with all the amazing things that happen at McKinley, every day!  Start to think - what do you love about McKinley?  Be ready to fill social media with this on April 11!


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

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
The McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 3rd Grade Teacher, Karen Thurnau!  Karen is a compassionate, student-focused educator who strives to make her classroom a place for all.  One of the things that impresses me most about Karen is her continued commitment and advocacy to make sure we are meeting the needs of the whole child - academically, socially, and emotionally. She understands (and practices) the idea that our job is to educate beyond academics. Keep being #mckinleystrong, Mrs. Thurnau! 



Have a great spring break everyone!  I'll see you in April!
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, March 15, 2019

Happy Friday, everyone! 

Transition Day - April 1:
Just a reminder, our first day back from spring break will be a Transition Day.  We have a team working on the plans for this day - this should be emailed out next week.  Please wear jeans and your STEAM gear on your first day back!

Behavior Plans:  
Just a reminder - if you have students who are needing additional support, please put them on a behavior plan.  This includes students who are being sent to the office regularly.  I am seeing an increase in students being sent down to "complete their work".   I understand this is a last resort measure; however, I need to be involved the plan to help support the work time in the office.   If students are regularly not showing appropriate behavior, please complete a behavior plan.  Also, send Justin Lang or I the student's name.  We are keeping track of students on behavior plans - this will help design class lists next year. 

Behavior Plan Template 

Multicultural Pizza Night:
We hosted a Multicultural Pizza & Game Night on Tuesday Night.  We had a great turnout of families to enjoy pizza and play some games.   A huge thank you to our EL team for organizing this great evening!

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

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
The McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 4th & 5th Grade EL Teacher, Laurie Wolhart!  Laurie is a positive, flexible, and student-centered educator who goes above and beyond to create high levels of learning in her classrooms.  Laurie has been instrumental in our roll out of co-teaching.  Laurie has worked hard to ensure that co-teaching has been a success in her classrooms.  This is largely due to her focus on co-planning, building relationships, and being focused on all students.  Keep being #mckinleystrong, Mrs. Wolhart! 


Have a great weekend, everyone!  Stay dry! 
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, March 8, 2019

Happy Teacher Workday (to those teachers) or Happy Day Off!
More snow on the way this weekend... will it ever end?!


Words & Environment:
Below is a picture of one of my favorite sayings.  Take some time for some personal reflection -  how do your words impact your environment?  If I am speaking with asset-based & positive language, what would my environment look like?  What about the opposite (negative) - how would my environment look?  You are like a magnet - you attract or repel based on this.   What words and environment do you want to live in?

Updates from PBIS Team:
Our PBIS team met last night and wanted me to remind you of two things:

First, if you haven't participated in the kindness chain, please do that in the next week.  If you have questions, contact your PBIS rep.

Second, please remember to start putting your name on the back of the McKinleyStrong slip.  It's nice for the family, the student, and our staff to know who gave the slip too!

Facilitative Talk Teacher Tip:
Below is a link to a Fountas and Pinnell blog entry on using facilitative talk during guided reading.  The entry is short, but contains some great information.  Take some time to read it!

https://fpblog.fountasandpinnell.com/teacher-tip-use-facilitative-talk-during-guided-reading

Expectations & Biases - Please Watch!
Below is a link to a powerful five minute video on race, biases, and your expectations as a teacher.  Before you watch this video, check your mindset.  There are two ways to approach this video - "I already do this" or "I'm opening my mind to this".   Whether we want to admit it or not, our actions, beliefs, and body language DO impact the way we interact and believe in students.  There's years of research to support this.  So, as you watch this video, I'm hoping you are thinking "I'm opening my mind to this" and have some self-reflection around your biases, beliefs, and expectations of each and every one of our learners.

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


Thank You to all YOU DO!
We celebrated three groups of wonderful people this week..

Educational Assistants & Paraprofessionals - we could not provide high quality programming for our learners if it wasn't for these wonderful educators.  Every day, they provide our learners with the social-emotional and academic supports our students need to be successful.  Additionally, they are another caring relationship that our students can count on.  Thank you for being #mckinleystrong!

School Social Worker - Our School Social Worker, Annette Warner, wears many hats every day.  Annette supports students, families, and staff with the resources and tools to be successful every day.  Annette helps ground us in students' social emotional needs - and remind us we are educating the "whole child", not just academics.  We could not do our work every day without Annette.  Keep being, #mckinleystrong!

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

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
Our McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 5th Grade Teacher, Mark Langlois!  Mark is a relationship-based educator who strives to make his classroom environment a place for all.  This can be observed through Mark's compassion, mindset on students and learning, and his instruction.  One of the things that impresses me most about Mark is his approach to learning.  Mark is a natural at making any lesson engaging - whether it's through collaboration, a game, or any other approach!  Keep being #mckinleystrong, Mr. Langlois!



Have a great weekend, everyone!  Take some time for YOU!
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, March 1, 2019

Can you believe it's March, already?  Let's hope for no more snow!


Paraprofessional & Educational Assistant Appreciation Week:
Next week is Paraprofessional & Educational Assistant Week!  As you know, we could not do our jobs without this crew of amazing educators.  We will do some special events for each of them next week. Take some time to recognize and appreciate them!

School Social Worker Appreciation Week:
It is also School Social Worker Appreciation Week!  Take some time to

Grading Window- Teaching Staff:
The grading window is now open for teaching staff.  Please have all your grades in and completed by Monday, March 11 at 3pm.  We will be closing the window at this point.

Cause I Ain't Got A Pencil...
I've shared this in the past - a great reminder for us all.  Every time I read this, I am reminded to listen to our students to empathize and understand each of their lives.  We often assume - and use our biases - to determine what we think students should do.  However, when we really listen, we find out that there is more to the "story" than we are observing.  This always leaves me thinking - is this really an issue in the big picture of things?

Staff Power Hour - March 11:

On March 11th, during our staff power hour, we will continue our work on facilitative talk and the use of our prompting guides.  Please bring with you:

*A recent reading record (could be Benchmark Assessment or one that goes with a guided reading or LLI book)*Prompting Guides

We will be collaborating around how to respond to students the following day based on what you observe in the reading record.  

Please let Libby know if you have any questions.  

Mindset Shift & Behaviors:
There is a great article on working with frustrating behaviors and what mindset needs to occur.  Take some time to read this and reflect on your classroom.  With it being February/March, we can often get more frustrated (and less patient) with behaviors.  Please take some time to read the below article.   Also, if a student is frequently showing behaviors, please complete a tier 2 behavior plan for them.  This plan will help us make sure we (specialists, classroom teachers, office) are all practicing the same approaches to behavior.  Please share these with the team as you complete them.  

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

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
Our McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to Kindergarten & 1st Grade EL Teacher, Liz Stitzmeyer!   Liz is a compassionate educator who is an advocate for any student she works with.  Liz has been instrumental in helping us move our co-teaching model forward, as she understands (and practices) that collaboration, flexibility, and a focus on ALL will only improve our experiences for every student.  Keep being #mckinleystrong, Liz! 



Have a great weekend, everyone!
-Justin

Weekly Update - Friday, February 22, 2019

Happy Friday!  More snow on the way... get ready to shovel!  

Science Fair:

A great job to all of our Science Fair participants last night!   And, a huge thank you to Lori Huisenga, Julie Bauer, and Michelle Simon for all their hard work planning and hosting this wonderful event!  

5 Tips for Maximizing Feedback:

Click the image below to see the tips below on taking feedback to the next level.  Take a few minutes to read this...

The Power of Language:

As you know, your language directly impacts your approach and beliefs in students.  This may sound very far-stretched; however, take a minute to think about this.  If I am constantly dreading doing an activity and calling it "stupid", I am changing the way my brain perceives this activity.  Then, when I go to to do it, I already have pre-programmed thoughts that will translate into the way I believe (or engage) with the activity.  The same goes for our students - the way you talk about and think about them will DIRECTLY impact the way we treat them.  Below is a graphic from Twitter on the types of language we want to hear in schools of our loved ones.  Take a minute to check this out - what language are you using? 

NAEP Testing - 4th Grade:

Selected 4th Graders will be participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) test next Thursday, February 28.  This is the test students participate in when you hear things like "80% of our nation's fourth graders...".   Testing will be in two sessions - a morning and afternoon session - and be located in the Learning Studio.  Please be quiet and respectful of the testing environment as you are transitioning through these areas on Thursday.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:

The McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to Speech & Language Teacher, Amanda Wood!  Amanda is a knowledgeable, dedicated, and compassionate educator who truly believes in the "all hands on deck" approach to learning.   One of the things that impresses me most about Amanda is her commitment to making learning integrated - she works hard to ensure that programming (and learning) is occurring in many different environments and that teachers have the resources to help support this learning.   Keep up the great work, Amanda! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

-Justin

Weekly Update - February 15, 2019

Good morning- and happy Friday!

Just in case you think we haven't had enough snow... below is the view of Val Seath's 2nd grade classroom!  Val said they've turned it into a real-life math problem of measurement! 

You Make Me Proud:
Just an unsolicited editorial from your boss... 
This past week, I've had numerous experiences that have led me to be proud of the work we are doing.  Our Staff Power Hour was grounded around faciliative talk, particularly around small group reading.  I was so impressed (and proud!) of the high-levels of discussion and questioning around this topic.  Our staff are working hard to make sure students are getting high-quality reading instruction on a daily basis.  That makes me honored to be a part of your team...

I've been involved in a few discussions this week around behaviors.  In these conversations, I was reminded of why I love McKinley so much - you do anything and everything to make sure students' needs are met.  The conversations I had were around behaviors; however, each of them were grounded in "what can I do to support this learner?"

And, finally, our "YOU MATTER...." notes.   The number of notes that were turned in and the smiles I saw on people's faces are priceless.   You truly care about each other and will do anything to support/learn/care for each other.  

You make me proud to walk along side you in this work.  Keep up the great work!

Student Wait Time:
With the many recent snow days, I have heard more and more comments about people feeling "behind" and needing to "catch up" on the curriculum.  I appreciate your concerted effort to make sure we are still on pace for completing standards and learning before June.   Thank you for that!

In saying that, don't forget about the power of "wait time" during a lesson.  We often get moving and do most of the talking - with little time for students to process, digest, and think throughout the learning.  Think of wait time as eating a meal... if you eat your food too quickly, you will have a stomachache.  As you eat, you take a few bites and let your food digest before moving on.  Don't forget about this as we are teaching - students need those moments of think to truly learn.

Over the next few weeks, I challenge you - no matter what you teach - to build this wait time into your lessons.  It may be awkward at first, but the long-term benefits will outweigh the awkwardness.  Design your lessons to have these natural wait times built in ... give students, particularly those who have developed a "learned helplessness", time to think (and possibly have productive struggle!).


Reading Leadership:
A huge thank you to our building Reading Leadership team who have been hard at work all year to provide guidance around reading instruction.  This team works hard with providing professional development around reading, solving and aligning K-5 reading needs in the building, and providing feedback and expertise around the rollout of guided reading.  A huge thank you to Paige Larson, Jess Zupansic, Catie Stephani, Kayla Davis, Lauren Bogda, Paige Gilligan, and Libby Zeman for their hard work (and expertise!) around reading instruction.  Nice work!  

F&P Benchmark Assessment Information

Yesterday at Reading Leadership, the team decided that K-4 will all save our Feb/Mar copies of our Benchmark Assessments to pass along to the next grade level.  K-3 will also pass on the most recent reading record that they have from guided reading as well.  This will hopefully help next year's teacher to have more information coming into interviews.  Please save all of your copies as you complete the testing before spring break.  At the end of the year, we will collect them and sort them into the next year's classrooms.

Office Referral Trend Data
Below is a link to our office referral trend data for 18-19.  This data compares majors/minors, as well as overall numbers to last year.  Take a few minutes to look through this.  Our PBIS team has spent time analyzing the data to see if any supports need to go into place.  As a reminder, our building goal is to have 500 or less major office referrals for the school year.  In saying this, this does not mean you cannot send students to the office.

Click here to access the trend data 

If you are struggling with a student's behavior, please remember to put them on a tier 2 behavior plan.  Libby, myself, and your other colleagues are here to help write the plans- and support the student! 

Click here to access the tier 2 plan template

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

McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week:
Our McKinleyStrong Educator of the Week goes to 4th Grade Special Education Teacher, Justin Lang!  Justin is a relationship-oriented educator who is an advocate and support for many of our learners - each and every day.  Justin is a collaborative educator who is always learning and growing.  One of the things that impresses me most about Justin is his unwavering commitment to the work we are doing at McKinley.  He knows his job is to serve all students and will do anything to make sure this happens.  Keep being #mckinleystrong, Mr. Lang!  

Have a GREAT weekend, everyone!

-Justi