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
Friday, April 24, 2015
Friday, April 17, 2015
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.
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
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
Friday, April 10, 2015
Principal's Update- Friday, April 10, 2015
37 days left to inspire, teach, and motivate our students....
A couple updates-
MCA's- Week 1
Reading MCAs started this week. Thank you to everyone for being flexible and quiet during this testing season. Also, a huge thank you to Denise Carlson for all her work on this. We will continue testing through the rest of the month- reading, math, and then science.
Book Study Learning Work
Thank you for the great discussion at our staff meeting on new structures and systems. I appreciate your honesty and critical thinking as we move forward examining core instruction and our system of supports. Click here to see our notes from Chapters 1, 2, and 3. If you have questions, concerns, or want to discuss any of the work we have done, please come see me.
Update on PBIS
As I stated last week, we have a team who is looking at core behavioral expectations through a PBIS model. One of the items we are currently working on is a student discipline referral. This referral has many purposes- helping us communicate (what happened and what the outcome is), helping create follow through with a consequence/outcome/communication home, and allowing us to track data and ultimately begin to be proactive with certain students. This data will help us see exactly where, when, and why behavioral issues are occurring.
To see a draft of our office referral, click here. If you have feedback on the form, please let me know.
Severe Weather Awareness
Next Thursday, we will participate in the Statewide Tornado Drill. Please take some time to review the procedures (your colorful flipbook) and maps (we are still updating, so use your current maps for locations). Tom Sager sent out an email from the city on some guidelines with tornado drills. Click here to see it. I'm attaching it as an FYI only.
PTO Teacher Rep-
PTO is looking for 1-2 Teacher Reps for the remainder of this year and into next year. It's a great group of parents who plan so many things around McKinley (World Passport, Carnival, Lunch with a Loved One, Book Fair, etc.). If you are interested or want further information, come see me.
Valet Parking for the Week
Our Valet Parking spot goes to Annette Kleinschrodt. Annette is truly a class act in the world of social workers. Annette wears a lot of "hats" around here- a resource to staff, a lifeline for a student crisis, a liaison for families, or a firefighter helping put out "fires" around here (to name a few)! Annette is always extremely professional, positive, and focused on students and families. Thank you for all you do for McKinley, Annette.
To close, I found a quote last year that resonates with me still today- "Try not to become a man of success but a man of value" (Albert Einstein). In all honesty, I think this illustrates our staff here at McKinley. It's amazing to see how much of a team approach we use here at McKinley- we aren't here to shine alone, but make our kids shine. It's an amazing thing.
I'll get back into the routine of taking pictures- I've been slacking lately!
Enjoy the weekend- I heard the sun will be making a reappearance! :)
-Justin
A couple updates-
MCA's- Week 1
Reading MCAs started this week. Thank you to everyone for being flexible and quiet during this testing season. Also, a huge thank you to Denise Carlson for all her work on this. We will continue testing through the rest of the month- reading, math, and then science.
Book Study Learning Work
Thank you for the great discussion at our staff meeting on new structures and systems. I appreciate your honesty and critical thinking as we move forward examining core instruction and our system of supports. Click here to see our notes from Chapters 1, 2, and 3. If you have questions, concerns, or want to discuss any of the work we have done, please come see me.
Update on PBIS
As I stated last week, we have a team who is looking at core behavioral expectations through a PBIS model. One of the items we are currently working on is a student discipline referral. This referral has many purposes- helping us communicate (what happened and what the outcome is), helping create follow through with a consequence/outcome/communication home, and allowing us to track data and ultimately begin to be proactive with certain students. This data will help us see exactly where, when, and why behavioral issues are occurring.
To see a draft of our office referral, click here. If you have feedback on the form, please let me know.
Severe Weather Awareness
Next Thursday, we will participate in the Statewide Tornado Drill. Please take some time to review the procedures (your colorful flipbook) and maps (we are still updating, so use your current maps for locations). Tom Sager sent out an email from the city on some guidelines with tornado drills. Click here to see it. I'm attaching it as an FYI only.
PTO Teacher Rep-
PTO is looking for 1-2 Teacher Reps for the remainder of this year and into next year. It's a great group of parents who plan so many things around McKinley (World Passport, Carnival, Lunch with a Loved One, Book Fair, etc.). If you are interested or want further information, come see me.
Valet Parking for the Week
Our Valet Parking spot goes to Annette Kleinschrodt. Annette is truly a class act in the world of social workers. Annette wears a lot of "hats" around here- a resource to staff, a lifeline for a student crisis, a liaison for families, or a firefighter helping put out "fires" around here (to name a few)! Annette is always extremely professional, positive, and focused on students and families. Thank you for all you do for McKinley, Annette.
To close, I found a quote last year that resonates with me still today- "Try not to become a man of success but a man of value" (Albert Einstein). In all honesty, I think this illustrates our staff here at McKinley. It's amazing to see how much of a team approach we use here at McKinley- we aren't here to shine alone, but make our kids shine. It's an amazing thing.
I'll get back into the routine of taking pictures- I've been slacking lately!
Enjoy the weekend- I heard the sun will be making a reappearance! :)
-Justin
Friday, March 27, 2015
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
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
Thursday, March 19, 2015
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:
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!
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
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!
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
Friday, March 13, 2015
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
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
Friday, March 6, 2015
Principal's Update- March 6, 2015
Happy Teacher Workday!
There's a lot of information in this blog update- good thing you have a whole day to read it! :)
Morning Attendance
Please, please, please make sure you are doing an accurate check of attendance each morning. Lately, we have families who have one child marked tardy and the other not. We all know that siblings may take longer than each other once inside the building, however, with our attendance policy, we need to be as accurate as possible! Thank you!
Sign Out of Building
If you leave the building during the day, please sign in and out of the office (and no, Lorri & Steph can't do it for you!). This is a safety & security concern more than anything. If we go into a lockdown or evacuate the building, we need to know that you are out of the building. This is all staff!
Door to Music/Art
Now that the weather is getting warmer, you can use Door 8 (by the gym) when you go to and from music and art. With the weather still questionable, make a judgment call each day. If you feel it's warm enough, use Door 8. If not, continue to use the 3rd grade door. Eventually, we will move all grade levels to using this door (except for 2nd and 3rd grade). Thank you to 3rd grade, Paige, Mara, and Amanda for dealing with all the in and out each day!
Para Support
I wanted to do a quick update so we are all on the same page. There is some frustration out there regarding Para minutes, wanting more support in the classroom, etc. I completely understand your frustration. I do ask that you look at this issue in regards to the building, not just your classroom. With the increasing needs here at McKinley, our SPED team has looked at Para schedules a few times since I started. If you feel you need more time, you can address this with your Case Manager. However, please know that we cannot honor all requests. This team has worked hard to make the best situation we can with limited staffing.
And, thank you to our awesome Paraprofessionals. Most of you have quite the schedule- and you do it with a smile on your face each and every day.
STEM Video
Dr. M created a great promo video for our website. When you have an extra 6 minutes, enjoy the video!
There's a lot of information in this blog update- good thing you have a whole day to read it! :)
Morning Attendance
Please, please, please make sure you are doing an accurate check of attendance each morning. Lately, we have families who have one child marked tardy and the other not. We all know that siblings may take longer than each other once inside the building, however, with our attendance policy, we need to be as accurate as possible! Thank you!
Sign Out of Building
If you leave the building during the day, please sign in and out of the office (and no, Lorri & Steph can't do it for you!). This is a safety & security concern more than anything. If we go into a lockdown or evacuate the building, we need to know that you are out of the building. This is all staff!
Door to Music/Art
Now that the weather is getting warmer, you can use Door 8 (by the gym) when you go to and from music and art. With the weather still questionable, make a judgment call each day. If you feel it's warm enough, use Door 8. If not, continue to use the 3rd grade door. Eventually, we will move all grade levels to using this door (except for 2nd and 3rd grade). Thank you to 3rd grade, Paige, Mara, and Amanda for dealing with all the in and out each day!
Para Support
I wanted to do a quick update so we are all on the same page. There is some frustration out there regarding Para minutes, wanting more support in the classroom, etc. I completely understand your frustration. I do ask that you look at this issue in regards to the building, not just your classroom. With the increasing needs here at McKinley, our SPED team has looked at Para schedules a few times since I started. If you feel you need more time, you can address this with your Case Manager. However, please know that we cannot honor all requests. This team has worked hard to make the best situation we can with limited staffing.
And, thank you to our awesome Paraprofessionals. Most of you have quite the schedule- and you do it with a smile on your face each and every day.
STEM Video
Dr. M created a great promo video for our website. When you have an extra 6 minutes, enjoy the video!
Next Week
*Book Fair & Lunch with a Loved One (Grades 1, 4,&5 on March 12, Grades K,2, &3 on March 13)
*MDE will be visiting our building on March 11. This is for an audit of our district's EL programming (in case you see people in the building)
*The police will be doing a walkthrough on March 11 with Mr. Olson. Again, in case you see them. This is mostly so they know the layout of the building when students are here.
Valet Parking for the Week
There is no Valet Parking for the Week. This was an auction item at the carnival and the family will be using it next week.
A Snapshot of McKinley Learning This Week
Thanks to all those who participated in Dress Like a Book Character Day!
Sorry if I missed you.
McKinley STEM was featured in the Steele County Times.
Thanks to the staff who got "pied" last week! The kids loved it!
1st Grade Map Open House
4th Grade Inquiry Projects
Mrs. Koziolek's class participated in "Spread the Word to End the Word Day"
Have a nice workday and weekend, everyone!
-Justin
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