Weekly Update- April 28, 2017

Happy Friday!
I am out all day at the District Office.  Justin Lang is available; however, please remember he is still teaching. 

I found this on Twitter this week- the Top 10 things that students deserve from us.  I love even the title - not "top 10 things students get from us"... but "deserve".  These 10 items made me stop and think - am I giving these each and every day?

Teacher Appreciation Week:
Next week is Teacher Appreciation Week!  Remember, as we have always said, you are all educators.   We all have a role in educating our McKinley learners!
Click here to check the events for Teacher Appreciation Week 2017!

School Nutrition Appreciation Week:
Next week is also School Nutrition Week.  As you know, our students couldn't learn without the wonderful meals they receive.  Thank you to our amazing staff on helping keep our students fed and ready to learn!

EL Family Potluck:
Next Wednesday, May 3rd is our EL Family Potluck from 4-5:30pm.  For those of you who have attended in the past, this is a great event for our family.  It's also a great time to enjoy some authentic food and visit with families.   If you are available, consider attending.  Our families love to see you.  Thank you to Laurie, Liz, and Caryn for all their hard work planning this event! 

Staff Power Hour Follow-Up:
We had another great Staff Power Hour this week.  As you know, our focus is on student engagement and poverty.  I'm always amazed at how reflective you are during our Power Hours.  You have truly embraced a growth mindset and are empowering the collective work we are doing to improve.  Thank you! 

Before our next meeting, remember to "try" one of the action steps!
Click here to access the meeting notes

Spring Benchmarking Information
Click here to access the DIBELS schedule for May 10-11.   Thank you to Libby for organizing this! 

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


Valet Parking for the Week:
The Valet Parking for the Week goes to 2nd Grade Teacher, Catie Stephani!  Catie embraces a growth mindset for herself, as well as her learners.  Catie puts in the extra hours to ensure that her teaching will create student learning.  Catie is focused on students and builds strong relationships with her students.  She is focused on the right work.  Thank you, Catie! 


Have a great weekend - and stay warm!
-Justin

Weekly Update- April 21, 2017

Happy Friday! 
Reminder:  Monday is McKinley's night at the School Board Meeting.  Join us at 6:30pm at the District Office Board Room, if you are available!

I saw a great quote this week on Twitter that represents our work at McKinley.  Just remember, your actions & words are expressing your priorities.  What a great reminder for us all to stay focused on why we do this job!

A Students' Day Video:
Annette shared a powerful video with me last week.  This video reminds us of how much we help determine a child's day - in a good way, or a bad way.  The video follows a student' interactions - first with negative words and actions, then positive.  This video is worth the 4 minutes - please watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxyxywShewI&feature=youtu.be

Last Day of Interventions & EL:
Our last day of interventions & EL will be Tuesday, May 30th.  This includes Power 1/2 Hours.  Until May 30, we will continue to program as usual. 


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

Valet Parking of the Week:
The Valet Parking of the Week goes to Lorri Harrison!  Next week is Administrative Assistants' Week - and I can't think of a greater person to appreciate.  Lorri goes above and beyond to make sure our school is running!  Lorri is detailed-oriented, focused on people, and always willing to help out.  One of the things I appreciate the most about Lorri is the fact she "steps up" to do anything if it helps our students, families, or staff (things outside of her job description!).  Thank you for all you do, Lorri! 



Another Twitter find... so true!  Remember, you are important!

Have a great weekend!
-Justin

Weekly Update- April 12, 2017

35 Days left...
35 days left to make a difference in our students' lives.
35 more reading blocks... 35 more math blocks.... 35 more breakfasts... 35 more recesses...
That equates to 227.5 hours left. 
That isn't much time. 
How will you make it meaningful? 

School Volunteer Week:
Next week is "School Volunteer Week".  If you have a regular volunteer in your classroom, consider honoring them for them for their commitment to our students and families. 

Classroom Teachers - Morning Meeting Training:
On Tuesday, April 18,  Jen Koziolek and Jess Zupansic will lead us through some learning work around the concept of morning meeting.  This request came forward from our work with poverty and trauma- and how impactful a safe, predictable, environment is for our students.  Please be on time at 2:40pm to begin (we should be done by 3:15pm) .

Tornado Drill- Thursday:
Next week is also Severe Weather Awareness Week.  On Thursday, April 20, we will join the statewide tornado practice drill at 1:45pm.  Please know your safe site and talk through the expectations with your students. 

Moving/Construction:
I am meeting with Nikki (from our relocation company) this morning.  I should have more information on moving and be able to answer some of your questions. 

"Hugging a Porcupine"
I recently read a great article on "hugging a porcupine".  Please take a few minutes to read this - the message is worth the time!  http://www.viewfromtheedge.net/?p=13795

PBIS Discipline Data - March:
Below is the discipline data for the month of March.  It's interesting to look at the overall number of referrals, but then start to look at location, reason(s), motivator(s), etc. 

Click here to access the discipline data

#lovemyschoolday
Thank you to everyone who participated in #lovemyschoolday.  It was fun to show the world how much we love McKinley! 

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


Have a great weekend everyone!  Enjoy your time with family and friends!
-Justin

Weekly Update- April 7, 2017

Happy Friday! What a great week back! 

Re-Visiting Expectations/Noise Level:
Just a reminder to re-visit school expectations as we enter into spring.  We will probably need to spend more time re-teaching these, as students seem to have forgotten over spring break.  Also, please watch the noise level in the hallway.  I'm hearing more and more complaints of students being loud in the outdoor hallway (to music and art), outside the lunchroom, and outside MCA testing.

National School Library Week:
Next week is National School Library Week.  A huge thank you to Denise Carlson and Jane Carlson for all they do to provide our school with a top notch library!  Please take some time next week to appreciate them!

Update on Classroom Sections for 17-18:
With the move to Willow Creek (and the slight boundary changes), our classroom sections will be:
Kindergarten: 5 sections
1st Grade: 5 sections
2nd Grade: 4 sections
3rd Grade: 4 sections
4th Grade: 4 sections
5th Grade: 4 sections

I am currently working (with the admin team) on staffing and teams.  This information will come out in the next few weeks! 

Mini Coaching Cycles:
Libby and Joanne have created a video to introduce mini coaching cycles.  As we enter into April, please remember that Libby is available for a coaching cycle.  The video will introduce you to something called a mini-coaching cycle.
https://vimeo.com/212108651

SnapShot of Learning:

5th Grade had a "in school field trip" all day on Wednesday.  Arn Kind worked with students to learn more about the Revolutionary War.

 

On Wednesday, Romie Sanderson (Kindergarten) took over as Principal of the Day.  She did a great job (although, she thinks I eat pizza and play with Legos all day!). 

 

Last night, we had our Kindergarten Open House at the new school.  It was great to meet our new McKinley Monkeys, but to also see what it feels like in our new school!  Thank you to Lorri and our K team for preparing this event!

 

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

Valet Parking for the Week:
The Valet Parking for the Week goes to 3rd Grade Teacher, Rachael Eickhoff!  Rachael is collaborative, compassionate, and flexible .  One of the things I appreciate the most about Rachael is the way she builds relationships with her students - she truly cares for them as a learner, but also a person.  Rachael is an amazing educator.  Thank you for all you do, Rachael!


Have a great weekend - enjoy the outdoors, it's going to be a beautiful weekend!
-Justin

Weekly Update- March 24, 2017

We've made it.... SPRING BREAK!

Before you leave for spring break, please:

• Get food of your rooms
• Unplug & shut-off electronics
• Shut your blinds & make sure window is locked
• Lock your door
• Get food out of lounge by 2:00pm (it will be thrown away at this point)
• Turn timecards into Lorri by 2:45pm.

Random Updates:

• Kelly Johnson will start as our IT Specialist on Monday, April 3.  Kelly has worked in the District for many years and does great work.  Please help welcome her to McKinley!
• Monday, April 3rd is the MN Twins Home Opener.  You should have received a ticket to join in on the hot dog lunch.  Wear your Twins gear on Monday to help support the Twins!
• Congrats to all who received an ISD 761 Foundation Grant - Amanda Gislason (bookmaking & papermaking centers), Kindergarten Team (Power 1/2 Hour Reading Resources), and the STEM Cohort (outdoor learning classroom supplies).  Way to go! 

Staff Power Hour:
We had a great discussion around equity, poverty, and engagement this week.  Below are the 3 action steps we decided to try before our April 26 meeting:

• Try a working memory activity with students
• Provide think time - design your lesson around 5-8 minute chunks with think time built-in.
• Don't let students go home with deficits - remember the 3:1 formula (3 positive experiences to 1 negative)

Click here for the meeting notes

DIBELS- Spring Benchmarking Dates
We will do our spring benchmarking on May 10-11 in the portable (thank you Amanda and Paige for being flexible with your space!).  Our make-up day will be May 12th.   More information will come on a schedule; however, save the date!

Student Appreciation Video - KARE 11:
Michelle Meiners shared this video with me - it's a video compilation of teachers explaining what they appreciate about students.  Each of the clips is a surprise for the student - the teacher shares what they appreciate.  It's a great video - well worth the time to watch!
http://www.kare11.com/news/big-lake-teachers-show-students-love-in-viral-video/424403811

Twitter:
For those of you not on Twitter, you are missing out!  Below are 7 effective ways to engage in Twitter.  See me if you have questions - well worth the time to sign up!

April 11- #lovemyschoolday:
April 11th is #lovemyschoolday.  More information is coming on this, but I'm hoping we participate.  It's a great way to show what great work we are doing and why we love McKinley!

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

Valet Parking for the Week:
The Valet Parking for the Week goes to Special Education Paraprofessional, Stacy Champeau!  Stacy has a strong background in working with students - and it shows in everything she does.  She does a great job of being flexible, patient, and builds strong relationships with our students.  Stacy is always focused on helping support students and teachers.   Keep up the great work, Stacy!


Have a great Spring Break, everyone!  Take some time to re-charge your batteries for a great ending to the 16-17 school year!
-Justin

Weekly Update - March 17, 2017

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  And, happy Friday! 

Why not start Spring Break one week early?  This Monday is BEACH DAY for staff!  Come to work dressed in your shorts, sunglasses, and sandals!  We will have "beachy" (not even a word!) in the lounge during the day on Monday.  There will be prizes for those who participate!  

Before & After School:
One thing I love the most about this building is the "feel" in the morning as students enter our building.  I believe a huge part of this is due to everyone being in the hallway, greeting and welcoming students.  This past week, I saw the below statement on Twitter: 

What an interesting fact - engagement increased just by being at the door and welcoming students.  Remember, students need to feel welcome and a relationship before they will learn from you.  Kudos to McKinley for "all in the hall" before and after school. 

PBIS - Meeting & Reflections:
We met this week for PBIS - click here to access the meeting notes

I sent an email out earlier this week, but wanted to reiterate something.   I know many of us are thinking "this place is out of control" or "these kid are out of control!"  At times, I find myself thinking the same thoughts.  However, when we really analyzed the data, we found that PBIS Is working - most of our students are meeting our expectations! 

We analyzed discipline data since December to look at students who had 3 or more referrals.  When we pulled this, we found there are only 23 students in the building who fall into this category (3 or more referrals).  As much as we want ALL students meeting expectations, it's a huge celebration that  around 570 are meeting expectations!  Wow!    

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

Valet Parking for the Week:
The Valet Parking for the Week goes to 3rd Grade Teacher, Karen Thurnau!  Karen is collaborative, dedicated, and a learner.  One of the things that impresses me most about Karen is the way she looks at the whole child - not just the academics.  She is always trying to understand the true picture of this child and what she (and we) can do to advocate and support the child.  Keep up the great work, Karen! 


Have a great weekend, everyone!  One more week...
-Justin

Weeky Update- March 10, 2017

Happy Friday! 
Can you believe we have 54 days left of school?  54 days... wow.  54 days left to make a difference in our students' lives.  54 days equals 351 hours;  351 hours equals 21,060 minutes.  That isn't much time left for us...  let's keep making an impact on our students by making each day, hour, and minute count. 

Happy School Social Worker Week to the fabulous Mrs. Warner!  Mrs. Warner does so much for our students, families, and staff.  Annette is constantly reminding us about the "whole child" and all the struggles/experiences they may face outside our school building.  She always reminds me to give supports and focus on all kids.  Thank you for all you do, Annette! 

My Attendance:
It's that time of year again - I'm pulled from the building for meetings.  I know it's been frustrating for some of you that I'm not available on some times/days.  I do want you to know that I've been busy with planning groups for the new school, planning for next year with the other elementary principals, and staffing meetings.  Believe me, I'm not off on an island somewhere laying on the beach (as much as I may want to be).  Lorri and Justin are always available to step in when needed.  Also, I'm always an email or text away. 

Developing GRIT in Reading:
Check out the District Literacy Blog!  The latest post was written by our fabulous Literacy Coach, Libby Zeman, and focused on developing GRIT in reading.  It even features another fabulous staff member, Jen Koziolek.  Check it out!  http://owatonnalitcoaches.blogspot.com/2017/03/developing-grit-in-reading.html?m=1

Construction Update:
The District website contains a page on the updates for construction - check it out for a photo gallery of the Willow Creek site: http://www.owatonna.k12.mn.us/page/hot_news/view/115

Declutter your Space:
With our move to a new school, this article stood out to me - how to declutter your space to increase creativity.  Remember, we are moving into an open school with less storage... we need to start cleaning out!  https://www.edutopia.org/blog/decrease-classroom-clutter-increase-creativity-erin-klein?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Twitter (repeat post):
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

Principal of the Day- Mason Ihrke
On Tuesday, March 14, Mason Ihrke will be taking over as "Principal of the Day".  I will be meeting with him Monday to see if he wants to declare Tuesday as some type of dress-up day... I'll be in touch after your new boss makes that decision!

A SnapShot of Learning:

 

Michelle Simons's class used the engineering process to build towers today.  They used teamwork and grit! 

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

Valet Parking of the Week:
The Valet Parking of the Week goes to 1st grade teacher Rachel Peterson!  Rachel has been a wonderful addition to our first grade team.  What impresses me about Rachel is her knowledge of teaching and each of her students.  Rachel builds strong relationships with each of her students and truly knows them as learners, as well as people.  I