January 28 Update

Happy Friday!

I hope you had another great week of relationships and learning!  

Staffing Updates:

We have a few new staffing updates - 

• Molly Hoffman is joining our Special Education Team as a Paraprofessional.  Molly will move from her Educational Assistant role starting next Friday.  She will be doing some transitioning on Monday-Thursday.
• Danika Brown is joining our 4th and 5th Grade Team as an English Language Teacher, filling in for Jen Schwab.  Danika is finishing up in K3 for Rachel Anderson and will join our 4th and 5th Grade Team on February 14.  

Join me in welcoming both Molly and Danika into their new roles!  

Montessori:

The Montessori Program, currently housed at Washington Elementary, will be moving to McKinley next school year.  The program is a district choice program that uses multi-age and the Montessori approach to learning.   The program contains two classrooms, all of which will be housed at McKinley.  I look forward to having this choice program, our Montessori staff, and students at McKinley next year!  

International Fun Day at Work:

I am excited to announce our International Fun Day at Work 2022!  We have rescheduled this event for Friday, February 25.  Please see the invite for more information!  

Building Weekly Newsletter:
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Have a great weekend!
-Justin

January 20 Update

Happy Last Day of the Week! 

Thank you (again) to everyone for your flexibility this week!  We were very short - each of you helped out with your covering, flexibility, and concern.  

Every Opportunity:

I've shared this in the past; it's a great reminder of the power of our impact on the experiences, opportunities, and "weather" we live in at McKinley.  I understand that times are tough - illness, subbing shortage, cold weather, etc.  I get it.  I'm feeling it, too.   Watching this reminded me that even the little things impact so many things - students' experiences, your mindset and attitude, and the relationships we build with our learners.  

I hope you know, I'm rooting for you.  I know it's tough.  I also know, our kids deserve the best.  This video helped remind me of my impact on that.  

Paraprofessional Appreciation Week:

Next week is Paraprofessional Appreciation Week!  On Monday, our paras will be heading to lunch from 11-12 in recognition of their continued dedication to our students, staff, and school.  Please take some time next week to recognize Bernie, Kara, Stacy, Tarah, and Roxy.  

After School Program - Block II:

We are offering an ASP Block II.  Linked below is a document with a time frame, program dates, and a spot for grade levels to enter your reading and math focus areas.  We discussed this at BLT last night - your rep will have more to share!  

Click here to access the ASP Block II Document

Observation & Evaluation Cycle:

Just a friendly reminder of our observation and evaluation cycle.  I know subbing and other things have caused me to cancel some of these; please re-schedule through Steph.  

If you are not in the observation cycle, please remember to check in on your TDE requirements for the year (teaching staff only).  

International Fun Day at Work:

I completely dropped the ball on planning for this fun day, which was planned for today.  We will move this to February 25.  More information to come!  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

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Have a great weekend- stay warm!

Justin

January 14 Update

Happy Friday!  

Enjoy your snow day!  

Steph shared the below quote with me - I think it really hits home right now.  With sickness, winter, sub shortages,masking, etc... I find myself thinking of the negatives and what is going wrong.  The below quote reminds me (and us) that hope is powerful.  Having hope triggers your mindset to look for the positives.  Don't forget about hope!  

MLK Day:

Just a reminder - we will be at McKinley on Monday for MLK Day.  

Because of social distancing, we will - 

- EA's and Paras will report to the Learning Studio (socially distanced) to watch the keynote/Sup. Elstad.

-Teaching Staff will watch together in a classroom (you decide which Smartboard).  Please still watch together, rather than on your individual laptops.

Also, please reference the emails from Michelle Krell on the specifics of your day. 

Building Weekly Newsletter:
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Have a GREAT weekend!

-Justin

January 7 Update

BRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!  That's all I can say!  

A huge shout out to everyone who has helped cover this week.  We have been very short staffed, and many of you have stepped up to help out.  Thank you for truly making us a team!  

Check in - Yourself and Colleagues:

Traditionally, January and February have been hard times in this building.  The cold weather, lack of sun, no school breaks, limited subs... all add to a little more stress.  And, now, add COVID.  

During January and February, please don't forget to check in yourself, as well as your colleagues.  I know "self care" is a buzzword in education right now - with mixed reviews on how people receive that word.  It is important that you take some time for you, too.  Please don't forget that you need time to relax and rejuvenate, too.

Also, don't forget to check in your colleagues.  Some people show their emotions, while others do not.  It's important to take some time to just check in - ask how someone is doing, take a lunch together, drop them a note, etc.  Your colleagues are important.

Please let me know how I can help support you.  You are a critical, valued member of our family.  

Masks/COVID:

Please remember - if you are showing symptoms or are a close contact, please wear a mask when you are here.   If you are concerned about your symptoms, talk to Jolene.   Lately, I've heard a lot of "well I don't have a fever, so I don't have COVID".  The new variants are showing up as just sinus congestion in many - a fever is not always a symptom anymore.

Also, please remember that the rapid tests are for YOU (not family, unless they attend McKinley) and if you are showing symptoms.   I know this is not ideal; however, we are VERY low on these tests.  

Mayo Virtual Clinic - NOW OPEN! 

Our Mayo Clinic Express Care Clinic site is now open and active for all employees to utilize! The link to set up your virtual clinic appointment is out on our district website under staff links. 

This virtual visit is only $69 and all employees and their dependents 18 months to 75 years of age are eligible to use this clinic. We have additional information and resources available for staff on our employee resources drive under Business Services->Mayo Virtual Express Care Clinic. 

We hope this new resource will be a great help in providing our employees and their dependents with easy access, and convenient appointment times at an affordable rate. 

Thanks! 

Building Weekly Newsletter:
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Have a great weekend!

-Justin

December 23 Update

We made it!  Happy Winter Break!

Transition Day - January 3:

January 3 will be our transition day after winter break.  Linked are some plans for the day.  Please remember - these days are designed to slowly "ease" back into school - focusing on rebuilding relationships, re-establishing routines, and regulating students (and staff!).  If you have other activities that help focus on those goals, feel free to use them.   

A huge thank you to Sami Nelson, Michelle Meiners, and Lori Huisenga for organizing this day! 

ISD 761 Foundation Grant:

Over the years, McKinley has benefited from the ISD 761 Foundation Grant.  Below was the information found in the Connections last week.  If you have any needs, or ideas for building needs, please let me know.  This is a great financial support for the work we are doing!  

Deadline: January 17

Every spring, the 761 Foundation awards approximately $100,000 in mini-grants to Owatonna Public Schools teachers and principals. Grants are awarded based on the following criteria:

​

1. Benefits a large number of students.

2. Meets an important need, which is not likely to be funded in other ways.

3. Maximizes good cost to benefit ratio.

4. Shows creativity and innovation.

5. Needed funds to continue a past approved project.

Click here for the grant application (make a copy of the form to complete it)

Application deadline: January 17

• Please itemize and prioritize requests that include multiple items/expenses.

• Applicants must discuss the feasibility and implementation of the proposal with the appropriate building administrator. Comments and a signature from the building administrator must be included on the application.

• Projects that include the purchase of technology also require a technology request form, which can be found at the end of the grant application.

• No incomplete or late applications will be accepted.

• Note: For technology requests, please also remember to complete the technology request form.
  

Questions about the grant application process can be directed to Sarah Hoffman, ext. 8610

Mayo Clinic Express Care:

Linked is the presentation from Superintendent Elstad.  This is a great opportunity for you!  

River Bend Nature Center:

Below is an email I received from Kevin at RiverBend Nature Center (Faribault):

As we see winter quickly approaching, please consider River Bend Nature Center for a guided snowshoe hike, a kicksledding adventure, or a winter animal tracking lesson in 2022. River Bend also offers additional programs, which you will find in the attached document, which includes recommended grade levels, the science standards they support, and a brief synopsis of the program. All programs are led by a naturalist or volunteer naturalist, who are driven to connect your students and staff to the incredible natural world.

Below is our standard pricing for our programs:

2022 - January 1st - December 31st
Standard 1 ½ - 2 hour program
$200 Program Fee (covers 15 students)
+$12/student 16 or more students
$15/student if you book 2 programs or programs 2 ½ - 4 hours

If you are interested in signing up for a program, or would like further information, please feel free to email Katy Anderegg at anderegg@rbnc.org or respond to this email. I sincerely hope you will consider River Bend Nature Center for a field trip in 2022!

Sincerely,

Kevin Mattson

Naturalist

(507) 332-7151

RBNC.org

Click here to access the program options

Building Weekly Newsletter:

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Please take some time to "turn school off" and relax, rejuvenate, and be with those you love!  You have earned this and need some time to recharge your battery, too!  

See you in 2022!

-Justin

December 17 Update

Happy Friday!

I hope you had another great week!  

December 22-23 Plan:

To provide the gift of time for each of you, below is our plan for December 22-23.  Our McKinleyStrong Team worked hard to create this option to ensure everyone gets a little "time".  Please see the note below to access the plan - Click here to access the plan

Transition Day - January 3:

January 3 will be our transition day after winter break.  Linked are some plans for the day.  Please remember - these days are designed to slowly "ease" back into school - focusing on rebuilding relationships, re-establishing routines, and regulating students (and staff!).  If you have other activities that help focus on those goals, feel free to use them.   

A huge thank you to Sami Nelson, Michelle Meiners, and Lori Huisenga for organizing this day! 

Also, Thursday we have an adjusted lunch schedule: 

Thursday’s Lunch Schedule (this will be a picnic lunch in the lunchroom):
10:45 2nd Grade
10:55 1st Grade
11:15 Kindergarten
11:25 5th Grade
11:35 4th Grade
11:40 3rd Grade

Emotions and Energy:

I know many of you are exhausted. I can feel it myself. We are just waiting for December 23 to arrive to take some time to relax, rejuvenate, and celebrate with family and friends. Please remember that this may or may not be the case for some of our students, too. Emotions and behaviors may be higher next week - mostly due to our students' knowing about the upcoming break. To many of them, school is safe, predictable, and meets many of their needs. When they are home, they may not have these same experiences. As we enter into next week, please remember we may need to show more patience and practice re-teaching behaviors.

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great, relaxing weekend! 3.5 days until our winter break!

-Justin

December 10 Update

Good morning!

HAPPY FRIDAY!  And, HAPPY SNOW DAY! 

Inclusive Holidays in the Classroom:

I recently came across this page that shares some articles around holidays in the classroom.  Please take some time to read the linked articles- https://www.learningforjustice.org/the-moment/december-2-2021-inclusive-holidays-in-the-classroom

Recess/Snow Forts:

Please make sure students are not building snow igloos or going under the snow (tunnels, forts, etc).  We had a "fort" created in the pile - I believe after school hours.  We need to keep students out of that.  If the snow were to collapse, we would have serious injury or death with the amount of snow on that pile.  Buildings and Grounds destroyed the "fort" - please make sure we monitor this as students play in the snow.  

MLK Day - Certified Staff, please register ASAP! 

On January 17th, 2022 (MLK Day), staff will come together for a day of professional learning.  This day was designed by the Staff Development Committee, building site teams and the Teaching & Learning Department.  We are excited to offer staff choice in professional learning through a variety of sessions, all intended to move us forward around teaching & learning needs. 

What is the basic structure of the day?

7:15-7:40         Coffee & light grab-n-go breakfast

7:40-8:00         Welcome  - Superintendent Elstad 

8:00-9:15         Keynote - Mark Scharenbroich

9:30-10:30       Professional Learning Session 1

10:40-11:40     Professional Learning Session 2

11:40-12:40     Lunch (on your own)

12:55 - 2:45      Optional New SMART Board Session Available (K-5) (register in PDexpress)

12:40-3:00        Building/Team Professional Development/Collaboration 

• Staff should register through PD Express for session 1 and 2 and the afternoon collaboration/building specific session, with the exception of the groups below.
• OMS staff should choose session 1 and select 'Target Based Grading' for session 2.
• Early Childhood staff should only register for 'What's Assessment Got to Do With it?' with Adam Holland. 
• You will find recorded sessions, identified with a camera icon in the brochure. 

Session Brochure

How do I register for Professional Learning Sessions?

Session options are all loaded into PD Express.  Each option includes a course description, intended audience, and presenter information.  View these details via PD Express or the course catalog. Please choose sessions that best fit your professional goals and needs. If you have any questions regarding registration, please contact Taylor Ethen.

Registration closes at the end of the day on Thursday, December 16th. 

 

Who do I contact if I have questions?

If you have questions about this day, please contact Taylor Ethen.  

 

We look forward to a great day of professional learning!

District Staff Development Committee

Building Weekly Newsletter:
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HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND - and enjoy the snow!
-Justin