April 26 Update

Happy Friday, McKinley!

A short blog entry today.... please take some time to read it carefully.  

Just a reminder of a few deadlines/reminders- 

• Summer Maintenance Requests are due today  (please remember - this is to fix things, not remodel your area)
• Room Service for Educator Appreciation Week (all staff, not just teachers ) - due next Friday
• Smartboard Transition - if you have a Smartboard you need to notify the IT team by TODAY.
• Purchasing Deadline is NEXT Tuesday, April 30.  Your classroom supply budget (or any other budgets) will not be accessible after Tuesday.
• Grill Out Starts Next Friday - please sign up if you/your team is grilling out! 

School Lunch Hero Week:

Next week is School Lunch Hero Week!  Please take some time next week to stop in and thank Jill and her team for all the hard work they do to support our students!  

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

Have a GREAT weekend!
-Justin 

April 19 Update

Happy Friday! 

Another great week of learning and relationships!  

Reminders:

• Purchasing deadline is April 30 - this is for any purchases, including classroom supply budgets.
• Summer Maintenance Requests are due April 26 - please complete the linked form. 
• Staff Power Hour (April 15) - learning work is due today. 

Keep Moving Forward:

I saw the below quote this week and was reminded of the power of just moving forward.  This is often a time of year we are stressed - lots going on, we are excited for summer break, etc.  I often find people saying "I don't feel like I can keep my head above water" or "I'm feeling like I'm not enough".  I'm feeling this lately, too.  This quote is a great reminder for us that sometimes it's enough to just show up for kids.  We might not tackle our ever-growing "to do list" or solve the world's problems in a given day - and that's enough!  Give yourself some grace - you are showing up every day and moving forward.  And, that's enough!  

Educator Appreciation Week:

May 6-10 is Educator Appreciation Week!  As many of you know, my belief is that anyone who works in a school with a student serves in that role as an "educator".  This is a week to celebrate each of you!  Below is our plan to celebrate YOU! 

On Thursday, May 9, a room service cart will come around to your classroom/work area.  Please complete the linked form to place your order.  

Track Meet Schedule:

Please see the track meet schedule for May 8.   

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin

April 12 Update

Happy April 12th!  

Another great week of learning and relationships!  

A great reminder for us to try new ways to keep our learners engaged, particularly as the "summer fever" kicks in.  Sharing one of those easy ways to change engagement....

Purchasing Deadline - 

Just a reminder - the purchasing deadline is April 30.  This includes your supply budget, as well as any other forms of purchasing.  Please be aware of this - we cannot accept any purchases after that day.

Student Showcase - Save the Date!

In place of an awards ceremony, we will be doing a Student Showcase to honor the strengths and growth of each and every one of our scholars.  Save the date - Thursday, May 30 from 1:30-2:00pm.  More to come on specific directions.  

Friday Grill Out's in May:

Back by popular demand, I will be grilling for those interested on Fridays in May.  Linked is a sign up sheet.  You bring the meat and I will grill it for you!  

Ending the Year Countdowns:

As we begin to end the year, please refrain from any "X days left of school" activities, signs, etc.  As much as I'm also excited about summer, some of our learners are not.  The "x days left of school" is a reminder that their supports are going to be gone, as well as sends a negative message about getting through days vs learning and relationships.   If you want to do something with your class (a letter a day or something), come and connect with me.

Smartboard Transition:

As you know, our desktop computers (attached to the Smartboards) will be gone next school year.   I know this decision has mixed reviews - ultimately, this was the way we got more 1:1 devices for students.  Our Building Leadership Team piloted the "no desktop on your Smartboard" starting in January.  I am sending this to highly recommend making the transition before the end of the school year.  The desktops will be gone next year - regardless if you hold out or not.  These next two months would be a great time to start this process and experiment with this new process.  The support is here this spring - I strongly consider removing your desktop this April or May.  If you are interested, please let Noureddine know.  

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend - it's going to be beautiful outside!  

-Justin

April 5 Update

Happy Friday!

Eid 2024:

Happy Eid to our friends who will be celebrating next week!  There is a little uncertainty on the exact day, but Eid will be celebrated between Tuesday and Thursday.  Please be mindful of this as you are planning activities and expectations - some of our scholars will be celebrating with their family.   

Update on Sections:

As you know, this year has looked differently with sections and staffing due to the boundary changes.  After today (Friday), we will have a solid idea of what our 4th to 5th graders are doing (they had to indicate this by today).   Next week, our admin team is meeting to finalize the sections.  After that, I will be able to share numbers with you.   Please know -we are working as quickly as we can.  More to come!  

Scholar Placement Process:

Can you believe we are already at this point - time to be making class lists!  Linked is our process for the scholar placement.  More information to come! 

Summer Maintenance Requests:

Believe it or not, it's time to start gathering requests for summer maintenance work.  This work includes any fixing, paint touch up's, or other general maintenance requests for your classroom/work area.  Please remember - this does not include requesting personalized things for your space (example - wanting your classroom a specific color of paint).  

If you have any requests, please complete the form by Friday, April 26.  I know this sounds early, but Wayne needs to start prioritizing and communicating on the requests.  

Closing Activity Ideas:

Deep learning requires a reflection and processing time - time to let the new learning and ideas connect to a student's mental framework.  And, in a fast-paced classroom, we often forget about this. Linked is a great article on 27 ways to end a learning activity - take a few minutes to read through.

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have an AMAZING weekend! 

- Justin

March 22 Update

Happy Spring Break!

I hope each of you are able to get away from work and be with the people or things you love.  Each of you gives so much to our students, families, and McKinley in general.  This is a great time to totally checkout and just be in the moment.  Enjoy your time, rest up, and get ready to come back and finish the year strong!  

Absences:

Just a reminder - if you are taking a part of a day (or even a half day) and end up having lunch, specialists, or recess in there, please connect with Justin or Steph before requesting a sub.  We've noticed an increase in half day absences in which a sub comes in for only 45 minutes of teaching.  We would rather fill that internally.   Bottom line - if it's not a solid half day of instruction, feel free to reach out to us and we can help you.  

READ Act Dates 24-25:

As you know, we have some reading professional development for next school year through the READ Act.  I am excited to see us learn and grow as teachers of reading.

Julie Sullivan has worked hard to create a solid professional learning plan for us which includes some days at workshop, MLK Day, etc.  In addition to these already set days, the school board has approved three additional days for our professional learning.  These dates are October 21, February 17, and April 21.  The reason I give you these now is to be mindful of these days when you are taking time off.  

Boundary Changes:

The school board approved K-5 boundary changes starting next school year.  As many of you know, we have an imbalance in the number of students at each of our four elementary schools - some are using every possible space while others have open rooms.  The boundary changes will help with a more balanced student population and use of space.  It's very typical for districts to re-evaluate boundaries every 5-6 years.  

One of our biggest changes in boundary is Colonial Manor, which is out behind Lowes.  Starting next year, that area will move to Wilson.  McKinley's boundary has moved west, taking in students who are currently living west of Cedar (Skyline Gardens, 22nd Street NW, etc).   These areas going to new schools will also help with transportation.  

Families will be notified next week of the change.  Families of 4th graders going into 5th grade can request to keep their child at their current school; however, siblings would go to their new assigned school.  Families have until April 5 to make this request.  After this time, we will have a more solid understanding of our student population and sections.  I apologize that staffing and this has been delayed this year.  The boundary changes impact this greatly.

On May 1 (4:30-5:30pm), we will host an open house for students who are new to McKinley.  If you are able to attend, I would greatly appreciate having some staff in the building.  This is a time for new students to see their new school.

I wanted to provide you with a quick overview of where we are at.  If you get questions from families, here is the website with a lot of information, as well as an address locator for new boundaries.   

Because this is a sensitive topic, please do not talk to classes about this.  After break, we will provide you with a list of those moving so you can keep an eye out.  However, we should not enter into conversations as we still have 2 months left of school.  If families reach out to you, you can direct them my way.  

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

Have a GREAT Spring Break!
-Justin

March 15 Update

Happy Friday!

Another great week of learning and relationships! 

Carry The Banner - 

Don't forget to carry that banner for McKinley - what stories are you sharing about McKinley?

Such great experiences for our kids....

April 1 - Return From Break:

As a reminder, April 1 is our last Connection Day of the year.  Please see the linked document for our 4/1 Connection Day.  A huge thank you to our Student Council, Val Seath, and Paige Gilligan for planning this!

On this day, we will also be celebrating the fact we filled the jar.  Linked is our plan for the celebration - PLEASE DO NOT SHARE with anyone (students will find out at Monday Morning Announcements).

MN Twins Home Opener - April 4

Update on Staffing & Planning for 24-25:

I've had a few ask about sections, staffing, etc for next school year.  This Monday, March 18, the School Board will vote to put the boundary changes into place for the 24-25 school year.   With these changes, there could be changes to the number of kids at each grade per building.  From there, we will know section numbers.  Because there is a lot of data entry that goes into enrollments and boundary changes, we are planning to finalize things right after spring break.  At that time, you should know more about planning for next school year.

5 Ways to Stop Thinking for Your Kids - 

A great article to remind us to have the thinking on the students - take the 2 minutes to read.  

Click here to read the article 

Building Weekly Newsletter:

Click here to access the building weekly newsletter

Have a great weekend!

-Justin 

March 8 Update

Happy Friday!

Lots of FYI today... please read all. 

One of my favorite quotes... and something that I regularly have to ground myself in (especially when times feel tough).  We can get caught up in the day to day "issues" and forget about the bigger picture.  I find myself in this cycle - timelines, behaviors, emails, etc.  All of those things keep me "treading water".  When I get overwhelmed, I need to remind myself of my purpose and all the good things I experience every day - all those things that remind me why I "love to swim".

Take some time today to change your thinking from the "treading of water" to all the reasons you "love to swim". 

New Staff Member - Technology Specialist:

I'm excited to inform you that Noureddine Elghayad has officially accepted the Technology Specialist position at McKinley & Washington. Bringing with him valuable experience in classroom technology from an American school in Morocco, Noureddine will begin his training with our technology team starting Monday, March 11th and we anticipate him being comfortable on his own at McKinley & Washington by the middle of April.

Setting 3 - STRIDE:

Starting next year, we are excited to host a Setting 3 STRIDE program (2 classrooms) here at McKinley!  Currently, Washington has 5 classrooms supporting STRIDE.  Due to space issues, we are moving two of the classrooms to join us!  

STRIDE is our setting 3 (in the classroom over 60% of the day) that supports students with cognitive delay.  The program will be housed in the Learning Center and current Makerspace room - some construction will occur over the summer to close these spaces in more.  More information will come on the program, logistics, and programming.  

Please join me in welcoming this program!  

Curriculum Requests:

Attached you will find the form to complete if you have summer curriculum writing requests for the '24-'25 school year. The deadline to complete this is March 22. You will be notified by April 19 if your request is able to be fulfilled. 

Guidelines for Curriculum Requests:
1. Priority will first be given to curriculum areas, teams, or grade levels where curriculum writing is deemed necessary due to new state standards and/or new courses.
2.  Consideration will then be given for courses needing revision, updating, or further alignment.
3. If curriculum monies still remain, individual teachers or teams of teachers may be approved for requested curriculum work.
4. Requests must be submitted by Friday, March 22 and teachers will be notified by April 19 if their request(s) have been approved or denied.
5. Generally, time allotted for curriculum writing teams will follow the guidelines below:
*New Courses = 6-12 hours
*Existing Courses = 3-6 hours
6.  All summer curriculum writing work will be done at Rose Street or the Learning Zone depending on availability.

Form

BBBS Shirts:

From Beth Fink, Special Education Teacher at OHS - 

We will be selling shirts (see link) stores.courtsportsandmore.com/smile_more  from March 11-27, with shirts being done at the beginning of April just in time for the start of testing.  Shirts will be $17 with $5 going to BBBS.  Shirt sales are open to anyone in the community.  We were wondering if this information could be put in your newsletter to families and shared with teachers at your school/building.  We appreciate your help in raising money for a great organization.  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out.  

Pear Deck:

Starting next school year, we will not have a PearDeck subscription.  If you use this regularly, you will want to use your supply budget to pay for it.  Again, starting next school year.

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

Have a great weekend!-
-Justin