Week of November 3

We had an absolute TREAT with pampering you with snacks this week.  THANK YOU for another amazing week at Lee!  Congratulations to our second "name-changer," Nicole.  We know you will be a beautiful bride on Saturday!


DID YOU KNOW?

• that we have Lego Robitic Kits?  If you (or any of your learners) are interested in learning more about these, please put in a help desk ticket to James.  He will need to add software to computers.
• that the shelving for your storage rooms is in!  Louis is scheduling his guys to come out and install them.  YAHOO!!!
• that only paper is supposed to go in your slotted recycling cans?  We are bringing a large round blue can to each house for plastic bottle and aluminum can recycling.
• that there are microphones for presentations on the stage or flex area of the library.  See CK or TH if you want to utilize these microphones.

SITE VISITS ON TUESDAY

We will have MANY visitors from the North Texas Regional Consortium visiting RJL on Tuesday.  Please represent your best during these visits.  We are considered an exemplar campus BECAUSE OF YOU!  Our LEEdership team reviewed what makes our building an exemplar campus.  Please reflect on the photograph of our work and ensure that you showcase these everyday, but especially on Tuesday.  You can expect visitors from 9:00-11:00 and 12:45-2:00.  THANK YOU!

LEE "LEE"DERSHIP COUNCIL

Tuesday, November 4, is Election Day.  One of my professional goals is communication and I would like to start with the creation of our first learner leadership council.  Some time next week, I KNOW this is short notice, please vote on, as a class, one leader to represent your space.  This person must be a strong communicator, respected by their peers, and be voted on.  Please let me know who your LEEder is by the end of the day on Tuesday.  Please ensure that the democratic process is practiced; it aligns beautifully with your curriculum.  As your candidates "run" for this position the stipulations are:

1. They can spend no more than $5 on their campaign
2. They must present a brief presentation in front of the class and be dressed professionally (age approp)
3. They may pass out marketing, but it cannot be food (ex: self created buttons on construction paper, little notes: Vote for Diana, etc.)

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS EXTENDED UNTIL TUESDAY 4PM

Every fall in CISD, educators are nominated by their peers to be the campus Teacher of the Year.  SO MANY OF YOU exemplify the characteristics of a Teacher of the Year.  Please look at the following documents and timelines and nominate a peer.

• CISD TOY Presentation
• TOY Timeline
• TOY Nomination Form
• TOY Campus Nomination Rubric

LUNCH AND RECESS UPDATE
In addition, I cannot stress enough, that you MUST walk around and spread out during recess time.  Some parents live right across the street and our playgrounds are visible from the street.  We cannot afford for people to assume we are visiting and not watching learners while out there.  Spreading apart will help squash any misconceptions.  THANK YOU!

Please talk with your house leader about a plan for lunch and recess.  I shared with the leadership team that a consistent person on lunch/recess duty is helpful in maintaining consistency with the learners.  Some houses already have the same designers on lunch duty and the same on recess.  Please work on considering this if your house is not doing so.


UPDATE ON BALANCED LITERACY (from Curriculum Courier)

more on this will be shared at our Staff Meeting on Wednesday

• Vocabulary- A vocabulary committee met last year to work on identifying and aligning vocabulary at each grade. The district is in the process of completing the vocabulary lists for each grade and will begin the process of K-12 alignment of vocabulary this fall. More information will come!

• Spelling- This year educators have been given the flexibility to use Words Their Way as a spelling program or the program that came with the Reading Street adoption.  If educators choose to use the spelling program that came with the adoption, they must remember to include some kind of word work in their balanced literacy block.

• Write From the Beginning and Beyond- WFBB is a mandatory district program. Campuses should be working on refining their expository writing process and training new educators in expository writing.  All campuses should be training their staff on narrative writing this year.

• Standards Based Report Cards- The district has been researching a solution to eliminate educators taking letter grades and filling out the standards-based grading portion of the fourth grade report card. Communication on a possible solution will be going out in October to fourth grade educators followed up by an optional round-table discussion after school in November. 

THANKFUL FOR BOOKS

Our Storybook Parade will be on Friday!  Here is the form Lauren created to share with your parents. We cannot wait to see what our staff favorites are, too!

SO YOU THINK YOU "CAN" DANCE
Shine up your dancing shoes, our PTO will be hosting a school dance next Friday.  More info will be coming out but the event, but so far, it will include: a DJ, dancing, food trucks, popcorn, laughter and fun.  We hope you can come for a good time.  Watching Chantel and Todd dance will be a highlight, for sure!

"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  If you approach a door and someone is following you, hold the door and allow the other person to pass through it first, then you can walk through.

DATES TO REMEMBER

November 2: Daylight Savings Time
November 3: Signed Report Cards Due Back 

November 4: Transformation in Action Site Visits
                      TOY Nominations Due
                      LEEder Names Due to CK
November 5: iCreate Shirt with Jeans
                      FOSS Kits Due (stage steps by end of day)
                      Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
November 6: Baby Barron Shower (3:30)
November 7: ELPS Training Due
                      Book Character Day
                      Dad's Campout @ Lee (7:00 PM - 8:00 AM)
November 11- Veteran's Day Ceremony (Cafe)
                        PTO Mtg. (6:30)
November 12- College Shirt Day with Jeans
                        Curriculum Mtg. (3:30- Specialist's Spaces)
                        4th Grade to Arboretum
November 13- Samira's Birthday
                        1st Grade Field Trip-Ft Worth Museum of Science & History
                        5th Grade Music Dress Rehearsal  (8:30 AM Cafe)
                        5th Grade Music Performance (7:00 PM Cafe)
November 14- School Dance (6:00-9:00 PM)