Week of March 23

Please take a moment to reflect on this quote from David Armistead.  This is the time of year when educators tend to be a little less patient and understanding with one another.  Let's continue to assume best intentions with one another and remember we are LUCKY to be at LEE! 

“Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities for which they were previously unaware.” – David Armistead

DID YOU KNOW?

• that we raised $115 for Special Olympics with your contributions?  THANK YOU for your generosity!
• that videos like THIS help remind us why we all entered the "kid business?" I believe Challenge Based Learning helps build a fire from within like these young men demonstrated.
• that we have received, as a campus, over $6600 in grants so far?  What a resourceful group!  (If your grant is not posted below, please remember to send me your info!)
• Stacey Harris- $2000- Coppell ISD Education Foundation
• Wendy Pray- $856- Coppell ISD Education Foundation
• Kristen Schliewe- $240- Donor's Choose
• Sam Jensen- $621- Donor's Choose
• Ashley Bensen- $579- Donor's Choose
• Lauren Gaspard- $169- Donor's Choose (plus a Donor's Choose in the works)
• Elisa Genco- $547- Tilt (plus a Donor's Choose in the works)
• Roxann Krautkramer- (Donor's Choose in the works)
• Priscilla Shaner- $235- Donor's Choose
• Layne Sommers- $183- Donor's Choose
• Nicole Williams- $1224- Donor's Choose 

OPEN HOUSE
Thank you doesn't begin to even cover our appreciation for all that you did to prepare for our Open House!!  You are the best staff a principal could ask for.


FUN RUN
Weather will determine if we are able to host our Fun Run or need to reschedule.  If we need to cancel due to wet/slick surfaces, a Parent Link communication will go out as soon as possible.  Unfortunately, this will be a last minute decision.  Thanks for your understanding.


MISSING IPAD MINI
Please take a couple of minutes to look around your spaces for an extra iPad mini.  It will be labeled B21.  We are trying to locate this device.  This is a great time to remind you that we should have practices in place where your learners turn in devices at the end of the day and you check to make sure that they are all accounted for.  Also, learners should be using an ASSIGNED device, not just ANY device.  If you are using shared devices, there MUST be a system for signing out MacBooks and iPads.  This helps us monitor for accountability, acceptable use, and damage.  If you do not have a system in place, please start one immediately. 


FamiLEE CARNIVAL
At Tuesday's PTO meeting, a date was confirmed for our school Spring fundraiser.  This event will be called the FamiLEE Carnival and it will be from 5:30 -8:00 p.m. on April 17.  Please mark your calendars and plan to attend.  We need to firm up auction ideas so that PTO can advertise and hype them up.  For the latest list, or to add/change, click here.  Presale tickets will be sold during recess the week of April 6.  Presale tickets will be $5 and we are going to "suggest" learners "earn" their $5 through chores at home.  Those who want to go the carnival and do not purchase a presale ticket will have to pay $7 at the door.  Parents and children under 2 will get in for free.  There will be bounce houses, obstacle courses, a photo booth, a dunk tank, carnival games, pizza, nachos, snacks, auctions, and MORE!!  All money raised will to back to the PTO to help us with technology matching funds and PTO sponsored events.


THE BIG QUESTION
Many of you have been approached by parents about what we are going to do next year.  Will we stay in houses?  Will we switch houses?  After meeting with Penny Tramel and Dr. Denison on March 2, it was explained to me that the district philosophy is that learners will stay in a house throughout their tenure at Lee.  For now...let's keep this information "in house" until I am ready to communicate this out to our community.  We still have to develop a system for "how/if" we need to move a learner to another house. You, of course, will be informed along the way, so thank you for your patience as we work through the details.  In the meantime, if you are approached, please tell parents that Mrs. Kastrounis will be making a decision and communicating that out to parents before the end of the school year.


PURCHASE ORDERS
This is a final call for purchase orders to be turned in for approval.  WE HAVE FUNDS, so if there are needs, get your POs completed and turned in to CK's box by Wednesday, March 25.


ALTERNATE SCHEDULES
Please be sure to inform your parents when your schedules will be changed.  It makes it difficult in the office when parents arrive for lunch and the time has been adjusted, but not communicated.  Thank you!


KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
Please put a note in your weekly communication that Kindergarten Registration is underway.  Families with incoming kindergarteners need to schedule an appointment with the front office as soon as possible so that we can use this information to assist us with projected enrollment.


FRIENDLY REMINDER
When you are sick or need to be absent, please follow the directions below from our campus handbook:  

Too often, when a designer must be absent, the result is a lost instructional day for the learners.  Although some absences cannot be avoided, please be very discriminating in use of leave for personal illness or family illness.  NO ONE else can work better with your learners than you can!

Designers should attend to the following items in anticipation of any absence that might occur.  Doing so will insure that there are not too many interruptions in the regular routine of the school day.

• When you must be absent due to illness or emergencies, please use the Coppell ISD Absence Management System and follow the directions on your employee quick reference card.  The system phone number is 469-549-1352 and the website is https://smartfind.coppellisd.com.  Please email or call Chantel as early as possible. Her phone number is 214-725-4619..  

• You will also need to contact a housemate and let him/her know you will be out.

• You are responsible for entering your own absence into Smart Find and for scheduling specific subs if that is your desire.

• Personal leave requests must be made to Chantel a minimum of 5 days prior to absence.  These should come through our Formspace document in Eduphoria.

• Any absence that is 3 or more consecutive days requires approval from Human Resources..

When you are absent, it is imperative that you leave detailed lesson plans that are easily accessible and easy to follow for a substitute.  Having a substitute folder prepared that can be pulled out every time you are out would be preferred.  This should include a copy of your daily schedule, a list of helpful learners, and filler activities in case your learners finish the plans you have left.

Leave out a red folder with health concerns.

"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” ~George S. Patton

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  Do not save seats in the lunchroom. If someone wants to sit down, let him or her. Do not try to exclude anyone. We must treat one another with respect and kindness.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

March 23- TELPAS Tutorials
March 24- Possible Donuts with Dads (before school)
                 2nd Grade TELPAS
March 25-Jeans and iCreate Shirt Day
                  Social Spurs Luncheon ($8.50)
                  Walk AT School Wednesday
                  3rd Grade TELPAS
                  Stacey's TOY Observation/Interview
                  Fed Ex Day (3:30-4:30)
March 26- 4/5 TELPAS
                  1st Grade Music Dress Rehearsal (8:00-8:30)
                  2nd Grade Music Dress Rehearsal (8:30-9:00)
                  1st Grade Music Performance (6:00 pm)
                  2nd Grade Music Performance (7:00 pm)
March 27- Spirit Rally (8:00-Gym) (Alternate Schedule)
                  Red CBL Planning Day
                  TELPAS Make Up Day
                  Last Day of 3rd 9 Weeks
March 28- Walk for Wishes (8:15 am)
March 30- 4th STAAR Writing Test (Alternate Schedule)
March 31- 4th STAAR Writing Test (Alternate Schedule)
                  5th STAAR Reading Test
                  Grades Due in Pentamation
April 1- 4th STAAR Writing Test (Alternate Schedule)
              Walk AT School Wednesday
              Jeans and House Shirt Day
              Leadership Meeting (3:30-5:00)  All are welcome!
April 2- Campus Meeting with Dr. Waldrip (3:30)
April 3- Report Card Day