Week of January 4

May each of you have a restful and relaxing two weeks off.   Enjoy making memories with your family and friends.  It has been a marvelous ending to 2015 because of YOU, and we cannot wait to see what is in store for 2016!  Last year we had our ONE WORD Challenge.  How did you do with yours?  We will revisit this topic at our first staff meeting after Winter Break.  

OUR GUIDING PURPOSE: We empower learners to positively impact the world by designing learning experiences that promote relationships, risk taking, and collaboration in a flexible environment.

DID YOU KNOW?

• school Supply lists need updated so that we can get the best price for the 2016-2017 school year? Please review lists with your grade level in your first PLC back from Winter Break so that we can submit them to PTO.  THANK YOU!
• that there will be other campuses (CMSW) and, potentially the new school, that will be using CBL?  
• that Dr. Denison was with Apple in Cupertino and they told the focus group that the best example (in the world) of what they want CBL to look like at the elementary level is at Lee Elementary??!!
• that we will pilot a Student Success App next year that is the result of a partnership between Apple and IBM using predictive software?  Samira will be going to Cupertino to learn more and will come back and share.
• that we have Ebooks that you and your learners have access to?  We will be getting you some training in the future regarding these and how to use them.
• that you can check out our Leadership Meeting Agenda and notes here?

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

We will have a LEEdership Council meeting on Thursday, January 7.  Please have your learners wear their shirts.  THANK YOU for sharing your learners during recess for Spirit Stick sales.


LOST AND FOUND
Please make sure that your learners clear their items out of lost and found before leaving on Friday. What is left will be donated to charity.

REFRIGERATOR
Please clean out your items by 10:30 on Friday.  We will throw out anything left so we come back to a clean refrigerator after the break.  Also....check cubbies and make sure all lunch boxes go home. You do not want to come back to a science project (and smell) in your space!

HAPPY CALLS
Thank you to those of you that took the time to make your Happy Calls!


SECOND NINE WEEKS GOAL SETTING
We are getting close to the conclusion of the second nine weeks.  Make sure your learners are revisiting their October Goal Setting documents.  The expectation is that these go home at the end of the 9 weeks and the learners have an at-home conference with their parents.  This is in our Campus Improvement Plan.


CAMPUS PLC BOOK STUDY
Don't forget that Chapters 3 and 4 (reading and posting) was extended to the due date of January 3. Thank you for your creations of grade level common assessments during PLCs!


EMAIL PASSWORD
Don't forget to change your email password before you leave.  You can do this by pressing control+alt+delete.  You will get locked out if it expires over the break!


ECONOMICS FAIR
Please remind learners that only those that bring money may shop at the Economic's Fair on Friday from 8:30 to 10:00.


DISMISSAL ON FRIDAY
You are ALL responsible for dismissal on Friday.  Please make sure you send a reminder email to parents that school dismisses at 12:50.  Homeroom teachers will have to stay with any late learners until parents arrive, so make sure you know how each is getting home.  Busses will run regular routes.

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK
Trustworthiness- keeping your word; doing what is right for yourself and others.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Stand with anybody that stands right. Stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” -Abraham Lincoln

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

People trust you when your attitudes, words, and motives align with what you actually choose to do. This includes being honest about mistakes, refusing to gossip and shift blame, and doing things the ethical way (even if it’s quicker to do otherwise).

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Jan 4:  WELCOME BACK

Jan 5:  Red and Black Attack shirt w/ Jeans

Jan 6:  Walk at School Wednesday
            CISD Spelling Bee
            Staff Mtg. (3:30)  
Jan 7:  Spur Savings (7:30-7:50 Cafe)   
              LEEdership Council (8:00)
              Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)

Jan 9:  Rikki's Birthday
           Priscilla's Birthday

Week of December 14

Hope you have had your ELF a MERRY second week of December.  We have had fun treating you each day.  There is still more to come next week!  It has been an ABSOLUTE JOY completing everyone's first walkthrough and/or fall observation.  It reminds me what talented individuals we have on campus!  Please KNOW that I encourage conversation afterwards.  Stop me or schedule me, so we can visit about the comments and observations.  Here are some things I observed that impressed me:  clearly posted objectives, student choice, small group work, authentic learner work displayed, connections to multiple curriculum areas, infusion of technology, organized spaces, thinking maps, and specific feedback.  THANK YOU!!

OUR GUIDING PURPOSE: We empower learners to positively impact the world by designing learning experiences that promote relationships, risk taking, and collaboration in a flexible environment.

DID YOU KNOW?

• that PTO approved buying 10 more school iPads at Tuesday's meeting?  We know that with our increased enrollment we will need more devices.  Please take time to thank them through email or a note in their mailbox in the lounge.  This will me two more iPads for K-3 in each house.
• because of PTO, we have ordered a projector, carts, speaker, and Apple TV for each house. When they arrive they will be delivered to you.
• that all holiday work on the wall needs to be removed before Friday?  Please start the new year with new learner work displayed.

WEEK OF CODE

Thank you for  your participation in #hourofcode this week!  It was WONDERFUL seeing the learners AND DESIGNERS excited about this opportunity for our children.  Thank you, Alli, for your support!

SOCIAL SPURS PARTY

Thank you, Social Spurs, for planning a fun staff get together!  There was a GREAT turnout and it was a LOT of FUN!  If you are interested...there will be another "Sip and See" at Chantel's, during the day, on December 23.  Stop by- more details coming! 

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

Holiday Spirit Sticks will be on sale Wednesday and Thursday during recess time.  Please send your Leadership Council members down to the lost and found area and your learners with their money.


ELF WINNERS
Please make sure that your faculty favorites is updated.  We will bring you your surprise tomorrow, so make sure it is accurate.

SCHEDULE ADJUSTMENTS NEXT WEEK:

• MONDAY:  Day 6 Rotation,  Normal Schedule, be ready for CMSW @1:30 in gym
• THURSDAY:  Grade Level Schedule.  Please view the Winter Party schedule here.
• FRIDAY:  Economics Fair.  Please see Early Release schedule here.

Specials and Support Staff will cover 3 classroom designers for 30 minutes, each, between 10:00 and 11:30 on Friday.  Please help the assigned houses and coordinate together: 

Yellow House:  Julie L. and Roxann

Red:  Claudia and Ashley

Purple:  Ayesha and Jessica

Green:  Julie B. and Kandice

Blue:  Meghan, Todd, Chantel, Angela

PLCS

We will NOT have PLCS Tuesday through Friday this week.  No one needs to stay late (unless you choose to).  Hopefully you can talk "virtually."  Please make sure that you have shared your grade level common assessment with Chantel and Todd.  It is due before Winter Break. We will start back with PLCs, on January 4, with DAY 1.

NEED YOUR INPUT IN TWO AREAS
Laurie O'Nell is collecting information about what employees WANT during summer training.  If you would like something, we need to ASK.  Please email me ANY training support you would like this summer, by end of day Monday, so that I can share it with her.  

Meghan is adding books to our circulation.  We need your help, so please complete this form before leaving for break.

(This infographic is information from our Clarity Survey you completed at the beginning of the year.)

SUB LIST
Here is the list of substitutes and their contact information if you need it. 


HAPPY CALLS
It is a GREAT week to make "Happy Calls" home to learners' parents this week.  Imagine all the great things that parents will tell family members about YOU calling.  Specials, pick one learner from each class to call.  Pre K and PPCD, you too!!  There is a January jeans pass for the entire first week back for those who do!


THIRD GRADE
I want to start by saying that next week is going to be a tough week.  We are all heartbroken Lauren is heading to Houston, but we also know that this is an exciting time for her family.  We are ALL looking forward to getting ideas from her new school and Lauren will ALWAYS be welcome to return to our famiLEE.

So that you are informed, we have recommended Kamille Hudson for our third grade opening. Layne joined Todd and I in the interview, and we feel she is a lovely addition to Blue House and to Third Grade.  Kamille just completed her student teaching at Valley Ranch Elementary and is a swim coach with Lewisville Independent School District.  Her mom is an educator and the minute you meet her you will see why she will be a great addition to our famiLEE.  Kamille will be here next Wednesday-Friday to shadow Lauren and to get to the the children.  If you want to welcome Kamille, her phone number is 972-757-7561, and her email is kamillehudson@hotmail.com.


ECONOMICS FAIR
Please encourage learners to shop on Friday.  Thanks, third grade for the schedule to help with crowd control and flow!

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK

Cooperation- working together

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We must all live together as brothers or perish alone as fools.” -Martin Luther King Jr.

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

Staying positive, being approachable, and expressing positive thoughts and feelings through both verbal and nonverbal communication help you build rapport with those around you.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Dec 14:  Grinch Green Day (wear green)
              Salad Lunch in Lounge
              CMSW Performance (1:30-2:00 Gym)

Dec 15:  Blue House Field Trip

Dec 16:  Walk at School Wednesday
               Ugly Sweater Contest
               Spirit Stick Sale (During Recess)
               New Learner Luncheon (10:30-1:00)
               Leadership Mtg. (3:30)  TRYING TO KEEP IT SHORT!!
Dec 17:  Grade Level Schedule
              Polar PJ Day
              Spur Savings (7:30-7:50 Cafe)   
              Spirit Stick Sale (During Recess)
              Madrigals (1:00 Gym)

              Winter Parties (2:00 Houses)
              Buffalo Wild Wings Night
Dec 18:  Economics Fair (8:30-10:00)

               Lunch in Spaces
               Early Release (12:50)
Dec 19:  Ayesha's Birthday
Dec 20 - Jan 3:  Winter Break- ENJOY!

Week of December 7

Hope you have had your ELF a MERRY first week of December.  Be on the lookout for the ELF game rules over the weekend.  

OUR GUIDING PURPOSE: We empower learners to positively impact the world by designing learning experiences that promote relationships, risk taking, and collaboration in a flexible environment.

DID YOU KNOW?

• that there is a deadline to book busses for field trips between December 18 and January 7?  The reservation must be input by December 10 to be approved.
• that our enrollment is up to 665 and our free and reduced lunch is 6%.  Please include information for parents to learn more in this week's email home.

WEEK OF CODE

Please consider signing up and sharing out learner opportunities for #hourofcode next week.  Here is an easy guide to get started and lesson plans, too!  (Thanks Alli and Twitter)

WRITE FROM THE BEGINNING AND BEYOND TRAINING

THANK YOU for your attention and professionalism during training!  Brenda shared the Essential Question activity cards.  Here they are!  She also emailed and commented, "Your teachers oops I mean designers, were wonderful!  It was such a pleasure to be a part of this very talented group." I appreciate the way you represented Coppell ISD and our school.  She will be back on January 11 for Learning Walks in our building.

DATA DASHBOARD

MP2 Energy was here on Monday.  To get to the dashboard, this is the website and the password is: spurs  They cleared out the learner leaderboard since first and last names were on there and updated it to only collect first name last initial now.  Please challenge our learners to go on and take multiple sustainability quizzes.  The questions randomly generate, so no two quizzes are the same and the bank of questions will keep the quizzes fresh and challenging.  Did you know we can add our own questions to the quiz bank?  Did you know we can add videos too?  See Todd or Chantel to learn more.

ESL UPDATE

Please review the S'more sent by Claudia this week.  It has excellent updates for resources and strategies for our ESL learners!

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

Thank you for giving your LEEders time to share with your classes after our meetings.  I will email the minutes after each meeting to help learners share what we have done.  We will host holiday Spirit Stick sales the last week before Winter Break.

HANDBOOK UPDATE TO RECESS SECTION HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW
As the allergy season gets going, or cold weather approaches, please let parents know that if they request their child stay in from outside activities, it will require a note from them.  If the request is for longer than 2-3 days, we will need a doctor’s note that gives specific dates that the learner must stay inside.

• On days that the learner remains inside, they will report to the media center with something to read or work to do (after you have notified the media specialist).  If our media specialist has lunch at that time and it would prevent the learner from staying in the media center, the designer will have to work out another placement (i.e. in the café or another house during that time).

SCIENCE IS MESSY

Make sure you let me know if you attended training today.  I will cover a lunch or recess duty for you as a token of thanks for continuing your learning.

SOCIAL SPURS PARTY

We hope you can join Social Spurs on Wednesday for their party at Love and War in Texas.  Bring a wrapped ornament ($10) if you would like to participate in the ornament exchange.

MATH EDUCATOR ACADEMY

If you are interested in attending Math Educator Academy on these days, please let me know.  We have the budget to send four total PreK-2 Designers and four total 3-5 Designers plus one Special Education Designer.  We will secure your subs but you must still request through Eduphoria.

CISD HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

For those of you new to the district, CISD has a great event at the Admin Bldg. all day on Friday. Head over during your conference time and rub elbows with other CISD employees while enjoying snacks and entertainment by the CISD Fine Arts Department.  Our learners will perform around 9:30 so check them out if you are there at that time.

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK

Justice- being fair, right, and upholding what is right.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“In matters of style, swim with the current.  In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” -Thomas Jefferson

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

Never cut line. If someone cuts in front of you, do not say or do anything about it. Let it happen, but let a teacher know about it. They will handle the situation.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 7-11: Week of Code

Dec 8:  PTO Mtg. (6:30 pm)

Dec 9:  Walk at School Wednesday
             Choir Sings at Northpark Mall
             Staff Holiday Party (3:30 Love and War in Texas)
Dec 10:  April's Birthday
              Learning Walk @ Lee (8:15)
              Choir/Instrumental Dress Rehearsal (8:30 Cafe)

              Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
              Campus Spelling Bee
              Lauren's Farewell (4:30-6:30 Esparzas)
              Choir/Instrumental Performance (6:30 Cafe)
Dec 11:  Todd's Birthday

               Julie B's Birthday
               CISD Holiday Open House (conference time)
               GtI Learner Interviews Due to Ayesha