Week of March 28

ENJOY the three day weekend!  I can't think of a better way to prepare for our next week of school than three days off!

Please take two minutes to listen to this voice recording (you will have to turn up your volume).  This is what Cathy Bryce (former Highland Park Superintendent) had to say about YOU, OUR SCHOOL, AND OUR LEARNERS at our Principal's Institute.  Cathy was part of a group of visionary Superintendents that wrote Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas.  This document has guided much transformation and many visionary changes in public education.  She continued after my phone died to say that "what the staff does at Lee Elementary is transformational and aligns with everything the document stands for and dreams of for learners and that OUR SCHOOL, Lee Elementary, is the ONLY school she has EVER seen this kind of work being done with children on all levels."  I hope you feel proud of yourselves for the continued recognition you receive. Your ears should be burning from your exemplary work being shared with leaders in education.  Each of you is transforming learning on a daily basis.  It is HARD work, but you are on this journey because YOU are special! YOU are the BEST school famiLEE!!  Thank you for being at Lee.

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.

What YOU are doing to do to LIVE out this VISION at Lee?  

DID YOU KNOW?

• that you can Tweet without using your data plan?  If you authenticate before attempting to access Twitter by going to www.777.com and entering your network username and password, you can Tweet. YAY!
• that Alex will be a permanent addition to our staff for the 2016-2017 school year?  She will be in a full time educator role.  Please take time to congratulate her and stay tuned to learn where that will be later this Spring as staffing issues help determine her placement.  I know you will ALL be gunning to have her in your grades and houses!

SCHEDULES

Don't forget that we have adjusted schedules on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday due to Spirit Rally and STAAR Testing.  Brenda Baker, from Thinking Maps, will be with your during your grade level conference time on Monday.  Please bring writing samples with you so that she can help you with calibrating your scoring and help answer any questions you may have with our WFTBB implementation.  Please be ready to start Spirit Rally at 2:00 on Monday.  We have a packed agenda. It will help if your learners are already packed up in your spaces before coming down.  Please invite parents to attend in your weekly email.  Here is the agenda, to if you have a learner being recognized or performing.

Monday Schedule

Tuesday Schedule

Wednesday Schedule

STAAR

If you are a STAAR administrator, please wear jeans and sneakers with a school shirt, if you like. We know that you will be doing a great deal of walking while actively monitoring and want you comfortable.  Thank you for everyone's efforts to get furniture moved and set up, for getting all items covered up, and for lifting up one another.  We will have a Jason's Deli menu for anyone who wants to order in lunch on testing days.  The office will call the orders in for you once you have sent your money down.

SURVEY HELP

Coppell ISD is requesting you participate in an innovative on-line survey developed by the Center for the Built Environment (CBE) at the University of California, Berkeley to evaluate your satisfaction with our building and identify how to improve our facility services.  Your participation is very important.  Please visit this web address before Friday April 04, 2016: https://berkeley.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_2t3xCC03wU2Oit7

This survey will give you an opportunity to comment on your satisfaction with spatial layout, office furnishings, office temperature, air quality, lighting, acoustic quality, building maintenance, and the building overall. The survey will take less than 15 minutes to complete and is confidential and anonymous. The results will greatly assist us in making this facility work for you.  Thank you in advance for your participation.

CISD LEARNING FRAMEWORK REVIEW: LEARNING

This week we will spend our third week reviewing learning design.  Educators utilize standards and future ready outcomes to to design constructivist experiences that facilitate the learners' conceptional development and deepen understanding as they construct meaning of the world.  Let's review AUTHENTICITY.  

According to our CISD Educator Evaluation System: the educator approaches learning design in a way that encompasses real-world connections which promote sustainable, transferrable knowledge and skills as well as learner engagement.  Standards and experiences within the unit are inked to content concepts that create a holistic approach to learning the discipline, problems are complex within the discipline, more than one perspective for addressing and providing solutions that reflect the skills and thinking in the real world, and opportunities for learners to see how content is used in the real world.

• standards and experiences within the unit transcend many disciplines and create a holistic approach to solving global problems within the context of multiple disciplines 
• opportunities for learners to address global issues, collaborate with mentors, and interact with authentic audiences

This area of the learning framework is easily visible with your Challenge Based Learning units.  CBL gives learners the chance to connect multiple disciplines, provide solutions, address global issues, research and connect with experts, and share for feedback.  You are rocking it!

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK
Compassion- the ability to share another's feelings or ideas.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"It is the weak who are cruel.  Gentleness can only be expected from the strong." Leo Roskin

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

When a designer is having a serious conversation with a learner, don't look at that learner. You wouldn't want your classmates looking at you in a similar situation.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
March 28:  Brenda meets with Grade levels during PLC time
                   Spirit Rally (2:00 Gym)

March 29:  Report Card Grades Due (8:00)
                   2nd Grade Field Trip
                   4th Grade STAAR Writing
                   5th Grade STAAR Math

March 30:  Convocation T-shirt w/ Jeans
                   Walk at School Wednesday
                   5th Grade STAAR Reading
                   Leadership Mtg. (3:30)  
March 31: Learning Walks (8:15)
                 Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
                 Youth Art Month Reception (6:00)
April 1: Report Cards Go Home
             Dad's Club Camp In (7:00 pm - 8:00 am)
April 2: Meghan H's Birthday