Week of October 30

Ladies, THANK YOU, for yet another wonderful week with the children.  Being in  your spaces has brought me such joy.  One of my favorites today was watching one of our struggling learners be uber successful subtracting with regrouping using exploding dots and a numberline.  THANK YOU for finding ways to reach each of our learners and bringing out the best in each and every one of them!  We appreciate your participation in this week's Red Ribbon Week spirit days.  We cannot wait to see your costumes for tomorrow!  Have a super weekend and we will see you at the dance!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that Jacque updated her blog on differentiation?  Don't forget to book her.
• that TOY nominations are due, tomorrow, Friday, Oct. 27?  Thank you so much to those that took time to submit nominations. 
• that we will be looking for a new Music Designer?  We are very sad to lose Megan.  She will be taking care of herself, and her family, and hope she will return to Lee one day.
• you, and your learners, can download Office 365 on  your home computers?  Look for an email from CISD. 
• we will keep the canned food from the dance for 1 week for those of you that want to use it for math experiences with your learners.  Please tweet out how so we can see your creative lessons!

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE

We will take the parade INDOORS this year due to the cold and windy weather.  At 8:00, we will make an announcement and ask everyone to walk as if they are leaving for PM bus dismissal.  Please keep learners in an organized line and keep the line moving as we weave through the building.  Learners who do not dress up, and parents who come up to watch, can sit on the wooden steps of yellow and red house and cheer on the participants.  THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU THAT PARTICIPATED and got our learners involved!  Morning broadcast was prerecorded (thanks Sam, Taylor, and your crew) and I emailed out a WAC update. Please watch the broadcast, as a house, at a time that works for you.0000000000000

CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN
At Monday night's Board Meeting, the Board approved our 2017-2018 CIP.  Please review it in one of your house meetings this week.  Leadership, a printed copy is in a binder, in your mailbox, so that you may notate things already being worked on in the October column.   Please ask Leigh Ann, Ashley, or Chantel if you have ANY questions about our action steps.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Please make sure you have completed the following tasks for Student Learning Objectives by Friday, November 3rd.

1.  Use your BOY data to input each learner into your Student Growth Tracker (Google Sheet). Hint: you can cut and paste your class list from Pentamation.  Learners should have a rating for their Initial Skills Profile AND for their Target Skills Profile.  Remember, these use two different rubrics (the ones you created as a team), so even if a learner is "typical" for the Initial Skills Profile and "typical" for the Targeted Skills Profile, they would still be showing growth. 
2. Once your Student Growth Tracker is filled in, you need to save it as YOURLASTNAME Student Growth Tracker 2017.   Upload it to Strive.  On the "evaluations" tab, you will see a place to "upload documents" with a plus sign. 
3. Go back into Strive to your SLO page that we started together as a team.  Make sure it is complete.  You'll need to add the number of learners you had at each level (typical, above typical, well above typical, etc.) for both the Initial Skills Profile and the Targeted Skills Profile. Once it is complete, hit save and SUBMIT.  

FED EX DAY
Enjoy your one hour on Wednesday where you learn about a topic of YOUR choice related to YOUR goals, and earn Flex credit for it.  This is a time for learning.  Unfortunately, this is not time for reading your Book Study book, because you get additional flex hours for that learning.  Please post to Today's Meet after 4:30, but before 5:00, on Wednesday, and share what you learned during your time in order to get credit for your hour.  Here is the link to the webinar if it interests you.  You will need to create a free ASCD account to access it. 

NEW TECH STAR PARTY

Please advertise to your parents that New Tech is hosting a Star Watching party for Lee Learners on Wednesday night.  The event is at New Tech High.

WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS:

Did you see this tweet about differentiation from Jacque at Math Academy?  This week, we will continue to focus on Domain 2 Dimension 4: Differentiation.  We will look at your lessons to see if they include a wide variety of instructional strategies to meet the diverse needs in your space.  Are all learners completing the same tasks with the same expectations? Is there evidence of content, product, and process in your lesson design?  We will observe you, too.  Are you monitoring the quality of learner participation and performance?   Are you recognizing and minimizing confusion or disengagement?  THANK YOU for reviewing each walkthrough form and using them for the praise and growth they are intended to provide.   

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK:

Link new information to prior knowledge.  Teachers need to consider what schema ELL learners bring to the classroom and to link instruction to the students' personal, cultural, and world experiences.  Teachers also need to know what their students do not know.  They must understand how culture impacts learning in their classroom. 
Are you using ELLEVATION?
 (your CISD username and "forgot password" will get you into this wonderful resource)

CISD CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Perseverance- the ability to persist or continue to the end

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Make every effort to be as organized as possible.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"The man who moves mountains begins by carrying away small stones." -Chinese Proverb

DATES TO REMEMBER

Oct 29-Nov 3- Write a Check Campaign

Oct 30- Jessica's Birthday

     RtI Meetings

     Super Teacher Nominations Due

Nov 1- Yellow House takes over Lounge clean up

     College Shirt with Jeans

     Buffalo Wild Wings Night (Yellow House)

     Fed Ex (3:30-4:30)

     New Tech Star Party (7:00-8:30 @ New Tech)

Nov 2- Campus Tour (7:30-9:30)

Nov 3- LEEdership Council (8:30-9:30)

Week of October 23, 2017

SUCH AN AWESOME WEEK!  Thank you for your incredible House meetings and for your efforts moving forward with your newest Big Ideas.  It is exciting that we have Design Days coming up in a couple of weeks!  You did a wonderful job of representing our school with our many visitors and continue to impress.  Our guests leave Lee feeling inspired and hopeful with new ideas to take back to their schools.  This is because of each and every one of YOU!  Please remember "You Are ALL Wonders" and that YOU make a difference in education and at Lee.  

DID YOU KNOW:

• there is a special event at the Morton Meyerson Symphony Center sponsored by the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy?  If you are interested in attending, here is some information.  The RSVP for 2 free tickets is October 25.  I know I'm excited to go! 
• this website has cool and interactive, live and recorded, activities for all grades and content areas.  Don't forget to filter the provider.  There is more than Bass Hall included! You have to register, but it is FREE and EASY.  Thanks, Cassie, for re-sharing in Purple House meeting and for Taylor and Cassie showing us (on Twitter) how this can be used!
• parents are missing important weekly information in our weekly PTO newsletter?  Designers may be missing this info, too!  Please give directions in your weekly newsletter for them to register to receive it.
•  Coaching Corner is updated?  Check out the blog to see what's new with your #RJLyear4 coaches this month!
• there is a "Wonderous" portrait maker?  How cool is THIS?  What about becoming a Wonder Certified Kind Classroom? 
• that New Tech is inviting Lee Learners to come to a Star Watching Party, on November 1, from 7:00-8:30 at New Tech?  They are bringing fliers to Lee, tomorrow, and hope we will spread the word to our children.  If you choose to go to the event, we will offer you flex credit for learning about constellations with New Tech learners and our kids.  

WRITE A CHECK
Write a Check will begin next week.  The minute I hear something from PTO, I will forward that information on to you.  As of tonight, I am still waiting for information.  There MAY be a last minute request to add a letter to your report card envelopes.  If you have subs in your house, we may need to help them with putting these letters in the envelopes.  Stay tuned....SORRY!


RED RIBBON WEEK
You may wear jeans if you participate in our theme days for Red Ribbon Week.  Here are the details for next week's spirit days.

STORYBOOK CHARACTER PARADE and SCHOOL DANCE
Please encourage learners and plan to participate in Friday's parade.  A book should accompany "costumes" and learners are allowed to wear their costume to the school dance on Friday night.  Entrance into the event is free WITH A CANNED FOOD DONATION per person.  Canned food will be donated to Metrocrest.  (if you would like to graph or have authentic math experiences with the donations- you are welcome to do so!) . Please plan to attend the dance and engage with the learners and their famiLEEs.  We love it when you bring your family, too, so bring them with you!  It is a great opportunity to build relationships and have FUN! 

WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS:

This week we will be starting a new focus for our walkthroughs.  We will focus on Domain 2 Dimension 4: Differentiation.  We will look at your lessons to see if they include a wide variety of instructional strategies to meet the diverse needs in your space.  Are all learners completing the same tasks with the same expectations? We will observe you.  Are you monitoring the quality of learner participation and performance?   Are you recognizing and minimizing confusion or disengagement?  We KNOW we will continue to see great learning environments and experiences for our children.  THANK YOU for reviewing each walkthrough form and using them for the praise and growth they are intended to provide.   

Campus administration will be sending out dates to sign up for your formal T-TESS Observations, soon.  Be on the lookout!

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK:

Make lessons visual.  Use visual representations of new vocabulary and use graphs, maps, photographs, drawings and charts to introduce new vocabulary and concepts.  Tell a story about information in the textbook using visuals. Create semantic and story maps, graphic organizers to teach students how to organize information. 

CISD CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Integrity- acting according to a sense of right and wrong

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Do what you know is right, even if no one is watching.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"The measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he wouldn't be found out." -Thomas Macauley

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Week of Oct. 23-Nov 4- Write a Check Fundraising
Week of Oct. 23-Oct. 27- Red Ribbon Week
Oct. 23- Britt's Birthday
Oct. 24- Mentor Meeting (3:35)
     Stop, Investigate, Listen (4:00-5:00 CCE)
     Japanese Club Author Visit and Dinner (5:00-7:00)
Oct. 25- House Shirt with Jeans
     3rd Grade at ADI Training
     K-2 Math Educator Academy
     Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
October 26- 3-5 Math Educator Academy
     Spur Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Lee Learning Walks (8:00-9:00)
     Campus Tour (9:30-10:30)
     MAT Team Drill (3:30 Media Center)
Oct 27- TOY Nominations Due
     Book Character Parade (8:00 Track)
     So You Think You Can Dance (6:30-9:00)

Week of October 16, 2017

BOY DID THIS WEEK FLY BY and how nice is this Fall"ish" weather we are getting?  It is hard to believe we have already concluded our first quarter.  KUDOs to ALL of you (and your learners) for the BEST Spirit Rally behavior today!  I am super impressed with their power claps.  It was fun hearing house chants and house songs as we entered.  Thanks Leigh Ann and Ashley for helping with our fun games at the end. Congratulations Amanda and Samira for your recognitions, and thank you to those who nominated learners and staff.  I appreciate your great work in Staff Meeting as we work to better infuse this committee work into our lives at Lee.  There are some incredible ideas!!  Thanks to the folks who attended Stop, Collaborate, and Listen as you learned about Math for the 2nd 9 weeks.  A huge shout out to May who has planned and delivered sessions of SCL this week.  You all have done a FANTASTIC job of telling your Lee Story on Twitter- it doesn't go unnoticed!  Lastly, impressive global connections this week in so many classes for Global Math Week and Global Read Aloud.  ALL OF THIS IN A SHORT WEEK??!!!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that there is a blog post about YOU and your work at Lee?  Thank you Cassie for finding this. These would be some AWESOME folks to connect with in your PLN.  Let me know if I can help with being a connector for you! 
• we earned $108 from our Green House BWW night?  THANKS for attending and earning money for our school! 
• there is this cool infographic about how school librarians are helping to transform learning? Keep up the collaborating with Melinda! 
• there is a Google Folder to upload pictures to for our yearbook?  This is a GREAT WAY to make sure your learners are showcased.

FamiLEE CAMP IN

Please advertise the FamiLEE Camp In to your parents and learners this week. It is a super FUN event and is one way our dads earn funds for projects they help us with at school.  Registration deadline is Monday.  Here is the link to register.  

TOY

Please work on your Teacher of the Year nominations.  If you need admin to cover your class so you can observe your nominee, to help you better answer the questions, please arrange that with us.  We are happy to help.  Nominations are due October 27.

WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS:

This week is the last week we will give you feedback on Domain 3.1: Learning Environment.  We will look at your physical and virtual environment.  We will also be looking at what your learners are doing, what transitions look like, that all subject areas are displayed in anchor charts, that learning objectives are posted, that there is current learner work displayed, and that you have CBL evidenced in your space.  

Keep in mind with THREE administrators, there is a chance that you could have walkthroughs three weeks in a row, out of four.  We have a system and you should not have more than one per week. Please take time to view your walkthroughs and provide comments back, if necessary.  These are intended for GROWTH!

TRANSFORMATION IN ACTION VISITS
Tour season is starting and our first tour is a BIGGIE!!!  We need all of our campus to be prepared as we showcase the incredible work we are doing at Lee.

We will have visitors from 9 high performing school districts visiting from 9-11 and 1-3 on Tuesday.   This visit is a BIG DEAL and aligned with the Visioning Document.   21 morning guests and 17 afternoon guests are coming to learn more about Lee's vertical scheduling, vertical collaboration, and Challenge Based Learning.  They are also looking to observe the integration of authentic experiences through technology (for example: coding, robotics, learner creation of products).  They are encouraged to talk and engage with the learners AND YOU.

Your digital signage looks INCREDIBLE.  Please have it turned on (should be each day of school) and ensure house info and learners are looping.  Please take advantage of ALL areas of the building, and make sure that all spaces in your house are presentable.  Learner work should be displayed in your space and CBL should be evident in EVERY space.

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE

Please start talking this event up to your learners, NOW, so they have time to think about and prepare their costume for the 27th.  Wouldn't it be awesome if ALL kids participated?  The 27th is also our PTO fall school dance, so please mark your calendars now, so you can make it.  

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK:

Provide comprehensible input for ELLs.  Language is not "soaked up."  The learner must understand the message that is conveyed.  Comprehensible input is a hypothesis first proposed by Stephen Krashen.  He purports that Ells acquire language by hearing and understanding messages that are slightly above their current English language level.  When newcomers are assigned to a mainstream classroom and spend most of their day in this environment, it is especially critical for them to receive comprehensible input from their teachers and classmates.  If that teacher provides information by lecturing in front of a classroom, the ELL will not be receiving this input.  Teachers need to speak more slowly, use gestures and body language to get across the meaning to ELLs. 

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Accountability- being responsible for one's actions

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

If you are asked a question in conversation, you should ask a question in return.  It is only polite to show others that you are just as interested in them as they are in you.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"I am NOT a product of my circumstances.  I AM a product of my decisions." - Stephen Covey

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Week of October 16-20- National School Bus Safety Week

October 16- RtI Meetings

October 17- Ed Foundation Shirt with Jeans (don't forget to tweet for Sonic)

     Transformation in Action Site Visits (9:00 and 1:00)

     Mentee Meeting (3:35- Room 402)

October 18- Deepa's Birthday

     CISD Education Foundation Grants Due

     School Shirt with Jeans

     New Learner Luncheons (your lunch times)

     Leadership Meeting (3:35- STEAM Lab)

October 20- Report Cards Go Home

     LEEdership Council Meeting (9:30)

     Fall Camp- In (7:00pm-8:00 am)

Week of October 9, 2017

THANK YOU for all of your efforts this week!  House meetings were exceptional and there was super effort put forth with your next CBL Big Ideas.  Way to keep pushing yourself outside your comfort zones to give learners the time and guidance they need to be true problem seekers and solvers.  Enjoy the three day weekend.  It's hard to believe the first quarter ends next Friday!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that we have purchased Flipgrid subscriptions for each grade/house designer and the Media Center?  You should have gotten an email from them today.  Need ideas?  Get with Alli or check out some ideas here. 
• that we are working on a comprehensive list of digital resources that you have access to?  Check out our list here and ask questions if you have them!
• since we have conferences on Friday, that Thursday will be our Spirit Day?  Please feel free to wear jeans on Thursday with a school shirt.  Can I get an "oh yeah" for jeans all week this week?

STOP COLLABORATE AND LISTEN

THANK YOU to those of you that have signed up to attend these sessions this week.  Remember, they will focus on learning for the upcoming 9 weeks.  You will get flex hours for attending.

PTO MEETING

Please make sure your have a learner, or learners, prepared to give your house CBL Updates at 7:00 on Tuesday night.  This is always a highlight and informs parents what houses have focused on in the last month. 

STAFF MEETING

We will meet in Hillary's space.  We will take some time to break out into our committees (recycling, composting, gardening, eco pond) for some design time.  Please be prepared to come with open minds and some ideas you would like to implement this school year. 

HOMECOMING

Please turn in learner permission slips BY TUESDAY (you were also sent an electronic copy you can email home to your member).  We need to know who will/will not be participating.  You are welcome to join us and walk along side the float, if you want.  Let us know if you need details about times/locations.

SPIRIT RALLY

At the end of each quarter we will come together as a family and meet in our gym.  It is a super fun event where we focus on celebrations and enjoying one another.  Please be prepared to participate if 

we have a teacher/learner event.  Remind your learners to wear their house color shirts!

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

First, THANK YOU for sending your learners with devices to our meetings.  This includes our youngest members.  They need to be able to go to our notes, and our older housemates can help show them where to go.  I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE when you give your LEEder time to share the day we meet.  Quite often, they have a task or assignment that requires input from their peers.  They do not need to take up a substantial amount of your time, but MUST have time to share after each meeting.  I will be taking your 4th and 5th grade LEEdership Council members to Mockingbird on Friday.  Please make sure I get their permission slips immediately (also emailed a copy to you).  We have paid to send them.  If any 4th or 5th grader cannot attend, I need to be able to invite some 3rd graders in their place.  THANK YOU for your help with this!

CISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANTS
Do you have an innovative idea that you would like the Education Foundation to help pay for? Grants must be Principal approved and are due October 18.  GOOD LUCK!


RED AND BLACK SUPERSTARS AND CISD GEMS
We have so many incredibly talented folks and people that go above and beyond at our school. Please take time to nominate them through one of these recognition programs.  GEM nominations can be found in Eduphoria under Forms.  Red and Black winners will be recognized at our Spirit Rally by Bennett Ratliff.  GEMS are recognized before school board meetings by Anthony Hill.

WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS:

This week we will give you feedback on Domain 3.1: Learning Environment for two more weeks.  We will look at your physical and virtual environment.  We will also be looking at what your learners are doing, what transitions look like, that all subject areas are displayed in anchor charts, that learning objectives are posted, that there is current learner work displayed, and that you have CBL evidenced in your space.  

Keep in mind with THREE administrators, there is a chance that you could have walkthroughs three weeks in a row, out of four.  We have a system and you should not have more than one per week.  Please take time to view your walkthroughs and provide comments back, if necessary.  These are intended for GROWTH!

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK:

Use appropriate questioning techniques such as wait time and periodic comprehension checks.

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Self-Discipline- the ability to choose and control one's own actions

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Make eye contact.  When someone is speaking, keep your eyes on him or her at all times.  If someone makes a comment, turn and face that person.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"If we were supposed to talk more than listen, we would have two mouths and one ear." - Mark Twain

DATES TO REMEMBER

Fire Prevention Week

National School Lunch Week

October 9- NO SCHOOL

October 10- Flu Shots (1:00)

     1, 3, 5 Stop, Collaborate and Listen

     PTO Mtg. (7:00- Cafe)

October 11- Aisha's Birthday

     Kristina's Birthday

     Convocation Shirt with Jeans

     Staff Meeting (3:30 Hillary's Space)

     Homecoming Parade 

October 12- Shanna's Birthday

     Spirit Rally (8:00- Gym)

     K, 2, 4 Stop, Collaborate and Listen

October 13- Last Day of the Quarter

     LEEdership Council Mtg (8:00)

     LEEdership Council Training (4/5 all day)

October 14- Corissa's Birthday