Week of October 29, 2018

We appreciate your participation in this week's Red Ribbon Week spirit days. Wonderful design work this week during your half days.  We are excited to support you and your efforts with CBL.  We hope to see you, for a little bit, at the dance and cannot wait to see your Book Character Parade Costumes next week!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that Lead4ward has some new resources? Check out this 4 minute screencast May made after our fifth grade Team Time discussion this week.  Thanks, May!
• some mailboxes are not being emptied daily?  Please remember to visit your box, at your lunch time, so that important information and items make their way to you and your learners. 

SCHOOL DANCE

Friday is our PTO fall school dance and we hope you can make it.  Canned food will be donated to charity and learners can bring more than one.  There will be a silent auction event as well.  Details and information was emailed out to parents and staff last night.

STORYBOOK CHARACTER PARADE and SCHOOL DANCE

Please encourage learners and plan to participate in Wednesday's parade.  A book should accompany "costumes."  

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 complete this form at the conclusion of your learning session today.  This will help us with putting your flex time in Eduphoria.

CLARITY SURVEY

Your teacher survey and Schoology quiz should be completed.  A friendly reminder that your learners in grades 3-5 need to take the survey by November 2. 

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

Apple has several helpful assistive technology tools for your learners with dyslexia to use on their iPad. Click here for Apple’s guide to Accessibility!

Below is a list of options in Accessibility:

Speech- Speak selections and Speak Screens

Highlight content

Dictation (click microphone and enable)

Reader view on Safari

Color Filters / Invert colors

Predictive Keyboard

If you need help setting this up, please let me know!

*Don’t forget your learners with dyslexia have access to Learning Ally and tons of audio books through Destiny Quest. This is a great way to build vocabulary and spark an interest in reading!

VETERANS DAY

Please share this Veteran's sign up for parents and guests to attend for our Veteran's Day event.

TTESS OBSERVATION SIGN UP

Please make sure you have signed up for your TTESS Observation by Monday.  

PARENT FEEDBACK

Based on some conversation with parents, there is concern that they aren't always sure what learners are doing during the school day.  Fourth and fifth Designers, please include in your newsletters a reminder to your parents (I know you shared at Curriculum Night) that they can access grades through the Home Access Center.  This presentation (thank you Khan gals) can help your parents understand how to use this tool at home to keep on top of learner grades.  A friendly reminder to you, to get grades posted weekly.  All Designers using Schoology,  please remind parents that they can access learner work using information found here.  If you use other tools (such as Notability, Drive, SeeSaw, etc) please resend information out this week reminding all parents.  Thank you for your help. 

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will continue to give feedback on Domain 3 Dimension 2:  Student Behavior.  We will be looking for evidence of praise and positivity as management strategies.  We will listen for encouragement of learners and how you monitor and respond to learners while teaching and learning. We should see evidence in your space of class norms/collective promises/expectations and high expectations for ALL. 

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:
October 29- Restorative Practices Conference
     RtI Meetings
     Classroom Management Framework Training (VRE)
October 30- Restorative Practices Conference
     Jessica's Birthday
October 31- Storybook Character Parade (8:00-8:30)
     New Learner Lunches (Lunchtimes)
     Fed Ex (3:30-4:30)
Nov 1- Yellow House cleans the lounge this month
     Spurs Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
     Hannah's Shower (3:30)
November 2- TOY Nominations Due
     3-5 Clarity Survey must be complete
     LEEdership Council sells styluses at Recess Time (please share an advertisement created by LEEders on Friday)

Week of October 22, 2018

Thank you for a great job showcasing learning during our first tour day of the year.  We had visitors from Hosp Elementary, in Frisco, who are implementing Houses one day a week and architects and folks from Denton ISD who are updating a current school.  Both gave HUGE COMPLIMENTS about the engagement of learners in your spaces.  THANK YOU for making our school the showplace it is!

DID YOU KNOW:

• there is a cool infographic about how school librarians are helping to transform learning?  We are so lucky to have Julie in the media center so that Melinda can have more time to collaborate with classes and houses.

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Are you interested in learning more in the areas of Math and Science?  We need (1) K-2 and (1) 3-5 designer to attend a subject specific learning academy offered in the fall.  Math is November 14 and Science is November 28.  You have to have at least one year of experience.  Please let me know asap if you are interested.  If more than one are interested, there will be opportunities for another group in the Spring.

RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon Week is here.  Please share this information with your FamiLEEs.  We hope you will have fun participating each day. 

WRITE A CHECK

Write a Check will begin on Monday and WAC Acknowledgement Forms are copied and put in your mailboxes.  PTO has requested you put these letters in report card envelopes and let parents know in your newsletters that the note is in there.  Good luck!

DESIGN DAYS

We are excited to be providing time for you to work as a House to design through the lens of CBL.  Please make sure to show up on time and bring your resources to the large conference room.  Agenda will be forthcoming.  Wednesday will be day 7 and Thursday will be day 6 for Team Time. 

     Tuesday AM:  Red House (8:00-11:30)

     Tuesday PM:  Yellow House (12:00-3:30)

     Wednesday AM:  Purple House (8:00-11:30)

     Wednesday PM:  Green House (12:00-3:30)

     Thursday AM:  Blue House (8:00-11:30)

CLARITY SURVEY TIME

It is Clarity Survey time again.  An email will be sent from the office for all parents to participate, and Designers and 3-5 Learners also participate.  The window is October 22 - November 2.  We will take the survey at our staff meeting, on Wednesday, so that you have built in time to get it done or ask clarifying questions.  Directions for learners are in the Schoology folder linked below: 

Link to the Schoology Folder with the Clarity Survey Directions:

https://schoology.coppellisd.com/course/822201979/materials?f=100524427

Link for Learners: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1svQ_vgAd8-rs73GkTmrNTRwoCtcI2eQx2EVSb8MlPOo/preview

SCHOOL DANCE

Friday is our PTO fall school dance and we hope you can make it.  Canned food will be donated to charity and learners can bring more than one.

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

Dyslexia is clinically referred to as a reading disorder characterized by the inability to read at a level that is consistent with the child's grade.  Click here to hear dyslexia experts explain and share their experiences with dyslexia, being dyslexic, and working with people with dyslexia.

SCHOOL PICTURES

We will have school pictures in your mailbox on Friday.  Please share in your newsletters:  

Still need to order? Order online at mylifetouch.com and use your Portrait ID and Access Code found in your portrait envelope.

SHOP NOW

REPORT CARDS
Don't forget that if you have learners below a 70 or have IPS's that you are required to offer tutoring.  We will pay you $25 an hour for tutoring your learners before or after contract hours.


YEARBOOK ORDERS
Please share this information with your parents:  It's been a great school year so far and we've enjoyed capturing fun memories for the yearbook. Don't miss out on all the events happening at Richard J. Lee Elementary.  Pre-order your yearbook today at ybpay.lifetouch.com using your school's Yearbook ID Code: 13015819.  Not sure if you've pre-ordered?  Click here to view your order history for the 2018-2019 school year.

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will continue to give feedback on Domain 3 Dimension 2:  Student Behavior.  We will be looking for evidence of praise and positivity as management strategies.  We will listen for encouragement of learners and how you monitor and respond to learners while teaching and learning.  We should see evidence in your space of class norms/collective promises/expectations and high expectations for ALL. 

RESTORATIVE DISCIPLINE BOOK STUDY
Our slow chat will start on Monday.  

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 November 2.

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:
October 20- Happy Wedding Day Cindy!
October 22-Nov 3- Write a Check
October 22- October 26- Red Ribbon Week
October 22- Omega Man in Gym (8:30-9:30) Specials will watch Purple learners
October 23- Campus Design Day
October 24- Campus Design Day
     House Shirt with Jeans
     Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00 Sam's Space)
     Allaso Ranch Parent Meeting (6:00-7:00 Cafe)
October 25- Campus Design Day
     Spurs Savings (7:20-7:40 Cafe)
     Lee Learning Walk (8:00-9:00)
October 26- LEEdership Meeting (8:15-9:15)
     So You Think You Can Dance (6:30-8:30)

Week of October 15, 2018

It is hard to believe we have already concluded our first quarter of the year.  Thank you for your learning and contributions in Staff Meeting as we work to better communicate our WHY and VALUES at Lee and in CISD.  I know that we asked much of you this week with Nelson during your conference times.  THANK YOU for being learners and sharing your valuable time with him.  I hope that cancelling FamiLEE Movie Night helps you all gain back some precious family time that may have been taken from you this week.

DID YOU KNOW:

• Melinda would like your input on book additions to the library?  Please complete this form if you have ideas for books you would like purchased for our school library. 
• Kasey has archived videos on the Vivitek Boards?  If you want to learn more check them out here. 
• Nelson shared this questioning graphic with his later groups?  Isn't it awesome?  As you move from top down and left to right, you deepen your question stem. 
  

SPIRIT RALLY
Don't forget there is an adjusted schedule tomorrow so that all houses have conference time tomorrow.  We will start calling you down at about 7:50.  We would like to begin promptly at 8:00.  Designers, please sit in the crowd with your learners.  Parents are invited to attend.

BLUE HOUSE SOLUTION

Please share in your newsletters!!  Our challenge is to create happiness. Blue 1 & Blue 4, while working in our mentor/mentee time, have decided to work together to create a ripple effect of happiness. Their goal is to spread happiness to children being treated for cancer.  Learn more here: Hats Off For Cancer.

What: Hats Off For Cancer hat drive

When: October 15th-19th we will collect new (with tags on) hats

Where: 2 collection boxes (back entrance / front entrance) w/ collection managers

How: we will create a digital advertisement (less than 2 minutes) to show on broadcast & post a few flyers around the school 

Last year we collected 109 hats. Our goal this year is 200! 

AUTHOR VISIT
Frank Cole will be here, on Monday, from 8:15-9:00 in the cafeteria with our 3-5 grade learners.  He will walk learners through the writing process.  If you or your learners want to have him sign copies of your books, he will be at the Lewisville Barnes and Noble on Tuesday at 7:00 pm.

REPORT CARDS

A friendly reminder to make sure that comments are positive and personalized on your report cards.  Don't write a paragraph, but a few sentences should be sufficient.  A great idea Jacque had was to go in and write a couple of comments each day, instead of all at once, so it isn't so overwhelming.  Report cards will be uploaded at 8:00 on WEDNESDAY, so please mark this deadline on your calendars.  We have given you one more day since you missed conference time today.  If you have any learners with >5 tardies or >5 absences it is a best practice to touch base with the parent to express your concern.


LUNCH AND LEARN
We hope you can join Jacque as she has planned a great Lunch and Learn on Thursday.  THERE WILLBE CHILI!  Be prepared to learn about resources in your storage closet that will help you facilitate lessons in the next nine weeks.

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.  Here is the link to register.  

RED RIBBON WEEK

In two weeks Red Ribbon Week will be here.  Here is information to share with our FamiLees, now.

MORNING TRACK DUTY

Please remember that, if you are on morning arrival track duty, you should be spread out walking the track with the children.  We have had discipline issues and your engagement with learners during this time, and visibility around the track, will help with issues.  THANK YOU!


DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
Join us, on October 15, by wearing red to support dyslexia awareness.   YOU CAN WEAR JEANS, TOO!

Does the brain of a child with dyslexia work differently than other kids' brains?  Hear from leading dyslexia expert, Guinevere Eden, on what parts of the brain are used for reading.  See how the brain function of a child with dyslexia can actually change when they learn how to read fluently.

• Dyslexia involves trouble connecting the sounds that make up words with the letters that represent those sounds.
• Reading is complicated! Reading uses different parts of the brain to sound out unfamiliar words, recognize familiar words by sight, and to think about how to pronounce the words. 
• When we learn, our brain changes! Even adults with dyslexia can change their brains to become better readers!

NELSON VISITING
Nelson will be back in November.  Please sign up here if you are interested in attending one or both half day sessions with him.  The session will be on a "first come, first served" basis until we get to 24 participants.  We ask all new staff members to sign up for CBL time.  We will handle getting your subs, so there is no need to put your absence in Eduphoria or SmartFind.

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 November 2.

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE and SCHOOL DANCE

The 26th is our PTO fall school dance, so please mark your calendars now, so you can make it.  Please start talking up the Book Character Parade to your learners, NOW, so they have time to think about and prepare their costume for the 31st.  Wouldn't it be awesome if ALL kids participated?

CIP
The Campus Improvement Plan can be found here. Please have your house review by November 9.  We are giving you about a month to review it. 

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:
October 14- Corissa's Birthday
October 15-19- National School Lunch Week
     Digital Citizenship Week
     Hats off to Cancer
October 15- Wear Red for Dyslexia Awareness
     Frank Cole Author visit (8:15 Cafe)
October 16- Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans
     Spurs Savings (YES on Tuesday- 7:15 Cafe)
     Pet Partner Visit (1:00-3:00)
     Frank Cole (Barnes and Noble 7:00 pm)
October 17- School Shirt and Jeans
Leadership Meeting (3:30-5:00 April's Room)
     Grades Due (8:00 am)
October 18- Deepa's Birthday
     Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
     Lunch and Learn (During lunch times)
October 19- Report Cards sent home
     Dad's Club Camp In (7:00pm -8:00 am)
     Cindy's Wedding-CONGRATULATIONS!

Week of October 8, 2018

Have a wonderful conference day with your learners and their parents!  Enjoy the LONG weekend...you deserve it!  THANK YOU, Green House for making cards for the custodians and to Social Spurs for purchasing the gift cards.  If you have not turned in your contribution to Social Spurs, they are due tomorrow.

DID YOU KNOW:

• relatives and non-family members are welcome to come to lunch when they are accompanied by the parent/guardian OR with written parent/guardian permission?  This page on the CISD website reviews CISD visitor and volunteer expectations.  Please share this information with your parents!
• the Teacher of the Year Nomination window is open?  You can fill out a nomination form here.  Nominations are due to campus administration by November 2. 
• Apple has an idea of our school can help other schools trying to become Apple Distinguished.  If you use Apple applications (ex: Keynote, Pages, Clips, Numbers, etc.), please use the hashtag #AppleDistinguishedSchools.  You can also follow that hashtag for great ideas from other ADS schools. 
• that I visited with DeLaIsla this week and she shared that there is a good chance that CISD will add the Lucy Calkins Classroom Libraries in the new adoption process.  Stay tuned!  

NELSON VISITING
Nelson will be here three days next week.  He will join in your Tuesday House meetings to support your design work, so please include him in your agendas.  I request that ALL STAFF please fill out this VERY SHORT form before leaving on Friday to let us know if you would/would not like to collaborate with Nelson when he is here on Wednesday and Thursday.  He needs this information to plan accordingly. 

BLUE HOUSE SOLUTION

Please share in your newsletters!!  Our challenge is to create happiness. Blue 1 & Blue 4, while working in our mentor/mentee time, have decided to work together to create a ripple effect of happiness. Their goal is to spread happiness to children being treated for cancer.  Learn more here: Hats Off For Cancer.

What: Hats Off For Cancer hat drive

When: October 15th-19th we will collect new (with tags on) hats

Where: 2 collection boxes (back entrance / front entrance) w/ collection managers

How: we will create a digital advertisement (less than 2 minutes) to show on broadcast & post a few flyers around the school

Last year we collected 109 hats. Our goal this year is 200! 

SPIRIT ASSEMBLY
For those new to Lee, this is our 9 week celebration as a school.  We will host morning broadcast in the gym and sit by house.  We will call you down at 7:50 so we can start promptly at 8:00. 


FAMILEE MOVIE NIGHT

Thank you for making it a priority to stop by Friday night's event, if even for just a bit, so that the children and famiLEEs can see you. This is our first PTO event, and it communicates a positive partnership with them when we have staff members present. Not to mention... the event will be FUN! Doors open at 6:30 and the movie starts at 7:15.

DOCUMENT CAMERAS

Please save your boxes and pages with your codes in your house storage rooms in case you need to re-register them.  I like your creativity some of you have displayed with moving your projector to the lower shelf so you have a place to put your cameras.  If you need any help, please let us know!

KEYS
A friendly reminder, we need copies of keys to all mobile locking carts.  This includes your new iPad carts.  Thank you, Jessie Tadgerson, for turning yours in already!  Please get these to Ashley before leaving on Friday.

DESIGN DAYS

House leadership, please sign up for your house Design day and time.   We will schedule your subs for you through the office.  You do NOT have to go into Eduphoria and request the day.

OCTOBER IS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
Each week, this month, Melissa will share videos and information to build our awareness of dyslexia.  You can also follow her on Twitter to see what learners do in their MLI class.  This short clip will help you understand dyslexia.  What does reading do to your brain?  This graphic will help you learn how dyslexia and intensive reading instruction affect the brains of struggling readers. 

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:
Oct 8- NO SCHOOL
Oct 9-11 Nelson Taylor at Lee
Oct 9- Bridal Showers for Kylie and Cindy
Oct 10- Convocation T-shirt with Jeans
     Staff Meeting- (3:30-5:00 Deskin's space)
Oct 11- Kristina's Birthday
     Spurs Savings (before school Cafe)
Oct 12- Shanna's Birthday
     Education Foundation Grants Due
     Spirit Assembly (8:00 Gym)
     FamiLEE Movie Night