Week of December 3, 2018

I have ALL the feels tonight as I reflect about our week.  WHAT A WEEK OF LEARNING!  Thank you to Nelson, Kasey, Jacque, and ALL OF YOU for being the learners you are!  The conversations, lessons, collaboration and sharing that have taken place this week remind me of WHY I enjoy leading OUR SCHOOL and each of you.  One profound moment for me was listening in team time to someone lead their group in some new nano challenges.  This learner/leader was inspired by conversations from house and grade members that shared their learning experiences with her.  To me, THIS is what makes Lee special...the way you share learning with one another and stretch yourselves to live the guiding purpose of our school.  Another "principal proud" moment was having a learner as Principal of the Day today.  If you do not know Sandhya, you need to spend thirty seconds with her.  She has the most beautiful heart!  She lead our tour today with confidence- AND THIS IS HER FIRST YEAR AT LEE!  Then she visited classrooms and wrote the most authentic and true feedback to our designers.  Sorry we didn't make it to all classrooms, but WOW this child is amazing!   I was super excited to hear Leigh Ann brag about a teacher observation with one of our designers that implemented learning from Wednesday's staff meeting THE VERY NEXT DAY.  If that isn't awesome, I don't know what is.  Lastly, there are the digital projects that you all practiced, tried, and learned more about this week.  I don't think I have retweeted so much in three days as I have this week.  Ladies, I mean this to the core of my heart, I am so impressed by you!  THANK YOU for your hard work, THANK YOU for trying new things, THANK YOU for doing this all for the children!

DID YOU KNOW:

• there is a name for the new elementary school? Canyon Ranch Elementary will open 2019-2020 and the Board is hoping to recommend and name the Principal at the December 17 Board Meeting.
• that early dismissal time for December 21 is 12:15?  Start telling your parents, NOW!
• the district will Go Red for staff wellness the month of February?  T-shirt ordering information is here and purchasing one will earn you jeans with the shirt every Monday in February, if you participate.
• the district is having photographs taken of every classroom and space in our building in the next couple of weeks so that they can be used in a safety and security app that we will implement soon?  There may be a day in the next couple of weeks that you are asked to step outside your space, with your learners, for them to take a picture of your room.  Please know I TRY to protect you from interruptions, but this is one that is out of my control.  Thanks in advance for your flexibility!
• Monday is Brooklyn's last day to student teach at Lee? What an exceptional student teacher she has been! She is out Friday taking her teacher certification test, so please get those positive vibes flowing. The office has a book circulating the building for you to write a sweet message in tomorrow, or Monday. We will present it to her before she leaves. Monday will not be the last time we see her, though- I would like to invite her back in Yellow House as Akta's long term sub during her maternity leave. Stay tuned!
• this is the LAST day to submit GEMS? Have you nominated someone?
• our staff Christmas party will be held at Lamberti’s Ristorante in Irving on Wednesday, Dec. 19 from 4-6 pm? Stay tuned for more information.
• Courtney will be our guest administrator next Wednesday-Friday while Chantel is at Allaso Ranch with the fifth graders?

APPLE SITE VISIT
The head of Apple Distinguished Schools will be on campus, tomorrow, with two other representatives.  They will be here from start of the day until 11:00ish to walk our building.  They will be looking at integration of Apple products, how we use them to "create," and evidence of learning that is showcased in our campus iBook.  You always do a wonderful job,  but please be intentional with what you are doing during this time!  


CISD BOARD WALK
On Monday afternoon, we will have Mr. Hunt and other Board members (Bentley, Hill and Caviness) doing a learning walk on campus from 1:00 until dismissal.  Again, you do wonderful things all the time, but this is another important time frame that you may need to restructure your schedule to ensure you are showcasing learning at Lee.


HOUR OF CODE:

Computer Science Education Week and #HourOfCode are next week! This is a great time to use the coding and robotics resources located in your houses, while celebrating problem solving and deeper thinking. Please tweet out your participation in #HourOfCode during coding activities.  Check out some of the resources curated by the DLCs on the Hour of Code Website. Each grade range has a learn, do, and reflect portion learners can complete. The reflection piece will be done district-wide through FlipGrid! Not sure where to start? Let Kasey or Priscilla know if you need help!


YOU'RE A MEAN ONE
We have exciting news! We will be taking the ENTIRE school on a field trip to see the new Grinch movie on Thursday, December 20 (our class Winter Party day). Please share this information with your parents and begin collecting $6 per learner. Here is the form to document who has paid. We will either eat lunch on campus, or at a park, depending on our movie time and the weather. Please find out who will need a school sack lunch this day, as well.

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER:
IT IS HERE!  We request that you join us in the media flex space on Monday afternoon at 3:15 so we can deliver your December calendars to you before you head home.  We hope you tweet out what you enjoy with #decembertoremember and #rjlyear5.  It brings your Admin Team great joy to plan ways to celebrate you the entire month.  What is acknowledged gets repeated and we want to know what you enjoy.

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.  The form will open at 4:30.  Need an idea of something to learn about?  Have you checked out the Everyone Can Create iBook Collection?  There are four separate books focusing on drawing, video, photos, and music that are sure to show you something new.  Maybe you heard about or didn't get to complete the Apple Challenges Kasey created.  Whatever you choose during this time, ENJOY!


STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
We will have a campus visit by State Board of Education Representative, Donna Bahorich, Mr. Hunt, Mr. Grant, and Tracey Fisher on Thursday.  She visited our campus the first year we were open, so it should be cool for her to see how we have grown.  They will be here from 8:30-10:00.  Bahorich is now a member of the board's Committee on Instruction, which oversees issues such as curriculum standards, instructional materials, innovative courses and career and technical education

MACY'S BELIEVE LETTERS TO SANTA

Want an authentic writing experience for your learners?  For every letter to Santa received through Christmas Eve, Macy's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million. Need inspiration for your letter to Santa? Let Violet's video explain how your letters make a difference.  If you'd like to participate, please have your kids bring their finished letters in the mailbox in the office by 3:05 Friday, December 14th. Layne will take all letters to Macy's after school. You can also have learners send letters digitally and/or you can print letterhead here.  Feel free to use the hashtag #MacysBelieve to promote this event. 

LUNCHES ON DECEMBER 21:

We will have lunches in your spaces on December 21.  Please take time to find out what your learners plan to eat so that our cafeteria can place an order that meets our needs and not have left over food for the break.  Please complete this form by December 14.  THANKS for your help on this!

CHESS CLUB
We have a free Chess Club open to the first 20 interested K-5 learners at Lee.  Please share this flyer that is also on PeachJar and this link for sign up with your parents.   The club will begin on Wednesday, December 12.

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

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

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

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

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

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

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Week of Dec 3-7- Hour of Code Week
     Maintenance and Grounds Appreciation Week
     National Inclusive Schools Week
     National Handwashing Awareness Week
Dec 3- Brooklyn's last day of Student Teaching
     School Board Walk at Lee (1:00-3:00)
Dec 4- Education Foundation t-shirt and jeans
     NO PTO Meeting (enjoy the gift of time- next meeting in January!)
Dec 5- College Shirt Day
     Allaso Ranch Trip
     Fed Ex Day (3:30-4:30)
     Dad's Club Mtg (7:00)
Dec 6- Allaso Ranch Trip
     SBOE Site Visit (8:30-10:00)
Dec 7- Allaso Ranch Trip
Dec 8- Mariah's Birthday

Week of November 26, 2018

They say it takes a village to raise a child.  It takes a village to be at Lee!  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am reflecting about they many blessings at our school.  Every one of you are a blessing to me.  You are not taken for granted and appreciated beyond measure.  Each of you choose to come to Lee and work hard, daily, to bring our school building to life for our learners.  Your passion for learning, your flexibility and your heart shines in all you do.  May you come back ready to tackle the last week of November and prepare for a "December to Remember!" (New hires- ask someone what we mean by that!!)

DID YOU KNOW:

• Stormy and Karli have notes from the Superintendent's Advisory Council?  If you have any questions, please see one of them.
• that you can send work from Seesaw to Bulb? Click on this link to take you through and your learners through the steps! 
• we are going to start dismissing from the gym at 7:35 in the morning now?  We talked about this at our Leadership Meeting. 
• we have a new Spur arriving?  Guess who?

NELSON VISIT

Thank you to all of you interested in learning more about technology integration and CBL next week.  We are going to have to be flexible with our training locations with such a large group of you we don't have one space to stay in.  Please come with charged iPads and MacBooks and bring your Apple Pencil. You will be able to help with your morning and afternoon duties as the morning session will be 8:00-11:00 and the afternoon session will be 12:00-3:00. 

• 8:00-9:30 in the Cafe 
• 9:30-11:00 in Yellow House
• 12:00-1:00 Red House
• 1:00-2:00 Blue House 
• 2:00-3:00 Cafeteria 

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will give feedback on Domain 2 Dimension 5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for evidence of how you are managing and monitoring learner engagement.  Are you noticing when you need to adjust pacing?  Are you scaffolding your questioning?  How are you checking for understanding along the way?  

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Fairness- playing by the rules

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Whenever you are offered food, whether it be a birthday treat or a snack, never take more than your fair share.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Fairness doesn't mean that everyone gets the same.  Fairness means that everyone gets what they need." -Rick Riordan

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Nov 19-23- NO SCHOOL
Nov 20- Courtney's Birthday
Nov 22- Jacque's Birthday
Nov 24- Lisa's Birthday
Nov 26- RTI Meetings
Nov 27- Nelson Visits
     CISD Ed Foundation t-shirt and jeans
Nov 28- Nelson Visits
     House Shirt and jeans
     Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00) Media Center Steps
     Allaso Ranch Chaperone Meeting (6:00-7:00)
Nov 29- Nelson Visits
     Student Principal for 1/2 Day (am)
     Spur Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Lee Learning Walk (8:00)
     Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
Nov 30- GEM Nominations Due
     LEEdership Council Meeting (8:15 Cafe)
     Apple Site Visit (11:00-3:00)

CLICK HERE TO SEE WHO IS HAVING OUR NEWEST SPUR!  Text her congratulations!

Week of November 12, 2018

Thank you for taking the time to spread some love to your peers.  If you need more #ThankfulThursday post its, they are in my mailbox.  We appreciate you taking the time to show gratitude and make Lee Our Happy Place!  Thank you for your House CIP documentation and for starting your work on your Respect Agreements.

DID YOU KNOW:

• Hour of Code is coming up?  Please sign up to participate and mark your calendars for the week of December 2-7.  I'm sure Kasey would love to design with you! 
• we have not forgotten to order your classroom bookshelves?  We have had to use a different vendor than IKEA.  We are VERY GRATEFUL for your patience!!
• in order to use the Easi-Scopes that were ordered earlier in the year, you will need to go into Self Service and download the software for your computer? 
• we have a LOT of activities happening at Lee next week?  I hope the graphics in this blog help you with communicating to our FamiLEEs.

RED AND BLACK SUPERSTARS

As of Wednesday morning, we only had 5 submissions to The Coppell Education Foundation for recognizing learners and staff members for their hard work.  The deadline is Friday, November 9, at 5:00pm.  2 learners per grade and 3 employees will be recognized, but ALL nominees will receive a certificate, so the more nominations, the better!  Click here to submit a nomination and here to learn more about the recognition program. 

MiCOCINA NIGHT

Please let parents know that the event is at the 635 and MacArthur location.  Campus Administration will be there after the Blue House music performance.

PICKLE SALE

Wednesday is #NationalPickleDay and LEEdership Council will be selling large dill pickles for $1.00 each during recess time.

FALL FARMERS MARKET AT LEE

Since our school garden has been so plentiful we will sell items from it during Wednesday's FamiLEE Feast.  There are items like beans, peppers, eggplant, herbs, and MORE!  Thank you Garden Gurus and volunteers for your hard work. 

FAMILEE FEAST @ LEE

All families are invited to join their learner for a traditional Thanksgiving Lunch on Thursday during their child’s lunch time.  The cost of a school lunch is $3.50, for guests, and will be easiest if guests use their learner's lunch account when purchasing.  If parents are planning to attend they can sign up here. 

COMPOST COLLECTION

Please help spread the word to our families that we will take their donations at our school garden.

BIG TIME TOURS AT LEE THIS WEEK

We have some very large and very important tours on Tuesday and Thursday next week.  I have included as many details as I can in our calendar notes.  I'm asking for you to each help in these ways:

• Make sure your space is organized
• Make sure you are using your collabs the way they were designed and they are clean, too.
• Please ensure you have these posted (Evidence of CBL work, current learner work, learning standards) 
• Make sure your digital signage is on and updated

Tuesday's Tour will last from 10:00-12:00 with 40 guests.  They will be having a comprehensive tour through the entire building.  Our guests will be looking for Challenge Based Learning during both tours on Thursday.


NELSON AT LEE
Nelson will be back November 27-29.   Those of you that signed up for Apple Learning (AM) and CBL Learning (PM) received calendar invites.  If you are interested in Nelson visiting your space on Wednesday or Thursday, please sign up here.

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will give feedback on Domain 2 Dimension 5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for evidence of how you are managing and monitoring learner engagement.  Are you noticing when you need to adjust pacing?  Are you scaffolding your questioning?  How are you checking for understanding along the way?  

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Gratitude- the act of being grateful; thankfulness

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Always say thank you when given something.  When given an assignment, there is no moaning or complaining.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"The ones you should try to get even with are the ones who have helped you." -Unknown

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Nov 12- Progress Report Grades Due
     Meghan W's Birthday
     Veteran's Day Performance (8:10 and 6:30 Cafe)
     MiCocina Night (5:00-9:00)
Nov 13- Samira's Birthday
     Delores' Birthday
     Tour (9:00-2:00)
Nov 14- LEEdership Council Pickle Sale
     Leadership Meeting (April's Space)
Nov 15- Spurs Savings (7:10-7:40)
     Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
Nov 16- Send Progress Reports Home
Nov 17- Chantel's Birthday
Nov 18- Hannah's Wedding
Nov 19-23- NO SCHOOL
Nov 20- Courtney's Birthday
Nov 22- Jacque's Birthday
Nov 24- Lisa's Birthday

Week of November 5, 2018

Thank you for a fun and memorable Book Character Parade this week!

DID YOU KNOW:

• elementary learners have the option to publish their work to the public in their Bulb portfolios?  Kasey wrote a blog post for educators to use as a resource. 
• that the Coppell Gifted Association is looking for 1-2 parents interested in serving as a campus representative for the CGA?  They are also looking for volunteers to judge the Creative Writing Competition.  If you are interested or have interested parents, they can contact Carrie Clark. 

CLARITY SURVEY

3rd-5th grade designers, PLEASE make sure your learners have completed the clarity survey before leaving school today.

#RJLRESTORATIVEPRACTICES

We had two great days of training on Restorative Practices, in Arlington, this week.  Don't forget to have your chapters read and respond to the slow chat questions before Wednesday's staff meeting.  Your participation will determine if you get flex credit for our book study, so please keep those responses coming so we can learn from one another.  

RED AND BLACK SUPERSTARS

The Coppell Education Foundation recognizes learners and staff members for their hard work.  Anyone can nominate, including your parents, so please share this with them.  The deadline is Friday, November 9, at 5:00pm.  2 learners per grade and 3 employees will be recognized, but ALL nominees will receive a certificate, so the more nominations, the better!  Click here to submit a nomination and here to learn more about the recognition program. 

TOUR

We have a group of >30 from Frisco this week.  They are high school students in their teacher preparation program.  It is a good time to "wall walk" your classroom.  Invite a housemate in for their opinion.  Maybe it is time to move the furniture around?  Are your anchor charts current?  Do you have current (not older than a month) learner work posted in your space?  Is your LEEdership quality chart current?  Do you have evidence of CBL?  Are your learning targets posted?  Thanks for your attention to these topics!

PTO MEETING

Don't forget to have learners ready to present for each house at 7:00 on Tuesday night.  

CIP

Please send your house documentation to our Admin Team by Friday.   Thank you, Purple House, for already sending us your feedback.

VETERANS DAY

Please share this Veteran's sign up for parents and guests to attend for our Veteran's Day event on Monday, November 12.

CISD APP

Please remind your parents that they should download the CISD Mobile App.  They may not know that they can view items like grades, assignments, attendance, and lunch balances.  They can set up alerts to notify them when grades drop below a certain threshold, too. 

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will give feedback on Domain 2 Dimension 5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for evidence of how you are managing and monitoring learner engagement.  Are you noticing when you need to adjust pacing?  Are you scaffolding your questioning?  How are you checking for understanding along the way?  

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Effort- doing your best in an endeavor

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

It is rude to ask if you are getting something for good behavior.  You should be good and try your best because you are trying to better yourself, not because you are anticipating a reward.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Don't be content with being average.  It is as close to the bottom as it is to the top." -Anonymous

DATES TO REMEMBER:
November 4- Daylight Savings
November 5- RtI Meetings
     Pet Partner Visit (1:00)
November 6- Complete reading Chapters 1-5 in Restorative Practices Book
     Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans
     Gwen's Birthday
     Tour (1:00-2:30)
     PTO Meeting (7:00 Cafe)
November 7- Welcome Back Kamille!
     College Shirt and Jeans
     Diwali
     Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
     Dad's Club Meeting (7:00)
November 8- Spurs Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Picture Retakes (8:00-9:45)
November 9- Rucha's Birthday
     Red and Black Superstars Due
     Send CIP documentation to CK, AM, and LH
     LEEdership Council Meeting (8:15 Cafe)