Week of January 4, 2021

We hope you have enjoyed our Gnome For the Holidays themed December to Remember.  How can it already be done??!!!  Have a REMARKABLE TWO WEEKS away from work, sweet staff.  We wish you nothing short of the most safe, memorable, and restful break and can't wait to hear about your time away from school!

Congratulations to  Hannah, Rikki, and Kristi!  These first year teachers have done an incredible job with their first classes/roles of their own.  With their drive and determination and the help of their mentors, teams, our coaches, and Layne, they do not look or behave like beginning educators.  Kudos to this year's new hires: Peg, Kim, Alli, Kourtney, Kelsie, Josephine, Alex, and Carley.  You have made it to Christmas!  We are so proud of each of you and the journey you are on with us.  I'm confident that onboard training and our FamiLEE have helped you get accustomed to Lee!  Thank you, returning staff, for pouring into our newest FamiLEE members the first two nine weeks and helping them along the way!  I am a proud principal who is blessed to have a staff that I trust and that "gets" the vision of Lee (even during a pandemic where we have to pivot on what feels like a daily basis). Each of you returning staff members are a huge part in actualizing our guiding purpose.  THANK YOU for loving our school and loving our children.  Thank you to each of you, for choosing to be at Lee!  Leadership Team...WOW!  Thank you for being the voice for your grades and houses.  Thank you for the support you have given our Admin Team and campus, this year-more than ever.  You are visionary and continue to grow in immeasurable ways.  Please have the BEST last day of 2020 with our children.  They deserve it!

DID YOU KNOW:

• we will have a BRIEF presentation for the entire school, so please spread out our kids in the media center area and "look up"1:50.  Santa will be on campus and he has an announcement for all who are F2F. 
• class parties will take place from 2:00-3:00 on Friday?  Please make sure you clean up your space and do not leave a huge mess for our custodians.
• CISD expects you to set up your automatic replies before you leave for Winter Break?  Please make time to go in and set this up before leaving on Friday.   
• Angela's S'more is updated?  Check it out here.
• you only have a few more weeks to get your Go Red shirt?  For a link to order your Go Red t-shirt (credit card only) and show your support during the Month of Mondays in February - American Heart Month - simply text DHCCOPPELL to 41444. 
• the CISD Service Center wanted ways to lighten the load of teachers?  They have recorded Friday Reader Videos for teachers to use when they need a few minutes to sit, breathe, or catch their breath.

BEFORE LEAVING ON FRIDAY       

1. Please get any items form the fridge by 2:00.  The office will be tossing anything "suspect."
2. Please, also visit your mailbox by 2:00.  Empty it of all contents. There may be many thank you notes in there. Please make sure these get in learner backpacks.  
3. Custodial does a deep cleaning of the campus these next two weeks.  May I suggest a FRESH START?  I ask that you erase everything on your dry erase boards so that your room gets cleaned as much as possible.  PLEASE take down, send home, and store any holiday displays and decorations before leaving.  
4. If you have pets, please take them home with you or email Chantel your plans for the two weeks. 
5. Make sure all projectors, computers, digital signage and tv's are turned off before leaving.  This includes your Vivatek boards.
6. Shared MacBooks should be plugged in and charging in carts.  

PTO MEETING
We will not host a PTO Meeting the month of January.  Enjoy the gift of time.

JANUARY 5

This day is a scheduled work day for you.  Please be on campus from 7:10-3:35 and work on what YOU need to work on to be ready for the next grading period.  This might be a great day to cross off the new training Angie spoke of in her latest email (Language Proficiency and Trauma).  Just a thought so that you can "free delete" future reminders.  Remember to be socially distanced on this day and wear your masks.  You may dress comfortably and you may leave for a one hour lunch since there is no lunch or recess duty for students.

REMINDERS
Don't forget that grades are due January 6th, the Wednesday after we return from Winter Break.  Please go into e-school, today, to make sure you are able to enter grades, have all of your learners, etc. so that if Leigh Ann needs to correct anything, it can be done before the holiday.  Also, if you enter grades on Tuesday (our work day), please remember that they must be back-dated to a date before December 18th, or they will not save.

If you test positive for COVID or have a close contact that tests positive for COVID during the break, please text me and let me know.  I have to keep track of this data and dates.  Please be mindful and practice safety during the break so that ALL of us can stay healthy when we return to work.  

iSTATION
Please take time to resend log in information to the parents/guardians of learners for use at home.  This link will give you directions for enabling the parent portal access to parent letters for accessing iStation at home. 

#ONEWORD2021
Since opening year, we, as a staff, have come back in January and had a word for the year.  Just one word.  My first word was INSPIRE, then LEAD, followed by GRATITUDE, KIND, LISTEN, etc.  This year my word is still being determined  Your word can be something tangible or intangible.  It can be a thought, a feeling, or an action.  The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you.  This word may not make sense to anyone but you, and that is okay.  This is YOUR word!  This little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities.  Sometimes a word will pop into your brain, and it will not make any sense to your right now.  Give it some time.  Let it percolate a bit.  Maybe this is a word you need to hear, but just aren't ready for it yet.  Again, be open to the possibilities.  Between now and Wednesday's staff meeting, please determine what your #oneword2021 will be.  We will have an activity to go along with your word, so come prepared with yours. 

COACH'S CORNER

I hope all of you take time to rest and recover during the break. You have accomplished SO much with virtual and face to face learning. Give yourself time to enjoy the break. Rest is saying, “I am going to take time to heal myself.”

What does rest look like?

I think it can look like a lot of different things. For instance, there is something called The Nap Ministry, which focuses on napping as a form of radical resistance, by saying I am not going to be a part of this society that says that I have to constantly be doing. 

Rest is also the sense of not doing things that are actively seen as productive. Whether that's, I'm going to listen to music, dance around the house, or read a book that's not related to your work. It can also be meditation. It’s important to identify what activities in your life are dedications and what are distractions. 

Distractions can be shopping, binge-watching things on TV, on Netflix, or eating unhealthy food, working more, or going on social media. These are things that feel good at the moment, but you need more of. If I constantly need more of something, I know it’s not actually feeding me. That's where dedications come in. For example, my dedications are reading, listening to good music, exercising, stretching, and discovering easy, healthy options for meal prep.

Enjoy your break sweet friends!

[Background Knowledge]

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

It can be a challenge to learn something new without background knowledge. It’s important to directly teach new vocabulary words that you  feel will be difficult to grasp. Pre-teach, use videos, and invite them to make predictions before learning complex concepts.  

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Dec 19- Ayesha's Birthday

Dec 21-Jan 4- NO SCHOOL

Dec 30- Deepa’s Birthday

Jan 1- School Board Appreciation Month

Jan 5- Teacher Workday

Jan 6- College Shirt Day

     3rd 9 weeks grades due (8:00 AM)

     Staff Mtg. (3:15-4:45 Virtual)

Jan 7- May's Birthday

Jan 8- School Resource Officer Day

     Send Report Cards Home

Jan 9- Priscilla's Birthday

     Rikki's Birthday

Week of December 14, 2020

Thank you for the #HourOfCode activities you planned and shared with your learners this week. I am blown away by the problem solving and skills of our children.  How about the incredible MiCocina lunch, dessert, and gifts from our PTO?!  Thank you for shouting them out the way you did on social media.  

Please have the BEST final week of school for 2020.  It has been such a treat to celebrate each of you during December to Remember, and we hope that you know how very much you mean to the school community and us!  

DID YOU KNOW:

• Ayesha updated her S'more?  Check it out here. 
• you might not know your peers as well as you think?  Check out this Kahoot game that was created in Onboarding.  I scored 8,000 points.  I probably should be worried that I believed so many "fictions"! HAVE FUN! 😄
• we had a great lockdown drill today?  You all are doing such a super job on the Navigate app.  SORRY PE- we have adjusted our document so we don't forget to "unlock" you.  Please only pull shades down during a lockdown drill.  Otherwise they should be up and we should have all spaces visible.  
• we need you to bring a single sock to school on Monday?  Maybe your dryer eats random socks like mine?  Please bring one that does not have a hole, any color, any style. 

FRIDAY'S SCHEDULE

PLEASE enjoy the extra time given by CISD to get some work done.  We are SO LUCKY to have this extra time!  I'll see some of you BRIEFLY to work through your 3rd 9 weeks plans as a grade level.

Don't forget to swing by and pick up lunches during the time the cafeteria scheduled.  

REMINDER

We would like to have the 3rd 9 weeks Face to Face planning document (shared with you through email today) updated as much as possible before you leave on Friday.  Please make sure your links are accessible to everyone so we do not need to request access.  This is an in house document that was only shared by invitation so you do not need to worry about confidentiality.  Thanks for your effort on this and doing what is best for KIDS when making decisions. 

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL MEETING

We have a meeting on Tuesday at noon.  I sent the Zoom invite through email.  Please share it with your learners.  They were asked to get feedback from your learners about what is going WELL and what needs IMPROVED.  Please make sure you gave some time during morning meeting for your LEEders to get this information from their peers. 

DONATIONS FOR COPPELL LIONS CLUB

This is our LAST week to accept donations of canned and boxed food.  We also will collect new unwrapped toys/games.  Thank you for the generous contributions for those less fortunate.

(the donation box is inside our front doors)

HOLIDAY PARTIES

Please be planning as a grade what you will be doing for your face to face learners on FRIDAY from 2:00-3:00.  Please keep this information off of social media and your newsletters so that our virtual learners do not feel left out.  Can't wait to hear and see what you have planned.  There will not be Team Time on Friday, December 18.

[PRONOUNCING LEARNER NAMES CORRECTLY]

COACH'S CORNER

We seem to be getting new learners everyday and being part of the Culturally Responsive Teaching book club with Bright Ribbons, I thought I might share something about cultures and names. 

Great educators would never want to do anything that makes a learner feel ashamed or embarrassed. They would never want to do anything that leads learners to distance themselves from their backgrounds. But if educators don’t put in the necessary effort to pronounce learners’ names correctly, that might be exactly what they are doing.

Pronunciation matters! Research has found that learners’ socioemotional well-being and world view can be negatively impacted by educators’ failure to pronounce their names properly, and can even lead learners to shy away from their own cultures and families.

[VIRTUAL/IN-PERSON GAMES]

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Looking for a morning meeting game? Play Odd One Out! Pre-select words or pictures of your choice and present them in a set of 2 -4. Then, have students call out which one is the odd one out (different). Challenge them to explain their reasoning. It’s a great way to practice or learn new vocabulary while speaking.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Dec 14- Corinne's Birthday

     Secret Santa 

Dec 15- Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans

     Secret Santa

     LEEdership Council Lunch and Learn (12:00)

     Safety Team Meeting (3:15)

Dec 16- Secret Santa

     Curbside Pick Up (11:00-1:00)

     Staff Holiday Party

Dec 18- Last Day of School

     Winter Parties (2:00-3:00)

Dec 19- Ayesha's Birthday

Dec 21- Jan 4- WINTER BREAK

Week of December 7, 2020

We hope you are looking forward to another week of fun from your Gnome Girls Leigh Ann and I.  It is SO MUCH FUN planning out ways to show you how much we love you!  If you didn't make it to the lounge for any "projects" or want extras to do with your family at home, we have plenty. Just let us know!!  I will be out on Friday.  I am taking a personal day, so please let Leigh Ann know if you need ANYthing.

DID YOU KNOW:

• our garden is thriving? Thank you to so many of your for being open to join Keiko when there are harvest times. We were so excited to harvest cauliflower, carrots, lettuce, kale, garlic and MORE this week! There will be more opportunities to work in the garden with Keiko next week.
• Social Spurs is still accepting donations and the optional Secret Santa forms are due on Friday?
• we will announce our Teacher of the Year on Wednesday, at 3:15, on the outdoor learning pavilion?  I'm letting you all know, now, because pictures will be taken of many of you.  There will be snacks provided for celebration, so please plan to attend. 
• December 11 is going to be a Day 6?  Yes, that means Day 6 two days in a row.  We will have a different schedule on the 11th, and our talented Specials Team will communicate it to you so that all have a 45 minute break.  Thank you Specials!! You will need to communicate this to your virtual and face to face learners.
• you will be getting an email from ParentSquare to set up an account this week? Remember the email is coming and is not a phishing attempt.
• that we need some of you to update your Vivitek boards in your learning spaces?  Please check and do this before leaving on Friday.  We could use your help with housemates that are absent or have substitutes.  THANK YOU!
• Natalie has updated her S'more and Angela has too?
• that we have TWO NEW baby Spurs coming?  Both are in Yellow House!  Congrats to Meghan and Kristina who are BOTH due in June!!  (Please keep this info off social media so they can tell family.)

REMINDER

The office will start updating the Face to Face document as we get information and numbers from the district.

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 and in our Design and Create studios, while celebrating problem solving and deeper thinking. Check out May's Hour of Code S'more (THANKS MAY!) or the resources curated by the DLCs on the Hour of Code Website. Please use #HourOfCode #CISDCode2Learn in your Tweets!

DECEMBER 11

The cafeteria needs your help to get a count of how many learners will be getting a sack lunch on Early Release Friday.  They need this count by the end of the day, Tuesday, December 8.  There are 2 choices:  PB & J or turkey and cheese sandwiches.  They have also staggered the lunch pick up times.  Please ask your learners and record the count on this link.

OH GNOME YOU DIDN'T
We need your help with an upcoming December to Remember day.  Please complete THIS FORM before leaving on Friday so that we can be prepared on December 15.

SAVE THE DATE

Our wonderful PTO is sponsoring Thursday's December to Remember activity.  Each of you will have a boxed lunch from MiCocina and dessert from Nothing Bundt Cake.  Thank you PTO!

DONATIONS FOR COPPELL LIONS CLUB

We are still accepting donations of canned and boxed food.  Thank you for the generous contributions for those less fortunate.

(the donation box is inside our front doors)

MACY'S BELIEVE LETTERS TO SANTA

Want an authentic writing experience for your learners?  For every letter to Santa receives 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 11th. You can also have learners send letters digitally by clicking here.  Feel free to use the hashtag #MacysBelieve to promote this event.

[CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT]

COACH'S CORNER

We may begin to see more learners returning to school in the third quarter and we need to realize they have not been in a school environment for a while. So here are some tips for classroom management. 

1. Use normal, natural voice: The students will mirror your voice level, so avoid using that semi-shouting voice. If we want kids to talk at a normal, pleasant volume, we must do the same. You want to also differentiate your tone. If you are asking students to put away their notebooks and get into their groups, be sure to use a declarative, matter-of-fact tone. If you are asking a question about a character in a short story, or about contributions made by the Roman Empire, use an inviting, conversational tone.

2. Address behavior issues quickly and wisely: Be sure to address an issue between you and a student or between two students as quickly as possible. Bad feelings—on your part or the students’—can so quickly grow from molehills into mountains.

1. Always have a well designed and engaging lesson: This tip is most important of all. Perhaps you’ve heard that if you don’t have a plan for them, they’ll have one for you. Always over plan. It’s better to run out of time than to run short on a lesson.

[FUN WITH WRITING]

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

One way to have fun with writing is using the Random Emoji Generator Website.  Students can write a sentence fore each emoji that is randomized until completing a paragraph.  Have fun seeing what they come up with.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Hour of Code Week

Dec 7- 3rd Grade and Create Go GNOME Early

Dec 8- CISD Education Foundation shirt day

     Onboarding Meeting (3:15)

Dec 9- Kourtney's Birthday

     Library Curbside Pick Up (11:00-1:00)

Dec 10- April's Birthday

     Kindergarten and Art Go GNOME Early

Dec 11- Julie's Birthday

     Early Release (12:30) for learners

Week of November 30, 2020

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am reflecting about they many blessings at our school.  Every one of you are a blessing to me in your own unique ways.  You are not taken for granted and are appreciated beyond measure.  Each of you choose to come to Lee and work so 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.  This year, more than ever, I have learned how to grow and lead with grace and patience. I see that demonstrated in so many of you, too!  Please REST over the break.  DO NOT WORK OR THINK ABOUT SCHOOL!!  Take time for yourself and reflect on how incredible you are.  Leigh Ann and I cannot wait to show you how much we care during December to Remember.  When you return it will be here!  Get READY!

DID YOU KNOW:

• we want you to take care of your self and also help meet our campus SEL goal? Why not wear warm ups tomorrow and "trot the track" during your break? We can call this our Lee Turkey Trot! Please only wear warm ups if you plan to take part in this self-care activity (and hey- document it for your Bulb. If you don't document it, it didn't happen!!!).
• today is Substitute Appreciation Day? Please be intentional in thanking any subs in our building today!
• we will have a LEEdership Council "Lunch and Learn" on Tuesday, December 1, at 12:00? Please let your LEEder know that they are expected to join me on Tuesday using this link . Please do NOT tweet the link out.
• we will clean the lounge fridge out at 2:00, tomorrow. Please take your personal items and food home.
• commitment forms for face-to-face instruction for the 3rd 9 weeks will be sent home  to parents on November 30.  These will be due on December 9.
• you still need to let me know if you feel COVID symptoms or test COVID positive over the Thanksgiving Break? Please be mindful to social distance and wear your masks this week. This school momma wants you SAFE!
• the district will Go Red for staff wellness the month of February? For a link to order your Go Red t-shirt (credit card only) and show your support during the Month of Thursdays in February - American Heart Month - text DHCCOPPELL to 41444. 

(those of you that ate school lunch today heard about how much I LOVE gravy) 😀

WEDNESDAY IS COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

SPECIAL EDUCATION DAY

Wednesday is National Special Education Day.  In addition to our general education special education learners and staff, we are blessed to have two specialized special education programs here at Lee: Active Learning and Practical Academics.  Please take time to celebrate the accomplishments of our special needs learners, teachers, paraprofessionals and parents for the incredible jobs they do!!!  If you want to learn more about special education, our two programs, or your class would benefit from a lesson on inclusivity and learners in these programs at Lee, our teachers are awesome resources!

NOTE FOR FACE TO FACE PARENTS

Parents, please remember to follow social distancing during the Thanksgiving Holiday.  If your child tests positive over the break, or you are made aware that they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please email Mrs. Kastrounis at ckastrounis@coppellisd.com.  If your child is having any COVID-like symptoms, please do not send them back to school on Monday, November 30. 

COVID-like symptoms:

• Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Loss of taste or smell
• Cough
• Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Headache
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Shaking or exaggerated shivering
• Significant muscle pain or ache
• Diarrhea

GEMS

Know an employee who goes "above and beyond the call of duty" and should be among CISD's Great Employees Matter (GEM)?  This internal employee recognition program, GEM, seeks to recognize outstanding employees who serve the mission and core values of Coppell ISD in a manner that exceeds job and salary expectations. Please nominate individuals at go.coppellisd.com/Recognitions.  Nominations are due November 30.

UPDATED GARDEN PROJECT FLYER

Here is updated communication from Keiko.  Please share with your learners and their parents.  We would love to have both virtual and in person participation.  Check out Keiko's latest tweet.

DONATIONS FOR COPPELL LIONS CLUB

Thank you to those of you who have donated.  Let's pump this up when we return from the break! 

(the donation box is inside our front doors)

MACY'S BELIEVE LETTERS TO SANTA

Want an authentic writing experience for your learners?  For every letter to Santa receives 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 11th. You can also have learners send letters digitally by clicking here.  Feel free to use the hashtag #MacysBelieve to promote this event.

COACH'S CORNER

If you have come to realize anything about me so far, it is that I enjoy a good TED Talk. I know it is time to unwind and relax and disconnect from school for a week. I want to applaud all the educators who are working so hard, especially this year. You are so creative in your lesson design and craft. To keep learning fun and engaging virtually is a daunting task and you all deserve a crown for that. There are two reasons why I like this particular TED Talk: it is funny (especially because the speaker has an English accent) and it affirms what we do at our school. I was talking to my husband about how other educators in Texas do not have the same teaching expectations that we do at our school and how blessed we are for how we teach at Lee. I want you to know it is because of educators like YOU that I am grateful that my child spent five years here. I would trust all of you to be his educator. Enjoy this video for the laughs, the affirmations, and the realization that we do things so much better here than in other schools.  Creativity by Sir Ken Robinson

[CONTEXT CLUES]

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

To continue supporting the linguistic development of English Learners, check out these 5 steps to teach vocabulary through context clues! Click here to learn more.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Nov 23- Peg's Birthday

Nov 23-27- THANKSGIVING BREAK

Nov 30- Dec4- National Handwashing Awareness Week

Nov 30- GEM Nominations Due

Dec 1- Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans

     PTO Meeting (Virtual 6:00)

Dec 2- College Shirt Day

     Special Education Day

     Library Curbside Pick Up (11:00-1:00)

     Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)

Dec 3-  5th Grade Spelling Bee

Week of November 16, 2020

YOU MADE IT!  One more week and Thanksgiving break is ALL YOURS!  Thank you for your flexibility on picture day and making it work in house to support the HB3 training days so other schools could utilize subs in the district.  Your Admin Team acknowledges the many blessings of being at Lee Elementary, and one of our most important blessings is EACH OF YOU!!  We hope you liked today's surprise message about the Sonic ice machine.  Enjoy this week with our children and each other.  

DID YOU KNOW:

• tomorrow is World Kindness Day?  Don't forget to wear your Kind shirts.  We can't wait to see what you have in store for the children.
• you need to update your computer password by November 16?  Please follow the directions that were sent out in the Stay In The Know Employee Newsletter.  
• Panorama data will be visible for your learners on next Friday now? AWESOME EFFORT getting our learner and staff surveys done.  Now let's pump up our parents to participate!

REMINDERS

Remember to walk kids all the way to car and bus and trade them over to another adult during afternoon dismissal.  Our Leadership Team discussed that with duty changes, we need to remember to be consistent and help kids stay six feet apart.   Thank you for your help with this.

Also, please remember to disinfect areas that children have worked, both inside and outside your spaces.  We must be vigilant to keep everyone safe.  This includes the furniture on the learning pavillion.

Lastly, remember to follow these district guidelines when posting pictures of learners.  We have to make sure that even when masked people photographed are six feet apart.  We appreciate your cooperation. 

 

PTO BREAKFAST

Thank you to our fabulous PTO for providing breakfast, on Thursday, after morning arrival.  We will make an announcement on the intercom when it is ready for you to come and pick your treat up from the teacher's lounge.  ENJOY!

SUBSTITUTE APPRECIATION DAY
Please take time to thank any subs in the building on Friday.  Friday is Substitute Appreciation Day!

GARDEN DESIGN PROJECT

Keiko, our wonderful garden volunteer, has designed a project to engage our learners and their families with our garden.  Please share this communication and encourage your learners to participate.  We have not had any submissions, so if your face to face learners need something to do...

PLEASE ALSO SHARE THESE WITH PARENTS

(the donation box is inside our front doors)

COACH'S CORNER

[VOCABULARY LEARNING]

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Simply reading or hearing the definition of a word can leave ELs puzzled and limits their chances to accessing content knowledge.  What's a better way?  You guessed it! Define the word in your own words, draw a picture, and discuss examples.  The Frayer model is a great way to do just that!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Nov 13- Progress Report Grades Due (4th/5th)

Nov 16- School Psychology Awareness Week

Nov 17- Josephine's Birthday

     Chantel's Birthday

     Ed Foundation Shirt w/ Jeans

     Send Progress Reports Home

Nov 18-  Library Curbside Pick Up (11:00-1:00)

     Staff Mtg. (3:15-4:45 Virtual)

Nov 19- Thankful Thursday Breakfast from PTO

     National Parent Involvement Day

Nov 20- Substitute Appreciation Day

Nov 23-27- THANKSGIVING BREAK

Nov 23- Peg's Birthday

Week of November 9, 2020

 We hope you enjoyed your Thirsty Thursday Sonic drinks this afternoon.  Thank you so much for your attendance at our Story Book parade.  I know that it was way longer than we ever expected it to be, so THANK YOU for all of your time and enthusiasm.   It truly mattered to the children and our famiLEEs.  We also thank you for pumping up Write a Check.  I cannot wait for a final update from PTO.  You are two weeks away from a week-long vacation!  We've got this, team! 

DID YOU KNOW:

• Hour of Code is coming up?  Please sign up to participate and mark your calendars for the week of December 7-13.  I'm sure our DLCs would love to design with you! 
• we have a new baby Spur to add to our famiLEE?  Guess who is having a baby?! Click here to find out.

WRITE A CHECK

Tomorrow is the last day for our Write a Check campaign.  Please send this graphic, one last time, and retweet the reminder on our Lee Twitter, please.   

TOY

FINAL REMIDER!!!  NOMINATIONS DUE TODAY!!!  Please take time to nominate someone in our building for this incredible honor.   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 6th, and the nomination form can be found here.

In order to be nominated for Teacher of the Year, the teacher must:

• Be certified to teach in Texas public schools
• Have been employed in Coppell schools for a minimum of three years (that means he/she must have completed three years in CISD)
• Be a classroom teacher (including PE, art, music, special education, literacy, etc.)
• Plan to continue teaching in Coppell ISD through the 2020-2021 school year

VETERANS DAY

Please showcase any creative ways you are recognizing Veterans, on Wednesday, on Twitter.  We want to make sure that even though we don't have a Veteran's Day program this year that, we value the service these individuals have provided our country.  We will pause for a moment of silence as a school at 8:00, on Wednesday.  There will be an announcement over the intercom when we begin.

PICTURE DAY

We will start school pictures immediately following arrival, on Wednesday.  We hope to have our F2F learners done before 9:45 so our virtual learners can use their appointed times.  Thank you for your flexibility on this day and for excusing the interruption of your teaching. 

WORLD KINDNESS DAY

Friday is World Kindness Day.  We can't wait to see how our learners spread kindness.  If you have a KIND shirt, join in on wearing it on Friday.

PANORAMA SURVEY

Thank you to all of you for completing your staff survey and to the 3-5 Designers for helping learners get their surveys completed.  We have 256/359 learners that have completed their surveys, still.  

GARDEN DESIGN PROJECT

Keiko, our wonderful garden volunteer, has designed a project to engage our learners and their families with our garden.  Please share this communication and encourage your learners to participate.  

CIP

The 2020-2021 Campus Improvement Plan can be found here. Each quarter this document should be reviewed and updated.  Leadership, please download the PDF into Noteability, review it, and annotate it with your grade.  Please forward your annotated copy to Leigh Ann by November 13.

PLEASE SHARE WITH PARENTS

(the donation box is inside our front doors)

COACH'S CORNER

It is imperative that we celebrate and understand diversity in our classrooms, school and district. We have to be culturally responsive now more than ever. We need to think outside the walls of our classroom and country to become more global. The easiest way is to incorporate culturally diverse literature in your classrooms and read alouds. You could incorporate scientists, mathematicians, explorers from different parts of the world. Children need to see themselves in the content they are learning. 

I love that May Voltz got a group of her fifth grade girls to work with the women at IBM to learn more about cybersecurity including tips for staying safe online, the importance of securing the internet of things, a glimpse at career opportunities, and an introduction to cryptography. The sessions were led mostly by women. Such a great way for girls to see themselves in successful women. Diversity is not just about culture; it can also be grounded in gender, ethnicity, and/or age as well. 

I recently watched a TED talk on the Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It is 19 minutes long but I feel like I connected with what she was saying. I hope you enjoy it if you choose to watch it.

[CELEBRATE DIVERSITY]

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Are you looking for a list of books that target diversity and racial equality while supporting listening, speaking, reading, and writing? Log in to MackinVia here and here for a list of books that do just that, or visit our library!  A big thank you to Ms. Wade for helping us put this together.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Nov 10- Cohort A HB3 Training

     Ed Foundation t-shirt and jeans

     Onboarding (3:15-4:15)

Nov 11- Picture Day

     Veteran's Day (Moment of Silence 8:00)

     Cohort A HB3 Training

     Curbside Pick Up (11:00-1:00)

     Leadership Mtg. (3:15-4:15)
Nov 12-  Meghan W's Birthday

     Cohort B HB3 Training
Nov 13- Samira's Birthday

     Cohort B HB3 Training
     Panorama Data Live 

     World Kindness Day

     Progress Report Grades Due (3-5)
Nov 14- Diwali