Thursday, September 3, 2020

Week of September 7, 2020

So many of you have praised your colleagues in the building to me this week!  THANK YOU for loving each other so well and for sharing the awesomeness you have seen since the beginning of the year.  I am the proudest principal around getting to lead our group, but this leadership is truly shared.  So much greatness is possible because each person is doing their ultimate best for our learners and each other.  I FEEL IT.  Huge shout outs to all of you in the building, but please let me give an extra shout out to my Admin Team.  They are the most positive, hard working, and kind-hearted partners a girl can ask for.  

Please give yourself 60 seconds on Friday to STOP what you are doing.  Look around your space. Celebrate what you have accomplished so far this school year.  I could not be more pleased with the first three weeks of school and what you are part of creating at Lee!!!  Have an incredible weekend- you deserve it!



DID YOU KNOW:
  • our newest Special Education paraprofessional, Alli Hill started this week?  Please welcome her to our FamiLEE!  She has already jumped right into her role!
  • we are lucky that our school has the AirCuity system in it?  There is NO PLACE I would rather be in during a pandemic than OUR BUILDING!
  • ALL learning spaces in Lee will be getting a Vivatek board?  This news came this week from the technology department.  This means every enclosed classroom and MORE!  We will be coming by to mark where they are going, soon.  They will be mounted like the boards at CRE with the ability to raise and lower the height on the wall to accommodate different sized learners.  
  • you can mirror your iPad on Zoom and also use Noteability in Zoom?  Ask Samira, Leigh Ann, Schlossstein, or a DLC how. 
  • next year's school supplies will be ordered and delivered to the learner's home instead of the campus?  What cool ideas our new PTO is coming up with!
  • car tags are in your teacher mailboxes?  You can pass these out to your car riders on Tuesday.  
  • a box of gloves was put in your mailbox?  This is to accompany the other PPE you got in your bag from Ameira.  Please wear gloves when you use the disinfectant (or any time you feel inclined).  We will get more for you at any time.
  • we have 3 student teachers this semester?  Please welcome Chandana Mohite in R1, Rachel Cage in R2, and Marla Espinoza in BK.  


CURRICULUM NIGHT
Thank you for working as a grade on your Curriculum Night presentations.  Please post your presentation AND recording on your Lee Website before leaving on Friday.   I will look over your FAQs for approval as quickly as possible.  Thank you for lifting language from the Return to School Guide, where possible, in your responses.  YOU GOT THIS! 


RETURN TO SCHOOL
Coppell ISD created this checklist that would be helpful for those returning to school on Tuesday for face to face instruction.  Chantel also sent this information home to communicate Lee's plans for return to school.  

BUS RIDERS
Your bus riders got an email on September 2 with information about their bus route, bus stop, and pick up and drop off times.  If your parents did not receive an email, they need to contact transportation@coppellisd.com to be ready for Tuesday.


TECHNOLOGY
Please communicate with parents about the change in the Schoology dashboard.  I think this change is going to make it easier for our younger learners to navigate moving forward.   More info can be found here.


FACE TO FACE
Thank you to each grade and content for helping us navigate the tricky transition that Tuesday will bring.  Please know that I am still working through some logistics (we have another Principal Meeting in the morning) and I am making continuous tweaks to the RJL Return to School Procedures and Protocols.  I am also creating our Arrival and Dismissal Duty Roster (will send out on Friday, maybe Saturday).  For now, as mentioned in last week's blog, it is imperative that you arrive at school on time and prepared for your duty at 7:10.  These three days this week have been great for getting us all back in a morning routine, so please, PLEASE, avoid being late.  We will all have an am and pm responsibility because it is about the safety of ALL.   Face to Face teachers, if ANY of you want to Zoom and work through any logistical questions you may have, I will open a Zoom room at 1:30.


RETURN TO SCHOOL COMPLIANCE COURSE:
If you are like me, this had dropped down on the "to do list."  Please work to get the Return to School Compliance Course completed by the September 18 due date.


BUDGET
We are excited that we now have our 2020-2021 budget dollars to order what you need to work with your learners.  Part of my role is to make sure you have the supplies you need to do your job.  Please try to plan ahead so that you do not have to spend personal funds on supplies.  Also, be thinking about items we need to add to house storage closets (like manipulatives, science tools, etc.) and write up a PO and put it in my box.  Remember that it will take a couple of weeks to process, get quotes, and ship.  Please do not turn in a PO unless you have verified that your order is from an approved vendor.


RESPECT AGREEMENTS
Please email a photo of your respect agreement to Leigh Ann so that we can put it in the office Discipline Binder.   We will refer to your respect agreements when learners have behavior reflections.  


COACH'S CORNER
The skills needed for effective teaching involve more than just expertise in an academic field. You must be able to interact with people and help them understand a new way of looking at the world. This is not an easy job! Although there are many different ways to teach effectively, good educators have several qualities in common. They are prepared, set clear and fair expectations, have a positive attitude, are patient with learners, and assess their teaching on a regular basis. They are able to adjust their teaching strategies to fit both the learners and the material, recognizing that every child learns in a different way. As an educator, you are a role model who sets the tone for the class. If you are able to show enthusiasm and commitment, your learners and peers are more likely to reciprocate. Conversely, when you are negative, unprepared, or impatient, these qualities will be reflected in the attitudes of your learners and peers.

[PROACTIVE PLANNER]


ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

“AMAZING educators think about what their students will need to be successful. They are PROACTIVE. Yes, they respond too but first and foremost, they are proactive. Thinking ahead about each student and what they may need in order to access the grade level curriculum. Who will need adapted text? Will anyone need a small group to preview vocabulary or build background? Which students will benefit from sentence stems? And what will the stems be in order to develop academic language? They think about their students and the road ahead.”




DATES TO REMEMBER:
Sept 7- NO SCHOOL
Sept 8- First Day with KIDS!!!
Sept 9- Grade Shirt with Jeans
     Leadership Mtg. (3:00-4:30)
Sept 11- Patriot Day
     Susie's Birthday

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