Week of August 30, 2021

WOW!  You made it through the second week of school and I could not be more pleased with the stellar job you have all done.  We are so super proud of you for your creativity, collaboration and heart.  You have done an incredible job of supporting your learners, their parents, and each other.  Thank you for copying me on your weekly communication.  I am so impressed with the way some of you are using Bulb, S'more, Twitter, and other ways to keep our FamiLEEs engaged. YOU make our school look SO GOOD in the community, and I thank you so much for that.  Have a fabulous Friday and weekend.  Please REST this weekend.  You have earned it!

DID YOU KNOW:

• if you need any PPE that we have PLENTY on campus?  All you have to do is ask.  We have masks, sanitizer, wipes, gloves, spracy etc.  If we don't have what you need, please let me know.
• that the district is purchasing HEPA filter air purifiers for all classrooms?  We will deliver these to you as soon as they arrive from CISD.  
• CISD will be offering Pfizer and Flu vaccine clinics at home football games and at Admin starting September 3?  Stay tuned for information from CISD. 
• the Child Find compliance course is passing at 80% and above? Don't panic if it says you didn't pass and you have an 80% or higher.  You will be given credit.
• we will be having a Fire Drill VERY SOON (like tomorrow morning), so please have your Navigate app downloaded?
• Samira has designed a MAP schedule for the campus?  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  Please follow and test accordingly.
• you will get an email from HR Coppell ISD asking you to sign off on the CISD Employee Handbook?  Please take time to read and sign.  This is NEW this year.  

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

The first Wednesday of every month we celebrate higher education.  We encourage our learners and staff to wear a college shirt on these days.

CURRICULUM NIGHT

Thank you for working as a grade on your Curriculum Night presentations.  Please make sure you have the FAQ questions and answers approved by Chantel BEFORE sending home to parents.  It is SUPER IMPORTANT these answers are consistent.  Using the 2021-2022 COVID-19 Protocols is your best bet for questions related to our current teaching situation.

TECHNOLOGY

Please make sure that all classes have covered the overview of digital literacy in your Schoology lessons by September 4.  This is part of our school-wide goal.  Here is the 2021-2022 Learner Digital Orientation.

INFO FOR PARENTS

Please send this PTO information to your families in this week's newsletter:

Update (or sign up for) your PTO Membership Toolkit account

• Log in to your account on https://rjleepto.membershiptoolkit.com and update your account information (if you are already logged in to your account on this site, please click on "My Account" and then "My Forms/Paperwork”).
• We have already promoted your students to the 2021-2022 grade. If you are entering a new student, set their grade level at what it will be for the 2021-2022 school year. 

BOY GOAL SETTING MEETINGS

Please sign up here for your BOY meeting- they start on TUESDAY.   We are excited to review your goals for the year and how we can support you.  Samira may join in, when she can, so that she can help support your goals.  Please make sure you add your goals to your Bulb.  We will help you with uploading your campus and personal goals into Power School when we meet.  Bring your laptop to the large conference room for your meeting.  ALL campus employees must sign up for a meeting.

PARENT CONTACT
Did you get a chance to reach out and make your happy calls?  If you didn't, remember it is an expectation to pick up the phone and call EVERY family.  Thank you for depositing in their emotional bank accounts!  You may be surprised how much sunshine it brings YOU when you make these calls. 

DLC UPDATE

2021-2022 Digital Literacy Orientation

Below you will find the resources for the Elementary (PK-5)  2021-2022 Learner Digital Orientation, located in the District Support and Alignment folder of the Curriculum and Instruction group.

As part of a district initiative regarding digital citizenship, all learners in grades PreK-12 are expected to take part in an overview of digital literacy.  Resources for this overview have been created and added to the Curriculum and Instruction group in Schoology. Included in the lesson resources is a page for educators to start with that will explain the workflow of the folder. Educators are able to copy these resources into their Schoology courses as needed.  

 

COACH'S CORNER

Movement and Discourse

Learning is activated when kids are moving and talking. Movement provides the opportunity for learners to become actively engaged and talk to each other in a variety of group sizes. Get them moving every 18-20 minutes. Each week for the month of September I will share an instructional strategy that you can use to activate learning. 

Instructional Strategy | Movement | Ball Toss Boogie

Instructions:

1. Organize students into a large circle or smaller circles of 5-6.

2. Teacher poses a summative question such as...

1. What is one thing you learned today about _____?

2. What words are associated with _____?

3. What is one thing you remember from yesterday about _____?

3. Students catch the ball, offer a response, and throw to another student.

4. Continue tossing and responding until every student in the circle has responded.

5. Teacher sees and hears students’ thinking and clarifies/verifies as appropriate.

 

Helpful Hints:

• Hand sanitize before and after participating.

• Role play appropriate/inappropriate ball tossing to clarify behavior expectations.

• Provide a word/idea bank or visual support to remind students of the learning.

 

Materials:

• Questions

• Soft object to toss

Let me know how it goes. 

Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Culturally Inviting Classroom

Make an environment that is inclusive to all and honors your learners’ differences. 

• Decorate your walls reflecting diverse people by displaying photos of your learners or their community. 

• Use different cultural music for dancing, relaxing, thinking, creating, or cleaning up. 

• Display vocabulary word walls in English with visuals and your learners’ home language if applicable.

• Invite your learners to bring an object that represents their culture for Show and Tell.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

August 31- Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans

September 1-  College Shirt Day

     Staff Meeting (3:15 Red House Open Space) ALL STAFF MUST ATTEND

     Administer the iStation ISIP to all learners

September 2- Charlene's Birthday

     Nikki's Birthday

     Curriculum Night (5:00-6:00 LIVE VIRTUAL)

September 6- NO SCHOOL 

Week of August 23, 2021

WOW!  You did it!  You made it through the first week of school.  It has brought our Admin Team much happiness to see how both our face to face and virtual staff has worked together this week.  Watching the way you have interacted and supported one another makes this School Momma so PROUD!  We have enjoyed getting to spend time with some of your classes.  We will see the rest of you next week.  We have such INCREDIBLE learners and designers!! We hope it brings you a bit of sunshine when I say, hit the road as soon as you can on Friday after dismissal.  You've earned it!  ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND!

DID YOU KNOW:

• this is the specials schedule for this first nine weeks?  Thank you, Stephanie and team, for figuring this out!  We have added a tab for the Specials rotation on the Master Schedule document. 
• with the new Mac OS update that Airplay disappears from your home screen?  Want to get it back?  Here is how: Go to System Preferences > Dock and Menu Bar > **Screen Mirroring** > check "show in menu bar" and switch to "always"
• that Angela has the book Lockdown Drill, by Deputy Becky Coyle if you are interested in borrowing it.  A couple of our schools have invited their SRO's over to read the book.  I also know that Rachel Freeman (our district's Coordinator of Safety and Security) loves to read to classes as well.  Please let Angela know if you'd like to use it!
• IF a learner must be checked out from school, it should occur before 2:45?  After 2:45, we will request parents wait in the car loop to ensure learners get dismissed safely.  Learners should only leave early if there is a doctor's appointment.  (PLEASE ADD TO YOUR NEWSLETTERS)
• some of the compliance courses are due on Friday?  Don't forget to get these done.  Some are not due until October.
• weekly communication should be sent to your parents every Friday?  Please collaborate with your team to make this a manageable task.  Please remember to carbon Administration on your weekly communication.  

SPIRIT RALLY

We will have a Spirit Rally at 2:00 on Friday (tomorrow).  Bring your kiddos down when we call houses over the intercom.  It will also help to have learners packed up in spaces so you can grab backpacks afterwards.  

ATTENDANCE

Please make sure you are turning in your attendance by 10:00 AM.  Thank you to those who are getting attendance in and have alarms set so you don't forget. 

ID BADGES
You are required, by the district, to wear your ID Badge at school. If you see visitors or adults in our building without a badge, you must ask to see their badge.  If they do not have one, then please escort them to the office.  New hires and friends with name changes, your magnetic badges will be here next week. 

DIGITAL LITERACY
As part of a district and campus initiative regarding digital citizenship, all learners in grades K-12 are expected to take part in an overview of digital literacy.  All learners must take part in these experiences.  Overview resources can be found HERE.  Please let your grade level or content DLCs know if you have any questions regarding the Digital Literacy content.  It is a campus expectation that Digital Literacy/Citizenship be reviewed the beginning of each 9 weeks.

FLEX LEARNING
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.  For 2-5, we ask that you use this first flex time to update your goals in Bulb.  Before Wednesday afternoon, I will send out a separate email with our campus goal, for those of you that want to copy and paste it into Bulb.  New hires and staff working on their goal setting, we will work in Yellow House open space. 

For Kinder and First grades, please join Samira in April’s space at 3:20 on Wednesday, August 25, 2021 as we learn about the new Heggerty Phonemic Awareness resource. We think you will find it very useful to plan your phonics lessons. Samira would like to request that April and Kaitlin bring their Lucy Phonics Unit and all of you bring your Heggerty books. They were placed in your mailbox. It would help us process and explore.  

Kinder and First grades, we will use your first session of Team Time to get your goals in Bulb.

PHONE CALL HOME

Please, by August 27, pick up the phone and call EVERY family. Tell them/leave a message sharing something special about their child.  It will pay huge dividends to take the time to do this!  Parents are used to only getting phone calls when there is something wrong.  Let's change their perception!  It is also a TTESS Domain 4 descriptor.  Specials Designers and and Specialists, please pick 20 learners to call.

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
We will practice emergency drills soon.  Be READY!  If you do not know where to go ASK a housemate, or Admin, so we can give you directions.  All spaces should have a map posted at your door and a Standard Response Protocol poster posted near the door.  Please download the Navigate app (our location code is 6891) to your iPad or mobile device.  Leigh Ann will meet in the Library with new staff on Monday, after buses leave, to review the Navigate App.  If you are a returning Lee Staff member and want to join in, you are more than welcome.  

CISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION OPEN

CISD Ed Foundation grants are open July 1 through midnight September 13.  If you submitted an application last year, log-in credentials are still valid.  This is a SUPER avenue to get items for your classroom that cannot be purchased through approved vendors.   GOOD LUCK!

• Get Login Credentials for LivingTree (Google Form)

• LivingTree Website

COACH'S CORNER

The Power of a Phone Call

Be on the lookout for something special about the learners in your class. Maybe they did something kind, or maybe they helped someone. Are they responsible? Maybe you notice that they enjoy a certain subject more than others. 

When it is time to make those happy calls, you will have something specific to share with the parents. As a parent, I have always loved how all of my son’s designers at Lee always shared something special about him. It comforts the parents to hear that their child’s educator knows them well. 

Spend 10-15 minutes in the next couple of weeks making those calls and consider maintaining a regular system of communication. It will make for a great year. 

You are appreciated for all that you do. Here for you!!

Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Build Positive Relationships

Positive teacher relationships have a higher outcome for school success. Students need to see you as their learning ally in the ways that you respect, validate, and show deep interest in them. You can have warm and invitational teaching style by:

• Welcoming each learner at the door.

• Saying hello/bye in languages that reflect your students’ home language.

• Learning how to pronounce each name correctly. Avoid the practice of shortening their names or giving Anglicized names to students. 

• Treating him or her as a successful learner when giving feedback.

DLC CONNECTION

The elementary DLCs are beyond excited to support this year! Our mission is to continue to support you in the space where curriculum meets digital learning. We will continue to support you in every way that we can: on Teams (typically the quickest way to access us), via Zoom, email, and on your campuses! Here are a few things you might consider when preparing for your year:   

🗂 Learn how to access your archived Schoology courses to retrieve materials from previous years here. 

💥 Learn more about how we use Teams as a quick access point for collaboration and instructional support! Making Teams Work for You 

📍Bookmark the Coppell DLC Bulb Collection library of support resources! 

✅ Subscribe to the Coppell DLC YouTube channel!

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Respect- showing consideration for others

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

We will often have visitors in our school. When a visitor arrives, look them in the eyes, shake hands, tell them who you are, and welcome the person to our school.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, a good society” -Confucius

DATES TO REMEMBER:

August 20- Spirit Rally (2:00 Gym)

     Compliance Courses DUE

August 23- Rachel's Birthday

     First Team Time (7 Day Rotation)

August 24- Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans

August 25- Pink Shirt and Jeans Day

     IT'S PAYDAY!

     Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)

August 27- Sam's Birthday

August 28- Stephanie's Birthday

Week of August 16, 2021

Thank you for a wonderful week supporting one another and working so well together.  Seeing your houses and your grades have so much time together to bond fills this school momma's heart.  It has been such a wonderful time of togetherness, fun, laughter and nervousness.  I am so super proud of the work you have accomplished this week and hope that time on Friday and Monday ease some of the worries or stress you have as you prepare for #rjlyear8.  Thank you for championing me when I had to share tough news and for shifting (yet again) with such grace and resiliency.  A special shout out to our new mommas, Kristina and Meghan, for coming up this week to be part of Back to School.  That is some above and beyond commitment to your school and we see you!!  We are excited to have Omi and Chandana here to take care of your children as you have time at home with your beautiful babies.  We all know what incredible guest educators these two ladies are.  Please make an effort to come up to the front on Tuesday morning so that we can take your "FIRST DAY" picture and present you with a "little something" from Leigh Ann and I as you welcome our learners and spread sunshine to their lives.  You are loved more than you will ever know!

DID YOU KNOW:

• there is a link to responses to our Faculty Favorites in case you want to know your famiLEE members better or surprise them with a treat?  
• May is hosting her session from CISD LEARNS tomorrow (Friday), in her space, at 1:00?  Take a break from lesson designing and get re-energized and excited about Math with May!   I plan to be there!
• a Back to School Guide for parents was sent out tonight from Chantel?
• we have new arrival and dismissal practices at Lee?  Here is communication I will be sharing with parents.  Thank you to Hannah for helping with this task as part of your internship.
• if you ordered your CISD Ed Foundation shirt that it is in your mailbox?  You can still order your shirts online. 
• there are guidelines for employees who test positive for COVID-19?  Here is a link that will outline the guidelines. Employees will need to stay out for 10 calendar days and guidelines for calculating that time are in the attachment. There is no option for working remotely from home. 

MEET THE DESIGNER NIGHT

I KNOW you would have make Meet the Designer Night memorable for our FamiLEEs.  You only get one chance to make a first impression, and I am certain you all would have impressed your audience.  Now you have the first day of school.  I can't wait for the children and their families to see you.

THANK YOU PTO

Please make time to share a thank you on social media to @FamiLEEPTO for their generous start up funds for you.  We want to make sure these continue each year by sharing our gratitude.  

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

School supplies were ordered online this year and delivered to learners homes.  Please collect these at Meet the Designer Night and the first day of school.  Remember, there are some items that are specifically ordered for Specials.  If you are not sure, here are the school supply lists so that the intended supplies get to Specials. 

Pretty People

CISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION OPEN

CISD Ed Foundation grants are open July 1 through midnight September 13.  If you submitted an application last year, log-in credentials are still valid.  This is a SUPER avenue to get items for your classroom that cannot be purchased through approved vendors.   GOOD LUCK!

• Get Login Credentials for LivingTree (Google Form)

• LivingTree Website

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

The first week is about building SOLID and TRUSTING relationships with the children and their famiLEEs.  My expectation for you, this first week, is to ensure that time spent together is SO FUN and EXCITING, that the learners do not want to leave leave our school. 

Please, by August 27, pick up the phone and call EVERY family. Tell them/leave a message sharing something special about their child.  It will pay huge dividends to take the time to do this!  Parents are used to only getting phone calls when there is something wrong.  Let's change their perception!  It is also a TTESS Domain 4 descriptor.  

All learners will be permitted to be walked to class by their parents.  Please make sure you have your mask on and are ready to receive them when we open the doors at 7:20.

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

The first Wednesday of every month is College Shirt Day.  Please share this with your FamiLEEs.  We will celebrate by wearing jeans and college shirts this first Wednesday.

ADMIN  VISITS
Leigh Ann, Angela, and I like to visit with each and every learner/class in the first couple weeks of school. Please sign up for an office visit with each of us here (tabs for each of us).  


FIND YOUR MARIGOLDS
Our work is HARD work, but we are surrounded by such AWESOME people here at Lee.  Take a minute to read (or reread for some of you) this passage adapted form Cult of Pedagogy.  Find your "marigolds" at Lee, better yet...be someone's "marigold!"

COACH'S CORNER

(A weekly submission from our talented IC, Samira!)

Welcome Back to School

Many educators feel pressure to cover content or worry about other job related duties. At Lee, we want to invest time to learn about our learners. Your effort at the beginning of the year will pay off throughout the year. Here are five strategies you can use to build better relationships with your learners. 

1. Learn names quickly and correctly: Value learner diversity and identity by learning their names quickly and pronouncing them correctly. Only use nicknames if they prefer them. Greet them by their name to make them feel loved and valued. 

2. Learners are never too old for show-and-tell: Help them feel they’re more than just another student by allowing them to bring in something that represents them, their culture, or some activity that they enjoy doing at the beginning of the year. Plan five minutes each day for a few students to share what they brought until you have given everyone in the class the opportunity. 

3. Post learner pictures and their work: All of us do such a great job of highlighting learner work and celebrations. Students love seeing their faces and work on the wall. 

4. Find small ways to connect: Circle time is a wonderful opportunity to connect with learners. It will build a sense of community in your learning environment. And the kids never let you forget Circle Time. 

5. Simply listen: After the year that we have had, our learners are probably eager to share EVERYTHING with you. Watch their eyes light up as they share their stories with you… their favorite teacher!

Have the BEST first week. Here for you!! Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

(A weekly submission from our talented Language Acquisition Specialists)

Day 1 is NOT about RULES!

On the first day, what we say, how we say it, our non-verbals, and what's in our classroom speaks volumes to our students. Show them that they are valued by making available to them diverse texts, creating space on the walls for their work and letting them know that the classroom "rules" will be created together as a community. These things tell kids that they matter.

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Excellence- to stand out with valuable quality

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Quickly learn the names of other designers and learners in the school and greet them by name.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

Excellence is never an accident.  It is always the result of High Intention, Sincere Effort, and Skillful Execution" -Aristotle

DATES TO REMEMBER:

August 16- Work Day for Teachers

August 17- First Day of School

    Kona Ice for staff from PTO @ 3:15 (front of school)

August 18- College Shirt Day

August 20- CISD Compliance Courses DUE

Week of August 9, 2021

In full transparency, I adapted this message from my blog a year ago...it still fits perfectly.

A few more days of resting and preparing ourselves to get ready for the school year. If you have been in education for a while, you know this last year and a half have been the most bizarre period in our most recent history. If you are new to education this year, I’m sure there were no college courses that prepared you for what you are seeing now. As an educator entering her 26th year of working with kiddos, I can tell you with 100% certainty that I have never faced anything with this level of gravity.  However, I can tell you with absolute confidence, that in all my years of teaching, I have been amazed by the resilience and tenacity of teachers. While I respect all professions, educators are a different breed of people all together.  We may not always be thrilled with the conditions we are given to educate children, but we do it anyway. WHY?  Because we are educators.  We are CALLED.  We know our PURPOSE.  We know our impact is far greater than a challenge that is thrown in our paths.  We see our students and their potential future… and so we WORK!!! We work to change lives, not just impart knowledge, but to form relationships that tell students “YOUR ARE SOMETHING!!! AND YOUR FUTURE IS SOMETHING WORTH FIGHTING FOR!”  We give money out of our pockets, we spend countless hours out of the workday caring for others and giving feedback, creating engaging lessons, and pouring our heart and souls into the profession that we know has an ETERNAL IMPACT.  

Right now, we are presented with continued challenges in education.  So, the future is in our hands.  The question to ask now is…”What can we do to make this year, better than ever?”  If I were a betting person, I would put my money on Lee Elementary's staff!  You are the masters of impossible and I believe you will ensure #rjlyear8 is the best one possible.  Together as a team, we will tackle this year and make the most of it… WHY?  BECAUSE WE HAVE EACH OTHER AND TOGETHER WE SHINE. 

DID YOU KNOW:

• if you have a positive COVID diagnosis, please let me know?  This practice will continue until further notice.  
• as of today, masks are optional for staff and learners?  You may not require a learner to wear/not wear a mask.  CISD will continue to keep us informed if there are any changes. 
• CISD's attendance incentive is eliminated for this school year?  Please take care of your social emotional well-being.
• there are district expectations for Schoology use for 2021-2022?
• these are the CISD Grading Practices for 2021-2022?

MEET OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DESIGNER

I'm Rachel Tate, and I’ve been married to my high school sweetheart for 25 years. Both of us served in the Army. We have four amazing children. Three boys and a girl. One is finishing college and will be getting married in January. One is a supervisor for a shipping company. Two are in the armed forces.
I love spending time with my family, when I get the chance. I love to cook and bake. I love making people happy through their tummies.  I love horses, dogs, and cats. I love being outdoors.

Although Lee is her home campus, we will be sharing Rachel with Canyon Ranch Elementary.

WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR NEXT WEEK?

Here is a draft document that will let you know plans we have for next week.  I hope this helps those of you who like to "look ahead."  We tried to help with scheduling a day for HOUSE lunch and a day for GRADE lunch so that you would not feel pulled in too many directions, yet have dedicated time for togetherness.  We also have done our best to carve out time for you to do what you need to do.  We, of course,  have district content we are required to cover, AND we have weaved in some FUN too.  We can't WAIT for us to all be together on Monday!

OUR BUS TOUR IS BAAAACK!

Please tweet out this graphic or retweet my post.  We have a "special" surprise this year- we are on a CHARTERED BUS.  Get your posters, balloons, and SPIRIT ready for Tuesday morning!

CLASS LISTS

Class lists are starting to be populated in eSchool Plus. Remember these are constantly changing if you create personalized labels.  All grade level designers will email parents a video through eSchool or Parent Square to be scheduled to send out at 12:00 on Thursday, August 12.   Time will be provided this week to work together, as a grade, to comprise your welcome email and video.  

MEET THE DESIGNER NIGHT

Please share on your social media.  We will wear our #rjlyear8 shirts on this day.

CANCER AWARENESS SHIRTS

An email was sent out by Angela letting you know that you are welcome to participate in purchasing a pink shirt to be worn with jeans on the second Wednesday of each month.  This is in place of Convocation shirts that were not provided by the district this year.  Orders will be delivered to you at school.  

CISD EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT APPLICATION OPEN

CISD Ed Foundation grants are open July 1 through midnight September 13.  If you submitted an application last year, log-in credentials are still valid.  This is a SUPER avenue to get items for your classroom that cannot be purchased through approved vendors.   GOOD LUCK!

• Get Login Credentials for LivingTree (Google Form)

• LivingTree Website

PERSONAL DISCRETIONARY LEAVE

Please read the information provided by CISD outlining personal discretionary leave. 

TO DO FOR ALL:

• Sign up for your health care with our benefits department.
• Fill out this form so we can learn all about your favorites.  It also helps us with ordering your school shirts for the school year.  We will share this with all of you so you can treat teammates.  FINAL CALL!
• Read the RJL Campus Handbook. We request you read this by August 31.  New/changed items are highlighted in yellow, but you are responsible for reading all of it.
• Complete your compliance training in PowerSchool.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
August 9- Shari's Birthday

     Campus/District Professional Learning

August 10- Campus Professional Learning

August 11- Campus Professional Learning

     Convocation 2:00

August 12- District Professional Learning

    Welcome email and video sent out at 12:00

     Meet the Designer 5:30-6:30

August 13- Campus/District Professional Learning

August 16- Campus Day

August 17- First Day of School