Week of October 25, 2021

What a week, friends!  THANK YOU to all of you who stepped up in BIG ways.  Whether it was being a learner at Reading Academy, helping in a different capacity this week as we had sub shortages, or being there for a teammate or colleague that needed you.  YOU DID IT!  YOU CRUSHED IT AGAIN THIS WEEK!  Do you know what is a month away?  DECEMBER TO REMEMBER!!!  

DID YOU KNOW:

• as a result of the steady decline in the number of test-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, CISD schools may begin holding assemblies and other events on campus?  We will still follow CISD COVID Protocols and wear masks, distance as much as possible, and wipe and clean surfaces. 
• you still have time to nominate this year's Teacher of the Year?  Here is the TOY Website and Nomination Criteria and Form. Nominations are due November 5.  Please turn them in to CK.

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

Please send your learner down to the cafeteria at 8:00 on Friday morning.  Future LEEdership Dates are on the staff calendar.  Please permit a few minutes for your LEEder to share updates after each meeting. 

RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon week is HERE!  Please join in on the fun and share pictures of learner participation.  You should have picked up your sunglasses from the front Angela for Monday.

WRITE A CHECK

This is our last week to hype up this event.  The designer with the highest contributions will win a gift card from PTO.  I will be sharing an email for you to copy and paste to your parents (outside of your newsletter) next week.  Thank you for helping to get every dollar donated.  We can do this! 

(updated flyer- please don't use prior versions)

FLEX LEARNING

Join us for one of two sessions on Wednesday to earn an hour of flex credit.  Please remember to submit your request into Power School at the conclusion of your session.   

• Make and Take: Schoology Assessment Workshop

  Please join us In Blue House (Layne’s Space)

   

  Building Schoology Assessments can take time, especially when you are just getting familiar with the different question types.  What many people miss is the treasure trove of different ways to build interactive content within an assessment.  In this workshop style session, DLCs will be available to help share resources, unpack the different question types and support you as you build.

• Challenge Based Learning presented by Megan Schlossstein in Green House

TRUNK OR TREAT

Join us for our first Trunk or Treat on Thursday night.  Staff will be parked in the back parking lot in every other spot.  We will have games, decorations, candy, and FUN.  We can't wait to see you there!

PTO SPIRIT NIGHT

Don't worry about cooking dinner on Thursday night.  Call an order in to Papa Johns and tell them you are with Lee Elementary.  Our PTO will get 20% donated back.  

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE

Want a reason to wear a costume on Friday? Pick a costume and find a book to go along with it.  Our entire school will parade at 8:00 on Friday.  Parents are invited and welcome to surround the track. 

DLC UPDATES

Digital Learning doesn't have to be scary!  Check out these ideas for Halloween! 

ESL UPDATES

Assess understanding

Check to see if students understand the lesson or directions before it’s too late. Setting students up for success is key. If we want them to do well, we have to prepare them and check along the way to see if they are on track. Some call this incremental evaluation. There are many ways to do this. It can be asking students to retell directions to a partner or having partners hold an academic conversation as you walk around and listen in. When there is a written product, check in with ELs midway to see their progress. This will help to catch problems or errors in advance or the product being turned in for a grade. If done correctly, these meetings can also be wonderful ways to build relationships with ELs.

COACHES CORNER

Learning Space Environment | Walls That Teach

For the rest of the second quarter, we will focus on learning spaces and how we can make them inviting, engaging and organized for our learning community. Let’s talk about what’s on your walls. 

Does it...

• consist mostly of learner’s work (vs. commercial products or your creations)?

• include learners’ names and/or portraits (photos or drawings)?

• include a short description of what is displayed (maybe the I can statements)?

• reflect learner’s choice and current work (keep them fresh and relevant)?

• hang at learners' eye levels?

• include work from all learners?

• focus on process (consist of both drafts and polished work)?

• show class as well as individual work (classwork might include rules, learning goals, and favorite songs, activities, or greetings)?

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

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Week of Oct 25- Red Ribbon Week

Oct 26- Ed Foundation Shirt and Jeans

     LEEdership Council Training for 5th Graders

Oct 27- House Shirt and Jeans

     Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)

Oct 28- PTO Spirit Night at Papa Johns

     Trunk or Treat (5:30-6:30)

Oct 29- GEMS due

Oct 30- Jessica's Birthday

Week of October 18, 2021

Boy this shortened week has sped by!  Thank you for the beautiful week you gave our newest face to face learners.  We see your intentionality and hard work and are so grateful for you.  Great job with your report cards and personalized comments.  Customizing this feedback takes extra effort and is why you are the incredible group you are! We are grateful for your flexibility with all the changes that this new nine weeks has brought upon you.  Please disconnect from school and enjoy the fall weather this weekend.  LOVE YOU ALL!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that learners should not call home or go to the office for their iPad, lunches, or water bottles?  Please remind parents that we want to raise responsible learners.  They should come to school prepared each morning with all of their belongings.  
• there is a GT Assessment plan Plan for 2021-2022?  Please share this voice over link and presentation link with your parents. 
• it is Math Olympiad time for fourth and fifth graders?  Designers, remember to share Ayesha's email with your parents.
• it is the time of the year to nominate this year's Teacher of the Year?  Here is the TOY Website and Nomination Criteria and Form. Nominations are due November 5.
• it is Digital Citizenship Week?  Please check out this Bulb resource from our DLCs.  If you use any of these resources, document it as part of our campus goal and use #DigCitWeek.
• we need your help for Veteran's Day?  If you or your learners have a US Veteran in the family, will you please send an electronic picture to Linda?  She is making a short video for Veteran's Day.  THANKS for your help!

RED OUT

Wear RED tomorrow!  Want to learn more about Dyslexia?  Have learners identified with Dyslexia and need more information? Want to earn Flex hours credit? CISD has created a Schoology course about dyslexia specifically for the classroom educator.  

 

Name of Course:  Dyslexia Training & Resources: For the Classroom Educator

Access Code: JBSVB-5D89J

3 Flex hours

REPORT CARDS

Please include a friendly reminder in your weekly newsletters to make sure your parents know how to access their report cards.  An email will also go out from Leigh Ann, mid-day, with directions for accessing Home Access Center.  Remember, if you have learners below a 70, that you are required to offer tutoring.  We will pay you $25 an hour for tutoring your learners before or after contract hours.

TRUNK OR TREAT

Join us for our first Trunk or Treat on Thursday October 28.  Our staff will be parked in the back parking lot in every other spot.  We will have games, decorations, candy, and FUN.  

PTO SPIRIT NIGHT

Don't worry about cooking dinner next Thursday night.  Call an order in to Papa Johns and tell them you are with Lee Elementary.  Our PTO will get 20% donated back.  

WRITE A CHECK
Write a Check concludes this week.  This is our BIGGEST fundraiser of the year, so it is imperative that you talk up this two week event with our learners so their parents will participate.

RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon week is in one week, so please share this communication so parents can be prepared for our spirit days.  Thank you, Angela, for organizing. 

 

FROM THE NURSE  PLEASE SHARE IN YOUR NEWSLETTER

Every year, St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Coppell provides Thanksgiving baskets with supplies to cook a turkey dinner to those in need. If you could benefit from this assistance, please click on the link below and fill out the Google form as accurately as possible. By completing this form you understand this information will be shared with St. Ann’s Catholic Church for distribution of your basket. Please fill out this form no later than October 19th, 2021.

ESL UPDATES

Repeat or Rephrase Instructions

Be careful not to assume that everyone understands your directions. Many students (including ELs) will be reluctant to say in front of their peers that they don’t understand. Avoid asking, “Does everyone understand?” It’s not typical for anyone to respond, “No, I don’t understand.” Instead try gauging understanding by asking questions or having students retell the directions to a partner. Then listen in so you can clear up misconceptions by rephrasing the directions. I heard a colleague once say, “I repeated the directions at least five times and they still did it wrong.” Sometimes repeating is not enough. If they don’t understand, then repeating will not work, but perhaps rephrasing will. Try it a different way.

COACHES CORNER

Outside the Box Formative Assessments: 

There are SO many ways to assess formatively: entry or exit tickets, low stake quizzes and polls, quick checks, interviews (casual chats), or self assessments. But have you thought about ART as a formative assessment? Consider using visual art or photography or videography as an assessment tool. Whether students draw, create a collage, or sculpt, you may find that the assessment helps them synthesize their learning. Or think beyond the visual and have kids act out their understanding of the content. 

Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate. Specifically if you want to start working on RTI for your learners.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Oct 17- Hannah J's Birthday

Week of October 18- Digital Citizenship Week

Oct 18- Admin Reading Academy

Oct 19- Cohort B Reading Academy Day

     Ed Foundation t-shirt and jeans

     L'Oreal's Birthday!!

     School Board Visit at Lee (12:30-2:30)

     Flu Clinic (1:00-1:45) Let us know if you need coverage for your class

Oct 20- Cohort B Reading Academy Day

     Grade Shirt and Jeans

     Staff Meeting (3:15 Cafeteria)

Oct 21- Cohort A Reading Academy Day

Oct 22- Cohort A Reading Academy Day

RED RIBBON WEEK IS ONE WEEK AWAY!  

Week of October 11, 2021

Thank you for hosting parent/learner conferences tomorrow and Friday.  What a great time to build connections with your familLEEs.  I want you to know I appreciate all of your hard work to communicate the strengths and areas for growth on each child.  If a parent did not attend the conference on the designated days, please do your best to set up an alternative time/method to review data with them.  As we have data to document potential learning loss, we must keep parents informed.  

Tuesday is another first day of school for all of us.  Parents do have permission to walk their learners to your classrooms on Tuesday.  We are still not permitting guests at lunch.  I request that you please email all parents on your 2nd 9 weeks roster, on the 8th, to make sure they know who their classroom designer is and so that you know how their learner will be going home on Tuesday.  

High praise to all of you.  You make such an impact with our learners and families.  ENJOY these words from a departing famiLEE member:  

The journey that our family had with Lee was an affectionate one, an exciting one, and will be one full with sweet memories!  We honestly can't thank you and everyone enough for taking such amazing care of our two little men.  All they talk about is their teachers, friends and the school routines and facilities when they get home daily. They always discuss how kind their teachers are and how teachers share their knowledge and experiences, how polite and sweet the school staff is, and how charming and smart their Sheriff is!  Everyone is so so so awesome at Richard J Lee Elementary.  Thank you a million times over for loving both our little men and embracing them for their short journey with all of you!!!

DID YOU KNOW

• we have finalized our new arrival and dismissal plan?  Here is the link.  Thank you Hannah for taking this on and for houses working out responsibilities.
• the 2nd 9 weeks Specials schedule is attached to the RJL Master Schedule (2nd tab) now?  Please do your best to drop learners off and pick them up on time.  Our Specials ladies have to have time to sanitize between each class.  If you get to Specials early, please wait until your scheduled time.  If a class is still there when you go to leave, will you please deliver them to their next destination?
• a second lunch line will be opening up on Tuesday?  Can we get an OH YEAH!  Please help by having learners in line by classes.  Charlene has requested a line of K, 2, 4 and a line of 1, 3, 5.  If learners have a temporary badge (until the official ones arrive) this will help with learner IDs and a speedier checkout.
• for lunch for the 2nd 9 weeks, learners should sit at tables of 7, by grade, in the cafeteria?  Please make a seating chart to assist with contact tracing.  Once we no longer have to contact trace, we will go back to learner choice of seating.
• Priscilla submitted a Coppell Education Foundation Grant for Strawbees?  Please share this link with your FamiLEEs in case they would like to support her.  

SECOND FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

With it being the second first day of this year, we will give permission for parents to walk their learners to your spaces on Tuesday, only.  We will request they leave the building by the time morning broadcast begins.

Please revisit procedures and practice, practice, practice this week.  There are some learners who have not been in school in two years.  Let's keep in mind these learners have been through trauma, so you may see some behaviors that are not typical of your age of student.  Please reach out to Angela or Chantel or Leigh Ann for any help.  

REVISITING RESPECT AGREEMENTS

Please create new respect agreements with your classes for the 2nd 9 weeks.  Remember there should be FOUR quadrants: Learner to Learner, Learner to Designer, Designer to Learner, and Learner to School.  All four quadrants should have 3 to 4 bullets with short phrases (ex: be honest, hands to self, feet off furniture, etc.).  

CAMPUS GOAL

Part of our campus goal is digital citizenship.  Please review the CISD Learner Digital Orientation Lesson in Schoology.  It is imperative we review responsible use for technology and digital footprint.  Learners should NEVER erase their history.  REMIND THEM OF THIS- Admin and Designers should be checking this periodically to help learners with accountability. After teaching the lesson, have learners sign a new Digital Citizenship agreement/poster and post it by your respect agreement.

MORNING MEETINGS

Morning circles are going to help learners (and you) as we transition.  THEY ARE A REQUIREMENT IN CISD.  They provide social/emotional support in your space.  You should have a structure within the class meeting to foster authentic relationships, provide safety for everyone's voice to be heard and allow vulnerability to occur.  Class meetings build secure relationships in a safe and structured setting.  If you need "talking pieces" please see Angela or ask your learners what they want to use.  We are happy to purchase for you.  (We have plenty of rubber chickens left over from the first Spirit Rally 😊)  Don't forget you have the CISD SEL Morning Meeting curriculum document as a resource.  We reviewed at Back to School an it should be used in your lesson design.  Thank you to Nikki Hunt and her famous learners for sharing their morning meeting with me this morning.  Check it out here! (it is safe to download to watch- I also emailed it out)

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PRACTICES

With 350 families returning to Lee for the first time, please review the arrival and dismissal practices at Lee.   Resend this document and these images in your weekly newsletters.

VIRTUAL PTO MEETING

We have our second VIRTUAL PTO Meeting on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm.  A Zoom link will be emailed to staff to share with parents, at 8:00 AM on Tuesday.

WRITE A CHECK
Write a Check starts this week.  This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so it is imperative that you talk up this three week event with our learners so their parents will participate.  

CMSW FEEDER NIGHT

All of us are invited to attend this event at CMSW.  

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

Dyslexia is a reading disability characterized by the inability to read at a level that is consistent with the child's grade. Learner might know letter sounds but have a difficult time putting the sounds together to read words.  Click here to hear dyslexia experts explain and share their experiences with dyslexia, being dyslexic, and working with people with dyslexia.

RED RIBBON WEEK APPROACHING

Speaking of RED...we will participate in these Spirit Days the last week in October.   Please let our FamiLEEs know now so that they may prepare.

DLC UPDATES

As we welcome back all learners face-to-face in CISD, now is a great time to ensure that all student iPads are ready for instructional use. Here are a few steps  you can do with your learners, or have families complete at home, to clean-up learner devices.

COACHES CORNER

Happy Second Quarter!!

As we begin our journey into the second nine weeks, find time to reflect on your craft. Ask yourself probing questions and jot down your thoughts. It is also important that we give our learners time to be in solitude and reflect on their learning. Use that sacred time for yourself too. Consider reflecting on your goal or on your teaching practices. Jot down your thoughts on a journal or on your bulb. 

I bet you just said, “When do I find time to do that?” 

The answer: How about when the learners are reflecting? 

Model uninterrupted time for complete solitude and reflection. 

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


ESL UPDATES

Provide opportunities for collaborative work

Learning is social. ELs especially benefit from collaborating with other students and not just other ELs. They need to discuss, communicate, listen to, read with, negotiate, problem solve with students of all types. Groups should be fluid and flexible. Sometimes partners and other times groups. This type of setting also lowers the affective filter for ELs while allowing everyone an opportunity to participate.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Oct 11- NO SCHOOL

     Kristina's Birthday

Oct 12- Welcome back to all learners

     Education Foundation shirt and jeans

     Shanna's Birthday

     Grades Due (8:00 AM)

     CMSW Feeder Night (5:00 PM)

     Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00 PM)

     Write a Check Fundraising Begins

Oct 13- Pink RJL Cares Cancer t-shirt and jeans (Here is the link if you want to order one to participate)

     Leadership Team Meeting (3:15 Laura's Space)

Oct 15- Wear a RED shirt with your jeans to Light it Up for Dyslexia

     1st 9 Weeks Grades go home (electronically)

Oct 16- Alex's Birthday

RED RIBBON WEEK IS A FEW WEEKS AWAY

Week of October 4, 2021

THANK YOU ALL FOR ANOTHER AMAZING WEEK AT LEE!  Thank you to Social Spurs for the gift cards for our custodians. Please make time to thank our custodians when you see them.  WHAT A HARD JOB!  I have LOVED hearing how some of you took care of yourselves after school on Wednesday.  Time is the best gift on the planet!  CISD is starting "Fun Fridays" and tomorrow is the first one at Lee Elementary.  To kick this off...tomorrow is our homemade cookie exchange to celebrate #NationalHomeadeCookieDay.  Don't forget to bring two dozen and trade before 11:00 AM.  YUM!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that Stephanie and Priscilla created an October Conjuring Curiosity activity for you to use with all learners?  THANK YOU, gals, for creating Keynote and PDF versions.  We are #luckyatlee to have your brains to create an activity that fosters curiosity and creativity in our kiddos. 
• I found this great site for online safety for kids and parents?  Please share with your parents!  It is part of our campus goal and you can add to your Bulb.
• starting October 12 we will be on a 7 day schedules rotation?  The staff calendar is updated with days through December 9.  Here is a copy of the 7 Day Specials rotation schedule (will be finalized by Monday). Thank you Specials for processing this with Admin and sharing directions about Day 7 with Red and Green classroom designers.
• all classroom teachers should email your new rosters a welcome back to 2nd 9weeks message at 8:00 AM on 8th?  It is a great time to use Parent Square if you aren't using it, already!

EARLY RELEASE LUNCH ORDERS

Please send learners to pick up their lunches at these times:

• Blue- 10:00
• Yellow- 10:15
• Green- 10:30
• Red- 10:45
• Purple- 11:00

WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and the first Monday of every October is World Day of Bullying Prevention.  On this day students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying.  We want you and your learners to join us to stop bullying and cyberbullying by wearing a blue shirt on Monday.

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

Encourage learners to participate the first Wednesday of each month.

 

SPIRIT RALLY

We will host our Fall Spirit Rally on Wednesday from 2:00-3:00.  Please have learners packed up in your spaces before we call you down over the intercom. 

 

STAFF MEETING WEDNESDAY

In place of Staff Meeting, please plan to enter report card grades and comments on Wednesday afternoon from 3:15-4:30.  A reminder that comments should be personalized and positive and that our struggling learners' grades should reflect their difficulties.  Remember to put your name in the comment for learners who will not be with you after this nine weeks.  Final grades/comments are due in the system by 8:00 AM on Tuesday, October 12.

EARLY RELEASE ON THURSDAY

Thursday is an early release for students.  Please remind parents!  Your duty free lunch and conference time are whatever time you need after 12:30, so you may need a snack when your children eat lunch (if you are like me and 12:30 is late for lunch).  In order to ensure all learners and teachers get their Team Times before the start of the next 9 weeks, there are the following adjustments on the Lee Calendar for next week:  

• Tuesday changes from day A3 to day A5 so 5th grade has Team Time on this day
• Wed is Day B0 (no Team Time) because we have Spirit Rally from 2:00-3:00
• Thursday is 3rd (8:15-9:15), 4th (9:20-10:20), Kinder (10:25-11:25), Specials (11:30-12:30)Team Times

FALL CONFERENCES

Make sure you document when you personally reach out to parents who do not attend a Fall Conference.  If you don't document it, it didn't happen.  Please make sure to let your face to face parents know where to meet you for your conferences on Friday.  Remember...your space is a reflection of you and the learning that happens there.  While learning can get messy, Conference Day isn't the best day to showcase that!  Please make sure all spaces are on point.

RESPECT AGREEMENTS

Please build time in your lesson design, for the week of October 11, to include time to redesign your respect agreements with your classes.  New copies should be sent to Leigh Ann for our discipline binder.

PARENT SQUARE

Please share this information letter with parents regarding Parent Square.  KUDOS to those of you that are already using this resource!!  You may have remembered Chip saying during his training that he survived a coma.  If you want a "feel good moment" and a reminder of the power of prayer, feel free to watch his story, here. (totally optional) He is a walking miracle!

SAVE THE DATE

  

OCTOBER IS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
Each week, this month, Melissa will share videos and information to build our Each week, this month, Melissa will share videos and information to build our awareness of dyslexia.  You can also follow her on Twitter to see what learners do in their MLI class.  This short clip information on dyslexia.  Also, did you know...Apple has several helpful assistive technology tools for your learners with dyslexia to use on their iPad? Click here for Apple's guide to Accessibility.  Below is a list of options in accessibility that could be helpful:

• Speech- speak selections and Speak Screens
• Highlight content
• Dictation (Click microphone and enable)
• Reader view on Safari
• Color Filter / Invert colors
• Predictive Keyboard

DLC UPDATE

🙈 Stuck in a lag when airplaying on your Vivitek board?🙈 Double check to make sure you have updated your board's software.  Just like updating your phone or iPad's iOS, keeping your board updated is the first line of defense in fixing bugs, running smoothly and gaining access to new features. The newest update is rumored to help cut down on Airplay lag! ✅ Learn more about updating your board in the Coppell DLC Bulb collection! Your DLC can also provide helpful tips and ideas to get the most out of this tool, including instructional strategies like these!

COACH'S CORNER

Rehearsal and Practice

 

Learning requires rehearsal and practice. The more the teacher varies the practice, the more likely kids are to engage in learning. Rehearsal and practice that allows for collaborative work also help learners self-correct misconceptions. Each week for the month of October, I will share an instructional strategy that you can use to rehearse learning. 

Instructional Strategy | Rehearsal and Practice | Fact or Fib Showdown

Instructions:

1. ​​Assign each student a thinking partner.

2. Students create a FACT card and a FIB card and hold one in each hand.

3. Present students with a statement (fact or fib) relating to the content of the lesson.

4. Allow students 5-8 seconds to infer if the statement is a FACT or a FIB.

5. Say, “One! Two! Three! Showdown!” and students slap down their response card.

6. Students then take turns justifying their response to their thinking partner.Students pick up their FACT or FIB card and put it back in their hand.

7. Students pick up their FACT or FIB card and put it back in their hand.

8. Teacher clarifies/verifies the appropriate answer.

9. Repeat steps 3 – 8 with each statement.

Helpful Hints:

• Hand sanitize before and after participating.

• Role play how to slap answer cards down in an appropriate way.

• Provide response stem, “I slapped down fact because”; pair with a supportive peer. 

Materials:

• 4-6 FACT or FIB statements (may include visuals)

• post-its or paper for FACT/FIB cards

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

Value and encourage native language

Honoring a child’s native language has many benefits both for a child’s self-esteem and academically. Language is part of who we are. Encouraging their native language sends a message that their identity is valued and respected in our classroom and world. If a student has a language other than English that they can tap into and refer back to, we should let them! This is big. Literacy is literacy in any language. Bridging the languages helps to build the target language.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Oct 4- Wear blue with your blue jeans

Oct 5- Ed Foundation t-shirt with jeans

Oct 6- College shirt with jeans

     Spirit Rally (2:00 Gym)

     Staff Meeting (3:15-4:30 Work on Report Cards)

Oct 7- Spirit Shirt and Jeans

     CMSW Football Players greet in the morning

     Early Release (12:30)

Oct 8-  Fall Conference Day

     Professional Dress

Oct 11- NO SCHOOL

RED RIBBON WEEK IS THREE WEEKS AWAY!