Week of April 27, 2026

We made it through another day of state testing...yay! Just one more test day to go.

As a small thank you, lunch from Market Street will be provided on Tuesday with rice bowls and both veggie and meat options. Thank you to Amy for coordinating lunch for everyone and to Angel for keeping STAAR running so smoothly. If there is one fun perk of testing season, it might just be the catered lunches...yum!

Thank you to our entire staff for the care and effort you pour into preparing learners for each next grade level. Your work shows every day. And thank you as well for balancing end-of-year assessments on top of everything else. We know it is a lot, and we appreciate all you are doing.

DID YOU KNOW:

• May 5th will be the final cycle of collaborative meetings for Team Time? Learners will still go to Team Time from 2-3 until the last week, but this means the last meeting day for Team Time in the conference room is May 14.  Please use the last Team Time hour to work on end of year report card comments and preparations for Conference Day. 
• respect agreements must be revisited?  We are seeing an uptick in misbehaviors.  Please keep praising the great behavior our learners are displaying, but also keep those routines tight. Let's finish strong!
• as mentioned at staff meeting, on May 11, learners who take the Panorama Survey will join Admin in the cafe?  We hope this helps with one of your end of year "to dos" and can take one item off of your list.
• tomorrow, Friday, we will be done with all end of year summatives?  What great time spent with each of you.  That said, please make sure you have signed all documents in Power school and by May 15 you have your Student Growth Final Submission submitted. 

MTSS ON THURSDAY

KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP

We will host Kindergarten Round Up on Thursday night.  If you would like to meet our newest Spurs and help at the event, please reach out to Taylor.  We will take all the help we can get!  Thank you, Kindergarten team and those that have already volunteered your time!  It is a fun night.

SCHOOL LUNCH HERO DAY IS FRIDAY

Social Spurs will be gifting our cafeteria gift cards on Friday, and if you feel inclined, please help your class recognize our ladies any way you see fit. For inspiration and ideas, feel free to explore the website. No gesture is too small, and every bit of appreciation makes a difference!

RJL BOARD POSITIONS OPEN

Join the fun and make a difference by serving on the PTO Board for the 2026–27 school year! We have a variety of roles available to fit any schedule, whether you have a little time or a lot to give.

Click here to explore open positions, see what to expect, and submit your application. We’d love for you to be part of the team! Applications close Friday, May 1st.

COPPELL ED FOUNDATION RUN TO FUND SATURDAY

YOU CAN STILL REGISTER!!! Join us on Saturday, May 2 for the 14th Annual CEF Run to Fund at Andy Brown East! Choose your way to participate:

• 🏅 5K Run

• 👟 1-Mile Family Fun Run

• 😴 Sleep-In & Support

Proceeds will allow CEF to bring innovative teacher support and learning opportunities to all students in CISD. Bonus: $2 from every entry goes directly to the PE department at the CISD school of your choice!

Sign up today and support CISD classrooms! coppellisdef.org/run-to-fund/

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IS ALMOST HERE

Game on! 🎲 Teacher Appreciation Week is May 4–8. Help us celebrate our amazing Lee Designers and Staff all week long. Check out all the details below on how you can join in the game of appreciation throughout the week! Make sure to check out the staff Favorites list to get a head start on your game plan!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

As part of giving back to our staff during Teacher Appreciation Week this year, we’d like to cover lunch duty on May 4th and drop off car line duty on May 6th to allow our teachers and staff to enjoy their special meals together. Please sign up here to show your appreciation and volunteer!

SUPPORT THE LEARNERS AND STAFF FOR FIELD DAY

The coaches have asked for our help this year for field day, and we need all our parents’ helping hands to make it a success! Please sign up to contribute through volunteering or donating! Whether you can spare some time to supervise the little ones at the event on May 8th or to provide snacks to keep our staff energized, every bit counts! NOTE: This signup will go out to other volunteer organizations soon, so if you plan to volunteer, grab your slot asap!

Reminder, all volunteers will need a completed background check for this school year.

REMINDER FROM LAS

RJL SENIOR RECEPTION- SAVE THE DATE

Please help us spread the word as we welcome back former Spurs to Lee Elementary.  We can't wait to see our learners back at Lee.

KINDERGARTEN PROJECT OPEN FOR CAMPUS PARTICIPATION
Please start sharing with learners and families that Zoo Crew will be at Lee on May 15. This mobile truck will have stuffed animals that will be made with the learners during the school day. They will bring them home in a string backpack with a birth certificate. Here is the link to order one of the two packages online.

FIFTH GRADE GRADUATION SAVE THE DATE

STORAGE ROOMS AND INVENTORY

It is that time where you need to start inventorying and organizing your storage closets.  Please make this a team effort and not left to Leadership.  HINT:  START NOW!!  Here is the NEWEST Shared Curriculum List.  You will be forced to make a copy.  Thank you to Sam, Hannah, and Layne for working on getting our list even more organized.  We will have you share your house inventory on the last 1/2 day of school.  Please wait to complete your Furniture Inventory until May 22.  Thank you!

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Responsibility- Making the right choice to be reliable and dependable

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

After we eat, we will clean up after ourselves.  This includes cleaning off the tables and making sure we haven’t left any trash on the floor or around the eating area.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you.  Never excuse yourself.”- Henry Ward Beecher

DATES TO REMEMBER

EOY MAP/MCLASS WINDOW

ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

April 27- School Board Meeting (6:00 PM)

April 28- Day 0

STAAR Math Test

National School Bus Driver Appreciation Day

Kindergarten Zoo Field Trip

First Grade Arboretum Field Trip

April 29- Morgan's Birthday

Red House Field Trip (Interskate)

Onboarding (3:15 Off-site)

April 30- Kathy's Birthday

Flex Hours DUE (18 for 187 day employees)

30 Hours GT DUE

MTSS (Conference Time)

Kindergarten Round Up (5:30 Cafe)

May 1- Hannah B's Birthday

3rd Grade Economics Fair Day

School Lunch Hero Day

May 2- CISD Run to Fund

Week of April 20, 2026

We are SUPER EXCITED for this week's STEAM NIGHT and our family picnic!  Thank you for being present at this campus event and to everyone for all of your hard work and preparations! Priscilla has gone above and beyond to prepare and this event is not possible without all of your attendance and enthusiasm.  PTO says the food trucks should be here at 4:00 if you want to beat the lines.  

THANK YOU, AMY, FOR ALL YOU DO!

DID YOU KNOW:

• STEAM Night will mean there are people all over the building? Please lock the closed classrooms and make sure your open spaces have items put up that you do not what disturbed.
• Wednesday is National Administrative Professional's Day?  Please drop by and share your appreciation with Amy.
• Samira sent out a Google Form out to solicit feedback?  Please take time to provide her information.
• Dr. Shivers will be at our Staff Meeting on Wednesday?  Then we will conclude with Field Day.  See you there!

STEAM NIGHT / FAMILEE PICNIC

The course was sent in a ParentSquare from Mrs. Shaner.  It shows which activities are being offered in each house and in the media center.

This will be an event you WON'T want to miss!

• The FamiLEE Feud game will be back with ALL NEW content.
• Come build a FamiLEE Future City with Ms. Keiko in the Media Center! Decorate a cup, plant seeds, and add it to the "city" model to bring more greenery.
• We will have a STEAM Night photo opportunity with props created by STEAM Club.
• Cardboard Craft activity. Come give the ChompSaw a try! 
• Coding challenge
• Math & Art activities 
• Engineering Design, Collaboration and Communication Challenges
• Opportunities for free build with Rigamajig and blocks/planks

STEAM NIGHT AND FAMILEE BACKYARD BASH

We are so excited to invite you to our Spring FamiLEE Picnic & Backyard Bash on Thursday April 23rd, following STEAM night! Enjoy a DJ, food trucks, games, a raffle contest, and more. It’s sure to be an evening to remember—so grab your lawn chairs and picnic blankets and mark your calendars today!

Raffle prizes include spa experiences, family fun, reserved parking, and more! Be sure to check out the Spur Store to purchase your raffle tickets in advance!

STEAM Night: 5:00–7:00 PM            Backyard Bash: 6:00–8:00 PM

EVERY KID HEALTHY WEEK IS HERE

STAAR SCIENCE ON MONDAY

Please remind parents that there will be no visitors on campus on Monday, April 20. We also ask that students avoid scheduling doctor appointments, avoid late arrivals, and do not have early pick-ups on this day.  Thank you for keeping the building quiet and secure.

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION BREAKFAST

A friendly reminder that the volunteer breakfast is on Wednesday, so don't forget to bring in your contributions.  Thank you to those of you that offered to get here early to set up and to those that are helping to clean up.  All leftovers will be brought to the staff lounge afterwards for you all to enjoy.  This invitation was sent to our school volunteers for you.

FROM THE LIBRARY- AUTHOR VISIT IS HERE

Please follow the author visit schedule on the tab labeled 2026 Author Visit on the Master Schedule Document.  The link can be found on our Lee Links document.

RJL BOARD POSITIONS OPEN

Join the fun and make a difference by serving on the PTO Board for the 2026–27 school year! We have a variety of roles available to fit any schedule, whether you have a little time or a lot to give.

Click here to explore open positions, see what to expect, and submit your application. We’d love for you to be part of the team! Applications close May 1st.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

As part of giving back to our staff during Teacher Appreciation Week this year, we’d like to cover lunch duty on May 4th and drop off car line duty on May 6th to allow our teachers and staff to enjoy their special meals together. Please sign up here to show your appreciation and volunteer!

COPPELL ED FOUNDATION RUN TO FUND MAY 3

Join us Saturday, May 2 for the 14th Annual CEF Run to Fund at Andy Brown East! Choose your way to participate:

• 🏅 5K Run

• 👟 1-Mile Family Fun Run

• 😴 Sleep-In & Support

Proceeds will allow CEF to bring innovative teacher support and learning opportunities to all students in CISD. Bonus: $2 from every entry goes directly to the PE department at the CISD school of your choice!

Sign up today and support CISD classrooms! coppellisdef.org/run-to-fund/

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK IS COMING UP

Teacher Appreciation Week will be here before we know it!! We will be celebrating our amazing Designers and Staff at Lee all week long May 4-8! Be on the lookout for more details coming soon. In the meantime, check out the staff Favorites list to get a jumpstart on ideas for spreading the love!

SUPPORT THE LEARNERS AND STAFF FOR FIELD DAY
The coaches have asked for our help this year for field day, and we need all our parents’ helping hands to make it a success! Please sign up to contribute through volunteering or donating! Whether you can spare some time to supervise the little ones at the event on May 8th or to provide snacks to keep our staff energized, every bit counts! NOTE: This signup will go out to other volunteer organizations soon, so if you plan to volunteer, grab your slot asap!

Reminder, all volunteers will need a completed background check for this school year.

COACH'S CORNER

🌟 Ending the Year Strong

Testing season is winding down — and there's still plenty of good learning left. A few ideas by grade band, but any of these could be used at any grade level:

• K–1 — Celebrate growth with a simple "I used to... now I can..." reflection, or a memory book where students draw their favorite moments. Keep read-alouds going; books about transitions spark great conversation right now.
• 2–3 — Try Expert Projects, where each student teaches the class something they know how to do. Low stress, high engagement, and a great way to end the year with student voice at the center.
• 4–5 — TED-style student talks — students pick something they're genuinely passionate about and give a short 2-3 minute presentation to the class. The topics will surprise you, and the energy in the room when a kid is talking about something they actually care about is worth every minute.

All grades 🍎 — This is also a great time to dig into Apple's Everyone Can Create resources — free guides for drawing, photography, music, and video that help students use their iPads to create and think critically, not just consume. A perfect fit for the end of the year when there's a little more room to breathe.

Across all grades, the end of the year is a gift if we treat it that way. 💡 Want help planning something for your class? Book time with me!

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Resiliency- recovering from or adjusting easily to misfortune or change

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Accept that you are going to make mistakes. Learn from them and move on.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Effort only fully releases its reward after a person refuses to quit.” -Napoleon

DATES TO REMEMBER:

SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH

NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

EOY MAP & MCLASS TESTING WINDOW

EOY PANORAMA WINDOW

April 20-  Day 0

     STAAR Science

April 21- 4/5 Progress Report Grades Due (8:00)

     1st Grade Field Trip

     Summative Meetings

April 22- Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast

     National Administrative Professional's Day

     Blue House Do Good Day

     Summative Meetings

     Griffin's Birthday

     Progress Reports Generated

     Staff Meeting (3:15 Cafe) Dr. Shivers will be in attendance and Field Day Expectations

April 23- Lee Author Visit

     Summative Meetings

     FamiLEE Event and STEAM Night (5:00-7:00)

April 24- Jamie's Birthday

     Summative Meetings

     3rd Grade to see Cinderella at Coppell Arts Center

April 26- Brittany's Birthday

Week of April 13, 2026

WOW!  Our first STAAR Test is here and thank you to the entire staff for all you to do prepare all learners for this day.  It doesn't just happen in the testing grades. Reminder that I am out all next week, so please reach out to Angel if you need anything.

DID YOU KNOW?

• we have our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast on April 22?  Please sign up to bring something as a way to say THANKS to all of our volunteers.  We expect about 100 people.  Thank you to Hanna for heading up this special event.
• Human Resources is opening the window for Employee Transfer Requests beginning April 14, 2026 -May 22, 2026?  Not that we want ANY of you to go anywhere!
• we have some replacements if your classroom grey cart is getting wonky or is broken?  Please let CK know if you need one.
• items from your Shared Curriculum List should have been delivered this week?  Your house inventory should be back to standard now.

VIRTUAL PTO MEETING

Mark your calendar! Our next virtual PTO Meeting is coming up on Tuesday April 14th, at 6:00 PM. Join us for exciting updates from your PTO and RJL Admin Team.

Link to post Questions : Submit questions for Principal or PTO anonymously before the meeting by visiting rjlpto.org/rjlspeaks

Meeting Link : Will be emailed home Tuesday morning.

CMSW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL NIGHT

West Soccer will be hosting an Elementary School Night at Coppell Middle School West next Thursday from 5:00-6:30pm, and YOU'RE INVITED! This will be a great opportunity for everybody to come have a fun night and get excited about middle school/sports at the next level. All CRE, Lee, and VRE school students will get in FREE, and it'll be fun for the whole family— Here are a few of the fun things you can look forward to! 😊

• Cheering on our awesome soccer team in their first game of the season!
• Getting your face painted by one of our amazing athletes!
• Playing some fun games led by our awesome athletes!
• Scoring some goals on the middle school field during halftime!
• Ordering some delicious snacks and drinks from our concession stand!

COPPELL EARTHFEST

Want something fun to do on Saturday, April 18?  Join us at Andy Brown Park East for our stations showcasing outdoor learning from our Lee learners.

STEAM NIGHT COMING SOON

Check out our STEAM Night Course Catalog HERE so you can plan ahead for the activities you would like to do with your families. Mrs. Shaner will be discussing the activities during our April PTO meeting.

This will be an event you WON'T want to miss!

• The FamiLEE Feud game will be back with ALL NEW content.
• Come build a FamiLEE Future City with Ms. Keiko in the Media Center! Decorate a cup, plant seeds, and add it to the "city" model to bring more greenery.
• We will have a STEAM Night photo opportunity with props created by STEAM Club.
• Cardboard Craft activity. Come give the ChompSaw a try! 
• Coding challenges
• Math & Art activities 
• Engineering Design, Collaboration and Communication Challenges
• Opportunities for free build with Rigamajig and blocks/planks

FAMILEE BACKYARD BASH COMING SOON

We are so excited to invite you to our Spring FamiLEE STEAM NIGHT and Outdoor FamiLEE Picnic on April 23rd. We will have a DJ, food trucks, games, a raffle contest and more! It is sure to be an evening to remember. Please mark your calendars today and plan to join us! 

STEAM NIGHT 5:00-7:00pm                              Backyard Bash 6-8:00pm

EVERY KID HEALTHY WEEK IS HERE NEXT WEEK

FROM THE LIBRARY- AUTHOR VISIT NEXT WEEK

KINDERGARTEN ROUND UP ON APRIL 30

COPPELL ED FOUNDATION RUN TO FUND MAY 3

Join us Saturday, May 2 for the 14th Annual CEF Run to Fund at Andy Brown East! Choose your way to participate:

• 🏅 5K Run

• 👟 1-Mile Family Fun Run

• 😴 Sleep-In & Support

Proceeds will allow CEF to bring innovative teacher support and learning opportunities to all students in CISD. Bonus: $2 from every entry goes directly to the PE department at the CISD school of your choice!

Sign up today and support CISD classrooms! coppellisdef.org/run-to-fund/

RJL PTO BOARD 2026-2027 APPLICATIONS DUE

Join the fun and serve your community on the PTO Board for the upcoming 2025-26 school year! We have roles that will be a great fit for you, no matter how much or how little time you have to give. Click here for all the details on what to expect, the open positions, and the application form. We’d love you to join us! Applications close May 1st. Please feel free to email PTO, or join us at the virtual PTO meeting on April 14th to learn more and ask any questions!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

As part of giving back to our staff during Teacher Appreciation Week this year, we’d like to cover lunch duty on May 4th and drop off car line duty on May 6th to allow our teachers and staff to enjoy their special meals together. Please sign up here to show your appreciation and volunteer!

COACH'S CORNER

Rethinking Test Prep, Week 4: High Impact, Low Prep

Last one in the series — and I saved the most practical for last. These take minimal setup and deliver a lot of thinking.

• 🃏 Quiz-Quiz-Trade — Students each hold a question card, pair up, quiz each other, trade cards, and find a new partner. Self-paced, social, and keeps everyone moving and thinking.
• 🪑 Seat Swap — Students work on a problem or response, then rotate to a new seat and pick up where the previous person left off. Each student builds on someone else's thinking — and gets a window into how their classmates approach the same content.
• 🤔 Would You Rather? (Content Version) — "Would you rather explain the water cycle or the rock cycle — and why?" Students justify their choice with actual content knowledge and you get a window into their reasoning.

This wraps up the series! If you want to keep building out your review toolkit before testing season is over, I'd love to come in and plan or co-teach alongside you. Just let me know! 🙂

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Friendship- Caring for; trusting one another

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

“Do not save seats in the lunchroom.  If someone wants to sit down, let him or her.  Do not try to exclude anyone. We are a family, and we must treat one another with respect and kindness.”

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“The reason dogs have so many friends is because they wag their tails and not their tongues”- Anonymous

DATES TO REMEMBER:

SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH

NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

EOY MAP & MCLASS TESTING WINDOW

EOY SUMMATIVE WINDOW

EOY PANORAMA WINDOW OPENS

April 14- Virtual PTO Mtg. (6:00)

April 15- Flex Learning (3:15)

April 16- CMSW Feeder Night