Week of November 3

We had an absolute TREAT with pampering you with snacks this week.  THANK YOU for another amazing week at Lee!  Congratulations to our second "name-changer," Nicole.  We know you will be a beautiful bride on Saturday!


DID YOU KNOW?

• that we have Lego Robitic Kits?  If you (or any of your learners) are interested in learning more about these, please put in a help desk ticket to James.  He will need to add software to computers.
• that the shelving for your storage rooms is in!  Louis is scheduling his guys to come out and install them.  YAHOO!!!
• that only paper is supposed to go in your slotted recycling cans?  We are bringing a large round blue can to each house for plastic bottle and aluminum can recycling.
• that there are microphones for presentations on the stage or flex area of the library.  See CK or TH if you want to utilize these microphones.

SITE VISITS ON TUESDAY

We will have MANY visitors from the North Texas Regional Consortium visiting RJL on Tuesday.  Please represent your best during these visits.  We are considered an exemplar campus BECAUSE OF YOU!  Our LEEdership team reviewed what makes our building an exemplar campus.  Please reflect on the photograph of our work and ensure that you showcase these everyday, but especially on Tuesday.  You can expect visitors from 9:00-11:00 and 12:45-2:00.  THANK YOU!

LEE "LEE"DERSHIP COUNCIL

Tuesday, November 4, is Election Day.  One of my professional goals is communication and I would like to start with the creation of our first learner leadership council.  Some time next week, I KNOW this is short notice, please vote on, as a class, one leader to represent your space.  This person must be a strong communicator, respected by their peers, and be voted on.  Please let me know who your LEEder is by the end of the day on Tuesday.  Please ensure that the democratic process is practiced; it aligns beautifully with your curriculum.  As your candidates "run" for this position the stipulations are:

1. They can spend no more than $5 on their campaign
2. They must present a brief presentation in front of the class and be dressed professionally (age approp)
3. They may pass out marketing, but it cannot be food (ex: self created buttons on construction paper, little notes: Vote for Diana, etc.)

TEACHER OF THE YEAR NOMINATIONS EXTENDED UNTIL TUESDAY 4PM

Every fall in CISD, educators are nominated by their peers to be the campus Teacher of the Year.  SO MANY OF YOU exemplify the characteristics of a Teacher of the Year.  Please look at the following documents and timelines and nominate a peer.

• CISD TOY Presentation
• TOY Timeline
• TOY Nomination Form
• TOY Campus Nomination Rubric

LUNCH AND RECESS UPDATE
In addition, I cannot stress enough, that you MUST walk around and spread out during recess time.  Some parents live right across the street and our playgrounds are visible from the street.  We cannot afford for people to assume we are visiting and not watching learners while out there.  Spreading apart will help squash any misconceptions.  THANK YOU!

Please talk with your house leader about a plan for lunch and recess.  I shared with the leadership team that a consistent person on lunch/recess duty is helpful in maintaining consistency with the learners.  Some houses already have the same designers on lunch duty and the same on recess.  Please work on considering this if your house is not doing so.


UPDATE ON BALANCED LITERACY (from Curriculum Courier)

more on this will be shared at our Staff Meeting on Wednesday

• Vocabulary- A vocabulary committee met last year to work on identifying and aligning vocabulary at each grade. The district is in the process of completing the vocabulary lists for each grade and will begin the process of K-12 alignment of vocabulary this fall. More information will come!

• Spelling- This year educators have been given the flexibility to use Words Their Way as a spelling program or the program that came with the Reading Street adoption.  If educators choose to use the spelling program that came with the adoption, they must remember to include some kind of word work in their balanced literacy block.

• Write From the Beginning and Beyond- WFBB is a mandatory district program. Campuses should be working on refining their expository writing process and training new educators in expository writing.  All campuses should be training their staff on narrative writing this year.

• Standards Based Report Cards- The district has been researching a solution to eliminate educators taking letter grades and filling out the standards-based grading portion of the fourth grade report card. Communication on a possible solution will be going out in October to fourth grade educators followed up by an optional round-table discussion after school in November. 

THANKFUL FOR BOOKS

Our Storybook Parade will be on Friday!  Here is the form Lauren created to share with your parents. We cannot wait to see what our staff favorites are, too!

SO YOU THINK YOU "CAN" DANCE
Shine up your dancing shoes, our PTO will be hosting a school dance next Friday.  More info will be coming out but the event, but so far, it will include: a DJ, dancing, food trucks, popcorn, laughter and fun.  We hope you can come for a good time.  Watching Chantel and Todd dance will be a highlight, for sure!

"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” – Babe Ruth

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  If you approach a door and someone is following you, hold the door and allow the other person to pass through it first, then you can walk through.

DATES TO REMEMBER

November 2: Daylight Savings Time
November 3: Signed Report Cards Due Back 

November 4: Transformation in Action Site Visits
                      TOY Nominations Due
                      LEEder Names Due to CK
November 5: iCreate Shirt with Jeans
                      FOSS Kits Due (stage steps by end of day)
                      Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
November 6: Baby Barron Shower (3:30)
November 7: ELPS Training Due
                      Book Character Day
                      Dad's Campout @ Lee (7:00 PM - 8:00 AM)
November 11- Veteran's Day Ceremony (Cafe)
                        PTO Mtg. (6:30)
November 12- College Shirt Day with Jeans
                        Curriculum Mtg. (3:30- Specialist's Spaces)
                        4th Grade to Arboretum
November 13- Samira's Birthday
                        1st Grade Field Trip-Ft Worth Museum of Science & History
                        5th Grade Music Dress Rehearsal  (8:30 AM Cafe)
                        5th Grade Music Performance (7:00 PM Cafe)
November 14- School Dance (6:00-9:00 PM)

Week of October 27

THANK YOU for another fantastic week!  It is going to be exciting to host our first ever Spirit Rally in the gym tomorrow.  Details will be below.


DID YOU KNOW?

• that you will have at least one Design Day to work on CBL planning DURING THE SCHOOL DAY?  Once your house determines the day you would like to take: check the faculty calendar and then send the date to Chantel.  If the date is approved, we will have you complete an absence form in Formspace.  As much advanced notice as possible will help b/c we will try to get curricular support from Central Office.
• that if you get something on your idea paint wall (like regular marker) that it will come off if you write over it with a dry erase pen and erase.  This doesn't mean you have to try it, but it works!

SPIRIT RALLY
Please join us promptly at 8:00 in the gym.  This map (thank you, Todd) shows you where to sit.  We will sit by grade level during Spirit Rally.  This will give our grade levels a chance to spend some extra time together.

Today, Veronica (thank you) gave you a list of your learners with Perfect Attendance for the 1st 9 Weeks.  Please let them know who they are BEFORE they go to the gym.  They will be asked to stand so that we can recognize them.

Designers (who aren't absent) be prepared to have some fun after our Music performances.  As I mentioned on our morning broadcast, PLEASE wear your sneakers tomorrow.  10 of you will be asked to "participate" in the fun.  Hmmmmmm......

Don't forget your cameras, iPads, or phones to capture lots of pictures!

RED RIBBON WEEK
Please feel free to wear jeans if you participate in the Red Ribbon Week spirit days.  That is right; a full week of jeans ahead... Thank you, Mrs. Garvin for all of the efforts to organize this important week!

• Monday: "Band together against drugs"- wear red
• Tuesday: "Lee Learners are TOO Bright to use drugs"- wear bright colors and crazy socks
• Wednesday: "Team up against drugs"- wear team shirts/sports jerseys
• Thursday: "Living drug-free is NO seat"- wear sweatpants and sweatshirts
• Friday: "Put a cap on drugs"- wear a hat (DO NOT SHARE- LICE IS NOT NICE)

STAFF MEETING ON WEDNESDAY
This week's Staff Meeting will be replaced with a Leadership Meeting.  ANYone is welcome to come, but our Leadership team is required to attend.  We will meet in the PreK classroom set up for training.  Please bring ideas regarding our mission/guiding purpose.  Also, please bring your house tv remote control so that we can barcode it and scan it out to you.


LEARNING WALKS
On Thursday morning, I will have a parent meeting at 9:00.  At the conclusion of the meeting (9:30 or 9:45), we will be walking the building.  Please ignore us and continue the amazing work that you do!  We will try our best not to interrupt learning, but it will be a great opportunity to show our parents how we use all parts of the building.

REPORT CARDS
Please make sure that you cut off the flap to your report card envelopes when you send report cards home on Friday.  Parents, will lick them and return them to you...ewww and we want to reuse these envelopes each nine weeks.  Dr. Herauf will print report cards for you and place them in your mailboxes.  Please request that parents sign them and return them on Monday, November 3. 

LEE NIGHT AT SIMMER

Thank you to those of you that attended Simmer Night.  Your extra efforts to attend outside of school hour functions does not go unnoticed.  Next time we will pull the tables together!!


THANKFUL FOR BOOKS

Please communicate to your families that we will have a storybook parade for learners and designers on Friday, November 7.  Here is a form you can use to send home to parents.  Thank you, Mrs. Gaspard for creating this!

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Every fall in CISD, educators are nominated by their peers to be the campus Teacher of the Year.  SO MANY OF YOU exemplify the characteristics of a Teacher of the Year.  Please look at the following documents and timelines and nominate a peer.

• CISD TOY Presentation
• TOY Timeline
• TOY Nomination Form
• TOY Campus Nomination Rubric

"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high intentions, sincere effort, and skillful execution” MJ Orricho

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  If you are asked a question in conversation, you should ask a question in return.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Week of October 27: Red Ribbon Week
October 27: Nicole's Bridal Shower (3:30 Yellow House)

October 28: Report Card Grades Due in Pentamation (8:00)

October 29: House or Team Shirt Day with Jeans

                    Leadership Meeting (3:30-5:00)

                    Orange Leaf Yogurt Night (details from PTO coming)

October 30: Jessica's Birthday

                    Learn about Lee and Learning Walks (9:00)

October 31: Report Cards go Home
                    TOY Nominations Due

November 1: Parent University 2.0 @CMSN (8:00-12:00)
November 2: Daylight Savings Time
November 4: Transformation in Action Site Visits
November 5: iCreate Shirt with Jeans
                      Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
November 6: Baby Barron Shower (3:30)
November 7: ELPS Training Due
                      Book Character Day
                      Dads Day at Lee
                      Dad's Campout @ Lee (7:00pm)

Week of October 20

What a great week!  THANK YOU for helping to get our LEEders' permission to go on the Homecoming float- what an incredible experience.  THANK YOU for a heartwarming Boss's Day- WOW- Todd and I are blessed to be surrounded by such a thoughtful and generous famiLEE.


DID YOU KNOW?

• there is a Cricut in the workroom instead of a die cut machine.  I have paid for unlimited access for a year.  Veronica is going to help us learn how to use it, so stay tuned.
• that we have a tool that helps you to close your co-lab walls?  Todd and I will get a video to you demonstrating how this works.  Stay tuned for this...too. :)

PLEASE HELP
Please do not have learners place lunch boxes or backpacks on our stage.  These leak and are damaging the wood.

Please train our learners not to lean on the wall to the gym when they are in line for lunch.

LATEST AT LEE 

If you are interested in an announcement running in the Latest at Lee electronic PTO Newsletter, Please get it in to me by Wednesday morning.  I know last week we said Thursday, but at our PTO Meeting this week, they requested by Wednesday so that they can send Latest at Lee out to all of us on Fridays.  

LEARNER LED CONFERENCES 

I have received multiple emails about the outstanding experience our families have had at their LLC's.  THANK YOU for your efforts- this is because of YOU!  If for some reason, you had a parent comment that they were not satisfied with their conference, please let me know.  I want to visit with them and get their feedback.  We will conduct these at school in the Spring, again.  

In the meantime... I want you to think about the possibility of having learners conduct a LLC at home at the end of the second nine weeks and the last nine weeks.  I am open to your thoughts on this.  This is not a requirement at this time, just a thought.

EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT SUBMISSIONS

Shout out to Stacey, Roxann, and Lauren for submitting Ed Foundation Grants.  We will keep our fingers crossed that these ideas get funded- your extra efforts are noticed.  We will watch for the prize patrol to come out to Lee!

I have also seen more Donor's Choose grants out there-  way to go Ashley, Priscilla, and Lauren for seeking alternate funding for materials you need.  We have already had Layne, Nicole, and Sam's grants fulfilled!  If I forgot to mention you, or your grant, please let me know!

LEE NIGHT AT SIMMER

Please join us at Simmer on Monday night.  Lee Elementary will get 10% back during this fundraising night .

GEMS

Please take time to submit a GEM.  You all are great educators that matter, so why not take a moment and brag about a colleague.  Since there is trouble with the form, if you email yours to Todd and I this weekend, the district will still take them.

THANKFUL FOR BOOKS

For those of you who enjoy dressing up...you will be excited to hear we will have a storybook parade for learners and designers on Friday, November 7.  Here is a form you can use to send home to parents.  Thank you, Mrs. Gaspard for creating this!

FIELD TRIPS

Grade levels are starting to schedule field trips.  Keep in mind that busses can pick up as early at 8:30 and must be back to the district by 2:30.  You must send a trip description and a Field Study permission slip home for each trip.  The permission slip gets turned into the office once you return from the trip.  Lastly, let the cafeteria know when your trip is confirmed, so that they can order the correct amount of food for the cafeteria that week.

"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.”  

- Steve Jobs

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  Chew with your mouth closed and without smacking your lips.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Week of October 20: Transportation Appreciation Week
                                  CoGAT testing

October 20: Club 21 Meeting at VRE (3:30-4:30)
                    Lee Night at Simmer (5:00-Close)
October 22: Red and Black Attack Day
                    Fed Ex Day
October 24: Last Day of the 1st 9 Weeks
                    Box Top Collection Day
                    Spirit Assembly (8:00- Gym)
                    Dad's Campout

Week of October 27: Red Ribbon Week

October 28: Report Card Grades Due in Pentamation (8:00)

October 29: House Shirt Day with Jeans

                    Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)

                    Orange Leaf Yogurt Night

October 30: Jessica's Birthday

                    Learn about Lee and Learning Walks (9:00)

October 31: Report Cards go Home

November 1: Parent University 2.0 @CMSN (8:00AM)

Week of October 13

Thank you for holding down the fort while we were at Sky Ranch.  ENJOY the LONG weekend- it is well deserved!


DID YOU KNOW?

• Scaffolding is different than differentiation.  Check out this Edutopia article I found last week. 
• This is some excellent information from the designers from our Green Apple Day @ Lee.
• Teaching reading in a digital age takes some additional tools in your toolbox. Check out this article Jillian shared with me.

THANK YOU
Thank you for handling school business while we were at Sky Ranch.  The office staff handled the many questions, medicine and organized our departure.  Todd and Angela helped with sticky student and parent concerns.  Designers, you kept learners engaged, carried on "as usual" and took care of our friends who stayed home.  (Even when there is a flood and the Superintendent visits TWICE!) 

A special thank you goes out to Nick, Samira, Rachel, and Ayesha for the planning, preparation, long hours and extra supervision of students.  It was an incredible experience and one we all will remember!



SALLY RIDE TRAINING
Thank you for scheduling your learner-led conferences around Friday so that we could have Sally Ride Training.  The day starts promptly at 8:30 and will end around 3:30.  We will have an hour for lunch on your own.  We will provide breakfast muffins and snacks, so bring your favorite beverage.  Dress comfortably.


PLEASE HELP
A friendly reminder: please help turn off tv's and projectors in your spaces before leaving for the day.  We are still having trouble with this.  Don't forget your colabs.  Please take shoes off to sit in the window seats.  THANK YOU!


SPUR SAVINGS
We will have a fifth grade learner-led bank at Lee.  You received information for your learners to start up their own savings account.  Please turn forms in when they are returned.  Our first day will be the week of November 10.

LATEST AT LEE 
If you are interested in an announcement running in the Latest at Lee electronic PTO Newsletter, Please get it in to me by Thursday morning.  Please put a reminder in your weekly communication for parents to sign up to receive this newsletter.


HOMECOMING PARADE
Would you like to participate in the Homecoming Parade?  This is on a voluntary basis, but all of you are welcome to join in the fun and walk behind the float from Canyon Rd to Coppell High School.  Please send this letter home to your FIRST LEEder of the Week you nominated.  If they cannot come, please go to the next LEEder of the Week.  There is a fast turn around for this information, I apologize.


DON'T FORGET YOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT SUBMISSIONS
The Coppell Education Foundation is now accepting Grant Applications for the 2014 school year. Please see the attached application detailing the Guidelines, Grant Process, Instructions, and Timeline for this year. The deadline for all Grant Applications is October 15, 2014. Please submit all applications electronically to info@coppellisd.com AFTER I SIGN OFF ON IT.  We already have people expressing an interest in 3 opportunities.  WAY TO GO LEE!!!each house was at the end.  WAY TO GO!!! 


LEE NIGHT AT SIMMER
Don't think about cooking dinner next Monday.  Lee Elementary will have a fundraising night at Simmer in downtown Coppell.  All checks turned in give 10% back to our school.


GEMS
Please take time to submit a GEM.  You all are great educators that matter, so why not take a moment and brag about a colleague.  Let's represent at the award ceremony!


"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  "Every great dream begins with a dreamer.  Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars and change the world."  -Harriet Tubman


"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  Quickly learn the name of other learners and educators in the school and greet them by name.

DATES TO REMEMBER

October 13: NO SCHOOL

October 14: GEMS Due
                    Crisis Team Meeting (3:30)
                    PTO Meeting (6:30)
October 15: College Shirt Day
                    MAP Scores Due in AWARE
                    Staff Meeting (3:30)
                    CISD Education Foundation Grants Due (4:30)
                    Homecoming Parade (6:30)
October 16: Back to School Lunch from PTO
Week of October 20: Transportation Appreciation Week
October 20: Club 21 Meeting at VRE (3:30-4:30)
                    Lee Night at Simmer (5:00-Close)
October 22: Red and Black Attack Day
                     Fed Ex Day
October 24: Last Day of the 1st 9 Weeks
                    Spirit Assembly (8:00- Gym)
                    Dad's Campout

                    

Week of October 6

You made it through Week 6- YAY!!!  What a great visit from our Superintendent on Wednesday.  I could not be more pleased to hear how positively the district and community are receiving our school.  YOU are the reason for that- THANK YOU!!

Just a reminder: Chantel will be gone Monday - Wednesday at Sky Ranch with fifth grade.


DID YOU KNOW?

• Subs do not require conference time.  If you have a full day sub, please have them help in the specials class that your learners go to.  Also, please make sure subs help with cafeteria duty, not recess duty.
• We are aiming for LEED Gold Certification.  Here are TEKS by grade level that support LEED standards. 

GOALS DUE TO APPRAISERS
Don't forget to submit your goals in Eduphoria before leaving today.


LEARNER LED CONFERENCES
Detailed information will go out to parents in Parent Link from Chantel, but in the meantime, please start scheduling with your parents.

It is important to me that the conference takes place in a silent place (like a collab or your design studio).  We have to SHOW our parents, who are used to learning in a "traditional fashion," that there are still quiet places in the building for learners to use for these types of "meetings."  This is the reason for the large range of dates for these conferences.  Don't forget we have a conference room by the elevator that can be utilized and the preK and extra SPED room can be used, too.  Communicate to all if you are using any of the last three spaces so that we don't overbook.

It is also imperative that the school day carries on "as usual" during these conferences.  You should still be teaching your class while the learner steps out to "take care of their business" during their LLC.

PLEASE COME SEE ME IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, IDEAS,  OR CONCERNS.  


PLEASE HELP
Please take care of conserving our energy and resources.  It would help if you could turn off tv's and projectors in your spaces before leaving for the day.  Please let us know if your house does not have a remote control.  We are also leaving doors open when we go out to the playgrounds.  Please ensure that these get closed every time.  Lastly, please have learners take off their shoes when they sit in the window seats.  We have mud and dirt that are hard to get out and velcro is snagging the cushions.  THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!


CBL UPDATE
Some of you have goals related to Challenge Based Learning and others have completed or started launching house/grade level challenges.  We are SO HAPPY with the momentum!  Keep plugging forward.  If you are struggling with HOW to create authentic challenges, here is some help:

1. Start with the curriculum!  Ask yourself, "What must be taught that would lend toward a challenge?"  Science and SS are great places to start because these subjects have TEKS that can be actualized.
2. See if there is already an idea already out there that you can build upon.
3. Take a chance- YOU GOT THIS!!

Please take pictures and document your CBL along the way.  We will have celebration days where you share with our staff. 

LESSON DESIGNS ON GOOGLE DOCS
Leadership team, just a friendly reminder to please share these with Roxann, Ayesha, Amanda, and Renee.  They need these to be able to help support your curriculum needs. 


NOTE FROM THE CLINIC
Every learner coming to the clinic MUST have a clinic pass. This information is helpful in correctly identifying the learner and also helps with learner accountability.  If a learner comes to the clinic without a clinic pass, Nurse Amy has been given directions to send them back to class.

WRITE A CHECK
Thank you for all of your help to make this a huge success for our school.  I know extending WAC one more week helped us gain more funds and this is because of YOU!  It was fun with how close each house was!  Our final totals on Friday were: 

• Purple House: $2,502.50
• Green House: $2,796.00
• Blue House: $2,821.00
• Red House: $3,101.00
• Yellow House: $3,328.50
• Grand Total: $15,204.00!!!

DON'T FORGET YOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT SUBMISSIONS
The Coppell Education Foundation is now accepting Grant Applications for the 2014 school year. Please see the attached application detailing the Guidelines, Grant Process, Instructions, and Timeline for this year. The deadline for all Grant Applications is October 15, 2014. Please submit all applications electronically to info@coppellisd.com AFTER I SIGN OFF ON IT.  We already have people expressing an interest in 3 opportunities.  WAY TO GO LEE!!!each house was at the end.  WAY TO GO!!! 


"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  "There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions – in a way that serves the world and you.” - Sir Richard Branson

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  Always say thank you when given something.  When given an assignment or something you don't want, there is no moaning or complaining.

DATES TO REMEMBER

October 6-8: Fifth Grade to Sky Ranch

October 7: Dad's Club Mtg. (8:00pm)
October 8: Jeans and iCreate T-shirt Day
                  Curriculum Mtg. (3:30-4:30)
October 9: SBRC Training during conference time
                  5th Grade FOSS Overview @ Service Center (4:00)
                  Stop, Collaborate, & Listen @CCE (4:00)
October 9-17: Learner Led Conferences at Lee        
October 10: Staff Development (Sally Ride)
October 13: NO SCHOOL
October 14: Crisis Team Meeting (3:30)
                    PTO Meeting (6:30)
October 15: CISD Education Foundation Grants Due
                    College Shirt Day
                    MAP Scores Due in AWARE
                    Staff Meeting (3:30)
                    Homecoming Parade (6:30)

Week of September 29

You continue to help promote our school and blaze a trail in the field of education.  Happy Birthday to our August and September folks!  I'm looking forward to our Social Spur event today.  We appreciate all of you that contributed.  

Thank you for an INCREDIBLE week and School Dedication!  Please leave as soon as your learners are safely dismissed and enjoy your weekend!

DID YOU KNOW?

• RJL was in the news again!  We were in the Coppell Student Media Newspaper The Sidekick and in the Coppell Gazette.  
• We have a page on our campus website that tells about about our school as a tool.
• We are going to be creating a system for school tours.  They will be on Thursdays, twice a month, and we will host AM and PM sessions with a maximum of 20 participants
• There is a worm bin in the supply closet in the broadcast room.  Does anyone want to start this with your earthworms from your Science studies?
• You can have fall decorations up as long as it is not ghosts, witches, zombies.  Happy pumpkins are fine.
• That upstairs classrooms, the library, and gym were designed not to use the LED lights during the day?  See what works best for your learners and see if you can conserve.

GREEN APPLE DAY AT LEE
On Saturday, our architects will be giving tours to the community. This flier tells you all about the event.  You are welcome to attend to learn more about our building, but it is NOT REQUIRED.  I request that you LOCK UP all technology in your storage rooms and leave your spaces tidy.

SCHOOL DEDICATION

THANK YOU for all you did to make this a memorable day for everyone.  Thank you for sharing your leaders for run-throughs.  Thank you for the two practices last week.  Most of all, THANK YOU for holding high expectations for our learners and coming together as a staff to make this a day that will forever be in my heart.  We received countless compliments from our visitors and Superintendent.


4/5 iPAD ROLLOUT
We hope to roll out iPads to fifth grade on Thursday and fourth grade on Friday.  Please remember to personally call the families that do not have their Apple IDs created.  We also need to collect the Apple ID and password for your learners.  We still have a large number that have not done this.  Your roll out times are on the faculty calendar.


ATTENDANCE
Please make every effort to be accurate and timely with your attendance. We must be diligent about this!  Also, please have your learners turn in all hand written excuses to the office. Kindergarten, please advise your parents that learners can walk their excuses down to the office.  Some parents are parking and bringing excuses in.


KEEP US INFORMED
Please make sure to communicate with the office when you have special events.  Diana, Veronica, and Julie are the ones who must field questions from parents and the community, so the more details and heads up you can give them, the better.  We will also put your event on the Faculty Calendar.

Please inform the office if you have a parent coming in for a meeting. The office does their best to protect your instructional time.  The last thing you need is an impromptu conference or parent wandering the building.


CGA MEMBERSHIPS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Please sign up for a free membership to Coppell Gifted Association. CGA provides scholarships to professional learning opportunities that address the unique needs of the gifted learner. This year TAGT is in Ft. Worth. If you are interested in attending, please fill out the following scholarship application.  Your application should include $100 for the cost of a substitute for the day.

A MESSAGE FROM ESL

Renee needs to meet with you and your house to quickly give you your accommodation folders for your ELL’s.  This folder will help you with ideas on how to best support your English Language Learners.  Also, the purpose of this folder is to document all the wonderful things you are doing to help support them as well.  Last, it is a great resource to use if you are concerned about an ELL and their progress.  Renee will definitely go over all of this in more detail when I meet with you.

DON'T FORGET YOUR EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANT SUBMISSIONS
The Coppell Education Foundation is now accepting Grant Applications for the 2014 school year. Please see the attached application detailing the Guidelines, Grant Process, Instructions, and Timeline for this year. The deadline for all Grant Applications is October 15, 2014. Please submit all applications electronically to info@coppellisd.com AFTER I SIGN OFF ON IT.  We already have people expressing an interest in 3 opportunities.  WAY TO GO LEE!!!

HOUSE PLANNING AND PLC TIME

As you are all getting in the "groove" of your planning times, Todd and I are so pleased.  Thank you for continuing to update your Google documents.  Please remember to share those with Amanda, Roxann, Ayesha, Alli, Courtney, and Renee.

WRITE A CHECK
Thank you for all of your help to make this a huge success for our school.  We are extending WAC for one more week.  We have just started gaining momentum and we need to reach that goal.  Please continue your communication about this with your fami"lee"s.  Imagine what we can do with $25,000!!!


PTO CONNECT/ "LATEST AT LEE"
Please add this link for your parents to sign up for PTO Connect.  This is a weekly newsletter that goes out to our school and families.  This newsletter will also inform YOU of important details for your newsletters.  Our PTO Board is worried that not everyone is connected to this important layer of information.  Designers, if you are not getting the Latest at Lee emailed to you on Sunday, you need to contact PTO to find out why you are not.


GOAL SETTING MEETINGS
Todd and I have enjoyed the beginning of our goal setting meetings.  If you are not sure what to do, please watch this video that quickly explains the process.  We will assist you with completing the document, and you do not need to submit until after our meeting.  If you have not, already, please sign up on the Google Spreadsheet shared with you. Select a time that works for you to meet with us.  We have to have these completed by October 3.  Thanks for your cooperation.

LEARNER LED CONFERENCES
We will host learner led conferences DURING SCHOOL HOURS.  October 10 will be used as a Staff Development. You will learn more at our Staff Meeting on Wednesday.

If you have already participated in learner-led conferences, please contact Chantel.  We are designing our staff meeting and want to build on the capacity of those of you that have already done these before.


"LEE" QUOTE OF THE WEEK:  "Wisdom begins with wonder." -Socrates

"LEE"DERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK:  When you sit down for a meal, place your napkin in your lap. When you finish, clean up and push in your chair.

DATES TO REMEMBER

September 27: Green Apple Day at Lee (12pm-3pm)

Week of September 29- Book Fair Week (Room A122)
September 29- Signed Progress Reports Returned
                        SBDM Mtg. (3:30)
September 30: Sara Mason's Birthday
                        Child Abuse Training must be complete
                        Third Grade FOSS Training
October 1: Jeans with House Shirt Day
                  Diana Sircar's Birthday
                  Staff Meeting (Dr. Waldrip attends)
October 2: Fourth Grade FOSS Training
                  Stop, Collaborate, and Listen (3, 4, 5)
October 3: Dr. Denison on campus with NTRC
                  Information Literacy Course must be completed
October 6-8: Fifth Grade to Sky Ranch
October 8: Jeans and iCreate T-shirt Day
                  Curriculum Mtg. (3:30-4:30)
October 9: SBRC Training during conference time
October 9-14: Learner Led Conferences at Lee
October 10: Staff Development (Sally Ride)
October 15: CISD Education Foundation Grants Due

We Made It!

What an incredible day Monday, September 22 was!  

To say that this day was a dream come true is an understatement!!

  

Last night, as I reflected on the days events, I cannot help but be filled with emotions.  I "imagined" what I thought this day would look like, and through multiple planning sessions with the Communication Department, Dr. Denison, and Dr. Herauf, I "thought" we had a pretty good "plan." What was executed and experienced was far greater than anything I could have imagined or planned. Can you tell by my cheesy grin the entire event?

It was important to me that the learners were the center of the Dedication, and I really feel like they were.  From their speaking parts, to singing, and being right there for the ribbon cutting- it was ALL ABOUT THEM.  This school is about them, so why not make the ceremony be about them, too?

The day could not have been the success it was without everyone pitching in. Look at the paper making process that our learners went through for keepsake bookmarks. The end result was a bookmark with a piece of homemade paper on it.  The homemade paper could be planted and will grow wildflowers.  Our talented Art designer met the challenge with this request!
 

Orchestrating this Dedication was similar to planning a wedding. Help came from Todd, who helped a learner research and ran around helping wherever necessary.  Designers dealt with unforeseen schedule speed bumps and interruptions to their day. Not a single person said they were too busy (even though they were) ...they never do in this building. Then there is Central Office who made sure that every base was covered, from programs, to flowers and videographers.  Chef Helen served up breakfast and baked cookies for every Lee staff member and learner.  Maintenance hung our new RJL sign and even directed traffic.  We had partnerships with Red Jackets from CHS and our PTO got a chance to shine and show their presence in the building. 

I am more than overjoyed that my school fami"lee" could meet my personal family for this event. Having my husband there for encouragement is a blessing. I could not have persevered these last nine months without the patience and support of this incredible man. It was also an honor to have my mom in from Florida.  I will never forget the look of pride in her face and the comments she had about the amazing staff and building.  She may not ever have the opportunity to experience grandchildren from Mike and I, but she did get the chance to see me "birth a school."  Making her proud is motivation in itself, but hearing what our learners told her they enjoy about our school was inspirational, as well.

Our learners articulated how they enjoy the freedom in our building. Freedom to move around, freedom to express, and freedom to be creative. They enjoy the spaces and their teachers. Hearing them share their feelings with her filled my heart, but I know that it is because EVERY PERSON in the building is pouring their heart and soul into our children. This starts at our front office every day.  We couldn't have a better first impression of our school than this smiling face.  

Each person is part of constructing the foundation of this school and building the leaders of tomorrow. We are transforming both where the curriculum is delivered and HOW the curriculum is delivered. This will impact the future of education and is a already a model for others. It is a team effort and one that I am honored to be a part of. I can't wait to look back in nine more months and see where we are.  This is only the beginning, but WE MADE IT to School Dedication Day!