Week of April 8, 2024

This week, I am reminding myself that being an educator is the BEST profession in the world and Lee Elementary is the BEST place to be!  Why do I feel this way?  Because of EACH OF YOU!!  Our children and famiLEEs are blessed to have YOU as their educational partners!  Getting into so many spaces for walkthroughs and getting to start end of year goal setting conferences this week reminds me of my WHY and puts me in a state of gratitude.  

DID YOU KNOW?

• this month Yellow House and Red House are in charge of the lounge?  Please stock silverware, put away dishes, and clean up the space.  Thank you!
• our budget window is almost closed for the year, so PLEASE get orders for the remainder of the year in by next Friday?  

SOLAR ECLIPSE UPDATE

Please make sure you review all of the Eclipse information that Priscilla shared in our Leadership Notes.  Here is the schedule we will follow.

DISTRICT BUDGET SESSION

Richard J. Lee families are invited to hear CISD officials share updates on the Bond, Budget and Strategic Planning on Tuesday, April 9, at 5 p.m. via Zoom. Join CISD officials as they share updates on 2023 Bond projects, the district’s current budget planning process and challenges and updates on the CISD 2030 Strategic Plan. 

PTO MEETING AND OPEN FORUM Q&A FOR PTO BOARD

Please mark your calendars for our next virtual PTO meeting coming up on Tuesday, April 9th, at 6pm. The Zoom link will be emailed home Tuesday morning. We will also be offering an open forum for Q&A after the meeting for those interested in joining the PTO board next year! Please join us, we look forward to seeing everyone there.

OPPORTUNITY FOR IN CLASS SUPPORT

Beulah has exited a group and has time in her day to support designers and learners for the remainder of the school year.  She has created a google form for you to sign up for a time for her to come and help out in any way she can.  

AUTHOR VISIT

Author-illustrator James Burks will give presentations to all of our RJL learners on Tuesday, April 30.  One exciting opportunity for learners during an author visit is to have the author sign a book for the learner to take home.  If your learner would like to have a book signed while Mr. Burks is at our school, purchase any James Burks book and bring it to Mrs. Stout by Friday, April 26.

STEAM NIGHT COMING SOON

FamiLEE STEAM Night is fast approaching on Thursday 4/18 from 5:30-7:00pm. Bring the whole family for a free hands-on STEAM event! Learners should bring their charged iPad and a small bag/backpack to wear and carry their device so it's not lost/damaged. There will be MANY activities that require the use of a device during the event. Check out our FamiLEE STEAM Night Course Catalog (https://tinyurl.com/FamiLEESTEAM24) to see brief descriptions of the activities offered, where they are located in the building, whether or not a device is needed for an activity, and the estimated time needed to complete that activity. Our current and some of our past Coppell Education Foundation STEAM Grants will be part of the event! 

Note: Your family may not have time to complete every activity during the event, so prioritize your top 3 favorites and try to go to those first. 

But wait, there's more! From 6:30-8:30 pm, PTO is hosting a Birthday Party Bash because our school is turning 10 years old! Plan to head outside after FamiLEE STEAM Night to enjoy food trucks, music (DJ will be there from 6:30-8:30), photobooth and video opportunities, and lots of games with the family.

COACHES CORNER

Let’s collaborate! Sign up so we can work together.

RJL PTO BOARD 2024-2025 APPLICATIONS OPEN

Join the fun and serve your community on the PTO Board for the upcoming 2024-25 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!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR STEAM NIGHT AND BIRTHDAY BASH

April 18th is less than 2 weeks away and we couldn't be more excited for an amazing evening with our FamiLEE. STEAM night begins at 5:30pm followed by our first ever Birthday Bash celebrating 10 YEARS of our amazing school  - Richard J Lee Elementary. Grab your picnic blankets and lawn chairs, and meet us out back of the school for a fun filled evening celebrating our FamiLEE!

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Optimism- to anticipate the best possible outcome.

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Be positive and enjoy life. Keep everything in perspective and focus on the good.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

“Everyday may not be good but there is something good in every day.” -Anonymous

DATES TO REMEMBER:

SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH

NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

EOY SUMMATIVE WINDOW

EOY PANORAMA WINDOW

April 8- Megan S's Birthday

     Eclipse Day

April 9- District Budget Info Session (5:00 Zoom)

     Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00 Zoom)

April 10- Leadership Meeting (3:15-4:45)

April 11-  Day 0

     STAAR Reading (3-5) NO GUESTS ON CAMPUS

     2nd Grade Field Trip 

April 12- NO SCHOOL

April 15- FLEX DAY- NO SCHOOL

Week of April 1, 2023

Thank you for a wonderful first week back from break.   We hope you enjoyed the "season opener" of Spring eating at Lee Elementary.  There is more where that came from, ahead!  Shout out for the great iPad exchange.  I am so proud of our team and how well the technology department has spoken about you.  You truly are INCREDIBLE!!  The Purple House Music performance was fabulous!  And...let's take time to show some love to our fabulous Assistant Principals at Lee Elementary this week.  It is National AP Week and time to thank them for everything they do.  Their heartfelt commitment to our students' growth and well-being, truly set them apart.  We are lucky at Lee!!

DID YOU KNOW:

• we will be having our 3rd 9 Weeks Spirit Rally, tomorrow, at 2:00?  We will host this outside on the basketball courts since there will be Color Run color on staff members.  An email is coming from Angel with details.  Have FUN!  I will not be here.  
• intra-district transfers for employees NOT living within district opens April 1-21?  Get your children signed up if you want them in CISD.   
• we need all classroom designers to check learner bus tags on backpacks?  If you cannot see/read their bus number anymore, please re-write it with sharpie.  If it has fallen off, please add another one.  
• Jessica will not be returning as our 1/2 time school counselor next year?  I know you share my sadness as she has been an integral part of the counseling and Admin Team, here at Lee and CRE.  This departure is NOT HER CHOICE as her position was funded by ESSER funds that are depleted.  We have been honored to have her here, and trust me, we NEED her!!  CISD will be looking at creative options to support Angela and the large caseload our school numbers demand.  Stay tuned... 😢

PTO MEETING

Please mark your calendars for our next virtual PTO meeting coming up on Tuesday, April 9th, at 6pm.  The Zoom link will be emailed home that day.  We will also be offering and open forum for Q & A after the meeting for those interested in joining the PTO board next year.  Please join us, we look forward to seeing everyone there. 

WEDNESDAY IS PARAPROFESSIONAL APPRECIATION DAY

It takes our whole team to make a difference with our learners.  We are so lucky to have fabulous paraprofessionals here at Lee!  WE THANK YOU!  Thank you to each of you ladies for the time and commitment you provide our school.  Your hard work is noticed, valued, and appreciated!  

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

All learners are encouraged to participate in wearing a college shirt on the first Wednesday of each month.  I will certainly be sporting my Florida Atlantic University gear, even though they did not advance in the March Madness tourney.

JOB FAIR

Thank you to: Angel, Ed, Tabitha, Kat, Kristi, Samira, Cassie, Layne, Gina, Stormi, and Kaitlin, who will be joining us at Saturday's Job Fair.  They will be helping throughout the hiring season. We appreciate their help finding new FamiLEE members for next year.  Please do not put them in an awkward position and ask them about interviews and positions as they have signed confidentiality forms. 

SPRING CONFERENCES

You will want to begin planning for your Spring Conferences starting now.  Please give due diligence to make contact with all parents to review their learner's data and goal setting.  Keep documentation of parents who do/do not attend conferences.  During your time together, I would encourage you to listen for in case a parent would like to make a change in house for the 2024-2025 school year, wants specialized testing, or is considering retention.  Please write these requests down and EMAIL them to Chantel, Kat, and Angel.  This makes sure that we have a second layer of accountability as we transition to the next school year.  In addition, remind parents that we DO NOT take requests for house colors or designers and we do our best to have siblings in the same house, but cannot always guarantee it.  We do our very BEST to keep as many learners in their house when we loop up, but we sometimes have to move learners when balancing our building each year.  For example, we have 7 sections of 4th grade.  We know that some learners will be moved as we build fifth grade classes.  We want parents to know NOW, so there are no surprises.  Please ask me if you have any questions!!!  

PANORAMA SURVEY WINDOW OPEN FOR LEARNERS AND PARENTS

The Panorama Survey window is open from March 18- April 5.  Please make time in your schedules to guide your learners through completing this.  It is a district expectation that every learner and staff member complete the survey. 

• Students can access surveys by visiting surveys.panoramaed.com/coppellisd and inputting their student ID as the access code.

SUMMATIVES
You should have received a calendar invite for your summative time (thanks, Tara!). We can't wait to visit with you.

• Agenda we will follow for hourly employees
• Agenda we will follow for non-hourly employees

YEARBOOK

Order your 2023-24 yearbook from Lifetouch today! Type in Richard J Lee Elementary. Yearbook ID: 13015824. 

RJL PTO BOARD 2024-2025 APPLICATIONS OPEN

Join the fun and serve your community on the PTO Board for the upcoming 2024-25 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 to check out more details on the open positions! Applications are open through April 30th.

SAVE THE DATE

LAST CHANCE- RJL BIRTHAY BASH T-SHIRTS ON SALE THROUGH MARCH 31

Our 10 Year Birthday Bash is coming up on April 18th! Purchase an exclusive Birthday Bash t-shirt for the whole family and come dressed ready to celebrate!

**Please place your orders by March 31st to guarantee arrival in time for the party! Staff, please order, too!

RUN TO FUND

Mark your calendars and lace up your running shoes! The Coppell ISD Education Foundation will be hosting its Annual Run to Fund at Andy Brown East Park on Saturday, May 4. Early Bird Pricing Ends on March 31. Register at coppellisdef.org/run-to-fund/ .  $2 for every registration goes back to our PE program.  I am registered and hope to see you there!

COACH'S CORNER

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LEEDERSHIP TIPS OF THE WEEK

    LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

    Curiosity- the eager desire to learn, to explore, to investigate

    LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

    Learn and inquire about things that interest you.

    LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

    "The future belongs to the curious. The ones who are not afraid to try it, explore it, poke at it, 

     question it, and turn it inside out." -Anonymous

DATES TO REMEMBER:

SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH

NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

NATIONAL ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL WEEK

EOY SUMMATIVE WINDOW

March 31- Renee's Birthday

April 1- Interview Training (3:15 Lg. Conference Room)

April 2- World Autism Awareness Day

April 3- College Shirt Day

     Paraprofessional Appreciation Day

April 4-  National School Librarian Appreciation Day- We 💗 you, Holly!

     UNT Visit after school (5:30 PM)  Make sure your spaces are extra tidy!

April 5- Coppell Baseball and Softball Greet in the AM

April 6- CISD Job Fair 

Week of March 25, 2024

Thank you for a wonderful first week back from break.   We will be having our 3rd 9 Weeks Spirit Rally on Friday, March 29, at 2:00.  We will host this outside on the basketball courts since there will be Color Run color on staff members.  

DID YOU KNOW:

• Kindergarten enrollment began last week?  If you have FamiLEEs with siblings that will be kindergarteners next year, please share this information.
• it is a new 9 weeks so we expect you to please review and update your Digital Citizenship and your class Respect Agreements?  Remember that there should be 4-5 bullets in each quadrant of your Respect Agreement, learners should sign it, and a copy should be in the office. 
• Mayra's beautiful baby girl named Elizabeth Francesca was born on March 5?  Here is a sweet picture of her.  Our student teacher, Meredith Bowling, is doing a FABULOUS job with Mayra's P2 kiddos. 

• we have a new intern on campus?  Tami Harvey is an occupational therapy student at the University of St. Augustine in Dallas.  She is working on her capstone project, covering the importance of adaptive sports and physical activities and will be with us through the remainder of the school year.  She is excited to get to know the students and staff at Lee Elementary.

iPAD ROLLOUT ON WEDNESDAY

As we prepare for the iPad rollout on Wednesday, I wanted to share the iPad enrollment instructions that you can view ahead of time, if you'd like to. A team consisting of a Digital Learning Coach, librarian, and technician will come to your space at your designated time. You can view the draft of the schedule here:

While we are in your classroom, we will check in old devices, collect iPad accessories, check out new devices, and walk learners through the enrollment process using the steps included. The DLCs will take the lead in walking through the enrollment steps, but I wanted to make sure you had the steps accessible to be pulled up or view previously if you want to look at them. 

If your learners still need to back up their important files, photos, etc, you can view the back-up instructions here. This information was also sent prior to break. 

K-1st, your iPads will come at a later, TBD, date.

STAFF MEETING ON WEDNESDAY

To help you get some final flex time and cross off district end of year tasks, we will have a working Staff Meeting, in the cafeteria, on Wednesday.  There are three things you will accomplish from 3:15-4:15, so you can submit for flex.  Please bring your AirPods or headphones.

• Complete your Laserfiche training (email from Angie Brooks)
• Laserfische training link
• Complete your Panorama Spring Staff Survey
• access your surveys by visiting surveys.panoramaed.com/coppellisd and inputting your staff ID as the access code.
• Update your Bulb for your end of year Summative meeting.

PANORAMA SURVEY WINDOW OPEN FOR LEARNERS AND PARENTS

The Panorama Survey window is open from March 18- April 5.  Please make time in your schedules to guide your learners through completing this.  It is a district expectation that every learner and staff member complete the survey. 

• Students can access surveys by visiting surveys.panoramaed.com/coppellisd and inputting their student ID as the access code.

SUMMATIVES
Summative Season is here!  Here is a link to sign up for this year's EOY summative times.  Please sign up for a time that works for you and matches when your appraiser is on campus.  All you need to have ready is your completed Bulb that is made public for Kat, Chantel, and Angel.  On your day, meet us in the large conference room with your MacBook ready to AirPlay to the tv.  We have 30 minutes with each of you and can't wait for individual time to discuss all you have accomplished this year and moving forward into 2024-2025.  

• Agenda we will follow for hourly employees
• Agenda we will follow for non-hourly employees

YEARBOOK

Order your 2023-24 yearbook from Lifetouch today! Type in Richard J Lee Elementary. Yearbook ID: 13015824.

FAMILEE SPIRIT NIGHT

Tonight is the night to join us at Ground Control Las Colinas trampoline park glow night!  We hope this will be a great time for the kids to hang, but also for the adults to get to know each other!  You can buy tickets for entry from 6-8pm on the hour or half hour onsite or online!  If you purchase online, when you arrive, make sure to mention our fundraiser and have them print out your receipt!

PTO BOARD FOR 2023-2024

Are you interested in joining the PTO Board for the 2024-25 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. We’ll be launching our recruitment campaign with more details next week, but why wait?  Reach out now if you’d like to discuss sooner!  It’s a blast, and a fantastic way to give back to our awesome community!

SAVE THE DATE

RJL BIRTHAY BASH T-SHIRTS ON SALE THROUGH MARCH 31

Our 10 Year Birthday Bash is coming up on April 18th! Purchase an exclusive Birthday Bash t-shirt for the whole family and come dressed ready to celebrate!

**Please place your orders by March 31st to guarantee arrival in time for the party! Staff, please order, too!

SOLAR ECLIPSE UPDATE

There was a ton of information shared in our Leadership Notes about this special event.  Please review all of the details carefully and ask questions if you have them.  New information... we will use the schedule below for April 8.  It will still be a Day 4. 

GTI UPDATE

COACH'S CORNER

Let’s collaborate! Sign up so we can work together.

LEEDERSHIP TIP OF THE WEEK

DATES TO REMEMBER:

SCHOOL LIBRARY MONTH

NATIONAL AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH

CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

March 25- Onboarding Meeting (3:15 Yellow House)

March 26- Reagan's Birthday

March 27- iPad Rollout (Grades 2-5)

     Staff Meeting (3:15 Cafe)

March 28- MTSS Meetings

     Purple House Music Performance (2:00 and 6:30 Gym)

     Youth Art Month (6:00 CMSW)

March 29- Spirit Rally (2:00 Basketball Court)