Week of October 21, 2024

What a week, friends!  Congratulations to our Super Teachers: Rikki and Amber.  They will be treated to lunch with Dr. Hunt at San Danielle on Wednesday.  If I haven't said it lately, WE HAVE THE BEST TEACHERS AT LEE!!!  Thank you for all of the kindness and acknowledgement for Principal Month.  I am the luckiest principal to be here with all of you!

DID YOU KNOW?

• you should forward your Gmail Inbox to Outlook? Our wonderful SPED team utilizes Google Drive to share documents, comments, and updates to paperwork with teachers. If your forwarding isn’t set up, you might be missing important information.  Directions on how to do this can be found here. If you have followed the steps and still need support, please reach out to Griffin.

• that we have a continued partnership with St. Augustine University and their occupational therapy department?  They have OT students who are designing costumes for some of our learners in Rikkis and Reagan's classes for Trunk or Treat. These visitors are approved by the district.  We also have guests from their university coming on Wednesdays to "check out" our building.  Thank you Ayesha for touring them through when I was in an ARD on Wednesday.
• that some staff members and learners have sensitivities to plug in air fresheners and essential oil diffusers?  Please be mindful of this.
• the window is open to nominate this year's Teacher of the Year?  We have such talent here at Lee, so please take time to acknowledge someone.  Nominations are due November 8.  Please turn them in to CK so we have time to score them with the rubric.
• TOY Website: https://coppellisdtx.sites.thrillshare.com/o/cisd/page/teacher-of-the-year
• Nomination Criteria Website: https://coppellisdtx.sites.thrillshare.com/o/cisd/page/nomination-criteria-and-form

RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon week is HERE!  Please join in on the fun and share pictures of learner participation.  Thank you to Angela for planning out this week.  We can't wait for the school-wide program, Nana Puddin' that PTO has sponsored.

FEED ME!!!

WE NEED MORE CANDY!!!!  Please consider donating candy for our PTO Trunk or Treat event on Thursday.  All candy can be fed to the "monster" next to the elevator and will be passed out at Trunk or Treat.

GT UNIVERSAL SCREENING TESTING

Please be mindful of our learners who will be testing over the next 2 weeks. Please ensure a secure testing environment so our learners can do their best!

 

10/21-10/23 – First Grade (8:15-10:30)

10/28-10/30 – Third and Fifth Grade (8:15-10:30)

STAFF MEETING

Classroom teachers and  specialists, please plan to attend staff meeting on Wednesday afternoon.  We will have campus training from CISD on Teaching Science to EB's in the cafeteria. 

PANERA SPIRIT NIGHT OCTOBER 24TH

Enjoy a quick easy meal before or after Trunk or Treat at Panera while supporting our PTO! In person orders are valid from 4-8pm, but online orders with the code FUND4U are open all day! Whether you dine in, pick up, drive-thru, or have it delivered, just use promo code FUND4U when ordering online or in person to make sure your purchase counts!

SWEETEN UP RJL TRUNK OR TREAT

We can’t wait to see you on Thursday at our Annual RJL Trunk or Treat on October 24th at 5:30pm!  Before the fun can start, we need your help to FEED our candy MONSPUR! Please sign up or send in a bag of 150+ pieces of candy with your learner by Wednesday, October 23rd. bit.ly/rjlcandy

ANNUAL WRITE A CHECK FUNDRAISER

Our RJL PTO annual fundraising campaign, Write-A-Check, is the main source of funding for our FamiLEE PTO each year. Our goal this year is $30,000 and we need your help! 100% of the funds raised go back into our school through enrichment programs like Red Ribbon Week, Author visits, bus transportation for field trips, and so much more! Please consider donating TODAY! bit.ly/RJLWAC

COACHES CORNER

As you continue to leverage digital portfolios this year, please know that bulb is set up and ready for use to meet educator and learner needs related to SLO, goal setting, and more.

Due to some changes in how classes are created in bulb, you may have noticed that you have more groups than usual. If you are experiencing any issues with your bulb groups and would like to begin using groups to assign templates, my suggestion is to create manual groups. bulb is working to develop a better solution for automatically creating groups based on classes as we move forward.

Below are tutorials that will support you in the creation and use of bulb groups. You will have to use bulb on a web browser to complete these steps.

Creating bulb Groups

Joining bulb Groups

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Your learning coaches are here and available to support you with groups in bulb or any other digital portfolio needs.

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I don’t know if you have attended any of Greg Tang’s webinars on teaching math, but they were so well received that he is now doing one each month. Check Out the link below:
💻 SATURDAY MORNING MATH MEETUPS with Greg Tang tangmath.com/freepd

Oct 19 - Place Value & Number Sense

Here is a resource to support using vocabulary throughout all you do. 📚4 Steps to Teach Vocabulary Throughout the Day

FROM THE LIBRARY

Here is the presentation on how to use Teaching Books:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGFJm-Ry1k/-b4Z_FXkx62XLkgReu5C0Q/view?utm_content=DAGFJm-Ry1k&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

When you have your list ready, you can send Holly your link here:

https://forms.gle/W6h2dSdbvEqtb8sC6

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

🌟 Thank you, CISD families, for your commitment to student attendance! 🏫💙. Regular attendance is key to student success—it keeps them engaged in lessons, fosters peer relationships, and maximizes their educational opportunities. Plus, it helps teachers assess each student's progress and plan effectively.  Your dedication to attendance makes a significant difference. Attendance Matters...You Matter!

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP

NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
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 Text Keyboard

 

If you need help updating or navigating a learner’s accessibility features, please let us know! 

 

*Don’t forget learners with dyslexia have access to Learning Ally. This is a great way to build vocabulary and spark an interest in reading!

WALKTHROUGHS IN OCTOBER

For this month, we will be giving you feedback on Domain 2.5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for:

• How you adjusts instruction and activities to maintain student engagement (movement, music, manipulatives, small groups and individual work, conferences with learners).

• How you address learner engagement/disengagement.

• Questioning and feedback used to check for understanding.

• How you use of a variety of assessment/input from learners to gather data.

• Checks for understanding through purposeful questioning and feedback.

• The pacing of the lesson.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• RJL WRITE A CHECK CAMPAIGN (REMAINDER OF THE MONTH)
• NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
• STOMP OUT BULLYING MONTH
• BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
• NATIONAL PRINCIPAL MONTH
• HINDU HERITAGE MONTH
• RED RIBBON WEEK

Oct 21- 1st GT Testing

Oct 22-23- 1st GT Testing

     Reading Academy

     Nana Puddin' Presentation (2:00)

     Sky Ranch Parent Meeting (5:00)

Oct 23- Zara's Birthday

     Jacky's Birthday

     1st GT Testing

     Staff Meeting (3:15-4:45)

Oct 24- TX Wildlife here for 5th Grade

     Trunk or Treat (5:30-7:00)

Oct 25- 1st Grade Field Trip to Arboretum 

     1st GT Testing Make Ups

     GEMS due

Week of October 14, 2024

I hope you have time on the three day weekend to disconnect from school and enjoy time for rest and relaxation.  LOVE TO YOU ALL!

DID YOU KNOW:

• we are going to host another "underground teacher spirit day?"  Come to school on Tuesday wearing PINK.  What a great time (it's Breast Cancer Awareness Month) to see if our kids notice.  
• we will host another "underground teacher spirit day" the very next day, on Wednesday?  This day is DRINK FROM ANYTHING BUT A CUP DAY.  Have FUN with this one!!!  Can't wait to see your creativity shine and learner reactions on this one!  Have an idea for and underground teacher spirit day?  Drop by and share with CK.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP WEEK

Did you know that next week is Digital Citizenship week?  Check out these ready to use activities created by Common Sense Media and your DLCs!  Please make sure all Lee Learners have signed your digital citizenship contracts in your spaces.

NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK

October 14-18 is National School Lunch Week. This year’s theme is, “School Lunch Pirates: Find Your Treasure!” Join CISD Child Nutrition as they serve up A BOUNTY of healthy meals all week. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram and in the cafeteria to FIND THE TREASURE in food groups like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy and lean proteins that make school lunch healthy, balanced and delicious. Join in the fun and share a meal you enjoy by using #CISDNSLW24. 

WRITE A CHECK
Our RJL PTO annual fundraising campaign, Write-A-Check, is now underway. This is the main source of funding for our FamiLEE PTO, and our goal this year is $30,000.  100% of the funds raised go back into our school through enrichment programs like Red Ribbon Week, Author visits, bus transportation for field trips, and so much more! Please consider donating TODAY! bit.ly/RJLWAC

Designers, thank you for creating incentive charts in your classes.  There are incentive gift cards for YOU, too!  More info coming soon.

SWEETEN UP RJL TRUNK OR TREAT
The Annual RJL Trunk or Treat on October 24th at 5:30pm is one of our favorite community events of the year, but we can't do it without our FamiLEE!  To help support the work our designer teams put into their fabulous trunks, we will be gathering candy donations for them to hand out on the big night! Please sign up to send in a bag of 150+ pieces of candy with your learner by Wednesday, October 23rd. bit.ly/rjlcandy

FALL PICTURE DAY

We will start school pictures immediately following morning broadcast on Wednesday at 8:00 AM.  We will follow the Specials schedule so we will start with Kinder Purple, followed by 1st Purple, 2nd Purple, etc. Once Purple House is done we will go to Yellow-> Red -> and then Green and Blue in tandem due to specials and recess schedules.  (If you need to do indoor recess to keep kiddos "fresh" we understand.  

Pictures will take place on the cafe and teachers can take their pictures with their classes or before school.  Specials and support staff, please get your pictures made between 7:40 AM and 8:00 AM.  

Specials Designers, we "might" need you to wait with your classes in the cafe if they are not done by their Specials time.  Please help us by getting kids to the cafeteria, QUICKLY when the volunteers get you.  

Also, it will go FASTER if your learners have their ID badges on before they get to the photographer.  Thank you for your flexibility on this day and for excusing the interruption to your teaching and lunch/recess/specials routines.  

Reagan and Rikki, we will make sure volunteers come and get your learners as well.

FLEX LEARNING
We have two great learning opportunities this month.  Thanks to May, Gina, and Kristi for sharing their knowledge with the rest of us!

OCTOBER IS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
October is National Dyslexia Awareness Month. CISD will raise awareness on each campus with a variety of events and activities. On Oct. 18, all CISD students and staff are encouraged to "Light It RED for Dyslexia" by wearing red to school. Learn more about CISD Intervention Services/Dyslexia here. Additional resources include the Texas Dyslexia Handbook and the International Dyslexia Association Handbook.

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Did you know? In Texas, schools are funded based on student attendance, not just enrollment! The state counts a child present if students are in class when attendance is taken each day: 10 a.m. for Elementary, 10:15 a.m. for Middle School, and 10:45 a.m. for High School. Help us boost our campus and district attendance rate! Ensure your child is in school or schedule appointments before or after attendance is taken.

RED RIBBON WEEK APPROACHING IN ONE WEEK

We will participate in these Spirit Days the last week in October.  Get your outfits ready! 

GEM NOMINATIONS

The internal employee recognition program, GEM (Great Employees Matter), seeks to recognize outstanding employees who serve the mission and core values of the Coppell Independent School District in a manner that exceeds job and salary expectations.  Nominate a GEM in our school by Friday, Oct. 25

WALKTHROUGHS IN OCTOBER

For this month, we will be giving you feedback on Domain 2.5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for:

• How you adjusts instruction and activities to maintain student engagement (movement, music, manipulatives, small groups and individual work, conferences with learners).

• How you address learner engagement/disengagement.

• Questioning and feedback used to check for understanding.

• How you use of a variety of assessment/input from learners to gather data.

• Checks for understanding through purposeful questioning and feedback.

• The pacing of the lesson.

ESL UPDATES

LEEDERSHIP FOR THE WEEK

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• RJL WRITE A CHECK CAMPAIGN
• NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
• STOMP OUT BULLYING MONTH
• BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
• NATIONAL PRINCIPAL MONTH
• HINDU HERITAGE MONTH

Oct 14- NO SCHOOL

Oct 16- Fall Picture Day

     Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)

Oct 18- FamiLEE Lunches begin

RED RIBBON WEEK IS ONE WEEK AWAY!

Week of October 7, 2024

What an incredible staff you are! Thank you for preparing and starting to host your learner-led conferences.  I know you have all spent a great deal of time preparing with your children.  What a perfect time to build connections with our famiLEEs.  I want you to know I appreciate all of your hard work to communicate the strengths and areas for growth on each child.  Enjoy the upcoming three day weekend- YOU DESERVE IT!  

DID YOU KNOW:

• front doors will be keyed down and parents should come straight to your spaces for conferences on Friday?  
• parents can sign up to attend lunches on Fridays?  Lunch with Your Lee Learner Google Form is open.  Please post in your weekly newsletters for the remainder of the year.
• we have a PTO parent that wants to help you when you need volunteers for an event or your class?  Please reach out to Julie McConnell for assistance.  Her email is: juliescottmcconnell@gmail.com  
• your staff badge gets you +1 into district varsity sport events, including football?
• the Technology Department is collaborating with a vendor to identify a cost-effective solution for providing a 10-port charger in each classroom, specifically designed to charge the Meta Pens? Thanks for your patience, but a solution is on its way.
• Chantel will be off campus Wednesday through Friday? Please let Angel and Kat know if you are going to be out sick or arriving late. 
• we will be having a 2 day a week tutor to help Kara and Zeal?  Her name is Aishwarya Krishnan and she is a Lee parent.  Please welcome her to our famiLEE.

TACO 'BOUT AN AWESOME TEAM

October 4 is typically National Taco Day.  Did you know they moved it, this year, to the first Tuesday of the October?  In celebration of our incredible people, World Teacher Day on Saturday, and National Taco Day (whenever it is- ha) we will have a taco bar in the lounge on Friday.  Thank you for all of your efforts, hard work and dedication to our children and school. We appreciate you more than words!

THANK YOU LEARNING COACHES

October 6, is National Instructional Coaches Day.  Join me in thanking D'Ann, Shayla, and DianaLyn, for leading us all so well.  We appreciate our south side squad, loads!

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, October 7.

UPCOMING DRILL REMINDER

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL MEETING

We will have a LEEdership Council meeting on Monday morning.  Please send them down with their iPad when the announcement is made. 

SCIENCE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

Join Kara at Wilson Elementary on Tuesday from 3:30-4:30 to learn more about meeting the needs of our EB learners through the lens of Science.  Registration link is here.

VIRTUAL PTO MEETING

Our next virtual PTO Meeting is coming up this Tuesday October 8th at 6pm. We hope you can join us for some important and exciting updates from your PTO and Lee Admin Team. We will also have a Coppell ISD Board of Trustees member present to review the upcoming VATRE proposition and answer any questions you may have. Hope we see everyone there! *Link to join will be emailed home*

SPIRIT RALLY

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

 

SILENT SPUR GRAPHIC

Thanks for adopting our new "silent spur" idea into your classroom routines.  Want to use this in your space?  Here is a graphic Angel designed for us.

SWEETEN UP TO RJL TRUNK OR TREAT

The Annual RJL Trunk or Treat on October 24th at 5:30pm is one of our favorite community events of the year, but we can't do it without our FamiLEE! To help support the work our designer teams put into their fabulous trunks, we will be gathering candy donations for them to hand out on the big night! Please sign up to send in a bag of 150+ pieces of candy with your learner by Wednesday, October 23rd. bit.ly/rjlcandy

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

An online absence note is required for any part of the day that a student is missing from school: an hour, a half day, a full day.  For your convenience, this is the link to the online absence note form:  School Absence Note

As you make vacation plans this year, remember that missing school can impact your child's learning and success, and it also affects attendance laws. Please schedule trips following the holidays on the CISD academic calendar to ensure compliance and support your child's education.

OCTOBER IS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

OCTOBER 11 CONFERENCE DAY

Please make sure you are at work during normal contract hours on Friday (7:15-3:35).  HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE BETA "UNCOVER INSIGHTS" BUTTON AT THE TOP OF PANORAMA?  You might find it helpful to identify trends in data as you visit with your learners and their parents.

RESPECT AGREEMENTS

October 14 starts the 2nd 9 weeks.  Please build time in your SS lesson design, for the week of October 14, to include time to revisit and update your respect agreements with your classes.  New copies should be sent to Kat and Angel for our discipline binder.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Speaking of a new 9 weeks, remember to review digital citizenship with your class.  Revisiting digital citizenship conversations throughout the year helps to keep a healthy digital classroom environment.  Common Sense Media is a fabulous resource for supporting children as they navigate the waters of digital learning.  Please make sure all new learners to your class have signed your digital citizenship contracts hanging in your spaces.

MORNING / CLASS MEETINGS

Class circles are going to help learners (and you) as we maintain relationships.  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.  Remember to be completing your Second Step lessons once a week.  

REPORT CARD COMMENTS

As you work on adding comments to K-3 report cards, remember that comments can extend beyond the classroom and influence a child's self-esteem, motivation, and future learning experiences.  Meaningful comments can inspire life long love of learning and personal growth.  Need some ideas or a place to start?  Here are some.

WALKTHROUGHS IN OCTOBER

For this month, we will be giving you feedback on Domain 2.5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for:

• How you adjusts instruction and activities to maintain student engagement (movement, music, manipulatives, small groups and individual work, conferences with learners).

• How you address learner engagement/disengagement.

• Questioning and feedback used to check for understanding.

• How you use of a variety of assessment/input from learners to gather data.

• Checks for understanding through purposeful questioning and feedback.

• The pacing of the lesson.

RED RIBBON WEEK APPROACHING IN TWO WEEKS

We will participate in these Spirit Days, the last full week in October, in celebration of Red Ribbon Week.  Here are the theme days, now, so you and your families can prepare.

PLANNING AHEAD

This information was shared in our Principal's Meeting this week.  I wanted to share with you so that you can plan accordingly.

ESL UPDATES

Reminder: I am available for PT conferences if you have any translating needs using Language Line. I am also available if you would like me to join and share any ESL information or language data.  Please send me a calendar invite or an email.  -Kara

LESSON IN LEEDERSHIP

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• GLOBAL MATH WEEK
• PURPLE HOUSE TAKES CARE OF THE LOUNGE THIS MONTH
• HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
• NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
• STOMP OUT BULLYING MONTH
• BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
• HINDU HERITAGE MONTH

Oct 6- Audrey's Birthday

Oct 7-  Wear Blue for Bullying

     LEEdership Council Meeting (9:00 Cafe)

Oct 8- Write a Check campaign begins through Oct. 31

      Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00 PM)

Oct 9- Leadership Meeting (3:15 PM- Laura's Space)

Oct 10- Curtis' Birthday

     Spirit Rally (2:00)

     End of 1st Grading Period

Oct 11- Conference Day

Oct 14- NO SCHOOL

RED RIBBON WEEK IS TWO WEEKS AWAY!