You’ve truly hit the ground running, and it’s been such a joy to witness the teamwork, laughter, and focused energy throughout the building and the district. This week affirms we have a winning team. We will continue with a year full of connection, FUN, and powerful collaboration. I am so proud of the how you have worked together, already. You’ve tackled this pre-season with heart and hustle, and I hope time spent together in your learning spaces in the coming days helps ease some of the stress as you gear up for #rjlyear13. We’re officially in Team Lee Spurs mode, and with a team like this, we’re bound for an unforgettable learning season! Go Team!
DID YOU KNOW:
- that we have $1300 to help support you with extra duty pay when you are tutoring learners after school? If we don't use the money, we lose it, so if you tutor...come see Chantel to learn you how to get some $$$.
- there is a link to responses to our Faculty Favorites in case you want to know your famiLEE members better or surprise them with a treat? Home addresses are hidden for your privacy.
- while weather is extreme, you can check here to see how it impacts Recess and PE?
- communication from CK was sent out to parents about "all things beginning of the year?" Here is the link if you want to include in your introduction email to parents. Content is continually added and updated. You will want to read it, too.
- it is expensive to set up a classroom? If you need help, CISD allows solicitation through Donor’s Choose through your school email. If you create an Amazon wishlist to help with your classroom, please use your personal email account and only share with your friends and family, not famiLEEs.
- we will use the hashtags #rjlyear13 and #TeamLeeSpurs this year? Parent engagement is our campus goal, so please make it a priority to tell our story. Please ask parents in your BOY Google Forms if you can use learner pictures in your newsletters and on social media and communicate with the front office if you get a NO from them. You can engage with Lee online through @FamiLEErjl on Instagram and Richard J. Lee Elementary on Facebook. No learner ID numbers in posted pictures, please.
- Lifetouch will send the first round of badges ASAP? Please use paper copies in the meantime. Sleeves and clips will be in your mailboxes soon.
- we are going to recognize your birthday's in a new way? Stay tuned for more information.
THURSDAY
- 8:00-11:00 Convocation (see info below and email from CISD sent today)
- 11:30-12:30 Lunch on your Own
- 12:30-3:30 Grade Level and Content area PLC Time
- Design lessons for first full week of school
- Create Back to School communication to introduce yourself to your learners and their parents Communication will be sent out on Friday @ 3:45 PM
- SPED working on schedules and prepping for house Bridging meetings
- We will establish grade level Norms and Collective Commitments at first TEAM TIME
*Art, Music, PE , STEAM, Library collaboration time for TEAM TIME
CONVOCATION
CISD's Convocation is Thursday, August 6, at the Coppell High School arena. We suggest you carpool because traffic can be a challenge. There will be a variety of breakfast items at tables in the CHS Commons cafeteria area starting at 7:30 a.m., and those who pre-ordered a Convocation t-shirt will be able to pick up their shirts. The program will begin at 8:30 a.m. We added a 30 minute buffer to our schedule to help with the traffic after Convocation. Wear your Lee CHEER t-shirt (the one with baby blue on the front) that we gave you on Monday. We can't wait to see you in your spirit wear.
FRIDAY
You can dress summer casual on this day.
- 7:45-8:15 Breakfast from Admin (Market Street)
- 8:15-11:15 Work in your space, when not scheduled below
- Meet with support staff to review your IEPs, MLI, 504, GT, ESL learners at these times:
- 8:15-8:45 Blue House
- 8:50-9:20 Green House
- 9:25-9:55 Purple House
- 10:00-10:30 Red House
- 10:35-11:05 Yellow House
- 11:10-11:40 Specials
- Re-establish House Norms and Collective Commitments with CK at these times:
- 8:15-8:45 Specials
- 8:50-9:20 Blue House
- 9:25-9:55 Green House
- 10:00-10:30 Purple House
- 10:35-11:05 Red House
- 1:10-11:45 Yellow House
- 12:00-1:00 Lunch on your own
- 1:00-2:00
- CISD Ethics Training (30 min)
- Employee Handbook (30 min)
- 2:00-3:30
- Work in your spaces time
MONDAY
Please wear jeans and your green and pink Team Lee t-shirt.
- 8:00-8:10 Staff Picture on front steps
- 8:10-11:30 Work in your space time
- 11:30-12:30 Lunch on your own
- 12:30-3:30
- Intervention Services Presentation (1 hour)
- Tech Board Training (1 hour)
- Safety and Security Updates from Mr. Bradford (1 hour)
- 3:30-4:30 Work in your spaces
- 4:30-5:00 Dinner provided by Admin (pizza)
- 5:30-6:30 Meet the Designer Night
MEET THE DESIGNER NIGHT
I KNOW you will make Meet the Designer Night memorable for our FamiLEEs. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and I am certain you are planning ways to make this memorable for ALL. I can't wait for the children and their families to see YOU! Remember that your room DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT for Meet the Designer Night, just tidy. You can stay in your Lee Spirit t-shirt for Meet the Designer Night. Specialists and Specials, please get with Admin so we know where you will be helping on the sidelines.
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TUESDAY
You can dress summer casual on this day. Please feel free to either come in an hour late or leave an hour early today to make up for having to attend Meet the Designer Night. We appreciate you so much!
- 8:00-9:00 Work in your spaces
- 9:00-10:20
- Teacher Incentive Allotment/ SLO Updates (30 mins)
Counselor Updates including Student Safety Protocols (30 min)
Nurse Updates (10 min)
LAS Updates (5 min)
Secretary Updates (5 min)
- 10:20-10:30 Q&A Time
- 10:30-3:30 Work in your spaces time
WEDNESDAY- FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
The first week is about building SOLID and TRUSTING relationships with the children and their famiLEEs. My expectation for you, this first week, is to ensure that time spent together is SO FUN and SO EXCITING, that the learners do not want to leave our school.
Please be here by 7:00 on the first day and come down to the library steps as soon as you arrive to take your "First Day of School" photo.
All learners will be permitted to be walked to class by their parents on the first day. We open the school doors at 7:20.
Kindergarten parents are welcome to come to the cafeteria to meet with PTO and Campus Administration before they leave. Kinder team, remind them to head down there.
Specials will come to each house at 2:00 to help with taping backpack tags on the first day. They are here to help on Thursday and Friday, too. Please let them know what you need.
KINDER CONNECT
Kindergarten parents, need to read this important information about the first week of Kindergarten. Kinder, once you sort out where our learners will stay, let Chantel know so we can communicate to parents.
STAFF TREAT FROM PTO ON WEDNESDAY
PTO will have the Boba Truck at the front of the school at 3:15 on Wednesday. Please come on down and treat yourself to celebrate the end of the first day of school.
WHO IS ON YOUR TEAM ROSTER
Class lists are starting to be populated in eSchool (and hopefully in your CISD programs). Remember these are constantly changing, so please do not make class labels or email families until we give you the "all clear." We need every minute to verify and enroll as many learners as we can. We are almost done! We will also grant you access to the Final Class Lists as soon as we can.
All grade level designers will email your welcome to learners and invitations to Meet the Designer Night scheduled to send out at 3:45 PM on Friday, August 7. We must only send emails to learners who have been verified (their ID box will be green on our 26-27 Final Class List document that will be emailed to you by Friday). Our system of emailing, individually, is to ensure we get residency verification from EVERY child on your list. You need to use eSchool to communicate and send BOY emails as Parent Square is not updated.
CONNECT WITH PTO AT MEET THE DESIGNER NIGHT
PTO is so excited to welcome everyone back to school for an amazing year at LEE! Please come find them in the cafeteria & gym on Meet The Designer Night from 5:30-7:30. We will have all pre-purchased spirit wear and swag bags available for pick up. We will also be selling additional school supply packs, and spirit wear for those who did not get a chance to purchase ahead of time. Make sure to stop at our back to school photo op and grab an ice cream from the Mr. Softee Food Truck right outside the cafeteria doors! We can't wait to see you soon!
PTO is so excited to welcome everyone back to school for an amazing year at LEE! Please come find them in the cafeteria & gym on Meet The Designer Night from 5:30-7:30. We will have all pre-purchased spirit wear and swag bags available for pick up. We will also be selling additional school supply packs, and spirit wear for those who did not get a chance to purchase ahead of time. Make sure to stop at our back to school photo op and grab an ice cream from the Mr. Softee Food Truck right outside the cafeteria doors! We can't wait to see you soon!
BE YOUR CLASS MVP ROOM PARENTS NEEDED
Please consider signing up to be the Room Parent for your class! This role is an easy way to get involved and can be tailored to what works for you! Find out more and sign up at rjlpto.org/roomparent. Sign up with open on Sunday, August 9.
SIGN UP FOR BOY OFFICE VISITS
Please take time to sign up for beginning of the year office visits with each of our Principals and our school counselor.- Chantel and Angel's sign up for an office visit (will last about 20 mins)
- Initial August "meet the counselor" visit sign-up
SOCIAL SPURS
It's that time of year again to donate to Social Spurs! The donations are used to spread sunshine and kindness on behalf of the staff, as well as for the staff. More information will be shared soon, but for those who are familiar with Social Spurs and would like to donate, you can bring to Linda Hoffmann or Venmo @Linda-Hoffmann-9
HMH CURRICULUM
As I read this article about implementing new curriculum, one message really stood out to me: implementing a new curriculum isn't just about learning new materials, it's about giving ourselves permission to be learners again. Success won't come from expecting perfection on day one, but from trying, reflecting, collaborating, and growing together over time. As we begin our journey with HMH Reading this year, I encourage you to take a few minutes to BREATHE and give yourself GRACE as you learn all the new "equipment." You will get communication from Angel about when to pick up your HMH "gear."
As I read this article about implementing new curriculum, one message really stood out to me: implementing a new curriculum isn't just about learning new materials, it's about giving ourselves permission to be learners again. Success won't come from expecting perfection on day one, but from trying, reflecting, collaborating, and growing together over time. As we begin our journey with HMH Reading this year, I encourage you to take a few minutes to BREATHE and give yourself GRACE as you learn all the new "equipment." You will get communication from Angel about when to pick up your HMH "gear."
TECHNOLOGY UPDATES
You attended a session on the CISD Technology Framework. On this landing page is our Responsible Use Expectations under "Digital Citizenship." Before deploying your iPads to learners, please review Responsible Use of Technology Resources (RUTR) Agreement and have your learners sign the printable pledge document. This document should be posted in your learning space.
LIBRARY UPDATES
We will move to a fixed library schedule this year with different book turn-in procedures. I will send you an email soon with your day/time and more details. We will begin library classes on Mon 8/17.- HEADPHONE UPDATES
- On Tuesday, Holly will deliver a classroom set of headphones to Ms. Guice.
- If returning teachers need additional headphones to start the year or for new students throughout the year, please fill out this google form. (This is also in Lee Links.) I Need More Headphones @ RJL
- If you have extra headphones after school begins, please return them to the library.
- When you have a damaged or defective headphone, please put a post-it note on it with your name and the problem. Place it on my desk or in my box. You don't need to fill out the google form. I will get you a replacement ASAP.
- Remember to individually label/number each headphone for your classroom and assign each headphone to a specific student. If there is damage, I will need to know which student was using that set. There should also be an organized storage space in the classroom for the headphones.
- REMINDERS FOR STUDENTS
- Cables are very delicate. Do not put them in your mouth, chew on them, repeatedly bend/kink them, or twist where the cable attaches to the headset.
- Do not peel any barcodes or labels off of the headset or cable.
COACHES CORNER
Schoology Courses are Live! Set-Up: ✅Gradebook & 📁Folder Structure
🚨 Action Items for Rostered Schoology Course Setup:
- Review the course names and section names of all of your new courses. Your course names should match eSchool. DO NOT CHANGE THE COURSE NAMES! However, feel free to make changes to the section names to denote various class periods or subjects.
- 4th & 5th Grade: Configure the gradebook for every Schoology course/section through the eSchoolPlus section in Schoology to allow for grade syncing. (Note: Adding categories to the Grade Setup page in Schoology is NOT configuring the gradebook.)
- Decide if linking is for you! Linking courses can be useful for collaborating with other educators who are using the same instructional materials and resources for your grade level. That way you can create content once and share it with your team.
- Self Contained Educators through 3rd Grade: Consider using one course and housing all of your instructional materials and resources for every subject within that course. Adding icons can make it easy for learners to locate the appropriate course.
- Dated & organized folders are ready! The Curriculum & Instruction Resource Group has a CISD Schoology Course Template ready for this year that has all the organizational folders created so you can organize by unit or date and know that you’re meeting the Schoology set up requirements.
Need more support with anything above? Reach out so I can assist in what you need to get set up for success this year!
LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:
Excellence- To stand out with valuable quality.
LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:
Quickly learn the names of other designers and learners in the school and greet them by name.
LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of High Intention, Sincere Effort, and Skillful Execution”-Aristotle
DATES TO REMEMBER
August 10- Campus Day
Meet the Designer Night (5:30-6:30)
August 11- Campus Day
August 12-14- Kinder Connect Week
August 12- First Day of School
1st Day Photos (7:00)
PTO Yahoo BooHoo Breakfast (7:30-8:30)
Boba Truck for Staff (3:15)
August 14- Staff Handbook Signature page due
August 16- CISD Compliance Due
FIRST TEAM TIME AND LIBRARY STARTS AUGUST 17
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