Week of August 31, 2026

I have truly enjoyed this first round of Team Time with you all. Thank you for the heart and thought you’ve poured into writing meaningful norms and collective commitments. Walking through classrooms this week has been such a gift. It reminds me again just how incredible this staff is. The environment you create for our learners each day is "superbowl level."  In the next couple of days, I hope you’ll give yourself permission to pause, just 60 seconds, to look around and celebrate all you’ve already accomplished. YOU are amazing, and you are cared for so deeply. I could not be more proud of what’s happening at Lee in these first two and a half weeks and the community you are helping to support. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

DID YOU KNOW: 

• our Garden Guru, Ms. Keiko, will start Sept 1?  For those new to Lee, Ms. Keiko is our resident outdoor learning expert.  She is an incredible resource and support for our school and she LOVES to partner with classroom teachers and special programs. Be on the lookout for communication from her, soon.
• Dr. Shivers will be on campus on Thursday at noon to observe SS lessons? Please teach SS on Thursday, at this time, if you are in Yellow House or Blue House.  THANK YOU!
• Coppell ISD has planned out the yearly professional learning day?  On September 18 you will be given a design day as a grade level with a focus on the new HMH Curriculum. 

TONIGHT!!! ROLL INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH YOUR FAMILEE

Let the kids play, socialize with parents, and raise money for our school tonight at Interskate! Reminder to bring a printed and signed waiver for each skater - rjlpto.org/waiver   

If you attend feel free to add photos to this album and share photos and tag us on social media!

NATIONAL TRAIL MIX DAY

Monday is National Trail Mix Day! Stop by the lounge, grab a bag, and mix up your perfect combination of sweet, salty, crunchy, and delicious.  Thanks for being a winning TEAM!

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

The first Wednesday of every month we celebrate higher education.  We encourage our learners and staff to wear college shirts on these days.  We hope to see you in your college gear and jeans on Wednesday.

BOY GOAL SETTING MEETINGS

Thank you for signing up for your BOY meeting- they start IN TWO WEEKS.  Calendar invites were sent out- thank you, Amy.  Bring your laptop to the large conference room for your meeting, and please make sure you add your 2 goals and SLO (if you are TIA) to Power School before we meet.  

• HELPFUL RESOURCE:  Here is the link to a presentation to walk you through being set up for your conference. Slide 3 links to our campus goal for you to copy and paste from. Slides 8-17 walk you through the steps to enter in Power School.  PLEASE DO NOT SUBMIT your goals until we meet at your BOY conference.

ATTENDANCE
September is Attendance Awareness Month and every day counts! This month, let’s make it a priority to stay healthy, present, and ready to learn on time. Consistent attendance builds strong habits, supports academic growth, and helps our learners feel connected to their FamiLEE. Let’s work together to be at school as much as possible this September...because when we show up, we grow up! 

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL
It is time to elect a representative from each class. Laura and I are excited to begin working with the new LEEdership Council. Here’s a timeline of events:

• Introduce elections in newsletters: August 28
• Campaign week: September 14-17th, 2026 (Depending on how many candidates you have, you could pick one day or multiple days.)
• Election Day: September 17th, 2026
• Deadline to submit Google Form with the information about Class Leader: September 17th, 2026

Please send the following information to your parents and learners through your weekly newsletter:

Our class will be electing a LEEdership Council representative on Thursday, September 17th, 2026. This learner will meet with Mrs. Kastrounis and Mrs. Jennings (Y5A) throughout the school year during normal school hours to develop their leadership skills and share their voice on campus.

This person must be a strong communicator, confident about sharing their thoughts and ideas, respected by their peers, and be elected. Please discuss this role with your learner to see if they have an interest in campaigning. If your child does want to run, we’ll refer to him/her as a candidate. As they "run" for this position, please abide by these guidelines:

1. Candidates may create a campaign video or prepare a speech to speak in front of the class. Make sure candidates:

1. Introduce yourself

2. Share why you would be the best candidate for this position

3. Share what you will do to make Lee Elementary a better place

4. Speak for 2 minutes or less. 

2. OPTIONAL: Campaign poster 

3. If your child is in 5th grade and was elected in grades Kinder through 2nd, they may run to be a class representative again this year. 

BUDGET

We are excited that we now have our 2026-2027 budget dollars to order what you need to work with your learners.  Part of my role is to make sure you have the supplies you need to do your job.  Please try to plan ahead so that you do not have to spend personal funds on supplies.  Also, be thinking about items we need to add to house storage closets (like manipulatives, science tools, etc.) and write up a PO and put it in my box.  Remember that it will take a couple of weeks to process, approve, and ship.  Please do not turn in a PO unless you have verified that your order is from an approved vendor (see samples below).  In addition, if you are ordering from Amazon, a copy of the links (better yet, a cart) should be emailed to Amy.  For those of you that already put POs in my box for this year, they will be processed this week.  Reminder from our Lee Staff Handbook:   

When ordering from approved vendors like Amazon, Office Depot, Barnes and Noble, Really Good Stuff, Dick Blick, Staples, Michaels, School Specialty, and Lakeshore, copy the link of each item and email links and share a cart (when possible) with the Principal’s secretary along with submitting a paper copy of the Purchase Order form to the Principal. This will speed up the ordering process.

If you are ordering from another vendor (not online) a quote is required, so please request one before you complete a paper copy of the Purchase Order form and place it in the principal’s mailbox.

CURRICULUM NIGHT

Thank you for working as a grade on your Curriculum Night presentations and working through homework procedures during Team Time.  

I appreciate you welcoming our FamiLEEs into your spaces and to Specials and Support Staff for directing parents where to go.  This is your second impression with your FamiLEEs, so make sure your space is tidy, learner work is displayed and there is evidence of the great teaching that has occurred these first few weeks.  Grade leaders, please share your FAQ documents with me.  I will look over for approval and make sure there is a quick turnaround.  Don't forget to share your presentation (including speaker notes) in a separate Parent Square than your newsletter.  We will open front doors at 5:15 on Thursday evening. You can dress casual for the school day, but please wear professional dress for Curriculum Night. Pay close attention to the speaker notes and use them during your presentation to make sure a consistent message is delivered to our parents. 

 Please send this message to your parents:  We will open front and back doors at 5:15 so you are in your seats ready for presentations promptly at 5:30.  This time is for parents only, and is not a come and go event.  You will want to arrive on time and attend the entire session to learn about the upcoming year and campus/classroom procedures. Curriculum Night also gives you the opportunity to meet other parents.  See you there!

 

WALKTHROUGHS THROUGH SEPT

Throughout September, Angel and I will be in your spaces to give you feedback regarding Domain 3.1 Learning Environment (Classroom Routines and Procedures) and 3.2 Managing Student Behavior. We will be looking for:

• • Current character trait posted

  • Daily Schedule 

  • What is on your magnet wall 

  • “I Can” statements posted

  • Anchor Charts in all subject areas

  • Math and Science manipulatives and supplies accessible to learners

  • Reading book boxes with an assortment of readers accessible to learners

  • Each learner has a designated place for their supplies

  • Respect Agreement visible

  • Digital Citizenship Contract signed and displayed

  • Learner Work displayed

  • Guiding Purpose hung

  • Effective Routines, transitions, and procedures in place

  • How you manage learner groups and supplies

FINAL STOCK OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND SPIRIT WEAR

Still need school supplies or our adorable RJL Spirit shirt for this year? The remaining stock is available at rjlpto.org/spurstore while supplies last! We will deliver to your learner’s classroom within a few days after receiving your order.

LIBRARY HELPERS NEEDED

Mrs. Stout would love library helpers to help shelve books and with other small projects. Please sign up and consider becoming a regular volunteer for the library! rjlpto.org/library  For anyone shelving books, we’ve worked with Mrs. Stout to create a quick training video you can watch before your volunteer slot!

HOUSE FUND DONATIONS OPEN

Our annual house fund donations are open now through September 13th. House funds are what we as a PTO use to support all the celebrations we host throughout the year. Please visit rjlpto.org/housefunds to learn more and donate! Your support is greatly appreciated!

BE YOUR CLASS' MVP:  BECOME A ROOM PARENT

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

FALL BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEER SIGN UP IS LIVE

The Scholastic Book fair is coming to RJL Library soon, and the volunteer sign up is live. Act fast to get a slot that works best for you! This is one of the first onsite volunteer opportunities of the year and a great way to get involved and foster young readers! rjlpto.org/bookfair

Reminder, if you plan to volunteer for these or any other future events, complete your yearly required CISD Background Check asap here.

COACH'S CORNER

Having trouble printing Anchor Charts from the digital platform?

I have a solution! Click to access a step-by-step click sheet on how to access PDF bundles for each instructional purpose.

Apple Classroom

Now that you have completed the RUTR lessons and are beginning to use iPads, do not forget to start your Apple Classroom Sessions!

Use this Canva presentation to review:

• The Apple Classroom Reel shared at Welcome Week
• Troubleshooting Tips
• An Apple Classroom Actions Reference Sheet

Use the Schoolwork App to Change Apple Classroom Class Names

The Schoolwork app (on your iPad) makes it possible to customize your class names, colors, and icons. These changes carry over to the Apple Classroom app, making it easier to quickly identify and access the right class during instruction.

Benefits include:

• Personalize class names to match your sections
• Choose unique colors to visually distinguish classes at a glance
• Select icons that make classes easier to recognize
• Reduce time spent searching for the correct class during lessons

A few minutes spent customizing your classes can create a more organized and efficient experience in Apple Classroom, helping you focus more on teaching and less on navigation.

Click here to access the steps to complete in the Schoolwork app.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• GOAL SETTING WINDOW OPEN
• BOY MAP & MCLASS WINDOW OPEN
• NATIONAL SUBSTITUTE APPRECIATION WEEK
• SOCIAL SPURS DUES SUBMITTED
• GREEN HOUSE TAKES OVER LOUNGE RESPONSIBILITIES
• ATTENDANCE AWARENESS M0NTH

Sept 2- College Shirt Day

     Goal Setting Support (if needed, 3:15-4:45 Cafe)

Sept 3- Dr. Shivers- SS Learning Walk (12:00 Blue House/Yellow House)

     Curriculum Night (5:30-6:30)

     Sky Ranch Parent Meeting (6:30-7:00 Cafe)