Thursday, September 3, 2026

Week of September 7, 2026

What an incredible week it has been.  Getting into so many classrooms has been a joy.  Have a fabulous Curriculum Night tonight.  We appreciate the purposeful ways that you interact with our parents.  This is a great opportunity to make them feel welcome at school. We will unlock the front doors at 5:15 so that parents can get to your spaces and get seated.  We will close the front doors at 5:45.  I hope that this will get parents here on time so that your presentations are not interrupted with late guests.  Please begin presenting at 5:35. 


DID YOU KNOW:
  • calendar invites were sent out for your beginning of the year goal setting meetings?  Please be on time and join us in the conference room with your Macbook.  Your Canva DOES NOT need to be complete, but you should have a template created so that the link can be attached in our required documentation.  Here is our agenda.
  • you should always wear your badge/ID and close doors and turn off lights when you leave spaces?  CISD Safety Audits will begin soon.  (see below) 
  • campus clubs like STEAM, Choir, Art, and Chess are beginning to fill up?  Learners will have envelopes with their fees for club enrollment.  Please send them to the club sponsor with these.
  • the district is going to have a Vulnerability Assessment (a safety audit) on October 6 and maybe October 7?  You could be stopped at any time by a TEA representative on this day and asked how you would respond in an emergency situation.  This Campus Staff Presentation will help make sure you are ready. Make sure you have the updated SRP sticker on your badge.
  • Chantel will be at district training on Tuesday and Wednesday at Pinkerton? Text if you need anything.  I will be here in the mornings and back for our Leadership Meeting.

NO SCHOOL ON MONDAY
Just a reminder, Lee Elementary will be closed on Monday, September 7th, in observance of Labor Day. We hope you enjoy a safe and relaxing long weekend with your FamiLEE! We’ll see our Spurs back at school on Tuesday, September 8th.



PTO MEETING REMINDER
Save the date and please join us for our first Virtual PTO meeting of the school year on Tuesday, September 8th, at 6pm. Tune in for key updates from the Lee administration and your PTO team. A link to join will be emailed prior to the meeting. We can’t wait to see you there! Visit rjlpto.org/rjlspeaks to submit anonymous questions for the PTO or the RJL Admin team prior to the meeting



CURRICULUM SAVE THE DATES
Here are the dates for curriculum previews from the Khans.  I'm super grateful for Zoom links for Lee Staff.  These videos would be appropriate for Team Time, if your grade is interested.




BOOK FAIR IS COMING
Book Fair time is approaching. This is a time where there is an assortment of books, posters, and more for purchase while at school. Any funds raised at Book Fair go back to our school library to buy more books and supplies for all learners to use in our media center. Your child will be previewing the book fair this week and will be coming home with a “wish list” of books they would like to purchase.  Please consider helping your child participate and make it easy by filling up their Scholastic E-Wallet



FALL BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEER SIGN UP IS LIVE

The Scholastic Book fair 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




PATRIOT DAY and TEXAS FIRST RESPONDERS DAY

Thank you, Deputy Thames, for all you do as both a first responder and our School Resource Deputy at Lee! We are incredibly grateful for the way you serve, protect, and care for our learners, staff, and FamiLEEs each day. 




RESERVE YOUR SPOT AT SPECIAL FRIENDS DAY ON SEPTEMBER 17
We invite you to stop by and have lunch with your learner on Thursday, September 17.  After having lunch, you are welcome to shop at our Scholastic Book Fair in our media center. Please sign up here to help us prepare for this special day.  School lunch is priced at $5.00 and will be charged to your learner's account.  If you pre-register, we will have name tags prepared for you ahead of time so you can quickly check in and avoid waiting in a long line.  



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. 




TECHNOLOGY REMINDERS FOR STAFF AND LEARNERS

  • ALL LEARNERS should have their picture as their background on their home screen so we can easily identify the owner of the iPad. They should not create their own designs or put pictures of anything else as their home screen.
  • Learners should only take pictures and videos as instructed to do so in class. The iPad is not a personal photo album for them, and we should not see pictures and videos from home on 5th grade iPads that do not relate to a school assignment.
  • Learners should be reminded that there is a filter on their school iPad and that whatever they do can be re-traced and reported. School digital citizenship expectations apply, at all times, when learners are using their school iPads. Learners should not erase their history and we must do random history checks to hold them accountable.
  • If learners damage their iPad, their case, headphones, or charger, or pen, they will be financially responsible for the damage.
  • Learners must carry iPads with two hands and "hug them to their chest" when they are walking with them.
  • Learners should never leave an iPad on the floor.
  • Learners should not be eating their snacks and using sticky or dirty fingers to work on their iPad. 
  • iPads are not permitted to be used on the bus. They should remain in learner backpacks.
  • 5th graders leaving for extended travel are to leave their iPad at school for when they return.
  • Staff should use Apple Classroom when learners are on devices.




ATTENDANCE
Pro Parenting Tip: Schedule dentist and doctor appointments outside of school hours or choose afternoon slots so your child doesn't have to miss school. Every day counts! Thank you for supporting your child's education and helping us maintain strong attendance. Together, we can make a difference!



ROOM PARENTS FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS ACROSS CLASS FAMILIES AND STAFF

We still have a few final slots open for Room Parent in the following classes: Green 1, Purple 1, Purple 3B, Purple 5, Yellow 1. Please consider signing up or encouraging your network to do so if they are in these classes! This role can be tailored to what works for you and your class. Find out more, and sign up at rjlpto.org/roomparent



HOUSE FUND DONATIONS OPEN

Our annual house fund contribution window closes September 14th. These funds are how we support all the celebrations we host throughout the year. Please visit rjlpto.org/housefunds to learn more and donate! Your support is greatly appreciated!




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

    • 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


PARENT COMMUNICATION
Do you keep a parent communication log?  This is a good idea for both positive and not so positive conversations.  In education: if it is not documented, it didn't happen. Panorama is the PERFECT PLACE to document parent communication.  Also, think about picking up the phone (instead of emailing) when you have an issue that could potentially escalate.  We have a caring staff, and typically if there are issues, it is due to miscommunication.  When a parent has your listening ear and hears your voice on the other end showing concern, most problems will be solved.  Please always inform Admin if you have a "tricky" conversation.


COACH'S CORNER
 🏠 Make HMH Family Letters More Family-Friendly
HMH provides a Family Letter for each module with vocabulary, questions, and ideas for practicing at home. The information is helpful — but it can also be a lot of text for families to navigate, especially when English is not their first language. Rachael shared this really great idea during first great CTT today, and we wanted to share it with others- give the HMH Family Letter a quick visual makeover with AI!
1. Download the Module Family Letter from HMH.
2. Upload it to ChatGPT.
3. Copy + paste the provided prompt. 
4. Review the finished product to make sure the learning matches the original HMH letter before sharing it with families.
For example, the Grade 2 Module 2 Family Letter focuses on exploring and making discoveries, practicing the words examine, identify, and record, and gives families simple ways to reinforce learning through conversation, reading, and word play. Using the Copy + Paste Prompt (also linked below!), here is what was generated:
📋 View the Copy + Paste Prompt Here! This prompt is LONG - you do not have to read it! Copy, paste, and go. 🙂

One last step: AI-generated materials always need a quick human check! Compare the finished one-pager to the original HMH Family Letter for accuracy before sending it home.


LESSONS IN LEEDERSHIP




DATES TO REMEMBER:
  • BOY GOAL SETTING WINDOW
  • BOY MAP AND MCLASS WINDOW
  • CELEBRATE FREEDOM WEEK
  • CHS HOMECOMING WEEK
  • FALL BOOK FAIR WEEK BEGINS
Sept 7- NO SCHOOL
Sept 8- Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00)
Sept 9- Leadership Meeting (3:15 Yellow House)
Sept 10- Monica's Birthday
     5th Grade TX Wildlife Visit
     Goal Setting Meetings 
     Book Fair Previews
Sept 11- Goal Setting Meetings
     Susie's Birthday
     Book Fair Previews
     TX First Responders Day

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