Week of November 9

Once again, you have WOWED our weekly visitors and your Principal.  Guests were snapping pictures of ALL the learning happening with your children.  Your constant hard work does not go unnoticed!  Once Principal  commented, "Your school should be on 60 Minutes," and that his teachers went on and on about what they saw with great appreciation for what they observed. Another Principal was back for a second visit and wants to bring another team back.  Thank you for continually pushing yourselves and doing what is best for kids!  You are growing EVERYday and while it is not easy, you make it look easy! 

This quote makes me think of our children AND YOU!

OUR GUIDING PURPOSE: We empower learners to positively impact the world by designing learning experiences that promote relationships, risk taking, and collaboration in a flexible environment.

DID YOU KNOW?

• that we have projectors that have bulbs that are already burning out?  This should not happen for THREE years.  They are to last a minimum of 2000 hours.  Please turn of your projectors when they are not in use.  The bulbs are PRICEY!
• that we purchased the Lead 4ward Field Guides for you?  Since they are by grade level, we will label them and give them to the grade level lead for use.  YAY!
• the World Affairs Council D/FW is holding a Free World Religions Forum for Teachers on Saturday, November, 14, 1-3 pm at Islamic Center of Irving? Teachers can receive 2 PD hours for attending. 
• that we sent 8 Designers to this round of Math Educator Academy?  Please take a look on some of the tweets your peers posted or at the resources Sam shared with me:

• Creating Mathematical Thinkers (K-2) Presentation:  This is the presentation that was shared with us about using rich tasks, math talk, etc. to build critical thinking skills and teach math in the K-2 classroom.  There are some great examples of how to implement this.

These are some resources for 3-act tasks, rich tasks (investigations/open ended questions for learners to discover math concepts and strategies)

• ​NRICH.maths.org:  GREAT problem solving/logic puzzles that integrate skills.  Would be great for small group lessons or stations
• Elementary 3-Act Tasks:  A spreadsheet that lists 3-act tasks with the CC standards aligned.
• Illustrative Math: Tasks that are aligned with CC
• More Three-Act Ideas:  3-act lessons
• 101 Questions: Good for starting math conversations, having learners come up with questions.  MAKE SURE TO PREVIEW, since it is open for all to add pictures.
• wodba.ca:  Which one is not like the others?  ​Great for getting kids to justify their thinking.

TECH"KNOW" SATURDAY
Before you leave on Saturday, please see Chantel and make sure that you fill out the extra duty pay form so that we can compensate you for your time.  We already have forms ready for you, THANKS Diana! We have CHS National Honor Society students coming to help "babysit" in the gym during the event.  If you are an aide and want to earn flex time on Saturday, please come see Chantel.  We could use at least one of you.  Please be at school NO LATER THAN 8:30 to set up on Saturday. Parents will hopefully start arriving at 8:45 and we want you to be able to great them.  Learner-facilitators should arrive at 8:30, as well.  We will have breakfast snacks set up in the front of the school.  Please stop by and help yourself!


FED EX
Enjoy your one hour on Wednesday where you learn about a topic of YOUR choice related to YOUR goals, and earn flex credit for it.  This is a time for learning.  Please post to this Today's Meet after 4:30, but by 5:00, on Wednesday.  Please share what you learned during your time to get credit for your hour.  Those who post will automatically be enrolled through Eduphoria.

WANT TO LEARN ABOUT A MATH RESOURCE THAT IS ONLY AVAILABLE BECAUSE WE ARE A TITLE I SCHOOL?  Join us for Reflex Math training in the flex space of the media center.  This is a fabulous online tool that helps students become fluent with their math facts.  Please send at least one member from each house who is interested.

Are you ready to participate with your class in the Hour of Code December 7-13?  Schools across the world will be participating in this global movement to promote computer science to all levels of learners. Not sure where to begin?  Wondering what resources are out there for coding that don’t require YOU to be a programmer to figure out?  Join Alli during FedEx time November 11 to explore resources, think about design elements, and participate in a Hour of Code simulation as we prepare for this special week in December!  If you are interested in joining, please sign up here.  

PICKLE SALE
Your LEEdership Council learners will need to be inside during their recess time to sell pickles. Learners can eat them at lunch or save them for afternoon snack.  Pickles will be on sale on Thursday and Friday for $1.50.


TOY SCORING COMMITTEE
Are you interested in scoring our Teacher of the Year Nominations?  We need 5-10 people interested in joining in the front conference room at 3:15 on Monday, November 9.  We will have the four applications and rubrics ready.  It should not take more than 45 minutes.  Please email Chantel if you will be joining us.  THANK YOU!


SAFE SEARCHING
A friendly reminder that your learners should be searching for images and information through our district databases.  During walkthroughs, I observed learners searching using Google.  We REALLY need you to monitor and teach learners where to safe go for information.  This was part of educator Digital Literacy training.


DIGITAL GENIUS
Don't forget!  The Digital Learning Coaches will be offering their 2nd Face to Face opportunity on Tuesday, November 10, at Brock from 3:30-5:30.  They will host Expedition Saturday, November 14. Click here to register in Eduphoria.  Can't make it to Expedition Saturday?  Learn from DLC's, virutualy, from 10am-11am as they host #cisdchat on Twitter.  Need more details?  See the Digital Genius 15/16 Fall Course Catalog.

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK

Effort- doing your best in an endeavor

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Don’t be content with being average.  It is as close to the bottom as it is to the top.” -Anonymous

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

It is rude to ask if you are getting something for good behavior. You should be good and try your best because you are trying to better yourself, not because you are anticipating a reward.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Nov 7:   Tech KNOW Saturday
Nov 9:   Yellow Design Day (7:30-3:30)
              Teacher of the Year Scoring (3:30 Office)
Nov 10:  PTO Meeting (6:30)

Nov 11:  Veteran's Day Ceremony (8:15 Cafe)
               Red, White, and Blue w/Jeans

               Walk at School Wednesday

               Fed Ex Day (3:30-4:30)
Nov 12:  Purple Design Day (7:30-3:30)
               Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
               Pickle Sale (Recess Times)

Nov 13:  Blue Design Day (7:30-3:30)
               Social Spurs Luncheon
               Samira's Birthday
               Pickle Sale (Recess Time)

Nov 14:  CISD Parent University
               Digital Learning (CMSW)

Week of November 2

I found this article about The Anatomy of a Great Teacher.  IT SOUNDS LIKE EACH OF YOU!!! Enjoy the extra hour this weekend- YOU DESERVE IT!

OUR GUIDING PURPOSE: We empower learners to positively impact the world by designing learning experiences that promote relationships, risk taking, and collaboration in a flexible environment.

DID YOU KNOW?

• there is a cheat sheet on how to use the CRICUT in the CRICUT manual in the drawer by the CRICUT machine?  Designers can create their own project by using the CRICUT app on a device and logging into our Lee Elementary account. (USERNAME: ckastrounis  PASSWORD:  LeeRocks)  Please only use items with the word SUBSCRIBED next to them.  The office can help to cut out the projects if you SAVE them to the account. 
• the count on the workroom copier says 547,770.  That is over half a million copies which is over 2400 copies a day.  THIS IS NOT OKAY.  When possible...PLEASE have learners create or make their assignment. Please work on this so that we do not have to pass out copy codes and monitor printing.
• that there is a great deal of black/white printing being sent to the color printer?  It  costs more than 6 times as much to print a black/white copy to the printer than it does to print to the copier.  Only color printing or printing on labels should be sent to the printer.  Please fix this before we disable printing to the color printer.

LEADERSHIP MEETING
Our Leadership Meeting is at Buffalo Wild Wings after school today.  Remember...anyone is welcome to join us and share ideas.  


WALKTHROUGHS
Please remember to sign off on your Walkthroughs in Eduphoria after a visit.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

THANK YOU for attending the school dance for your learners.  It was so fun to see you dancing with them!


OFFICE HELP
Please make sure you inform the office of special events, visitors, projects, etc. This helps us make sure the office is covered adequately, that they know where to send guests, and so that we can answer questions when parents call.  I am more than happy to put house/grade events on the faculty calendar, too. Thank you!


RED RIBBON WEEK

Thank you, Angela, for planning a WONDERFUL Red Ribbon Week for our school.  It was a BLAST to dress up and have fun with our learners!  We can't wait to see you in your book character costumes on Friday!


BEAN BAGS
We delivered five of each color to each house.  Please write the letter of your house on the red Fatboy label so that they stay in the correct house.  Sara, please put PK on your three and Megan, please put MC on yours.  THANK YOU!


ENRICHMENT HOUR AND SPECIALS
There will be times where Kandice and our Specials designers ask learners to bring devices to class.  I support this request and ask that you cooperate with them so that our learners can use technology in their spaces, too.  Specials teachers will be responsible for the devices when they are in their care and will walk learners back to return them in their charging stations or shared carts.  Thanks for your help.

NEED YOUR FEEDBACK
Thank you to those of you that contributed to our needs assessment for writing.  We will be having training, as a campus, on February 15 in addition to some training in upcoming staff meetings.


TECH"KNOW" SATURDAY
Please make sure that you fill out the extra duty pay form so that we can compensate you for your time.  We will have forms ready for you in the office.


BOOK CHARACTER PARADE
Friday, after broadcast, we will have our Book Character Parade.  If the weather cooperates, we will make one pass around the track after morning broadcast.  Those who did not participate can sit along the inside loop of the track and cheer on our participants.  If the weather does not cooperate, we will walk twice through the building and learners can sit along the walls as we pass through the PreK hall, in front of the office, through yellow house, then red house, through the cafe, and past Art.

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK

Perseverance- the ability to persist or continue to the end

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“The man who moves mountains begins by carrying away small stones.” -Chinese Proverb

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

Make every effort to be as organized as possible.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Nov 1:  Daylight Savings Time
Nov 3:  Red and Black Shirt with Jeans

             Dad's Club Mtg. (7:00pm)

Nov 4:  College Shirt w/Jeans

              Walk at School Wednesday

              Fall Picture Retakes
              Staff Mtg. (3:30) CANCELLED!

Nov 5:  Spurs Savings (7:30-7:50)
              Leadership Council Mtg. (8:00-9:00)
              Tours (9:00 and 1:00)

Nov 7:  Tech KNOW Saturday (9:00-11:00)