Week of January 11

What a fantastic week back from Winter Break.  I enjoyed being in classrooms, again, and seeing the incredible instruction that you deliver and provide our learners.  It was evident that you all took time to RECHARGE over the break.  THANK YOU!!

Great work was done to prepare for our Saturday MATHurday.  I enjoyed checking out your planning resources online.  Todd will be creating a flyer to send home to spread the word.

I want ask you to reflect about our guiding purpose for a moment.  We are deep enough in our PLC book study to understand the importance of shared commitment and values. We came together as a staff and agreed upon this vision.  You have included the guiding purpose in our email signatures, and now you are posting it in your spaces.  Do you think this is enough?  

Think about: What YOU are going to do to LIVE out this purpose at Lee?  We will revisit this at our next staff meeting.

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 today we have an Apple Executive and the State Board of Education Chairperson coming to check you out during two afternoon tours?  
• that next Thursday we have a 25 person tour in the morning AND another 25 person tour in the afternoon?
• there is such a thing as organizational desktop wallpapers?  You do now!

SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Thank you for your hard work in grade level PLCs to get next year's school supply lists created!   


PLC BOOK STUDY
Todd and I appreciate your efforts to get caught up on our book study over the break.  I enjoyed reading your discussion responses and commenting on them.  If you have time, you might want to check out what your peers have posted.  I know I have a broader perspective after reading how people responded.  I want to complement you on your honesty and transparency in your replies.  It is nice to know that people feel safe to do so at Lee!  New due dates are posted in our Schoology course and on the staff calendar.  By Friday the new discussion questions and action items will be posted. Leadership team, it is a GREAT idea to get our book study on your meeting agendas.


CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN
I request that in Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday's house PLC that ALL staff members review our Campus Improvement Plan.  This plan clearly states our campus shared goals for this year. Have you ever wondered where these goals originate?  They begin by being based on the District Improvement Plan.  We then add in campus specific growth points and goals established from parent surveys, our leadership team, and campus needs assessments.  

Leadership Team, do you remember how we documented during our first Site-Based Meeting by going through each action step and writing evidence in the last column?  As a house and Specials Team, document what your group has as evidence of achieving our shared goals.  Remember, this is a working document that brings common focus for all of us on campus.  When you review it, you will see HOW MUCH you have already accomplished these first two nine weeks and how we are working together as a school to make a difference.  WAY TO GO!  

WFTBB UPDATE

Remember Brenda from our December training?  She will be here twice next week to lend Writing support. On Monday, she and I will participate in learning walks through your spaces.  We will be looking for integration of Thinking Maps and also be observing writing lessons.  On Thursday, she will participate in your house meetings.  This is an IDEAL time to share with her where you want and need support.  She will be coming back on February 15 for campus-wide professional learning in Expository Writing.

SOCIAL SPURS BREAKFAST

Instead of lunch, Red House will be providing breakfast on Friday.  More information will be coming your way, so mark your calendar.  Thanks Red House!

SPIRIT RALLY

Please be in the gym and ready to go by 8:15 on Friday.  We are going to try something NEW this time...we will sit as HOUSES during Spirit Rally.  A map will come your way before Friday.  The office will start calling down HOUSES at 8:00.  Designers, please sit mixed in the bleachers and on the floor with your learners during the assembly.  

MID YEAR GOAL SETTING CONFERENCES

Please sign up for a middle of the year conference with Todd and I.  During this time, we will review how you are progressing with your goals, review completed walkthroughs and observations, seek input from you, and find out as an administrative team how we can support you. ALL staff needs to sign up for face time with us.

KUDOS

Kudos to those of you that have been posting, daily, on Twitter.  Speaking of KUDOS, don't forget to recognize someone on our Shout Out board for a job well done!

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK
Honesty- truthfulness in words and actions.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” -Thomas Jefferson

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

No matter what the circumstances always be honest. Even if you have done something wrong, it is best to be honest.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Jan 11:  Learning Walks with Brenda from Thinking Maps (10-12)

             School Board Meeting (7:30) to recognize Wendy
Jan 12:  PTO Mtg. (6:30)

Jan 13:  Convocation T-shirt w/ Jeans
             Walk at School Wednesday
              Leadership Mtg. (3:30)  
Jan 14:  Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
             Brenda from Thinking Maps in your House Meetings

Jan 15:  Social Spurs Breakfast
             Spirit Rally (8:15 Gym)
             PTO Chuck E Cheese Night

Week of December 7

Hope you have had your ELF a MERRY first week of December.  Be on the lookout for the ELF game rules over the weekend.  

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 there is a deadline to book busses for field trips between December 18 and January 7?  The reservation must be input by December 10 to be approved.
• that our enrollment is up to 665 and our free and reduced lunch is 6%.  Please include information for parents to learn more in this week's email home.

WEEK OF CODE

Please consider signing up and sharing out learner opportunities for #hourofcode next week.  Here is an easy guide to get started and lesson plans, too!  (Thanks Alli and Twitter)

WRITE FROM THE BEGINNING AND BEYOND TRAINING

THANK YOU for your attention and professionalism during training!  Brenda shared the Essential Question activity cards.  Here they are!  She also emailed and commented, "Your teachers oops I mean designers, were wonderful!  It was such a pleasure to be a part of this very talented group." I appreciate the way you represented Coppell ISD and our school.  She will be back on January 11 for Learning Walks in our building.

DATA DASHBOARD

MP2 Energy was here on Monday.  To get to the dashboard, this is the website and the password is: spurs  They cleared out the learner leaderboard since first and last names were on there and updated it to only collect first name last initial now.  Please challenge our learners to go on and take multiple sustainability quizzes.  The questions randomly generate, so no two quizzes are the same and the bank of questions will keep the quizzes fresh and challenging.  Did you know we can add our own questions to the quiz bank?  Did you know we can add videos too?  See Todd or Chantel to learn more.

ESL UPDATE

Please review the S'more sent by Claudia this week.  It has excellent updates for resources and strategies for our ESL learners!

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

Thank you for giving your LEEders time to share with your classes after our meetings.  I will email the minutes after each meeting to help learners share what we have done.  We will host holiday Spirit Stick sales the last week before Winter Break.

HANDBOOK UPDATE TO RECESS SECTION HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW
As the allergy season gets going, or cold weather approaches, please let parents know that if they request their child stay in from outside activities, it will require a note from them.  If the request is for longer than 2-3 days, we will need a doctor’s note that gives specific dates that the learner must stay inside.

• On days that the learner remains inside, they will report to the media center with something to read or work to do (after you have notified the media specialist).  If our media specialist has lunch at that time and it would prevent the learner from staying in the media center, the designer will have to work out another placement (i.e. in the café or another house during that time).

SCIENCE IS MESSY

Make sure you let me know if you attended training today.  I will cover a lunch or recess duty for you as a token of thanks for continuing your learning.

SOCIAL SPURS PARTY

We hope you can join Social Spurs on Wednesday for their party at Love and War in Texas.  Bring a wrapped ornament ($10) if you would like to participate in the ornament exchange.

MATH EDUCATOR ACADEMY

If you are interested in attending Math Educator Academy on these days, please let me know.  We have the budget to send four total PreK-2 Designers and four total 3-5 Designers plus one Special Education Designer.  We will secure your subs but you must still request through Eduphoria.

CISD HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

For those of you new to the district, CISD has a great event at the Admin Bldg. all day on Friday. Head over during your conference time and rub elbows with other CISD employees while enjoying snacks and entertainment by the CISD Fine Arts Department.  Our learners will perform around 9:30 so check them out if you are there at that time.

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK

Justice- being fair, right, and upholding what is right.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“In matters of style, swim with the current.  In matters of principle, stand like a rock.” -Thomas Jefferson

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

Never cut line. If someone cuts in front of you, do not say or do anything about it. Let it happen, but let a teacher know about it. They will handle the situation.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 7-11: Week of Code

Dec 8:  PTO Mtg. (6:30 pm)

Dec 9:  Walk at School Wednesday
             Choir Sings at Northpark Mall
             Staff Holiday Party (3:30 Love and War in Texas)
Dec 10:  April's Birthday
              Learning Walk @ Lee (8:15)
              Choir/Instrumental Dress Rehearsal (8:30 Cafe)

              Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
              Campus Spelling Bee
              Lauren's Farewell (4:30-6:30 Esparzas)
              Choir/Instrumental Performance (6:30 Cafe)
Dec 11:  Todd's Birthday

               Julie B's Birthday
               CISD Holiday Open House (conference time)
               GtI Learner Interviews Due to Ayesha

Week of November 30

The definition of thanksgiving is the expression of gratitude.  There is SO MUCH that I am grateful for!  Most importantly, I am grateful for each of YOU!!  The experiences that you give our learners EVERY day is mind-blowing, but the experiences that you give ME are ones that I treasure and feel deep to my core.  I am reminded daily of the blessing of being at THE BEST SCHOOL ON THE PLANET and will miss seeing you next week while we are off.   Please enjoy time with your friends and family!

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 Austin's Butterfly is a great example of modeling, critiquing, and honest feedback?  Take a chance to watch this incredible video!
• even though you might have missed Math Educator Academy that you can see their presentations and resources here?
• when you are doing something you are proud of in math you should use the hashtag #75019math?  In science you can use #cisdscience and in SS you can use #cisdss.
• that we cannot accept any more personal day request for December 4 and 11?  I'm sorry for this news, but we have met our daily quota of subs on these days. 

WRITE FROM THE BEGINNING AND BEYOND TRAINING
Don't forget that we have training starting at 3:30 on Monday.  We will conclude by 6:30, and before you leave, please sign your extra duty pay forms.  Also, we will provide you with dinner and drinks. You each need to bring with you your Setting the Stage Binder from your storage room and a few diverse student writing samples (high, middle, low) to use when we discuss characteristics and mini-lessons.  Please wear jeans on Monday with a school shirt.


SCHOOLOGY COURSE
It is impressive how many of you have embraced Schoology, and I am so proud of you for using this learning management system.  Please remember to share (and reshare) your course codes with parents and principals.  Since we don't use worksheets that often, Schoology is an AWESOME way for all of us to see and interact with what the learners are studying at school.


FIND YOUR VOICE THROUGH BLOGGING
Digital Learning Coaches invite you to participate in a new professional learning experience called "Find your Voice Through Blogging."  The course is listed in Eduphoria and it begins this week and runs through April.  Please share your blog with me, if you participate, so that I can comment on it!


DASHBOARD TRAINING
MP2 Energy (the creators of the new dashboard) will be here on Monday from 11:30-1:30.  You are welcome to come into the conference room to ask questions, give suggestions/feedback during this time.  If you forget how to get there this is the website and the password is:  spurs


LOUNGE
Please check your design studios and at home for forks, spoons, knives, and the can opener that belong in our lounge.  We added over 40 forks (thanks Elisa Genco) this summer.  Thanks for your help!


BIRTHDAY WEEK
I want to extend a gracious thank you to each and every one of you for showering me with love, notes, presents, banners, cards, top secret missions and MORE this week.  My heart is filled with gratefulness and appreciation, so THANK YOU for the "Week of Chantel."  I am truly touched!


LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL
Please remind your leader to wear their t-shirt on the Monday that we return from Thanksgiving.

"LEE"DERSHIP QUALITY OF THE WEEK

Fairness- playing by the rules.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"Fairness doesn't mean that everyone getst the same.  Fairness means that everyone gets what they need."  - Rick Riordan

LESSON IN "LEE"DERSHIP

Whenever you are offered food, whether it be a birthday treat or a snack, never take more than your fair share.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Nov 15-21:  NO SCHOOL!  
Nov 22:  Jacque's Birthday
Nov 30:  LEEdership Council Meeting (8:00-Flex Space)
            MP2 Energy Kiosk Training (11:30-1:30 Large Conference Room)
            WFTBB Training (3:30-6:30 Media Center)
Dec 1:  Red and Black Attack Shirt and Jeans
             Dad's Club Mtg. (7:00pm)

Dec 2:  Walk at School Wednesday
             College Shirt w/Jeans
             4-5 Progress Report Grades due in System (8:00)
Dec 3:  Science is Messy Training (VRE 4:00-5:00)

             Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)
             5th Grade in-class Spelling Bee

Dec 4:  Progress Reports sent home