Week of Feb 6

What a FABULOUS week!  Thank you for your participation in our Innovator's Mindset activities and for the incredible learning experiences you have provided our children.  Twitter was on fire this week with excellence!  THANK YOU for telling the story of Lee!  

DID YOU KNOW

• Anthony Hill emailed to congratulate each of us on the State School of Character Honor?  YAY! THANK YOU for the parts you have played in this recognition!
• that we will observe the posted calendar for the 2017-2018 school year?  The timeframe for communication for the proposed "new calendar" would not have been favorable.  Inservice week is August 14-18.
• if you attend CAST on February 18, we will pay for your registration and grant you Flex Time for attending?  Let me know, by Monday, if you are interested in attending.

STAFF MEETING
Please plan on joining us for staff meeting on Wednesday.  All staff needs to attend as we learn hands only CPR and review TELPAS.  We will provide you with healthy snacks and water for this meeting in celebration of the #communitychallenge.  Please wear your warm ups if you like!  Keep posting to @itstime #communitychallenge #LWnCoppell to earn the city of Coppell points.  Thanks for your participation 



COMMUNITY ACTION CLUB
Please share this information with your famiLEEs through your newsletters the next two weeks!

WORLD READ ALOUD DAY
Melinda will be sending you an email to have CHS Red Jackets come and read with your learners for World Read Aloud Day on February 16.  Don't forget to sign up for a time slot!


YEARBOOK
Please help your class be represented in the yearbook.  You can submit pictures by logging in here.  The User ID is: Leeyearbook2017@gmail.com and Password is: spurs1234  PTO needs pictures related Spirit Rally, Field Trips,  Allaso Ranch, Houses, Specials and more.

APPLE UPDATE
I got an email from Dr. Denison that we can expect some visits from Lewisville, IBM, and Apple to see the app in action.  Please know, I recognize there have been some hiccups, but that our pilot of this app will help them move forward in bringing enhancements to the app.  Please continue to use it and let us know what problems are still arising.

In addition to our Element and Enlight work, we have an Apple Trainer who will be coming to Lee to support our CBL work.  He will be meeting with four staff members on February 20 and 21.  (These are our research folks).   We need feedback from you because this trainer will be returning for at least two more 3 day visits.  He can continue to work with our research designers OR if you feel like you would like additional support in CBL, he can work with YOU.  Maybe you have other ideas of ways we could use CBL help.  Please email or visit with me so that we can take advantage of having this expert on campus.  (see staff calendar to see when Nelson Taylor will be here)


WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS
We move to a new Domain and Dimension this week.  We will transition to "Monitoring and Adjusting" instruction.  The image below describes how we will look for evidence in our walkthroughs.  We will be looking for learner input,  academic feedback (not procedural), questioning, and how you keep learners engaged.

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Love- unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for other; warm attachment

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Love your neighbor as yourself.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love."  - Mother Theresa

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Counselor Appreciation Week
School Transportation Appreciation Week
February 6- 100th Day of School
          RtI Meetings
February 7- Ed Foundation T-shirt and Jeans
          Dad's Club Mtg. (7:00 BWW)
          #cisdchat at 7:30
February 8- House shirt and Jeans (or warm ups)
           Jayca's Birthday
           Math Educator Academy (K-2)
           Progress Report Grades Due (8:30)
           Staff Mtg. (ALL STAFF ATTENDS 3:30)
February 9- Kylie's Birthday
            Math Educator Academy (3-5)
            Spurs Savings (7:30-7:50)
February 10- Book Fair Preview Day
             Rachel's Birthday
             Spirit Stick Sales
             Send home Progress Reports
             Campus Tours (9:00 and 1:00)

Week of Jan 30

READ THIS WEEK'S BLOG ALL THE WAY TO THE END!!!  WE HAVE A VERY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOU!!!

WHAT A WEEK!  It has been wild and crazy with #CISD360 and it couldn't have been the success it was without YOU.  A special shout out to Layne, Megan, and Jacque for presenting on CBL and to Ashley for co-presenting on vertical scheduling.  Our tour guests went ON AND ON about the talent in our building and some heard about Lee at lunch and ditched their original afternoon tour to come to Lee!  Other Principals, Central Office, AND DR. WALDRIP heard all about your awesomeness!  THANK YOU for making me massively #principalproud!

Here are some GREAT IMAGES from the district tour.

LEEdership Council did a WONDERFUL job of greeting and escorting our visitors.  THANK YOU for sharing them throughout the day!

You want tears in your eyes?  At one point, I wondered why the tour was taking so long to get upstairs...that's because our "resident welcome wagon," Charles, was working his magic.  I turn around to see this guest holding Charles' hand and helping walk him upstairs to blue house!!!  Real men wear plaid!!

  How about this HUGE canvas that was created especially for our school and gifted to us from Huffman ISD?  As a thank you for YOUR inspiration (they have visited at least 5 times in preparation of opening a new school) they had this custom made for us.  We can't wait to find the perfect spot for it! 

Check out Mary Kemper's CBL Sketchnotes from our girls' presentation.  They rocked it!

There were SO MANY JOYS along our journey this week!

DID YOU KNOW

• our payroll system has changed over?  Please verify that your pay is accurate and that direct deposits are correct.  Your net pay will be different due to to changes in IRS Tax Tables.  If there is an issue, please let Carla in payroll know by MONDAY.  You received an email about this from Kelly Penny on Tuesday.
• that the City of Coppell is opening Life Safety Park this weekend?  It is modeled after Frisco's Safety Town and would make a great field trip opportunity!
• that it is that time of year where we select what we want in our school supply kits for the 2017-2018 school year?  ALREADY?!  Please edit this document and make changes in your next cycle of team time so I can get it to PTO.  I will know your grade is ready when the date on your tab is changed to 2017-18.  Remember that costs need to stay as close to $50 as possible so that after our group discount they fall within district guidelines.  The deadline is Monday, February 6.

TELPAS
Please make sure you read and understand Angela and Claudia's emails regarding TELPAS.  Please ask if you have ANY questions.


IT'S TIME TEXAS
This week, you can wear warm ups with your college shirt on Wednesday AND your school shirt on Friday if you make a minimum of one staff shout out before Wednesday.  Here are the rules:

• A minimum of at least three school staff or faculty must be in the photo holding this downloadable/printable ITT Shout Out card.
• This is for school staff and faculty only. Photos involving students are not allowed.
• Photos of the same group of people are not allowed. (But you can be in multiple groups which will earn our our district more points)
• Tweet your staff shout out group photo to @ITSTIME @LWnCoppell #CommunityChallenge 

INNOVATORS MINDSET
At Lee, we believe that everyone is a leader!  Chapters 8-12 of Innovator’s Mindset are all about leading the charge in innovation by using your strengths and unleashing your own talents.  Please have these chapters read by February 3rd.  Also, take time to reflect on the chapters and complete one of the reflection choices by February 3rd. We hope you find a new tool for reflection that you can also use with your learners! More details are posted in our Lee Schoology course!  


WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Loyalty- faithfulness to another.

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

If you hear something negative about one of your friends, don't repeat it.  If necessary, let a designer know what was said.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"I will speak ill of no man and speak all the good I know of everybody." -Benjamin Franklin

DATES TO REMEMBER:
January 30- Mentor Meeting (3:30 Green House)
February 1- College Shirt and Jeans
            Digital Learning Day (every day is #DLDay-register & tweet out)
            Leadership Meeting (3:45 On the Border)
February 3- Innovators Mindset Assignment Due
            Spirit Stick Sales (Recess Time)
February 6- 100th Day of School (see letter shared by Courtney)
            School Supply Lists for 2017-2018 Due

CONGRATULATIONS TO RICHARD J LEE ELEMENTARY- WE ARE OFFICIALLY A STATE SCHOOL OF CHARACTER!!!

We found out this evening and wanted to surprise you in a FUN way, however, a press release will go out tomorrow-so we wanted you to be the first to know.  THANK YOU to all of you that contributed evidence to our application.  A special THANK YOU to Angela who worked MANY extra hours to get our application complete and accepted.  This is a HUGE honor for our school, YOU, and our famiLEEs because it is truly a team effort.  There will be future award events coming up that we will keep you informed about.  Please keep this award off of social media until I have sent a Parent Link to our stakeholders.  CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Week of Jan 23

Thank you for your hard work designing your next challenges.  Ashley and I are so impressed with your collaboration, planning, and designing this week.  You have come so far with your CBL work and understanding of Challenge Based Learning.  Please take time to reflect about how far you have come and CELEBRATE that!  Our classroom visits this week also highlighted the greatness in our building.  Watching you with your learners brings us JOY in our journey!

DID YOU KNOW

• there is a cool website I learned about from Blue House called Solve Me Mobiles?  Have fun checking it out.
• that RJL raised $4,291.52 for the American Heart Association?  THANK YOU Julie and Julie for promoting this awesome fundraising on campus!
• in order for us to remain an Apple Distinguished School when we renew that 70% of our staff will need to be Apple Teachers?  (have you seen Alli's email about upcoming training?)  Some of our designers already completed this and your Principal has only passed the iPad portion, so don't panic, but if you are looking for ways to earn flex time, this could be a great way to do so.  

CISD TOUR

We will have super important tours coming through campus on Wednesday.  This means jeans on TUESDAY, not Wednesday.  Thank you to Layne, Megan, Jacque, and Ashley for helping to present on Thursday.

Please have the following clearly posted in your spaces:  CBL Language, I can statements or learning standards, 8 Expectations for Living, LEEdership tip/quote/quality of the week, anchor charts in ALL subject areas, and learner work.  There WILL be MANY folks through our building on this day, so please be prepared.  They may want to ask you or your learners questions.  They have permission from the district to do this.  You design amazing experiences each day, that is why these visitors are paying $198 each a day to observe the BEST experiences for learners.  What our guests observe will help them with visioning in their schools and push boundaries in their districts.  My expectation would be to model best practices with choice/voice, differentiation with product/process, use of technology at the creation and redefinition level (a great opportunity to showcase your coding skills), inquiry based experiences, cross curricular connections, and high learner engagement.  PLEASE come see me if you have any questions.

NOTES FROM OUR IC

Please take 2 minutes at your earliest convenience to fill out Jacque's 3rd Nine Weeks Survey so she can start partnering with you on your goals this nine weeks.   A friendly reminder, Chapters 8-12 are to be read by February 3rd. We will have a Reflection menu for you to choose how you prefer to reflect on your reading! 

REMINDER FROM ASHLEY

We have many new learners on our campus that may not be familiar with our attendance policies, as well learners who have had a high number of absences the first semester.  We need to make every effort to encourage them to be here every day!  Please include the following note in your newsletters:

Parents, 

As a new semester begins, please take time to review our district attendance policies on our school website here.  We ask that you keep us informed of your child's absences and have them at school whenever possible.  Attendance is a very important part of learning!  We do not want your children to miss valuable learning experiences, and we miss them when they are gone!  Thank you for partnering with us in this!  

INAUGURATION
You received an email from the district regarding watching the inauguration event with your learners.  It is a campus decision, therefore, I would request that if you are using this in conjunction with your curriculum, tomorrow, that you speak with Chantel or Ashley first.  THANK YOU.


WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS
There are new district expectations.  Instead of 12 walkthroughs a week, Ashley and I have a minimum of 5 required, now.  We will continue with Domain 2 Dimension 2 for the next week.  We are looking for anchor charts, CBL language and cross curricular connections during these visits.

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
We will meet in the cafe tomorrow morning at 9:00.  Thank you for giving your council members time to share out about our meetings and their decisions for the school.

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

Say hello to sweet Liam Benson

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Integrity- acting according to a sense of right and wrong.

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Do what you know is right, even if no one is watching.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"The measure of a man's character is what he would do if he knew he wouldn't be found out." - Thomas Macauley

DATES TO REMEMBER:
January 23- Angela's Birthday
                    RtI Meetings
January 24-  Jessica K's Birthday
                     House t-shirt with jeans
January 25-  CISD Tours on Campus all day
                     Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)  ALL MUST ATTEND
January 26-  Jamie's Birthday
                     Spurs Savings (7:30-7:50)
January 27-  LEEdership Council (8:30-9:30)

Week of Jan 9

What a fast and furious first week back.  THANK YOU for the experiences you designed for our children and the flexibility you have demonstrated with all of our new learners enrolling.  YOU ARE APPRECIATED!

Please place your #oneword canvases on your design studio desks to help keep you focused this winter and spring and thank you to Kristen for her tips in hand lettering!

DID YOU KNOW

• that for the 2017-2018 school year our district will be on 9 weeks grading periods K-12?
• there is a course code for a GROUP in Schoology for Curriculum and Instruction?  It is: KRQ5T-GMQ85  It is also added to the faculty website on each subject area.  There are great resources for interventions and lessons under the Response to Intervention folders.
• January 10^th will be the Jeans and CEF shirt day for this month?  Please post a photo of 5 or less friends and tweet it with #coppellisdef to win Sonic drinks.  Let's go Lee!
• that the A-F Ratings will go live today?  Please, please review the powerpoint I emailed out on Wednesday so that we present a united front to any parent who asks about this broken system or CISD.  
• Ashley and Chantel will be out next Wed-Friday?  We will be working on a research project with Apple in California.  Laurie O'Neill and Nick Conraad will be guest administrators on campus.  
• that you have permission to wear sweats on January 11 if you register and earn 1,000 points for creating an account on the Community Challenge website.  There will be weekly motivators for sweats in the future.  Stay tuned!  

MOY SCREENER and RtI:
As you begin your MOY assessments, please remember that this information is a data point to use for RtI.  As you finish scoring, please schedule a time to touch base with us at an RtI meeting about your learners.  We want to see the progress of all learners, but particularly the learners we put on the "watch" list at the beginning of the year, as well as discuss any learners who may be struggling now and need extra support.  Our upcoming RtI meetings are January 9th, January 23rd, and February 6th.  Use this link to sign-up, and as always, let Ashley know if you have any questions or need to meet sooner.   

MOY GOAL SETTING
If you are a paraprofessional, instructional aide, or office support staff, Ashley and I will be setting middle of the year goal setting appointments with you.  This is a time for us to check in with you to see how we can support you and your professional goals.  For all others that are evaluated under TTESS, Ashley and I hosted your formal TTESS Observation Post Conferences in December.  You have the option to decline middle of the year goal setting, if you prefer.  We are more than happy to meet with you if you would like to discuss your goals and ways we can support you if you need to, but the TTESS committee recognizes that we just met and discussed areas of reinforcement and refinement.  

TOUR 360
Just a reminder that CISD will be hosting a massive district tour on January 25 and 26.  Due to the importance of these visits, I will not be able to approve any more subs for personal days on these two days.  I will be getting with our core CBL training group and IMPACT participants to ask for your help in hosting a session about CBL, Lee, or more.  Please be watching your inbox for a calendar invite.  Be working towards having your displays and work intentionally showcased.


WEEKLY WALKTHROUGH FOCUS
For our focused walkthroughs the next four weeks we will be focusing on Domain 2 Dimension 2 Content Knowledge and Expertise.  We will be looking for things like cross curricular connections, strategies to avoid learning pitfalls, learners analyzing,creating and evaluating, and learner directed learning.

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Honesty- truthfulness in words and actions.

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

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

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

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

DATES TO REMEMBER:
January 7- May's Birthday
January 9- Karli, Priscilla, and Rikki's Birthdays
                  Educational Diagnostician's Week
January 10- Ed Foundation t-shirt and jeans
                    Math Educator Academy (3-5)
                    PTO Meeting (6:30)
January 11- Math Educator Academy (K-2)
                    House Shirt and jeans
                    CISD Spelling Bee (CMSW)
                    Fed Ex Day (3:30-4:30)
January 12- Balanced Literacy Academy
                    Spurs Savings (7:30-7:50)
                    Buffalo Wild Wings Night

Week of Jan 2

We hope you have enjoyed our December to Remember.  How can it already be done??!!!  This year has been going by SO FAST!!   Have a GLORIOUS TWO WEEKS OFF, sweet staff.  We wish you nothing short of the most safe, memorable, and restful break and can't wait to hear about the FUN you have.  I plan to continue to rest and get well, but truthfully, I think some laughter in the lounge the last couple of days has been good for my soul and body!!  Thank you for that!

Fond farewell goes out to our Alex.  We wish you a beautiful start to married life in California.  You will be very missed by us all, and we know you will stay in touch.

Welcome to our newest famiLEE member, Mariah Wallace.  Congratulations as she graduates from UNT on Friday.  We hope you had a chance to meet her the last two days (though it might have been hard since she blended right into Whoville with her hair up!) 

Have the BEST last day of 2016 with our children.  They deserve it!

DID YOU KNOW

• that you already signed up for vertical teams at the beginning of the year?  I attached images from our sign up below.  If you do not see your name, please let me know where you will be heading on Tuesday.  You may wear jeans on Tuesday, and  I HAVE to say it...you represent our school at these meetings.  Please have a growth mindset and positive attitude.  If you are on technology, please use it intentionally.  Network and meet some of the talented staff on other campuses.  I KNOW they will be seeking YOU out!!

SPIRIT RALLY

We will call you down at 8:15 by house.  Please move with purpose and do your best to get seated quickly.  We are going to try putting our parent chairs along the cinderblock walls and push purple and yellow closer to center court.  I know it is HARD, but please TRY to have your LEEders of the week at a place that makes it easy for them to come up for their awards.   We will start with your Unity chants, so BE READY!

LUNCHES
We will have Duc get every classroom an extra trash bag to help with lunch waste.  As Shanna emailed, lunches will be ready after 9:00, so get them when your house is ready.

GRADES
Please follow Ashley's directions from her email regarding grades.  There is a FAST turnaround for her to print these when we get back.

LOUNGE AND SPACES
Please get any items form the fridge by 9:30.  Ashley and I will be tossing anything "suspect."  Please, also visit your mailbox by 11:00.  Empty it of all contents.  There are many thank you notes in there.  Please make sure these get in take home folders.  Custodial does a deep cleaning of the campus these next two weeks.  May I suggest a FRESH START and take everything down of your idea paint so that your room gets cleaned as much as possible.  Erase what you can on your glass- you may return to some shiny glass if you do!  I will talk to custodial about what they are using that is smearing the walls.  PLEASE take down and store any holiday displays and decorations before leaving.  If ALL learners are safely gone you can leave at 1:15.

STAFF MEETING
As you reflect for the new year, please come to our staff meeting with your one word.  We will practice using your creativity as we focus ourselves for the second semester.

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Trustworthiness- keeping your word; doing what is right for yourself and others.

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

People trust in you when your attitudes, words, and motives align with what you actually choose to do.  This includes being honest about intakes, refusing to gossip and shift blame, and doing things the ethical way (even if it's quicker to do otherwise).

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Stand with anybody that stands right.  Stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong." -Abraham Lincoln

DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 19- Ayesha's Birthday
December 29- Ashley M's Birthday
January 3- District Staff Development
January 4- Day 7 on rotation schedule
                  Grades Due
                  Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
January 6- Social Spurs Luncheon
                  Send Home Report Cards
                  LEEdership Council Meeting (9:00)
                  Instrument Petting Zoo (1:00-2:45)
January 7- May's Birthday

Week of Dec 12

Thanks for your patience in waiting for this week's blog.  I'm sure you notice I am working at home. I hate missing school and not attending the CISD Holiday Open House, but I am being told to rest and I am going to listen. 

We hope you are looking forward to one more week of treats from Ashley and I.  It is SO MUCH FUN planning out ways to show you how much we care for you!  You are the BEST staff on the planet and deserve to be celebrated.

Thank you for the incredible coding opportunities for our kiddos this week.  We could feel the JOY in the building as the children (and you) were challenged learning new things and having fun while learning.  Your tweets were incredible!

Have the BEST final week of school for 2016.  We know there are so many exciting things happening all over the building.  Have an incredible two weeks off and take time to find the joy in your journey as you make memories with those you love.  We will miss you during the break, and be happy to catch up in the new year!  

DID YOU KNOW

• that the district has completed Math RtI interventions and and progress monitoring?  Here is the link one more time. 
• Stacey won a CISD Ed Foundation grant?  She will be ordering Bloxels for Kids.  
• that we have 
• Dad's Club has an event TOMORROW?  This is a family event at Urban Air, Coppell (next to Sprouts).  There is a Groupon 90 minutes here.
• that Mariah Wallace (our new 2nd grade famiLEE member) will start on Wednesday?  Please take time to welcome her to our school.  We know she will have LOTS of questions, so we are counting on everyone to bring her up to the warp speed of Lee.
• 
  

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

Our second LEEdership Council meeting will take place on Monday, December 12.  Leaders need to wear their council t-shirts and come to our meeting with 1 Big Idea (problem) generated from their class so we can narrow our focus for this year.  We will meet in the cafeteria.

PTO

PTO will be providing a luncheon from On the Border on Monday as well as hosting our Ugly Sweater Contest.  They will have a prize for the ugliest sweater of the day.  Jess won last year with one AWFUL ensemble from head to toe!  

Don't forget we have a PTO meeting at 6:30 on Tuesday night.  Please have at least one staff member and learner there to present for your house.

ECONOMICS FAIR

Join our third graders at the Economics Fair on Wednesday from 8:30-10:00.  Let your learners know about this shopping day so they can bring their money.  We will be on a minorly adjusted schedule on Wednesday.  Thank you for being flexible!

Blue- 10:00-10:45   (lunch and recess 12-1:00)

Green-10:45-11:30 (lunch and recess 11:30-12:30)

Specials Lunch 11:30-12:00

Purple- 12:00-12:45 (lunch and recess 10:30-11:30)

Red-12:45-1:30 (lunch and recess11:00-12:00)

Yellow-1:30-2:15 (lunch and recess 10:00-11:00)

GRINCH GREEN THURSDAY

Wear your green on Thursday (not Wednesday as our December to Remember calendar shows) as we celebrate that we are NOT Grinches this holiday season.  You have permission to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas from 1:00-2:00 as Room Parents set up in your open spaces.

POLAR EXPRESS FRIDAY

Wear your pajamas to school on Friday as we celebrate Polar Express Day.   You have permission to watch the Polar Express movie with your classes after Spirit Rally on Friday.

SPIRIT RALLY

Join us at 8:15 for our 2nd 9 weeks Spirit Rally.  We will recognize Red and Black Superstars, our Yearbook Cover Winners, our Jump Ropers and MORE!  The CHS Madrigals will wrap up our gathering with a beautiful performance!

LUNCHES

Lunch will be eaten in your spaces on Friday.  Please let the cafeteria know how many sack lunches you need for Friday.

EARLY RELEASE 

Friday is a half day of school.  The elementary school early release time is 12:50.  Please communicate this to your parents.  You may leave once the office is clear of ALL learners.  We will need all hands on deck to make sure learners get home the proper way so EVERYONE can leave early.  

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Cooperation- working together

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Staying positive, being approachable, and expressing positive thoughts and feelings through both verbal and nonverbal communication help you build rapport with those around you.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"We must all live together as brothers or perish alone as fools."  -Martin Luther King Jr.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 10- April's Birthday
December 11- Julie B's Birthday
December 12- PTO Luncheon
                    Ugly Sweater Day/Contest
                    RtI Meetings
                    LEEdership Council 9:00-10:00
                    Ashley's Shower (3:30)
December 13- Spelling Bee (3:30 Media Center)
                    PTO Mtg. (6:30 Cafe)
December 14- Economics Fair (8:30-10:00)
                    Lee Learner Luncheon (10:30-1:00)
                    Staff Holiday Party
December 15- Grinch Day
                    Spurs Savings (7:30-7:50)
                    Grinch Movie (1:00-2:00)
                    Winter Parties (2:00-3:00)
December 16- Last Day of 2nd 9 Weeks
                    Polar Express Day
                    Spirit Rally (8:15-9:15)
                    Polar Express Movie
                    Early Release (12:50)
December 19- Ayesha's Birthday
December 29- Ashley M's Birthday

Week of Dec 5

Well folks, you can tell we are in the swing of holiday season.  Our dates to remember are INSANE, so please try to take care of yourselves and ENJOY these last two weeks with our kids.  Ashley and I have had so much fun and JOY planning your Caroling Treats for the next couple of weeks.  Look for them to continue each day as we make this a December to Remember.  We love you!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that our 4th and 5th graders will be performing at the CISD Holiday Open House?  They were invited along with only three other elementary schools.  Congratulations Ashley and learners!
• there is a plan for the January 3 Staff Development Day?  Here is information, hot off the press, from Laurie O'Neill:     Page 1     Page 2
• that it is time to nominate Red and Black Superstars?  Please take time to recognize a colleague or learner in your space that goes above and beyond here.  
• that there is an Elementary Facilities Committee that will meet over the next couple of months to determine what short and long term solutions to increased enrollment in CISD will be?  If you want to learn more ask: Chantel, Wendy, Courtney, or Stacey.  We are serving on this important and influential team that will make decisions that WILL IMPACT ALL OF US AT LEE!

MATHURDAY
THANK YOU for your commitment to this school-wide event!  Please make sure to sign in on an extra duty pay form for two hours when you arrive so we do not have to stay late to collect the forms at the end of the event.  I will submit these to payroll for you.


HOUR OF CODE
Please tweet out your participation in #HourOfCode during coding activties this week.  You all are doing some INCREDIBLE things with our codeable resources that the world should see!!!

CHOIR AND BAND VISIT MONDAY
Please join us in the gym (sorry Julie and Julie!!) at approximately 1:30 for our annual visit from the CMSW Fine Arts Department.  The performance should last about 30-45 minutes as we will be excited to see our former fourth and fifth graders come back to perform.  Fifth grade may want to be packed up in case it leads into Team Time.


CHOIR AND INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
We will get to hear our Lee fourth and fifth graders performing holiday tunes on Thursday morning.  We will call you down following morning broadcast.

CISD HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
For those of you new to CISD, the CISD Holiday Open House is a BIG DEAL.  It is our district's way of saying thank you for all that you do.  Please plan to carpool over to admin and stay for some snacks, photos, drawings, and FUN during your conference time.  Specials designers and Blue House, let's see if we can get coverage from CK, Ashley, Ayesha, Claudia, Jacque, Candace, and Deepa so that you can enjoy some time there.   Get with me if you have ideas.

INNOVATORS MINDSET REMINDER
Don't forget that by next Friday you need to review the "Things to Look for in Today's Classroom" on page 111 of Innovator's Mindset.  Visit peers' spaces on a learning walk, find 2 examples that relate to one of these "things to look for." Upload the pictures to the media album, and in the caption, describe how these examples inspire innovation.

THIS WEEK'S CURRICULUM COURIER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Justice- being fair, right and upholding what is right

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Never cut in 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.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

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

DATES TO REMEMBER:
December 3- Mathurday (8:30-10:30)
December 5-9- Hour of Code Week
                         Maintenance and Grounds Appreciation Week
                         National Handwashing Awareness Week
                         HUGS Drive
December 5- CMSW Band and Choir Visit Lee
                      Mentor Meeting (Green House 3:30)
December 6-  Ed Foundation tshirt and Jeans
                       Purple House Field Trip (Perot)
                       Dana Center Science Training (3:30 Wilson)
                       1st Stop, Collaborate, and Listen (3:30 Austin)
                       Dad's Club Mtg. (7:00 Buffalo Wild Wings)
December 7-  Walk at School Wednesday
                       College Shirt Day
                       Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00)
December 8-  Blue House Field Trip (Dallas Heritage Village)
                       Buffalo Wild Wings Night
                       Choir and Instrumental Performance (8:15 and 6:30)
                       Campus Tour (1:00)
December 9-  CISD Holiday Open House (conference time)
                       Innovator's Mindset Post Due
                       Technology Support Staff Appreciation Day
                       Red and Black Superstar Nominations Due
December 10- Drama Club performance (MCL Grand Theater- 1:00)