Week of December 2, 2019

I have ALL the feels tonight as I reflect about our week.  WHAT A WEEK OF LEARNING!  The conversations, lessons, collaboration and use of the building that have taken place this week remind me of WHY I enjoy leading OUR SCHOOL and each of you.  I am so proud of the staff that helped lead this week's Staff Meeting.  Many of you you implemented learning from Wednesday's staff meeting THE VERY NEXT DAY.  If that isn't awesome, I don't know what is?!  Lastly, thank you for taking the time to show someone in the building a bit of gratitude on Thankful Thursday.  Words are powerful and we need to lift each other up.  There are more feathers in my mailbox if you feel inclined to spread more gratitude.

Ladies, I mean this to the core of my heart, I am so impressed by you!  THANK YOU for your hard work, THANK YOU for trying new things, THANK YOU for doing this all for our children!  There is no doubt you love them and our school so very much.

Please REST over the break.  DO NOT WORK OR THINK ABOUT SCHOOL!  Take time for yourself and reflect on how incredible you are.  Leigh Ann and I cannot wait to show you how much we care during December to Remember.  When you return it will be here!  Get READY!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that you can personalize assignments on iStation now? Have a learner that needs to work on Vocabulary, but aren't sure how you can use iStation to help? Ask L'Oreal (B5) or Laura (Y5B) if you want to learn more! Better yet...attend a Fed Ex session on iStation on Wedensday.
• there is an article about the new apartments that will be adjacent to Lee Elementary?
• our staff Christmas party will be held at Cane Rosso on Wednesday, Dec. 18? Stay tuned for more information from Social Spurs.
• that the board has approved funds for safety blinds and ceramic wall panels (like the ones at CMSW and CRE) for our school? The panels alone cost $80,000!!! Stay tuned for install details.
• GEMS are due Friday?
• the CISD Ed Foundation Red and Black Superstar nomination window is open and are due December 6? Please nominate at least one learner.
• Jacque will be offering a coaching session about Patterns of Power and/or Pulling Reports on DreamBox? Sign up here if you are interested! 
• we have new Spheros and other robotics from CISD on campus? If you want to learn more, ask Priscilla!
• that early dismissal time for December 20 is 12:15?  Start telling your parents, NOW!
• the district will Go Red for staff wellness the month of February? For a link to order your Go Red t-shirt (credit card only) and show your support during the Month of Mondays in February - American Heart Month - simply text DHCCOPPELL to 41444. 

DRUMLINE VISIT TOMORROW
So....we have the talented and award winning CHS Drumline coming to see us TOMORROW at 10:00.  If you are interested in bringing your class to hear them, please come down to the gym and sit in Spirit Rally spots when called over the intercom.

FED EX DAY
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.  Please complete this form at the conclusion of your learning session.  The form will open at 4:30.  We will have sessions available on iStation and Schoology.  The two Schoology sessions are: 

• Schoology Basics-Facilitated by Brad Cook: Accessing Schoology, Understanding the differences between Courses and Groups, Inserting Content (Files/links, Pages, Discussions, Media Albums)

• Schoology Advanced-Facilitated by Monica Champagne: Creating Assignments and Assessments, Attaching Rubrics, Tracking Mastery of Standards

LET IT GO, AGAIN
We have exciting news! We will be taking the ENTIRE school on a field trip to see the new Frozen 2 movie on Thursday, December 19 (our class Winter Party day). Please share this information with your parents and begin collecting $7 per learner. Here is the form to document who has paid. We will either eat lunch (well BRUNCH), on campus, before leaving for the show. Please find out who will need a school sack lunch this day, as well.

MACY'S BELIEVE LETTERS TO SANTA

Want an authentic writing experience for your learners?  For every letter to Santa receives through Christmas Eve, Macy's will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million. Need inspiration for your letter to Santa? Let Violet's video explain how your letters make a difference.  If you'd like to participate, please have your kids bring their finished letters in the mailbox in the office by 3:05 Friday, December 13th. You can also have learners send letters digitally and/or you can print letterhead here.  Feel free to use the hashtag #MacysBelieve to promote this event.

LUNCHES ON DECEMBER 21:

We will have lunches in your spaces on December 20.  Please take time to find out what your learners plan to eat so that our cafeteria can place an order that meets our needs and not have left over food for the break.  Please complete this form by December 13.  THANKS for your help on this!

ESL THIS WEEK

Claudia and Stormy will begin the ESL book study over Sheltered Instruction in Texas, once we return from break. Locate your book now and begin reviewing chapter 1. Each week we will take 5 minutes to review one chapter (there are 6 chapters). At the end of the book study, you will have the opportunity to earn 6 flex hours by completing various activities in Schoology. Course Code: ZCZM-MFCQ-PXRPG

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Week of Nov 25-29- NO SCHOOL
     Maintenance and Grounds Appreciation Week
     National Inclusive Schools Week
     National Handwashing Awareness Week
Dec 2- iStation ISIP must be done this week
Dec 3- Education Foundation t-shirt and jeans
     Choir performs at Northpark Mall
      PTO Meeting (6:30)
Dec 4- College Shirt Day
     Allaso Ranch Trip
     Fed Ex Day (3:30-4:30)
Dec 5- Allaso Ranch Trip
Dec 6- Allaso Ranch Trip
     Red and Black Super Stars Due
     Coppell Gifted Association Writing Contest Deadline

Week of November 18, 2019

Thank you for taking the time to spread some love to your peers with our gratitude cards.  If you need more, they are in my office.  We appreciate you taking the time to show one another kindness and make Lee a GRATEFUL place!  All of us can use a word of encouragement and praise!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am reflecting about they many blessings at our school.  Every one of you are a blessing to me in your own unique ways.  You are not taken for granted and are appreciated beyond measure.  Each of you choose to come to Lee and work hard, daily, to bring our school building to life for our learners.  Your passion for learning, your flexibility and your heart shines in all you do.  

We hope you are gearing up for "December to Remember."  We cannot wait to remind you why we are GRATEFUL that YOU are at Lee and are having fun planning ways to show you!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that learners who are registered on Imagine Learning from Claudia and Stormy should be getting at least 60 minutes a week of time? Please make sure they are getting this in. 
• we received the sweetest card from one of our tours?  Please read it- it is all about YOU and the amazing job you do!  

• that last night's tour went so well?  It is because of YOU that people working on their doctorates were inspired and challenged.  THANK YOU for having your spaces so tidy and for wall walking your spaces.  IT SHOWED!
• that today is Rhonda's last day as a long term sub on campus?  Rhonda, we are going to miss seeing your face EVERY day, but we know you will be back.  Once a Spur, always a Spur!  THANK YOU for extending your stay and for the impact you have made with our learners and staff!  We are so GRATEFUL for YOU!

THANKSGIVING FEAST
All families are invited to join their learner for a traditional Thanksgiving Lunch, on Thursday, Nov 21, during their child’s lunch time.  The cost of a school lunch is $3.50, for guests, and will be easiest if guests use their learner's lunch account when purchasing.  If parents are planning to attend they can sign up here to avoid waiting in lines. 

PANORAMA SURVEY FOR THIRD -> FIFTH GRADE

3-5 Designers, please have your learners complete the Panorama survey by November 22.  Please read this important document about it from CISD.

GEMS

This award is intended to celebrate educators who go above and beyond their normal job duties and expectations to make a difference in the lives of their students.   The winners are recognized at the school board, and we would love to have Lee represented!!  The deadline is November 22 and forms can be found in Formspace.  Go to "formspace" then "my forms" then  "submit new form" in the bottom left corner.  Click on "student and staff services department" to get a blank form.  Fill it out completely, then hit "submit form."  We have SO MANY GEMS at Lee!

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will give feedback on Domain 2 Dimension 5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for evidence of how you are managing and monitoring learner engagement.  Are you noticing when you need to adjust pacing?  Are you scaffolding your questioning?  How are you checking for understanding along the way?  

ESL AT LEE

Writing and Speaking for ELs can be improved through intentional use of technology. CLICK HERE for link to the EL Digital Toolbox

Feature: Buncee - Buncee is an interactive presentation tool. Buncee allows educators and learners to create multimedia presentations using a multitude of design elements including voice recordings, graphics, animations, and more! Some implementation ideas include: Learners create a Buncee comparing their personal traits with those of a character in a story. Learners work collaboratively to describe an ecosystem or biome.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Nov- 15- Cassie gets married!  CONGRATULATIONS Cassie and Joe!
Nov 17- Chantel's Birthday
Nov 18- Welcome back Meghan Wood!
Nov 19-  CISD Ed Foundation t-shirt and jeans
Nov 20-  School Shirt and jeans
     Staff Meeting (Cassie's Space 3:30-5:00)
     Parent Book Study (6:00-7:00 Media Center)
Nov 21- Spur Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Lee Learning Walk (8:00)
     Thanksgiving Feast (Lunchtimes)
Nov 22- GEMS Due
     3-5 Panorama Surveys Due
     LEEdership Council Meeting (8:15 Cafe)
     LEEdership Pie in a Cup Sale (Recess Times)
     Jacque's Birthday
Nov 25-29- NO SCHOOL

Week of November 11, 2019

I am so grateful for our famiLEE!  The design work that has happened in this last week has been INSPIRING.  It reminds me what talented educators we have at Lee.  There is a REASON you are called Designers- you design the conditions for learning and it sure did show with our Canadian tour on Thursday.  WOW!  Of course, they were super impressed with all they saw.  You make hard work look effortless- a true talent, team!  Thank you for your House CIP documentation and for those of you that got soaked in the rain while greeting children.  The "ALL IN" attitude for our kids does not go unnoticed!

DID YOU KNOW:

• if you are new staff member looking to get your Apple Teacher designation, you will need to use your personal Apple ID to log in, not your CISD one?.
• Hour of Code is coming up?  Please sign up to participate and mark your calendars for the week of December 2-6.  I'm sure your DLCs would love to design with you! 
• Jacque is hosting trainings each month during your conference period that you can sign up for? This month's learning is on "Overview of Lucy Calkins Phonics* AND "Overview of Math in Practice".  Sign up here if you are interested!
• that some photos are making it on Twitter with learner first and last names from their badges (I have been guilty, too)?  Please be mindful to mark-up the name before posting if you can see learner names on tags.  We must protect their privacy.
• learners are sitting at the peanut free table with peanut butter sandwiches? If you are on lunch duty, this must be inspected and reinspected DAILY!  We cannot have an overlook result in injuring a child. 

VETERANS DAY

Please share this Veteran's sign up to parents and guests who plan to attend our Veteran's Day event on Monday, November 12.  Purple House will be performing immediately following morning broadcast.  Thank you, Linda and Purple House, for all of your preparation and work!  You are welcome to wear red, white, and blue jeans on Monday.

COMPOST COLLECTION

Please help spread the word to our Compost Crew will take their donations for our school garden EVERY Friday. 

PANORAMA SURVEY FOR THIRD -> FIFTH GRADE

3-5 Designers, please have your learners complete the Panorama survey by November 22.  Please read this important document about it from CISD.

FAMILEE FEAST @ LEE

Mark your calendars.  All families are invited to join their learner for a traditional Thanksgiving Lunch, next Thursday, Nov 21, during their child’s lunch time.  The cost of a school lunch is $3.50, for guests, and will be easiest if guests use their learner's lunch account when purchasing.  If parents are planning to attend they can sign up here. 

TOUR THIS WEEK

Where do we know that transformation in education needs to occur?  The university level!  We have an exciting opportunity at Lee next Thursday night.  We will be hosting a tour to UNT and Baylor Universities from 5:30-8:30.  Please:

• Make sure your space is organized
• Make sure you are using your collabs the way they were designed and they are clean, too.
• Please ensure you have these posted (Evidence of CBL work, current learner work, learning standards) 
• Make sure your digital signage is left on and updated

That should be it for tours until after Thanksgiving Break!

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week we will give feedback on Domain 2 Dimension 5:  Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for evidence of how you are managing and monitoring learner engagement.  Are you noticing when you need to adjust pacing?  Are you scaffolding your questioning?  How are you checking for understanding along the way?

ESL THIS WEEK

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Nov 11- Progress Report Grades Due
     Veteran's Day Performance (8:10 and 6:30 Cafe)
Nov 12-  Meghan W's Birthday
Nov 13- Samira's Birthday
     D's Birthday
     Leadership Meeting (Cassie's Space)
Nov 14- Spurs Savings (7:10-7:40)
     After School Tour (5:30-8:30)
Nov 15- Send Progress Reports Home
     LEEdership Council Sale (during recess times)

Week of November 4, 2019

Thank you for a fun and memorable Book Character Parade! Thanks for your flexibility as we brought it inside.  Each year I am impressed with the number of participants and the genius costume ideas that emerge.  We had over 100 parents attend.  What an amazing week on Twitter for Lee Elementary.  You all do such a fabulous job of telling our story to all.  It is noticed AND valued!

DID YOU KNOW:

• we have quite a few educators going to the Restorative Practices conference on Monday and Tuesday?  We cannot wait for them to return because MANY of them will be certified in restorative circles.  They will be sharing their learning at our next Staff Meeting.
• that Principal's were informed that all of CISD should have WiFi upgrades by Winter Break?  YAY!
• that some of the name tags are coming off of backpacks or fading?  Please double check that that ALL learners have backpack tags and their number can be read.  It is about safety!
• that all employees have professional development on 2/14?  Hourly employees are not eligible to use comp time on this day.  I want to let you know this now so you can schedule accordingly.
• the district is having its 2nd Annual Gingerbread Contest at the Admin Building?  If you have an interest in creating our Lee FROZEN themed Winter Wonderland entry, please let Chantel know.  NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED and we can help with supplies for it.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE
Thank you for making relationships and engagement with our FamiLEEs a priority!  I appreciate you carving out some time to be there for our PTO and children.  We will have lots of canned food that grades/houses are welcome to use for authentic math experiences.  We will have Metrocrest and Lions Club pick up the food in two weeks.  Please share these images one last time with your parents.  Explain to them what a silent auction is- they may not know.

DESIGN DAYS

Design days start on Friday.  What should you be doing during this time?  We want you to look at unpacking TEKS for the 2nd 9 weeks.  Lesson design should be a priority, so it will be helpful to review your 2nd 9 weeks curriculum documents and scope and sequences before your day so that you can contribute to the work.  We will have DLCs and support staff in your Design Day with you.  Please plan to begin your design time at 7:10 (in the large conference room).  If you are in Blue or Yellow houses, you will conclude your work at 11:00, to eat lunch.  Other houses will work on grade level content until 11:30 and eat at their scheduled lunch times.  

VETERANS DAY

Please send your Veteran's Day cards down to the office by the end of the day, Friday, November 1.  Please share this Veteran's sign up to parents and guests who plan to attend our Veteran's Day event on Monday, November 12.  Purple House will be performing immediately following morning broadcast.  Thank you, Linda and Purple House, for all of your preparation and work!

PTO MEETING

Please make sure that you have learners ready to present from your house.  Please encourage them to keep their presentations to 2 minutes, or less.  THANK YOU! 

CALENDAR INPUT

CISD is seeking calendar input for the next two years.  If you want to weigh in,  I encourage you to email input@coppellisd.com.  For example, I sent an email suggesting time be provided to elementary teachers at the end of each 9 weeks to complete report cards.  This is information that was shared with parents last week: 

Calendar Input Requested by Nov. 8

The CISD District Education Improvement Council (DEIC) is seeking input from the CISD community, as it begins the process for setting the district’s next two-year calendar (2020-21 and 2021-2022.) The CISD community is asked to email suggestions to input@coppellisd.com by the end of the day Friday, Nov. 8. Please include the school(s) your children attend with your input. This feedback will be shared with the DEIC’s Calendar subcommittee in October and November.  The DEIC will share two calendar options with the CISD community for input in late November through January. The CISD Board of Trustees is set to vote on adopting the district’s next two-year calendar at its Jan. 14, 2020 meeting.

TOUR

We have a large group of guests visiting from Canada, this week.  They are from the Apple Distinguished Schools family and will be looking at technology integration and lesson design.  It is a good time to "wall walk" your classroom before Thursday.  Invite a housemate (or Jacque) in for their opinion.  Maybe it is time to move the furniture around?  Are your anchor charts current?  Have you started using a countertop or table as a teacher desk in your space?  Do you have current (not older than a few weeks) learner work posted in your space?  Do you have evidence of CBL learning?  Are daily learning targets posted?  Thanks for your attention to these topics!  

CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLAN

Please send your house documentation to Leigh Ann, by Friday.   Either use mark up or Noteability on the linked PDF to document evidence for the first nine weeks.  

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

We have SO MUCH TALENT on campus.  Please take time to nominate someone in our building.   If you need admin to cover your class so you can observe your nominee, to help you better answer the questions, please arrange that with us.  We are happy to help.  Nominations are due on, FRIDAY, November 8.

CISD APP

Please remind your parents that they should download the CISD Mobile App.  They may not know that they can view items like grades, assignments, attendance, and lunch balances on the app.  They can set up alerts to notify them when grades drop below a certain threshold, too. 

PANORAMA SURVEY FOR THIRD -> FIFTH GRADE

3-5 Designers, please have your learners complete the Panorama survey by November 22.  Please read this important document about it from CISD.

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

Great job on managing student behavior for the last month.  We saw great strategies that show evidence you are all doing your very best to provide a superior environment for the children.  This week we will begin giving feedback in an instructional area.  We will begin with Domain 2 Dimension 5: Monitor and Adjust.  We will be looking for evidence of how you are managing and monitoring learner engagement.  Are you noticing when you need to adjust pacing?  Are you scaffolding your questioning?  How are you checking for understanding along the way?  

ESL THIS WEEK
This document was created by an ESL facilitator that shares the data differences between NWEA MAP and iStation?

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Welcome back to Stephanie Shannon this week!
November ISIP should be administered this week
November 4- 2nd Grade Design Day
     Restorative Practices Conference (Irving)
November 5- Education Foundation Shirt and Jeans
     Today will be a DAY 5
     5th Grade Design Day
     Restorative Practices Conference (Irving)
     Allaso Ranch Chaperone Meeting (5:45 Cafe)
     PTO Meeting (6:30 Cafe)
November 6-  College Shirt Day
     Picture Retake Day
     4th Grade Design Day
     LEEdership Council Meeting (Blue Housee 1:00)
     Staff Meeting (3:30 Corissa's Space)
November 7- Spurs Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Today will be a DAY 3
     3rd Grade Design Day
     1st Grade Field Trip (Arboretum)
     Apple Tour (9:00-11:30)
     Parent Book Study (6:00)
November 8- TOY Nominations Due to CK
     CIP documentation due to Admin
     Kindergarten Design Day

Week of October 28, 2019

We appreciate your participation in this week's Red Ribbon Week spirit days. We saw some interesting pajamas and hairstyles this week, FOR SURE!  We had a wonderful day of tours, today.  All three tours commented on how engaged our learners are!  THANK YOU for your constant efforts to showcase the greatness that is inside Lee when we have guests!  While we have a beautiful building, it is WHAT YOU ARE DESIGNING that impresses our visitors.  We hope to see you, for a little bit, at the dance on Friday and CANNOT wait to see your Book Character Parade Costumes next week!  Have an awesome weekend.

DID YOU KNOW:

• you should inform the front office and CK & LAH if your learners are moving or going to be on extended leave? 
• you should phone to check on a learner that is absent 3 consecutive days?
• some mailboxes are not being emptied daily?  Please remember to visit your box, at your lunch time, so that important information and items make their way to you and your learners. 
• you MUST hit submit to appraiser on your SLO before you leave for the weekend?
• Keiko and the Compost Crew are collecting vegetable scraps and used coffee grounds EVERY FRIDAY for composting?  They can bring them to the cafeteria each Friday morning.  Please share this information with your parents.

WRITE A CHECK

It is our final week for our Write a Check campaign.  We are halfway to our goal.  Please turn in your WAC Acknowledgement Forms to the front office, daily.  Good luck, and thank you for pumping this up with your learners!  I have heard of individual class incentives being offered- THANK YOU!

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE
Learners can dress up this day and parade as their favorite book character.  Please bring a book to accompany your costume.  If parents would like to attend, please have them sign up here and we will have a visitor's badge preprinted for them to avoid waiting upon arrival.  

SCHOOL DANCE

Our Fall School Dance is approaching.  Please  plan to bring your family to this FUN school event.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

We have SO MUCH TALENT on campus.  Please take time to nominate someone in our building.   If you need admin to cover your class so you can observe your nominee, to help you better answer the questions, please arrange that with us.  We are happy to help.  Nominations are due November 8.

SCHOOL PICTURES

We have placed school pictures in your mailboxes.  Please share in your newsletters:

Still need to order? Order online here and use your Portrait ID and Access Code found in your portrait envelope.

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

Did you know… Writing letters backwards is not necessarily a sign a learner has dyslexia?  Click here to read more about letter reversal.

CIP
The Campus Improvement Plan can be found here. Please have your house review and make annotations on a house copy by November 15.

VETERANS DAY

Veteran's Day is quickly approaching.  Have you seen Linda's beautiful decorations?  Please share this Veteran's sign up for parents and guests to attend for our Veteran's Day event.  Don't forget that we have been invited by a School Board member to donate Veteran's Day letters to the Greater Dallas Veteran's Foundation.  Please incorporate this request into your writing plans the next few weeks and send your published letters to the office by November 1.  We will also share some of these letters with a Veteran that Jessica has made contact with.

TTESS OBSERVATION SIGN UP

Please make sure you have signed up for your TTESS Observation with Chantel and Leigh Ann by Monday.  The Pre-observation Conference Form is here.

PARENT FEEDBACK

Based on some conversation with parents, there is concern that they aren't always sure what learners are doing during the school day.  Fourth and fifth Designers, please include in your newsletters a reminder to your parents (I know you shared at Curriculum Night) that they can access grades through the Home Access Center.  This presentation (thank you Khan gals who created this a couple of years ago) can help your parents understand how to use this tool at home to keep on top of learner grades.  A friendly reminder to you, to get grades posted weekly.  All Designers using Schoology,  please remind parents that they can access learner work using information found here.  If you use other tools (such as Notability, Drive, SeeSaw, etc) please resend information out this week reminding all parents.  Thank you for your help. 

HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE

Please include in your newsletters: The Coppell Lion's Club provides holiday baskets and toys to needy families in Coppell's attendance area.  If you and your family are in need this holiday season, please reach out to Angela Garvin by phone (214)496-7912 or email agarvin@coppellisd.com so that she can send home a confidential family input sheet.  As always, if we can help with any additional resources, please don't hesitate to ask.

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH

This week, is the last week, we will give feedback on Domain 3 Dimension 2:  Student Behavior.  We will be looking for evidence of praise and positivity as management strategies.  We will listen for encouragement of learners and how you monitor and respond to learners while teaching and learning.  Learners should manage themselves with minimal teacher redirection.  We should see evidence in your space of class respect agreements and view high expectations for ALL. 

ESL THIS WEEK

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Final Week of Write a Check
Welcome back to our Mommas this week!  We've missed you Taylor, Stormy, and Jacque!
Oct 28-  RtI Meetings
     CoGAT training (3:30-4:15)
October 30- House Shirt with Jeans
     Jessica's Birthday
     Meeting with Mr. Hunt (Media Center Flex Space 3:30-4:00)
October 31- Spurs Savings (7:20-7:40)
     Storybook Character Parade (8:00-8:30)
     New Learner Lunches (Lunchtimes)
Nov 1- Yellow House cleans the lounge this month
     Veteran's Day Letters Due to Office
     So You Think You Can Dance (6:30-8:30)

Week of October 21, 2019

We are super excited to host Sasha and Elida for their student teaching experience.  They are going to do such a great job with Cassie and May!  If you haven't had a chance yet, please introduce yourself and make time to welcome them to our FamiLEE!  We are going to learn as much from them as they will from us.  Thank you for a great job sharing learning during our Board Walk on Wednesday.  YOU make our school the showplace it is!  Leigh Ann and I are so grateful for the love and appreciation each of you have shown us this week.  Thank you for your thoughtfulness and generosity.  There is NO PLACE we would rather be than right here at Lee!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that Leigh Ann and Chantel will be visiting each space, Friday morning, with a special announcement?  Please excuse the brief interruption!
• there are 20 emojis that teachers use most and here is what they REALLY mean?
• there is a cool infographic about how school librarians are helping to transform learning?  We are so lucky to have Natalie in our Media Center and that she is invested in collaborating with classes and houses.  A friendly reminder: I expect for you to be engaged and invested in the learning experience when your class is there.  This is a great opportunity to co-teach and learn about media resources in CISD.  
• that we have been invited by a School Board member to donate Veteran's Day letters to the Greater Dallas Veteran's Foundation.  Please incorporate this request into your writing plans the next few weeks and send your published letters to the office by November 1.
• you can "BOO" a staff member?  If you want to participate, copy an image of the BOO sign (from one of the mailboxes) and tape it to the mailbox of the person you BOO.  Thanks, Beth, for starting this holiday fun.  What a great way to build community!

ECO POND UPDATE

We found out today that our EcoPond is going under repair, starting tomorrow.  This means that we will be moving water, plants, and fish into temporary kiddie pools while the work is being completed.  This will be a delicate process, and we want to keep as many plants and animals alive as possible.  We need to ask for everyone's help in making sure that ALL learners understand and do not disturb or bother the temp ponds or the EcoPond while this work is done.  Thank you to Sam and Dee for tackling this project with our learners.

REPORT CARDS
Don't forget to send report cards home on Friday.  Remember, if you have learners below a 70, or who have IPS's, that you are required to offer tutoring.  We will pay you $25 an hour for tutoring your learners before or after contract hours.


WRITE A CHECK

Write a Check is one week underway.  Please turn in your WAC Acknowledgement Forms to the front office, daily.  Good luck, and thank you for pumping this up with your learners!

RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon Week is here!  Please share this information with your FamiLEEs.  We hope you will have fun participating each day.  If you participate, you can wear jeans.  THANK YOU, Angela, and 5th grade LEEdership Council members for your vision.

MAGIC SHOW

PTO is sponsoring magician, Mike Wand, for Red Ribbon Week.  His magic show will be from 1:15-2:00 for grades 3-5 and 2:15-3:00 for grades K-2.  Thank you, Purple House, for eating in your house on Monday, so that we can get the cafeteria prepped for our guest.  K-2 Designers, you will want to make sure to have learner backpacks ready before heading down.  We will send you back to your houses for dismissal, but there will not be time to pack them up.  Thank you, Angela, for getting this scheduled and coordinated!

LEE FEEDER NIGHT

Please invite learners and their families to join the CHS Volleyball team at the CHS Arena.  Our Lee Feeder Night event on Tuesday Night and we will be joined by CRE and VRE.  Every learner that wears a Lee shirt gets in for free.

TEAM TIME

I think we can all agree that we have one mighty Specials team.  Thank you to each of them for the way that they are "all in" with incorporating Restorative Practices and Challenge Based Learning into their learning experiences with our children.  Please remind parents that our Specials Team has a Specials website and a 2nd Quarter Update showcasing what Big Idea, Essential Question, and Challenge our learners are choosing to be invested in for this round of Team Time. 

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE
Learners can dress up this day and parade as their favorite book character.  If parents would like to attend, please have them sign up here and we will have a visitor's badge preprinted for them.  

DESIGN DAYS
Stay tuned for more information, but...we will most likely host grade level Design Days, starting on November 1, with First Grade.  Leadership, please let me know, by end of day Friday, if we need to adjust our plans.  

SCHOOL DANCE

Our Fall School Dance is approaching.  Please mark your calendars and plan to bring your family to this FUN school event.

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

What are some signs of Dyslexia?

The problems displayed by individuals with dyslexia involve difficulties in acquiring and using written language. It is a myth that individuals with dyslexia “read backwards,” although spelling can look quite jumbled at times because students have trouble remembering letter symbols for sounds. Other problems experienced by people with dyslexia include the following:

·         Learning to speak

·         Learning letters and their sounds- difficulty saying alphabet without singing

·         Organizing written and spoken language

·         Memorizing math facts

·         Reading quickly enough to comprehend

·         Bizarre Spelling

Not all students who have difficulties with these skills have dyslexia. Formal testing of reading, language, and writing skills is the only way to confirm a diagnosis of suspected dyslexia. The important thing to remember is that EVERY child is different when it comes to testing. (IDA-https://dyslexiaida.org/dyslexia-basics/).

CISD FOCUSED WALKTHROUGH
This week, we will give feedback on Domain 3 Dimension 2:  Student Behavior.  We will be looking for evidence of praise and positivity as management strategies.  We will listen for encouragement of learners and how you monitor and respond to learners while teaching and learning.  Learners should manage themselves with minimal teacher redirection.  We should see evidence in your space of class respect agreements and view high expectations for ALL. 

ESSENTIAL TRUTHS BOOK STUDY
Keep up the responding and reflecting on Twitter!  We appreciate those of you responding to posts by your peers!  

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

We have SO MUCH TALENT on campus.  Please take time to nominate someone.   If you need admin to cover your class so you can observe your nominee, to help you better answer the questions, please arrange that with us.  We are happy to help.  Nominations are due November 8.

ESL FOR THE WEEK

DATES TO REMEMBER:
National School Bus Safety Week
Red Ribbon Week
Write a Check
October 19- L'Oreal's Birthday
October 21- Magic Show with Mr. Wand to kick off Red Ribbon Week (1:15 and 2:15)
October 22- Lee Feeder Night for Volleyball
October 23- School Shirt with Jeans
     Staff Meeting (3:30-5:00 Sam's Space)
October 24-  Spurs Savings (7:20-7:40 Cafe)
     Lee Learning Walk (8:00-9:00)
     Tour Day (9:00 and 1:00)
October 25- LEEdership Meeting (8:00-9:00)