Week of December 1, 2025

YOU MADE IT!  Thank you for an incredible AND BUSY last week before the Fall Break.  I appreciate all you have done to work on parent engagement these first three months.  So many of you have also been engaged in out of school activities to support our learners, too: tennis matches, Vivace performances, Honor Choir, Spelling Bee, learner birthday parties and soccer games, Sky Ranch, and MORE!  What an amazing bunch you are!  Enjoy the week off and time to rest.  December is here and I am HERE FOR IT! Let's go!

DID YOU KNOW:

• since CK will not be here at dismissal on Friday, we will sing this song after broadcast, tomorrow.  It is our "newest Thanksgiving tradition."
• we clean the fridge out at 1:00 on Friday? Please take your items after you finish lunch.
• you should set your emails to auto reply that Richard J. Lee Elementary will be closed for Thanksgiving Break from November 24–28? ENJOY the break and don't check your email!
• your CISD Bullying compliance course is due November 30?  Please make sure you have this completed.
• joggers are allowed the month of December at Lee Elementary?  Please make sure if you are wearing leggings that your shirt is long enough to cover your pockets.  Please don't ruin it for everyone! 
• on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, all staff are required to work in person from 8 a.m. to noon, after which CISD will close for winter break? Hourly employees will need to use comp time to account for the remaining hours of the workday.  January 5th is a staff work day.  This means you may work from home or at school. If paraprofessionals work from home, they must have tasks to work on from the classroom teacher.

NO SCHOOL NEXT WEEK

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

We hope you are looking forward to our first week of December to Remember.  We have SO MUCH FUN planning out ways to show you how much we love you and to bring the fun throughout December!  As we plan, we try to be mindful not to take too much of your time, not to always have food, to remember food sensitivities, and to keep our crafts on the easy side! If you are absent or for any "projects" or want extras to do some with your family at home, we always have plenty.  Just email us or let us know by the end of the day and we can share our extras!!   Thanks for making this a December to Remember for your learners as well!  

We might’ve pulled a little holiday switcheroo with those Christmas Vacation hints… call it our own version of “You serious, Clark?”  Updated calendar images will be added after we deliver your calendars in the morning.  

Here is a spirit day calendar for you to share with your families.

TEAM TIME IN DECEMBER

While we will still have Team Time in December, we will not formally meet in the conference room during December. That said, you are welcome to meet and lesson plan during this time if it is not an early release day for you.  Please check out the DTR calendar to see what day our groups have the "gift of time."  Make sure your house knows how to cover for your early leave days.  Specials and Special Education, please work together to cover duties and for one another, too.  Rikki, let me know when the Sped staff members are planning to head out early this month.  I do apologize to our hourly employees that we cannot offer this gift to you.  

WEDNESDAY IS COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

Wednesday is College Shirt Day.  Encourage learners to participate by wearing a college shirt on the first Wednesday of each month.  

CMSW BAND AND CHOIR VISIT AND PURPLE HOUSE MUSIC PERFORMANCE AND ART SHOW

Please plan that there will be interruptions to your teaching on Thursday.  We have the CMSW Band and Choir coming at 8:45.  We will call you down by houses in alphabetical order.  Please wait to be called down.  We also have the Purple House Music dress rehearsal at 2:00.  Same thing, we will call you down in alpha order and appreciate you waiting until we call for you. 

DECEMBER SPIRIT NIGHT

Join us for a delicious fundraiser at Raising Cane's as we get back into the swing of things after the break! Raising Cane's will generously donate 15% sales to our PTO for this event.

 📍 WHERE: Raising Cane’s:  7955 N. MacArthur Blvd. Irving TX

  🗓️ WHEN: Date: Thursday, December 4, 2025 Time: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM

  ✅ HOW TO ORDER: (Applicable for Dine-in, Online, and App Orders)

Dine-In Orders: Please mention the fundraiser to the cashier when placing your order.

Online / App Orders: You MUST use the following code at checkout RCFUND96

CHS MADRIGALS VISIT LEE

On Friday, the Madrigals will come to carol in the media center at 2:00 for about 10-15 minutes.  If you want to bring your kids to the glass walls to look into the media center or walk up into the media center, you are welcome to do so. 

STAFF HOLIDAY PARTY COMING SOON

This event is in place of our staff meeting on December 10.  Thank you for RSVP'ing to Linda.  Can't wait to see everyone there!  

CISD HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Please head over to the CISD Admin Building for some holiday cheer on the 11th.  This is a great event put on by the district with yummy snacks, prizes, and performances.  Please follow our special schedule designed for this day so that you have time to head over during lunch/rescess/conference time.  SpEd team, drop by so we can plan how you can go in two groups.

SEASON FOR GIVING

Looking for a way to serve our community?  The Lions Club of Coppell helps CISD learners throughout the school year.  They have helped Lee learners with glasses, weekend food and daily snacks, school supplies. and gift cards for families in need.   Please consider giving to their cause this holiday season.  We will have a wrapped box in front of the elevator for learners to donate to.

COPPELL EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANTS 

We have four Coppell ISD Ed Foundation grants live?  Best wishes to Cathy, Preeti, Rachael, and Priscilla!  Here are links to their grants.  Let's get these funded!

• Shaner - $5,488.33
• Curran - $1,764.21
• Malhotra - $2,672.25
• Bennett - $782.15

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Good attendance is crucial for your child's academic success! When they attend school regularly, they thrive academically and develop positive daily routines for learning. Here are some tips to keep your child healthy and happy in the classroom:

🥦 Ensure your child eats a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains for essential nutrients.

🏃‍♂️ Encourage physical activity they enjoy, like walks or bike rides, to stay active and focused.

😴 Make sure your child gets enough quality sleep for concentration and mood stability.

🧼 Teach proper hygiene, including frequent handwashing with soap and water.

💧 Encourage hydration with plenty of water and regular restroom breaks.

💉 Keep vaccinations and medical checkups up to date for overall health.

Lead by example with healthy habits yourself to inspire your child's well-being!

JOIN US FOR A RETIREMENT RECEPTION

We invite all to celebrate Charlene Parnell in her retirement as we host a retirement party in Charlene's honor on Tuesday, December 16, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Media Center.

COACH'S CORNER

Hour of AI is Here! (December 8-14th)

Computer Science Education Week has received an exciting refresh — Hour of Code is now Hour of AI! This year’s focus invites learners to explore creativity, problem-solving, and computational thinking through age-appropriate AI activities.

🔗 Explore Hour of AI Activities

Here are a couple of quick recommendations:

• K-2: What is AI? For Early Childhood Students Teacher Notes | Resource Folder
• 3-5: Two Truths and an AI Teacher Notes | Game Link (I LOVE the station idea for this one - ask me if you’d like to plan it out together!)
• Family engagement: AI Literacy Toolkit for Families

💻 Prefer classic coding tasks? Hour of Code options are still available!

If you want to try an activity with your class, brainstorm ideas, or have an extra set of hands during your lesson, I’d love to join you. Just let me know, or book time with me here!

Thinking Maps Continue!

This week’s spotlight is the Multi-Flow Map — a tool for showing cause and effect relationships.

• Helps learners analyze what led to an event and what resulted from it
• Strengthens reasoning and supports comprehension across subjects
• Great for science experiments, historical events, and story analysis

📂 Learn About Multi-Flow Maps: Presentation | Educator Guide 

LESSONS IN "LEE"DERSHIP

DATES TO REMEMBER:

DECEMBER TO REMEMBER

WINDOW FOR SLO STUDENT GROWTH TRACKER/BODY OF EVIDENCE

Nov 30- CISD Bullying Compliance Due

Dec 1- Specials Leaves Early

Dec 2- Amy's Birthday

    First Grade Leaves Early at 2:00

Dec 3- College Shirt Day

    Blue House and Purple House at Kid Zania

Dec 4- CMSW Band Tour in gym (8:45)

     LEEdership Council Meeting (1:00)

     Purple House Music Performance (2:00 and 6:30)

     Purple House Art Show (6:00 Cafe)

     Raising Cane's Spirit Night (4:00-10:00)

Dec 5- CK Off

     CHS Madrigal Visit (2:00)

     4th and 5th Grade Growth and Development (2:00)

     Fourth Grade Leaves Early at 2:00

Dec 6- Choir performs at New Tech (10:00)

Week of November 17, 2025

As Thanksgiving approaches, I’ve been reflecting on the many gifts we share at our school. Each of you is such a blessing, and I’m truly grateful for the heart and dedication you bring to Lee every day. You create an incredible learning environment filled with enthusiasm, flexibility, and compassion and it shows in everything you do. Over the years, I’ve learned so much about leading with grace and patience, and I see those same qualities shining in so many of you. Please use the break to rest and recharge. Set work aside and give yourself permission to slow down. You’ve earned it! We can’t wait to celebrate you during our “December to Remember” when you return. 💗

DID YOU KNOW:

• the CEF Chili Cook Off Fall Festival is on Sunday? If you make it, please stop by to vote for the "Best ChiLEE in Town." Thanks again, Liliana for making our school chili.
• we have two new student teachers from St. Augustine University joining us at Lee on Monday? We have Kendall Keeton joining Rikki's class and Alyssa Marshall in Reagan's class. Please make them feel at home.
• that we have an after hours visit from UNT Superintendent students on Tuesday? Please make sure your space and collabs are picked up.  Thank you!
• you can wear warm ups on Friday and "trot the track" during your conference time? Please share pics of your group taking some self-care time!
• Friday, November 21, is Substitute Appreciation Day? Please be intentional in thanking any subs in our building!
• the office will clean the lounge fridge out at 2:00, on Friday? Please take your personal items and food home so we don't discard them.
• REMINDER: that staff must use official district systems such as: email, campus phones, TEAMS, Parent Square, for communication with parents and students?
• we will sing this song at the end of the day before Thanksgiving Break @3:00?  Please have your kids practice.  It is our "newest tradition."

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL AND POPCORN SALES

We will host a LEEdership meeting on Friday at 8:00 and our LEEdership Council will deliver popcorn on Friday.  Thank you for collecting their dollars this past week. I apologize, in advance, for any mess this creates in your spaces!

PARENTS NIGHT OUT THIS SATURDAY

We’re excited to host a Parents’ Night Out at Texas Dreams Gymnastics on Saturday, November 15th! Enjoy a well-deserved evening off while your kids have a blast with gymnastics, games, pizza, and fun activities in a safe, supervised environment. 20% back from the event comes back to PTO! Register today! rjlpto.org/PNO

HELP WITH MORNING CAR DROP OFF ON 11/18

We need adult volunteers to step up and help manage the morning drop-off on Tuesday, November 18th! We are giving our amazing RJL staff a special Thankful Breakfast, hosted by the PTO. Your help with car doors, sidewalk traffic, and getting students inside will allow our staff to enjoy their well-deserved appreciation.

Please sign up to give them a great start to their day! rjlpto.org/volunteer/cardropoff
🗓️ Date: 11/18/2025 (Tue.)
🕖 Time: 7:00AM - 7:40AM

PROGRESS REPORT GRADES

4-5 grades, please have your grades in by 8:00 on Tuesday morning.  THANK YOU!

COMMUNITY LEARNING WALK

As part of our campus parent engagement goal and a strategy in our Campus Improvement Plan, the last Thursday of every month, Mrs. Kastrounis will host a community learning walk at Lee.  This month the walk will be from 8:00-9:00 on Thursday, November 20 and parents planning to attend should arrive with their ID to check in at 7:45.  

FAMILEE FEAST IS HERE

FamiLEEs are invited to have lat Thanksgiving Feast Lunch on Thursday.  This lunch will be in place of FamiLEE Friday lunch this week. Parents can Sign up here.  Child Nutrition has requested guests PREPAY ($8) for their meal to expedite their lunch line.  Please send payment to your child's lunch account before the event. 

SPELLING BEE

Best wishes to our fifth graders as they compete to represent Lee in the district spelling bee.  You are welcome to watch after school, on Thursday, if you have an interest.  Thank you to the 5th grade designers for staying late for this event.

SUBS IN RED ROVER FROM AMY

Please make sure to pre-arrange your substitute if you know in advance that you’ll be out. We completely understand that if you are sick, you may not be able to do this ahead of time. When absences are entered into Red Rover, substitute jobs are filled almost immediately. Because of this, it isn’t fair to switch subs after an absence has already been created. You can find a list of substitutes under Lee Links → MISC → Substitute Contacts. If you have a sub you’ve worked well with, please share their contact information with me so I can add them to the list. Also, feel free to share sub contacts with your house team so everyone has access to reliable substitutes. Thank you for helping keep everything running smoothly!

COPPELL EDUCATION FOUNDATION GRANTS 

We have four Coppell ISD Ed Foundation grants live?  Best wishes to Cathy, Preeti, Rachael, and Priscilla!  Here are links to their grants: 

• Shaner - $5,488.33
• Curran - $1,764.21
• Malhotra - $2,672.25
• Bennett - $782.15

LEEDERSHIP TIP AND QUOTE OF THE WEEK

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
• OFFICE ON LOUNGE DUTY

November 17- Chantel's Birthday

November 18- Thankful Breakfast from PTO

     4-5 Progress Report Grades Due (8:00)

     UNT Tours Lee Elementary (5:30-8:00 PM)

November 19- DAY 7 TODAY

     Honor Choir Out Today (Performance 7:00 PM)

     Progress Reports Generated

     Staff Mtg. training from Dr. DeLaIsla (3:15 Cafe)

November 20- Community learning Walk (8:00-9:00)

     FamiLEE Feast (Lunch times)

     Campus Spelling Bee (Library Flex 3:30)

November 21- Joy's Birthday

     3rd Grade Field Trip to Dallas Zoo

     December to Remember Calendars delivered

November 24-28- NO SCHOOL 

Week of November 10, 2025

Thank you all for another incredible week at Lee.  We hope you walked away from Tuesday's professional learning with something new to implement.  I am so so very proud of our school.  Thank you to all of you for presenting and for also being great participants.  You are ALWAYS representing our school well!  A huge shout out to the following rockstars for presenting: May, Ed, Rikki, Susie, Reagan, Jamie, Hany, Julie, Linda, Amber, Priscilla, Ayesha, and Holly (if I left your name off the list, please tell me).  We appreciate you leading learning at the district level.  

DID YOU KNOW:

• that we have four Coppell ISD Ed Foundation grants live?  Best wishes to Cathy, Preeti, Rachael, and Priscilla!  Here are links to their grants: 
• Shaner - $5,488.33
• Curran - $1,764.21
• Malhotra - $2,672.25
• Bennett - $782.15

CIP

The 2025-2026 Lee Campus Improvement Plan goals and strategies can be found here (trying to make it easier for you all).  Each quarter the CIP must be reviewed by our stakeholders. Leadership, please review this document in your House Meeting next Thursday (you have MTSS this Thursday) and add evidence under strategies (CK added some already).  Please add bullets for new or additional evidence, don't repeat.  Add any evidence by tomorrow, November 7, please and thank you.

THANK YOU

The PTO officially closed our annual WAC fundraising campaign this past Sunday. Together we raised $33,652 with 50% of families participating. Your generosity helps bring enrichment programs, classroom support, and special opportunities to life for our learners. We are SO thankful for your continued partnership and can’t wait to see the impact unfold throughout the school year!

VIRTUAL PTO MEETING ON TUESDAY

Mark your calendar! Our next virtual PTO Meeting is this Tuesday November 11th, at 6:00 PM. Join us for exciting updates from your PTO and RJL Admin Team

Link to post Questions : Have a question for the PTO or RJL Admin Team? Submit it anonymously before the meeting by visiting rjlpto.org/rjlspeaks.

Meeting Link : Will be emailed Tuesday morning through Parent Square.

VETERANS DAY

As Veteran’s Day approaches, we would like to honor and recognize the brave men and women who have served our country. We invite anyone who has served in the military—or has/had a family member who has served—to share a photo and information about them so we can include them in our Veteran’s Day recognition wall. If you would like to participate, please send the following information with your picture:

• Name of Veteran
• Branch of Service, Rank, and Dates of Service (if known)
• Name/House/Grade of learner
• Relationship to learner

Please send your submissions to rkazebee@coppellisd.com. We are excited to celebrate and honor our heroes and share their stories with our community. Thank you for helping us recognize the sacrifices and service of our veterans.

FLEX LEARNING ON WEDNESDAY

Earn an hour of flex and GT update hours on Wednesday. 

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL AND POPCORN SALES

Our LEEdership Council will be selling bags of popcorn to be delivered on Friday, November 14. Learners can purchase popcorn from their class council member between 11/6 and 11/13.  "Lee"ders will write their name down and turn in orders on Thursday, November 13.  

WORLD KINDNESS DAY

Thursday, November 13, is World Kindness Day.  We can't wait to see how our learners spread kindness.  If you have a KIND shirt, join in on wearing it on Thursday.  We will also celebrate kindness in January with the Great Kindness Challenge.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW- NOVEMBER PARENTS NIGHT OUT

We’re excited to host a Parents’ Night Out at Texas Dreams Gymnastics on Saturday, November 15th! Enjoy a well-deserved evening off while your kids have a blast with gymnastics, games, and fun activities in a safe, supervised environment. 20% back from the event comes back to PTO! Register today! rjlpto.org/PNO

COPPELL ISD CHILI COOK OFF

We hope you can join the community at this fun event on Sunday, November 16.  Please vote for the "Best ChiLEE in Town." 

HELP WITH CARLINE DUTY ON 11/18

As part of our giving to our wonderful staff during the holiday season, please sign up to help with drop off on November 18th from 7-7:40am to allow our designers to enjoy their Thankful Breakfast hosted by RJL PTO. You'll help open car doors, manage the sidewalk traffic, and get kids in the door with a great start to their day!

FAMILEE FEAST IS NEXT WEEK

FamiLEEs are invited to have lat Thanksgiving Feast Lunch on November 20.  This lunch will be in place of FamiLEE Friday lunch this week. Parents can Sign up here.  Child Nutrition has requested guests PREPAY ($8) for their meal to expedite their lunch line.  Please send payment to your child's lunch account before the event. 

ATTENDANCE MATTERS

Did you know? When student attendance rises, more state funding is allocated to bolster district programs aimed at enhancing student performance and engagement. Higher attendance rates also position districts to secure additional funding from federal and other sources. A huge THANK YOU to our amazing CISD families for prioritizing student attendance!

Regular attendance enables students to participate actively in lessons, form meaningful relationships with peers, and fully benefit from their education. It also supports teachers in assessing progress and planning effectively. Attendance Matters…You Matter!

YOUR VOICE MATTERS- SHARE YOU FEEDBACK THROUGH THE COWBOYS UNITED SURVEY!
Coppell ISD is launching the Cowboys United campaign to shape the district’s future together. We invite parents, guardians, and community members to take a few minutes to complete our Cowboys United Survey and share what you value most about CISD and what you want to see in the years ahead. Your input will help guide district priorities and ensure we continue to serve our students and community with excellence.

👉 Click here to take the survey: go.coppellisd.com/CowboysUNITED-Survey

SPUR SPIRIT WEAR AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME

Winter is coming, and it’s time to bundle up in Spur style! Our all-new winter wear is here — including the brand-new RJ hoodie in two classic school colors. With cool days and fun field trips ahead, now’s the perfect time to stock up on school spirit.

🧥 Early Bird Special: Pre-order your hoodie by November 10th for an exclusive discount!
All pre-orders will be ready for pickup by December 10th.
⚠️ Inventory and size availability can’t be guaranteed after November 10th, so don’t wait!
This is the final opportunity to order spirit wear for this school year. Order today: rjlpto.org/spurstore

 

COACHES CORNER

🌈 November 4 PL Day
I hope you left Tuesday’s PL Day with fresh ideas and a little inspiration! If there’s a session you’d like to revisit, or one you missed and want to explore, you can check out this Collection of Resources. Be aware - it takes a moment to load.

If something sparked your curiosity, I’d love to partner with you to bring it into your classroom! Here are a few ways we could collaborate:

• Try out a new strategy or routine you learned during a session
• Plan an upcoming lesson using one of the new resources you discovered
• Reflect together on how to adapt a session idea for your learners
• Co-plan or model a strategy to see how it works in action

I’d love to hear what inspired you most. Let’s keep the learning going!

This Week’s Thinking Map: Flow Map

The Flow Map helps learners show order and process.

• Builds sequencing skills and chronological understanding
• Perfect for retelling, summarizing, or showing steps in a process
• Supports transition words and logical flow in writing

📂 Learn About Flow Maps: Presentation | Educator Guide 

WALKTHROUGHS IN NOVEMBER

This month we will give you feedback in Domain 3.2 Managing Student Behavior.  We will be looking for:

• Routines that are clearly communicated and reinforced
• educator responds to off-task behavior respectfully
• proximity control and awareness of classroom
• Smooth and timely transitions
• use of attention signals
• respect from learners toward teacher, peers, and materials
• Students managing supplies/equipment
• learners are responsible for behavior with minimal teacher prompting
• materials and routines support independence and responsibility
• Organization of space
• classroom layout promotes safety
• tone of classroom is positive, calm, and conducive to learning

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
• NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK
• YELLOW HOUSE LOUNGE DUTY

Nov 10- 5th Grade at Sky Ranch

Nov 11- 5th Grade at Sky Ranch

     Veteran's Day

     Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00)

Nov 12- 5th Grade at Sky Ranch

     Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)

Nov 13- DAY 4- NOT DAY 7 (please communicate to parents)

     Fall Picture Retakes

     Popcorn Orders Due to LEEdership Council

Nov 14- Popcorn Orders Delivered

     Therapy Dog Day
     LEEdership Council Mtg. (8:00)