Week of June 21, 2021

Hi team!  Just a few things to update you and keep you posted on all things Lee Elementary.  I hope you have been enjoying your Summer Break so far.  Leigh Ann and I have been excitedly working on ideas and visioning for 2021-2022 and our Leadership Team will be heading out for our retreat next Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  If you have any thoughts or contributions you want to make sure that we address for next year, please share them with your grade or content area leadership member.  We are excited to add Ayesha Khan to our Leadership Team as she will represent Specials and Specialists.  YAY Ayesha.  This will ensure every department on campus has a voice and representation.  Remember.... our Leadership Meetings and agenda are open to ALL employees so you can be involved at your comfort level.

Today is my "official" first day off.  I will be back on contract on July 13.  PLEASE reach out if you need ANYthing.  In the meantime, I plan to work in our flowerbeds, head home to FL for a few days, and deal with continued house construction.  

CONGRATULATIONS to Kristina and Meghan as their new little babies have safely arrived!

NEW HIRES

As a new hire, I am sure you are thinking about what you can do to start getting ready for your new adventure at Lee.  This blog I would encourage you to:

1. Update or create a Twitter account.  Follow @NetZeroLee and other staff members.  Post to the #rjlsummerselfie challenge.

TO DO FOR ALL:

• Fill out this form so we can learn all about your favorites.  The first one to complete it will be getting a surprise in the mail!

STAFFING UPDATES

Here is the link to our employee assignments for 2021-2022.  Remember how we say these are always subject to change?  Well you will see one change.  Karen will be heading to GCISD to be closer to home and on the same work calendar as her husband and daughter.  Rikki will be transitioning back to Practical Academics- SO COOL- that is where she started.  Full circle, right?  So we are interviewing for a full time Special Education Designer.  We will keep you posted once we make a recommendation for hire.  

PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

You will be required to earn 24 hours of Flex Time for the 2021-2022 school year and you can start accumulating your time over the summer.  Here are two separate AWESOME and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED opportunities from Apple.  If you participate, please document in Bulb and we will grant flex credit.

• Apple Professional Learning Summer Learning Series 2021 
• Become and Apple Teacher 

If you were unable to attend the live webinars on June 15, you can still earn Flex and SBEC credit all summer! Follow the steps outlined below.

To earn credit after June 15th for watching a recorded webinar from 6.15.21:

• View a recorded webinar found in this folder, then follow these steps to submit for credit. 

To earn credit after June 15th for completing a self-paced course in Schoology:

• Complete a self-paced course from this spreadsheet in our CISD PL Schoology course, then follow these steps to submit for credit. 

If you’d like to watch me demonstrate the steps to successfully participate in self-paced learning this summer, you may choose to watch this video.

Finally, an additional virtual session of Unconscious Bias training is being offered on Tuesday, July 27. If you would like to attend Unconscious Bias training you must sign up now so that we may secure your training materials. Click here to enroll in the course in Eduphoria.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

This year, PTO is handling school supplies in a different manner. Parents order the packs to be shipped to their door and the learners will bring the supply packs to school on Meet the Designer Night or the first day of school. We have two more reminders going out through Parent Square to help you get the supplies you WANT for the school year. Link to order: http://educationalproducts.com/shoppacks  Code: LEE008

#RJLYEAR8 SELFIE CHALLENGE

Don't forget to participate and share what you are doing this summer!

BACK TO SCHOOL SAVE THE DATE

DATES TO REMEMBER

July 2- Suzi's Birthday

July 3- Kristi's Birthday

July 12- Melissa's Birthday

July 13- Cassie's Birthday

July 19- Kim's Birthday

July 21- Natalie's Birthday

July 31- Wendy's Birthday

Week of May 24, 2021

We thank you for the outstanding job you all are doing with ALL that comes at you during the end of the year.  THANK YOU for being thorough with your furniture and supply inventories.  We know you are READY to start your first week of summer vacation on Thursday.  YOU ARE ALMOST THERE!  Enjoy these last few days with each other and the learners.  It is because of each and every one of you that we are BETTER TOGETHER!  Please enjoy your summer break.  Relax.  Make memories.  Learn something new.  I will miss you.  Please know I am feeling blessed to have served as your Principal this year and can't wait to see what #rjlyear8 brings us.  YEAR 8 YA'LL!!!!!  Nothing but sunny days ahead! 

TO DO:

• EOY Checklist
• Furniture Inventory
• ENJOY the last 3 1/2 days!!!

FIELD DAY

THANKS for your flexibility as we moved Field Day to Monday!  Please use this schedule for FIELD DAY.  Here is a list of the Field Day Stations and helpful hints for educators and learners.  PTO will have Andy's yogurt for our staff on this day.  How awesome is that?!

YEARBOOKS

Please share this information with your parents in this week's newsletter.  Thanks again, Samira and the yearbook crew,  for all of your hard work on this year's book.

LUNCH PROVIDED ON TUESDAY

You all deserve so much for all you do  To say thanks, our Admin Team will be providing lunch for you again this week.  There will be Babe's boxed lunches with chicken fingers and sides for the entire staff on Tuesday.  Vegetarians, we have salads for you and gluten free folks, we have roasted chicken for you.  We hope this meal also keeps you energized as you bring your spirit to our fifth grade drive through graduation.  There will not be a CHS/Spur reunion....the first class actually graduates NEXT year!  🤦

SPIRIT RALLY

We have not been able to host a Spirit Rally all year.  We are going to do something about that!  Please have learners bring a beach towel to school for the last day of school.  We will all head out to the track for an outdoor Spirit Rally and towels will keep them apart and safe from ants (hopefully).  We will start calling you down at 8:15 and try to start our Spirit Rally at 8:30.  Be ready for some FUN as a FAMILEE and BRING YOUR SPIRIT!

LAST DAY SCHEDULE

Please plan to be here until 3:30 on Wednesday.  At 3:30, please get in your cars, drive BYE the cafeteria loop so that Leigh Ann and Chantel can send each of you off for summer break!

• 8:30 Spirit Rally
• 11:00 Lunches (Please eat in your spaces)
• Kinder 10:30
• First 10:40
• Second 10:50
• Third 11:00
• Fourth 11:10
• Fifth 11:20
• 12:00 K-4 Pack up and sit 3-6 ft apart around the downstairs circle with backpacks
• 12:15 5th Grade Parade through one time
• 12:30 Dismissal (all hands on deck!)
• 12:45 -1:30 Lunch time for Staff (you are free to leave campus)
• 1:30 Start checking out Staff members
• 3:30 Good bye Drive by

EOY TECHNOLOGY RESPONSIBILITIES

Please select the appropriate link and follow for End of Year technology instructions.

• Returning to the same campus or department in CISD
• Not returning to CISD (and turn in to Leigh Ann)

If you have F2F learners who are not returning to CISD next year, please collect their iPad on the last day of school.  Shanna will email you the names of students that need to turn their device in to you.  

COACHES CORNER

SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Remember you will need to earn 24 hours of flex learning for the 2021-2022 school year.  Some of you may choose to get started during the summer. 

SUMMER HANDWRITING COURSE AVAILABLE

This course will be ready by June 7.  It will be asynchronous, optional, and available to all learners.  Please share with your parents. 

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Don’t forget to order your school supplies before June 1 to get in with the early orders! Get exactly what your child needs for their class while saving time & money! Link to order: http://educationalproducts.com/shoppacks

WELCOME TO OUR FAMILEE

We are excited to welcome these two educators on campus.  Some of you got to meet Annah when she visited the clinic last week.  We have recommended someone in district for our Special Education opening and will still be looking for a paraprofessional. 

Hi! My name is Maria Anderson and I've been teaching English Language Learners at a middle school for 3 years in the Chicagoland area. I am thrilled to be joining the team at Richard J. Lee Elementary. Before obtaining my Master of Arts in Teaching, I tutored ESL and French at a local college, and learned to be creative and engaging while working at a preschool. 

I believe every student comes with their own funds of knowledge that we as educators must build upon in constructive and engaging ways.  I am committed to forming relationships with students and meeting them at their level. You will see student collaboration and multicultural representations in my classroom.

Travel has brought me joy in life, as has dance, reading, and trying new foods. I am looking forward to bringing an enthusiastic and dedicated approach to Coppell with me.

My name is Emma McCornack and I am so excited to be joining the famiLEE! I am from Austin, TX and the oldest of 7 kids (the youngest just started kindergarten this year!). I graduated from TCU with my Bachelor's in Early Childhood Education in May 2020 and graduate again May 2021 with my Master's in Curriculum and Instruction: Language and Literacy, also at TCU. Go frogs! My favorite thing to do is read, my favorite movie is Grease, I cannot live without cheese, and my favorite place in the world is Martha's Vineyard. I am also probably the biggest Taylor Swift fan you will ever meet. I started subbing for Coppell ISD this spring semester because I had heard so many wonderful things about the district and absolutely fell in love with Lee the second I stepped foot on campus. I am so excited for next fall!

#RJLYEAR8 SELFIE CHALLENGE

Last year, we had our fifth summer selfie challenge and we will be back for a sixth round.  This challenge is our way to see what you are doing this summer and to stay connected- we are ALL ABOUT authentic relationships in CISD.  It is also a great way for our school community to see our new hires and for us all to get to know each other outside of school.  We hope everyone will be interested in joining the FUN.  Please tweet it out to your followers and encourage your learners and their famiLEEs to join in, too. Use the hashtags #rjlyear8 and #rjlsummerselfie. We will coordinate some outings this summer that can help you fill in a square or two.  If you plan something...spread the word!

I WILL SEND THE NEW BOARD ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL.  IT IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  🚧

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 24- Grades Due (8:00)

     Campus TOY recognized at Board Mtg. (5:45)

May 25- Lunch provided by Admin Team

     House Storage Closet and Furniture Inventory Check In (1:30-3:30)

     5th Grade Graduation Drive Thru (4:00-6:00)

May 26- Spirit Rally (8:30)

     Specials Check Out (10:00-12:00)

     Early Release (12:30)

     Staff Lunch Time (12:45 - 1:30)

     Classroom Check Out (1:30-3:30)

     Summer "Break" begins (3:30)

Week of May 17, 2021

Don't forget that we will have Dicky's boxed lunches and another surprise for you in the Teacher's Lounge tomorrow.  We are so grateful for everything that all of you have done to finish out STAAR testing.  We  It takes the whole school to make this happen and we KNOW you are tired, yet you persevere.  Special thanks to Leigh Ann for being a superSTAAR and surviving her first year as our testing coordinator.  Thank you for the grace you all provided her.

DID YOU KNOW:

• that only positive comments are expected on report cards?  Please ensure this happens for the last nine weeks.  Make a second copy of the report card for learners' permanent folders.  Peg will file these in the office for you.
• that Schoology will have an enhanced elementary experience for younger learners in the fall?  You can check it out here.  

STAFF MEETING

Please join us in the cafeteria for Wednesday's staff meeting.  This is the final staff meeting for the year and we will recognize staff members for their years of service and say farewell to those journeying on.  Please wear your Better Together t-shirt this day.  We will be taking a "staff photo" to hang by the teacher's lounge.

FIELD DAY
THANKS to Aparna and Julie for their collaboration and efforts to make Field Day a special day for the children!  Feel free to wear shorts and hats (if you like) on Friday.  Shorts should be at least fingertip length- don't ruin it for others!  Please use this schedule for FIELD DAY.  Here is a list of the Field Day Stations and helpful hints for educators and learners.  We ask that you group your grade so that they match what is on the schedule (see highlight on slide 2).  In case it rains on Friday, we will reschedule for Monday, so please have lesson plans created JUST IN CASE you have to use them.  

END OF YEAR LUNCHES
Please let the cafeteria know on this form what your learners will need for lunch on Field Day.  Please complete this before you leave on Friday.

Please let the cafeteria know on this form what your learners will need for lunch on the last half day.  All learners should eat before we release on Thursday.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Please talk to your learners and parents about ordering school supplies for next year.  This is a new process and we want you to get the packs that are specifically made for you.

PARENT REMINDER

TO DO

• Panorama Surveys.  Thank you to the 83% of our staff that have done this and the 55% of our learners in 3-5. Please help get us to 100% participation!  
• EOY Checklist- we are TRUSTing you to execute what is expected on the lists.  Please read them carefully and complete all tasks before school, after school, during your conference time, or during Team Time.
• Furniture Inventory- remember extra furniture in your house goes to the flex space.  It is wise to complete this the LAST day of school.

DLC UPDATE

Notability just got even better with the newest updates to version 10.4. 🎉

Check out this bulb page to learn more!

COACHES CORNER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Humor- comical or amusing quality; ability to see or show the funny or amusing side of things.

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

Your ability to make people laugh can help others feel comfortable and relieve tense situations.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people." - Victor Borge

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 19- Staff Meeting (3:15 Cafeteria)  Wear your Better Together shirt.

May 21- Field Day (Day 0)

Week of May 10, 2021

Have an incredible weekend, sweet ladies.  I hope you have felt love and appreciation from our PTO and FamiLEEs.  You are such a talented and dedicated bunch and are cared for so very much!  Happy Mother's Day to all of you.  Whether you have children of your own, or not, you mother the children in our school.  Thank you for all you do for them and the love you provide them each and every day they are at school. Please leave when your learners are safely dismissed. 

DID YOU KNOW:

• your Admin Team is treating you to lunch this week?  Please take time to complete this form so we can have your customized lunch ready for you, on Friday.
• we are ready for you to inventory your house storage rooms?  Please make a copy and mark up in Noteability to report what your house does/does not have in your house storage room.

REMINDER FOR PARENTS

Please remind parents to make sure to let us know if their learner is returning to Lee next school year.  This is important information to help us prepare and ensure we have the appropriate staffing for our enrollment.

Please remind parents of K-2 learners that we have waiver days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week.  Please let parents know that you will not host live Zooms on these days.  You may, if you wish, prerecord lessons and load them in Schoology.

PANORAMA LEARNER SURVEY

3-5 Designers, please have learners complete the Panorama survey by May 14th.  You do not need to email me when all of your learners have completed the survey.  I will run a report with this information.  We need 100% participation.

END OF YEAR UPDATES AND TASKS

We will suspend meeting as PLC groups from 2:00-3:00 for the last two cycles of Team Time starting today (conveniently Day 1).  Please use this time to watch Talent Shows, get done with assessments, host parent conferences, work on report card comments, or other end of year tasks.  Thank you to our wonderful Specials Team for continuing to take learners during this time.  

Here is the  EOY Checklist.  Please make a copy on your iPad and check off items when you complete them.  We will ask you to email your completed checklists on the last week of school.  The link is live for your Furniture Inventory and you may want to wait until the last week of school to complete that portion as a House.  Please do not work on EOY tasks during teaching time.  It is important to me that we "teach until the last day at Lee." You can use before school, conference time, after school and your Team Time to wrap up these tasks.  

TAKE CARE OF YOU

With our campus SEL goal, here is a color sheet and a self-care bingo board to have some FUN with as we start nearing the end of the year.

DLC UPDATE

The elementary DLC team curated a collection of ready-to-use End of the Year journals and templates. We hope these resources will help your learners reflect on their year and look towards the future! Reach out to your DLCs if you have any questions.

COACHES CORNER

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Responsibility- making the right choice to be reliable and dependable

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

After we eat, we will clean up after ourselves. This includes cleaning off the tables and making sure we haven't left any trash on the floor or around the eating area.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"Hold yourself responsible for a higher standard than anyone else expects of you.  Never excuse yourself." -Henry Ward Beecher

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 10- K-2 F2F Library Books Due

May 11-  3, 4, 5 Math STAAR

     K-2 Waiver Day

May 12-  School Nurse Appreciation Day

     3, 4, 5 Reading STAAR

     K-2 Waiver Day

     Leadership Mtg. (Off-site.  Info will be sent to you)

May 13- 5th Grade STAAR

May 14- 3-5 F2F Library Books Due

     Panorama Student Survey Results Due

Week of May 3, 2021

What another terrific week at Lee.  It is so hard to believe it is already MAY!   Happy Birthday wishes to our fabulous AP, Leigh Ann.  I'm sure she will enjoy her birthday and Cinco de Mayo with some bottomless bowls of chips and salsa!  Enjoy this week of Teacher Appreciation.  We LOVE and ADORE you beyond words and so does our PTO!

DID YOU KNOW:

• school supplies will be sold ONLINE this year AND delivered to homes?  Here is the flyer to share with parents. 
• that Skylar Hill was born on 4/29?  She is 8 pounds 1 ounce and mom and baby are healthy.  Pictures will be coming soon!

SAGE HILL

Want to know more about the apartment homes next to our school?  There is an open house at Sage Hill tonight.

RUN TO FUND

Whether you are registered or not, there are great ways to participate in the CEF Run to Fund.  Here is a breakdown by day:

• Sat- take a picture of you running using the #RunToFund2021
• Sun- post a pic of you running in Harry Potter attire at #RunToFund2021
• Mon- post a pic of you running in mismatched shoes to #RunToFund2021
• Tues- post a pic running in your Star Wars gear at #RunToFund2021
• Wed- run over to Anamias and post a pic from there to #RunToFund2021
• Thurs- post a pic of you running and a gift card will go to your favorite teacher at #RunToFund2021
• Fri- run with mom and post a picture at #RunToFund2021

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

Each of you are loved and appreciated so very much.  Our fabulous PTO has planned an extra special week for you.  Please share these plans with your famiLEEs so they can join in on the celebration.

In addition to the wonderful support of your parents and learners, here are some extra treats from our PTO this week:

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

Please share with parents: Make sure you respond to the email that was sent to you in the last two days in order to reserve your spot for the 2021-2022 school year.

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

Don't forget to wear your favorite college shirt on Wednesday.

SCHOOL LUNCH HERO DAY
Please wear (and encourage your learners to wear) a super hero shirt on Friday.  We will be celebrating School Lunch Hero Day in the cafeteria.  I think we can all agree, Charlene and her team are super heroes!  Please don't forget to show them how much we care!

CISD BOARD WALK

We will be visited by CISD Board Members and Dr. Hunt on Friday, May 7.  Please make sure that you have learner work displayed in your space and that your space is neat and tidy.  We will be all over the campus with our guests. 

PANORAMA SURVEY

Please make sure your complete the Panorama survey that was emailed from Dr. Applegate.  If you are not a classroom educator, or a question doesn't apply to you, please skip that question.  Your staff ID is the number you use in SmartFind and at the copier. 

SPRING CONFERENCES

Thank you for scheduling and hosting your Spring Conferences with parents.  Please keep Admin in the loop with any parent concerns for 2021-2022.

CIP
The 2020-2021 Campus Improvement Plan can be found here. Each quarter this document should be reviewed and updated by our staff.  Leadership, please download the PDF into Noteability, review it, and annotate it with your grade during your next Team Time.  Please forward your annotated copy to Leigh Ann by May 14.

APPLE UPDATE

I participated in an Apple Distinguished Schools Webinar on Wednesday.  The Everyone Can Create Book has NEW chapters:

• A chapter on animated GIFS- these are a great way to show changes over time
• Make Stop-Motion animation- brings an item to life
• Add motion to a photo- use Instant Alpha to add movement to a photo
• Clips has been updated (3.0)
• Updated posters and screen sizes
• A chapter on Special Effects
• Make people teleport and disappear in iMovie using jump cut
• Change colors and looks in Photos app
• Create Green Screen shots in iMovie
• A chapter on Motion Graphics
• Combining shapes and using transitions to animate
• Animate with Magic Move
• A chapter on Recording a Podcast

Also:

• Apple Teacher Portfolio launched last month
• The Apple Teacher Learning Center has been updated
• Apple EDU Leader Chat takes place every Thursday from 6-6:30 PT

COACHES CORNER

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Storytelling

Storytelling is a valuable teaching method that engages students in the curriculum being taught. Many students will come to us from cultures that continue to maintain a thriving and vital oral tradition and this will allow them to feel comfort in your classroom. It creates interest, relaxation, and opportunities to communicate feelings. Oral vocabulary will also increase the listener’s speaking vocabulary through poetic use of language. Students who are more auditory than visual benefit when the curriculum comes alive through storytelling.

LEE LIFE PRINCIPLE:

Humility- being humble, not proud or haughty, not arrogant or assertive

LESSON IN LEADERSHIP:

If you win or excel at something, do not brag.

LEE QUOTE OF THE WEEK:

"The reward of a thing well done is to have done it." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

DATES TO REMEMBER:

May 1- CEF Run to Fund

     Hannah B's Birthday

Week of May 3-7- Teacher Appreciation Week

May 3- Cowboy Chicken boxed lunches from IBC

May 4- HB3 Cohort A Day

     PTO Mtg. (Virtual 6:00PM)

May 5- HB3 Cohort A Day

     Leigh Ann's Birthday

     College Shirt Day

May 6- HB3 Cohort B Day

     Data Committee Mtg. (3:15)

May 7- HB3 Cohort B Day

     School Lunch Hero Day

     CISD School Board Walk