Week of October 11, 2021

Thank you for hosting parent/learner conferences tomorrow and Friday.  What a great time to build connections with your familLEEs.  I want you to know I appreciate all of your hard work to communicate the strengths and areas for growth on each child.  If a parent did not attend the conference on the designated days, please do your best to set up an alternative time/method to review data with them.  As we have data to document potential learning loss, we must keep parents informed.  

Tuesday is another first day of school for all of us.  Parents do have permission to walk their learners to your classrooms on Tuesday.  We are still not permitting guests at lunch.  I request that you please email all parents on your 2nd 9 weeks roster, on the 8th, to make sure they know who their classroom designer is and so that you know how their learner will be going home on Tuesday.  

High praise to all of you.  You make such an impact with our learners and families.  ENJOY these words from a departing famiLEE member:  

The journey that our family had with Lee was an affectionate one, an exciting one, and will be one full with sweet memories!  We honestly can't thank you and everyone enough for taking such amazing care of our two little men.  All they talk about is their teachers, friends and the school routines and facilities when they get home daily. They always discuss how kind their teachers are and how teachers share their knowledge and experiences, how polite and sweet the school staff is, and how charming and smart their Sheriff is!  Everyone is so so so awesome at Richard J Lee Elementary.  Thank you a million times over for loving both our little men and embracing them for their short journey with all of you!!!

DID YOU KNOW

• we have finalized our new arrival and dismissal plan?  Here is the link.  Thank you Hannah for taking this on and for houses working out responsibilities.
• the 2nd 9 weeks Specials schedule is attached to the RJL Master Schedule (2nd tab) now?  Please do your best to drop learners off and pick them up on time.  Our Specials ladies have to have time to sanitize between each class.  If you get to Specials early, please wait until your scheduled time.  If a class is still there when you go to leave, will you please deliver them to their next destination?
• a second lunch line will be opening up on Tuesday?  Can we get an OH YEAH!  Please help by having learners in line by classes.  Charlene has requested a line of K, 2, 4 and a line of 1, 3, 5.  If learners have a temporary badge (until the official ones arrive) this will help with learner IDs and a speedier checkout.
• for lunch for the 2nd 9 weeks, learners should sit at tables of 7, by grade, in the cafeteria?  Please make a seating chart to assist with contact tracing.  Once we no longer have to contact trace, we will go back to learner choice of seating.
• Priscilla submitted a Coppell Education Foundation Grant for Strawbees?  Please share this link with your FamiLEEs in case they would like to support her.  

SECOND FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

With it being the second first day of this year, we will give permission for parents to walk their learners to your spaces on Tuesday, only.  We will request they leave the building by the time morning broadcast begins.

Please revisit procedures and practice, practice, practice this week.  There are some learners who have not been in school in two years.  Let's keep in mind these learners have been through trauma, so you may see some behaviors that are not typical of your age of student.  Please reach out to Angela or Chantel or Leigh Ann for any help.  

REVISITING RESPECT AGREEMENTS

Please create new respect agreements with your classes for the 2nd 9 weeks.  Remember there should be FOUR quadrants: Learner to Learner, Learner to Designer, Designer to Learner, and Learner to School.  All four quadrants should have 3 to 4 bullets with short phrases (ex: be honest, hands to self, feet off furniture, etc.).  

CAMPUS GOAL

Part of our campus goal is digital citizenship.  Please review the CISD Learner Digital Orientation Lesson in Schoology.  It is imperative we review responsible use for technology and digital footprint.  Learners should NEVER erase their history.  REMIND THEM OF THIS- Admin and Designers should be checking this periodically to help learners with accountability. After teaching the lesson, have learners sign a new Digital Citizenship agreement/poster and post it by your respect agreement.

MORNING MEETINGS

Morning circles are going to help learners (and you) as we transition.  THEY ARE A REQUIREMENT IN CISD.  They provide social/emotional support in your space.  You should have a structure within the class meeting to foster authentic relationships, provide safety for everyone's voice to be heard and allow vulnerability to occur.  Class meetings build secure relationships in a safe and structured setting.  If you need "talking pieces" please see Angela or ask your learners what they want to use.  We are happy to purchase for you.  (We have plenty of rubber chickens left over from the first Spirit Rally 😊)  Don't forget you have the CISD SEL Morning Meeting curriculum document as a resource.  We reviewed at Back to School an it should be used in your lesson design.  Thank you to Nikki Hunt and her famous learners for sharing their morning meeting with me this morning.  Check it out here! (it is safe to download to watch- I also emailed it out)

ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL PRACTICES

With 350 families returning to Lee for the first time, please review the arrival and dismissal practices at Lee.   Resend this document and these images in your weekly newsletters.

VIRTUAL PTO MEETING

We have our second VIRTUAL PTO Meeting on Tuesday night at 6:00 pm.  A Zoom link will be emailed to staff to share with parents, at 8:00 AM on Tuesday.

WRITE A CHECK
Write a Check starts this week.  This is our biggest fundraiser of the year, so it is imperative that you talk up this three week event with our learners so their parents will participate.  

CMSW FEEDER NIGHT

All of us are invited to attend this event at CMSW.  

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH

Dyslexia is a reading disability characterized by the inability to read at a level that is consistent with the child's grade. Learner might know letter sounds but have a difficult time putting the sounds together to read words.  Click here to hear dyslexia experts explain and share their experiences with dyslexia, being dyslexic, and working with people with dyslexia.

RED RIBBON WEEK APPROACHING

Speaking of RED...we will participate in these Spirit Days the last week in October.   Please let our FamiLEEs know now so that they may prepare.

DLC UPDATES

As we welcome back all learners face-to-face in CISD, now is a great time to ensure that all student iPads are ready for instructional use. Here are a few steps  you can do with your learners, or have families complete at home, to clean-up learner devices.

COACHES CORNER

Happy Second Quarter!!

As we begin our journey into the second nine weeks, find time to reflect on your craft. Ask yourself probing questions and jot down your thoughts. It is also important that we give our learners time to be in solitude and reflect on their learning. Use that sacred time for yourself too. Consider reflecting on your goal or on your teaching practices. Jot down your thoughts on a journal or on your bulb. 

I bet you just said, “When do I find time to do that?” 

The answer: How about when the learners are reflecting? 

Model uninterrupted time for complete solitude and reflection. 

Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate.


ESL UPDATES

Provide opportunities for collaborative work

Learning is social. ELs especially benefit from collaborating with other students and not just other ELs. They need to discuss, communicate, listen to, read with, negotiate, problem solve with students of all types. Groups should be fluid and flexible. Sometimes partners and other times groups. This type of setting also lowers the affective filter for ELs while allowing everyone an opportunity to participate.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Oct 11- NO SCHOOL

     Kristina's Birthday

Oct 12- Welcome back to all learners

     Education Foundation shirt and jeans

     Shanna's Birthday

     Grades Due (8:00 AM)

     CMSW Feeder Night (5:00 PM)

     Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00 PM)

     Write a Check Fundraising Begins

Oct 13- Pink RJL Cares Cancer t-shirt and jeans (Here is the link if you want to order one to participate)

     Leadership Team Meeting (3:15 Laura's Space)

Oct 15- Wear a RED shirt with your jeans to Light it Up for Dyslexia

     1st 9 Weeks Grades go home (electronically)

Oct 16- Alex's Birthday

RED RIBBON WEEK IS A FEW WEEKS AWAY

Week of October 4, 2021

THANK YOU ALL FOR ANOTHER AMAZING WEEK AT LEE!  Thank you to Social Spurs for the gift cards for our custodians. Please make time to thank our custodians when you see them.  WHAT A HARD JOB!  I have LOVED hearing how some of you took care of yourselves after school on Wednesday.  Time is the best gift on the planet!  CISD is starting "Fun Fridays" and tomorrow is the first one at Lee Elementary.  To kick this off...tomorrow is our homemade cookie exchange to celebrate #NationalHomeadeCookieDay.  Don't forget to bring two dozen and trade before 11:00 AM.  YUM!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that Stephanie and Priscilla created an October Conjuring Curiosity activity for you to use with all learners?  THANK YOU, gals, for creating Keynote and PDF versions.  We are #luckyatlee to have your brains to create an activity that fosters curiosity and creativity in our kiddos. 
• I found this great site for online safety for kids and parents?  Please share with your parents!  It is part of our campus goal and you can add to your Bulb.
• starting October 12 we will be on a 7 day schedules rotation?  The staff calendar is updated with days through December 9.  Here is a copy of the 7 Day Specials rotation schedule (will be finalized by Monday). Thank you Specials for processing this with Admin and sharing directions about Day 7 with Red and Green classroom designers.
• all classroom teachers should email your new rosters a welcome back to 2nd 9weeks message at 8:00 AM on 8th?  It is a great time to use Parent Square if you aren't using it, already!

EARLY RELEASE LUNCH ORDERS

Please send learners to pick up their lunches at these times:

• Blue- 10:00
• Yellow- 10:15
• Green- 10:30
• Red- 10:45
• Purple- 11:00

WORLD DAY OF BULLYING PREVENTION

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and the first Monday of every October is World Day of Bullying Prevention.  On this day students, schools, and communities all over the world go BLUE together against bullying.  We want you and your learners to join us to stop bullying and cyberbullying by wearing a blue shirt on Monday.

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

Encourage learners to participate the first Wednesday of each month.

 

SPIRIT RALLY

We will host our Fall Spirit Rally on Wednesday from 2:00-3:00.  Please have learners packed up in your spaces before we call you down over the intercom. 

 

STAFF MEETING WEDNESDAY

In place of Staff Meeting, please plan to enter report card grades and comments on Wednesday afternoon from 3:15-4:30.  A reminder that comments should be personalized and positive and that our struggling learners' grades should reflect their difficulties.  Remember to put your name in the comment for learners who will not be with you after this nine weeks.  Final grades/comments are due in the system by 8:00 AM on Tuesday, October 12.

EARLY RELEASE ON THURSDAY

Thursday is an early release for students.  Please remind parents!  Your duty free lunch and conference time are whatever time you need after 12:30, so you may need a snack when your children eat lunch (if you are like me and 12:30 is late for lunch).  In order to ensure all learners and teachers get their Team Times before the start of the next 9 weeks, there are the following adjustments on the Lee Calendar for next week:  

• Tuesday changes from day A3 to day A5 so 5th grade has Team Time on this day
• Wed is Day B0 (no Team Time) because we have Spirit Rally from 2:00-3:00
• Thursday is 3rd (8:15-9:15), 4th (9:20-10:20), Kinder (10:25-11:25), Specials (11:30-12:30)Team Times

FALL CONFERENCES

Make sure you document when you personally reach out to parents who do not attend a Fall Conference.  If you don't document it, it didn't happen.  Please make sure to let your face to face parents know where to meet you for your conferences on Friday.  Remember...your space is a reflection of you and the learning that happens there.  While learning can get messy, Conference Day isn't the best day to showcase that!  Please make sure all spaces are on point.

RESPECT AGREEMENTS

Please build time in your lesson design, for the week of October 11, to include time to redesign your respect agreements with your classes.  New copies should be sent to Leigh Ann for our discipline binder.

PARENT SQUARE

Please share this information letter with parents regarding Parent Square.  KUDOS to those of you that are already using this resource!!  You may have remembered Chip saying during his training that he survived a coma.  If you want a "feel good moment" and a reminder of the power of prayer, feel free to watch his story, here. (totally optional) He is a walking miracle!

SAVE THE DATE

  

OCTOBER IS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
Each week, this month, Melissa will share videos and information to build our Each week, this month, Melissa will share videos and information to build our awareness of dyslexia.  You can also follow her on Twitter to see what learners do in their MLI class.  This short clip information on dyslexia.  Also, did you know...Apple has several helpful assistive technology tools for your learners with dyslexia to use on their iPad? Click here for Apple's guide to Accessibility.  Below is a list of options in accessibility that could be helpful:

• Speech- speak selections and Speak Screens
• Highlight content
• Dictation (Click microphone and enable)
• Reader view on Safari
• Color Filter / Invert colors
• Predictive Keyboard

DLC UPDATE

🙈 Stuck in a lag when airplaying on your Vivitek board?🙈 Double check to make sure you have updated your board's software.  Just like updating your phone or iPad's iOS, keeping your board updated is the first line of defense in fixing bugs, running smoothly and gaining access to new features. The newest update is rumored to help cut down on Airplay lag! ✅ Learn more about updating your board in the Coppell DLC Bulb collection! Your DLC can also provide helpful tips and ideas to get the most out of this tool, including instructional strategies like these!

COACH'S CORNER

Rehearsal and Practice

 

Learning requires rehearsal and practice. The more the teacher varies the practice, the more likely kids are to engage in learning. Rehearsal and practice that allows for collaborative work also help learners self-correct misconceptions. Each week for the month of October, I will share an instructional strategy that you can use to rehearse learning. 

Instructional Strategy | Rehearsal and Practice | Fact or Fib Showdown

Instructions:

1. ​​Assign each student a thinking partner.

2. Students create a FACT card and a FIB card and hold one in each hand.

3. Present students with a statement (fact or fib) relating to the content of the lesson.

4. Allow students 5-8 seconds to infer if the statement is a FACT or a FIB.

5. Say, “One! Two! Three! Showdown!” and students slap down their response card.

6. Students then take turns justifying their response to their thinking partner.Students pick up their FACT or FIB card and put it back in their hand.

7. Students pick up their FACT or FIB card and put it back in their hand.

8. Teacher clarifies/verifies the appropriate answer.

9. Repeat steps 3 – 8 with each statement.

Helpful Hints:

• Hand sanitize before and after participating.

• Role play how to slap answer cards down in an appropriate way.

• Provide response stem, “I slapped down fact because”; pair with a supportive peer. 

Materials:

• 4-6 FACT or FIB statements (may include visuals)

• post-its or paper for FACT/FIB cards

Let me know how it goes. Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Value and encourage native language

Honoring a child’s native language has many benefits both for a child’s self-esteem and academically. Language is part of who we are. Encouraging their native language sends a message that their identity is valued and respected in our classroom and world. If a student has a language other than English that they can tap into and refer back to, we should let them! This is big. Literacy is literacy in any language. Bridging the languages helps to build the target language.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Oct 4- Wear blue with your blue jeans

Oct 5- Ed Foundation t-shirt with jeans

Oct 6- College shirt with jeans

     Spirit Rally (2:00 Gym)

     Staff Meeting (3:15-4:30 Work on Report Cards)

Oct 7- Spirit Shirt and Jeans

     CMSW Football Players greet in the morning

     Early Release (12:30)

Oct 8-  Fall Conference Day

     Professional Dress

Oct 11- NO SCHOOL

RED RIBBON WEEK IS THREE WEEKS AWAY!

Week of September 27, 2021

What great news this week as we learned that we will only have face to face options for the second nine weeks!  I know this decision has some learners returning before the end of the nine weeks and this puts a strain on you.  THANK YOU for staying positive and seeing that relief is near!  Attitude is EVERYTHING and you continue to show us what great attitudes you have.  WE'VE GOT THIS!  Thank you for your help as we work through revisiting class lists in your Team Times, this round.  Your input is valued and appreciated.

DID YOU KNOW:

• October 1st is Custodian Appreciation Day and Social Spurs will be presenting Israel, Beatriz and Jose with gift cards and notes of gratitude? Thank you for your Social Spurs donations.  These help us be able to recognize our hard-working custodians!
• October 1 is also #NationalHomemadeCookieDay?  Keep your eyes open for an invite to participate in an optional cookie exchange.
• Pay Day is around the corner and you still have a chance to donate to Socials Spurs and get your name into the upcoming prize drawings?  Venmo or donate your cash to Shanna.
• our October 6 Staff Meeting will be replaced with Report Card work time?  I hope you find this dedicated time helpful and you can plan ahead to use this time accordingly.  Remember to add a closing with your name on K-3 report card comments for those learners who are changing houses.  Also, back up your grades JUST IN CASE!
• you can join the Coppell Gifted Association for FREE through September 30? To join as an educator, visit the web store. If you want to know more about CGA, check out this site
• we got a 10/10 for staff members wearing their badges during the safety audit this month?  THANK YOU!
• Keiko needs empty water bottles for a garden project?  Please share.

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST SPUR

Welcome to our newest Spur, Davis Ray Hardy.  He arrived on Wednesday.  He and mom are doing well.  Look how beautiful he is! 

RED AND BLACK SUPERSTAR NOMINATIONS DUE MONDAY

Each designer (including Specials) should have nominated at least one learner for the first round.  You can also nominate Lee staff members.  The deadline is Monday, September 27.  Here is the Super Star Nomination Form.

PTO SPIRIT DAY/ NIGHT

Lee PTO is hosting their first Spirit Day/Night on Tuesday, September 28, at Torchy's Tacos!  Enjoy Taco Tuesday, your way all day, dine-in or takeout (online orders do not count)!  You must show this flyer for Lee PTO to get credit.  Thank you for your support!  Special Treat:  Staff, you have permission to leave campus to pick up lunch during lunch OR your conference time (if you need the extra time) if you participate in this fundraiser. 

SEL DAY

There will be no meetings after school this Wednesday.  Please use this time to address your individual social emotional needs.  You can leave when an announcement is shared over the intercom.  

CISD DEVICE PROTECTION PLAN

Don't forget the upcoming deadline for the CISD Device Protection Plan for the 2021-2022 school year.  The enrollment deadline is September 30.  This plan will replace an accidentally damaged device or accessory at no additional cost.  Read more, here. 

SUPER TEACHER NOMINATIONS 

Super Teacher nominations are due, Friday, Oct. 1.  Please nominate a dedicated individual by visiting go.coppellisd.com/Recognitions. 

CONFERENCE DAY

Thank you for sending home parent sign ups for Fall Conferences and for allowing time in your schedules for both face to face and virtual options.  I would like to see 3rd-5th graders present in their conferences.  They need to own their data, share goals, and be part of the information you share with parents.  Remember to let our Admin Team know if you need/want us to sit in on any of your conferences.  If a parent asks if they are going to another house or who their learner's teacher will be for the second nine weeks, you can let them know and also inform them they will get communication before the first day of the 2nd 9 weeks. 

Helpful Conference Hints:

Begin the conversation on a personal note instead of starting with the formal progress report.

Create a sense of common purpose.  Avoid the use of "I" or "You."  Try words like "we" and "us."

If we approach families with this mindset, we can begin seeing conferences as opportunities for collaborative inquiry about how we can best support children’s learning.

GTI UPDATE

Fall GT Assessment Window

Dates: November 1st - November 12th

Grades: 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th

 

All learners in these grade levels will be universally screened during the window. Kindergarten will be screened next semester. Assessments will take place in homeroom classes.  More information will be coming soon-Please do not publish dates to parents yet!

ANNUAL HOUSE FUND FOR PTO

FINAL PUSH!!!!  Please consider donating directly here.  If you are interested in volunteering as a Room Parent, please contact Sweetha Sammeta at swethasammeta11@gmail.com

COACH'S CORNER

Instructional Strategy | Movement |Pair - SQUARE - Share

Instructions:

1. Organize students into pairs.

2. Student PAIRS work collaboratively to answer a question, analyze an assessment item, or summarize a vocabulary word.

3. Two pairs then form a SQUARE.

4. Student pairs SHARE their response to the question or task.

5. Students may revise their original responses based on their discussions.

6. Teacher sees and hears students’ thinking and clarifies/verifies as appropriate.

 

Helpful Hints:

• Hand sanitize before and after participating.

• Pairs work at their desks, but squares form around the perimeter of the room.

• Pair with a supportive peer and allow them to use thinking stems.

 

Materials:

• Questions or tasks prepared

Let me know how it goes. Please use this link to book a time with me so we can collaborate.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Offer sentence frames or sentence stems

Some students will need adapted texts. These are texts that differ slightly from the text the native English speakers may be reading. The text is less strenuous on students who are learning English yet provide them with the same content. You can find great, FREE adapted text from websites like NEWSELA.com. What I love about adapted texts is that they look very similar to the regular text so students can’t see that anyone is getting a different form of the text. ELs don’t feel singled out and no one notices that ELs are receiving text that is different.

DLC UPDATE

"Apple Classroom turns iPads into a powerful teaching assistant, helping you guide learners through experiences, see their progress, and keep them on track." Our Technology Engineers were able to batch enroll our learners using data from eSchool Plus/Pentamation. This means that when you open the Classroom app on your CISD educator iPad, you should have classes ready for you from which to select. (Note: Learners do not need to download an app! The app is only for you as an educator to use.) Click here to learn more about the amazing ways Apple Classroom can streamline your classroom management.  Reach out to your DLCs for strategies, ideas and design! 

DATES TO REMEMBER:

Sept 28- Ed Foundation t-shirt and jeans

Sept 29- Jeans and ANY shirt of your choice

     SEL DAY- NO MEETINGS AFTER SCHOOL!

Sept 30- Last day for Device Protection Plan

Oct 1- National Principal's Month

     School Custodian Appreciation Day

Oct 2- ALL CISD Compliance Courses must be completed