Week of November 14, 2022

YOU MADE IT!  Stay healthy, stay well!  One more week and Thanksgiving break is ALL YOURS!  Your Admin Team acknowledges the many blessings of being at Lee Elementary, and one of our most important blessings is EACH OF YOU!!   Enjoy this week with our children and each other.  

DID YOU KNOW:

• tomorrow is World Kindness Day?  Don't forget to wear your Kind shirts if you have one. 
• CIP documentation is due to Leigh Ann tomorrow?  Leaders, please send documentation her way.
• that Cyrus Allen Ray arrived at 8 lbs 10 oz at 2:11 Wednesday morning?  Mom and baby are well.  Look at this adorable new Spur!!!

• with Corinne being out for FMLA we will have Marie Sumrall here as her long term substitute?  Please welcome Marie to our FamiLEE!

WORLD KINDNESS DAY

Sunday, 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 Friday.  We will also celebrate kindness in January with the Great Kindness Challenge.

FAMILEE MOVIE NIGHT

Friday night we host our first Movie Night of the year.  Due to weather we have moved it indoors.  It will begin at 7:45, after the Yellow House performance.  Parents must accompany their learners.  We hope you can join for a little while to support our PTO.

FAMILEE LUNCH

Please let your famiLEEs know if they want to attend Thursday's lunch that they need to sign up ahead of time.  This will be in place of FamiLEE Friday lunches. Sign up here.

SUBSTITUTE APPRECIATION DAY
Please take time to thank any subs in the building on Friday, November 18.  Friday is Substitute Appreciation Day!

LIONS CLUB

Every year, the Lions Club of Coppell provides holiday food baskets and toys for Christmas to those in need. If your family can benefit from this assistance, please click here to print and complete this form. Forms should be turned into Nurse Annah, Mrs. Garvin, or Ms. Lightfoot. If you need a printed copy sent home with your student, please email arose@coppellisd.com. By completing this form, you understand that this information will be shared with the Lions Club of Coppell for distribution of your food/toys. Please submit the form no later than December 9, 2022. Thank you!

DLC UPDATE

⏰Time for a Vivitek board firmware update!  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. Click here to remember how!

🔐Unlock the power of your newly updated board with these instructional strategies from across the district or book Alli for more ideas!

COACH'S CORNER

Let’s collaborate! Sign up so we can work together.

 

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Amplify Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Years ago, the idea was that when working with English learners we needed to simplify instruction so they could understand it. Now we know that we can “KEEP the content and amplify the language” (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). This was a quote a heard Okhee Lee say during a presentation she did for teachers of ELs. No more watering down the curriculum. Scaffold UP!

LEEDERSHIP TIP AND QUOTE OF THE WEEK

SAVE THE DATE

Save the date for an upcoming spirit night to support PTO.

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

November 13- Samira's Birthday

November 14- Progress Reports Sent Home

     5th Grade Spelling Bee (3:15 Flex Space Media Center)

November 15- ART PLC Day

November 16- Music PLC Day

     Staff Meeting (3:15-4:45)

     Allaso Ranch Parent Meeting (5:30 Cafe)

November 17- Chantel's Birthday

     FamiLEE Lunch

     PE PLC Day

     MTSS Meetings during Conference Time

November 18- Substitute Appreciation Day

November 19- Linda's (Crossing Guard) Birthday

November 21-25- NO SCHOOL

Week of November 7, 2022

Well done with this year's Write a Check and Story Book Character Parade.  Thank you for all of your efforts for the beautiful ways you have told our Lee story on Twitter.  I have been so proud of the things I have seen with your design days, your house collaboration, celebrating holidays, recognizing our learners and acknowledging each other.  It is clear that our staff goes ALL IN in every campus initiative. THANK YOU for the extra effort you put in. You are a remarkable group!!!  

Welcome back to Nikki this week.  We missed you!   Thank you to Abeer for the incredible job she has done in B2.  Abeer is a true rock star and valued and LOVED at Lee Elementary!

DID YOU KNOW:

• that we are seeing an uptick in behavior issues when we have subs in the building?  Please put reviewing your Respect Agreement in your sub plans if it is not already there.  Also leave behavior reflection sheets for your subs.
• Hour of Code is coming up next month?  Please sign up if you plan to participate and start reaching out to our DLC for coding assistance for the week of December 5-11.  I'm sure our DLCs would love to design with you! 
• your next set of House Design Days are January 31- Feb 2?
• tomorrow is the last day to Early Vote?  Don't forget to make your voice heard!

PICTURE DAY

We will start school pictures immediately following morning broadcast tomorrow at 8:00 AM.  We will follow the Specials schedule so we will start with Kinder Purple, followed by 1st Purple, 2nd Purple, etc. Once Purple House is done we will go to Yellow-> Red -> Green -> Blue.  Pictures will take place on the stage and teachers can take their pictures with their classes or before school.  Specials and support staff, please get your pictures made between 7:40 AM and 8:00 AM.  Specials Designers, we "might" need you to wait with your classes in the cafe if they are not done by their Specials time.  Thank you for your flexibility on this day and for excusing the interruption to your teaching and lunch routines.  We, hopefully, will have 2 PTO moms helping to facilitate.

TOY

FINAL REMINDER!!!  NOMINATIONS DUE FRIDAY!!!  Please take time to nominate someone in our building for this incredible honor.   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.  Here is the TOY Website and Nomination Criteria and Form

In order to be nominated for Teacher of the Year, the teacher must:

• Be certified to teach in Texas public schools
• Have been employed in Coppell schools for a minimum of three years (that means he/she must have completed three years in CISD)
• Be a classroom teacher (including PE, art, music, special education, literacy, etc.)
• Plan to continue teaching in Coppell ISD through the 2023-2024 school year

PTO MEETING

I will send you an email to send to parents with a Zoom Link on WEDNESDAY morning.  Our meeting is on Wednesday this month due to voting on Tuesday.

VETERANS DAY

Please showcase any creative ways you are recognizing Veterans on  Friday, on Twitter.  We will have a school-wide performance from Yellow House, in the gym, on Friday at 2:00 PM.

SAVE THE DATE

Thanksgiving feast google doc

FAMILEE MOVIE NIGHT

Friday night we host our first Movie Night of the year.  We hope you can join for a little while to support our PTO.

WORLD KINDNESS DAY

Sunday, 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 Friday.  We will also celebrate kindness in January with the Great Kindness Challenge.

CIP

The 2022-2023 Campus Improvement Plan can be found here. Each quarter this document should be reviewed and updated.  Leadership, please download the PDF into Noteability, review it, and annotate it with your house in a Thursday Meeting.  Please forward your annotated copy to Leigh Ann and Angel by November 11.

LIONS CLUB

Every year, the Lions Club of Coppell provides holiday food baskets and toys for Christmas to those in need. If your family can benefit from this assistance, please click here to print and complete this form. Forms should be turned into Nurse Annah, Mrs. Garvin, or Ms. Lightfoot. If you need a printed copy sent home with your student, please email arose@coppellisd.com. By completing this form, you understand that this information will be shared with the Lions Club of Coppell for distribution of your food/toys. Please submit the form no later than December 9, 2022. Thank you!

SAVE THE DATE

PTO will be providing breakfast on Thursday as a way to say THANK YOU.  We will announce on the intercom when it is ready for you.

COACHES CORNER

Let’s collaborate! Sign up so we can work together.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Give Think Time/Wait Time. After posing a question, wait about 3-5 seconds before calling on students or having them talk to one another. This wait time allows emergent bilinguals time to think, process, translate, and build the courage to respond. Studies show that the extra wait time increases the number of students’ responses and the quality of responses.

DLC UPDATE

Looking for a way for you or your learners to creatively reflect on all the reasons to be thankful this season, or want to share your love and gratitude for another in a personalized way? Check out the two Thanksgiving Keynote SEL Activity Templates linked here. These templates are ready to be used by you and/or your learners!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
• NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK

Nov 7- Mary Kemper guest Admin on campus

Nov 8- Annah's Birthday

     Onboarding Mtg. (3:15)

Nov 9- Leadership Meeting (3:15)

     Virtual PTO Meeting (6:00)

Nov 10- 1st Grade Field Trip to Dallas Arboretum

     PTO Thankful Thursday Breakfast

Nov 11- Veteran's Day

     Progress Report Grades Due (8:00 AM)

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

     FamiLEE Movie Night (7:00 Track)

Nov 12- Megan W's Birthday

Week of October 31, 2022

Thank you for those of you that participated in our second Trunk or Treat!  I know there are going to be lots of memories from this fun event. I also appreciate all of your participation during Red Ribbon Week. You make this such an amazing week. The pictures on Twitter are WONDERFUL! Have a fabulous fall weekend and enjoy things that make you happy!

DID YOU KNOW:

• you have to go in to Power School and sign walkthrough forms?  In the past you have received an alert when a walkthrough was submitted.  With PowerSchool, you do not get an alert.  We want you to grow and celebrate from feedback, so please check Power School and electronically sign these.  
• your Vivatek boards do not turn off on their own and the still image will burn on the screen if left on repeatedly? Please remember to power these off before leaving each day. 
• PTO would like kids to vote on the Nov. 11 movie to be played at FamiLEE Movie Night?  Please let them use this form.
• Sam was recognized as the MASter teacher by a local law firm?  Please congratulate her- she will LOVE the extra attention. 

TRUNK OR TREAT

Please move your cars to the front parking lot and loop, by 4:30, if you are staying for trunk or treat.  We will use the basketball court area and then bleed over into the back lot if necessary.  

STORYBOOK PARADE

We will start the parade at 8:00AM.  Please exit out the PE doors closest to the 3-5 playground and come in through the cafeteria doors.  We will walk one lap of the track.  Parents, and learners who do not want to participate, are welcome to cheer the parade on around the track.  Please have parade guests sign in here.

DESIGN DAYS

I am super excited that we can give you designated time to work through grade level "work."  We will be using this Design Day Document (thank you Samira) to help us stay focused.  Please take a look at it before your day.  We will meet in the large conference room for these meetings.  Please make a copy and link in your grade's agenda like third grade has already done.

COLLEGE SHIRT DAY

Can't wait to see everyone sporting their college gear on Wednesday!

SCHOOL PICTURES

Please remind families that Friday is picture day.  Third grade will go first so we can get their photographs before they leave for their field trips. We will send a runner to your class when it is time for you to come down.

WRITE A CHECK

Ladies and gentlemen, we could not have collected this amount without your constant encouragement and cheerleading.  THANK YOU for all of your extra efforts to help us meet the PTO Goal.  Someone will be getting a gift card from Target!!! 

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

We have SO MUCH TALENT on campus.  Please take time to nominate someone in our building for this incredible honor.   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 by, Friday,  November 4th.  Here is the TOY Website and Nomination Criteria and Form

In order to be nominated for Teacher of the Year, the teacher must:

• Be certified to teach in Texas public schools
• Have been employed in Coppell schools for a minimum of three years (that means he/she must have completed three years in CISD)
• Be a classroom teacher (including PE, art, music, special education, literacy, etc.)
• Plan to continue teaching in Coppell ISD through the 2023-2024 school year

CIP
The 2022-2023 Campus Improvement Plan can be found here. Each quarter this document should be reviewed and updated.  Leadership, please download the PDF into Noteability, review it, and annotate it with your house in a Thursday Meeting.  Please forward your annotated copy to Leigh Ann and Angel by November 11.

WALKTHROUGHS IN NOVEMBER

For this month, we will be giving you feedback on Domain 3.2: Managing Student Behavior.  We will be looking for:

• Learners know, understand and respect class Respect Agreement.  It was made by the class and is visible.

• Classroom behavior system is evident.

• Do learners meet expected classroom behavior standards?

• Encouragement of redirection is subtle.

• Specific praise is provided related to learning/compliance.

• Misbehavior is handled swiftly.

DLC UPDATE

Fall into good digital citizenship habits with these resources to help learners stand up to cyberbullying gathered by DLC, Bliss Frey! Revisiting digital citizenship each month helps learners to make positive choices all year round!

🍂 Click Here 🍂

For more ideas and information, check in with Alli or visit www.commonsensemedia.org!

CPR OPPORTUNITY

Interested in becoming CPR certified?  Please follow this link and fill in a slot.  This is available on Wednesday, 11/9/22 after school and counts for 2 hours of flex credit.  No homework before.  If you are already certified, you do need to renew every two years.  I'm so excited to instruct you guys in this Heartsaver Course! With all my Heart  Annah Rose

COACH'S CORNER

Let’s collaborate! Sign up so we can work together.

ESL STRATEGY OF THE WEEK

Use Visuals. Visuals transcend all languages. When we see a visual representation, no matter the language we speak, we can begin to access our prior knowledge and schema. 

• Carefully select the visual 

• Point to the visual during instruction

• Label the visual (using arrows) during instruction​

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Oct 30- Jessica F’s Birthday

Oct 31- AP Reading Academy

Nov 1- 1st Design Day (AM)

     2nd Design Day (PM)

Nov 2- College Shirt Day

     Kinder Design Day (AM)

     3rd Design Day (PM)

     Staff Meeting (3:15 Cafe)

Nov 3- 5th Design Day (AM)

     4th Design Day (PM)

Nov 4- TOY Nominations Due

     School Picture Day

     3rd Grade Field Trip to Zoo

Week of October 24, 2022

What a week, friends!  THANK YOU to all of you who stepped up in BIG ways.  Whether it was being a learner at Reading Academy, helping in a different capacity this week as we had sub shortages, staying late to learn at staff meeting, or being there for a teammate or colleague that needed you.  YOU DID IT!  YOU CRUSHED IT AGAIN THIS WEEK!  Do you know what is a month away?  DECEMBER TO REMEMBER!!!  We are excited thinking about how to celebrate each of you.  Get ready!

DID YOU KNOW?

• Monday is not only wear Red Day, but is is Diwali?  Please invite learners to wear their traditional clothing this day.  They are so proud of their heritage and culture and we want to celebrate that. 
• you are doing a great job getting communication approved by CISD?  Please do not send any links in your newsletter that haven't come from the blog.  
• if you download the Lead4ward app that you can access "quick checks" and "think it up" activities to support formative assessment with your learners?  This is a great next step after Wednesday's training.
• that we have a partnership with St. Augustine University and their occupational therapy department?  You may see cameras or videographers on campus because they have learners who are designing costumes for some of our learners in wheelchairs. These visitors are approved by the district. 
• you still have time to nominate this year's Teacher of the Year?  Here is the TOY Website and Nomination Criteria and Form. Nominations are due November 4.  Please turn them in to CK.
• PTO would like kids to vote on the Nov. 11 movie to be played at FamiLEE Movie Night?  Please let them use this form or QR code.

RED RIBBON WEEK

Red Ribbon week is HERE!  Please join in on the fun and share pictures of learner participation.  You should have your party horns in your boxes from Angela and Jessica to kick off the week.

WRITE A CHECK

Write a Check continues this week.  Please share this message in your weekly newsletter:

President’s Message Dear FamiLEEs, At Richard J. Lee Elementary, our first priority is ensuring we are able to give our learners the tools they need to learn and grow. As an Apple Distinguished School, National School of Character, and Kindness Certified School, as well as the second largest elementary school in CISD, you can see why our campus is consistently ranked among the area’s top schools. This year, we are hoping to meet (if not exceed) our Write-A-Check goal of $25,000.  If we can get all of our FamiLEEs to donate $100 per child (although any amount is greatly appreciated) by October 28, we will be well on our way to meeting our fundraising goal this year. More importantly, 100% participation in Write-A-Check shows our commitment to the school, its designers, and our children. While gifts differ in size, each gift has the same impact on participation and is appreciated. Will you join us in working toward that goal? All donations can be submitted directly at rjleepto.membershiptoolkit.com/wac. Your contribution will make a huge impact in all of the activities the PTO and school has planned that will benefit ALL learners. When parents like you give back to our school, Richard J. Lee Elementary is able to lay the groundwork for future student achievement. Thank you for being such a supporter of student success! With warm regards, Neelu Rajput PTO President

Currently, we are at less than 2% of participation rate.  Please consider donating today - we appreciate your generosity! Note: only electronic donations are accepted (do not send in cash or check to the school). Thank you! https://rjleepto.membershiptoolkit.com/wac

LEEDERSHIP COUNCIL

Thank you designers for hosting elections for our Campus “LEE”dership Council. I am excited to work with your representative this year. Please add their name, house, grade and shirt size on this Google Form. Please fill this form out by Friday, November 4th, 2022. 

Thank you

FLEX LEARNING

Join us for one of two sessions on Wednesday to earn an hour of flex credit.  Please remember to submit your request into Power School at the conclusion of your session.   

• Does implementing digital workflows in the classroom have you feeling like a contestant on the TV show, Nailed it? Never fear, Schoolwork is here! Not only is Schoolwork designed to assist in “cooking up” collaboration using Pages, Keynote and Numbers, but there are features that can put the “icing on the cake” for learners using 1:1 iPads in the classroom.  Are you up to the Schoolwork Nailed it! Challenge?  Join me at flex time for a delicious afternoon learning about digital workflows.  

TRUNK OR TREAT THIS WEEK

This outdoor event will take place in our back parking lot.  PTO will have a voting station for the "BEST" trunk and a prize will be given.

PTO SPIRIT NIGHT ON THURSDAY

Don't worry about cooking dinner on Thursday night.  Call an order in to Papa Johns and tell them you are with Lee Elementary.  Our PTO will get 20% donated back.  

BOOK CHARACTER PARADE IS NEXT WEEK

Want a reason to wear a costume to school? Pick a costume and find a book to go along with it.  Our entire school will parade at 8:00 on Monday, October 31.  Parents are invited and welcome to surround the track. Please have them sign in here.

ESL UPDATES

Have Students Collaborate With Peers. Through peer collaboration, students learn in ways that we, teachers, can’t provide. Learning is social. When multilingual students collaborate with monolingual English-speaking peers the reciprocal learning that happens among them is invaluable. Group work, Jigsaw approach, literature circles, and book clubs are just a few examples of collaborative settings.

COACHES CORNER

DLC UPDATE

Pixel Art is a great way to review concepts with one correct answer. You can use pixel art to review spelling, math, vocabulary terms and more.  As students answer the question correctly, a picture will begin to appear. This is a great self-checking activity for students.  Click here to see how you create your own pixel art activity with the concept you teach!  Want to try it out? Check out this CVC Example or book Alli to learn more!

DATES TO REMEMBER:

• RJL WRITE A CHECK CAMPAIGN (REMAINDER OF THE MONTH)
• NATIONAL DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH
• STOMP OUT BULLYING MONTH
• BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
• NATIONAL PRINCIPAL MONTH
• HINDU HERITAGE MONTH
• RED RIBBON WEEK

Oct 24- Diwali

Oct 26- Flex Learning (3:15-4:15)

     LEEdership Council Elections

Oct 27- Trunk or Treat (5:30-7:00)

     PTO Spirit Night at Papa Johns

Oct 28- GEMS due

     Super Spurs Cookie Exchange