Monday Memo
May 15th-19th
If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? -Milton Berle
I hope all of you have enjoyed celebrating the moms in your life today. My day was filled with gardening, walking the dog, seeing Guardians of the Galaxy, and relaxing poolside. Not a bad day by any account.
Tuesday night is our annual spring program featuring our 4th graders, Maverick Choir and Honor Choir. I know this is a busy time for everyone, but please make sure that you are aware of who is representing your team.
As the calendar below suggests, this is a very busy week. As the end of the year draws closer, I want to remind you of a few things.
- I want you to celebrate your students' successes as well as your own. There is much to be proud of, and while the students had to do the work, you had to create the environment in which they could do so.
- Please be purposeful in supervising and structuring your day more, not less. Please make sure you are each taking your students to specials, recess and lunch as well as picking them up. Knowing what we know about students and their behaviors, poor choices are frequently made during transitions and unstructured times. If we know this to be true, it is difficult to make the argument that students need less supervision in the hallways than they do in your classrooms, especially at the end of the year.
- With so much to get accomplished, plan your time carefully. Start working on your report card comments and other paperwork now. Leave breaking down your room to the last day of school. If we plan carefully, we can eat this elephant one bite at a time and be ready to go home by the end of the day on Friday, June 2nd.
Make today count,
JL
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Interested in Attending Google Syndicate Academy???
Calling all campers! if you are interested in attending the Google Syndicate Academy (PK-12) on June 21, 2017 from 8:30-3:30 fill out the form below. Participants need a working knowledge of Google Apps for Education. The academy is limited to 30 participants. The application will be closed on May 19. Acceptance emails will be sent out Monday, May 22. If you have questions about the application please email Lynda Swanner lswanner@mckinneyisd.net or Amanda Gavin agavin@mckinneyisd.net
Application Link: https://goo.gl/forms/NR9rNV2sh8dgEaoQ2
Below are the links for both days of Converge 2017 for this summer. Both days will count for GT update training.
Converge Day 1- Monica Martinez Keynote Speaker
https://eduphoria.mckinneyisd.net/wshop/default.aspx?cid=15458
Converge Day 2- George Couros Keynote Speaker
https://eduphoria.mckinneyisd.net/wshop/default.aspx?cid=15459
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Important EOY Information
Student Medication
Please note:
- All medications that are left in the clinic are disposed of at the end of the last day of school
- A parent or guardian must pick up the medication
- We are unable to send any medications home with a student
CUM Folder Procedures
The district’s CUM folder procedures were updated, again. This means the last two pages of the End of Year Checkout packet that you received during the staff meeting are not correct. Please tear off and discard the last two pages of your yellow End of Year Checkout packet.
The updated procedures have been copied on bright pink paper and have been placed in your mailbox. When you are updating your CUM folders, please make sure to go by the procedures listed on the bright pink paper. **Please leave legal documents in the manila folder marked “Legal” inside the CUM folder.**
RtI
During RTI meetings, each of you were asked to pick up the purple RTI EOY Status form. This form will be filled out for each student on tier 2 or 3 and placed in the front of the RTI folder.
Shiela will have At Risk procedures spelled out for everyone as well, but we wanted to remind you that you will need to do your EOY update on each At Risk form. Don’t forget to attach the documentation. If you need a new plan, that can be found on the Google Drive.
** Note to 4th and 5th grade teachers **
If you will remember, we did not receive last year’s STAAR scores and CSRs until after the school year ended last year. That means that this year’s grade level was responsible for identifying students who failed STAAR last year as At Risk and attach copies of the CSR. (ie, This year’s 4th grade teachers were responsible for identifying students who failed 3rd grade STAAR as At Risk and attach a copy of each 3rd grade CSR to the student’s At Risk plan. This year’s 5th grade teachers were responsible for identifying students who failed 4th grade STAAR as At Risk and attach a copy of each 4th grade CSR to the student’s At Risk plan.)
Writing Samples
At our last Writing PLC, the group determined that there is value in passing up writing samples to the next year teacher. As you recall, the group agreed to use the same grade level prompt for students to produce a cold write. Students may use graphic organizer or blank piece of paper to plan, but this would not be a piece that they would spend several days peer editing or conferring with you about in your writing workshop. We will include the writing sample on the EOY checklist. K-2 will staple it to the DRA. 3-5 will turn a grade level folder into Michelle Caballero. Each grade level should also meet to review samples with the teams to ensure alignment with grade level writing expectations and determine their next steps.
EOY Slideshows
For those of you who are preparing end of the year slideshows, please remember to include any student in your grade level who participates in one of our self contained programs. Pictures of them interacting with their general education peers are preferred. Please feel free to contact Jenny, Krystal and/or Sharon if you need any help. They may already have some to share with you.
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Shoparoo
Did you know that each week I give out jeans passes to the three highest scoring staff members on Shoparoo? I know that many of you have already joined, but if you haven't, it is not too late. Simply go to www.shoparoo.com to create your account. If you use veft4467 as a referral code, McGowen will earn money for you just signing up. Please feel free to push this information out to your parents as well. Once you sign up, Shoparoo will give you a referral code for your parents to use when they sign up. Schools with just 40 supporters are earning an average of $1,000 every year.
Congratulations to Barbara Peebles, Donna Fabian and Jen McCartney for being the highest three staff contributors to Shoparoo this week!
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Focus for 2016 - 2017
In order to help every child their personal best, McGowen teachers and staff will:
- Knowledgeably speak about our current practices that contribute to McGowen becoming a Level 1 Certified High Reliability School.
- Actively participate in grade level and content Professional Learning Communities.
- Engage in collaborative team planning and lesson design that addresses the four essential questions of a PLC.
- Present lessons in such a way that students understand and can speak knowledgeably about posted learning and language targets.
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Remind for Staff
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Happy Birthday!
May
Laurie Leotaud - 4thJennifer Smith - 15th
Miss Irma - 17th
Tracie Kelley - 18th
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Appreciations
- Happy Mother’s Day to all of the McGowen Mothers! Laurie L.
- McGowen Staff, thank you for making a great field day possible. We all had a fun smooth day! Laurie L.
- Thank you 1st Grade Team for being awesome & rotating the baby chicks to each room and cleaning out their bin, etc. Laurie L.
- Krista D. Thank you for finding a home/farm for the baby chicks. Laurie L.
- Laura G. You have been such a patient and kind teacher to some high maintenance friends, you are a great role model teacher. Laurie L.
- A-Team, thank you for breakfast Wednesday morning, it hit the spot. Laurie L.
- Holly thank you for covering my class so I could go see my kids at field day! Michelle H.
- Coaches Relle, Shambo and McKeen thank you for such a fun field day! Fun was had by all! Michelle H.
- Maria thank you for being a great leader to our team and for tie-dying my t-shirts for field day. Michelle H.
- Tara thank you for helping me with my Mother Day voice recordings. Michelle H.
- Trisha for being the Sonic fairy this week and sharing your creative ideas. Michelle H.
- Krystina thank you for helping me finish up my DRA’s. Michelle H.
- Michelle C. thank you for all your help with my dyslexia referrals. Michelle H.
- Shiela thank you for answering all my questions about RTI, 504 and Speech referrals. Michelle H.
- Shannon thank you for always giving me guidance about my health questions ( ; Michelle H.
- Barbara thank you for your patience with me when I get forget about posting my attendance after you call. Michelle H.
- Valerie thank you for always pushing me to be a better teacher just by doing what you do everyday! Michelle H.
- Relle and Crew – Thank you so much for another fabulous Field Day! You are amazing!! - Michelle C.
- K-2 – Thank you for your valued feedback regarding TEMI. I greatly appreciated you taking the time. - Michelle C.
- Peebles – Thank you so much for the Sonic surprise on Friday! You are so generous! - Michelle C.
- Sylvia and Shiela and ALL staff – Thank you for all that you put into in order to make each STAAR round run smoothly and ultimately successful! - Michelle C.
- Melanie – Thank you for helping me unload the supplies. You are just wonderful! - Michelle C.
- ALL teachers-- if you have helped me in any way by attending PD, filling out a survey, viewing a presentation, or simply giving your support, I really appreciate it! You have helped me in more ways than you know and I am truly grateful!! ~KWard
- Chitwood & Bravo, thank you so much for taking time to help me gather data from the 5th graders!! You were so willing and flexible, and I thank you. ~KWard
- Coach Relle, Coach Shambo, and Coach McKeen-Thanks for a wonderful field day!-Garro
- Coach Relle thank you for giving 4th grade the opportunity to join in PE with Kindergarten!! KWard
- Coach Relle, Coach Shambo, and Coach McKeen thank you so much for all the hard work and thought you put into making field day so amazing!! KWard
- Sadie~ Thank you so much for your help with our friend during STAAR days when we had little to no services! You were an absolute life-saver!!! ~Krystina
- Melanie Burford- Thank you for doing the Google Hangout with my kiddos! - Valerie L.
- 2nd grade team- I just want y’all to know that I have LOVED working with each one of you! I love how supportive, encouraging, and understanding our team is!! I’m going to miss you!! -Valerie L.
- Cab- Thank you for taking time to come to our tough parent conferences! You are irreplaceable!
- McGowen Staff- I appreciate everyone’s efforts to create a wonderful testing environment for our students during STAAR! SL
- Tracie & Jaime- Thanks so much for helping with STAAR make-ups! SL
- Shiela- You are the BEST STAAR partner! Thanks for making sure all our ducks are in a row! SL
- Martha & Sadie- Thanks for letting us utilize your work space for STAAR! SL
- Specials Team - Thank you for another successful Field Day. It was so much fun! -JL
- Peebles - Thank you for being my Sonic Fairy on Friday! -JL
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Bad Dude
UGH!!! With STAAR testing last week, we did it again! We are holding over Krista as our Bad Dude this week so that we can share it on the announcements.
We want to recognize "Little Miss Sunshine", Krista Daniel, as our Bad Dude this week. Along with being an amazing teacher, she is a great team leader who supports her teammates. She consistently advocates for all students at McGowen, and her RtI interventions and documentation are appropriate, effective and thorough. We could not be more pleased, proud or grateful to have her as a member of the McGowen Family.
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McKinney ISD's Vision, Mission and Beliefs
Any time we have an idea, concern, solution and/or comment, this is the filter through which we should speak. Let's help each other live up to our vision, mission, and beliefs.
Vision:
We are a cohesive, diverse community providing engaging learning experiences for all.
We will provide engaging learning experiences so students can become effective communicators, quality contributors and socially responsible citizens.
Beliefs:
- Partnerships between students, parents, community members and staff are foundational to educational success.
- Positive school culture and a safe environment foster growth.
- Everyone has inherent value and deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.
- Learning is an active process requiring engaging tasks and engaging minds.
- Relevant and authentic experiences ignite continuous, deeper learning.
- Meaningful relationships enrich learning.
- Confidence fuels risk taking and higher achievement.
- Financial stewardship ensures a tomorrow for education.