Monday Memo
May 22nd-26th
"Children are like wet cement. Whatever falls on them makes an impression." ~ Dr. Haim Ginott
I hope all of you were able to take a little bit of time to decompress and rest this weekend. Feeling the pressure that the end of the year usually brings, I did just that this weekend. Spending time focused on my family and unplugged was just what I needed to enter into another busy week. If you happen to email me this weekend, I promise to get to you in the morning.
We are having a room move meeting after school on Tuesday in the Learning Commons at 3:15pm. The purpose of this meeting is to determine where we can add an additional STC room and a 4th grade room. Given that we currently do not have any open rooms, the solution is likely going to involve several people. If you are at all interested in being part of the solution and/or having a say in what is decided, please attend. If you are working on an option to present, please consider how you would feel if you were the teacher being placed in each part of your solution. Sometimes what appears easy on paper feels much different in reality.
Stepping Up will take place on Wednesday morning. Please make sure that you review the information below so that you are aware of what to expect and prepare.
We are down to the wire. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Be purposeful with every single moment, and you will be fine. Ask for help when you need it, and offer help where you see a need. Together we can do this.
Make today count,
JL
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Important EOY Information
A-Team Yearbook Signing
- 2nd - 8:05-8:20am
- K - 8:20-8:40am
- 1st - 8:40-9:00am
- 3rd - 9:00-9:20am
- 5th - 9:20-9:40am
- 4th - 9:40-10:00am
Resource Students
As part of the EOY checklist, you will be giving Jaime a copy of our shared students’ report cards. In addition, please complete the following:
- Provide Jaime with a copy of EOY DRA2 protocol
- Return Manipulatives, reference charts, Assistive Technology devices, and/or noise-cancelling headphones
- Shred your copies of Accommodations/IEPS/Schedule of Services pages after the last day of school
Forethought
If anyone on your team is leaving McGowen or MISD, you need to remove them from your plans. If this isn’t done, it’s too late and we can’t fix it after the person leaves the district. This link will provide instructions of how to accomplish this task. The instructions can also be found in McGowen General > 2016–2017 > EOY Staff Folder.
Stepping Up
Stepping Up will happen on Wednesday, May 24 from 8:05-8:30am. It is important that everyone be on time in order for this to run smoothly. Fifth grade students will arrive during announcements to escort your class to their next grade level. While everyone is rotatiing it is imperative that every teacher step out into the hallway to actively monitor so that all students can get where they are supposed to go. If your class is split, or you do not have a class from 8-8:30am PLEASE, please, PLEASE help direct traffic.
5th graders, whose kinder teacher is still on campus (McCartney, Barton, Sifferman), will be spending time with those teachers instead of escorting students that morning. I will put yearbook pictures in your box, so you know who to expect.
How you spend your time with the incoming students is up to you. It might be a good idea for teachers to have students pre-write some questions that can be given to the incoming teacher, or you can have your current students write letters to the incoming students and give them out while they are with you. Take this time to share with them the exciting things they will do, and give them some things to look forward to about your grade level. Share student projects, give them the Top 10 best things about your grade level, walk them through your daily schedule, and get them excited about moving up. If you are not going to be at McGowen next year, or you are switching grade levels, please remember that you are a representative for your current grade level. This is not "meet the teacher" but a "sneak peek into the next grade." Students, like us, get nervous about change, so keep the topic positive about McGowen and what is up next for them.
The link below contains the information of who will be visiting your class and where your class will be going. If your class is split, please have those students watch announcements in the room they are traveling with so that we can rotate as soon as announcements are over. I have tried to account for the teachers I know who are not on campus – please let Shana know if you have any more changes, and we will make that switch.
Students' Last Day
- Remind students to bring their backpacks
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, Ashley O'Connor 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
- Everyone who has helped by attending a session, listened to a presentation or video: thank you so much for participating and helping me out! -Kward
- SL - Many thanks for setting up for the Senior Breakfast! - JL
- A-Team - Thank you for all that you did to prepare for the What's Next Mtg. -JL
- TLs - I am so grateful for you and the work we were able to accomplish on Wednesday. While I know we were all exhausted by the end of the day, It was the best one we've ever had! -JL
- Holly - Thank you for another wonderful performance on Tuesday. The students were amazing! -JL
- 5th grade - Many thanks to you for meeting with Evans on Monday to help our students make a smooth transition to middle school. -JL
- Maria & Lisa - Thank you so much for hosting our Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon. It was absolutely fabulous! -JL
- Sharon, Krystal, Jenny and Nikki A. - Thank you for taking the time to meet after school last week to come up with a plan to best meet the needs of your students next year. -JL
- A-Team - Many thanks to you for making our first Senior Breakfast possible. Much love and appreciation. -JL
- Angie-Thanks so much for holding down the fort again while I’m out. I do appreciate all that you do! -Sharon
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Krystal-Thank you for finishing out my checkout list. Also, thanks for all of the help you have given me throughout this year. -Sharon
Martha-I received your email, and wanted to thank you. I hate that I’ll miss your retirement reception, but you have been such a blessing to us all! I’m so very happy to have had the opportunity to work with you these last few years. You will be greatly missed, but I’m envious of your retirement. Have a wonderful and restful summer, and enjoy your retirement! -Sharon
Jennifer-Thanks for making sure I was included in the Sped meeting and moving it up to last Thursday. I appreciate being included in planning for next year. -Sharon
Sylvia and Shiela-Thanks for helping me get my items checked off the checkout list and making sure Angie can get checked out her last day of school. You guys really helped me out! -Sharon
Lhauren-Thanks for attending the ARDs with me this last couple of weeks, and making sure the 5th graders were included in everything that y’all are doing here while I’m out. I appreciate your including us! -Sharon
Jenny-I appreciate your help on my last ARD paperwork. I totally felt lost about a PBS, but you helped me tremendously. -Sharon
Lisa B.-Thank you so much for everything! Maria
MC-Thank you for being you! I appreciate our talks soooo much! Maria
JL and SL-Thank you for listening:) Maria
Tara-Thank you for the surprise Sonic drink, Maria
Sunshine- Thank you for helping to put together a very successful Volunteer Appreciation Lunch:) Maria
Barbara & Staci-Thank you so much for the laughs and for always being so helpful! You two are the best!! Nurse Shannon
Sheila-Thank you so much for assisting me with the classes on Thursday and Friday!!! You’re the best!!! Nurse Shannon
Melanie-Thank you so much for your help with the video and power point! You made it look so easy!!! I appreciate you! Nurse Shannon
Fourth and Fifth Grade Team-Thank you so much for your help with the Growth and Development classes!! Nurse Shannon
Danielle-Thank you so much for your support and help with all of our friends!! Truly appreciate you! Nurse Shannon
Relle-Thank you so much for the rescue with the video on Thursday and for teaching fourth and fifth grade Growth and Development Thursday and Friday! I appreciate you! Nurse Shannon
Jennifer-Thank you so much for always being so supportive! You are amazing! Thank you! Nurse Shannon
Barbara~ Thank you so very much for making sure I had what I needed to correctly complete my class list spreadsheet!!! You’re the best!!!!! ~Krystina
Michelle Haas~ Thank you so much for your help with my friend! You really helped to calm the situation!!! Thank you for your patience!!!!! ~KT
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Summer Professional Development Options
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
Another Option for GT Hours
Come join us for Growing Greatness Gifted Conference on August 7th at Collin College Conference Center.
Help your students grow and flourish next school year! Join us for an engaging and exciting day with Ian Bryd from Brydseed.com and Lisa Van Gemert from Gifted Guru sharing practical differentiation, depth and complexity strategies! They are truly brilliant presenters!
Also some amazing MISD teachers will also be presenting at the conference in Curriculum Potpourri! The Curriculum Potpourri sessions will be hands-on, engaging and relevant sharing of growth mindset activities, engaging strategies, social/emotional understands and many gifted resources!
Start your year off great! Register today on Eduphoria! If you have any questions, please email kjgreen@mckinneyisd.net! Participants will receive 6 hours of GT PD and PD credit.
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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.