Akin News 8/22
From the desk of Beckie Webster
Thank you for keeping the focus on student learning:
Thank you to our amazing Special Education Team and our 2 new SLE/ESLE classrooms. Our team has worked and re-worked schedules all week to ensure both our students and teachers have what they need to be successful! Thank you all for being all to everyone-we appreciate you! Thank you Megan Chambley, Heidi Buschang, Melissa Menefee, Shelby Gallis, Barabara DeLaRosa, Kristy Treybig, Jasmine Amstutz, Cait Foire, Kate Holcomb, Terri Coleman and Love Clark.
Teachers-we are doing amazing things in week one-congratulations on a job well done! We know you all didn't get as much time to plan as in the past so we have moved some EO/CA deadlines around to help you all. Please know we are still working on getting you the textbook material you need as soon as we can get it here. Give yourself a bit of grace, you all are fantastic and we know it!
What kids want...
What do kids want teachers to do...
Meet @ door w/smile
Call them by name
Show interest
Consistent mood
Be honest
Keep promises
Listen willingly
Expect our best
Personal stories
Make class exciting
Clearly defined rules
No yelling
Humor
Participate
Value participation
Enthusiasm!
A few things to keep in mind as we start the year. Please make sure each morning you are at your door greeting students. Kids do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. Thank you for making sure our students matter!
We need YOU!
District Required Compliance due Aug. 30th:
Google Account to view presentations: accounts.google.com
This year we are offering presentations in the Safe School training website: https://leanderisd-tx.safeschools.com/login
There are eleven short presentations for a total of approximately 77 minutes of viewing time and the presentations can be watched over a period of time or consecutively.
The LISD Help Desk staff will be happy to support any issues on campus and if you need assistance with SafeSchools? Check out the tip sheet on how to navigate the site.
Attendance Questions and Answers-Kelly Merritt
As we soar into a new school year, I wanted to touch base on some frequently asked questions regarding attendance procedures:
- Please remember that all students should be in their classrooms ready to learn by 7:45am every morning. Our attendance is taken at 8:45am, if your child comes in after 8:45am he/she will be counted absent, unless they were at a doctor’s appointment then please bring in a doctor’s note. If a doctor’s note is provided your child will not be counted absent.
- When your child is out for any reason, it is not necessary to call into the office. Please send an absence note upon their return to school. The note needs:
- 1st name
- Last name
- Dates absent
- Reason
- Parent Signature
- If your child will be missing 3 or more consecutive days please stop by the office to fill out a Notification of Absence form, this form will be turned into the Assistant Principal.
- Our system automatically generates phone calls and/or notifications to parents when their children are marked absent. If you send a note in and want to make sure it has been received you can do so by checking txConnect under the attendance tab.
Updates:
Monday, 8/26
- 2nd Grade Pace Screen begins (New to District Students)
- Faculty Meeting-Topic: Safety, Summer Learning Share-out
Tues., 8/27
- Kinder PLC 1:50-4:00 pm in room 1305. Please make sure you have your laptop.
Wed., 8/28
- 1st Grade PLC 1:50-4:00 pm in room 1305. Please make sure to bring your laptop.
- 5:30 pm 1st Grade Parent Orientation
- 6:15 pm 2nd Grade Parent Orientation
More Updates
Thurs., 8/29
- Fire Drill @ 8:30 am
- 2nd Grade PLC 1:50-4:00 pm in room 1305. Please make sure to bring your laptop
- 5th Grade Baseline Assessment
Friday, 8/31
- 5th Grade Baseline Assessment
Capturing Kids' Hearts
Engage (Handshake, Welcome, Affirm, Model)
X-plore (Customer's Needs)
Communicate (Content, Dialogue, Flexibility, Real World)
Empower (Use and do, Develop skills, Becoming, Encouragement)
Launch (End and send, Summary, Commitment to action, passion).
Classroom Frig/BCC on Emails
Refrigerator Fees
Our Board of Trustees is set to approve the 19-20 budget on August 22, 2019. The budget does not currently include the collection of fees for staff refrigerators. Until we receive further guidance from our Facilities and Operations department, please do not collect refrigerator fees at this time. Please review the LISD Appliance Guidelines and share with your staff members.
BCC on Emails
Please utilize the BCC (blind carbon copy) feature on emails when communicating with external stakeholders including parents. This most commonly occurs when teachers are emailing multiple parents from a class roster. The BCC feature allows us to keep email addresses confidential.
Do you have a student with an allergy? Nurse-Misti Yeager-RN
Grade Level Parent Orientations
Academic Coalition Team will review your team's plan on Monday to help with campus alignment. Please let us know if you have any questions. Teachers, please post the Year at a Glance and Bridges Newsletters for each unit for your grade level on your grade level & individual websites if you have not done it already. This is a great parent communication tool.
Sped. and Support staff, please attend with the grade level or grade levels you mostly support.
Akin Aviators!
PTA's "Beat the Heat" Back to School Bash is Aug. 29th from 6:00-7:30pm. For staff, this is a come and go opportunity for us to make connections with our community. Please mark you calendar to come by, play some games and enjoy a snow cone or two.
Wednesdays Aviator t-shirts
Fridays College t-shirts
Email: beckie.webster@leanderisd.org
Website: akin.leanderisd.org
Location: 3261 Barley Road, Leander, TX, USA
Phone: 5125708000
Facebook: facebook.com/montajaneakinelementary
Twitter: @MJAkinElem