Monday Memo
October 2nd - 6th, 2017
Learning without reflection is a waste. Reflection without learning is dangerous. -Confucius
Watch DOGS will begin on Tuesday. Steve Means will be sending out schedules in advance to the teachers who are scheduled to have a dad help them. The best way to ensure the dads' success is for you to feel confident in what you are asking them to do. This is new for all of us. If you are unsure of how you can use a Watch DOG, please feel free to ask me for help. I would be happy to help figure that out, and the more I help people, the better I will become in offering up suggestions to others. If you are scheduled to have a Watch DOG during a time that just does not work for you, please feel free to find a teammate that can use him. Just be sure to let his child's teacher know so that she can inform him of the change.
In effort to become an interdependent team, I want to begin a very open and honest conversation about planning and some possible confusion and/or misunderstandings about the Essential Standards Chart. It is very important that you hear me say that we are on this learning curve together. What we are working to revise is our planning process. While we have provided the Essential Standards Chart to help support you in this process, I'm worried that the chart has created more confusion than it was meant to alleviate. We plan to devote some time on our waiver day to address the current struggles because the goal is to make your job easier and more effective, not harder and more frustrating. Below is a video that I shared last year. Please watch it again. Mike explains the planning process and why this process is critical to our success. If you have any questions, concerns, thoughts, etc., please share those with either Michelle, Melanie, Sylvia or me. You can share them via email, in person, or during planning. Your input and honesty will be critical to our success and greatly appreciated.
Many of you may not know this, but we have a few teachers currently working on getting a Masters degree. Much like becoming a teacher, some of their courses require field experience. Quin has written an article to fulfill one of her expectations. It is a good reminder of the importance of a growth mindset. We hope you enjoy.
Make today count!
JL
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GROWTH MINDSET
By Quin Hance
Metacognition is the process used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s learning. Simply described as, the ability to think about your thoughts with the aim to improve learning.
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PBIS Teacher/Staff Survey
In the upcoming months, the PBIS team will be meeting to review campus behavior and discipline data. Thank you to everyone that has filled out the short survey. We appreciate your feedback and will utilize this information as we create common language and expectations for various areas around the building. If you have not submitted your response, you can click on the link below.
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Camp Scholarships
If you are interested in sponsoring a student so they can attend camp, please let me know. The cost of camp per student is $177. If you have a particular student that you would like to sponsor, please make sure to let Donna know. If not, your donation will go into the general scholarship fund to assist our families that need assistance. Any amount helps as we work with families that are facing financial hardships. If you would like to contribute, please see Donna. You can either write a check payable to McGowen Elementary or give cash.
We appreciate your help!
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EdCamp Dallas
A message from Trey Wright - Have you ever been to an EdCamp? Are you an EdCamp veteran? EdCamp Dallas is the morning (8am-1pm) of Oct 14th at the Sockwell Center in Plano. Educators from around the area will come together for an un-conference. All sessions will be participant driven and no vendors are allowed. It's real educators talking about how they do what they do. It's free and there will be door prizes! Come on! It will be held at the Sockwell Center for PD in Plano - Learn more and register here. If you have any questions, contact Trey Wright. If you attend this event, please connect with Trey while you’re there for a group picture!
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Action Items
- Complete PBIS Survey
- Join PTA
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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. Please feel free to push this information out to your parents as well.
Congratulations to Ashley O'Connor, Laura Garro and Barbara Peebles for being the highest three staff contributors to Shoparoo this week!
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Focus for 2017 - 2018
In order to help all children achieve their personal best, McGowen teachers and staff will:
- Knowledgeably speak about our current practices that contribute to McGowen becoming a Level 2 Certified High Reliability School.
- 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!
October
Mayella Torres - 7th
Sadie Hunsaker - 13th
Lori Peterson - 13th
Jenny Snyder - 13th
Melanie Burford - 15th
Marilyn Oliphant - 24th
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APPRECIATIONS
- Deanna - Thank you for trusting me enough to ask the question. -JL
- 2nd grade - Thank you for your willingness to take a risk and try new things. -JL
- Maria - Thank you for posting the character trait of the month on your board and documenting specific examples of behaviors that exhibit that trait. -JL
- A-Team - Many thanks to you for being such a collaborative team. I am so grateful for each of you, your perspectives and your input. -JL
- McGowen Staff-- I want to thank everyone who helped collect over 180 PORs the past 2 weeks! I appreciate the extra effort all of you put in to help with this task!--Barbara
- Thanks to all the grade level teams and the specials team for attending dyslexia awareness. I truly appreciate your dedication to our students. Jean Possehl
- O’Connor- Thank you SO much for helping Tara & I carry in math consumables!!! You are STRONG!!!!! -KT
- Jessica- Appreciate you and your wise advice. Hugs! Jen
- JD- Thanks for the hour and a half laugh fest! I needed it:) JB
- MC- Thanks for EVERYTHING!!! JB
- Shana- I appreciate you being patient with me and all of my questions ;) Jen
- JL – Thank you for your help on Thursday with my little peep and your wise words during our parent meeting! LP
- Melanie Henry – Thank you for helping me print my progress reports when my computer wasn’t cooperating ( ; -MH
- Trisha – Thank you for getting our science supplies prepped for our experiment! -MH
- Krystina – Thank you for always helping find/or loan materials and books _MH!
- Tara – Thank you for sharing your folders with me! -MH
- Maria – Thank you for always being available to answer all of my questions! -MH
- Melanie B- Thank you for helping me “find” a student for MAP testing! -MH
- Lindsey S.- Thank you for always getting books for 2nd grade! -MH
- Donna- Thank you for helping me fix my absence/sub request! -MH
- Thanks Jen Breazeale for making our bathroom festive and fall ready! - Goodwin
- An appreciation for Shana Prugh for taking time out of her morning to help me with copier troubles! It means more than you know! -MM
- Jl and SL – Thank you so much for the support and advice you have offered over the past two weeks! Deanna :-)
- JL-Thank you for helping me work through my goal setting ideas. I also appreciate your patience and listening to my concerns regarding classroom transitions and the stresses of receiving 4 new students. -Sharon
- Krystal, Jenny, and Nikki-Thank you for helping me with support in my classroom schedules. I’m hoping things will calm down and I can support you guys at some point. -Sharon
- Jaime-Thanks for helping all of us in Centralized programs with answering questions and checking in on us. I appreciate the support. -Sharon
- Trisha – Thank you so much for some much needed Sonic run offer! That was the best ice water since I couldn’t seem to cool down! Lol! So kind of you! - Michelle C.
- Melanie, Nikki, Marley, Shana – Thank you for all your help with Content PLCs on Wednesday. I appreciate you all so much! - Michelle C.
- Lindsay S. - Thank you for always being so kind and helpful. We are happy you’re part of our Maverick family – Michelle C.
- Lynn & Peebles – Thank you for always being there. Glad you’re my people. Love y’all! - Michelle C.
- My Team – I can’t thank you enough for being able to allow us to have the conversations, supportive discussions, and raw collaborations to do whatever it takes to move us all forward. It is such a blessing to be able to work with a team of people who care so much and are so dedicated and driven for the greater good. It sure helps that we can also laugh at ourselves and with each other--as well. Love you! - Michelle C.
- EVERYONE – I say it daily, but I truly hope you know just how much I admire your commitment and passion to the kids and to McGowen as a whole. I truly work with the BEST OF THE BEST! - Michelle C.
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Bad Dude
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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.