Monday Memo
December 18-22, 2017
May you have the gladness of Christmas, which is hope, the spirit of Christmas, which is peace, and the heart of Christmas, which is love. -Ada V. Hendricks
Many thanks to our Sunshine Committee for hosting a fabulous Christmas party and for taking the leftover food back to school for us to continue to enjoy tomorrow.
Due to the high school exam schedule, buses will be early Wednesday - Friday. Students need to be in the gym on time (2:55pm) because students will load the buses right away. If you are late getting students to the gym, they will likely be left.
In effort to support Special Olympics with fundraising, each year we sell Warm-Up Wednesday passes through the month of January. Unlike jeans passes, these are actually stickers that you can purchase from Donna beginning on Wednesday, January 10th. Five dollars will purchase a sticker that you will wear throughout the day that states you are supporting Special Olympics. We do ask that you refrain from wearing sweatpants with anything written across the rear and that you exercise good judgment in the difference between sweats appropriate to go shopping at Wal-Mart in and warm-ups that are appropriate for work. WWJD?
If you haven't done so already, it is not too late to contribute to the collection for Ms. Irma. We will present her with our Christmas gift at the Mav Fan Jam on Friday. It is one way in which we are able to express our appreciation for all that she does for us and provides her with a nice Christmas bonus. Donna will have a collection envelope on her table in her office. We will accept donations until the end of the day on Thursday, December 21st.
Make today count!
JL
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Action Items
- Enter grades by 8:00 am Monday, December 18th.
- Proof teammate's report cards and make needed corrections by 8:00 am Wednesday, December 20th.
- (Optional) Drop off donation to Ms. Irma's gift in Donna's office by EOD, Thursday, December 21st.
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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 Krista Daniel, Barbara Peebles and Laura Garro 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!
December
Barbara Peebles - 9th
Nikki Hoye - 11th
Danielle Fortenberry - 13th
Nick Relle - 13th
Krista Daniel - 24th
Amber Evans - 26th
Mandy Moore - 29th
Quin Hance - 31st
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APPRECIATIONS
- Sunshine Committee - Thank you for hosting another fabulous Christmas party! -JL
- Trisha-- for all that you do for Sunshine committee. THANK YOU!! -- Henry
- 2nd grade team-- Working with you is the biggest blessing. So happy to have joined this amazing team :)- Henry
- A Team-- Thank you for the delicious cookies!! -- Henry
- Shiela~ Thank you so much for the Elf Rocket Ship and for shouting Gingerbread out on the announcements!!! The kids LOVED it!!!!! ~Krystina
- 2nd Grade~ Thank you for the absolutely amazing team time!!!!! Love you girls!!! ~Krystina
- A-Team~ Thank you for the yummy cookies at planning! ~Krystina
- Holly~ The concert was amazing- and so are you!!! ~Krystina
- Trisha-- for all that you do for Sunshine committee. THANK YOU!! -- Henry
- 2nd grade team-- Working with you is the biggest blessing. So happy to have joined this amazing team :)- Henry
- A Team-- Thank you for the delicious cookies!! -- Henry
- Shiela~ Thank you so much for the Elf Rocket Ship and for shouting Gingerbread out on the announcements!!! The kids LOVED it!!!!! ~Krystina
- 2nd Grade~ Thank you for the absolutely amazing team time!!!!! Love you girls!!! ~Krystina
- A-Team~ Thank you for the yummy cookies at planning! ~Krystina
- Holly~ The concert was amazing- and so are you!!! ~Krystina
- Sadie- Thank you for supplying our Team Time with the delicious snacks. They were much appreciated! ~Krystal (and baby)
- Jenny- Thank you for the unexpected surprise sandwich, it truly made my day! ~Krystal (and baby)
- McCartney- Thank you for being so open to accepting an extra inclusion visitor in the afternoons. I appreciate you being so accommodating and flexible. ~Krystal
- Fellow Sunshine Committee Members- Thank you for all of the time and effort that you put into our fabulous Holiday Party. It was a great night! ~Krystal
- Angie- Thank you for watching and dismissing my class on Friday afternoon, I appreciate your flexibility. ~Krystal
- Lindsey- Thank you for getting me all set up with a new iPhone screen. You and your husband were so helpful and sweet with making sure it was done quickly and for a great price!! ~Krystal
- Lupita- Thank you for supplying our team with holiday cheer on Friday. All of the earrings were super cute and festive! ~Krystal
- Melanie- Thank you so much for helping me out with my iPads and passwords. You saved me! - Amy
- A Team- Thank you for the wonderful cookies last week. They we so good! - Amy
- Trisha- Thank you for keeping our committee on task for the holiday party! You are the best! - Amy
- Holly- You did an amazing job with the second graders and choir last week. I always love watching it all come together.- Amy
- Barbara - Thank you for changing the address on my student’s birthday card! You are awesome! - Trisha
- Sunshine Committee - Thank you for all your work in making the Christmas party so much fun!! - Trisha
- Amy - Thank you for transporting all the food to and from the party! Thanks for also letting my class borrow the oil pastels for a project. I appreciate it and love working with you! -Trisha
- Melanie H. - Thank you for helping move my elf when I forgot. Your stealthy elf moving skills rock! - Trisha
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Bad Dude
Please join us in congratulating Jenny Breazeale as this week's Bad Dude. Anyone who knows Jenny knows that she is deserving of this recognition. Jenny is nothing short of a workhorse. She strives to do her best in everything that she does. She has maintained a positive attitude throughout the changing of grade levels this summer and the Great ELAR Curriculum Debacle of 2017. She has developed great relationships with her students and consistently looks for ways to support them when they are struggling. In addition, she has mad organizational skills which are clearly evident when she teaches. In short, she is simply fabulous, and we are blessed to have her on our team.
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Important Pay Day Information
Due to the holiday breaks, paydays are slightly different. Here are dates so you can plan accordingly.
- Nov 15 (includes extra stipend)
- Nov 30
- Dec 15
- Dec 22 (Dec 31 check paid early)
- Jan 12
- Jan 31
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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.