What's News at Magee?
#5 - January 2018
Pursuing a Passion in Retirement
Dear Magee Families,
Recently, I submitted a letter to Pat Deklotz stating my intention to retire from teaching at the end of this school year. After 40 years of teaching, I'm moving on and plan to resume my writing career. My 21 years at Magee have been an honor and a delight. I've often described Magee as the perfect place to teach. We have wonderful families that send us happy children who are always ready and eager to learn.
Thank you, Magee Families, for the constant support and appreciation you have shown me, and the entire Magee staff. I'm sure I'll miss the classroom, and I know I'll miss your kids.
It's been a lovely ride.
John Hallagan
As a staff at Magee, we will truly miss Mr. Hallagan - his presence, his personality, his knowledge, and his passion for students and learning that is evident every day. There are traditions that exist because of him and are a part of the fabric that is Magee.
At the same time, we are excited for this next step for him. He absolutely lights up when talking about spending time with family, grandchildren, traveling, and of course, writing! Please join us in congratulating Mr. Hallagan, we are blessed that he chose to spend 21 years at Magee!
Mr. Hallagan
Window to Learning
Grading and Reporting
Since the holiday break, teachers have been working on semester Report Cards. Beginning on Friday, February 2 at 8:00 AM, your child's Report Card will be available for you to view and print on Infinite Campus. We will not be sending home hard copies of the report card at the semester. Please take some time to review the information. If you have questions, please contact your child's teacher or make an appointment for the upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences.
Habits of Mind in Action
Habits of Mind are just that, a way of thinking that becomes a habit to help navigate difficult or challenging situations successfully. Persistence, managing impulsivity, metacognition, just to name a few, may all seem like words that are too big for elementary students - they are not. While we use those big words on a daily basis, the words are also broken down into more understandable pieces to allow for students to put them into practice.
Developing a growth mindset is essential for students to keep growing and learning. The power of "yet" is a way second graders at Magee are excitedly focusing on what they can't do...YET! Recently, as I was in a classroom, I heard a student say, "I can't do this..." and faster than I could turn my head she said, "YET!" with a big smile on her face. The students around her encouraged her, Mrs. Nettesheim said, "Keep working hard!", and the students got to work. The student clearly had a growth mindset around the work she was about to begin. She was employing persistence, metacognition (thinking about her thinking), and managing her impulsivity by not giving up!
Another example of students developing and applying habits was recently shared with me. Two students were discussing their work in literacy. They were writing about Rumplestiltskin. One of the sentences began, "He said..." One student said to the other, "Let's be clear and specific, shouldn't we use his name instead of He? Let's use Rumplestiltskin." Communicating with Clarity and Precision along with striving for Accuracy are two habits that come to mind when hearing this example. The students were not working with a teacher and, in fact, did not know an adult heard the interaction. It is simply becoming part of HOW students do the work!
As parents, you can support this work at home as well. Encourage the effort your child puts in as opposed to being "smart." Being smart is having a fixed mindset - either you have it or you don't. When "smart" students comes up against challenges, they don't feel "smart" anymore if they don't know the answer. On the flip side, when a child with a growth mindset encounters a challenge, he or she has developed habits of mind that suggests he/she can learn anything, At this point sleeves get rolled up and the challenge is on! The thing about learning and life is that you never arrive; there is always more to learn. With a growth mindset, the sky is the limit for our students!
Additional Resources:
Parent Teacher Conferences
Sign up will begin on Monday, January 29 - an email will be sent and sign ups will be posted on our website.
We want your feedback! Please watch for a survey in next month's newsletter about Parent Teacher Conferences!
Principal For A Day - By Elliott Mattson
The day I was principal was great, really! I have to say (and I am not the person to make stuff up or to be bribed) that Magee as a whole is just all around great! Students and teachers alike are caring and kind, it shows every day. All of the kids that came to school that day (kindergarteners and pre-K included) worked extremely well and I must say, kept their focus even when I, Principal for the Day, came in and asked them about what they were doing. My little buddy was doing a project, he is in kindergarten, he stopped working to talk to me - but you have to cut them a bit of slack because, well, they are in kindergarten (and I am his big buddy!!).
If I were to sum up all of the classes i visited in just about a paragraph I would say I saw kids writing, working on projects, having snacks and being social, and being good listeners. There was a LOT of great work going on!
Again, I am not being told to write this or anything but I have to say thank you to you, yep, the parents, for supporting one of the best schools probably in the state or even the country. With your support of the PTO and school staff students here get to do a lot of fun things! I have to say though if we could get a pool in the back that would be great (lookin at you parents!)
I just have to add this, it’s my opinion, but our principal (NOT me in case you were wondering) is doing GREAT, she has manages an entire school, granted not the biggest school but I still have to say that it's impressive. I know that Mrs.Sterner would not be able to do this all without everyone's help - teachers, staff and families work to make Magee great! THANK YOU!
Magee's FIRST Lego League
Yearbook Ordering
The deadline to order is FEBRUARY 28.
Epic Build Showcase
Update Infinite Campus
Upcoming Dates to Remember...
JANUARY
1/29 thru 2/2
Magee Souper Bowl-Bring in a can of soup for Kettle Moraine Food Pantry
FEBRUARY
2/2 Popcorn Day
2/5 MS Open House for 5th Grade Families 6:45pm
2/9 PTO Meeting 9:00AM
2/12-2/16 Jump Rope for Heart Week
2/15 Scoopie Night 4:33-7:30PM
2/16 Popcorn Day
2/23 No School
2/26 - Epic Build Showcase - PM (more information will follow)
2/27 Parent Teacher Conferences 4-8:00PM
2/28 5th Grade Field Trip 8:40-2:45PM
Yearbook order forms due
MARCH
3/1 Parent Teacher Conferences 3:30-7:30PM
3/2 Popcorn Day
3/8 Science Day 8:30-11:30AM
3/9 PTO Meeting 9:00AM
3/10 PTO Magee Spree-Dousman Lion’s Club 6:30-10:30PM
3/14 4th Grade - Poynette
3/16 Popcorn Day
3/29 No School - Teacher Professional
3/30-4/8 Spring Break-No School
About Magee...
Email: sterners@kmsd.edu
Website: https://www.kmsd.edu/Domain/10
Location: W313 S4134 Hwy 83 Genesee Depot, WI
Phone: 262-968-6450
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mageeelementary/
Twitter: @kmmagee