Monday Memo
September 11th - 15th, 2017
"If you want to win, do the ordinary things better than anyone else does them day in and day out.” —Chuck Noll, Head Coach Pittsburgh Steelers (1969-91)
Our first Team Leader Meeting will be held on Monday, September 11th. If you have any questions or concerns that you would like to add to the agenda, please use this link to submit your request.
We will begin having ARDs and 504s soon. In effort to make sure that we are all on the same page, please make note of the following reminders. If you are on a departmentalized grade level, even though only one teacher is required to attend, that teacher must be able to knowledgeably speak about how the student is performing in all content areas. In order to do this, you will likely need to discuss this child with your partner teacher(s) in advance of the meeting so that you are prepared. In addition, you will not need to bring your laptop with you. If you choose to do so, please leave it closed unless you are specifically asked a question that requires you to use it.
On Friday, we will have our announced lock-down drill. Please make sure that you are familiar with the procedures and have reviewed them with your students. If you have any questions, please ask them early in the week so that you and your students are prepared.
Make today count!
JL
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T-TESS Goal Setting Conference
Regardless of who will be formally observed this year, everyone is expected to set professional goals and to have a goal setting conference. While many of you have already written a draft of what you anticipated your goal to be for this year, we will still need to formalize the goal and make sure that it is measurable. Remember, a good goal is one that causes you to stretch. If it is too easy, it is a waste of everyone's time. If it is too ambitious, you will want to scale it back to more manageable chunks.
Below are links to sign up for a time to meet with either SL or me. Please discuss these options and work with your planning teams to thoughtfully schedule times that will impact your planning the least.
Sylvia - Kinder, 1st, 2nd, Resource
Jennifer - 3rd, 4th, 5th, Specials and Centralized Programs---------------------------------------
Action Items
- Join PTA
- All AIE teachers need to secure subs now for the days you will be at training this year.
- Complete compliance trainings
- Write measurable T-TESS goals.
- Prepare your sub folders with your team.
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MEF Grants
The McKinney Education Foundation Grant application is open. Our deadline is October 2nd, 5:00 pm.
Apply: http://www.mmeeff.com/staff-grants/
Good news! We are holding a Grant Writing Workshop on August 31st at 3:45 pm. We’ll be located at Greer. Registration is open on Eduphoria. We plan to share specific tips for the MEF Grant Application. Bring your computer and we can work at the workshop if times allows.
Please call the MEF office with any questions: 469-302-6313.
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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, Ashley O'Connor 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!
September
Jessica Bravo - 1st
Rico Sneller - 5th
Guadalupe Woodmansee - 5th
Jaime Hardy - 9th
Jen Dickinson - 12th
Angie Cochrum - 14th
Melanie Henry - 16th
Alisa Madina - 19th
Shannon Hershberger - 22nd
Tara Jackson - 25th
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APPRECIATIONS
- SPED Team and Paras = Thank you so much for a great first 2 weeks of school! You have all been so flexible and accommodating about the schedule and all of our students. I appreciate everything that you do! - Jenny
- I appreciate Melanie Burford being such a fun and wonderful person to work with! -LS
- I appreciate Lynn Gerton for her time and patience spent training me, even while she had loads of new responsibilities. -LS
- Marley~ Thank you so very much for the PopSocket! I love it (and so do my kids ;-)!!! ~KT
- 2nd Grade Team~ Thank you all for being so willing to get so many copies done without copy moms!!!!! We rock! ~KT
- Thank you to all the teachers who have supported Pierce with his fundraising! Y’all are the best!!!!! ~KT
- A*Team~ Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to meet with us again!!!!! ~KT
- Lynn~ Thank you for getting whatever I ask for so quickly!!!!! You are rocking your new role! ~KT
- Thanks you 1st grade team for working so well together, I truly appreciate all of our team work! Love you. Laurie
- Thank you MC, JL, SL & SD for hosting Kids Chat, it’s such a critical venue to communicate our concerns. Thanks, Laurie
- Barbara, Lynn, Marley, and Jessica-Thank you so much for attending the UDCA training! I truly appreciate you!!! Nurse Shannon
- Irma-Thank you so much for taking such great care of us! Nurse Shannon
- I want to say thank you to Renata, Jeremiah, Angie, Krystal, & Jenny for supporting me and helping me with daily situations that have presented themselves these last 2 weeks. I appreciate you being there with emotional support. Thank you all. -Sharon
- I have been wanting to thank EVERYONE for your time, dedication and collaboration during all of our numerous times together already (Academy, RTI overview, Kid Chats, planning, etc.). There is not a more dedicated group of professionals around and I am honored to get to work with you all. - Michelle C.
- Kinder, 4th & 5th Grade ELAR team – Thank you for your patience and commitment as we work together to navigate some of the uncertainty. What I can say for sure is that I appreciate your ability to keep doing what is best for kids and caring so much by doing whatever it takes! You all are just awesome! - Michelle C.
- My carpool crew – I love you all! Thank you for always being ALL IN! - Michelle C.
- Relle – What would McGowen do without you? There is never anything asked of you (and many times not even asked) that you don’t take on and accomplish without a smile! You are amazing! - Michelle C.
- SPED – I have no words but to say that NO ONE (but you all) can truly know what all goes into your massive undertaking of scheduling and paperwork and getting your centralized program rooms outfitted for all the various needs and on and on….AND thank you for making the cutest hallways ever! That camper —wow! - Michelle C.
- MB & Sylvia – Thank you for all you are doing to get us up and going for MAP and all the behind the scenes work that goes into that beast (along with the million other things you have on your plate). You both are the best at what you do! - Michelle C.
- Math Teachers – Misty has never made it a secret that we are probably one of her favorite campuses. She tells me all the time. Well, she told us (in front of all the coordinators) that during our C&I days at Boyd, when it was all over, she looked around and all of us were still working hard in the library on math. She said it was so moving to see her “McGowen Peeps” going above and beyond—as usual. Again, we have the BEST staff around! - Michelle C.
- Jean, Rico, JD, Relle, Amy and Holly – Thank you for being such amazing teachers to Kyle. Now that he is in middle school, you have still gone out of your way to ask me about him and it means the world to our family that you care. - Michelle C.
- Entire Front Office - I bow down to your greatness (in every aspect of each of your individual responsibilities). Nothing compares to you all and I am beyond blessed to get to work with you and I love you all! - Michelle C.
- JL & SL & SdL – I am always so impressed with your ability to stay so calm and collected when presented with a situation that I guess you could say fall under the “other duties assigned” category. You have both grace AND Grit! - 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.