Monday Memo
June 4th - 8th, 2018
Team,
As I fought to remain present in every moment, I couldn't help but think that this weekend was the beginning of a week full of many endings. Some endings we are fortunate enough to see coming, and I am grateful this is one of those times. As I reflected my last seven years with you, the time has seemed to go by so quickly. While there were some days I wasn't sure I was going to make it, what is clear to me now is how blessed I have been to be on this journey with you.
I am so proud of what we have accomplished. We have pushed each other to grow beyond our comfort zone and made a positive difference in the lives of countless children as a result. We have shared the joys and sorrows that come from doing life together, and we have laughed, played, prayed, cried and laughed some more.
I will forever be grateful for you and our time together. It is my greatest hope that I served you well. I really tried to be the leader you deserved. It brings me great comfort to know that our work will continue, and I am excited to see all that you will accomplish as McGowen strengthens in the work of our PLCs. Regardless of my title or my location, I will always be your cheerleader and want to celebrate your success.
Make each day count, and take care of each other!
Much love to you all,
JL
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Mountains
I'd like to move a mountain
Some day--
Maybe once or twice
In a lifetime...
I'd like to move a mountain
In such a way
That the mountain thought
That it had moved itself.
For then,
That same mountain
Would have the power
To move yet another mountain.
When it comes right down to it,
Moving mountains
Isn't easy.
Sometimes on has to
Stand behind the mountain,
So that it doesn't
Sense the pushing--
It requires real strength
And tenacity
To keep on pushing
Gently
For a long, long time--
Until
That magical moment
When the mountain may return
To say,
"Thank you
For moving me to a plane
Where I can reach
Just a tiny bit higher
Than I had ever thought possible"
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Region 10 Roadshow
As you know, McKinney ISD will be hosting Region 10 summer PD sessions. I am including Sessions at a Glance for a quick look at what is being offered as well as session descriptions if you are interested in something but need more information. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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Action Items
- Kinder & 5th - Please remind your parents that helium balloons are not allowed in the building.
- Collect grade level writing samples by EOY
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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 Barbara Peebles, Donna Fabian and Jennifer Little 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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June Birthdays
Sylvia Lloyd - 1st
Nikki Atterberry - 6th
Rachael Dawson - 8th
Lindsey Sweat - 10th
Donna Fabian - 17th
Krystal Holguin - 17th
Lynn Gerton - 24th
Ashley O'Connor - 24th
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APPRECIATIONS
- Atterberry and Hardy - Many thanks to you for working together to come up with a workable solution in a difficult situation. I genuinely appreciate you both so much! -JL
- A-Team - Thank you for your willingness to pull together to support each other when life gets in the way of our plans. You are the perfect example of an interdependent team, and I could not be more proud or grateful for all of you. -JL
- Donna - Thank you. Much love - JL
- Sheila & Jean - Many thanks to you for managing the mountain of dyslexia referrals and all the joy that came with it in such a short time. You are simply amazing! -JL
- Heiss and Sayers - Thank you for coming in and serving as a long term sub to help us finish out the year. I know it is a hectic time, but we really appreciate it. -JL
- 1st Grade Team - Thank you for a great year, I appreciate all that you do for our team and our students. - Laurie L.
- McGowen Staff - This campus has an amazing team, who are most welcoming and supportive to teachers & students. I am proud to be apart of the McGowen Family. Have a safe, fun summer and I’ll see you in August. - Laurie L.
- JL - Best of luck in your new role, I know you will do great! We will miss you dearly at McGowen. Please be sure to stop by and say hello. - Laurie L.
- JL – Thank you for signing all of our 5th grade awards. I really appreciate it! -JD
- Lynn – Thank you for printing the 5th grade certificates for us. You saved us a lot of time. -JD
- Donna – Thank you for taking care of the little details that we didn’t even know took place for our 5th grade ceremony. Appreciate you! -JD
- Lindsay - Thank you for everything you do! You go above and beyond any time I need help! I appreciate you so much! - Trisha
- Sunshine Committee - It’s been a fun year and I appreciate each one of you! - Trisha
- Lynn - Thank you for always being on the ba whenever I e-mail you a supply list! You are awesome! - Trisha
- Second grade team - There are no words for how thankful I am for each of you! Thank you for your support, amazing ideas, love and friendship. Love, Trisha
- Thank you, Jennifer, for everything. Our district is lucky to have you! Have a great summer! -Trisha
- Shiela & Nick - Thank you for helping me find my phone Friday afternoon. I appreciate you taking the time. -AE
- Karol- Thank your for watching my class on Thursday for a few minute while I dealt with a student situation. I appreciate everything you have done this year to support me and my students. You truly are a blessing to work with, and I will miss seeing you over the summer. -AE
- Ashley, Mandy, Amber, Tessa, and Valerie - I have enjoyed working with each of you this year. Thank you for always being strong teammates, and I appreciate all of the moments you have supported me and each other this year. I love you all! -AE
- Kinder - Thank you for all of you have done this year to support each other to assure my child had a wonderful Kindergarten year. I appreciate you all. -AE
- Jenny, Sharon, Renata, Guadalupe, & Angie - Thank you for being so supportive on Friday with our Economics Fair and afternoon rocket launching. Our kids did a great job, and I hope they enjoyed both activities. You all have done such a great job being flexible this year as we navigated a new schedule mid-year. I appreciate each and every one of you. -AE
- Shana - Thank you for everything you have done to organize Stepping Up. -AE
- Jennifer - Thank you for the things you have taught me in the past six years at McGowen and for taking a chance on me that summer day I walked in looking for a teaching position. Good luck in your new position. I know you will do well. -AE
- Lyn – Thank you so much for the posters and sorting those forms for me! You’re always so helpful!! - Michelle C.
- Syl – Thank you for making our LPAC meetings go so smoothly. I appreciate all the behind the scene work you do! - Michelle C.
- Donna- Thank you for taking care of us with great snacks and lunch on Wednesday! Always a nice treat! - Michelle C.
- Ticehurst & Jackson – Thank you for just listening and being such sweet friends. I adore you both SO much! - Michelle C.
- 3rd Grade – Thank you for inviting us to Economics Fair. It is always a hit and you do a great job all around! - Michelle C.
- Lori – Thank you so much for being my back up all year for carpool duty and thank you Jen M. for also always having my back! I appreciate you guys so much! - Michelle C.
- Entire carpool crew – Thank you for being such a great group of people to do afternoon carpool with and always just being there for each other! - Michelle C.
- JL & SL – Thank you for being such amazing leaders. We have all been blessed by you both and we are all better because of the culture you’ve built. Thank you for being YOU! I love you both! - Michelle C.
- My Team – Thank you for being the best group of people to do life with! I am so grateful to work with such amazing people and even more thankful to call you my friends! Love you ladies! - Michelle C.
- My Team and McGowen Staff - I wanted to thank all of you for making my 1st year here at McGowen so wonderful. It is a blessing to be a part of this school. I hope everyone has a wonderful summer. And Jennnifer you will be so very missed. Karol K.
- Jean ~ Thank you for all of your work with our K & 1 dyslexia evaluations and subsequent 504s. I love working so closely with you! ~Shiela
- Kindergarten and 1st Grade Teachers ~ Thank you for your flexibility in participating in our marathon of dyslexia 504s. ~Shiela
- Barbara and Lynn ~ Thank you for letting me know each time a parent arrived for our marathon of 504s this week. ~Shiela
- Donna ~ Thank you for arranging for 3 days worth of substitute coverage so our K and 1 teachers could join in the fun of dyslexia 504s. ~Shiela
- Michelle C ~ Thank you for helping me out when I was in need of a gen ed representative for a 504 (surprise, it wasn’t a dyslexia 504). ~Shiela
- 4th and 5th Grade Teachers ~ Thank you for your support and help with Career Day! You are greatly appreciated! ~Shiela
- Melanie ~ Thank you for helping with technology support so our Career Day could be successful! ~Shiela
- Michelle ~ Thank you for helping get our speakers to their locations and for taking photos during Career Day! ~Shiela
- Donna ~ Thank you for making sure our Career Day speakers had food and drinks! ~Shiela
- Barbara and Lynn ~ Thank you for helping get our Career Day speakers checked in! ~Shiela
- Tanya ~ Thanks for being one of our speakers this year for Career Day! ~Shiela
- Coach and Shambo ~ Thanks for allowing Tanya to participate in Career Day this year! ~Shiela
- Appreciations to my third grade team for the love, understanding, and support they have given me throughout this year. I feel so grateful to have the chance to work with all of you.
- Appreciation to Jean Possehl for always being a listening ear at any time of the day, and for making me laugh no matter what.
- Appreciation to Makenzie Fogle for being my workout buddy and the sweetest friend. You are intentional and kind, and I am so lucky to know and love you!
- McGowen Family – Thank you so much for your emails, texts and hugs! You are the reason I have struggled so much with my “quitirement”. From the moment I walked in to McGowen in 2012, I have felt at home. I am so proud to say I am a McGowen Maverick! So, we won’t say goodbye, we’ll just say, I’ll see you again in the fall. Much love - lp
- Cab- Thank you for all your help with an individual student, you are awesome!! Madina
- Shiela and Jean- Thank you for all the scheduling and all the 504’s. You guys are so diligent and had a lot on your plate. Thank your for your patience with me! Madina
- 2nd Grade-Thank you for always being the best that you can be! I am blessed to work alongside each one of you. Love, Maria
- Teresa, Thank you for stepping up this year to co-advise Student Council! I appreciate all that you do. Maria:)
- Peterson-Thank you for our early morning talks, I’ll miss you. Love, Maria
- Jennifer-Thank you for your support over the years, I will treasure everything I have learned from you. Best of luck in your new position. Love, Maria
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End of the Year Information
Copy Moms
Room Moves
Yearbook Signing w/ A-Team
Tuesday, June 5th - Learning Commons
2nd grade - 8:05-8:25am
Kinder - 8:20-8:40am
1st grade - 8:40-9:00am
3rd grade - 9:00-9:20am
5th grade - 9:20-9:40am
4th grade - 9:40-10:00am
Hallway Supervision
Please make sure each of you are taking your students to specials, recess and lunch as well as picking them up. Knowing what we know about students and their behaviors, poor choices are frequently made during transitions and unstructured times. If we know this to be true, it is difficult to make the argument that students need less supervision in the hallways than they do in your classrooms, especially at the end of the year.
Tone with Students
As we near the end of the year, it is not uncommon for our patience to run a little thin. With that in mind, please be mindful of how you are speaking to your students. Often times, what you may think is a stern voice sounds like yelling to anyone else in earshot. While we all know that yelling at children is never an acceptable practice, sometimes we don't recognize our practices as yelling. Please be mindful of this anytime you are speaking to your students, and pretend that their parents are watching you. If you are speaking to your students in the same manner that you would in front of their parents, you are most likely in great shape.
Writing Samples
At our Writing PLC last year, the group determined that there is value in passing up writing samples to the next year's teacher. The group agreed to use the same grade level prompt for students to produce a cold write. Students may use graphic organizers or a blank piece of paper to plan, but this would not be a piece that they would spend several days peer editing or conferring with you about in writing workshop. We will include the writing sample on the EOY checklist. Kinder, First, and Second will staple it to the DRA. Third and Fourth will turn a grade level folder into Michelle Caballero. Each grade level should also meet to review samples with the teams to ensure alignment with grade level writing expectations and determine their next steps.
Duty
Stepping Up
Stepping up will be on Monday, June 4th from 2-2:30pm. Stepping Up provides an opportunity for students to get a sneak peek into the next grade level. Kinder students will visit 1st grade, 1st graders will visit 2nd grade, etc. 5th grade students will get a chance to visit with their kinder teachers.
You do not have to prepare anything special, but in past, grade levels have created “Top 10 best things about 3rd grade, “Day in the Life of a 4th grader” videos, and letters to the incoming students from current students. If you would like to do something like that, you are more than welcome, but please keep the presentation/activity the same across the grade level. Students should also have the opportunity to ask questions.
Also remember that you are representing your grade level, regardless of your plans for next year.
Shana will create a schedule so everyone knows where to go and will share that with you soon.
EOY Grade Level Slideshows
For those of you who are preparing end of the year slideshows, please remember to include any student in your grade level who participates in one of our self-contained programs. Pictures of them interacting with their general education peers are preferred. Please feel free to contact Jenny, Nikki, Krystal and/or Sharon if you need any help. They may already have some to share with you.
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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.