Staff Mustang Memo
October 14, 2016
Message from Lindsey...
It was a busy week - and I'll be honest, there was a lot that happened this week. We all know that in the world of an elementary school - there will be tough weeks. Unfortunately, there is no instruction manual when it comes to raising kids or educating students. We do the best we can, make well-informed decisions, and if that doesn't work - we try a different approach. Our parents also don't have an instructional manual. Their job is tough. We want to ensure that our parents know we want to partner with them and find solutions together and move away from the "us" and "them" mindset. We must unconditionally love our students and aim to support them in their lives, rather than manage them through their life. I hope you take the time to watch the TED Talk below!
These notes on conferences are repeated - due to the IMPORTANCE!!!
As 1st quarter comes to a close, be thinking about our upcoming fall parent/teacher conferences. Let's go into conferences with a customer service mindset. What can we do to make our environment welcoming and friendly? I would suggest setting adult-sized chairs outside your room with some class activities for parents to review. You may also put together a basket of coloring sheets or quiet activities for students to do while you are talking with parents. Will you put a nice tablecloth on your conference table or set out a bowl of candy? How will you position yourself so that parents view this as a collaboration and not a formal meeting with you holding the power? What student samples will you show parents - have you gathered some pre/post examples so parents see growth? Start thinking about how you can make conferences well-worth the time that parents take to be here and how you can ensure parents leave feeling welcomed and like a part of the team. Remember - Together We Can!
I will be creating an online survey for parents to fill out either before or after their conference. You'll need a desk outside your door with a few Chrome Books available for parents to use. I'll provide an instruction sheet on how to get to the survey and a QR code paper for parents that would prefer to take it on their phone. I hope this survey will gather a lot of parent voices, so please encourage them to take it and give us their feedback as we continue to work to make Mill Creek a positive learning community!
Lindsey
Week at a Glance
Mon. 10/17
9:00 - Counselor/FSL/Principal Meeting
9:45 - Barney the Bus visiting K & 1 (gym)
Tues. 10/18
8:00-4:00 - PBIS Training (Lindsey, Kari, Lisa, Amanda T. out)
Team Smile - select students visiting
6:00pm - 2nd & 3rd grade Music Program (those teachers expected, all welcome)
Wed. 10/19
Lindsey covering front desk in AM
Thurs. 10/20
9:00-12:00 Collaboration (Workshop Work Time)
Fri. 10/21
Jeans Day (if paid)
Kindergarten Field Trip to Drumm Farm
3:00 - 1st Quarter Celebration Assembly (all grades)
6:00-7:00 - Trunk-or-Treat, all expected, costumes welcomed
Annoucements
Upcoming Weekly Mustang Meeting Topics
10/17 - Honesty
10/24 - Manners
11/1 - Citizenship (Character Plus)
*Each week I will send out a resource page with book titles, videos, and activity ideas. If you also have wonderful resources for that weekly topic, please use them and share with the staff!
Gaining Traction Activity
Articles Worth Reading
STAR Progress Monitoring
DON'T FORGET TO DO THIS...
K & 1 - I will let you decide as a grade-level if you are ready to progress monitor your students on STAR Early Literacy. Your testing window was later, so there won't be as much time between tests for you.
Trunk or Treat
Students will wear their costumes and "trick or treat" from trunk to trunk in the parking lot. They will get a pumpkin "punch card" at each educational car and once they have all 7 - they'll be able to trade it in for a book!
Friday, Oct 21, 2016, 06:00 PM
Mill Creek Elementary School, North Liberty Street, Independence, MO, United States
RSVPs are enabled for this event.
Mill Creek Elementary
Email: lindsey_miller@isdschools.org
Website: http://sites.isdschools.org/millcreek
Location: 2601 North Liberty Street, Independence, MO, United States
Phone: 816-521-5420
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillCreekElementary/
Twitter: @Mill_Creek_ISD