The Meeks Messenger
2nd Edition, Vol. 3 August 2019
Hey, hey Mustangs!
What a great first full week of learning we have had together! Thank you for all the hard work you have put into building relationships with students, creating a safe and inviting classroom environment, while still keeping the focus on student learning! AMAZING!
Please help me welcome Rowena Suarez and Yvonne Teal as our newest support staff! Welcome to Parkside!
All teachers: Action Items:
- Please share your daily schedules by uploading them into this shared folder. We need this task complete by Friday, August 23rd.
- Our first fire drill will be Monday morning at 8:05. Please review your Fire Evacuation Map located in a red plastic frame by your door and discuss procedures with your team. Make sure you take out your red/green cards and have a list of all students so you can take roll.
- Please also share your split class list here indicating where your students will be in the event that we need to split your class.
- All teachers! Please fill out this required Technology Survey. One of our Campus Improvement goals is focused on increasing student use of technology in the classroom and we need to collect some baseline data. Your names will not be collected on this anonymous survey to ensure we get the most honest feedback possible. :) Please complete this survey by Wednesday, August 28th.
- Be sure to set up your telephone voicemail! All teachers need to have a custom message. Attached are the instructions for doing this. If you have any issues, you will need to submit a help ticket. If you click on the link below it’ll take you to the helpdesk. Click on the tab to the left that says “Computers, Laptops, tablets, and Phones” and then click the “telephone problem” button. You’ll be able to submit a ticket for your extension through that… just put on there that you'd like for your VM to be reset. :)
https://servicemanager.leanderisd.org/
- Required Compliance Videos: We are using SafeSchools as our new vendor for staff compliance. Please view these required videos ASAP!
- Committees: If you have not yet signed up for a committee, please do so by August 23rd. We have also recently added 2 committees, The Vertical Writing Committee and the Beautification Committee. We are looking for a teacher in 3rd, 4th and 5th grade to lead Parkside Leaders. The expectation with Parkside Leaders is to meet once a month focusing on scholar traits with our students.
- Please complete PTA's Staff Survey as soon as possible.
Don't forget to share our story with the world by using #TheBestParkside and #1LISD on Twitter! You can also tag our campus @Parkside_ES. Your PLN (Professional Learning Network) wants to learn from you! Y'all have so many great things to share!
Thank you for all you do!
Lauren & Maggie
Learning Targets!
Targets: We believe teachers should identify and communicate learning targets for each day so that students are able to articulate what mastery looks like.
It is a district-wide expectation that learning targets are not only posted daily, but also discussed with students before, during, and after each lesson. As campus principals conduct walkthroughs, we have been tasked to ensure this practice is common across Leander ISD. With that said, please make sure to have your learning targets posted for each content area you teach. When planning and meeting as a PLC, take some time to create kid-friendly learning targets for the lessons you're planning. Also, talk as a team to discuss success criteria for the learning targets; what would mastery look like at the end of the lesson?
Remember, your learning targets are not the same as your agenda or daily schedule. Learning targets are specific to the skills your lesson is targeting and will likely change on a daily basis. One of our Campus Improvement goals is tied directly to learning targets, so we will be taking specific data on this as we conduct walkthroughs this year.
In short, post them, talk about them, and check for understanding frequently to ensure students make connections between the lessons they learn in class and the world around them.
Communication is KEY!
Additionally, all staff must keep an updated website. This website should house a daily schedule, year's at a glance for all content areas, newsletters for easy access, and any other important information that would be useful to parents and students.
Communication is a new district goal this year. The Board finds communication to be so important that they have created a 7th Superintendent goal focused on this area. The board has made it the principal's responsibility to ensure their campus has systems in place to communicate with the community often and comprehensively. Some ways we do this are: coffee chats, The Weekly Message from the Principal, marquee, weekly teacher newsletters, up to date websites, Insiders, etc.
We appreciate your help with this goal!
Required Substitute Training for ALL Staff
Parkside News Auditions!
Counseling Corner
Please reach out to Julie if you have questions!
Staff Emergency Information
Refrigerator Fees
Our Board of Trustees has approved the 19-20 budget. The budget does not include the collection of fees for staff refrigerators. However, please review the LISD Appliance Guidelines to ensure you are in compliance with district approved appliances.
ESL Certification Deadlines
The district financially supported designated personnel to add the ESL certification to their State certificates. The deadline for processing these receipts is August 30th. We can no longer process any other requests after this date as it is the end of the financial year and the money was only allocated for that time period. Please notify any staff wishing to be reimbursed for the addition of ESL on their certificate to act now. Contact Kendra Winans with questions.
Convocation Survey
We want to hear from more principals and staff about Convocation. We want to know what went well and what didn’t. Please send this link out to your staff: http://bit.ly/convo19survey. The deadline is Sept. 2.
Hot Weather Guidelines
Hello Texas Heat Wave! I have had multiple calls from concerned parents regarding the heat and making sure we have guidelines in place. I thought it would be helpful to share the link to the Health Services Hot Weather Guidelines.
Movie Ratings: Handbook Updates & Permission form
The LISD Employee Handbook was updated to include the addition of the following:
Movie Ratings: Leander ISD Handbook Updates
Leander ISD Guidelines for Using Visual Media & Permission Form
mLISD Empowered Learning Knowledge Base
We are excited to announce a new mLISD Empowered Learning Site that includes the beginning of the year digital citizenship modules for students, a technology integration knowledge base of tools, and instructional technology resources. Check back often for new resources! For more information contact carie.spannagel@leanderisd.org
Important Dates to Remember!
August 26 - 1st & 5th PLC during planning only
August 27 -
- 1st & 3rd Parent Nights 5:30-6:15pm
- 2nd & 3rd grade PLC during planning only
- Lauren off campus at district meeting
August 28 -
- Faculty Meeting (all staff)
- Parkside Players Parent Meeting (for 4th grade parents only)
August 29 -
- iStation Training after school in Pride room at 3:15pm (required for all NEW classroom teachers and open as a refresher to all other teachers) Bring your charged laptop!
- 2nd & 5th Parent Nights 5:30-6:15pm
- K & 4th grade PLC during planning only
- 5th grade Parkside News Team auditions during recess
(Russell has applications and additional information)
August 30 - 5th grade Parkside News Team auditions during recess
September 4 - Kinder & 4th Parent Nights 5:30-6:15pm
September 6 - Grandparent's Day Lunch
September 11- Running Record Training @ Conference time in Pride Room
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!
- August 24th Maddie Strickland (3rd)
- August 26th Elizabeth Miller (Kinder)
We Are Here for YOU!!!
Email: lauren.meeks@leanderisd.org
Location: 301 Garner Park Drive, Georgetown, TX, USA
Phone: 17110
Twitter: @TheRealMrsMeeks