Monday Memo
February 5th - 9th, 2018
“The best antidote I know for worry is work. The best cure for weariness is the challenge of helping someone who is even more tired. One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.” ― Gordon B. Hinckley
We will be emailing out the dance sign-up on Monday at 3:30pm. The link won't be made live until 3:30pm, so please do not try to search for it in advance. With the exception of paras, everyone is expected to sign up for one shift. Paras will coordinate comp time through Donna.
As hard as we try, one or two parents always seem to miss the memo about helium balloons not being allowed in school and are devastated to hear the news when they arrive on Valentine's Day to deliver the balloon bouquet to their child. In effort to prevent Lynn and Barbara from crushing souls, please send out a reminder this week in your newsletter.
Our next Team Leader Meeting will be on Monday, February 12th. If you have any questions or concerns that you would like to add to the agenda, please use this link to submit your request. In addition, please share your question/concern with your team leader so that if we have any clarifying questions, we can get the needed information.
If you haven't done so already, please sign up for the February 19th Waiver Day training in Eduphoria as well as register for the sessions you would like to attend on Sched. Michelle Caballero is presenting a session at 9:15am called, Let's Talk About the Words on the Page..., and John Cissik will be presenting a session at 10:30am called, If You Can't Dodge a Wrench, Project Based Math in Elementary Special Education. Please feel free to attend one or both of these sessions to support our teammates.
On Thursday, February 22nd, we will hold our next round of SpEd Chats for 3rd-5th. Because we have so few SpEd students in K-2nd, if you would like to discuss a SpEd student in one of those grade levels, please reach out to Jaime Hardy to schedule a time to meet with the Resource teachers.
Make today count, stay healthy and wash your hands!
JL
---------------------------------------
Kudos to First Grade
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
Action Items
- Register for TELPAS Training in Eduphoria by EOD Tuesday, February 6th.
- Send home Progress Reports on Wednesday, February 7th.
- Sign up to work a shift at the school dance by EOD Friday, February 9th.
- Make sure that all of your students have completed the appropriate MAP tests by Wednesday, February 14th.
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
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 Laura Garro, Barbara Peebles and Jennifer Little for being the highest three staff contributors to Shoparoo this week!
---------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------
Remind for Staff
---------------------------------------
---------------------------------------
APPRECIATIONS
- Thank you, Sunshine Committee for organizing the super bowl luncheon. Laurie L.
- Thank you, MC, SD, JL and SL for hosting the Kid Chat. Laurie L.
- Thank you, Sadie H. for meeting with regarding my special friend. Laure L.
- Lyndsey- Thanks for helping me with my kids’ tech problems! Appreciate you! JB
- Shiela, thanks for always answering all of my questions. JP
- JL- Thank you so much for meeting with a parent and me last week. Your support and guidance through that meeting helped me out a lot! -Hoye
- Prugh- Thank you for being my person. -Hoye
- JD- Thank you for all the team meetings you conducted last week! You are awesome! -Hoye
- Lynn, Barbara, Donna & Shiela- I appreciate all of your help with ISS friends this week! SL
- Jaime, Jenny, Sharon- Thanks so much for your input at our staffing at VC! SL
- Rico- I appreciate you managing a student situation when the inn was full! SL
- Michelle & Shiela- Thanks for holding down the fort with kid chats while we were at Learning & Leading! SL
- Sunshine- Thanks for a game winning luncheon! It was fabulous! SL
- Donna- Thanks for managing things while we were at Learning & Leading! SL
- I just want to Thank Jaime for EVERYTHING she does for our team. She is one amazing lady. Karol Koegl
- JL-Thank you so much for supporting Madina and I in our learning adventure at the First Grade Conference, I'm so excited about sharing the things I've learned! Garro
- First Grade Team-Thank you for putting your all into everything we plan and do for our kiddos, I couldn't ask for a better team to work with! Garro
- Cab and Burford- Thanks for letting me lean on you this week! I’m very thankful to call you friends!- JB
- 5th Grade Team- JD, Thanks for always having my back. NH-Thanks for the next 2 Fridays!! SP- Thanks for Tuesday night:) TC- Thanks for your understanding! —-JB
- 2nd Grade Team thank you for all your support and prayers while I was out taking care of my family. -Haas
- Lindsey S. thank you for always getting books for us so quickly! –Haas
- Krystina thank you for covering my morning duty! –Haas
- Trisha thank you for covering my after-school duty! –Haas
- Michelle C. thank you for all your time and support! -Haas
- Barbara/Lynn – They are always so eager to please – I LOVE their attitudes – and their smiles are like sunshine - I can't help but feel better when I come through the front office doors – Thanks for making me SMILE! -Mrs. Oliphant
- Noble – Thank you so much for helping me edit the biography research papers!! I am truly grateful for all of your help! I hope you don’t have nightmares from it! Haha! - O'Connor
- Garro- thank you for driving us and taking me to the first grade conference. I loved the sessions and spending time with you! -Madina
---------------------------------------
BAD DUDE
Congratulations to Ashely O'Connor as the Bad Dude of the week. Ashley serves as a great academic leader. She is always a team player, pitching in whenever needed and mentors other teachers with great ideas and suggestions. Ashley epitomizes the statement of “owning all kids”. Whether this means working with all students on her grade level or giving up her planning time to work one on one with a student in another grade level, she does it without hesitation. She is very knowledgeable about the curriculum and serves on the district’s curriculum writing team. She always maintains a great attitude regardless of what is thrown her way!
---------------------------------------
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.