Monday Memo

Team,

I am so sorry for being out last Thursday and Friday. I promise that I am not licking door knobs! While I think I can make it back tomorrow, sadly, Sylvia was diagnosed with the flu on Saturday and will need to be home a few more days. If I haven't mentioned this lately, wash your hands.

Because I was out, there will need to be a few modifications to this week's newsletter. Specifically, since I didn't send out an appreciation email on Thursday, I don't have any to share this week. In addition, since I wasn't there for the A-Team meeting on Friday, we do not have a Bad Dude identified for the week. I apologize for the lack of both and will get back on track next week.

If it didn't happen while I was out, in the next day or two, you will be receiving the school supply list that you used for this school year. Please work with your team to modify this list as needed for next year. We ask that you continue to add one hand sanitizer for the cafeteria, and this year, we also ask that you include over-the-ear headphones for each student.

We have a few evening events coming up on our calendar. Please make sure that you work with your teams to ensure that you have coverage at each of these events. If you have a student participating in the Variety Show, I strongly encourage you to attend. While I know that certain circumstances can prevent that, if that is the case, please notify your student and the parents so that they understand your absence.

If you haven't done so already, please make sure that you have reviewed the minutes from all of the Content PLCs that pertain to what you teach. I have included the links for Math, Reading, Science, and Writing, but I have also shared part of what was covered at the Writing PLC below because it applies to every content area.

Make today count, stay healthy and wash your hands!

JL

How do you hold your students accountable for these expectations in all content areas?

K - Speak using complete sentences

• Use of upper case and lower case. (no upper case in the middle of words)

• Proper spacing between words.

• Capital letter at the beginning of a sentence

• Punctuation at the end of a sentence

1st - Speak using complete sentences

• Use of upper case and lower case. (beginning of sentence, “I”, middle of words, proper nouns)

• Proper spacing between words.

• Correct punctuation at the end of a sentence

• Proper spelling of identified words(use resources)

2nd - Speak and write using complete sentences

• Use of upper case and lower case. (beginning of sentence, “I”, middle of words, proper nouns)

• Proper spacing between words.

• Correct punctuation at the end of a sentence

• Proper spelling of identified words (use resources)

3rd - Speak and write using complete sentences

• Use of upper case and lower case. (beginning of sentence, “I”, middle of words, proper nouns)

• Proper spacing between words.

• Correct punctuation at the end of a sentence

• Proper spelling of identified words (use resources)

• Commas in a series

• Apostrophes (plural, contractions)

4th - Speak and write using complete sentences

• Use of upper case and lower case. (beginning of sentence, “I”, middle of words, proper nouns)

• Proper spacing between words.

• Correct punctuation at the end of a sentence

• Proper spelling of identified words (use resources)

• Commas in a series

• Apostrophes (plural, contractions)

• Correct structure of a compound sentence

• Proper use of quotation marks

5th - Speak and write using complete sentences

• Use of upper case and lower case. (beginning of sentence, “I”, middle of words, proper nouns)

• Proper spacing between words.

• Correct punctuation at the end of a sentence

• Proper spelling of identified words (use resources)

• Commas in a series

• Apostrophes (plural, contractions)

• Correct structure of a compound sentence

• Proper use of quotation marks

Congratulations to these nominees! You all are most deserving of this honor. (Nominees are listed in alphabetical order.) Please cast your vote by 8:00 am on Thursday, January 25th.

• Amy Arnold
• Lisa Barton
• Maria Elwood
• Amber Evans
• Laura Garro
• Marley Goodwin
• Lori Peterson
• Shana Prugh
• Rico Sneller

*Because Michelle Caballero does not spend at least four hours a day with students, she is not eligible for voting. However, I certainly wanted to share her nomination with you because she is certainly worthy of this recognition.

Student transfer petition requests for MISD employees for the 2018-19 school year will only be accepted from January 9 to January 31, 2018. Petitions submitted outside the acceptance dates will not be processed or retained. The student transferring must be the child of an MISD employee. This benefit does not extend beyond the parent-child relationship. Substitutes and contracted services employees (Durham Bus Services and Aramark Food Services) are not eligible.

The 2018-19 transfer petition form is located at : http://www.mckinneyisd.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-19-Employee-Transfer.pdf

• Vote for Teacher of the Year by 8:00 am on January 25th.
  
• Confirm your team's coverage for evening events.
• TLs - email Donna the time of your Valentine's Day Party by January, 26th.
• Submit student transfer requests for your personal children by January 31st.

In effort to support Special Olympics with fundraising, each year we sell Warm-Up Wednesday passes through the month of January. Unlike jeans passes, these are actually stickers that you can purchase from Donna beginning on Wednesday, January 10th. Five dollars will purchase a sticker that you will wear throughout the day that states you are supporting Special Olympics. We do ask that you refrain from wearing sweatpants with anything written across the rear and that you exercise good judgment in the difference between sweats appropriate to go shopping at Wal-Mart in and warm-ups that are appropriate for work. WWJD?

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, Barbara Peebles and Jennifer Little for being the highest three staff contributors to Shoparoo this week!

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.

I have created a Remind for our staff in order to send out just-in-time reminders, last minute notifications of jeans/warm-up days, and/or emergency info. If you haven't already, please click on the link below to join the group.

https://www.remind.com/join/mcgowenst

January

Laura Garro - 10th

Renata Sanchez - 10th

Gail Fein - 13th

Lisa Pedersen - 15th

Jean Possehl - 16th

Holly Bianchetta - 19th

Krystina Ticehurst - 24th

Due to the holiday breaks, paydays are slightly different. Here are dates so you can plan accordingly.

• Nov 15 (includes extra stipend)
  
• Nov 30
  
• Dec 15
  
• Dec 22 (Dec 31 check paid early)
  
• Jan 12
  
• Jan 31
  

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.

Mission:
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.