Starting at 3:45, please go to the
staff lounge to sign in, pick up documents, and grab
some snacks. Our staff meeting will begin promptly at 4:00 pm in the
technology room in the middle school hallway.
Please click here for the agenda.
Staff Meeting Agenda
ABCDE Goal-Behavior
One of our school goals is to decrease our total
number of student behavior counts by 3% from 2,416 in the
2024-25 SY to 2,344. One way we can achieve this goal is by consistently
recognizing and recording positive student behaviors. Every staff member is
expected to enter positive behaviors. Classroom teachers should enter at least one positive behavior per
student each trimester for their homeroom. Specials and auxiliary staff should
enter positive behaviors for their caseloads, or for a minimum of 25 students
per trimester. This initiative is powerful because it
reinforces positive choices, motivates students, and fosters a classroom
culture with fewer disruptions and greater focus on learning. Your efforts are
making a real difference in our school community. Thank you for everything that
you do that embodies our Core Value “behave with
care.”
Workshop
As a reminder, students are NOT required to do Lexia nor Dreambox
every day during workshop. The maximum number of days that we require per
digital tool is 2-3 times a week (K-5) and 90 minutes a week (middle school). Please reference this table for your specific grade level requirements.
Students may do other things during their independent workshop time. We
strongly encourage providing students an opportunity to read a “Just Right”
book during ELA workshop and play with WorkPlaces during math. Please reach out
to your dean if you need suggestions on other independent activities.
Core Values
One of our Core Values is to “take ownership for the success of our students.” To do this, it’s important that quality instruction occurs even when there is a substitute teacher. Please make sure to complete this substitute binder checklist by September 19 and turn it into your dean.
Staff Members Children
As a reminder, if you have children that attend Keystone,
please see our expectations below. As a Keystone staff member and parent,
myself, these rules apply to my children too! So, if you see the Drain girls
doing any of the following, please let me know.
1.
Please make sure your child is not
roaming the building unattended. It’s fine if they are going to a designation
alone, but they shouldn’t just be walking around.
It’s a safety concern for the student and liability for the building. This also causes other staff members to spend time addressing behaviors or concerns when they are here early or staying later to accomplish work.
2.
Children of staff members are not
allowed in the staff lounge and shouldn’t be eating the items brought for the
staff.
We work hard to keep the staff lounge a place where everyone can step away from work and engage in “safe” conversations and activities without the concern of little eyes and ears. We also commit to bringing in food for the staff, but we have many staff member kids here and if they are eating the food, many staff members that participate in these activities miss out on the opportunity because items are gone.
3.
Children
of staff members need to stay in their classroom until Driveline has ended.
They should not be in their parent’s classroom before 3:45 pm.
While you
still have your students in your classroom, you are responsible for supervising
them and half of another class due to “extra prep.” Thats already an abundance
of students in one classroom, we shouldn’t be adding anymore with staff
children.
ABCDE Goal-Attendance
Congratulations
to Ms. Patton and Mrs.
Turner’s class for spelling the word, HERE! It’s impressive that your homerooms had 4 perfect
days of attendance out of 6.
Affirmations
Amanda, Teri, Danielle, Mandy, Megan,
Monique, Tracy, Falak, Kathleen, Alex, Courtney, Sarah G, Amy, Diane, Jessica
W, Linsey, Mark, Christina, Sarah M, Nikki, Crystal, Cayla and Lynne for welcoming visitors on Day 4 of instruction and showing them the great things about
Keystone!
Monique,
Cayla, and Courtney for being
flexible with your grade level event. You are appreciated.
Cayla,
Alex, Linsey, Kathleen, Jen D, Jane, Ellen, Sally, and Amanda for contributing to our staff playlist.
Stacey
Reed for creating editable framework
documents.
Andria for attending Lexia sessions and taking one for the team.
Cindy for providing me with the MICIP documents so quickly.
Stacey
Ramirez for assisting with my office and
shed organization. I am so grateful.
Tameka for all the thought and intentionality you have put into
Leadership Opportunities.
Robyn
for creating the NWEA schedule.
Sandy for volunteering your personal time to assist me.
Laurie for ALL the support you have provided with various SE
tasks. Your knowledge has been valuable.
Tracy for making a cake for our SLT meeting.
Steve,
Mark, and Diane for the level of
care that you have shown towards a student who hurt themselves at recess.
Sally
for jumping into many different situations
with a growth mindset, but also with an expertise that is valued.
This Week
Monday,
September 8:
· Fall Fundraiser (September 8-28)
· K-8 Fall NWEA (September 8-26)
Tuesday,
September 9:
· Staff Meeting
· Staff Meeting Snacks-Interventions
Thursday,
September 11:
· Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Constitution Day)-Kaminski
Friday,
September 12:
· Family Connections Due
·
Coffee & Pastries Fall Parent Meeting for Federal and State Programs
8:15
·
Y5s-5th Grade Skate Party 3:30-6:30
· Extra Dismissal Schedule Submitted to Dean
Important Dates
September 15: Taylor’s
Birthday
September 15-19: 1-2 Fall Math Numeracy
September 16: Extra Prep Begins
September 17: Fall Picture Day
September 17: SpEd Open House
September 17: Education Benefit Form & School-Parent
Compact Due
September 18: Rachel’s Birthday
September 18: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Hispanic-Latino Month: Who & How)-Robinson
September 19: Social Contract Posted
September 19: Substitute Binder
Due
September 19: Payday Breakfast-2nd
Grade
September 19: Middle School Skate
Party 3:30-6:30 PM
September 22: Education Benefits & Parent-Student
Compact Dress Down Day
September 23: PLC Meetings
September 25: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Global Diversity Awareness Month)-Khafagi
September 26: Y5/Kinder Social Media Post Due to Jorvonna
September 26: Spirit Day $1.00 and Popcorn $1.00
September 29: Sally’s Birthday
September 29: Jorvonna Out of the Building (Bay Mills PD)-Robyn
Acting Principal
September 30: Jorvonna Out of the Building (Bay Mills PD)-Stacey
Acting Principal
October 1: Field Trip Location & Date Submitted to
Jorvonna
*If you have an event to add or something has been forgotten, please
let me know!
Family Connections
Family connections for new students
are due this Friday and returning students are due Friday, September 12. You will bring this sheet completed to your O3 the week of September 18.
Finally, don’t forget to
select your leadership opportunity by this Friday!
School Visit
Our math and ELA specialists from NHA’s Curriculum & Instruction (C & I) team, along with our DSQ, Special Education Supervisor, and School Leadership Development partner are coming to visit our school on Thursday, September 4 from 8:30-2:45.
The purpose of
their visit is to determine how they can support teachers and deans with the
following instructional practices:
- Creating a safe and
supportive learning space
- Greeting, class
contracting, positive behavior system, CHAMPs, etc.
- Uphold the structure of the
content block
- Engage in basic lesson
planning and preparation
We have notified those teachers who will
be observed, however, if you see them around our school, please give them a
warm Keystone welcome.
Family Vacations
If you are aware of any families planning
a vacation, I want to highlight two key expectations of our family vacation policy below.
·
Notification: Parents should notify the principal at least two weeks before their
child’s trip. If a family informs you of a vacation, please direct them to contact me.
· Classwork: Teachers are not able to provide work in advance for vacation days.
Lastly, if your class has spelled the word, HERE, please make sure to inform your dean and me. Don’t forget your students earn a letter each day that everyone is present and there are no tardies or early dismissals.
Leadership Observations
The leadership team will be conducting Classroom Culture collaborative observations this week. As a reminder, we will try to notify you in advance if the entire leadership team is coming into your classroom, but it may not always be possible.
Extra Recess
If your students
have earned extra recess, please check this sheet to see the available time
slots and then reach out to your dean to add your class to the schedule. Extra
recess should be awarded for consistent effort or achievement over time, rather
than a single instance of good behavior or work. You are responsible for
supervising your students. Only the classes listed on the sheet are allowed
extra recess. Thank you for helping us to make this a meaningful reward!
Staff Playlist
As you know, I
love playing music before our meetings to set a positive vibe. I’d love to
create another ‘Keystone Staff Favorites’ playlist for this school year that includes your favorite songs! Even if you provided a song last year, you could still participate this year by providing a different song. Please take a moment to complete this quick 3-question survey.
Attendance Slogan
It’s that time of
year again—time to create a fun and catchy attendance slogan that will conclude
our morning assemblies! Every homeroom must submit a slogan, and the one
selected will win a special prize. Click HERE to submit your slogan by Wednesday,
September 3 at 4 PM. We can’t wait to see your creativity shine and hear
your slogan in action!
Affirmations
Stacey Reed, Stacey Ramirez,
Stefanie, Tameka, Sally, and Robyn for the time and care you’ve
dedicated to enrollment this week. I know it takes a lot of patience and energy
to welcome new families, make countless phone calls, and make sure every detail
is handled. I’m so grateful for all that you do
Kathleen
and Monique for consistently
stopping by to say hello and check on me. You have brightened my day with your
thoughtfulness.
Steve
and Tracy for all the work you
did over the summer to ensure our 7th and 8th grade class
trips are economically obtainable for all students.
Robyn
for making sure all documentation was
submitted for all middle school trips.
John,
Jessica S, Ja’Rayl, Laurie, Emma, Jen D, Jen H, Robyn P, Stacey Reed, Robyn M, Sally, Ellen, Andria,
Cindy, Jane, and Tameka for taking on additional arrival and/or
dismissal duty this week. I appreciate the time you spent to help with arrival
and dismissal duty each day. Your presence ensures our students start and end
their day safely.
Andria for putting away all the chocolate fountains and for
taking the hand towels from the staff lounge home to wash. Your thoughtfulness
and willingness to help in little ways makes a big difference.
Taylor for making attendance phone calls and being proactive
with our most chronically absent students.
Jen
H and Kim J for scheduling all
the meetings and creating the documents for our Behavior Support Team to launch
successfully.
Alex for taking ALL my phone calls this week.
Robyn
P for stepping in to make sure our
students get the services that they need.
Stacey
Reed for successfully completing your
first IEP transfer.
Sandy for jumping in to help our lunch staff with a spill.
Lisa, Kim B, Theresa, and Sandy for volunteering
to come in early and stay after school this week to assist our kinder friends
at arrival and dismissal. Your sacrifice of personal time does not go
unnoticed.
This Week
Monday, September 1:
·
No School-Labor Day
Tuesday, September 2:
·
Assembly (staff &
students only)
·
Flo’s Birthday
Wednesday, September 3:
· Grade Level Events Submitted to Jorvonna
·
SLT Meeting 3:50 (Diane’s Room)
· GL Intervention Meetings
Thursday, September 4:
· C&I Full Day Visit
·
Morning Assembly
Presentation Due (Hispanic-Latino Heritage: What & Why)-Good-Lang
Friday, September 5:
·
Assembly
(parents are welcomed)
·
Payday
Breakfast-Interventions
·
New
Family Connections Due
· Leadership Catalog Due
Important Dates
September 8-28: Fall
Fundraiser
September 8-26: K-8 Fall NWEA
September 9: Staff Meeting
September 9: Staff Meeting
Snacks-Interventions
September 11: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Constitution Day)-Kaminski
September 12: Family Connections Due
September 12: Coffee & Pastries Fall Parent Meeting for
Federal and State Programs 8:15
September 12: Y5s-5th Grade Skate Party
3:30-6:30
September 15: Taylor’s Birthday
September 12: Extra Dismissal Schedule Submitted to Dean
September 15-19: 1-2 Fall Math Numeracy
September 16: Extra Prep Begins
September 17: Fall Picture Day
September 17: SpEd Open House
September 17: Education Benefit Form & School-Parent
Compact Due
September 18: Rachel’s Birthday
September 18: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Hispanic-Latino Month: Who & How)-Robinson
September 19: Social Contract Posted
September 19: Substitute Binder
Due
September 19: Payday Breakfast-2nd
Grade
September 19: Middle School Skate
Party 3:30-6:30 PM
September 22: Education Benefits & Parent-Student
Compact Dress Down Day
September 23: PLC Meetings
September 25: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Global Diversity Awareness Month)-Khafagi
September 26: Y5/Kinder Social Media Post Due to Jorvonna
September 26: Spirit Day $1.00 and Popcorn $1.00
September 29: Sally’s Birthday
September 29: Jorvonna Out of the Building (Bay
Mills)-Robyn Acting Principal
September 30: Jorvonna Out of the Building (Bay
Mills)-Stacey Acting Principal
October 1: Field Trip Location & Date Submitted to
Jorvonna
*If you have an event to add or something has been forgotten, please
let me know!
Core Values-Behave With Care
One of
our Core Values is “Behave with Care.” We want everyone to focus on building
positive relationships with students and classroom routines/procedures during
the first few weeks of school.
One way
to build positive relationships with your students is to greet your students.
We expect all teachers to greet their students at the door every morning from
7:40-8:00 AM. This will assist with safety by monitoring our students in the
hallways. But most importantly, it helps you to gauge your students’ moods so
you can be proactive instead of reactive.
Please
position yourself in a way that you can still see inside your classroom and
have a Do Now posted to avoid unwanted behaviors from occurring within the
classroom.
Behavior Goal
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As I mentioned
during August PD, we are not starting anything new for the A, C, or E of the
ABCDE goals. Instead, we will continue to strengthen our effective initiatives.
You are a critical component of us achieving our “B” goal to decrease our total number of student behavior counts by 3%
from 2,416 (24-25 SY) to 2,344 (25-26 SY).
To achieve this goal, it’s important that you start the year
off strong with classroom management. As we begin a new school year, remember this:
the first days set the tone for the entire year. Classroom management is
not about strict control—it’s about creating the structure, consistency, and
safety that allow students to thrive.
When you start strong, you give your students
the gift of clarity. They know what’s expected, they feel secure, and they
understand that your classroom is a place where learning matters. This
foundation builds trust, minimizes disruptions, and maximizes time for the
joyful, engaging teaching you love to do.
It’s always easier to ease up later than to
tighten expectations after the fact. By investing the time now to establish
routines, model expectations, and hold students accountable, you’re laying the
groundwork for a year filled with growth, respect, and success. Please use our 3 Most Common Behavior
cheat sheet as a resource for starting strong! Don't forget about Jeremiah. :)
Family Contacts
Family connections for new students are due Friday, September 5, and family
connections for returning
students is
due Friday, September 12.
We are asking that you have an actual conversation with 100% of your
families. This can be accomplished with two attempts. If you are unable to
reach a family by phone, send them a follow-up email to schedule another time
to talk. Please download and complete this sheet when making these phone calls.
You will bring the sheet to your O3 the week of September 15 to discuss with
your dean.
I am asking that everyone please complete this task with integrity. Please do not mark that you spoke
to a family if you did not. Instead, you can show the follow-up email to your
dean which lets us know that the family was unresponsive to both your attempts
(the phone call AND email).
Thank you for taking the time to make connections and build
relationships with our families. This supports several Core Values.
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