Lay's March Madness

Once again, it’s time for Keystone’s March Madness…this time with Lay’s chips. This Wednesday, we will be placing a Lay’s March Madness tournament bracket in your mailbox. You will have an opportunity to taste all of the chips to make an informed selection when filling out your bracket. To participate, please complete the entire bracket by selecting which flavor you think is the best until you have a champion. Make a copy of your bracket and turn it into Jorvonna no later than noon Friday, March 7.

Starting Thursday, March 13 you will find two different flavors of Lay’s chips on the table in the lounge each day. Take one of each flavor and vote for your favorite. I will announce the winner each day based on the staff vote. Over the course of a week and a half, we will identify Keystone’s favorite flavor of Lay’s chips (champion). The champion will be announced on Monday, March 24. If you guessed it correctly, you win. However, if we have multiple people who selected the champion, then there will be a tie breaker. The tie breaker will be whoever guessed the most correct winners each day. The person to beat is last year's champion--Jen Horner. Hope you have some fun and enjoy some salty treats! 



Priority Standard Report

 

Stacey, Robyn, and Tameka have been discussing the Priority Standard Report that impact our 3-8 students during PLCs. High-priority standards are those standards that appear frequently on the M-STEP. This report provides an overview of how well students performed on each high-priority standard when assessed on interims.

Previously, only deans had access to this report—now, teachers do too! This report includes a feature that allows you to click on a standard to see a list of students who had the same proficiency score (percentage). This is an extremely helpful report when pulling bubble students for workshop. It’s our expectation that you are utilizing this tool in workshop with bubble students at least once a week until the conclusion of state testing. Please click HERE for instructions on how to navigate and utilize the Priority Standard Report.

ABCDE Goal-Behavior

In January, we started reflecting on our classroom management practices in our efforts to uphold expectations while reducing level 2 behaviors. In just one month, we were able to reduce Level 2 behaviors by 75 incidents in February (YTD).


This reflection should not deter you from giving Level 2 behaviors. That’s not our intention. Instead, it’s for us to reflect on the effectiveness of giving Level 2 behaviors to repeat offenders. The purpose of the reflection is to determine how we can better support the student and teacher by addressing these repeat behaviors since we know continual blues don’t work. The support can be a mandatory parent meeting with the dean-teacher-student; putting the student on a Behavior Correction Action Plan; and/or conduct a Behavior Motivation Analysis. 

During your O3 this week, let your dean if you need support with a repeat offender.

School Calendar Survey Results

 Thank you for your valuable feedback regarding the 2025-26 school calendar. Majority of you voted to start school before Labor Day.


You also voted to continue to have parent-teacher conferences at the end of trimester 1 & 2 (November and March) and have August PD the week before school starts.




I will be working on submitting our calendar for approval. Tentatively, the first day of school would be Monday, August 25, with August PD being August 18-22. However, it’s not confirmed until our calendar is approved. The approval process takes several months, but I will provide you with the finalized calendar once it’s approved by NHA and our Board.

Affirmations

Stacey Ramirez for organizing and providing us with daily gifts and decorations on our door and in our office. You are the reason this week was so special for so many reasons. 

Alex, Stefanie, Megan, Mandy, Jessica W, Kim B, Lisa, and Sandy for welcoming preschoolers to our school and allowing them to participate in your morning schedule. 

Emma for providing me with a bank of Wellness Day pictures.

Steve for always coming to my rescue. I know that I can call on you and all my technology issues disappear.

Jane, Ellen, Andria, Stacey Reed, Monique, Christina, Tameka, Jen S. and Cindy for providing our families with a fun evening playing board games.  Special shout out to Amanda and Kathleen for attending as parents.

Emily, Mark, and Steve for spending your Saturday with our students at U of M preparing them for the regional competition.    

Robyn P and Tameka for subbing in 4th grade. Thank you for taking on additional responsibilities without any hesitation.

Robyn M for subbing in 6th grade. Thank you for stepping in without hesitation.

Josie, Amy, and Danielle for your kind words and gift. Thank you for my gift card—to the happiest place on earth—Sephora! :)   

Flo and Theresa for my wonderful décor piece for Leadership Appreciation Week. It looks stunning in my family room.  

Kim J for having your students provide me with a beautiful floral arrangement for Leadership Appreciation Week.    

Jen S for my travel bag and goodies inside. I love the blueberry scent in my office.

Jane, Cindy, Andria, and Ellen for my delicious lunch. I left lunch with my stomach and heart full.

Valyn, Christina, and Sarah for my gift card. You know how much I love Sephora. Thanks for supporting my addiction.

Megan and Lisa for compiling a basket of blue goodies that made me feel so appreciated. I was blown away with the number of items in my basket.

Mandy and Kim B for making me blush with my gift. I now have a favorite cup and a shirt with my last name on it (j/k).

Cayla, Monique, and Courtney for my thoughtful gift basket. I love the treats but it’s the thoughtfulness behind the gifts that mean so much to me. Thanks for helping me prepare for my upcoming camping trip.

Tracy, Diane, Emily, Mark, Steve, Audrey, Amanda, Lynne, and Sarah for a week filled with laughter and games. I know that a lot of effort went into providing the leadership team with a game/activity every day. Thank you for going above and beyond.

Robyn, Stacey Reed, Tameka, and Alex for spoiling me rotten. You have been a huge contributor in me fulfilling a dream of a non-toxic lifestyle. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Stacey Ramirez, Jen H, Stephanie, Deb, Taylor, Stefanie, Kim J, and Gary for my daily gifts that brought a smile to my face.

Kathleen for my gift of relaxation. All of the items were thoughtful and exactly what I need to decompress. Thank for getting me TWO gifts (team and class). I am blown away. 

Jen D for a gift that will capture the memories of my travels. Not only did you think of me—but my girls too! Your thoughtfulness knows no bounds.

Teri, Falak, and Kathleen for both of my cards. Although, it was hard to pick which card I like best, I am extremely happy that you got me a gift card to my happy place. :) 

Falak for not only giving me a gift with your team, but one from your class. Now, I can spend my weekend exploring another favorite place of mine. I am overwhelmed by your generosity. 

This Week

Monday, March 3:

    ·      End of Tri 2- Report Cards Printed

    ·      Trimester 2 School Store Rewards

Tuesday, March 4:

    ·      Reading Month “Saddle Up for the Rodeo”-western attire and jeans $1.00

    ·      SLT Meeting 3:50-4:20

Wednesday, March 5:

    ·      Perfect Attendance Rewards

    ·      Spring Book Fair (March 5-7)

Thursday, March 6:

    ·      P/T Conference (In-person) 4-8 PM

    ·      Purple Club

    ·      Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Women’s History Month-who and how?)-Hutcherson

Friday, March 7:

    ·      ½ Day of School-Dismissal 11:20 PM

    ·      P/T Conference (virtual) 12-4 PM

    ·      Payday Breakfast-Specials

Saturday, March 8:

   ·      Jorvonna’s Birthday

Happy Birthday

 

Jorvonna: March 8

Important Dates

 

March 10: Dress Down & Hat $1.00 each

March 11: Reading Month “Howdy Partner Twin Day” Find a partner and dress alike $1.00

March 11: Staff Meeting

March 13: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Global Recycling Day)-Nelson

March 14: Lynne’s Birthday

March 14: GL Intervention Meetings

March 17-21: 3-8 ELA & math interim 3

March 18: Reading Month “Be a JEAN-ius & Read”-wear jean/denim attire from head to toe $1.00

March 18: PLC (Team) Meeting

March 21: Spirit Day & Popcorn $1.00 each

March 21: Payday Breakfast-4th Grade

March 21: Social Media Post Due to Jorvonna-6th Grade

March 23: Megan’s Birthday

March 24-28: No School-Spring Break

March 25: Leslie’s Birthday

March 27: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Autism Awareness Month)-Mason

*If you have an event to add or something has been forgotten, please let me know!  

P/T Conference Reminders

 

One of our Core Values is “Make our schools the best choice for parents and students.” Thank you for doing this EVERYDAY, especially as we prepare for P-T conferences. Please click here for a reminder of our expectations pertaining to discussing students’ academic performance, attendance, retention, and scheduling.

A few reminders I would like to highlight:

    ·      Please make sure you schedule your conference sign up communication to go out at 8 AM on Monday!

    ·      All salary staff are expected to stay until 8:00 pm on Thursday.

    ·      On Friday, staff may do their virtual conferences from home, as long as you have enough time to make it there without blocking out more than 30 minutes. The earliest that you may leave the building is 11:45. 

    ·      Our PTO will be providing us with a pasta bar from Sopranos Catering for dinner on Thursday and Goodlyfe wraps and soups for lunch on Friday.

Core Values-Behave with Care

As you continue to put our Core Value, Behave with Care, into action it’s important that you have all your positive behaviors entered by Friday when Tri 2 ends. Remember, once the trimester ends, you cannot go back to add behaviors.



ABCDE Goals-Attendance

 

One of our school goals is to decrease our total number of student absences by 3% from 8,406 in the 2023-24 SY to 8,154 in the 2024-25 SY. 

As we continue to prioritize school attendance with all our proactive and reactive measures, we are on track to meet our goal. So far, we have 544 less absences in comparison to last school year (YTD). Thank you for your contribution to ensure every child is given the best chance to succeed.

School Calendar

 

We are in the process of working on the calendar for the 2025-26 school year and as always, we want to include you in the decision-making process. Please take this quick 3-question survey by Tuesday, February 25. We appreciate your valuable input.

ABCDE Goals-Attendance

 Congratulations to Ms. Thomas’ class for spelling the word, PRESENT!

Affirmations

 

John, Amanda, Andria, Jane, Ellen, Cindy, and Jen D for making reading month special. I appreciate your creativity with the theme and bringing enjoyment to our students.  

Danielle and Josie for providing me with an extra post on social media. Thank you for embracing our Core Value of making this a great place for parents and students.

Jane and Amanda for sharing at our staff meeting. We greatly appreciate you!

Jessica S for creating all the sign up genius forms for the auxiliary staff. I am beyond grateful.  

Robyn for onboarding a virtual teacher to ensure a smooth transition and communicating these changes to stakeholders.  

Rowe for conducting a meeting and doing research to provide us with the best Lexia resources.

Morgan, Jen H, and Kim J for providing support to a student to try and provide her with safety inside and outside of school.   

Alex, Morgan, Jen H, Sarah M, and Stacey Reed for updating a plan that provides additional support for a student.  

Lynne for creating a math poem to share with your students. It was impressive how you showed how math can be seen in everything.

Ja’Rayl, Jessica S, Eric, Emma, and John for another successful Wellness Day. Thank you for coming together to show students the importance of being active and healthy.

Monique for knowing your students—especially their accommodations. I was impressed with how quickly you responded when you noticed that one of your students’ accommodations wasn’t being met.

This Week

 


Monday, February 24:

    ·      Stefanie’s Birthday

    ·      Reading Month “Hats Off to You”-western hat or any hat and spirit day attire $1.00

    ·      Principal & Deans Appreciation Week (February 24-28)

Tuesday, February 25:

    ·      Lisa’s Birthday

    ·      PLC Meetings

Wednesday, February 26:

    ·      3rd-4th Grade Spelling Bee

    ·      All Grades Entered

Thursday, February 27:

    ·      Family Learning Night-Board Game Bonanza

Friday, February 28:

    ·      Social Media Post Due to Jorvonna-5th Grade 

    ·      Jessica S’s Birthday

    ·      Spirit Day

    ·      Tri 2 School Store

    ·      PTO Family Fun Night: K-5 Skating 3:30-6:30 PM

Happy Birthday

 Stefanie: February 24

Lisa: February 25

Jessica S: February 28

There is a special gift in the mailboxes of all the people who celebrate their birthdays in 







Important Dates

 


March 3: End of Tri 2- Report Cards Printed

March 3: Trimester 2 School Store Rewards

March 4: Reading Month “Saddle Up for the Rodeo”-western attire and jeans $1.00

March 4: SLT Meeting 3:50-4:20

March 5: Perfect Attendance Rewards

March 6: P/T Conference (In-person) 4-8 PM

March 6: Purple Club

March 6: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Women’s History Month-who and how?)-Hutcherson

March 5-7: Spring Book Fair

March 7: ½ Day of School-Dismissal 11:20 PM

March 7: P/T Conference (virtual) 12-4 PM

March 7: Payday Breakfast-Specials

March 8: Jorvonna’s Birthday

March 10: Dress Down & Hat $1.00 each

March 11: Reading Month “Howdy Partner Twin Day” Find a partner and dress alike $1.00

March 11: Staff Meeting

March 13: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Global Recycling Day)-Nelson

March 14: Lynne’s Birthday

March 14: GL Intervention Meetings

March 17-21: 3-8 ELA & math interim 3

March 18: Reading Month “Be a JEAN-ius & Read”-wear jean/denim attire from head to toe $1.00

March 18: PLC (Team) Meeting

March 21: Spirit Day & Popcorn $1.00 each

March 21: Payday Breakfast-4th Grade

March 21: Social Media Post Due to Jorvonna-6th Grade

March 23: Megan’s Birthday

March 24-28: No School-Spring Break

March 25: Leslie’s Birthday

March 27: Morning Assembly Presentation Due (Autism Awareness Month)-Mason

*If you have an event to add or something has been forgotten, please let me know!  

ABCDE Goals-Interim 2 Results

You did it again! We continued our trend of increasing proficiency on interims. I want to congratulate our team AGAIN for increasing our overall proficiency on Interim 2 in comparison to last year. We increased by 2% in ELA and 1% in math.

It's exciting to see that we had an increase in both content areas for interim 1 AND 2. We are headed in the right trajectory of accomplishing one of our school goals to “Improve ELA M-STEP scores by 3% from 61% in the 2023-24 SY to 64% in the 2024-25 SY.”




Welcome Back

 

I wanted to inform you that Sydney Brown (7th Grade ELA) will not returning to Keystone due to ongoing medical issues that she sustained during a car accident in November. She is prioritizing her health. We wish her well!

We are currently looking for a 7th grade ELA teacher. If know someone, please let me know. In the interim, we would like to welcome back Audrey Munson. She will begin teaching our 7th graders virtually on Tuesday. Audrey taught 7th grade ELA and math for us last year. She is part of NHA's virtual teaching program for the past 3 years. Her role is to temporarily fill vacant classrooms. She is familiar with the NHA curriculum and is a certified teacher. We will still have a substitute teacher in the room to support the students and help manage behaviors.