Welcome Back

Hello Bobcats! I can't believe I am already writing this letter, but it is that time - my favorite time of the year - when school supplies are out and excitement for a new school year is in the air. I don't buy many school supplies anymore, but there is just something magical about seeing them in stores. I always have to stop and look even if I am not buying.

I hope your summer has been amazing - full of family and friends, laughter, fond memories, good food, lots of fun, rest and relaxation, renewal and reflection. I was able to spend 2 weeks on the beaches of the Cayman Islands and South Carolina. I can't think of a better place to mentally reset and recharge. I hope each of you were also able to recharge...you do great work for our students. They need you! Lonedell needs you!

I know many of you are still holding on to those last few precious days of summer, but please know you are missed. While it seems like more should get done when the building is quiet, it is too quiet without you and our awesome students in the building.

Kevin has let me know that the building is open starting August 7 during weekdays only. He will still be waxing hallways on the weekends. We are asking everyone to wait until then to get back into the building. I know it is a little later than usual, but please be patient with us.

Also, if you haven't signed your contract yet, please check your email. Signatures are due August 1, 2023.

Back to School events:

Please note start times vary each day.

August 12 - Back to School Fair (9:00-11:00 in the Old Gym)

August 14 (Paras 8:30-12:00)

• 8:30-10:00 Welcome Back 2023-2024
• 10:00-10:45 SMB Presentation - Technology
• 11:00-12:00 Lunch (Subway) - Bring Your Own Drink (Desserts provided by Preschool, Kindergarten, and Activities teachers)
• 12:00-2:30 PD Breakout Sessions - Complete the following form by August 4.
• https://forms.office.com/r/Zh7uzGG6Ja
  

August 15 - Teacher Workday/OPEN HOUSE (Paras - 3:00-7:00)

• 11:00-4:00 Work in Classrooms
• 12:00-1:00 Lunch (Pasta House) - Bring Your Own Drink (Desserts provided by 1-4 grade teachers)
• 3:00-3:45 Paras - meeting with Debbie Keltner
• 4:00-7:00 Open House

August 16 (Paras - all day)

• 8:30-11:00 Active Shooter Training
• 11:00-12:00 Lunch (Pizza & Salad) - Bring Your Own Drink (Desserts provided by Sped Teachers and all office staff)
• 12:00-1:00 Penmac Training
• 1:30-3:00 Sped teachers - meeting with Debbie Keltner

August 17 (Paras - all day)

• 9:00-12:00 - we will be joining Kingston School District. They are having Gerry Brooks come to start the year off and invited us to join them.
• Staff are free to go home after the event. I will have more information on the 14th for those who want to get together for lunch afterwards.

August 18 - Non-Contract Day

August 21 - Non-Contract Day

August 22 (Paras - all day)

• 8:00-11:30 Mandt Training for those who need to be re-certified.
• 11:30-12:30 Lunch (Burgers & Fries) - Bring Your Own Drink (Desserts provided by 5-8 grade & paras)
• 12:30-2:30 NWEA training - Kindergarten through 5th grade

August 23

• FIRST DAY WITH STUDENTS!!!!!

Just a reminder, our theme for this year is Destination Success. The vision is of a 3 lane highway merging into one lane at the end. The 3 lanes are respect, problem solving, and ownership merging into what skills we want our Lonedell students to have at the end of the year - what habits will they need to acquire to demonstrate those 3 skills? What do those skills look like and sound like in real life? How can we help facilitate lasting connections in these areas for our students? Please be thinking about these last 3 questions. We will circle back around to these on August 14 during our welcome time.

As far as decorating, the door is wide open. You can use any destination theme - beach, mountains, forest, big city, etc. You can also use different types of transportation or different things you would see at different destinations. You can even use things like road signs, traffic signs, billboards, etc.

Please help me welcome our newest Bobcats to the best team ever!!!

• Janene Berry is our new K-4 Counselor. She will be here on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
• Cyle Butenhoff is our new PE & Health teacher. He is also our girl's basketball coach.
• Catherine Dierker is our new MS Science teacher.
• Abigail Gliedt is our new Kindergarten teacher.
• Michelle Hanephin is our new Speech Language Pathologist.
  
• Debbie Keltner is our new Special Education Director.
• Ema McCart is one of our new paraprofessionals.
• Samantha Pelligrino is our new 5th grade teacher.
• Ken Hotsenpiller is our new bus driver.

We have had some movement in the building. Some staff have moved to new positions, and some staff have moved to new rooms.

• Kerri Cox is our K-8 counselor. She will be in the room previously used by the Bobcat closet.
• Sarah Richardson is our new K-4 Sped Teacher. She will be in Haley Krouper's old classroom. Haley will be downstairs in the old counseling room.
• Macy Zingrich is our Essential Skills teacher. She will be in the same room.
• Melanie Friel will now be upstairs in Margo's old classroom. Margo has moved to the room next door (used to be 5th grade). Samantha Pelligrino will be downstairs in Melanie's old room.
• Mrs. Smiley is in the old Pinocchio room.
• Mrs. Litschgi is in the tech area of that same room - she may have some movement depending on when the tech guys are in the building.
• Michelle Hanephin will be in the little office right off of the office. Janene Berry and Pinocchio will share the old speech room.

As in previous years, some of our training is online. You will need to log into Vector to complete this part of your training. When you log into Vector, you will need to click the graduation cap icon on the left-hand side of the screen. You will then be able to see the courses assigned to you. There are about 12 videos (depending on your role in the district) so please allow yourself plenty of time to complete them. The window for watching videos is July 31, 2023 through midnight August 22, 2023.

Vector Solutions Login (goteachpoint.com)

You know how much I love motivational quotes. Please take the time to click this link and fill out a form with your favorite motivational quote, along with the person who said it. Please complete this by August 4, 2023.

https://forms.office.com/r/jWqFbp5M52

Education is a hard career path. There are days when things seem perfect, and there are days when everything seems to go wrong. Each of us respond to these situations in different ways - both good and bad. Our students do the same. On good days, it is easy to be patient and easy to teach. It is easy to smile and easy to be flexible. On hard days, it can be hard to even smile. I was at a conference last week. One of the presenters asked me, "What do you love to teach the most?" My answer was "The kids...I loved teaching Kindergarten students because it is something new every day. They grow so much and learn so much at that age. They make coming to school fun." She then asked, "What subject did you like to teach the most?" That was easy. I have always loved teaching ELA - especially small groups and writing. She then said, "If we can get ALL teachers to LOVE kids as much as they love their favorite subject, we would set education on fire." What is your favorite subject or topic to cover? How can you show our students that they are even more special and amazing than that? Our students deserve our very best, every single day. I know that is not always easy. In fact, I feel it gets harder every single year. But it is SOOOOOO important. Remember, "they may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel" by Carl Buechner.

Enjoy the rest of your summer. Rest up and get ready to conquer the world....one student at a time.

~Shan