Dear Parents,

We are proud that McKinley Elementary is a community of learners and families that value life-long education. Built upon a collaborative spirit that fosters inquiry-based learning, our purpose is to promote and develop active and reflective citizens of the world. We believe that parents, students and teachers share an equal role in the development of the whole child. We are very excited to begin our journey toward International Baccalaureate Accreditation this year! We believe that this prestigious program will allow us to offer our students an educational program that is unparalleled. Please know that we value you as educational partners and welcome your ideas and feedback. Please feel free to contact us at any time. On behalf of the McKinley Staff I welcome you to the 2015-16 school year. I know that together we will make it great! Together we are Limitless!

Mrs. Polak – Principal

September 2015 -2016

McKinley Elementary An International Baccalaureate Candidate School

Welcome To McKinley Our Mission is to ensure high level learning for every student

through collaboration, innovation and acceleration.

FHEVS Vision Focus on Learning

We are a student-centered organization. We believe learning is constant and use proven instructional strategies for individualized instruction. We provide a rigorous and robust curriculum

Collaborative Culture

We build knowledge through collective inquiry and professional development. We promote innovation & critical thinking for development of global competencies and uphold the districts mission, vision, values and goals

Results Oriented

We monitor student progress toward specific learning targets and create data-driven environments where learning is constant. We provide feedback that is cyclical in nature and drives instructional decisions. We reflect on the results of teaching and learning.

Acceleration

We believe in accelerated learning for all. We use student’s talents and interests to advance them to their fullest potential. We assist students in making informed academic choices.

Welcome to the 2015-2016 School year! Year 1 of IBPYP Candidacy

Spring 2016 Lorem Ipsum Dolor

2

International Baccalaureate Candidate School Update As you may know during the 2014-15 school year McKinley Elementary completed the International Baccalaureate Feasibility Study and application and was accepted as an IB Primary Years Program Candidate School!

We are honored to have the opportunity to offer this prestigious program to the students at McKinley and you will see many changes over the coming years. Beginning in September McKinley will be assigned an IB Consultant to monitor our progress and development of our program. The consultant will guide us in achieving our goal of full verification as an IB PYP World School. Our teachers have been given access to the Online Curriculum Center, which gives them access to the IB teaching materials and the opportunity to collaborate with IB practitioners’ world-wide. Each teacher will also be trained in an IB PYP Category 1 workshop. I am also very proud to announce that Mrs. Rowan will be taking on the role of IB PYP Coordinator this year. Mrs. Rowan will work with our teachers and administrators to align our school to the IB standards and develop our Units of Inquiry. Congratulations to Mrs. Rowan!

“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started… And know the place for the first time.”

T.S.Eliot

Parents! Please visit our Website www.fairportharborschools.org

(click on Schools – McKinley) for more information. Or you can visit

the IB website at www.ibo.org

The IB Learner Profile Spotlight

The aim of the IB programs is to develop internationally minded people who recognizing

their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. The learner profile represents the 10 attributes that help

students become responsible members of local, national and global communities. In each

newsletter we will highlight one attribute here, in depth, including providing ideas for how parents

can help support the development of the attribute.

Spring 2016 Lorem Ipsum Dolor

3

Meet the Staff! The Fairport Harbor Schools are growing by leaps and bounds! This year we are excited to welcome several new staff members (or new positions)!

1

Mrs. Dubeansky – Grade K

Mrs. Wolosonovich- Grade K

Mrs. Spodaro – Grade K

Mrs. Elmore – Grade 1

Mrs. Gardner- Grade 1

Mrs. Lucas- Grade 2

Mr. Boots – Grade 2

Mrs. Chuckro- Grade 3

Mrs. Adamic- Grade 3

Mrs. Fitzgerald- Grade 4

Mr. Daw – Grade 4

Mrs. Slovenkay Grade 5

Mrs. Grunda- Grade 5

Mrs. Rowan- PYP Coordinator

Mrs. Nizen- Academic Coach

Mrs. Tyler – Intervention Specialist

Mrs. Barlow -Speech

Mrs. Edixon -Title One Reading & PM Preschool

Mrs. Porcello - AM Preschool

Mr. Moses – Physical Education

Mrs. Cogan– Science

Mrs. Helan – Art

2

Mr. Cecil – Custodian

Mrs. Lawson- Custodian

Mrs. Budziak – Secretary

Mrs. Polak – Principal / Director of Special Education Services

Crossing Guards-

We are looking for volunteers to act as crossing guards between 2:50-3pm.

Volunteers would be asked to stand at the corners with the safety patrol students to

ensure that students are crossing safely! This is a new idea that we are excited to try. If you

are interested please contact the main office at 440-354-5400 x3

“The art of teaching is the art

of assisting discovery”

Spring 2016 Lorem Ipsum Dolor

4

New OR Noteworthy!

Dismissal procedures- As many of you know dismissal can be a crowded time at McKinley. Last year we implemented a staggered dismissal, which helped greatly to alleviate some of the congestion. We ask that you follow the dismissal procedures and also please ensure that your child knows how he/she is going home each day.

Lice Policy – It’s the time of year when we need to be careful and cognizant of the possibility of lice! Please remind your child that sharing hats, combs or hair ties is not a good idea. Also, please make sure that if you find lice on your child you alert the office immediately. The FHEVS has a No Nit policy. That means that if a child has nits in their hair they cannot return to school until they are nit free. While we realize this can be a long process, we require that you comb the nits from their hair BEFORE they return to school. If you have questions about this please contact the school nurse. Please help us be proactive in keeping our school Lice Free! Thank you!

Attendance – At McKinley we have high expectations for our students and honor our instructional time. We appreciate that you get your child to school on time daily. If your child reaches 10 absences in a semester you are required to meet with the attendance committee before your child will be granted credit for the semester in order to determine what interventions are necessary to ensure learning time is not lost.

Documents – Please make sure that you return all pertinent documents to the main office or your child’s teacher ASAP. This includes emergency medical cards etc.

PTO News

Hi McKinley Families!

We have so many fun things lined up for the 2015-2016 school year!

We also have a few very fun surprises in store for you as well! We will have a calendar full of

events for you very soon and hope to see you at

our many events.

The PTO counts on numerous volunteers so if you are available to

help please feel free to contact us at

fhmckinleypto@gmail.com. We are currently on

Facebook so feel free to send us a friend

request!

Spring 2016 Lorem Ipsum Dolor

5

Dear McKinley Parents,

It is with much excitement and enthusiasm that I am writing to you to inform you that I have decided to accept a leadership position as the academic coach for McKinley Elementary. I was honored to be chosen to help support our educational endeavors through sharing my instructional and collaborative aptitudes with our staff. It is bittersweet since I will most definitely miss the students and the partnership I shared with all of you as parents from a classroom standpoint. However, I am overjoyed that Mrs. Amber Gardiner will be taking the First Grade position. Her previous rapport with the students and genuine passion for education is evident in all she does. I am confident she will continue to hold high expectations for our students and help each one of them work within the parameters of their unique capabilities. I look forward to seeing all of you this year and continuing to help your child excel throughout their educational careers. My philosophy continues to be the same…that the power of parents is immensely impactful. Thank you for your continued support and I look forward to working with you this upcoming year in a different capacity.

My Kindest Regards,

Mrs. Michelle Nizen

A Note From the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program Coordinator:

Dear Parents,

Welcome to another exciting year at McKinley Elementary. I am thrilled to announce my new position as the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program Coordinator. IB PYP is an international curriculum model and teaching methodology for children aged 3-12. It focuses on the development of the whole child, and provides a framework that can meet a child’s academic, social, physical, emotional and cultural needs. It is inquiry based and lends itself to being integrated across the curriculum. Students take ownership of their learning and develop skills and attitudes to help prepare them for life in a global world.

At this point, McKinley Elementary is a candidate school and we are just beginning our authorization process. Over the next 3 years, our staff will be collaborating to develop grade level inquiry units and design a program that best meets the needs of our students. Throughout this process, students will be introduced to the student learner profile attributes and attitudes. As you and your child become familiar with the new terminology, you will see how closely it fits with our current Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and McKinley Motto.

Please be on the look out for frequent newsletters and updates from me. I will also be creating links and files on our existing website. These additions will relate to our quarterly learner profile attributes as well as updates on our authorization process. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me at (440) 354-4982 ext. 206 or at srowan@fhevs.org. I look forward to working together to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who are motivated to succeed.

Sincerely,

Sabrina Rowan

IB PYP Coordinator McKinley Elementary

A note from the Academic Coach:

SAVE THE DATE! September Calendar Important Dates This Month:

Sept 7: Labor Day Observed

Sept: 18 FHS Alumini weekend

Sept 20: Community Day (12pm)

Sept 25: Picture Day

Sept 28 Board Meeting (&pm)

Sept: 30 Homecoming Bonfire!

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 2 3 4 5

6 7

No School Labor Day Observed

8 9 10 11 12

13 14 15 16 17 18 Alumni Night

Football v. Berkshire

Ohio Lottery School of the

year Ceremony @ Harding High

School

19

20 Community Day

21

22 23

24

25

J SMILE it’s

Picture Day

26

27 28

Board Meeting

7pm

29 30 Homecoming

Bonfire and Parade 6pm

@Harding High School

October 1 2

Apple Orchard McBuck Field

Trip!