This week we have some changes to our usual routine — Santa Visits, Parents’ Night Out, Holiday Celebrations and sharing holiday wishes. Then on Friday, we all head home for Winter Break where our celebrations continue with our family and friends.

From Jennifer Dinielli’s Blog:
“True for some, not for all. As Winter Break draws near, along with all of the excitement, it is not uncommon to see an increase in undesired behaviors and regression to previous behaviors in our students. For many of our students, home is a place where relationships are unhealthy, meals are not prepared, and drugs/alcohol or violence are part of daily life. For these students, many of whom we may not even be aware of their circumstances, the most consistent, positive and secure part of their life is time at school. No wonder they are exhibiting some stress. When these students walk out of our doors on Friday, there may be no breakfast or lunch, no counseling services, no celebrations, no gifts, and no one to encourage and support them.

So we support our children. We collaborate with our community to provide basic necessities (food, coats, boots, meals). We give our kids books from our classrooms to read over the break. We express that we are thankful for each other and look forward to being together again as a school community in the new year.

And even though we are tired and looking forward to a much-needed break ourselves, we keep an eye on those who are acting out more than usual. We give them structure and routine. We give them a break. We give them encouragement. This may not be their favorite time of the year.”

Thank you for ALL YOU DO for our Kennedy Kubbies EVERYDAY!

Santa & his elves will be visiting the students at Kennedy School on Thursday, December 19th. Santa will be set up in the front lobby for K-3rd (the couch area). *Santa will set up in the Pre School entryway near Door 22 for our PreK/PATS friends!

Thank you for your flexibility. As always, the office ladies will call your class down to greet Santa. Please remind your students, in the best interest of allowing Santa to visit with all 700 students, each Kubbie should be prepared to ask Santa for 1 item! We will be on hand to take photos of students & 1 “class” photo, which will then be posted on our school Flickr account for you to easily download.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 16th
Winter Benchmarking
Happy Birthday Sue O’Connell 🙂
1st Grade Data Meeting @ 2:30pm

Tuesday, December 17th
PreK Tree Decorating Parties (10-11am, 1:45pm-2:45pm) in Cafeteria
*See email from Sara/Donna re: Adjusted Lunch Plans

Wednesday, December 18th
Happy Birthday Kim Sendelbach 🙂
1st Grade Field Trip to Stahl Family Theater (9:30am)
2nd/3rd Grade TAPS during CPT
Board Meeting @ 7pm

Thursday, December 19th
Santa Visits Kennedy School
Reading Room Drop Off Day
**KUBBIE HOLIDAY POSTCARDS DUE TO THE OFFICE
District SLC/SLBC Pancakes & Pajamas @ 9:30am
Parents Night Out (4:30pm-7:30pm)

Friday, December 20th
Reading Room Drop Off Day
Spirit Assembly!
Pajama and Movie Day 🙂

School Resumes on January 6th! Have a wonderful Winter Break! 

December can be a crazy time in the classroom. The kids are antsy, your personal to-do list is a mile long (professional and person), and you’re still trying to cover curriculum while you can. But it’s also a time for gratitude, tradition, and reflection, which is why We Are Teachers created the Random Acts of Kindness Calendar (below) for the classroom! Download it, print it, and share it with your students!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 9th
2nd Grade Data Review Meeting
Yearbook/Technology Club (2:30pm-4:00pm)

Tuesday, December 10th
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm
Chorus Concert (6th-8th Grade) @ 6:30pm

Wednesday, December 11th
PreK/K/1st TAPS Meetings

Thursday, December 12th
Vision/Hearing Testing (Room 135)
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm

Friday, December 13th
Christmas Cookie Contest (see email from Marissa Mazzone) 
Winter Benchmarking
SD81 Holiday Party

Interested in helping volunteer for Parents Night Out next Thursday, December 19th?
SIGN UP HERE!

Welcome Back! 

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Break, spending time with family, friends & those you love. Now we move to the month of December, full of learning, fun, and special events…and a holiday break to enjoy in just 3 short weeks! We have lots to do with our kids from now until December 20th, and look forward to their growth when they return in January. They always seem more grown up right after the break…happens every year!

Things to keep in mind these next 3 weeks:

• For some of our students who will say “it’s almost Winter break” and lack motivation, it is time to push them & keep them excited and eager to learn.
• For our students who come from challenging circumstances at home and are feeling anxiety about not being at Kennedy for over two weeks (and acting out because of it), it is time to show them how much you care & make the most of these next 15 days.
• For our students that just keep smiling & working hard each day, it is time to pull them aside and tell them how much you appreciate them (Positive Postcard? Good News Call Home?)

Be proud of what we’ve accomplished with our students so far this year, but please keep the focus on learning in your classrooms as we return from Thanksgiving Break. In addition, I’d encourage you to:

• Take a second and tell a colleague that you’ve noticed how hard they are working and that you appreciate them working so hard. Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.
• Make time to reflect on some of the positives that we’ve had this year that may have been overlooked as we have overcome the challenges of not having enough time.
• Set a tone for your students that regardless of how much time is left before a long break that all of us will work hard and make the most of our school days.
• Celebrate being a member of our Kennedy School family

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 2nd
Santa’s Secret Shop (Browse Day) <–click for schedule
Happy Birthday Lizbeth Hohmeier 🙂
Happy Birthday Lynette Aguirre 🙂
3rd Grade Data Meeting

Tuesday, December 3rd
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
2nd Grade Field Trip to Beauty and the Beast
SEL Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Upstairs PD Space)
Charity Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Fundraising Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm

Wednesday, December 4th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
Happy Birthday Michelle Miro 🙂
WINTER WONDERLAND
It will be free admission for our families & not only will they have an opportunity to eat a delicious pasta dinner (served by the Board of Education), there will be crafts and games for children, as well as pictures with Santa. This year, there will be some awesome raffle baskets & silent auction items!

Thursday, December 5th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
Happy Birthday Becky Zora 🙂 

Friday, December 6th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Last Buy Day)

(12/08) Happy Birthday Cindy DeRose 🙂