Happy New Year and Welcome Back! I hope you enjoyed a restful, relaxing break–time to disconnect from work thoughts, time to enjoy family and friends and to just enjoy time to relax. It is amazing how refreshing the holiday break can be to come back to start an amazing 2020! I know our students will be SO EXCITED to see you all on Monday morning!
If you’re feeling the “Sunday scaries” about getting up early for the first day in quite some time, I completely understand! It’s hard for adults and kids to get back into the swing of things after such a long break. This is a great time to re-connect with students and let them do so with their classmates by giving them time to talk about what they did over break! Keep in mind, it’s a great time to review classroom management basics as we embark upon a new calendar year at Kennedy, where our students are blessed to receive quality instruction on a  daily basis in safe and orderly classrooms. I appreciate your efforts with reinforcing behavior expectations. Here’s a great blog post from Pernille Ripp on this topic: Ideas for Working with the January Slump.
Much like last year……Â
Jon Gordon’s “One Word” asks you to think of one word that gives meaning & focus to your life. Jon suggests coming up with one word instead of list of resolutions.
“A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be a ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp or biting or rich and soft and slow. A single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life!”
I challenge you to choose one word this January–a word to focus on, reflect upon as one goes about daily life. Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2020? It can be something tangible or intangible…it could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. Donna, Sara and I look forward to re-connecting with you all, hearing all about your Winter Breaks! Please reflect on what your ONE WORD will be for 2020, and keep your eye out for an email….we’ll need you to submit your ONE WORD for a future activity at the faculty meeting on Tuesday, January 14th!
Here’s our week at a glance:
Monday, January 6th
Welcome Back! School Resumes
Happy Birthday Mayra Tellez 🙂
Keep in mind…..Some students will be BURSTING to share their breaks with you! Some kids will be DYING for a HUG! Some kids will need to shake off the cobwebs! Allow for it all! Connection over curriculum on Monday!  Let’s reignite our passion and remember to bring the awesome this week!
Tuesday, January 7th
Culture Committee’s STEP CHALLENGE begins! <—email Mary Beth to sign up!
Wednesday, January 8th
Harlem Wizard’s Assembly (K-3) @ 8:15am
CPT – reconnect, plan, and regroup FLEX groups based on Winter MAP scores!
Thursday, January 9th
Vision & Hearing Re-Screens
SEL Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Upstairs PD Space)
Friday, January 10th
PreK Screenings
5 by Friday! Keep those positive connections with families going strong!
Check out this January 2020 Kindness Challenge (click the picture for the file):
Join the fun at www.thegreatkindnesschallenge.com to promote kindness in schools, communities, and homes. Sign your classroom up to receive access to all the check lists (like the one below):
