Let’s make this an amazing last 4 days before Winter Break for our KUBBIES!

This week I’m sure we have some changes to our usual routine — Spirit Assembly, Holiday Celebrations and sharing holiday wishes. Then on Thursday, we all head home for Winter Break where our celebrations continue with our family and friends.

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 Thursday, 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, hats, gloves, 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 kids EVERYDAY!!! 

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 19th
Seasonal Color Day (Wear red, green, or blue)
Happy Birthday Marcela Barron 🙂
Motivational Monday
Hearing/VIsion Re-Testing (in PATS Room)

Tuesday, December 20th
Toasty Tuesday – Wear your favorite holiday socks, flannel shirt or winter hat
December Buddy Activity
SLC/SLBC Winter Celebrations @ Washington School (9:00am-10:15am)

Wednesday, December 21st
Deck the Halls – Wear your holiday sweater or anything festive!
1st Grade Field Trip to Stahl Family Theater (9:45am-12:00pm)
CPT Meetings
Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, December 22nd
PAJAMA DAY – Snuggle up for the last day of school!
Spirit Assembly!

Friday, December 23rd
WINTER BREAK through January 8th

(01/02) Happy Birthday Chrysanthe Agos
(01/06) Happy Birhtday Mayra Tellez
(01/08) Happy Birthday Nancy Weir

We’ll see you on January 9th for a Teacher Institute Day!
Have a wonderful Winter Break! 

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 12th
Motivational Monday
Winter Benchmarking (No RR this week)
Winter MAP Testing Continues
3rd Grade Data Review Meeting

Tuesday, December 13th

Wednesday, December 14th
TAPS CPT
Kennedy Singers Rehearsal @ LMS (9am)
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm

Thursday, December 15th
Happy Birthday Katherine Zoladz 🙂
Happy Birthday Anastasia Todorova 🙂
Kindergarten Gingerbread Hunt
Kennedy Singers Rehearsal @ LMS (9:30am)
NO Kennedy Singers today!
Kennedy/Washington Winter Choral Concert @ LMS (6:30pm)

Friday, December 16th
Happy Birthday Sue O’Connell 🙂
D81 Holiday Party

(12/18) Happy Birthday Kim Sendelbach 🙂

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 the curriculum while you can. But it’s also a time for gratitude, tradition, and reflection, which is why Tales from a Very Busy Teacher created the December 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 5th
Motivational Monday
Winter MAP Window Opens
Yearbook Club (1st Grade Project Space) 2:30pm – 4:00pm
2nd Grade Data Review Meeting (Room E221) @ 2:45pm

Tuesday, December 6th
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm
Culture/Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room E221)
Charitable Kubbies Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm

Wednesday, December 7th
Happy Birthday Dr. Boryszewski 🙂
TAPS CPT

Thursday, December 8th
Happy Birthday Cindy DeRose 🙂
Kennedy Singers @ 2:30pm
SLT Meeting @ 2:50pm

Friday, December 9th
Kenny’s Kindest Awards
5 by Friday! Make 5 positive Connections!

Welcome Back! 

I hope you enjoyed your well-deserved Thanksgiving Break, spending time with family, friends & those you love. Crazy to think we are wrapping up the month of November and heading into December, full of learning and fun…and a holiday break to look forward to! We have lots to do with our kids from now until December 22nd, and look forward to their growth when they return in January.

Things to keep in mind these upcoming 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 few weeks.
• 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, November 28th
NO SCHOOL: Full Day of Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher Conference Week
Book Fair Week

Tuesday, November 29th
Book Fair Preview Day
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm

Wednesday, November 30th
Book Fair Buy Day
Happy Birthday Barbara Zawadzka
CPT Meetings

Thursday, December 1st
Book Fair Buy Day

Friday, December 2nd
PreK Screenings

(12/04) Happy Birthday Michelle Miro 🙂