YOU MADE IT!
The first week of the 22-23 school year is behind you! Well, technically the first 3 days with students.Thank you for your patience, grace, understanding, flexibility, and perseverance.Thank you for making connections with your students, making sure they feel safe, loved, and wanting to come back each day.Thank you for supporting your families, and easing their worries! Thank you for being kind to one another. We are all in this together, and the only way we’ll get through this is by supporting one another. Thank you for all you’ve done to help your colleagues and support one another.

As I shared last Tuesday in the opening day presentation, this year we will LEARN, GROW, and WIN together. Donna and I believe in each and every one of you and know you are exactly where you are meant to be…! Please know that you are valued and appreciated. Each day, you have the opportunity to make a positive impact on your Kubbies. Thank you for treating them with love, modeling flexibility, challenging them to be thinkers and problem-solvers, and nurturing their growth as students & little humans. Just like Ted Lasso said, “Success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas become the best version of themselves, on and off the field.” Let’s continue working together to help our Kubbies become the best version of themselves in and out of the classroom!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, August 29th
Starting Week 2!
First Day of Pre School (All Hands on Deck to help with Arrival and Dismissal)
8:30am-11:00am / 12:15pm – 2:45pm
New Teacher Meeting @ 2:50pm (Room B111)
Aimsweb Benchmarking Starts Today (During your RR Hour)

Tuesday, August 30th
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm (Upstairs Presentation Space)
Crisis Go Training (Bring your cell phone with you — be sure to download the Crisis Go App before the meeting)

Wednesday, August 31st
CPT Meetings –

Thursday, September 1st

Friday, September 2nd
5 by Friday!
Bus Evacuation Drill <—make sure every homebase is signed up!

Happy Friday! It’s a 3-day weekend! **Surprise in the Lounge for you**

Here’s the 2022-2023 Calendar for your Reference:
SD81 Calendar at a Glance 2022-2023 Calendar

(09/05) – NO SCHOOL/Labor Day

The end of the school year brings a wonderful opportunity for reflection. Please reflect on the following questions as we head into our final 5 days with students….

1. What did I do well this year?
   2. Where do I need to grow?
   3. What things will I challenge myself with next year?
   4. How will all of these answers impact the learners I serve?

Remember …. in these last days with your students….. take the time to tell your students what they mean to you! Have lunch together….ask each student to share their favorite memory. Share YOUR favorite memories with your class. Send a Kennedy Kubbie positive postcard and put it in the mail on the last day of school to wish them a great summer! Enjoy your last days….. it’s the happiest and saddest time, all in one. So while you’re crossing off those final items from your end-of-year TO DO list, remember to enjoy your final time together & make your end of the year count!

Keep in mind, the end of the year is not always happy for some of our students, whose only security and love comes from US. Thank you in advance for loving the students and reassuring them that we love them and can’t wait to see them again soon!

For those of you moving on to new adventures, remember that you’re only as good as your last exit…and for those of us returning, know that students remember the educators that we are the last week(s) of school — so let’s make sure they remember the best of what we have to offer! Finish strong and wrap up the year with a beautiful bow! Have a wonderful week….and remember to be great for our Kubbies and each other.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 30th
NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 31st
V – Video Day
3rd Grade Fly Up Day to Washington School (9-10am)
K-2 Fly Up Presentation (1:30-2:00pm)
Last Full Day of School for Kindergarten Students
8th Grade Graduations @ LMS (evening)

Wednesday, June 1st
W – Walk Day
Kindergarten Graduations in Kinder Project Space
*Please avoid using this hallway with your class that day!
CPT Meetings

Thursday, June 2nd
X – eXchange Autographs/Yearbook Signing
Last Day of School for PreK Students
DARE Graduations @ Washington School

Friday, June 3rd
Y – YODA best (Star Wars/Baby Yoda Day)
Happy Birthday, Lauren Seren 🙂
PreK Screenings

You’ve almost reached the end of the 2021-2022 school year!

We have so much to be grateful for! The students have come so far!

We are here. May 23rd, 2022.
2 more weeks of school with this group of amazing Kubbies.
And here you are.

Let’s keep going! We’ve got this!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 23rd
Book Fair – Browse Day
Q – Quiet Day

Tuesday, May 24th
Book Fair – Browse Day
R – Relax and Read Day

Wednesday, May 25th
Book Fair – Buy Day
S – Sunglasses & Sandals Day
Support Staff Breakfast in the Lounge @ 7:30am
2nd/3rd TAPS Check-In

Thursday, May 26th
Book Fair – Buy Day
T- Tie Dye Day
3rd Grade Virtual Dinosaur Fair

Friday, May 27th
FIELD DAY!
U – Wear Your Field Day Uniform Shirt
PreK Parent/Student Workshops

(05/30) NO SCHOOL – MEMORIAL DAY

**Reminders:
-Schedule your Spring MAP data meetings with your admin
-TENURED TEACHERS: Schedule your summative meeting with your admin

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 16th
Benchmarking & MAP Testing Begins
“L” – Letter Day

Tuesday, May 17th
“M” – Music Day

Wednesday, May 18th
“N” – Neon Day
K/1 TAPS Check-In
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (1st Grade Project Space)
Board Meeting @ 7pm (Recognizing Newly Tenured Teachers)

Thursday, May 19th
“O” – Outside Day
Retirement Party @ 4:00pm

Friday, May 20th
“P” – Pajama Day

*Next Week: Scholastic Book Fair!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 9th
G- Game Day

Tuesday, May 10th
H – Hat Day
3rd Grade – Chicago Dogs Baseball Game Outing (9:30 am – 1:30 pm)
*Note: No Specials, RR, or Polish Bilingual, as they will be chaperoning 3rd grade
SLT Meeting @ 2:50pm

Wednesday, May 11th
I – Inside Out Day
1/2 SIP Day <—agenda to follow

Thursday, May 12th
J – Jersey Day
PreK Family Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo
Discipline Committee Meeting @ 3:45pm

Friday, May 13th
K – Kennedy Day
Happy Birthday John Grobe
5 by Friday! Keep making those positive connections with families!

Tomorrow marks the start of Teacher Appreciation Week! The entire week is about celebrating ALL OF YOU who influence the lives of our students. I certainly appreciate all the little things you do, but what I appreciate the most is the safe, nurturing learning environments you create for our Kubbies. It’s evident how hard you work every single day to make a difference in your students’ lives and the lives of each other.

Thank you for your unwavering commitment to the children at Kennedy School. I continue to be both inspired and empowered by your dedication and passion! The children are blessed to have you in their lives. I hope you enjoy your special week and as we enter into the “home stretch”, please keep your eye on the children and know you have made an incredible impact on their lives.

I hope you know how much of a pleasure it is to work with all of you and how proud I am to be your colleague. Thank you for all that you do here at Kennedy School. You are changing lives!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 2nd
“B” Beach Day – Dress for the Beach
SPECIAL EMAIL SURPRISE courtesy of Dr. B and the Board of Education

Tuesday, May 3rd
“C” Wear Your Favorite Color Day
BAGELS for BREAKFAST in Faculty Lounge courtesy of the SPEA
Talent Show Dress-Rehearsal (During the Day @ LMS)
Talent Show @ 6pm – EVERYONE is welcome! Hope to see you there!

Wednesday, May 4th
“D” Disney Day
LUNCHEON in Faculty Lounge courtesy of Dr. B and the Board of Education
Marine Biologist Visits 2nd Grade (Presentation Space)
K/1 TAPS Check-In
Happy Birthday Abby Domingo 🙂

Thursday, May 5th
“E” – Extra Recess Day
MAILBOX surprise from admin
Mentor End-of-Year Celebration (4pm off-site)

Friday, May 6th
“F” – Fitness Day
KEAN’S DONUTS in Faculty Lounge courtesy of Dr. B
Nurse’s Day – Let’s show Jeanne some love!
5 by Friday! Continue to make those positive connections with families!!!!

(05/08) Happy Birthday Jen Mauck 🙂

The excerpt below from Paige Givens.

The hallway is quiet. The teacher unlocks her classroom door and thinks to herself…..

7 more weeks left. I can do this. I can! There is so much more left to get to. I’m going to have to make every minute count. No days “off”. I’m going to have to use every second to make sure those kids are ready for the next grade. I don’t want them going on with holes in their understanding. Wow…I’ve got so much to do in only 7 weeks, and some of that will be interrupted by meetings, PD, testing, and a mountain of end-of-the-year paperwork. Can I really do this, and do it right? I can do this. Okay. 7 more weeks…..

Down the hall, another teacher sits at her desk and gazes around her classroom. She thinks to herself….

7 more weeks. 25 years of being an educator, and now it all comes down to 7 more weeks. This room has held my career within its walls. It’s seen the tears, the frustration, the laughter, the wonder, and the joy. It’s been a stage for miracles. The one boy–wow–I thought he’d never start reading, and then boom! One day, the light came on and he was reading everything he could get his hands on! And then, I taught his son years later, and Jenny’s boy, too. I wonder if those kids remember me? I wonder if they know how much I loved teaching them? How they helped me, REALLY helped me, through that year when my life was upside down? I’m tired. I’m ready for retirement, but goodness–I will miss this school. These kids. I will miss standing at my door and getting hugs and good morning smiles each day. I’ve done it for 25 years, and now I have just 7 more weeks….

Next door, another teacher turns on her laptop & sighs to herself….

7 more weeks. If I can just get through the next 7 weeks, I will be free of this place, at least for the summer. Free of the pressure. Free of the frustration of giving, giving, giving and seeing nothing gained. I wonder if that one had her medicine before she got on the bus this morning? Because there is no way I can fight through 7 more weeks of her all day long. I need some help. I’m so burnt-out. Let’s see….I’ve covered all of my standards, so I’m going to coast through these next 7 weeks and make them go as fast as I can…ugh, 7 more weeks.

Across the hall, a teacher thinks to herself as she posts the day’s assignment….

7 more weeks. I’m going to miss these kiddos. All of them. Yes…all of them! I hope I’ve done what they need every day. I hope I’ve shown them how much I love them! I hope that this one ate dinner last night, or he’s going to be starving this morning. I’ll need to make sure he eats breakfast either way. I hope that this one got some shoes that didn’t have a hole in the top. Shoot! I should have gotten her some while we were on break…why didn’t I remember that? Well, I still have 7 weeks to help these kids. I can do a lot in 7 weeks.

And on the bus, a child stares out the window and thinks….

7 more weeks. That’s all I get. Only 7 more weeks to call that teacher mine. I only get 7 more weeks to see her smiling at me, to tell her about my days at home, to smell her lotion. I only get 7 more weeks to get some good food for lunch and breakfast, for her to give me a snack. I’m glad she doesn’t get mad at me for not having a snack. I only get 7 more weeks to listen to her read stories. I like her voice. It’s never too loud or too mean. I only get to listen to her for 7 more weeks. I wish we could come to school every day, even on the weekends. Even in the summer. And I wish she could be my teacher all the time. But that’s not how it works. I get 7 more weeks. That’s not very long…..

There are a lot of ways to look at 7 more weeks. How can we make it count?

Monday, April 25th

Tuesday, April 26th

Wednesday, April 27th
Administrative Assistant’s Day
2/3 TAPS Check-In

Thursday, April 28th
Talent Show After-School Practice (2:30pm-4:00pm)
Kindergarten Round-Up (6:00pm)

Thursday, April 29th
ABC Countdown Begins!
Spirit Assembly @ 9:00am

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 18th
NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, April 19th
NWEA Researchers Visit Kennedy School – Please join me in welcoming Chase & Greg!
Happy Birthday Chris G.

Wednesday, April 20th
K/1 TAPS Check-In
CPT Meetings
Board Meeting @ 7pm

Thursday, April 21st
Happy Birthday Anna Kaminska (Yellow Bus)
Talent Show Practice After-School (2:30pm-4:00pm)

Friday, April 22nd
Earth Day!
PreK Parent Workshops

(04/23) Schiller Park Baseball Opening Day
Come out for an hour on Saturday & support our Kubbies in this fun, Opening Day event!
Bring your own little ones to enjoy the fun!
Kenny the Kubbie will be in the parade, passing out candy along the parade route.
Shelton Field is right behind Kennedy School 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 11th

Tuesday, April 12th
2nd & 3rd Grades to LMS for Matilda Jr. musical (9am-11am)
Talent Show Committee Meeting (Rm D209) @ 2:45pm

Wednesday, April 13th
Happy Birthday, Anita Brugioni 🙂
1/2 Day of School (SIP Agenda Emailed Out)
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm

Thursday, April 14th

Friday, April 15th
5 by Friday! Make 5 positive connections with families by Friday!

(04/18) NO SCHOOL

Welcome Back!

It is my hope that you all had a restful, relaxing Spring Break. As we enter the final 9 weeks of school, I realize this can be a challenging time for us, as both students & staff get Spring Fever. We have been working hard for 7 months and we’re getting closer to the end of the school year. Now is when we must do our best work. The cliche of “it’s not how you start, but how you finish” is so true! We must finish strong and carry out our momentum until the end of the school year. Keep in mind, the more you stray from your classroom routine/schedule, the more antsy your students will get. If you keep focused, they will follow your lead.

Each and every day our students need us. Remember that you may be the only constant presence in some of our students’ lives. Make a choice each day for your presence to be a positive, constant factor. It is a great opportunity that we have to come to school and have an impact on students’ lives from day to day. We all became educators because we care about kids. When the students feel that their teachers care about them, when they feel safe in our classes, optimal learning will take place.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 4th
Welcome Back!

Tuesday, April 5th
Talent Show Auditions (Presentation Space Upstairs During School Day)

Wednesday, April 6th
CPT Meetings
K/1 TAPS Check-In

Thursday, April 7th
Happy Birthday Beata Dering
Happy Birthday Mirta Cruz
Happy Birthday Paige Manley

Friday, April 8th
Happy Birthday Sharon Muntova