Week 30: 04/03/17 – 04/07/17

Screen Shot 2016-04-03 at 4.28.54 PM

It is my hope that you all had a restful, relaxing Spring Break. As we enter the final 7.5 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.

As we approach the final 7.5 weeks of the school year, it is easy for many teachers to get into that familiar habit of wishing that the year would end. I want to encourage you not to fall into that rut and make the last 7.5 weeks enjoyable and productive for your students.

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 3rd
School Resumes

Tuesday, April 4th
Teacher Institute Day (see Kennedy Conference for Agenda)

Wednesday, April 5th
Common Plan Time

Thursday, April 6th
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Thursday, April 7th
Happy Birthday Beata Dering 🙂

(04/08) Happy Birthday Sharon Muntova & Mirta Cruz 🙂

Week 29: 03/20/17 – 03/24/17

Screen Shot 2014-03-23 at 9.57.49 AM

Spring Break always arrives at the perfect time of the year! As we head into the final five days of school prior to break, I’m hopeful that students & staff will take full advantage of their time away from Kennedy. For some, it will give them time to recover from feeling under the weather, and for others it is time to spend with family & friends. Regardless of how you plan on spending the break, I hope you soak up every single second and come back re-energized for the home stretch!

Have a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break! Safe travels for those of you who are flying or taking a road trip. We look forward to seeing everyone as we welcome the students back on Monday, April 3rd.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 20th
PARCC Testing Resumes for our 3rd Graders….
2nd Grade Rehearsal @ LMS (9:00am)

Tuesday, March 21st
2nd Grade Music Performance @ LMS (9:00am)
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm (Kennedy Project Space)

Wednesday, March 22nd
PreK Field Trip to Field Museum
TECHNOLOGY Common Plan

Thursday, March 23rd
Spirit Assembly @ 9:00am
Kindergarten Information Night @ 6:00pm (Starts in Cafeteria)

Friday, March 24th
Spring Pictures in Gym

03/25 – 04/02 SPRING BREAK
(03/25) Happy Birthday Diane Serio 🙂

04/03 SCHOOL RESUMES

Week 28: 03/13/17 – 03/17/17

Screen Shot 2015-10-18 at 8.29.38 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 13th
Book Fair Browse Day (Room 112)
PARCC Testing Begins for 3rd Grade
Yearbook Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Talent Show Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room 106)

Tuesday, March 14th
Book Fair Browse Day (Room 112)
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm (Presentation Space)

Wednesday, March 15th
Book Fair Buy Day (Room 112)
7th Grade Buddies Visit 2nd Grade (9:00am-9:40am)
SCOTY Awards @ West Leyden (4:00pm)
Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, March 16th
Book Fair Buy Day (Room 112)
Talent Show Dress Rehearsal (@ Lincoln Middle School) *Will be streamed live via Google Hangouts On Air — LINK will be emailed to the Kennedy Conference for any classrooms that want to “tune in” on their SMART Panels at any point during the rehearsal. 
Talent Show @ 6:30pm (Lincoln School)

Friday, March 17th 
March Buddy Activity
5 Positive Connections by Friday
Second Grade Music Performance Practice

(03/19) Pancake Breakfast @ LMS (9am-12pm)

Week 27: 03/05/17 – 03/09/17

Thank you to everyone who helped contribute to the success of Dr. Seuss Night 2017! It was a wonderful evening filled with smiles and and incredible love of reading! Enjoy the photos on the sidebar of the blog, or click this link (All photos can be downloaded).

Screen Shot 2017-03-05 at 6.40.57 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 6th
Pennies for Patients continues this week
Yearbook Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm

Tuesday, March 7th
Kindergarten & 1st Grade to LMS for Washington Musical (8:45am)
2nd Grade Field Trip to Adler Planetarium (8:30am)

Wednesday, March 8th
2nd & 3rd Grades to LMS for Washington Musical (8:45am)

Thursday, March 9th
Code Red Drill (morning: time unannounced)
Author Visit: Alice McGinty Visits
*Andrew’s Last Day (Student teacher in PE)
Talent Show Practice After School (2:30pm-4:00pm)
PATS Field Trip to Navy Pier (3:45pm-7:45pm)

Friday, March 10th
Kindergarten Field Trip to Field Museum

(03/11) Happy Birthday Erin Moza 🙂

Blog Posts Worth Reading:
Blank Pages #KidsDeserveIt via Todd Nesloney

Pick Your Battles

How to Insert Google Keep Notes into Google Docs via Richard Byrne

The Fear of Sharing via George Couros

Week 26: 02/27/17 – 03/03/17

Screen Shot 2014-02-17 at 3.40.50 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 27th
Oh, the Places You’ll Go Day (A different teacher will come read to your class)
Online Registration Opens – letter going home with students today!
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm (Teacher’s Lounge)

Tuesday, February 28th
Green Eggs & Ham Day – Wear Green to School
1/2 Day of School: Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences <—click for schedule
Happy Birthday Alicia Peccatiello 🙂

Wednesday, March 1st
Wacky Wednesday (Show off your Wacky Hair)
Happy Birthday Tami Ericksen 🙂
Pennies for Patients Begins….<—flyer will go home with students’ collection boxes
Dr. Seuss Night! 6:00-7:30pm  *Hope to see you all there*
Cake Cutters should report at 5:30pm, all other volunteers report at 5:45pm

Thursday, March 2nd
Cat in the Hat Day (Wear your favorite hat to school)
Happy Birthday Bonnie Bricker 🙂
PATS State Monitoring Visit
Talent Show Practice (After school from 2:30pm-4:00pm)
Project Unify Game @ 3:45pm (LMS)

Friday, March 3rd
Fox in Socks Day (Wear silly socks to school)
Happy Birthday Natalie Barcas 🙂
PreK Screenings
Summative Evaluation Meetings for Non-Tenured Teachers (Scheduled by administrators)
(03/04) Happy Birthday Stephanie Orsa 🙂

(03/05) Happy Birthday Debi Cesario 🙂

Looking for Dr. Seuss Activities for Read Across America Week? Click the hat below for some Pinterest Ideas:

Screen Shot 2017-02-26 at 6.16.05 PM

Keep in mind we will have many visitors in our building on Wednesday for the big event! Please give your classroom spaces some extra TLC. Please also have your students organize/clean their Kubbies in the hallway. This is our opportunity to shine! Let’s continue to make Dr. Seuss Night a memorable event for our students, families and the community of Schiller Park!

Blog Posts Worth Reading:
10 Messages Every Teacher Should Send to Parents

“Families want teachers to teach their child, but they want even more for teachers to love their child. The whole child.”

Find Your Marigold: The One Essential Rule for New Teachers

Teach Like a Barista…Personalization Matters

Are We Innovating, or Just Digitizing Traditional Teaching? 

Wonder what HR 610 is all about? Watch the video below:

Week 25: 02/20/17 – 02/24/17

Screen Shot 2015-02-22 at 6.00.59 PM

I hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weather over this long 3-day weekend! Congratulations to Shannon David who tied the knot this past weekend!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 20th
NO SCHOOL: President’s Day

Tuesday, February 21st

Wednesday, February 22nd
6th Grade Buddies visit 1st Grade (9am-10am)
Technology Common Plan

Thursday, February 23rd
Digital Learning Day <–check out this presentation that Washington teachers Sara Kash & Rachel Cole made explaining DLD
Yearbook Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Talent Show Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room 106)

Friday, February 24th
Spirit Assembly @ 9:00am
Happy Birthday Shannon David 🙂

Week 24: 02/13/17 – 02/17/17

Screen Shot 2017-02-12 at 7.16.41 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 13th
Jump Rope For Heart Week begins in PE
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm

Tuesday, February 14th
Happy Birthday Kaitlin Hillner 🙂
Happy Valentine’s Day

Wednesday, February 15th
2nd/3rd Grade TAPS Meetings
PreK/K Collaboration during CPT
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm
Happy Birthday Agnes Niewinski 🙂

Thursday, February 16
Talent Show Auditions (in Presentation Space during the school day)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, February 17th
End of Trimester 2
Reading Room Plan Day
*Spring Conference Schedules Finalized in Google Doc by Today!
Happy Birthday Jackie Hood & Mike Deany 🙂

(02/20) NO SCHOOL: Presidents’ Day

Challenge your students to this Kindness game!

Screen Shot 2017-02-12 at 7.14.43 PM

Week 23: 02/06/16 – 02/10/16

Screen Shot 2016-02-15 at 1.30.11 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 6th
Happy Birthday Dina Natalie & Heather Longo 🙂

Tuesday, February 7th
1st-3rd Grades to LMS for Musical @ 8:45am
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm (Presentation Space)
Happy Birthday Alanna Mixter 🙂

Wednesday, February 8th
Foresters Financial in Lounge (403b Plans)
TAPS – PreK, K and 1st

Thursday, February 9th

Friday, February 10th
February Buddy Event
5 by Friday!

Hope to see you at the Open House on Saturday! 12-2pm! 
Screen Shot 2017-01-29 at 7.31.19 PM

Week 22: 01/30/17 – 02/03/17

Screen Shot 2017-01-29 at 7.15.29 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 30th
Welcome Back from Maternity Leave, Michelle McMorrow!
Michelle Nelson moves to Room 129 as mat leave replacement for B. Lane
ACCESS Testing Continues….

Tuesday, January 31st
100th Day of School!~
2nd Grade Field Trip to PF Chang’s (Howlett & Miro)
Reading Room Re-Opens

Wednesday, February 1st
2nd Grade Field Trip to PF Chang’s (David, Mixter & Rowland)

Thursday, February 2nd
2nd Grade Field Trip to PF Chang’s (Zaprev & Ward)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, February 3rd
5 by Friday! Make at least 5 Positive Connections!

(02/04) Happy Birthday Anne Weinthaler 🙂
(02/05) Happy Birthday Jenna Bartello 🙂

100th Day Ideas from Pinterest:
Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 5.55.41 PM  Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 5.41.55 PM   Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 5.40.10 PM  Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 5.40.50 PM    Screen Shot 2016-01-24 at 5.39.19 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.33.33 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.32.46 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.04.33 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.04.16 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.01.43 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.01.34 PM  Screen Shot 2015-01-25 at 6.01.03 PM

Mark Your Calendars…..
Invites are going home with students on Monday! Please talk about this Open House event with your students! Encourage children to have their parents RSVP for the event so we have a good idea on the number of people to expect! Staff, their children/families/friends are welcome, too! We hope to see you all there! 
Screen Shot 2017-01-29 at 7.31.19 PM

Week 21: 01/23/17 – 01/27/17

Screen Shot 2017-01-22 at 5.37.18 PM

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 23rd
Media Center Opens for Students!
ACCESS Testing Continues (RR Closed)
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm

Tuesday, January 24th
Happy Birthday Ofelia Golden 🙂

Wednesday, January 25th
1/2 Day of School (SIP Day Agenda will be emailed to Kennedy Conference)
5:30pm – PATS Parent Engagement Evening (Home Language & Children’s Literature)

Thursday, January 26th
Happy Birthday Brian Key 🙂

Friday, January 27th
Winter Birthdays Celebration in Lounge Before School (1st & 2nd Grade are bringing Treats!)
SPIRIT ASSEMBLY @ 1:35pm *NOTE NEW TIME

The annual Stars on Stage Talent Show will be on Thursday, March 17th. We are still looking for helpers to facilitate the rehearsals leading up to the main event! Helpers will be compensated for their time.

Screen Shot 2017-01-22 at 5.25.53 PM*Looking forward to learning with everyone during this Wednesday’s SIP day!
*All MAP meetings & non-tenured 3rd round observations must be scheduled/completed by February 1st !