From blogger Krissy Venosdale (this blog post is perfectâŚespecially after engaging in thought-provoking dialogues with each of you about Winter MAP scores).Â
âTake a typical lesson, on a typical day, in a typical classroom. We are constantly reaching out to the learners who have fallen behind. Tutoring. Interventions. Extra time. Small group. Individualized Instruction. Scaffolding. All of these things are so important, and weâd all agree, essential for the success of students who need the extra support.
But doesnât every kid need support? What about the kids who already know it? Maybe they learned it on their own, got it really quickly, or read about it once before. They think differently. Should they wait to learn? What will be done differently for those kids?
We tend to say things like, âTheyâll be fine.â But fine really isnât good enough. What if we offered more for all kids. Not just on one lesson, or one day, but whenever they need it. Bringing everyone up to a level that, for them, is enough for a good healthy stretch. Reaching, struggling, extending.
Because in that stretch? There is learningâŚ.The kind every kid deserves.â
Thank you all for your dedication and passion towards doing whatever it takes to reach everysinglechild. Thank you for always making child-centered decisions and being relentless when it comes to ensuring all of our children grow and progress in all areas of their development. Thank you for nurturing and supporting each Kubbie on their path!
Hereâs our week at a glance:
Monday, January 30th High Impact Tutoring
Tuesday, January 31st Hight Impact Tutoring Culture/Celebrations Committee Meeting
Wednesday, February 1st Spirit wear Sale Starts! 1/2 Day School Improvement (Agenda will be emailed)
Thursday, February 2nd Kennedy Singers
Friday, February 3rd Happy Birthday Liz Callahan đ
Happy New Year and Welcome Back! I hope you enjoyed a restful, relaxing breakâtime 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 2023! I know our students will be SO EXCITED to see you all on Tuesday morning!
If youâre feeling any trepidation about getting up early for the first day in quite some time, I completely understand! Itâs 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, itâs 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.
We look forward to “toasting” to the new year with you all on Monday morning to kick-off our Institute Day together.
Hereâs our week at a glance:
(01/08) Happy Birthday Nancy Weir đ
Monday, January 9th Teacher Institute Day – agenda will be emailed
Tuesday, January 10th Happy Birthday Jeanne Keifer đ
Wednesday, January 11th CPT Meetings
Thursday, January 12th CF Meeting
Friday, January 13th PreK Screening 5 by Friday! Continue making positive connections with parents!
Letâs 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 â 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!!!Â
Here’s our week at a glance:
Monday, December 19th Seasonal Color Day (Wear red, green, or blue) Happy Birthday Marcela Barron đ 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
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 youâre still trying to cover the curriculum while you can. But itâs 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!
Hereâs 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
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 funâŚand 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 âitâs almost Winter breakâ 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 weâve 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, Iâd encourage you to:
Take a second and tell a colleague that youâve 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 weâve 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
âWhen asked to identify what made the school so good, every person, without fail, said it was the people of the school: the children, the families, and most importantly, the staff. Nobody said, âWe have a really great computer labâ or âa brand new reading textbook.â (Eaker, DuFour, & DuFour, 2002)
With the Thanksgiving holidays quickly approaching, I thought it was a great time to simply offer heartfelt thanks to all of you for enriching the lives of our students. Whether you are a returning teacher, a teacher in a new role, or a teacher new to Kennedy School, I am sincerely thankful that you are here. Donna and I have the best jobs in the world because we are surrounded by the hardest-working teachers in the world. In the above quote, Eaker & colleagues have clearly stated what makes our own school great: It is not our facilities, or our curriculum, or technology; instead, it is each of you performing great deeds day in and day out. THANK YOU for teaching us so clearly what effective teachers do differently, and thanks for teaching with passion each day!
The timing and relevance of this blog post are most appropriate âŚ.. Please take 2 minutes to read Beth Houfâs post, entitled Exhausted Educator, I See You! As she says:
Here’s our week at a glance:
Monday, November 14th Vision/Hearing (K-3 Students) Motivational Monday 1st Grade Data Review Meeting @ 2:45pm (E221) New Teacher Meeting @ 2:50pm (D205)
Tuesday, November 15th Vision/Hearing (K-3 Students) Happy Birthday Sandy Montes de Oca đ New Teacher/Mentor Meeting (4:00pm)
Wednesday, November 16th Staff Thanksgiving Feast in Lounge (sign up to bring something here) CPT Meetings Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm
Thursday, November 17th November Buddy Event Kennedy Singers @ 2:30pm TWD @ Bub City (3:15pm)
Friday, November 18th NO Spirit Assembly Today (we are waiting on the new sound system in the gymnasium)
(11/19) Happy Birthday Shandi Hammer (11/20) Happy Birthday Rosa Worwa
