Week 3: 09/04/23 – 09/08/23

“An apple for the teacher is really nothing new,
except when you remember, parents are teachers, too!” 

Thank you for the hard work you have dedicated towards your presentations and classroom websites for Curriculum Night this Thursday. I look forward to visiting all of your classrooms as you highlight the wonderful programming and educational experiences Kennedy School provides, and I know the parents and families are eager to visit as well. Another reminder will be sent home with students this week, but please try to send home another reminder with your students on Thursday *My favorite: The sentence strip head-band reminder! 🙂

“What makes a good school has very little to do with how rich or poor the students are, or the type of curriculum that’s taught. It has very little to do with the special programs, expansive playing fields, snappy uniforms, or whether the school is wired to the Internet. What makes a good school, whether it’s public or private, religious or nonreligious, charter or non-charter, is a feeling. A feeling shared by the entire staff that their particular school is special. The feeling that their school really belongs to them.” (Manna, 1999).

At Kennedy School, each member of our team has a distinctive character that cares deeply about each and every one of our Kennedy Kubbies. Your unique attributes and talents contribute to the feeling people get when they enter this building. As a result, our children will remember you long after they leave Kennedy.

“Schools are not buildings, curriculums, and machines. Schools are relationships and interactions among people.”

I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing and enjoyable weekend with friends and family. Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, September 4th
NO SCHOOL – Labor Day

Tuesday, September 5th
Kindergarten Color Days Begin – Red Day!

Wednesday, September 6th
Orange Day –
Early Release – CPT Meetings
All Staff Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm – Indoor Amphitheater/Learning Stairs by 3rd Gr Project Space

Thursday, September 7th
Yellow Day
Kennedy Curriculum Night (6:00pm-7:30pm)

Friday, September 8th
Green Day
5 by Friday – Make  5 Positive Connections by each Friday! Remember, positive postcards can be found in the main office! 

The start of the school year is the best time to begin building positive relationships with our families, too! I encourage you to meet our goal of 5 positive contacts by Friday over the next few weeks (phone calls, post cards, notes home, etc). Let’s remember….. our goal is to ensure that 100% of our parents experience communication/contact with their child’s teacher prior to the November Parent/Teacher conferences!

Week 2: 08/28/23 – 09/01/23

YOU MADE IT!
The first week of the 23-24 school year is behind youWell, technically the first 3 days with students.Thank you for your patiencegraceunderstandingflexibility, 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.

Donna, Kim, 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.

***If you haven’t done so already, please take the time to fill out this GETTING TO KNOW YOU survey! Thank you!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, August 28th
First Day of Pre School! All Hands on Deck for their arrivals (8:25am and 12:10pm) and dismissals (10:50am and 2:35pm).
Aimsweb Benchmarking Begins
STEM begins this week!

Tuesday, August 29th

Wednesday, August 30th
CPT Meetings – Admin Popping in for Crisis Go Training

Thursday, August 31st

Friday, September 1st
Kennedy Bus Evacuation Drills <—make sure every homebase teacher signs up for a timeslot.

(09/04) NO SCHOOL – LABOR DAY

Week 39: 06/05/23 – 06/07/23

Congratulations on the completion of the 2022-2023 school year!  

It’s hard to believe the year has come to an end. Please accept our thanks for all the wonderful experiences you provided the children this year. 

Thank you for always making our Kubbies feel loved, safe, happy and for nurturing their growth. We are confident the children will never forget how you made them feel.   

We look forward to our continued work together next year and we are confident that our collective staff will continue to keep our eyes on the children and support each other!  

We are proud of what we have been able to accomplish this year and look forward to what we can continue to do for the children of Kennedy School….together!  

Have a wonderful summer. Enjoy your time with those you love. You certainly deserve it! Here’s a great blog post from George Couros…3 Reminders for the End of the School Year

We challenge you to reflect on 4 questions as you head into summer break:

  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! 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 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 last week (3 days) at a glance

Monday, June 5th
PreK Screenings
Kindergarten Screeenings
1st Grade Picnic @ Kennedy Park
2nd Grade Picnic @ North Park
Discipline Committee Meeting @ LMS (3:45pm)

Tuesday, June 6th
PreK Screenings
3rd Grade Picnic @ North Park
Retirement Party @ Biagio’s (4:00pm) <—Be sure to submit $15 payment in office

Wednesday, June 7th
Last Day of School
1/2 Day – Students Dismiss @ 10:55am
****WAVING THE BUSES GOODBYE IN THE BUS LANE! PLEASE BEGIN LINING UP AT 10:45 AM BY BOTH DOOR 24 AND DOOR 23*****
End of Year Presentation by Admin @ 11:30 am (in the cafeteria)

Week 38: 05/29/23 – 06/02/23

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 29th
NO SCHOOL – MEMORIAL DAY

Tuesday, May 30th
3rd Grade Fly Up Day to Washington School

Wednesday, May 31st
3rd Grade Field Trip to Chicago Dogs Baseball Game
Kindergarten Picnic @ Kennedy Park (11am-1pm)
CPT Meetings

Thursday, June 1st
Last Day of PreK
Last Day of Kindergarten
PreK Picnic at Kennedy Park
FIELD DAY! <–see email from Patrick for schedule
8th Grade Graduation (evening)

Friday, June 2nd
Kindergarten Graduations
Summer Birthday Celebrations in Faculty Lounge
*Please avoid walking down the Kindergarten hallway today*
8th Grade Graduation (evening)

(06/03) Happy Birthday Lauren Seren 🙂
(06/04) Happy Birthday Allie Parisi 🙂

Week 37: 05/22/23 – 05/26/23

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 22nd
Motivational Monday
Kennedy Singers – Rehearsal @ LMS
Yearbook Club (2:30pm-4:00pm)

Tuesday, May 23rd
New Teacher/Mentor End of Year Celebration (4:00pm-5:30pm)
3-5 Spring Chorus Concert (6:30pm @ LMS)

Wednesday, May 24th
CPT Meetings
1st Grade – Rehearsal @ LMS

Thursday, May 25th
3rd Grade Virtual Dinosaur Fair
1st Grade Memorial Day Performance @ 9:30am (LMS)

Friday, May 26th
Last Spirit Assembly of the year!

(05/29) NO SCHOOL – Memorial Day

Week 36: 05/15/23 – 05/19/23

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 15th
Motivational Monday
Benchmarking/MAP Testing Begins (Reading Room closed)

Tuesday, May 16th
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm

Wednesday, May 17th
CPT Meetings
Board of Education Meeting 7pm

Thursday, May 18th

Friday, May 19th

(05/20) Happy Birthday Kimi Klein

Week 34: 05/08/23 – 05/12/23

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week 🙂

This entire week is about celebrating ALL OF YOU!

Donna and I appreciate all that you do to prepare meaningful learning opportunities for your students each day, but what we appreciate the most is the safe, welcoming, nurturing learning environments that you have established for our Kubbies who LOVE coming to school each day.

I hope you know how much we enjoy working with each of you & how proud we are to be your colleague. Thank you for all you do here at Kennedy School. You are appreciated today & everyday.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 8th
Happy Birthday Jen Mauck 🙂
Motivational Monday
2nd & 3rd Grades to LMS for Lincoln Musical @ 9am

Tuesday, May 9th
Kindergarten Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo

Wednesday, May 10th
Happy Birthday Aicha Koukous 🙂
1/2 Day of School
Support Staff Luncheon & Baby/Bridal Shower

Thursday, May 11th
PreK Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo

Friday, May 12th
Nurse’s Day

(05/13) Happy Birthday John Grobe 🙂

(05/14) Mother’s Day

Week 33: 05/01/23 – 05/-05/23

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 1st
Motivational Monday

Tuesday, May 2nd
ABC Countdown Begins!
Kennedy SLC/SLBC to Washington for Spring Activities

Wednesday, May 3rd
CPT Meetings

Thursday, May 4th
Happy Birthday, Abby Domingo & Lesli Cano 🙂

Friday, May 5th
Spring Birthday Celebrations in the Lounge

Looking Ahead….

Week 32: 04/24/23 – 04/28/23

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 24th
Happy Birthday Lauren Wartner 🙂
Motivational Monday
2nd Grade Field Trip to Cernan Space Center (Agos, Taggart & Callahan) 9:00am-10:30am

Tuesday, April 25th
2nd Grade Field Trip to Cernan Space Center (Wartner, Thorn, Zoladz & Makaris) 9:00am-10:30am

Wednesday, April 26th
CPT Meetings
Board of Education Meeting, 6pm

Thursday, April 27th
Kennedy Singers (2:30pm-3:00pm)
Celebrations/Culture Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm
Family Literacy Night (6:30pm-8:00pm)

Friday, April 28th
Happy Birthday Lynn Anama 🙂
April Spirit Assembly @ 9:00am

Week 31: 04/17/23 – 04/21/23

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 17th
Motivational Monday
Yearbook Club (2:30pm-4:00pm)
High Impact Tutoring

Tuesday, April 18th
High Impact Tutoring

Wednesday, April 19th
CPT Meetings
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm

Thursday, April 20th
Kennedy Singers
SLT Meeting @ 2:50pm

Friday, April 21st
Happy Birthday Anna Kaminska (Yellow Bus Driver)

(04/22) Schiller Park Baseball Opening Day!
Hope to see you there!


Looking Ahead…..Please consider volunteering for this awesome event!!!! We need your help and support!