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!

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! 

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:
                         

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! 

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.

*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 !

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 16th
NO SCHOOL: MLK

Tuesday, January 17th
[Media center continues to be closed until everything is completely ready!]
ACCESS Testing Begins!
PreK Field Trip to Kohl’s Children’s Museum
***FACULTY MEETING IN PRESENTATION SPACE UPSTAIRS* @ 2:50PM
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm
Happy Birthday Cheri Grimaldi 🙂

Wednesday, January 18th
RTI Data Review during CPT
Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm (LMS)
*Kennedy Addition will be featured as Example of Excellence! We hope to see you there!

Thursday, January 19th
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm (Media Center)

Friday, January 20th
5 by Friday! Make 5 positive connections with families!

(01/22) Happy Birthday Michelle Morgan 🙂

Happy New Year and Welcome Back! I hope you enjoyed a restful, relaxing break~! Of course it’s that time of the year when we make New Year’s Resolutions.

Have you heard about Jon Gordon’s “One Word” that gives meaning & focus to your life?Jon suggests coming up with one word instead of list of resolutions.

“A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be a ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp or biting or rich and soft and slow. A single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life!”

I challenge you to choose one word each January–a word to focus on, reflect upon as one goes about daily life. Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2017? It can be something tangible or intangible…it could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you.

My word is PRIORITIES. This Stephen Covey quote below is a reminder for me to be sure that my priorities are part of my daily routine – to truly be present in each moment! At school, my priorities will be spending time in classrooms with students and teachers, ensuring high quality instruction engages our students daily! At home, it will be trying to power down from work and social media in order to give my attention to my family and children. It will also involve devoting time to my health and coursework as I embark on my next educational chapter! While I am a self-proclaimed  “multi-tasker” I am genuinely going to try to be present in every moment I find myself in.  Maybe its not about having balance in life; both our personal and professional lives are 24/7. It’s more about paying the right amount of attention to each one and recognizing that it’s going to be different every single day.
Now it’s your turn. What’s your word for 2017? What word can you choose that will provide focus for you?

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 9th
Welcome Back! See email in the Kennedy conference regarding our first day back and introducing the new learning spaces to our students!

Tuesday, January 10th
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm
RTI Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm

Wednesday, January 11th
EnVision 2.0 MATH Presentation by CF’s @ 1:50pm (Room 110, Grades K-3)

Thursday, January 12th
Think College Thursday

Friday, January 13th
PreK Screening Day
5 by Friday! Make 5 Positive Connections this week 🙂

(01/14) Happy Birthday Jen Fullone 🙂
(01/15) Happy Birthday Ami Freeman 🙂
(01/16) NO SCHOOL (MLK)

To Every Teacher Going Back To Work This Week by Jenna Wiley

Check out some ideas below to welcome students into 2017! (Click picture to take you to the resource):
          

Let’s make this an amazing last 5 days before Winter Break for our KUBBIES!

This week we have some changes to our usual routine — Santa Visits, Winter Wonderland, Holiday Celebrations and sharing holiday wishes. Then on Friday, 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 Friday, 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, 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 🙂 

Santa & his elves will be visiting the students at Kennedy School on Tuesday, December 20th. Due to limited space in the front foyer, Santa will be set up in the gymnasium & PE class on Monday will be in classrooms. *Santa will set up in the Pre School entryway for our littlest friends!

Thank you for your flexibility. As always, the office ladies will call your class down to greet Santa. Please remind your students, in the best interest of allowing Santa to visit with all 760+ students, each Kubbie should be prepared to ask Santa for 1 item  🙂 We will be on hand to take photos of students & 1 “class” photo, which will then be posted on our school Flickr account for you to easily download.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 19th
*Wear Jeans on a Monday!

Tuesday, December 20th
Santa Visits Kennedy School
*Rescheduled Faculty Meeting = Team Leaders: Check your email!
Faculty Meeting Fun @ 3:10pm in Room 110 (Bring any $10 gift card)

Wednesday, December 21st
Winter Wonderland 6:00pm-8:00pm
*Thanks to those who volunteered! An email will be sent soon with more info! If you didn’t sign up, but are interested in helping out, please let me know! We expect a large turnout, so the more volunteers, the better! 🙂 

Thursday, December 22nd
December Buddy Event (Teacher’s Lounge)

Friday, December 23rd
Spirit Assembly – PJ/Movie/Hot Chocolate Day

(12/29) Happy Birthday Jimmy Kennedy 🙂
(01/05) Happy Birthday Kathy Holguin 🙂
(01/06) Happy Birthday Mayra Tellez & Callie Biasco 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 12th
2nd/3rd Grade Begin MAP Testing
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:50pm (Room 110)

Tuesday, December 13th
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm

Wednesday, December 14th
PATS/PreK Tree Decorating Party (2-3pm in Cafeteria)
TAPS (2nd & 3rd Grades)
ABC Parent Group Meeting @ 6:00pm (Plan for Lip Sync Event)
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm (LMS)

Thursday, December 15th
Yearbook Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm

Friday, December 16th
Holidays Around the World Assembly (1st & 2nd Grades in Gym)
Happy Birthday Ola Heitz 🙂 
Happy Birthday Sue O’Connell 🙂

(12/18) Happy Birthday Kim Sendelbach 🙂

Is there A Perfect Christmas Tree? For those who choose a perfect tree for the holiday season, you’ll agree that you see many wonderful trees. But none that are perfect. Some are too scrawny, are too full and short. Others have the wrong kind of needles and others are not tall enough. In the end, the tree that is chosen is the tree that hits certain criteria but the imperfections are noted to give the tree ‘character’. We then add our touches and wonderfulnesses and get a something which brings both joy and warmth.

When we work with children at Kennedy School, we must always realize that no child is perfect. They have differences that add ‘character’ to who they are. These differences make each interaction sometimes challenging, sometimes exhilarating, but always unique and memorable. And as much as we might hope that we find the perfect tree, we won’t. Nor will we with a child. And when we spend time with children we must always remember that when these imperfections arise, like the Christmas tree – we must celebrate all the qualities that when we add our own touches, something that is warm and wonderful results.

Here’s our week at a glance:

(12/04) Happy Birthday Michelle Miro 🙂

Monday, December 5th
Happy Birthday Becky Zora 🙂

Tuesday, December 6th
Happy Birthday Michelle Nelson 🙂
Kennedy Singers to LMS for Chorus Concert Rehearsal (@ 9:00am)
Winter Choral Concert @ 6:30pm (LMS)

Wednesday, December 7th
TAPS (PreK, K 1st Grades)
Happy Birthday Dr. Boryszewski 🙂

Thursday, December 8th
Happy Birthday Cindy DeRose 🙂
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Winter Band Concert @ 6:30pm (LMS)

Friday, December 9th
D81 Holiday Party!

Interactive Holiday Games

An Idea for Students….

What a beautiful week we had for our Thanksgiving break! I hope you enjoyed your time off, spending time with family, friends & those you love. Now we move to the month of December where it is full of learning, fun, and special events…and a holiday break to enjoy. We have lots to do with our kids from now until December 23rd, and look forward to their growth when they return in January. They always seem more grown up right after the break…happens every year!

Things to keep in mind these next 4 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 20 days.
• 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?)

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
Santa’s Secret Shop BROWSE day <–click for schedule

Tuesday, November 29th
Santa’s Secret Shop BUY day
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm <—click for agenda

Wednesday, November 30th
Santa’s Secret Shop BUY day
Common Plan for all K-3 classroom teachers in Room 110 (CF presentation on Math Curriculum Demos)
Happy Birthday Barbara Zawadzka 🙂

Thursday, December 1st
Santa’s Secret Shop BUY day (last day)

Friday, December 2nd
5 by Friday! Make 5 positive connections with families!