Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 9th
Pennies for Patients Begins!

Tuesday, March 10th
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm <—click for agenda
Kindergarten Information Night @ 6:00pm

Wednesday, March 11th

Thursday, March 12th
Talent Show Rehearsal After School @ 2:30pm-4:00pm

Friday, March 13th
March Buddy Activity
5 by Friday! 🙂 Keep making those positive connections with families!
Loaves & Fishes: there’s still time to sign up to help! <—click the link

Blog Posts Worth Reading:

7 Ways to Stay Strong When Everything Else Goes Wrong

Student Selector & Team Creator Tools and Apps

YouTube for Kids App

We Love Our Math Apps

Time for Time

SeeSaw: An app for digital student portfolios

**Check out this Kindergarten Teacher’s Blog

Spread the Word to End the Word is an ongoing effort by Special Olympics to inspire respect and acceptance through raising the consciousness of society about the R-word and how hurtful words and disrespect can be toward people with disabilities.

The campaign, created by youth, is intended to engage schools, organizations and communities to rally and pledge their support & to promote inclusion and acceptance!

When one student has an attitude of acceptance & inclusion toward people (especially fellow students) that is a wonderful thing. When that one student becomes many….when an entire school has a climate of acceptance and inclusion…it becomes a powerful community! Ultimately, when a school climate conveys and fosters understanding, inclusion and respect for all, the students internalize those lessons for their lives both within and beyond school.

Our goal is to educate the Kennedy students, staff and community that we should love everyone for who they are and accept all differences. Please be sure to check out the email Amanda sent last week regarding Kennedy’s approach this year to teach our Kubbies about diversity, acceptance & perseverance. In your mailboxes you should have received a lesson/activity that accompanies the book It’s Okay to Be Different. All classroom teachers received a class copy of the text to keep in your classroom libraries. On Tuesday, we will learn that it’s okay to be different by signing a pledge, promising to be dedicated to celebrating each other and being kind to one another. Here is the letter that went home with all students last Friday.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 2nd
Happy Birthday Bonnie Bricker 🙂 

Tuesday, March 3rd
Birthday Breakfast starting at 7:15am in Teacher’s Lounge
Happy Birthday Natalie Barcas 🙂
Spread the Word to End the Word Day ~WEAR BLACK
Please read It’s Okay to Be Different & complete lesson (in your mailboxes)
Project Unify Basketball Game @ 3:45pm (LMS)

Wednesday, March 4th
Common Plan Agenda <–click to view/sign up
SMART Training Common Plan
*KONICA MINOLTA Training during Common Plan —
All certified staff: Click the link for the agenda above & please sign up as a team for a slot to attend a training on the new copy machines.

Thursday, March 5th
2nd Grade (Rooms 104, 115) Field Trip to PF Chang’s
Happy Birthday Debi Cesario 🙂
Talent Show Rehearsal (2:30pm-4:00pm)
PARCC Meeting with 3rd Grade @ 2:30pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:15pm

Friday, March 6th
Summative Evaluation Meetings for Non-Tenured Staff
5 by Friday!

From TechnicallyTeamann:

It’s that time of the year.
Where the holiday break is definitely in the past.
Where testing pressure has started to increase.
When Spring Break is close…..but not quite close enough.
Take time today to remember that we alone have the power to choose our good attitude.
Be the kind of person who doesn’t allow other people or circumstances to dictate how we feel or treat those around us. Instead, be the consistent one for those around you.
Be thankful for the impact that we have on not only our students, but also on our peers.
Choose to be happy. Choose to be positive. Choose to smile. That doesn’t mean you are unaware of circumstances, or stress, or drama, or struggles….it just means you choose to RISE above it, and be happy anyway. To let your mood be dictated by your blessings and not your afflictions.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 23rd
Kindergarten Field Trip to Chicago Kids Company
FOX IN SOCKS DAY: Wear your silliest mismatched socks

Tuesday, February 24th
NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE
1/2 SIP Day
1/2 Parent/Teacher Conferences
Happy Birthday Shannon David 🙂

Wednesday, February 25th
7th Grade Buddies visit Kennedy School
WACKY WEDNESDAY: Wacky/crazy hair day

Thursday, February 26th
2nd Grade (Rooms 104, 115) Field Trip to PF Chang’s
CAT IN THE HAT DAY: Wear your favorite hat
Dr. Seuss Night 6:00pm-7:30pm *Hope to see you all there!*

Friday, February 27th
Spirit Assembly
KUBBIE GEAR DAY: Dress in Kubbie Gear or Blue/White

(02/28) Happy Birthday Alicia Villanueva 🙂
(03/01) Happy Birthday Tami Ericksen 🙂

Blog Posts Worth Reading:
A Simple Smile
“A smile can make someone’s day, can be infectious, and have a tremendous impact on school culture”
Speech to Text in Google Docs
Patterns Galore
When Students Need More

Looking for Dr. Seuss Activities? Click the picture below:

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 16th
NO SCHOOL: PRESIDENTS’ DAY

Tuesday, February 17th
Talent Show Auditions (during school day)
Celebrations Meeting @ 2:50pm (Room 100)
Happy Birthday Mike Deany 🙂
Happy Birthday Jackie Hood 🙂

Wednesday, February 18th
6th Grade Buddies Visit 1st Grade @ Kennedy
2nd Grade Field Trip to PF Changs (Rooms 105 & 106)
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm
Happy Birthday Nikki Culberson 🙂

Thursday, February 19th
Talent Show Committee Meeting @ 7:30am (Room 105)
PATS Field Trip to Field Museum
2nd Grade Field Trip to PF Changs (Rooms 104 & 115)

Friday, February 20th
Reading Room Plan Day
February Buddies Event
5 by Friday 🙂 Keep the positive postcards going!

(02/21) Polar Plunge @ Northwestern! 

Presidents’ Day Fun

How to Use Your Now Images in Google Form Headers

***FYI: I will be in Springfield with the admin team for the Alliance Leadership Summit this week (Tuesday-Thursday), but can be reached via email or on my cell phone.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 9th
Cycle 4 Assessments This Week
Jump Rope For Heart Week in PE
1st & Multiage Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium

Tuesday, February 10th
SMART Training @ 2:50pm in Room 105

Wednesday, February 11th
Common Plan Time (TAPS Sign-Up & Preparing for Report Cards/Conferences)

Thursday, February 12th
1st – 3rd Grade to LMS to see Washington Musical @ 9:00am

Friday, February 13th
Trimester 2 Ends – 5 By Friday
Teacher Luncheon in Faculty Lounge courtesy of ABC Parent Group 🙂
Spring Parent/Teacher Conference Schedules Due to Office
*Sign-Up Deadline for Translator Google Doc
Yearbook Collages Due to Kristen Stringer

(02/15) Happy Birthday Agnes Niewinski 🙂
(02/16) NO SCHOOL: Presidents’ Day

**Interested in ordering Dr. Seuss T-Shirts? Click here!

Articles Worth Reading (Oldies but Goodies):
Don’t Have Time? Make it.

Phases of First-Year Teaching

Here’s our week at a glance:

(02/01) Happy Birthday Christa Henkel 🙂

Monday, February 2nd
SNOW DAY = NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, February 3rd
Room 203’s Trip to Barnes & Noble with Principals
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room 109)

Wednesday, February 4th
TAPS Re-Eval
Happy Birthday Anne Weinthaler 🙂

Thursday, February 5th
No Reading Room Today (Wish the RR team good luck, as they are presenting at the NCLB Conference downtown!)
PreK Field Trip to Stahl Family Theater
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, February 6th
PreK Screening
Happy Birthday Dina Natale 🙂
Happy Birthday Heather Longo 🙂

(02/07) Happy Birthday Alanna Olson 🙂

Articles Worth Reading:
There Is No Such Thing As Balance

List of Authors who will Skype/connect with students

The Classroom Kindness Project

A *fun* random student selection app: Decide Now

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 26th

Tuesday, January 27th
SMART Board Training @ 2:45pm in Room 110 (in lieu of faculty meeting)

Wednesday, January 28th
100th Day of School!
2nd Grade Field Trip to Cernan Space Center
8th Grade Buddies visit 3rd Graders @ Kennedy School
Common Plan Time: 5 Essentials Survey
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, January 29th

Friday, January 30th
Spirit Assembly
5 by Friday 🙂

Click here for some ideas I’ve pinned for the 100th Day of School (click each picture below to link up to the resource):
                    

Here are some fun ways to incorporate technology on the 100th day of school 🙂

From Venspired:

Make sure the day off of school today isn’t just about a day off. It’s a reminder, from our past, that we are all here to do something. Ask your students, colleagues & each other, what that something is.

Thanks to Martin Luther King, Jr. for the great quote & the great reminder:

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 19th
NO SCHOOL: MLK, Jr.

Tuesday, January 20th
PATS Field Trip to Chicago History Museum
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm
ACCESS Testing Continues this week (Reading Room closed)
*Thanks to the Reading Room Team for administering ACCESS to our ELL students! Thank you also to Anne Weinthaler, our building ELL Coordinator, for organizing and facilitating a smooth ACCESS administration this year!*

Wednesday, January 21st
TAPS Common Plan

Thursday, January 22nd
SLT Meeting @ 3:15pm
Happy Birthday Michelle Morgan 🙂 

Friday, January 23rd
5 by Friday 🙂

(01/25) Happy Birthday Brooke Gorowski 🙂

*Click the picture below for a MLK Freebie

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 12th
ACCESS Testing Begins
*No Reading Room this week

Tuesday, January 13th
SMART Training rescheduled @ 2:45pm (Room 129) in lieu of faculty meeting
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm
Happy Birthday Anya Talladen 🙂

Wednesday, January 14th
1/2 Day: School Improvement Day
MyOn Training for all staff at 12:45pm (LMS Little Theater)
Happy Birthday Jennifer Fullone 🙂

Thursday, January 15th
Happy Birthday Ami Freeman 🙂

Friday, January 16th
PreK Field Trip to Museum of Science & Industry

(01/17) Happy Birthday Cheri Grimaldi 🙂
(01/19) NO SCHOOL: MLK Day

Article Worth Reading
Making Time vs. Finding Time

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 2015? 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 CHANGE.
Change can be exciting and full of possibilities.
Change can also be difficult.
The one constant that remained as I experienced change recently is that I’ve grown stronger and learned from each change. My goal for 2015 is to improve each day. I want to be a better listener, to learn more….to support and celebrate those I work with while always urging and inspiring others to reflect and be better, too. I hope that the changes I will continue to encounter help me improve and become a better person.

Now it’s your turn. What’s your word for 2015? What word can you choose that will provide focus for you?

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 5th
MAP makeups this week
*2nd, Multiage & 3rd Grade Teachers: Please be sure to enter your Winter MAP data    into the Google Doc & schedule a Winter MAP Data meeting with me by the end of the week.
Winter AIMS Benchmarking Begins This Week – Please have a student desk outside of your classroom door.

Tuesday, January 6th
Happy Birthday Mayra Tellez 🙂

Wednesday, January 7th
SMART Training @ 2:00pm in Room 129 for K-3 teachers
>90 minute training
>We will begin promptly at 2pm

Thursday, January 8th
First Investors – In lounge during Lunch Periods
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
BPAC Meeting @ 5:00pm
*Hearing & Vision Screenings

Friday, January 9th
Kindergarten Buddies Trip to Washington School @ 8:45am
PreK SEL Buddies Activity (@ Kennedy, 9:00am)
*Hearing & Vision Screenings
MAZE & MCOMP benchmark assessments must be turned into Stephanie G by today!

Let’s all remember 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. Below is an article from Responsive Classroom that might be helpful to revisit this week, as behavior expectations and classroom routines are revisited. I appreciate your efforts with reinforcing behavior expectations.

Reflecting on Classroom Routines

Below are some New Year activities from Pinterest: