What a great first week (technically 3 days) at Kennedy! As expected, there were a few tears, but the smiles and laughs outweighed the few. I appreciate everyone’s help and extra care during arrival. Thank you to ALL staff for going the extra mile to help get our year off to an amazing start. 🙂

As we prepare for our first full week with the students, I hope you all remember that you are a difference maker! The small things you do to welcome students and show an interest in their lives will have an impact. This year, you will have opportunities to build confidence in a child where it hasn’t existed—develop connections that have never been present. Kennedy School is filled with students with a variety of needs, and it’s up to each one of US to make sure they are successful this school year. How can we be sure that this happens? By building a connection with each student. When we truly know them as individuals, we can understand them as learners.

 Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, August 19th
1st Day of Pre School
MAP Testing Begins in Faculty Lounge
Fall AIMs Benchmarking Begins
Morning Intervention Routines begin in classrooms

Tuesday, August 20th
Insurance Meeting with Colleen Trapp @ 2:30pm (cafeteria): All staff are strongly encouraged to attend. Meeting with be recorded for PreK staff.

Wednesday, August 21st
CCSS: Curriculum Common Plan
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, August 22nd
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, August 23rd
5 Positives Family Connections by Friday (postcards can be found in the office)

Articles Worth Reading:
Building Relationships 

Here’s How Being a Father is Changing Me as a Teacher 

Shine Together

A Teacher’s Heart Speaks on the First Day of School

Wow! It’s crazy to think we’ve reached the point in the year where we only have one Friday remaining! It has been a great year of teaching & learning, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your friendship and support.

In the middle of packing away materials, finishing report cards & last minute projects, there is one part of the year that is so bittersweet….the good-byes! Remember to take time to tell your students what they mean to you this week. Have lunch in the classroom or outside. Ask each student to share their favorite memory. Share your favorite memories with your class. Send a Kennedy Kubbie positive postcard to every student and put it in the mail on the last day of school to wish them a great summer! ENJOY THESE LAST FEW DAYS! It’s the happiest & saddest time all in one. Things will never be the same. You’ll never have another group JUST like them. So, while you’re counting down the last 5 days and trying to cross off those final items from your never-ending to-do list, remember to enjoy your final time together & make your end of the year count! 🙂

Here’s our final week at a glance for the 2012-2013 school year:

Monday, May 20th
PreK Celebrations (9am-Rooms 112/133AM, 10:15am-Rooms 134/135AM, 1:00pm-Rooms 112/133PM, 2:15pm-Rooms 134/135PM)
3rd Grade Fly Up Day: Visit to Washington School at 9:15am
1st Grade Picnic to North Park
2nd Grade & 103/107 ZOO Trip
Multiage Class Building @ 2:30pm

Tuesday, May 21st
Kindergarten Graduation @ 9:00am (rooms 129, 131, 132)
& 11:00am (Rooms 127, 128, 130)
Kindergarten Class Building @ 1:30pm
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm
Mentor Celebration @ 3:45pm

Wednesday, May 22nd
1st Grade & 101/109 ZOO Trip
1st Grade Class Building @ 10:00am
Assessment & End of the Year Records Common Plan
2nd Grade Class Building @ 1:45pm

Thursday, May 23rd
3rd Grade Picnic
Pre School class building @ 9:00am
3rd Grade Class Building at 2:30pm

Friday, May 24th
Last Day of School (1 hour long: students dismiss at 8:55am)
End of the Year Check-Out with Donna/Melissa *click here for the checklist*

As the last day of school is approaching, it’s very tempting to hit the “cruise control” button. Let’s make a commitment to finish the year as strong as we started & not hit the cruise control button….our kids deserve better! Students will feed off our attitude and if we expect the best from them, then we must give them the best of us! 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 13th
FIELD DAY!
Cycle 6 Assessments This Week
Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 104)
3rd-8th Spring Choral Concert @ LMS (6:30pm)
Happy Birthday Carrie Sipple 🙂

Tuesday, May 14th
3rd Grade Zoo Trip
Kindergarten Picnic

Wednesday, May 15th
1/2 Day (K-3 students dismiss @ 10:55am, AM PreK @ 11:30am)
Support Staff Luncheon 11:30am-12:30pm
Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, May 16th
Volunteer Breakfast @ 8:15am-8:45am (cafeteria)
**Info about classroom coverage will be emailed out later this week**
Second Grade Picnic
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
3rd Grade Dinosaur Fair @ 6:00pm
Happy Birthday Rebecka Mirandola 🙂

Friday, May 17th
Spirit Assembly (Trustworthiness)
District SLC/SLBC Picnic @ Kennedy Park
Multiage Picnic
DARE Graduation
LMS Graduation

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! The entire week is about celebrating ALL OF YOU who influence the lives of our students. I certainly appreciate all the little things you do, but what I appreciate the most is the safe, nurturing learning environments you create for our children. Our Kennedy Kubbies LOVE coming to school each day & know that each person cares about them.

In last week’s blog, I wrote about the relationships we must build and foster throughout the school year with our students in order for meaningful learning to occur. I encourage you to take some time & watch the TED Video below. Rita Pierson, an educator, speaks about the value of relationships & “how every child deserves a champion–an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection & insists that they become the best that they can possibly be!”

I hope you know how much I enjoy working with each of you and how proud I am to be your colleague. Thank you for all that you do here at Kennedy School. You are changing lives!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 6th
Teacher Appreciation Luncheon in faculty lounge (10:30am-1:30pm)
Kindergarten Zoo Trip

Tuesday, May 7th
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm
Special Board Meeting @ 7:00pm

Wednesday, May 8th
SLBC to Jewel
PreK Visits Washington School for Buddy Activity
Technology Common Plan

Thursday, May 9th
Memorial Day Dress Rehearsal <–click for schedule
Pre School Picnics
SEL Committee Meeting @ 3:45pm (Faculty Lounge)
Kennedy Memorial Day Concerts @ LMS

Friday, May 10th
FIELD DAY <—click for schedule
Technology Inventory Check-In <—All teachers: Sign up for a time slot with Eric
(Print Out This Inventory Checklist for your time slot)

I hope everyone enjoyed this beautiful weekend! I’d like you to try a challenge. First, divide a piece of paper into three columns. In the first column, make a list of  all your students. Try not to use alphabetical order, line order, or table groups to help you remember. Just write the names as they come to mind.

Then, in the middle column, next to each child’s name, write one thing you know that child likes to do or cares passionately about.

In the third column, make a star if you’re sure the child knows that you know this about him/her.

The results of this activity can be quite humbling. There may have been 1 or 2 students whose names didn’t come to you right away in the first column—That’s a sign that you need to spend more time with them.

In the second column, you may have had difficulty knowing an interest….This shows that you may need to find out more about that child’s gifts & hopes—maybe lunch with the teacher, extra time to chat at arrival, or being together during Friday Free Time.

The names without stars in the third column show that one cannot assume students know that we care about and appreciate their talents & interests….we need to connect with them!

Students who have positive relationships with their teachers TRUST. Knowing students well is essential if you want to engage them (and their parents) in working with you to address or change any problematic behaviors. Building positive teacher-student relationships is work that continues throughout the school year, and one of the aspects of teaching where there’s always room to improve. Give this exercise a try!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 29th
2nd Grade Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium
Spring Benchmarking Begins
Reading Room Testing Begins

Tuesday, April 30th
1st/Multiage Field Trip to Stahl Family Theater
Wendy’s Night 5:00pm-8:00pm

Wednesday, May 1st
PreK (Rms 112/135) Field Trip to North Park Village Nature Center
1st Grade Buddies Trip to LMS @ 9:30am

Thursday, May 2nd
PreK/PATS Field Trip to Lincoln Park Zoo
Kindergarten Young Authors Day @ 1:00pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Happy Birthday Abelardo Cano 🙂 

Friday, May 3rd
PRE SCHOOL SCREENING
3rd Grade Trip to Cubs Game
Happy Birthday Molly McSorley 🙂

(05/04) Happy Birthday Abby Ptak 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 22nd
MAP Testing Continues
Earth Day: Classroom Teachers- Please remember to include a “No Power Hour” in your schedule!
PreK Field Trip to North Park Village Nature Center (Rooms 133 & 134)

Tuesday, April 23rd
Happy Birthday Angela Mastromauro 🙂
3rd Grade Field Trip to Field Museum
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm & 3:30pm <—click the link to see our faculty meeting Tackk
Retirement/25 Years of Service Celebration @ 4:00pm

Wednesday, April 24th
3rd Grade to LMS for Buddies Activity
1/2 Day: K-3 students Dismiss at 10:55am/AM PreK @ 11:30am

Thursday, April 25th
Veterans Visit Kennedy School  <–click to see schedule
Kindergarten Field Trip to Morton Arboretum
Spring Band Concert (5-8) @ LMS

Friday, April 26th
Spirit Assembly (Fairness)
April Buddy Event!

Here are some Earth Day ideas from Pinterest. Click on the pictures to connect you to the website:

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 15th:
Spring MAP Testing Begins (in faculty lounge)

Tuesday, April 16th:
1st-3rd Grade to LMS to see The Wizard of Oz musical
Environmental Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
PEP Family Event @ Kennedy School, 6:00pm

Wednesday, April 17th:
SLBC to Dollar Tree
PreK/PATS Spring Feast (2:00pm-3:30pm)
Common Core Common Plan
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm (LMS)

Thursday, April 18th:
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Retirement Celebration @ 4:00pm

Friday, April 19th:
Spring Picture Day 🙂
Kennedy Singers to Washington @ 9:15am for Centennial Rehearsal
5 by Friday!
Loaves & Fishes

(04/20) Village of Schiller Park Centennial Celebration @ Stalica Park
11:00am-1:00pm

(04/21) Anna Kaminska’s Birthday 🙂 (yellow bus driver) 

From Venspired:

There are lots of things we cannot control. People who aren’t in education for the right reasons. Testing mandates. Kids’ troubled home lives. The media’s portrayal of schools. Poverty. Kids dealing with survival over learning math. Budget cutbacks. Feeling unsupported by the world.

But there are things we can control.

The way we treat children from the moment they walk in until they leave us at the end of each day. The connections and relationships we build with our students. The daily lessons we shape. The photos we take and memories we create with our students. The message we share and live. Modeling digital citizenship for our kids. How we react to comments on social media and open dialogue. Reaching out to support others who might not feel supported. The way we treat our colleagues every single day. These are things we can control.

Above all? We can control what we see when we look at a situation. Education. Do we see a hopeless outcome where it all seems lost? Or do we see education is not hopeless.

The magic that takes place at Kennedy School each and everyday is so full of hope that it’s busting at the seams! It’s in the kids we teach!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 8th:
Happy Birthday Sharon Muntova 🙂

Tuesday, April 9th:
NO SCHOOL: Teacher Institute Day  <–click for agenda
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 7:20am (Room 109)

Wednesday, April 10th:
2nd Grade Buddy Activity (@ LMS)
Happy Birthday Ashley Yucuis 🙂
Common Core Common Plan

Thursday, April 11th:
District RTI Committee Meeting @ 3:45pm (@ LMS)
PATS Field Trip to Navy Pier (@ 3:45pm)
Taste of Kennedy/Art Fair 6:00pm-7:30pm

Friday, April 12th:
5 by Friday! 🙂
*Laptops to lounge after school to set up for MAP Testing!

Welcome Back! I hope you all had a restful, relaxing Spring Break! As we enter the final 8 weeks of school, I realize this can be a challenging time for us, as both staff & students 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. We must finish strong and carry out our momentum until the last day. 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 8 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 8 weeks enjoyable and productive for your students.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 1st:
Cycle 5 Assessments

Tuesday, April 2nd:
Kindergarten Field Trip to Field Museum
Reading/ELL Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Kennedy Family SPED Night @ 6:00pm-7:30pm
SD81 Registration Day @ LMS 3pm-7pm

Wednesday, April 3rd:
SLBC to Jewel
5th Grade/Kindergarten Buddies Activity (9:00am-10:30am)
Reading/ELL Common Plan

Thursday, Aprli 4th:
Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 104)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, April 5th:
Pre School Screening
Reading Room Plan Day
5 by Friday!

(04/07) Happy Birthday Mirta Cruz 🙂

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!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 18th
3rd Grade Field Trip to the Museum of Science & Industry

Tuesday, March 19th
4th Grade Buddies visit PreK (@ 9:20am)
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm

Wednesday, March 20th
TAPS Common Plan
SCOTY Awards Ceremony @ West Leyden HS (4:00pm)
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, March 21st
Talent Show Dress Rehearsal (during the day)
PreK Field Trip to Brunswick Zone
Baby/Bridal Shower @ 2:30pm
Talent Show @ 6:00pm

Friday, March 22nd
Spirit Assembly (Responsibility)
Happy Birthday Sharon Heitz 🙂
2nd Grade Young Authors (@ 11:00am)
1st Grade (Room 110) Young Authors  (@12:10pm)
1st Grade (Room 100/102/108) Young Authors (@ 12:30pm) 

(03/25) Happy Birthday Diane Serio 🙂
(03/27) Happy Birthday Lindsay Dudal 🙂
(03/29) Happy Birthday Eric Humbles 🙂