*From my favorite blog; Venspired

School? It’s about the kids. Society loves to simplify our jobs. Make it about facts and kids knowing stuff. Make it about graphs and charts that display our school’s weak points. But what aren’t people seeing? The kids.

The kids whose parents no longer live in the home. The kids who get one meal a day, their school lunch. The kids who cry at night because they are the adult in the house. The kids who have amazing potential buried in trying to help raise a younger sibling or who have big struggles caused by the fact that they are caring for themselves. The kids whose parents have a terrible drug problem and are headed to prison. The kids who haven’t lived more than six months in the same place since they were born. The kids who don’t know what Santa visits are like. The ones who don’t have a Crockpot with warm meals filling their house when they hop off the bus.

Every teacher knows a student whose story would break your heart.

A story that would stop you in your tracks.

A story that would remind you what education is about. Education? It’s about the kids.

The charts & graphs in the paper are just numbers. Teachers? We impact lives.
Thank you for all that you do to make an impact on our Kennedy Kubbies each and everyday! They are blessed to have you in their lives. 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, October 8th:
NO SCHOOL: COLUMBUS DAY

Tuesday, October 9th:
Faculty Meeting  @ 2:30pm  <—-click for agenda
Reading/ELL Committee Meeting (Room 110)
School Community Committee Meeting (after faculty meeting)

Wednesday, October 10th:
2nd Grade Field Trip to Tyrell Trailside Museum (Rooms 104 & 105)
SLBC to Schiller Park Police Department
Reading/ELL Common Plan
*PreK: Faculty Meeting at start of common plan @ 2:50pm*

Thursday, October 11th:
2nd Grade Field Trip to Tyrell Trailside Museum (Rooms 115 & 106)
Event Planning Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 115)

Friday, October 12th:
Pre School Screening
Kindergarten Field Trip to Didier Farm

I’m sure we’ve all encountered situations when we’ve observed a parent raising their voice at their child, or you’ve tried to soothe a student that was sad from being yelled at by his/her parents before school. I wonder how many of our students come to school upset, repeating messages to themselves that they’ve heard from their parents/care-givers that perpetuate their own negative feelings about themselves?

On the flip side, I’m fortunate to constantly witness the positive models that you are for our students at Kennedy. Every morning, faculty greet students with a smile, telling each and every one how happy they are to see them! I’ve seen upset students calm down, because a teacher spoke in a soft, loving voice. I’ve seen high fives and hugs, and teachers praising students.

Our students are so lucky to have you in their lives to make sure that they hear positive messages each day to build them up!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, October 1st
First Grade Field Trip to Safety Town (HIP Mall)
Environmental Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 105)
Happy Birthday Sarah Sicher 🙂 

Tuesday, October 2nd:
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 7:20am (Room 109)
Multiage Field Trip to Safety Town (HIP Mall)
RTI Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 118)
PEP Meeting @ 6:00pm @ LMS

Wednesday, October 3rd:
TAPS Common Plan

Thursday, October 4th:
3rd Grade Field trip to Goebbert’s
Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 104)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Happy Birthday Stephanie Alessi 🙂 

Friday, October 5th:
Fall Picture Day <–click for schedule
GROUP Staff Photo on playground @ 7:10am: Wear your kennedy polo or a blue shirt!
Happy Birthday Barbara Brzozowska! 🙂 

(10/6): Happy Birthday Anna Gabriel (green bus) 🙂
(10/7): Happy Birthday Nicole Novak 🙂
(10/8): NO SCHOOL/Columbus Day

Learning is what happens when we seek new experiences, try what we have never experienced, or when we fail to accomplish what we set out to do. Doing the same exact thing again and again will not create new learning. BE BOLD! What’s the worst thing that can happen?

 Monday, September 24th:
Happy Birthday Britney Taylor 🙂
Happy Birthday Lorena Esqueda 🙂
Common Core Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 205)

Tuesday, September 25th:
Happy Birthday Marta Ocon 🙂
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm <—click for agenda

Wednesday, September 26th:
Happy Birthday Nicole Duffy! 🙂
Assessment Common Plan
2nd Grade Field Trip to Goebbert’s
SLBC to Schiller Park Post Office

Thursday, September 27th:
PreK Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo
RTI Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm

Friday, September 28th:
Spirit Assembly (Friendship) 9:00am

(09/29) Happy Birthday Stefanie Widmaier 🙂

(09/30) District 5K: Project Heart Well
There’s still time to register! You can even sign up the day of the event. This is our 2nd annual 5K Walk/Run that begins/ends at Kennedy School. Hopefully we’ll see many of you there!
8am Check-In
9am Start of the 5K

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, September 17th:
CYCLE 1 ASSESSMENTS THIS WEEK
*Breakfast & Lunch back in the cafeteria*
Code Red Drill @ 9:30am <–click to review procedures
Common Core Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 205)

Tuesday, September 18th:
SLBC Outing to Jewel
Happy Birthday Danielle Peckhart 🙂

Wednesday, September 19th:
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm
Happy Birthday Roger Pape 🙂 

Thursday, September 20th:
Common Core Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Happy Birthday Michelle Lang 🙂 

Friday, September 21st:
Happy Birthday Bridget Elliott 🙂

*From Venspired blog:

Stuff. Your desk looks like a crazy paper box exploded. You have people you don’t see eye to eye with and wish it could change. You’ve got a meeting and four workshops coming up. Your to-do list is bigger than the Yellow Pages. You spilled your coffee all over the car. You forgot to sign your own child’s planner. Your yogurt you wanted for lunch is expired. Stuff.

Moments. You get your day started in the classroom. You Skype with an engineer who designs roller coasters, one kid is super excited about becoming an engineer. You have a conversation with a kid and introduce her to a book that was your favorite when you were a kid. You smile at a kid who looks a bit sad and that kid smiles back and starts talking to you about his dog. On the way out of school, one kid comes running back to tell you about something amazing he’s inventing. One conversation or moment could inspire a student. Moments.

The stuff will be forgotten. The moments? They’re the little things that matter most.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, September 10th:
Dress Rehearsal for Sept 11th Performance (8:50am-10:15am)
Common Core Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 205)
Happy Birthday Katie Falcone 🙂

Tuesday, September 11th:
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm & 3:30pm
Happy Birthday Jaime Bolognone 🙂
Happy Birthday Beatriz Diaz 🙂
September 11th Remembrance Ceremony 7:00pm (Clock Tower)

Wednesday, September 12th:
1/2 Day (K-3 Students dismiss at 10:55am)
Agenda <—Click to see Agenda (*Inservice will be in gymnasium*)

Thursday, September 13th:
3rd Grade Field Trip to Schiller Park Library
Curriculum Night 6:00pm-7:30pm

Friday, September 14th:
5 by Friday 🙂

(09/15) Happy Birthday Blanche Dougal 🙂
(09/16) Happy Birthday Jody Horan (orange bus driver) 🙂 

***Being positive not only makes you better, it makes everyone around you better. Sign the pledge, choose to be positive & make a positive impact!

Your enthusiasm and positive energy set the tone for your students. Your attitude is one of the few things you can actually control, be sure to use it wisely!

Have a great week, everyone!

*From Venspired by Krissy Venosdale:

It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day. The details. The little things. The stuff that doesn’t matter. Today I read a post by Diane Ravitch, “Neil Armstrong Thanked His Teacher” and was struck by the words. “They will remember you.” I can remember so many vivid details about teachers I have had. I just don’t remember their classrooms, I remember who they are as people.

They will remember you. Your words. Your actions. Your accomplishments. Your struggles. Your conversations. Your passions. Your crazy hair after a windy day on the playground. Your favorite sweater. Your favorite snack. Your time together.

Even when they grow up and get ready to walk on the moon.

They will remember you.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, September 3rd:
NO SCHOOL: Labor Day

Tuesday, September 4th:
SLBC to Super Low
RtI Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 118)

Wednesday, September 5th:
Common Plan

Thursday, September 6th:
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, September 7th:
5 by Friday 🙂

(09/08) Happy Birthday Bailey Stenzel 🙂

Here are some Curriculum Night ideas I found on Pinterest:

When the school year starts, lots of eager (sometimes nervous) little faces come through our doors. They are ours to love on, mold, and guide for a short window of time. We are the ‘receivers’. If you have school-aged children of your own, then you know what it is like to be a ‘sender’. As nervous as those little faces are, the faces left at home are much more nervous! Sure, some may do a happy dance as they wave good-bye to the big yellow bus and say hello to some child-free alone time, but they are also hoping that the person on the receiving end is going to appreciate their little loves (quirks and all) as much as they do.

Kelle Hampton has a fabulous blog that I, like many, discovered when her candid post about the birth of her daughter Nella went viral. This past week she posted about sending her oldest off to Kindergarten. As teachers, it’s important to be aware of where our little ones are coming from and keep in mind the trust that parents must place in us! Please take a moment to read this blog post entitled: The Night Before Kindergarten.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, August 27th:
MAP Testing Begins (in faculty lounge) *click here for schedule*
SEL Committee Meeting @ 3:15pm (Room 103)

Tuesday, August 28th:
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm <—click for agenda

Wednesday, August 29th:
Curriculum Common Plan
Happy Birthday Audrey Tillack 🙂 

Thursday, August 30th:
Evacuation Drill @ 9:30am
RTI Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 118)

Friday, August 31st:
5 by Friday: Let’s send out 5 positive postcards 🙂
(extras can be found in the office)

*Here’s a great article on The Power of Positive Connections with Families

(08/31) Happy Birthday Marisha Jaroszkiewicz 🙂
(09/01) Happy Birthday Rosa Andreuccetti 🙂
(09/04) NO SCHOOL: Labor Day 

As we prepare for our first full week with the students, I hope you will take a few quiet moments to put aside lesson planning, forget about administrative tasks and consider our purpose (as a school, and as individual educators). When we walk in on Monday morning, please remember that you are a difference maker! The small gestures you make to welcome students and show an interest in their lives will have an impact. This year, you will have opportunities to build confidence where it hasn’t existed, develop connections that have never been present, and generate hope with your students. Our classrooms are filled with individuals with a variety of needs, and it’s up to US to make sure they thrive! The only way for that to happen is to build a connection with each student. When we truly know them all as individuals, we can understand them as learners.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, August 20th:
First day of Pre School!
AIMSweb Fall Benchmarking begins!
Happy Birthday Melissa Ortiz 🙂 

Tuesday, August 21st:
Bus Evacuation Drills <—-Click to see schedule of when your class will go!
PEP Event @ 6:00pm-7:30pm @ LMS

Wednesday, August 22nd:
Common Plan: Team Leaders will distribute agenda via First Class

Thursday, August 23rd:
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, August 24th:
All classroom teachers: Bring 1 student laptop & charger (the one with a star sticker) to faculty lounge after school

Welcome to the start of the 2012-2013 school year! Let’s make it the best year yet! 🙂

Remember, every parent wants their child to feel fully known, fully understood & fully loved. If we can do this for ALL students, then we will be the best school in the country!

Parents are hoping you will find the uniqueness and light in their child. Don’t give up until you discover it for each of your students!

Finally, please collaborate & be kind with one another. I truly believe you are here at Kennedy because you are the best in your field, or have the potential to be the best in your field. Learn and share with each other.

Let’s make this the best year ever!

Here is the Apple recruiting video in case you wanted to watch it:

Welcome to Kennedy School! 

“A key characteristic of effective teachers & leaders: they learn….about themselves, about others, and about their job.”
-Garry Puetz 

WOW! It is hard to believe that we have reached the point in the school year where we only have one Friday remaining! We’ve had an awesome year of teaching & learning thus far, and I want to thank each and every staff member for the friendship and support you have shown me in my first year as principal at Kennedy.

It’s THAT time of the year…..in the middle of packing away materials, finishing report cards and 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, one final time. 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 IT! 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 to-do list, remember to enjoy your final time together & make your end of the year count!
*from Venspired

Here’s our final week at a glance for the 2011-2012 school year!

Monday, May 21st:
Pass out yearbooks today! 🙂
ZOO Field Trip: 1st Grade & Rooms 103/107
SLC Swimming
3rd Grade Trip to Washington School 9:15am-11:15am
Retirement/25 yrs of service Celebration @ Great Escape (4:00pm)

Tuesday, May 22nd:
Pre School Celebrations/Graduations
ZOO Field Trip: 3rd Grade
Kindergarten Graduation Rehearsals @ 9:30am & 12:00pm (gym)
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm
8th Grade Graduation @ 7:00pm

Wednesday, May 23rd:
Kindergarten Graduation @ 9:00am (Rooms 129, 131, 132)
Kindergarten Graduation @ 11:00am (Rooms 127, 128, 130)
Common Plan (Assessment & End of the Year Records)

Thursday, May 24th:
3rd Grade Picnic
Common Core Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
PATS Field Trip to Navy Pier/Children’s Museum @ 3:45pm

Friday, May 25th:
Last Day of School (1 hour long: Students dismiss at 8:55am)
End of the Year Check-Out with Donna/Melissa  *click here for checklist*
LUNCH @ RAM (See email in Kennedy Conference from Celebrations Committee for Last Day Lunch)