Monday, March 5th:
Happy Birthday Debi Cesario 🙂
ISAT Begins (*There will be NO announcements during ISAT Week. Please check your email in the Kennedy Conference to see if it will be indoor or outdoor recess.*) 

Tuesday, March 6th:
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 7:30am (Room 109)
PreK Field Trip to Brunswick Bowling Zone
District Discipline Committee Meeting @ 3:45pm (LMS)
Wendy’s Family Night 5:00-8:00pm

Wednesday, March 7th:
SLC to Super Low Foods
Multiage Young Author Day (Rooms 101/109)
Theme Common Plan
Kennedy SPED Family Night 5:30pm-6:30pm

Thursday, March 8th:
Kindergarten Field Trip to Field Museum
Talent Show Rehearsal @ 2:20pm
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, March 9th:
Happy Friday!

(03/11) Special Olympics Gymnastics Competition @ Palatine High School 8:30am 

**If you are not familiar with Scholastic’s Dollar Deals, you need to check them out! On occasion, Scholastic will offer a large number of their teacher resource books as electronic downloads for just $1/per book! They have a Dollar Deal sale going on now! Check it out here. Although it says the sale is valid through March 2nd, the $1 deals are still appearing! 🙂

Each and everyday, you have a choice….
To stand up and be happy, or to use your grumpy voice!
Choose, Kennedy faculty & staff, to be cheerful and to smile…
Because that optimism can take you the extra mile.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 27th:
2nd Grade Field Trip to Adler Planetarium
SLC Swimming

Tuesday, February 28th:
1st Grade Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm & 3:30pm
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm (LMS)
**TEACHERS: Please submit conference schedules to the office by today.

Wednesday, February 29th:
1/2 Day (Students dismiss at 10:55am)
No Common Plan (Spring Parent/Teacher Conferences)
Report Cards Sent Home

Thursday, March 1st:
Happy Birthday Tami Ericksen 🙂
Kennedy Singers, Room 202 & SLC/SLBC to LMS for Music In Our Schools Rehearsal
Music In Our Schools Performance @ 7:00pm (LMS)

Friday, March 2nd:
Happy Birthday Bonnie Bricker 🙂
Reading Room Plan 

(03/03) Happy Birthday Natalie Barcas 🙂

“The more that you read, the more things you will know..
the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go!”
– Dr. Seuss

Monday, February 20th:
NO SCHOOL: Presidents’ Day

Tuesday, February 21st:
Crazy/Mismatched Socks Day!
Multicultural Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 118)
School Vision Committee Meeting @ 2:30p (Room 127)
District Discipline Committee Meeting @ 3:45pm (Project Zone 1st Floor @ LMS)

Wednesday, February 22nd: 
Green Eggs & Ham Day! *WEAR GREEN*
SLC to Aldi
Assessment Common Plan

Thursday, February 23rd:
Hat Day!
1st-3rd Grade to LMS for Washington Musical (Beauty and the Beast)
Talent Show Rehearsal @ 2:20pm
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Dr. Seuss Night @ 6:00pm-7:30pm **HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE 🙂 **

Friday, February 24th:
Kubbie Gear Day! 
Spirit Assembly (Caring)
Young Authors Day (Rooms 103 & 107)
**Reminder to Non-Tenured Teachers:4th Observations Should be Scheduled/Completed by Today**

(02/26) Get Fit Day @ LMS 12:00pm-3:00pm

Check out some Dr. Seuss ideas/resources:
ObSeussed
Cat in the Hat Hundreds Chart
Dr-Seuss-Mini-Unit
Seuss-tacular-Fact-Families-Dr-Seuss-Unit-PREVIEW
Cat-and-the-Hat-CVC-Picture-Word-Match
Dr. Seuss Unit

Monday, February 13th:
*Cycle 4 Assessments This Week*
Multiage Field Trip to Adler Planetarium
SLC Swimming @ YMCA
Math & Writing Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 107)

Tuesday, February 14th:
Happy Valentine’s Day
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm

Wednesday, February 15th:
Happy Birthday Agnes Niewinski 🙂
SLC to Target
Math/Writing Common Plan
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, February 16th:
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
Community Outreach Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm (Teacher’s Lounge)
PEP Event @ 6:00pm (Kennedy)

Friday, February 17th:
End of Trimester 2
Reading Room Plan
Happy Birthday Mike Deany 🙂

Happy Birthday Nikki Culberson (02/19)
No School Monday, February 20th  *HERE* are some President’s Day Resources

You may know that Discovery Education (*United Streaming*) has a great selection of educational videos for your classroom. But, did you know that they also have an impressive collection (over 200 titles) of children’s picture books on video? (examples include Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Miss Nelson Is Back, Strega Nona, Office Buckle and Gloria and more!) Try searching “Reading Rainbow” to find over 100 more titles.

Book-it and Seussville have teamed up to do a live read-aloud story time with Tim Tebow. On February 15th, Tim Tebow will be live in a webcast reading the Dr. Seuss classic, Green Eggs and Ham. There are lots of printables to pump your students up for the big-day & our upcoming Dr. Seuss Week. Even if you’re not a Tim Tebow fan, this is a great way to draw your sports fans into books, or your book fans into sports 🙂

Monday, February 6th:
Happy Birthday Dina Natale 🙂
PATS Field Trip to Wonder Works
Technology Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 202)

Tuesday, February 7th:
PreK Field Trip to Stahl Family Theater
Talent Show Auditions (Students will be called down throughout the day)
Earthquake Drill @ 10:15am
Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room 104)

Wednesday, February 8th:
2nd Grade & Multiage Age Buddy Activity with 7th Grade
SLC to Party City
Technology Common Plan

Thursday, February 9th:
Happy Birthday Myra Gilio 🙂
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm

Friday, February 10th:
Box Top Pajama Day!

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to cheer on our Kennedy & Washington friends who participated in the Special Olympics individual basketball competition at Deerfield High School. I’m excited to share some wonderful news! Our own Juan from 117 and Gabriella (Washington) earned GOLD MEDALS and Cassidy, Ahmed & Ana (Washington) earned SILVER! 🙂 Please join me in congratulating these talented children the next time you see them! Thank you to all the faculty and staff who made it out bright and early to support our students as they participated in this memorable event!

Soaking in today’s experience and observing how the children, families, siblings,  and spectators cheered on ALL participants made me think of this poem entitled Kids Who Are Different. The next time you look at your students, think about what you see. See where they have grown, understand their needs, see their possibilities and most of all appreciate & celebrate who they are.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 30th:
3rd Grade Field Trip (Rooms 205/206) to Museum of Science & Industry
2nd Grade Field Trip (Rooms 104/105) to P.F. Changs
Paraprofessional Meetings @ 2:30pm & 3:30pm (Teacher’s Lounge)

Tuesday, January 31st:
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 7:30am (Room 109)
Multiage Field Trip (Rooms 103/107) to P.F. Changs
8th Grade Visits with 3rd Grade for Buddy Activity
Faculty Meetings @ 2:30pm & 3:30pm (*Agenda will be emailed out Monday afternoon*)
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm (LMS)

Wednesday, February 1st:
SLC to Super Low
Health/Life Safety Visit
TAPS Common Plan
District Calendar Meeting @ 3:45pm
Happy Birthday Christa Henkel 🙂

Thursday, February 2nd:
Groundhog Day! & 100th Day of School
SLBC to Super Low
Health/Life Safety Visit
3rd Grade Field Trip (Rooms 203/204) to Museum of Science & Industry
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm

Friday, February 3rd:
Pre School Screening (NO PREK STUDENT ATTENDANCE)
Reading Room Plan
3rd Grade Field Trip (Rooms 201/202) to Museum of Science & Industry

(02/04) Happy Birthday Anne Weinthaler 🙂

I wanted to share this recent blog post by Krissy Venosdale:

I don’t think anyone knows the meaning of the phrase “Only so many minutes in a day!” better than someone in education.  There is always something waiting for us. Meetings. Papers. Calls to make. Email to answer. Things to file. Things to look up. Lessons to plan. Committees. Grad classes. Tech tools to figure out. Family. Commitments. PD.   There may be days when we are stretched to the limit, feeling more like some human version of Stretch Armstrong with our arms pulled in different directions, about to break off.   But, at the end of the day, it’s true.  The things that matter?  We make time for them.   Those people that say,  ”Oh, I don’t have time for that…”  Is this an insinuation that some of us just have more time than others?   Time is not something we just ‘have,’ it’s something we make.  It’s something we make when things matter to us.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 23rd:
SLC Swimming @ YMCA

Tuesday, January 24th:
PreK Field Trip (Room 112) to Make-A-Messterpiece
RTI Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 118)
Event Planning Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 115)

Wednesday, January 25th:
HALF DAY (K-3 students dismiss at 10:55am) – In-Service Topic: RTI — Agenda will be emailed via Kennedy Conference.
1st & Multiage Buddy Activity with 6th Grade @ 9:00am
Happy Birthday Brooke Gorowski 🙂 

Thursday, January 26th:
NO PRESCHOOL
2nd Grade Field Trip (106/116) to PF Changs
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Family Game Night 6:00pm-7:30pm

Friday, January 27th:
NO PRESCHOOL
Spirit Assembly (Respect)
Multiage Field Trip (101/109) to PF Changs
Kindergarten Field Trip to Disney on Ice

We’d like to welcome everyone to come cheer on our District 81 athletes participating in the Special Olympics Individual Basketball Skills Competition on Sunday, January 29th @ Deerfield High School. Opening Ceremonies begin at 8:30am.

I hope you all had a wonderful 3-day weekend!
Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 16th:
No School

Tuesday, January 17th:
Happy Birthday Cheri Grimaldi 🙂
ACCESS Testing Begins >> REMINDER: NO READING ROOM
(Faculty Lounge Closed from 8:30am-10:00am)
PreK & 4th Grade Buddy Activity @ 9:30am
Faculty Meetings @ 2:30pm & 3:30pm ) *Agenda will be emailed*
SLT Meeting Immediately After Faculty Meeting
RTI Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm (Room 118)
Reading/ELL Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm (Room 110)

Wednesday, January 18th:
SLC to Aracely’s Bakery
PreK Field Trip to Make-A-Messterpiece (Room 133)
Theme Common Plan
Event Planning Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 115)
Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm (LMS)

Thursday, January 19th:
PreK Field Trip to Make-A-Messterpiece (Room 135)
Faculty Lounge Closed from 8:30am-10:00am for ACCESS Testing
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm

Friday January 20th:
PreK Field Trip to Make-A-Messterpiece (Room 134)

Happy Birthday Michelle Morgan (01/22)

Explainia is a very cool website which features hundreds of animated explanations & videos on a variety of topics. You can also embed these videos onto your own classroom webpages for students to access on your classroom laptops or at home.

If you aren’t already on Pinterest, what are you waiting for? (Disclaimer: It can be a time consumer) Here’s a blog post that explains a little bit about it. There are many teachers on Pinterest sharing lesson plans, classroom photos, ideas and inspirational materials with others in the profession. You can either sign up on your own, or request an invitation from a co-worker …there are many Kennedy staff members already using Pinterest!!!

Keyboarding Zoo is a fun and educational activity to help early elementary age students learn the keyboard. Children are encouraged to use their index finger or pointer finger to match letters on the screen to their keyboards. Uppercase letters, numbers and symbols are coming soon!

 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. It seems that we are constantly setting new goals and we often do this before we have reached our previous goals. Throughout the year, we have opportunities for new beginnings and setting new goals. January is an obvious time where we set new resolutions, in June we set goals for the summer, and in August we make new goals for the beginning of the school year.  What have you been successful at accomplishing? What caused challenges along the way? I encourage all of us to look back at some of the goals we began reaching back in August on our “suitcases” during the 1st in-service and reflect on our progress towards reaching those goals.

Ali Edwards started the “One Little Word” project which has spread like wildfire:

“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!”

She began a tradition of choosing 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 2012? 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 one word for 2012 is POSITIVE and I’ll share with you 20 Tips to a Positive New Year I found online in addition to 11 Benefits of Being Positive. What’s your one word for 2012?

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 9th:
School Resumes
SLC Swimming

Tuesday, January 10th:
Winter Benchmarking Begins
Happy Birthday Ricardo Cano 🙂 
Classroom teachers: Drop off laptop w/star on it & 1 charger to lounge after school

Wednesday, January 11th:
Happy Birthday Nicole Smit 🙂
SLC to Dollar Tree
Winter MAP Testing (Faculty Lounge from 8:30am-10:30am)
Assessment Common Plan (Go over Cycle 3 Assessment Results)
District Calendar Committee Meeting @ 3:45pm (District Office Conference Room)

Thursday, January 12th:
PATS Field Trip to Museum of Science & Industry
Winter MAP Testing (Faculty Lounge from 8:30am-12:00pm)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, January 13th:
Happy 3-day weekend! (No School Monday, 01/16)

Happy Birthday Ami Freeman (01/15)

Let’s all keep in mind some 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 are some articles 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 

Revisiting Hopes & Dreams In the New Year  

Questioning Your Assumptions

The break for the holidays is right around the corner, and if you’re like me, you are looking forward to taking some time away and re-charging. Connecting with family & friends, sleeping in past 5:00am…..:) I wish you and your families the most joyous of holiday seasons. Thank you to the entire Kennedy staff for always caring and and taking pride in what you do! Thanks for persevering through the stressful times. Thanks for finding blessings & positives all around you. It has been a fantastic 2011; I’m already looking forward to seeing you all again for what promises to be an even brighter 2012! We have made a difference with our work here at Kennedy School because we Teach With Passion each day!

At this time of the year, it is appropriate that we reflect on the past year. Last week, Google launched their 2011 Zeitgeist site, which features a menu of the most-searched terms of 2011. Below is the year in review video, which features a lot of short video clips and pictures of the year’s biggest stories. What were YOUR highlights of 2011?

*Cycle 3 Assessments this week!
Happy Belated Birthday to Lauren Paar (12/16)

Monday, December 19th:
Santa Visits Kennedy: Arriving @ 8:30am (Classrooms will be called down to lobby)
**Remember to remind students to be ready to tell Santa 1 item they want for Christmas 🙂 Teachers, thank you in advance for helping make this run quickly and smoothly, as Santa needs to visit other Schiller Park friends 🙂
SLC to YMCA for Swimming
SLBC to Choo Choo Diner

Tuesday, December 20th:
Kindergarten Buddy activity with 5th Graders
Happy Birthday Danielle Standa! 🙂

Wednesday, December 21st:
Spirit Assembly @ 9:00am
POLAR EXPRESS DAY!
Common Plan: Curriculum Checkpoint

December 22nd-January 8th: WINTER BREAK
Happy Birthday Jimmy Kennedy (12/29)
Happy Birthday Elise Lagattuta (01/05)
Happy Birthday Mayra Tellez (01/06) 

Monday, January 9th: School Resumes

 **Resources Worth Checking Out**
We Give Books :  A website where students can read books online (great to show on the Promethean Boards-Thanks for passing this along, Carrie!)
Holiday Ideas : A collection of some fun, holiday activity ideas from the blog, Second Grade Shenanigans.