Week 38: 05/25/15 – 05/29/15

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Grab a piece of paper and try to answer the above questions as you reflect on the 2014-2015 school year.

It’s hard to believe we have reached the point in the year where we only have one Friday left! 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 FOUR DAYS! It’s the happiest & saddest time all in one. 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! :)

For those of you moving on to new adventures, remember that you’re only as good as your last exit…….and for those of us returning, know that students remember the educators that we are the last week of school…..so let’s make sure they remember the best of what we have to offer. This last week (4 days) is going to FLY by so please commit to making them count. Let’s all feel great about what we’ve accomplished this year! Finish strong and wrap up the year with a beautiful bow…Have a wonderful week and remember to be great for our Kubbies and each other.

“No one has a problem with the first mile of a journey. Even an infant could do fine for a while. But it isn’t the start that matters. It’s the finish line.”

  ― Julien Smith

Here’s our final week at a glance for the 2014-2015 school year:
Please take a few minutes to complete this “End of the Year Reflections” form.

Monday, May 25th
NO SCHOOL: Memorial Day
Happy Birthday Monica Sloma 🙂

Tuesday, May 26th
BREAKFAST in the lounge @ 7:30am
2nd Grade Field Trip to Brunswick Zone
1st Grade Picnic to North Park
Kindergarten Graduation Practice @ LMS
Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm
Class Building: Multiage & 3rd Grade
8th Grade Graduation @ 7:00pm (E. Leyden HS)

Wednesday, May 27th
Kindergarten Graduations @ 9:00 and 11:00am (at Lincoln School, Little Theater)
3rd Grade Picnic to North Park
Class Building: 1st Grade & 2nd Grade
Board of Education Meeting @ 7:00pm

Thursday, May 28th
Volunteer Breakfast (8:45am-9:45am)
3rd Grade “Fly Up” Day~Trip to Washington School @ 9:45am
End of the Year Celebration @ Melissa’s House after school

Friday, May 29th
Last Day of School for 1st-3rd Grade (full day)
Class Building: Kindergarten & PreK

(05/30) Happy Birthday Tanya Disheva 🙂

Articles Worth Reading:
Bringing the School Year to a Strong Finish

Keep Your Students Reading This Summer

Week 37: 05/18/15 – 05/22/15

Screen Shot 2014-05-18 at 3.52.56 PMFrom Josh Stumpenhorst’s Blog:

As I walk the halls of school, I am already hearing the whispers and giggles about plans being made for a summer of camps and s’mores or vacations and parties. Kids are counting down the days to freedom and fun with their friends and family. Yet, there are many students who are not taking part in these conversations and excitement about the end of the school year approaching. For them, the summer means something completely different. 
Rather than attending camps, some students will be at home caring for younger siblings because their parents are working or absent for other unknown reasons. Others will be forgoing any vacations because their parent(s) are barely able to survive paycheck to paycheck. Still others will be left to their own devices and roam the streets because there are no adults or family members around to care for them. Some of the students in our classes will go home to abusive or unloving homes with no joy or happiness. Even worse are those who don’t have a home at all to go home to.
For these students, and many others, the countdown to the end of the school year is filled with fear and anxiety. For them, school is the best part of their day and often the bright spot in their life. They cherish every moment they are with their peers and caring teachers. The thought of taking  break from that is heart wrenching for some which often leads to misbehavior and acting out in the final days.
With this in mind, don’t count down the last days of school. Instead, seek out those kids who you can see struggling to let go and fearing the unknown of summer. Support them and encourage them in anyway you can. Make plans to connect over the summer if even through an email or a postcard. For them the summer slide is not about a dip in reading scores but a drop in access to safety, security and love.
Consider taking some time this summer to send a Kennedy Kubbies positive postcard or email to let them know you care and are looking forward to seeing them again in the fall. It may just be the thing to get them through their summer slide.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, May 18th
3rd Grade Field Trip to Brookfield Zoo
Multiage Picnic at North Park (10am-1pm)

Tuesday, May 19th
1st Grade/Multiage Field Trip to Stahl Family Theater
Kindergarten Picnic at North Park (11am)

Wednesday, May 20th
1st Grade & 107/103 to LMS for Buddy Activity (9:00am)
PreK Picnic at North Park (9:45am and 12:45pm)

Thursday, May 21st
Pre School Celebrations
3rd Grade Dinosaur Fair <—click to sign up
2nd Grade Picnic at North Park (11am-1pm)
Kindergarten Graduation Practice @ 11:30am at LMS (Rms 127, 128, 129)
Kindergarten Graduation Practice @ 12:30pm at LMS (Rms 130, 131, 132)
District Retirement Party @ 4:00pm

Friday, May 22nd
FIELD DAY! (Indoor or Outdoor) Look for an email from Jimmy Kennedy for schedule!
Classroom Teachers will receive t-shirts on Thursday after school. Please distribute them to students Friday morning!
DARE Graduation @ LMS (2:00pm)

(05/25) NO SCHOOL: Memorial Day

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CD Cover/Sleeve Freebie from TpT

End of Year Assessment: A Closer Look

LearnZillion: What Is It?

Google Chat/Hangout Tips

Week 36: 05/11/15 – 05/15/15

Screen Shot 2014-09-14 at 6.55.46 PM I hope everyone had a wonderful Mother’s Day Weekend. I saw this post from a blogger named “Farley” & wanted to share: I have come to realize Mother’s Day is a celebration of
living moms
angel moms
birth moms
adoptive moms
moms with fur kids
step moms
grieving moms
those trying to become moms
and those that care for kids like a mom

everyone’s path through life leads them on a different journey
as some may be on a mountain… others might be in a valley
but both travelers need LOVE!!!

Happy Mother’s Day to everyone
you may not hold the roadmap to your life but
remember to count your blessings along the way, follow your heart,
and always look for a sliver lining. Screen Shot 2015-05-10 at 10.31.15 PM Here’s our week at a glance: Monday, May 11th 2nd Grade/103/107 Field Trip to the Brookfield Zoo Tuesday, May 12th 1st Grade/101/109 Field Trip to the Brookfield Zoo Kindergarten Young Authors Day @ 1:30pm Faculty Meeting @ 2:50pm Wednesday, May 13th 1st Grade & Multiage Memorial Day Rehearsal @ LMS (8:45am) Thursday, May 14th Memorial Day Concert @ LMS (9:00am) – 1st & Multiage SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm BPAC/Title I Meeting @ 5:00pm (Kennedy) Friday, May 15th LAST Spirit Assembly of the 2014-2015 school year 3rd Grade CUBS Game Trip Article Worth Reading: What We Choose To See Screen Shot 2014-04-13 at 11.23.10 PM

Week 35: 05/04/15 – 05/09/15

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Tomorrow marks the start of 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. I’m reminded daily of how hard you work to make a difference in your students’ lives and the lives of each other.  I hope you know how much I enjoy working with 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 4th
Reading Room Testing Begins
Spring AIMSweb Testing Begins
PARCC EOY (ELA Unit 1)
Happy Birthday Abby Domingo 🙂
Teacher Appreciation Luncheon in Lounge from Tacos Locos (10:30am-1:30pm) courtesy of Dr. Boryszewski & The Board of Education

Tuesday, May 5th
Teacher Appreciation Breakfast in Lounge, courtesy of SPEA
PARCC EOY (Math Units 1 & 2)
PreK Field Trip to Lincoln Park Zoo

Wednesday, May 6th
1/2 Day of School
Support Staff Luncheon (in cafeteria)
9:00am: Veterans Visit 1st & Multiage Classrooms
2nd/7th Grade Buddy Activity (@ LMS) 9:30am
3rd/8th Grade Buddy Activity (@LMS) 9:40am
Nurse Appreciation Day!

Thursday, May 7th
Kindergarten Field Trip to the Brookfield Zoo
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, May 8th
Last Buddy Event
108 & 110 Young Authors @ 1:00pm
100 & 102 Young Authors @ 1:50pm

Articles Worth Reading:

5 Things You Can Do With Google Voice

Leave Audio Comments for Students in SeeSaw

Ideas for Using PearDeck in Your Classroom