**Grab your copy here.

Monday, January 29th
ACCESS Testing Starts!

Tuesday, January 30th
Spirit Wear goes LIVE!
2nd Grade (Extra Practice)
Culture/Celebration Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm

Wednesday, January 31st
CPT Meetings
MTSS – 1st Grade

Thursday, February 1st
Kennedy Singers (2:30-3:00pm)
SLT Meeting @ 2:50pm (Kindergarten Project Space)

Friday, February 2nd
Kindergarten Field Trip to Disney on Ice (9:30am

(02/04) Happy Birthday Anne Weinthaler 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 22nd
MAP Testing This Week *See Stacey’s Email
Yearbook/STEM Club (2:30pm-4:00pm)

Tuesday, January 23rd

Wednesday, January 24th
CPT Meetings
MTSS – Kindergarten

Thursday, January 25th

Friday, January 26th
5 by Friday! Make 5 Positive Connections & Remember to Send some Positive Postcards 🙂
Kenny’s Kindest

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 15th
NO SCHOOL – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
Happy Birthday Ami Freeman

Tuesday, January 16th
***E-LEARNING DAY***

Wednesday, January 17th
In-Person Learning Resumes
Bernie’s Book Bank Delivery
Happy Birthday Cheri Grimaldi
CPT Meetings – 3rd Grade MTSS Meeting
Board of Education Meeting 6:30pm

Thursday, January 18th
2nd Grade Field Trip to Triton (9:15am-11:15am)
Kennedy Singers (2:30pm-3:00pm)

Friday, January 19th
5 by Friday! Make 5 positive connections this week!

(01/21) Happy Birthday Maddie Jacobs

Your Kubbies may be feeling the same way you are feeling about returning to school after a longer Winter Break!  (Waking up early and getting back to normal school routines can be challenging, especially on a snowy morning)…… 

Just like we shared at yesterday’s Institute Day….. go back to your plans from the beginning of the school year and mirror them these next few days! Relationships, community building, and routines should be the goal! Connect with your kiddos! You will have a whole class that is excited to see you! 

Give them all the love and show them how much you missed them and how happy you are to see them! This week is about renewing those connections and giving them all the love. 
Have a great 1st day back with students!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monay, January 8th
Institute Day – No Student Attendance
Happy Birthday Nancy Weir 🙂

Tuesday, January 9th
School Resumes for Students

Wednesday, January 10th
Happy Birthday Jeanne Keifer 🙂
CPT Meetings

Thursday, January 11th
2nd Grade Field Trip to Cernan Space Center (Wartner, Thornb, Zoladz, Makaris) – 9:15am – 11:15am
3rd Grade to LMS for BUDDIES Activity (10:05am-11:20am)

Friday, January 12th
PreK Screening
Kindergarten to Washington for 5th Grade Buddies Activity (8:45am-10:15am)

(01/15) NO SCHOOL

This week we have some changes to our usual routine — Santa Visits, Assembly, Holiday Celebrations and sharing holiday wishes. Then on Thursday, we all head home for Winter Break where our celebrations continue with our family and friends.

From Jennifer Dinielli’s Blog:
“True for some, not for all. As Winter Break draws near, along with all of the excitement, it is not uncommon to see an increase in undesired behaviors and regression to previous behaviors in our students. For many of our students, home is a place where relationships are unhealthy, meals are not prepared, and drugs/alcohol or violence are part of daily life. For these students, many of whom we may not even be aware of their circumstances, the most consistent, positive and secure part of their life is time at school. No wonder they are exhibiting some stress. When these students walk out of our doors on Thursday, there may be no breakfast or lunch, no counseling services, no celebrations, no gifts, and no one to encourage and support them.

So we support our children. We collaborate with our community to provide basic necessities (food, coats, boots, meals). We give our kids books from our classrooms to read over the break. We express that we are thankful for each other and look forward to being together again as a school community in the new year.

And even though we are tired and looking forward to a much-needed break ourselves, we keep an eye on those who are acting out more than usual. We give them structure and routine. We give them a break. We give them encouragement. This may not be their favorite time of the year.”

Thank you for ALL YOU DO for our Kennedy Kubbies EVERYDAY!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 18th
Happy Birthday, Kim Sendelbach 🙂
Happy Birthday, Nurse Denisse 🙂
Santa’s Secret Shop (Browse Day)
WEAR ANYTHING FESTIVE OR THAT LIGHTS UP

Tuesday, December 19th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
Happy Birthday, Marcela Barron 🙂
Buddy Activity Today!
2nd Grade MTSS Meeting (after dismissal)
WEAR YOUR FAVORITE SEASONAL COLOR

Wednesday, December 20th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
Kennedy SLC/SLBC to Washington for Winter Celebration (9-10am)
**Reindeer Games*** in Cafeteria @ 2pm
WEAR YOUR FAVORITE HOLIDAY SOCKS, FLANNEL SHIRT OR WINTER HAT

Board Meeting 6:30pm

Thursday, December 21st
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
WEAR HOLIDAY PAJAMAS
Spirit Assembly @ 8:30am***
Santa Visits Kennedy SchooL!

Friday, December 22nd
Winter Break Begins!

(01/02) Happy Birthday Chrysanthe Agos
(01/06) Happy Birthday Mayra Tellez

(01/08) TEACHER INSTITUTE DAY & Happy Birthday Nancy Weir
(01/09) School Resumes for Students

December can be a crazy time in the classroom. The kids are antsy, your personal to-do list is a mile long (professional and person), and you’re still trying to cover the curriculum while you can. But it’s also a time for gratitude, tradition, and reflection, which is why Tales from a Very Busy Teacher created the December Kindness Calendar (below) for the classroom! Download it, print it, and share it with your students!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 11th
New Teacher Meeting @ 3:05pm

Tuesday, December 12th
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Wednesday, December 13th
CPT Meetings
MTSS First Grade

Thursday, December 14th
Kindergarten Gingerbread Hunt!
Spirit Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm

Friday, December 15th
Day 1: Winter Spirit Week (Wear Blue or Kennedy Spiritwear)
Reading Room Closed – Aimsweb Benchmarking Starting
Happy Birthday, Katherine Zoladz
Happy Birthday, Anastasia Todorova
Kindergarten Gingerbread House Making (1:30pm-2:00pm)
D81 Holiday Party!

(12/16) Happy Birthday Sue O’Connell 🙂

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, December 4th
DoubleGood Popcorn Fundraiser Starts Today!!!!
Happy Birthday Michelle Miro!
Northwestern Mutual Visit During Lunch Periods in Faculty Lounge
Yearbook/STEM Club (2:30pm-4:00pm)

Tuesday, December 5th
Kennedy Singers to LMS for Winter Choral Concert Rehearsal (9:30am-10:30am)
3-5 Chorus Concert 6:30pm

Wednesday, December 6th
WENDY’S FUNDRAISER ALL DAY (Bring Flyer With You)
CPT Meetings
Kindergarten MTSS
SWIFTMAS @ Kennedy Starts TODAY!!!! Wear a holiday hat/headband!

Thursday, December 7th
SWIFTMAS: Wear athletic/lounge wear today
Vision/Hearing Re-Screening
Happy Birthday Dr. Boryszewski!
SLT Meeting @ 2:50pm (Kindergarten Project Space)

Friday, December 8th
SWIFTMAS: Find the hidden Taylor’s around the school & bring it to the office to get a prize!
Happy Birthday Cindy DeRose!
5 by Friday!

Welcome Back! 

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Break, spending time with family, friends & those you love. As we move to the month of December, full of learning, fun, and special events…and a holiday break to enjoy in just a few weeks! We have lots to do with our kids from now until December 21st, and look forward to their growth when they return in January. They always seem more grown up right after the break…happens every year!

Things to keep in mind:

* For some of our students who will say “it’s almost Winter break” and lack motivation, it is time to push them & keep them excited and eager to learn

* For our students who come from challenging circumstances at home and are feeling anxiety about not being at Kennedy for over two weeks (and acting out because of it), it is time to show them how much you care & make the most of these next 18 days.

* For our students that just keep smiling & working hard each day, it is time to pull them aside and tell them how much you appreciate them (Positive Postcard? Good News Call Home?)

Be proud of what we’ve accomplished with our students so far this year, but please keep the focus on learning in your classrooms as we return from Thanksgiving Break. In addition, I’d encourage you to:

*Take a second and tell a colleague that you’ve noticed how hard they are working and that you appreciate them working so hard. Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy work environment. A simple thank you and a show of appreciation can make all the difference.
*Make time to reflect on some of the positives that we’ve had this year that may have been overlooked as we have overcome the challenges of not having enough time.
* Set a tone for your students that regardless of how much time is left before a long break that all of us will work hard and make the most of our school days.

* Celebrate being a member of our Kennedy School family

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, November 27th
NO STUDENT ATTENDANCE: Full-Day Parent/Teacher Conferences

Tuesday, November 28th
School Resumes for Students

Wednesday, November 29th
3rd Grade Field Trip to Prairie Lakes Theater (9:30am-12:15pm)
CPT Meetings
3rd Grade MTSS

Thursday, November 30th
Happy Birthday Barbara Zawadzka

Friday, December 1st
PreK Screening
5 by Friday! 🙂 Continue making positive connections

“When asked to identify what made the school so good, every person, without fail, said it was the people of the school: the children, the families, and most importantly, the staff. Nobody said, ‘We have a really great computer lab’ or ‘a brand new reading textbook.’
(Eaker, DuFour, & DuFour, 2002)

With the Thanksgiving holidays quickly approaching, I thought it was a great time to simply offer heartfelt thanks to all of you for enriching the lives of our students. Whether you are a returning teacher, a teacher in a new role, or a teacher new to Kennedy School, I am sincerely thankful that you are here. Donna, Kim and I have the best jobs in the world because we are surrounded by the hardest-working teachers in the world. In the above quote, Eaker & colleagues have clearly stated what makes our own school great: It is not our facilities, or our curriculum, or technology; instead, it is each of you performing great deeds day in and day out. THANK YOU for teaching us so clearly what effective teachers do differently, and thanks for teaching with passion each day!

The timing and relevance of this blog post are most appropriate ….. Please take 2 minutes to read Beth Houf’s post, entitled Exhausted Educator, I See You!  As she says:

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, November 13th
Motivational Monday
New Teacher Meeting (with your mentor)

Tuesday, November 14th
Culture Committee Meeting 2:45pm (Room B105)
Happy Birthday Norma Murillo 🙂

Wednesday, November 15th
Thanksgiving Feast in Faculty Lounge
ISBE Onsite Monitoring Visit (EL Program)
Happy Birthday Sandy Montes de Oca
CPT Meetings
2nd Grade MTSS
Board of Education Meeting, 5:30pm @ Washington School

Thursday, November 16th
K-3 Vision/Hearing Screenings (in Conference Room)
BUDDY Activity
Kindergarten Thanksgiving Feast (1:30pm-2:00pm in Cafeteria)

Friday, November 17th
K-3 Vision/Hearing Screenings (in Conference Room)
PreK Parent/Student Workshops

(11/19) Happy Birthday Shandi & Alissa Hammer
THANKSGIVING BREAK: NOVEMBER 20 – NOVEMBER 24TH

(11/20) Happy Birthday Rosa Worwa
(11/21) Happy Birthday Emily Kronlage
(11/22) Happy Birthday Suzanne Scott

(11/27) NO SCHOOL: Full-Day Parent/Teacher Conferences

*Please make sure to keep the master Fall 2023 Conference Google Doc updated as changes are made! Also, please notify staff members who have added a “comment” or “note” in the cell so they are aware that a conference time was changed!

(11/28) School Resumes

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, November 6th
Yearbook/STEM Club (2:30pm-4:00pm)
New Teacher Meeting (3:00pm)

Tuesday, November 7th
Happy Birthday Julie Taggart
BPAC Event @ Washington School (3:30pm-5:00pm)

Wednesday, November 8th
Happy Birthday Maria Rodriguez
STORYBUS visits PreK
3rd to LMS for Veterans Day Rehearsal
1st Grade MTSS Meeting
TWD – @ Crust

Thursday, November 9th
PreK Vision/Hearing Screenings
3rd to LMS for Veterans Day Rehearsal
SLT Meeting @ 2:50pm

Friday, November 10th
3rd & 4th Grade Veterans Day Performance @ LMS (9:30am)

(11/11) Happy Birthday Julie Fister