Welcome Back! 

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving Break, spending time with family, friends & those you love. Now we move to the month of December, full of learning, fun, and special events…and a holiday break to enjoy in just 3 short weeks! We have lots to do with our kids from now until December 20th, 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 these next 3 weeks:

• 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 15 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, December 2nd
Santa’s Secret Shop (Browse Day) <–click for schedule
Happy Birthday Lizbeth Hohmeier 🙂
Happy Birthday Lynette Aguirre 🙂
3rd Grade Data Meeting

Tuesday, December 3rd
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
2nd Grade Field Trip to Beauty and the Beast
SEL Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Upstairs PD Space)
Charity Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Fundraising Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm

Wednesday, December 4th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
Happy Birthday Michelle Miro 🙂
WINTER WONDERLAND
It will be free admission for our families & not only will they have an opportunity to eat a delicious pasta dinner (served by the Board of Education), there will be crafts and games for children, as well as pictures with Santa. This year, there will be some awesome raffle baskets & silent auction items!

Thursday, December 5th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Buy Day)
Happy Birthday Becky Zora 🙂 

Friday, December 6th
Santa’s Secret Shop (Last Buy Day)

(12/08) Happy Birthday Cindy DeRose 🙂