Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 10th
PATS Field Trip to Wonder Works
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room 109)
Project Unify Basketball Game @ LMS (3:45pm)

Tuesday, March 11th
Multiage (101/109) Young Authors Day @ 10:00am
Multiage (103/107) Young Authors Day @ 1:30pm
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm

Wednesday, March 12th
CCSS Common Plan

Thursday, March 13th
PreK Field Trip to Brunswick Zone
Talent Show Practice (2:20pm-3:50pm)
Baby/Bridal Shower @ 2:30pm (Cafeteria)

Friday, March 14th
Reading Room Plan Day
Spiritwear Sale Ends (turn in any orders to the office)
Kindergarten Field Trip to Field Museum
Luncheon for Staff in lounge sponsored by the ABC Parent Group 🙂
Book Fair Preview Day
ISAT Testing Window officially over! Phewww!
5 by Friday! Let’s send those positive postcards home! 🙂

Here’s a great article about formative assessments & using assessments thoughtfully by  Carol Ann Tomlinson entitled “The Bridge Between Today’s Lesson and Tomorrow’s” from this month’s Educational Leadership magazine.

Google Apps Tip:
Do you use Google Forms but hate the way the ‘survey’ results look in a spreadsheet? Check out this tip to make your Google Spreadsheets easy to read!

Front Row: A differentiated math program Erin Klein writes about in her blog Kleinspiration

Spread the Word to End the Word is an ongoing effort by Special Olympics to inspire respect and acceptance through raising the consciousness of society about the R-word and how hurtful words and disrespect can be toward people with disabilities.

The campaign, created by youth, is intended to engage schools, organizations and communities to rally and pledge their support & to promote inclusion and acceptance!

When one student has an attitude of acceptance & inclusion toward people (especially fellow students) that is a wonderful thing. When that one student becomes many….when an entire school has a climate of acceptance and inclusion…it becomes a powerful community! Ultimately, when a school climate conveys and fosters understanding, inclusion and respect for all, the students internalize those lessons for their lives both within and beyond school.

Our goal is to educate the Kennedy students, staff and community that we should love everyone for who they are and accept all differences. Please be sure to check out the email Donna will be sending regarding Kennedy’s approach this year to teach our Kubbies about diversity, acceptance & perseverance. On Wednesday, we will “Spread the Love” by having students sign a pledge, promising to use kind words. Our theme this year is “Respect is the Key”.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, March 3rd
ISAT Testing Begins (There will be NO announcements during ISAT. Please check your email in the Kennedy Conference to see if it will be indoor or outdoor recess*) Alternate specials schedules begin today & Reading Room will be on a cart!
Spiritwear Sale Begins
Happy Birthday Natalie Barcas 🙂

Tuesday, March 4th

Wednesday, March 5th
“Spread the Love”: Students will sign a pledge banner promising to use kind words
National Day of Awareness use kind and respectful language.

Thursday, March 6th
Happy Birthday Debi Cesario 🙂
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, March 7th
Non-Tenured Teachers: Summative Conferences

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 24th
Happy Birthday Shannon David 🙂 
Fox in Socks Day: Wear your silliest or mismatched socks
ISAT Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 205)

Tuesday, February 25th
Green Eggs & Ham Day: Dress in green
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm  <—click for agenda

Wednesday, February 26th
1/2 Day of School (Parent/Teacher Conferences)
Report Cards Sent Home
Wacky Wednesday: Wacky/crazy hair day

Thursday, February 27th
Cat in the Hat Day: Wear your favorite hat
Talent Show Practice (after school)
Dr. Seuss Night 6:00pm-7:30pm

Friday, February 28th
Kubbie Gear Day: Dress in Kubbie Gear or blue/white
Spirit Assembly (Caring)
Happy Birthday Alicia Villanueva 🙂 

(03/01) Happy Birthday Tami Ericksen 🙂 
(03/02) Happy Birthday Bonnie Bricker 🙂 
Pancake Breakfast @ LMS 9:00am – 12:00pm

**Wondering how to add fonts to your Google Drive documents and slides?
Click here to read a blog post by Richard Byrne.

Here are some Dr. Seuss ideas. Click here to see the entire Pinterest board for more!
  

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 17th
NO SCHOOL: Presidents’ Day

Tuesday, February 18th
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Happy Birthday Nikki Culberson 🙂

Wednesday, February 19th
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm
*Please submit any talent show slips to Marissa and/or Stephanie

Thursday, February 20th
Talent Show Auditions in gymnasium (during the day)
PATS Field Trip to Peggy Notebaert’s Nature Museum
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, February 21st
Reading Room Plan Day
February Buddy Event (in Teacher’s Lounge)
SLC/SLBC Sledding Field Trip (weather permitting)
5 by Friday! Let’s continue to send positive news home!

(2/22) Polar Plunge

A great blog post worth your read:   What Students Remember Most About Teachers
“What matters to them is YOU.”

Here are a few pins from this week. Click on each picture to be linked to the website.

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 10th
Cycle 4 Assessment Week
Jump Rope for Heart Week

Tuesday, February 11th
PreK Field Trip to Chicago Kids Company
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm

Wednesday, February 12th
6th Grade Buddies with 1st Grade/103/107
PEP Parent Meeting @ 6:00pm (Kennedy School)

Thursday, February 13th
1st-3rd Grade to LMS for Washington Musical, Annie
(Please send down names to the office of any parents you know will be coming in for Valentine’s Day parties)

Friday, February 14th 
Happy Valentine’s Day 
End of Trimester 2
5 by Friday 🙂

(02/15) Happy Birthday Agnes Niewinski 🙂
(02/17) NO SCHOOL: Presidents’ Day
            Happy Birthday Mike Deany 🙂 

From Venspired (this blog post by Krissy V. is perfect…especially after engaging in thought-provoking dialogues about Winter MAP scores). 

“Take a typical lesson, on a typical day, in a typical classroom. We are constantly reaching out to the learners who have fallen behind. Tutoring. Interventions. Extra time. Small group. Individualized Instruction. Scaffolding. All of these things are so important, and we’d all agree, essential for the success of students who need the extra support.

But doesn’t every kid need support? What about the kids who already know it? Maybe they learned it on their own, got it really quickly, or read about it once before. They think differently. Should they wait to learn? What will be done differently for those kids?

We tend to say things like, “They’ll be fine.” But fine really isn’t good enough. What if we offered more for all kids. Not just on one lesson, or one day, but whenever they need it. Bringing everyone up to a level that, for them, is enough for a good healthy stretch. Reaching, struggling, extending.

Because in that stretch? There is learning….The kind every kid deserves.”

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, February 3rd
100th Day of School!
1st Grade Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm

Tuesday, February 4th
109/101 Field Trip to PF Changs (rescheduled)
PEP Parent Meeting @ 6:00pm (Kennedy)
Happy Birthday Anne Weinthaler 🙂

Wednesday, February 5th
107/109 Field Trip to PF Changs (reschedule)
SLC/SLBC Outing to Franklin Park Post Office

Thursday, February 6th
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm
Happy Birthday Dina Natale 🙂
Happy Birthday Heather Longo 🙂

Friday, February 7th
Pre School Screening
Happy Birthday Alanna Olson 🙂

(02/09) Happy Birthday Myra Gilio 🙂

Here are some 100th day ideas from Pinterest (click on picture & it will connect you to the link where you can find these activities).

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 27th
School Closed due to Extreme Temperatures

Tuesday, January 28th
School Closed due to Extreme Temperatures

Wednesday, January 29th
Reading Room begins again!
6th Grade Buddies visit PreK
105/106 Field Trip to PF Changs

Thursday, January 30th
115/104 Field Trip to PF Changs
Winter Band Concert @ LMS 6:30pm
**Note: 100th Day of School will now be on Monday, February 3rd.

Friday, January 31st
Spirit Assembly (Respect)

(02/01) Happy Birthday Christa Henkel

Today we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr…..let’s honor Dr. King’s memory as we begin our work week. The following Dr. King quote can help us reflect on the work we are doing at Kennedy School.

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of education.”

Do we hold high expectations for all of our learners?
Is critical thinking reinforced for all of our learners?
Is character education a focus in our classrooms everyday?
Are we serving others in our school community?

As you begin your week, keep the above quote in mind as you reflect on your practice.
Let’s have a great 4-day week!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 20th
NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, January 21st
Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm

Wednesday, January 22nd
Happy Birthday Michelle Morgan 🙂
SLC/SLBC Outing to Brunswick Zone
TAPS Common Plan

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

Friday, January 24th
Reading Room Plan Day
Kindergarten Field Trip to Disney on Ice
5 by Friday! Keep those postcards going home!

(01/25) Happy Birthday Brooke Gorowski 🙂

Tech Tip: Organizing your “Shared with Me” area in Google Drive.

Click on the link above!

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, January 13th
ACCESS Testing Begins <–click for schedule
(send your students who are testing in the morning to their respective rooms immediately after Interventions. If anyone is absent who is testing, please jot their name(s) down on a post-it and send w/another student testing in that classroom)
Dr. Seuss Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm
Buddy Committee Meeting @ 2:45pm (Room 109)

Tuesday, January 14th
PATS Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium
No Faculty Meeting (we will discuss agenda items at the start of Wednesday’s SIP day)

Wednesday, January 15th
1/2 Day
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm
Happy Birthday Ami F. 🙂

Thursday, January 16th
asdf;lkj

Friday, January 17th
PreK Field Trip to the Museum of Science & Industry
Happy Birthday Cheri G. 🙂

(01/20) NO SCHOOL

*Click the image below for more fun fonts to add to your computer, if interested ;P

20 Things We Should Say More Often….in 2014…. from Kid President:

Monday, January 6th
Snow Day: School Closed
Happy Birthday Mayra Tellez! 🙂

Tuesday, January 7th
Snow Day: School Closed

Wednesday, January 8th
Vision & Hearing Re-Screens (Conference Room)
SLC/SLBC Outing to Schiller Park Police Department
Winter Benchmarking begins
Assessment Common Plan

Thursday, January 9th
Vision & Hearing Re-Screens (Conference Room)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, January 10th
5 by Friday!

Here are some New Years activities I found on Pinterest: