As we are entering the last part of the school year, here are 10 questions to think about:

1. What has been the most effective lesson of the year?
2. What topic generated the most interest from the students?
3. Who has been your greatest success story in class?
4. Who is in the most need of your help during the final part of the year?
5. What are you looking forward to the most from this point forward?
6. What new technique will you try again before the end of the year?
7. What is your progress on goals at this point?
8. Have your students had a chance to explore a topic of self-interest?
9. Do your students know how proud you are of them?
10. How can you begin, today, to explore the greater potential you have to make an impact on the lives of your students?

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 23rd:
*SPRING BENCHMARKING BEGINS*
MAP Testing Continues
READING ROOM TESTING BEGINS
SLC Swimming

Tuesday, April 24th:
3rd Grade Field Trip to The Field Museum
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm <—click for agenda
Reading/ELL Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm (Room 110)
Mentor Meeting @ 3:45pm (@ LMS)
New Kindergarten Student Information Night @ 6:00pm (cafeteria)

Wednesday, April 25th:
1/2 Day (Students dismiss at 10:55am)
11:00-12:00pm Lunch On Your Own
Reading/ELL Professional Development <—click for Agenda

Thursday, April 26th:
Kindergarten Field Trip to Morton Arboretum
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
Technology Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 202)

Friday, April 27th:
Spirit Assembly (Fairness)

(04/29) Special Olympics Spring Games (Track & Field) Come see District 81 students participate in events from 10:30am-2:30pm @ North Central College in Naperville. 

The 3 L’s: Learn, Laugh & Love
(Gary Puetz)
Regardless of our age in life, to succeed, we must continually learn.

Successful people also laugh a lot. They laugh at themselves, and with others. Even at this time of the school year when everything seems so hectic, there are still many laughs heard throughout the hallways and classrooms at Kennedy. 🙂

Finally, we need to love. We need to love what we do, love why we do it, and love who we do it with–our students & each other.

Thank you in advance for learning, laughing & loving each and every minute that we have remaining this school year with our students & with each other.

“Know less; Learn More…
Worry less; Laugh more…
Fear less; Love more…
….And all the good things are yours.”

Here’s our week at a glance:

Monday, April 16th:
Spring MAP Testing Begins   <–click for schedule
SKATE TIME WEEK in P.E. Class

Tuesday, April 17th:
Happy Birthday Laura Brown 🙂
Buddy Sub-Committee Meeting @ 7:30am (Room 109)
1st-3rd Grade to LMS to see Alice In Wonderland musical
WENDY’S NIGHT (5:00pm-8:00pm)

Wednesday, April 18th:
SLC to Target
SEL/”Catch Up On What Your Team Needs” Common Plan
PreK/PATS Spring Feast
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm (LMS)

Thursday, April 19th:
RTI Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 118)
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm

Friday, April 20th:
SPRING PICTURE DAY 🙂
1st Grade Field Trip to Stahl Theater

(04/21) Happy Birthday Anna Kaminska (yellow bus)
(04/22) Earth Day

Click here for some Earth Day ideas from Pinterest:
So many cute ideas!
    

It is my hope that those of you celebrating Easter or Passover this weekend enjoyed time with family, friends and those dear to you! Below you’ll find our week at a glance:

Monday, April 9th:
SLC Swimming
3rd Grade to LMS for 8th Grade Buddies Activity
Celebrations Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 104)

Tuesday, April 10th:
Wheel of Wisdom Assembly @ 9:15am & 1:15pm <–click for schedule*
Faculty Meeting @ 2:30pm <—-click for agenda
Reading/ELL Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm (Room 110)
PEP Event @ 6:00pm

Wednesday, April 11th:
2nd Grade to LMS for 7th Grade Buddies Activity
1st Grade & Multiage to LMS for 6th Grade Buddies Activity
SLC to Schiller Park Library
Assessment Common Plan (*PreK Faculty Meeting at team common plan*)

Thursday, April 12th: Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
Art Fair/Taste of Kennedy 6:00pm-7:30pm

Friday, April 13th:
PreK Field Trip to Morton Arboretum
*Bring a laptop & charger to lounge at the end of the day for Spring MAP Testing next week*

**Reminder to classroom teachers: Please take this short Reading Room Survey.

It is my hope that you all had a restful, relaxing Spring Break. As we enter the final 8 weeks of school, I realize this can be a challenging time for us, as both students & staff get Spring Fever. We have been working hard for 7 months and we’re getting closer to the end of the school year. Now is when we must do our best work. The cliche of “it’s not how you start, but how you finish” and “the school year is like a marathon” are so true! We must finish strong and carry out our momentum until the end of the school year. Keep in mind, the more you stray from your classroom routine/schedule, the more antsy your students will get. If you keep focused, they will follow your lead.

As we approach the final 8 weeks of the school year, it is easy for many teachers to get into that familiar habit of wishing that the year would end. I want to encourage you not to fall into that rut and make the last 8 weeks enjoyable and productive for your students.

Each and every day our students need us. Remember that you may be the only constant presence in some of our students’ lives. Make a choice each day for your presence to be a positive, constant factor. It is a great opportunity that we have to come to school and have an impact on students’ lives from day to day. We all became educators because we care about kids. When the students feel that their teachers care about them, when they feel safe in our classes, optimal learning will take place.

The video below is an oldie, but a goodie! 🙂 Remember, you have the ability to make an incredible impact on each and every student you come in contact with on a daily basis. What you say and do has such a huge impact on your students. You may never know how much you inspire your students, but please know that you do! Please take a moment to watch this video below & revisit it when needed. What we have is a gift.

Monday, April 2nd:
School Resumes (Welcome back Marisha & Ami)
*Cycle 5 Assessment Week*
Math & Writing Committee Meeting @ 2:30pm (Room 107)

Tuesday, April 3rd:

Wednesday, April 4th:
PreK to Washington School for Buddy Activity
SLC to Super Low Foods
Math/Writing Common Plan
District SPED Meeting @ 3:45pm (Washington School)

Thursday, April 5th:
NEDSRA Event with SLC/SLBC @ 8:30am (gymnasium)
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm

Friday, April 6th:
Pre School Screening
Reading Room Plan
BOX TOPS School-wide BACKWARDS Day

(04/07) Happy Birthday Mirta Cruz 🙂
(04/08) Happy Birthday Sharon Muntova 🙂 

Here’s a neat Prezi with some cool app ideas: 60 Education Apps in 60 minutes

You Are Your Words: Students can create a self-portrait with their words. Pretty neat!

Ideas for dying easter eggs:
http://inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/2011/04/more-easter-egg-fun.html 

http://www.thechocolatemuffintree.com/2011/03/tie-dyed-coffee-filter-easter-eggs.html

http://www.bhg.com/holidays/easter/eggs/pretty-no-dye-easter-eggs/?page=2

http://www.heyjenrenee.com/2011/04/kool-eggs.html

http://www.crapivemade.com/2010/03/rubber-cement-dyed-eggs.html

In preparation for Tuesday afternoon’s portion of the In-Service, please watch the videos below from author Daniel H. Pink. The ideas stem from the work of his book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

***Watch from 5:00 minutes on……..

RSA Animate — Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

Two questions that can change your life from Daniel Pink on Vimeo.

TASK: Write your sentence! After you complete your sentence, post it here: http://corkboard.me/XPvBwofE1B
Read the following key points from Drive and consider how they relate to your professional work as well as how they can help shape what we do with students.

1. Autonomy – self direction in your work

* We want ENGAGEMENT with the job (or with learning in the classroom), not just compliance
* Ways to provide autonomy include choices in:
-Task – choose the product to work on
-Technique – decide how you would like to complete the task
-Team – choose who you would like to work with
-Time – decide how you will use time to meet your goals

2. Mastery – the desire to get better at what we do
-Practice musical instruments over the weekend; why are you doing it?
-Running marathons? Why? You’re not getting paid
-Think of the many things you want to achieve in your role as teacher – we all want to be better at what we do!

3. Purpose – an overarching reason for doing the work we do
-What is our transcending purpose?

Today, your task is to be self-directed in your learning. Be productive. Live your sentence. Ask, am I better today than yesterday? Seek mastery in your role. Remember our ultimate purpose. The only rule? You must deliver. A product…a project….ideas….actions.

Daniel Pink calls providing this autonomous time for innovation a “Fed-Ex Day”…..employees choose what to work on, with whom, and however they’d like. The only rule? They must deliver something: a new idea, a better process, a refined lesson plan….etc.

As you work today, consider the following:
* Task – choose tasks that will benefit and impact student learning
* Technique –  Design your lessons and activities and project work in your own way, so long as the end result is a benefit to students.
* Team – Work with anyone you want to work with this afternoon – you do not need to work with your grade level teams. Consult with the many knowledgable people in our school! Individuals that choose not to collaborate will still be responsible for ‘delivering’. Consider the importance of collaborative efforts!
* Time – Use your time as you see fit. You’re free to head home at 2:20pm.

Last Task: Deliver! Before Friday, please complete the following Google Form. We will use this information to share at our next faculty meeting the things we’ve created & accomplished this afternoon.

Spring Break always arrives at the perfect time of the year! As we head into the final five days of school prior to the break, I’m hopeful that students & staff will take full advantage of their time away from Kennedy. For some, it will give them time to recover from any illness they may be suffering from, and for others it is time they can dedicate to spending with family and friends. Regardless how you plan on spending the break, I hope you soak up every single second and come back re-energized for the home stretch!

Monday, March 19th:
SLC Swimming

Tuesday, March 20th:
Teacher Institute Day (no student attendance) <—-click for agenda
(A paper copy of the agenda is also in your mailbox) 

Wednesday, March 21st:
SLC to Super Laundry
SEL Common Plan
SCOTY Awards Ceremony @ West Leyden HS (4:00pm)
Board Meeting @ 7:00pm (LMS)

Thursday, March 22nd:
Happy Birthday Sharon Heitz (*red bus driver*) 🙂
K-3 Field Trip to Muvico to see The Lorax  <–click for a Lorax PDF Unit Carrie shared from Pinterest.
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
SLT Meeting @ 3:00pm 

Friday, March 23rd:
Spirit Assembly @ 9:00am (Responsibility)
1st Grade Young Authors Day @ 12:40pm
Ice Cream for Kennedy School for Pennies for Patients

(03/25) Happy Birthday Diane Serio
(03/27) Happy Birthday Lindsay Dudal
(03/29) Happy Birthday Eric Humbles 

The latest edition of Educational Leadership features some great articles about reading.
Check out:

Dismantling the myth of learning to read and reading to learn
Every Child, Every Day

Also, did you know that you can now access Discovery Education resources from your iPad with their new iPad app/mobile login? Just go to this link on your iPad and log-in with your Discovery Education username & password. The iPad access works with educator accounts, giving you another way to use your classroom iPads with engaging curricular content.
 

 I’d like to share a post from Jon Gordon’s blog, entitled: The Grass Isn’t Greener

 Jon writes, “We often think that the grass will be greener somewhere else. We believe we’ll be happier & more successful anywhere but where we are. And so we pursue happiness. And chase success. Thinking one day we will magically find them. But rarely will we find happiness & success by seeking them. I’ve learned if you want success, you can’t chase it. Instead you must decide to make a difference where you are….and success will find you! I’ve learned if you want to find happiness, don’t seek it. Instead, decide to work with passion & purpose….and happiness will find you! The key to experiencing real success and true happiness is to be the seed & plant yourself. When you plant yourself where you are with a passionate desire to make a difference, you’ll grow into the influencer you were born to be. Your job is to plant yourself each day and be the best you can be and bring out the best in others.

Let’s have a great week! 

Monday, March 12th:
2nd Grade & Multiage Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium

Tuesday, March 13th:
PATS Field Trip to Shedd Aquarium
*FACULTY MEETING CANCELLED!*
Reading/ELL Committee Meeting @ 3:00pm

Wednesday, March 14th:
SLC to Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robins
TAPS Common Plan

Thursday, March 15th:
Happy Birthday Ashley (House) Seidler 🙂
Talent Show Dress Rehearsal (During the School Day)
Kennedy Singers @ 2:20pm
Talent Show @ 6:00pm-7:00pm 

Friday, March 16th:
Box Tops School-Wide Special Day: WEAR GREEN! *reminders will be in your mailboxes on Thursday*
Reading Room Plan
ISAT OFFICIALLY OVER! Whhhewww!
*Ice Cream Party for 3rd Grade*

(03/18) Pancake Breakfast Flyer 2012 @ LMS 9:00am-12:00pm  <–click link for flyer

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