Thank You Mitsubishi!

Today we had our Special needs program present, "Yes I Can" Christmas to our students today. This is a fantastic program that shows that ALL kids CAN perform no matter what life has sent their way. Our students did an amazing job performing and as an audience. We had a special appearance from Santa Claus at the first performance and at the second performance our business partner, Mitsubishi Electronics, blessed our Special Needs program with a donation of $8,545. This comes from their annual Hallway Golf Fundraiser. We feel very fortunate to have such an amazing partner in Mitsubishi Electronics. We really appreciate Chuck Painter and Peggy Bray for their impact at Mitsubishi.

We helped to set a new World Record

Today at 11:22 it became official that the Atlanta Falcons had set a new Guinness Book of World Record for the largest virtual PE class, and KES was a part of it.
Today, students in all grade levels participated with over 600 students, Atlanta Falcon players and cheerleaders, and select members of the military via live streaming video to help set a new record. Our students participated in the video class doing aerobics and stretching alonside 2,000 others. It was really neat to be a part of today. Please see the following link for more information: http://www.atlantafalcons.com/2010/12/falcons-break-guinness-world-record/

Community Day and 4th Grade Performance Success

Thursday was a packed day. We started and ended the day with our 4th grade doing their holiday performance. It was entitled Elfis Goes West with Lewis and Clark and it WAS a "truly silly and slightly historical fantasy" for our young voices. Mr. Thorton, Ms. Tilson, and the 4th Grade teachers did a wonderful job preparing the students, and the students did an amazing job performing. It was great to have over 200 people out at the night time performance.


Community Day was sandwiched between the 4th Grade performances. It was an awesome opportunity for business leaders and community agencies to come out and see the amazing things that the teachers, students, and parents are doing here at KES. Dr. Jordan did a wonderful job welcoming our visitors, and Mr. Frame put together a fantastic video that really shows off why KES is a great place for students.

Community Day

Tomorrow we will be hosting the 3rd Barrow County School's Community Day. This is an excellent chance for businesses and community agencies to see what is happening in Barrow County Schools. I believe that the foundation to a striving community is strong schools. When the schools are strong, people will want to move there. When people want to live in a certain area, the housing market improves. When the housing market improves and the schools are good, businesses will strive. Notice though, that it ALL starts with STRONG schools. Tomorrow will be a great opportunity to continue to show off just how strong the schools in Barrow County are emphasize how important Kennedy is in that strong system.

Round the World Night is huge success!

Thursday, November 18th was a fantastic night at Kennedy Elementary School. Parents and their children were able to "travel" to 6 of the 7 continents without ever leaving Winder, Georgia. This was in part to Kennedy's teachers, PTO, and HealthMPowers working together to put on Kennedy Elementary School's first "Round the World Night". This was a 2-week unit that every class taught. The teachers were given their continent, and then each of them chose which country they would use to teach their Georgia Performance Standards through. 28 countries in all were taught for those two weeks along with the music, art, and Physcial Education teachers teaching games, music, and art from around the world. Thursday night was the culminating presentation of all their learning. Over 575 people signed in as "world travelers" with probably another 300 who did not sign in for the night. Each family was given a passport to record their travels and off they went. They were treated to music, art work, literature, travel guides, wonderful food cooked by our awesome PTO(HealthMPowers provided the recipes to help make them not just international but also healthy), and some really fun games. This was a fantastic time of family bonding and everyone who came seemed to have a great time. A 5th grade student told me, "That was the most fun that I have ever had with my parents!"; a kindergarten student said, "I loved it, especially playing 'Tininkling' with my mom from the Philippines."; and a 3rd grade said, "That was great; I went to all 28 countries!".
Our PTO also gave away a $100 international gift package ($25 @ Olive Garden, $25 @ PF Changs, $25 @ On The Border, and $25 @ Outback Steakhouse) to one of the lucky travelers. Ms. Taylor was the lucky winner while Ms. Bray-Teate, Ms. Brown, and Ms. Grossman were also winners as well. It really was a great time and we look forward to our Proud to be an American Family night in April.

Round the World Night

This Thursday, November 18th, Kennedy Elementary School will be having a "Round the World" Night. Each classroom has been learning about a different country (28 in total) and Thursday night will be the night to show off what they have learned. Parents are encouraged to come out with their child to visit countries from all around the world. Everyone who attends will be given a passport to record their travels and each person will be entered in to a drawing for a $100 gift package that includes gift cards from Outback Steakhouse, PF Changs, On the Border, and Olive Garden. We hope to see you there!

Dad's Volunteer Day

Well it was not the turn out that I would have hoped, but the dads that did come out did a wonderful job of hanging art work for the Round the World Night, putting up our 10 Christmas trees, and recarpeting our stage. Thank you Mr. Reed and Mr. Murphy for all your help. You did a fantastic job; I really appreciate it.

Boy am I tired!

Today I spent the day on a tricycle. I promised the school that if they sold over $7,000 in fundraising items that I would spend the entire day on a tricycle. Well, the students sold over $15,000; so today I rode a tricycle all day long.

A couple of things that I learned:

1) I am way too tall to be riding a tricycle!

2) My knees are way too old to be riding a tricycle!

3) I sure do like riding down the halls going that fast though!!



Thanks to all the students, parents, and grandparents that helped raise money so that KES can purchase Promethean Boards for our classes.

Vocabulary Parade 2

On Friday, October 29th, we had our second annual Vocabulary Parade. This is an opportunity for our kids to keep the enthusiasm of dressing up for Halloween but still have it be educational. The students chose vocabulary words that they have been learning this year from math, science, social studies, and literature and brought them to life by dressing in a manner that showed the definition. The teachers even got into the act as well. The students then paraded around the bus lane and were judged based on how creative and well-designed their costume was. The winners were:

Pre-K: McKenzie O.

Kindergarten: Mr. Pinaire

1st Grade: Natalie A.

2nd Grade: Presley S.

3rd Grade: Dylan K.

4th Grade: Annalise S.

5th Grade: Dana B.

Special Ed.: Elijah

What songs do you want played at the dance?

We will be having our first KES school dance on Friday, November 5th from 6:00-8:00pm in the Kennedy gym. We want you to have the opportunity to choose what songs you would like to have played at the dance. If you have a song you would like to dance to on Friday, November 5th, please comment. All songs must be appropriate for school and we can not guarantee that they will be played, but please let us know what you would like to hear.

Dragon Dollars

Kennedy Elementary school is very excited about our new PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) program. We instill in our students each day to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible as soon as they board the bus in the morning until the second they get home from school. This year, we have really worked hard on showing exactly what it looks like to be Ready, Respectful and Responsible in each area of the school day (in the Hallway, on the Playground, in the Bathroom, etc). We have also shown them what it looks like to NOT be those 3 core values. We have done this through videos on our morning announcements (You can see them on our website www.barrrow.k12.ga.us/kes) and in the classroom. The students now are earning Dragon Dollars when they are “caught” being one of these 3 R’s! Every teacher and staff member, including our custodians and cafeteria workers are giving these dollars away when they see someone being Ready, Respectful, and Responsible. The students have now had the chance to spend their Dragon Dollars by making purchases through our Dragon Dollar Distribution Center. Every other week, students can order items ranging from Silly Bands and tattoos to Ice cream and Homework passes or even bigger items like lunch with a teacher or even a ticket to the Tailgate party or dance. The students fill out their order form and put the Dragon Dollars on the form and give it to their teacher. The teacher turns the orders into our Dragon Dollar Distribution (DDD) Center also known as Ms. Mays’s Special Friends Class by Wednesday. Ms. Mays’s class fills every order in less than 48 hours and has the items ready for delivery on Friday. Our PTO volunteers deliver these items on Friday to each classroom. This process has been beneficial to every student in our building because it is teaching them “life skills” that will make them a success in anything they choose to do. EVERY person who wants to be successful MUST be Ready, Respectful and Responsible to be that success as well as have the money management and organization skills. Every student is learning those money management skills and organization skills through this process. Ms. Mays’s class is learning job skills while they are also working on each of their individual goals. It really is an amazing process that you really need to see to truly appreciate it! Ms. Mays and Ms. Kathryn Bachman, our PBIS coach, have done a wonderful job to put this program in place, and I am very proud of them and our students for what they are learning through this. The cool thing is that they order form in now going ON-LINE this week! If that is not “real world” learning, I don’t know what is!

A Fabulous PTO Friday

I want to thank our "revitalized" PTO for a fabulous Friday. I don't know if you are aware that we have several KES parents that are working hard reignite our PTO. A couple of Fridays ago they provided breakfast muffins for our staff and today they put together one heck of a chili cookout. The teachers were so appreciative of all their hard work to get it planned and organized. And of course they loved the food!!! There were 6 kinds of chili with all the fixins, hot dogs, hamburgers, and plenty of desserts!! Not only did they do all that today, they also have organized a Subway night with the Bethlehem Subway for next Tuesday, October 26th. Subway will be donating $3.00 to KES for every combo meal sold from 4:00-8:00. That is a great deal. If that was not enough, they also got our dance almost completely planned out for November 5th! Great JOB PTO!!!!

Another Busy Week!

You would think having a week off would have had me ready for the "busy"ness of this past week, but with so many great things going on, it was hard to keep up.
Tuesday we had our first real PTO meeting which was really exciting because we are now starting to form a group with a plan and a mission. Thanks to those who stepped up to fill "interim" positions so we can have some structure. I also want to thank Leigh Sears and her PTO president at Russell Middle for coming and giving us some good advice.
We also did our second Data Team meeting on Tuesday. I am so proud of our teachers and students on the progress that they have made from the first formative to the first summative assessment in math. We had growth in EVERY CLASSROOM!!! Way to go KES students and teachers. I am so proud.
Wednesday we had early release day and conference day. Over 150 parents were in the building to conference with teachers to get an update on exactly where they child is progressing in each subject area. It was so crazy, that I forgot to have my teachers send home the report cards that day. Sorry parents for the confusion.
Thursday was our 1st Curriculum and Awards day. Over 220 parents came to see math lessons and see their children get awarded for their hard work. It was a joy to see students and parents working math problems together. I really loved it.
Friday, our special friends "Rocked" at Special Olympics, but what made it so neat was the cheering section that they got when they were leaving for the Olympics. Our pre-k, 4th and 5th graders lined the bus lane to wish them luck as they got on the bus. It was really cool! We ended the day with just under 100 students who had earned over 30 Dragon Dollars celebrating at the first KES Tailgate Party. It was a blast!
Next week will be just as busy as well. I have 13 more students who earned enough Dragon Dollars to eat lunch with. Our fundraiser will be ending on Friday . and I will learn if I have to spend a day on a tricycle! We will also be having a teacher appreciation cook out on Friday. It should be fantastic.
There is always something Remarkable happening at KES; you should come and visit!

Fundraiser

Our Fall fundraiser is off and running. This year we are using Believe Kids Fundraising. You can buy flowers, wrapping paper, candy, cookies, etc. through this program. Your child can earn wonderful prizes for selling the products. These prizes range from a charm necklace all the way up to a iPod Touch! This program also allows you to purchase by using their website http://www.shopbelieve.com/ . The students can send a link to family and friends throughout the world and have purchases made to help support KES. We do ask that the students remain safe when they sell by not going door to door, selling at night, or going alone.

This program also gives incentives for the teachers. If half of the class sells just 1 item, then the teacher receives $50 to purchase items from Believe!

If the school sells $7,000 worth of product, I will spend an entire day on a tricycle when I visit classes that day.

Please help us with this fundraiser as a percentage of the proceeds will go to purchase technology for the classrooms.

FALL BREAK!!

I love Fall Break!!! Don't get me wrong, I love being the principal at KES, but I really love having a Fall Break. It is a great time to step back and to reflect on a wonderful first 9 weeks and to look forward to an even better next 9 weeks. We have a lot to be excited about in the first 9 weeks.

1) Our Pre-K (Class of 2024)has been a wonderful new addition to the school. They are learning how to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible just like the rest of the other Dragons. They are so excited to be at school each and every day, and they are learning so much.

2) We have lots of Kindergarten (Class of 2023)students who are doing a wonderful job on their Math. After the first summative assessment, over 92% of them are exceeding in their math.

3) Our First Grade (Class of 2022)is rolling as well. They have been doing a wonderful job with their writing. We have some really good authors that have filled the first grade hallway with great narratives.

4) The second grade (Class of 2021)did a superb job of learning about Solids, Liquids,and gases. We had some fantastic Tree Maps that classified objects by their state of matter.

5) Our third graders (Class of 2020)have produced some really fabulous writing samples. It is amazing to see how they are moving from really just one or two paragraphs to full-fledged stories with great plots and character development.

6) The fourth graders(Class of 2019)have done some amazing jobs in truly understanding the concepts of division of 3-digit by 2 digit numbers.

7) I am really proud of our 5th Graders (Class of 2018) because the job they have done to set an example for all the rest of the students. They have worked hard to show what it means to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible.

8) Our Special Education program has also seen some serious progress with their student's education plans. Mrs. Mays's class was even turned into the Dragon Dollar Distribution Center a they filled orders for or Dragon Dollar purchases.

9) That's right Dragon Dollar Distribution Center. Over 4800 Dragon Dollars were spent in our first Dragon Dollar store. That is a lot of Dragon Dollars!!! and that is a lot of students being Ready, Respectful, and Responsible.

10) We also have a group of parents that have been wonderful volunteers. I have seen parents selling ice cream, making copies, putting labels on report cards, working with students on their reading, and even providing muffins to just say thanks!

It has been a great 9 weeks.

We also have some great things in store for the next 9 weeks as well.

- We have Awards Day and Math Day.

- We have Dragon Dollar store with the tailgate party.

- We will start our Rise and Shine program.

- We will have our Annual Vocabulary Parade.

- We will have our first school dance.

- We will being doing a Dad's Volunteer Day.

- We will also have our first Family night.

Plus lots more. It is going to be great, and I can't wait!

But first I am going to enjoy my Fall Break. I go to an All-you-can-eat Buffet each day and then I do some serious running! It is really a lot of fun. Enjoy yours!

Feedback with next steps

One of Barrow County's initiatives this year is to increase the amount of feedback that we give to students. This feedback needs to be positive (Have a "GLOW") and also provide suggestions for the next steps ("GROW") so that each student will know how to improve.
Our teachers have been doing a wonderful job of giving students specific feedback on their work. The teachers are using the language of the standard and giving specific "next steps" so that each student can continually improve. I have included a picture here of some work and the specific feedback that teachers are giving to the students. As you can see, it really helps the students to feel success in what they have already done but also provides the student with next steps to improve.

Just like our students, we as a school are always looking to improve what we do. Please feel free to provide us with feedback as well, so we can continue to provide the best education for all of our students.

Thank You Peoples Bank

I wanted to thank one of Winder, Georgia's finest banks for their donation to one of our special needs programs. The People's Bank in Winder has a "Hero's" program where they look to "pay it forward". This month, they donated 4 I-Touches to Ms. Mays's class. Ms. Mays uses these I-Touches to download apps that are specifically designed for communication, daily living skills, social stories, cause and effect, and many other skills that are specific to the students success. Ms. Mays and her students love the individuality of the I-touch and how it engages the students with the electronic device. Ms. Mays says that the "one" i-touch that she had was one of the favorite and most effective learning and communication device her students had. Now she has 4 more. Thanks People's Bank in Winder

Great Work is seen on the Walls

Every morning I get to school around 4:45am to get my day started. One of my morning routines is to walk down the halls and pray for the teachers and students. When I am doing this, I also check every classroom and unlock the doors. This allows me to see what the rooms look like and make sure that they have everything that they need for the day. It also allows me to see the great work that is on the hallway displays. Some my favorites the last week or so have been the Flowmaps that Ms. Newsom's class did that gave the sequence for making "Pigs in the Blanket". I enjoyed reading the wanted posters of our 5th Grade math students that showed that they were looking for "One odd guy" that was know to be hanging out with: "Sum' of their partners and crime" . I also like the "Circle Maps" that Ms. Horne's class did to help create some creative writing. There are many other great things going on at KES and you can see them when you come and visit. You can visit any time; It does not have to be at 4:45 am!

Grandparents' Breakfast

One of my favorite traditions of Kennedy Elementary School occurred today and will happen again tomorrow morning - Grandparents' Breakfast!

It is amazing to me to see multiple generations enjoying breakfast together at THE school! I love hearing our students introduce their MiMi's, Nonna's, Papa's, and even Sue's to me as they come in with a smile and their grandparent holding their hand. We had well over 250 people here for breakfast today and look forward to another great turnout tomorrow.

Positive Behavior Intervention and Support

We have been implementing Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) this year at KES. This program is designed to TEACH students what the core values of: Ready, Respectful, and Responsible look like in each area of the school day. We have been teaching what it looks like to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible in the hallways, cafeteria, restrooms, and playground through morning announcement videos. The teachers have been teaching what it looks like to be Ready, Respectful and Responsible in the classrooms through individual lessons. Starting in September, students will be earning Dragon Dollars when they are "caught" being Ready, Respectful, or responsible in the school. These dollars will be used to purchase items in our PBIS stores. This is a great way to teach our students how to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible which are all character traits that will make them successes in school and LIFE!!

Please check out some of our videos

A great Friday!

It was a really great Friday. All students have now taken the Math and Reading Classworks FIND test. That was a big accomplishment especially for our Kindergarten students who are just now learning to use the computer and read! Way to Go Dragons!!!
We had our first assembly of the year. All 688 students were treated to the NED Show. This is a character education program that uses YO-YO's to teach student to Never give up, Encourage other, Do your best! Our students did a great job of showing that they were Ready, Respectful, and Responsible as they watched, laughed, and cheered along! The yo-yo's will still be on sale ALL next week before school starts.
Kolado, our reader dog, made her second trip to the school and 10 students were able to read to her.
We finished off the week with over 300 people attending our Pre-K and Kindergarten Family Night. It was a lot of fun, and I really appreciate all the parents who brought their children out. I also want to thank the Apalachee High School cheerleaders who came and cheered and painted faces. I especially want to thank the teachers and instructional assistants who gave up the start of their Friday night to spend with the students and their families. It was a lot of fun!
I can't wait until next week!!!!

"The Light Just Went ON"

The reasons why most teachers get into education is because they: 1) love kids, 2) feel they are called to do it, 3) want to make a difference in the world , or 4) truly are passionate about learning! One or more of those reasons are why they get into it, but what is it that makes it worth it when they are getting furloughed days, supply money cut, class sizes increased, and more pressure to pass the CRCT?

Ask any teacher and they will say it is the "LIGHT JUST WENT ON" or "IT JUST CLICKED" moment. Like me playing golf, I can have a round of double or triple-bogey golf going and just one great shot makes it worth it. That is how it is with teaching. You may be struggling to get all 28 of your students to do something then 1 (that's right 1) just "GETS IT" and it is all worth it.

We had a bunch of those this week at KES. There was the kindergarten student named Michael who picked up the litter in the bathroom because that is "Not Respectful or Responsible" (his words not mine!). There was the 2nd grader named Laura that was able to show more than one way to make 35! We had the 5th graders who were able to truly explain the difference between prime and composite numbers. The greatest "The light just went on" moment was when we had one of our special friends who had not communicated since she has been at Kennedy learned to use an assistive technology piece to tell us that she wants to eat! She also learned to use a switch to turn on and off bells and a fan! It was one of the greatest moments at KES! Way to go Ms. Dollar, Ms. Chambers, and Ms. Rice!

I look forward to sharing many more of those moments with you this year!

100th Post

It is very hard to believe that this is my 100th post since I started this blog last year. Just like the school years, it has flown by quickly.

I guess with this post I should fill you in on some things that we are doing at KES this year that are new!

1) We have started a new program called Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS). This program teaches students how to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible in every aspect of school. The teachers are teaching the expectations in the classroom as well as reinforcing the expectations of the cafeteria, playground, restroom, and hallway that Ms. Bachman, Dr. Jordan and myself are teaching through morning announcements and classroom visits. In October, the students will be able to earn Dragon Dollars for exhibiting these Ready, Respectful, and Responsible behaviors. Every teacher will be giving dollars to students; those dollars can be used to purchase items in the store.

2) We have also started to work on creating a NEW Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). On Friday we had a core group of parents that came in to discuss how they could create an organization that will support the mission of Kennedy Elementary School and promote volunteering opportunities and fundraising options. Everything that this organization will do will directly support the mission of Kennedy that is to build Ready, Respectful and Responsible students that will be able to leave Barrow County Schools with the ability to go to college. Please be on the lookout for future meetings to create this impactful organization.

3) We will also start on Monday, August 19th using our Classworks lab to do some benchmark assessments for Reading and Math. These assessments will be taken on the computer and will give our teachers some vital diagnostic data that will help us to identify specific strengths and weaknesses in our students. The teachers and administration will analyze this data on a regular schedule to adjust our instruction to meet the needs of their students. These assessments are called Classworks FIND assessments and will be given 3 times a year (August, January, and May). We will also other assessments throughout the year.

Well there are 3 news things that we are doing this year. To celebrate my 100th blog post, I made sure that all of them were exactly 100 words. I knew my 14 followers would enjoy the counts. Everyone have a great week!!!

Curriculum Night and PTO

Tomorrow night, Thursday, August 12th at 6:00pm we will be having our curriculum night and TITLE I informational meeting. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to hear exactly what your child will be learning and how they will be assessed. This is also an wonderful opportunity to meet your teacher if you have not already. If you are a parent of more than one child, we do have it set up so you can hear from 2 different grade levels. I really encourage you to make every effort to come out.

On Friday morning, we are having a group of parents interested in starting a PTO at Kennedy who will be meeting to discuss how to get it going. If you are interested please come to the media center at 8:00am.

Week 1 Highlights!

So many amazing things happened this week at KES that it is hard to pick a favorite so here are some of the highlights;
1) Having 100 more students than last year!
2) Having 2 classes of Pre-K!
3) Seeing our 5th graders helping pre-K with the fire drill!
4) Over 140 parents at the parent meetings!
5) 1st graders writing about themselves.
6) Kindergarten students doing circle maps of their colors!
7) 2nd graders attempting to sign the Pledge of Allegiance!
8) 3rd grade teachers using their Promethean boards to teach!
9).4th graders drawing pictures of students being Ready, Respectful, and Responsible in the cafeteria!
10). 5th graders setting the examples for all the other students at KES!

Those are just a few of the highlights for the week!
Congratulations to Ms. Burns and Ms. Watrous's class for having the highest participation at Sonic Night!
I look forward to next week. See you at curriculum night on Thursday @ 6:00pm!

Welcome Back to Kennedy Parent Meetings

What an amazing turnout for our 4 Welcome Back to Kennedy Parent Meetings. We had over 140 parents come to learn about the goals and expectations of the students, teachers, and administrators at KES. I want to thank all the parents who came out to learn more about the school and how they can get connected. I also want to thank Scott King who came out and translated for me from English to Spanish. It was an amazing set of meetings. The biggest impact on a child's achievement in school is how involved their parents and guardians are in their education. These past few days showed just how successful our Kennedy Students will be.

The Night Before DAY 1

It is almost 6:00 the night before the first day of the 2010-2011 school year, and I am putting the final touches on the first day morning announcements and notes to the teachers. I am really excited about the new year. It promises to be a fantastic year. The school is the biggest it has been since I came 3 years ago. We have a new behavior expectation/incentive program. We even have a new grade level as the Pre-Kindergarten program has come back!! It is going to be a great, great year!

Parents, I welcome you out to one of our 4 Welcome Back to Kennedy Parent meetings. We will have them on Tuesday and Wednesday at 9:00am and 6:00pm. We will do the ones on Wednesday in Spanish as well. This is a great opportunity to learn about the school, our expectations, and programs as well as how you can get connected if you would like to volunteer!

I have included a video that I showed to the teachers to really show WHO we are about and WHY we should be teaching!

Great turnout for Open House

It was an amazing turnout today for open house. After a very slow start (probably because it was at 7:00 am), things really picked up and the school was filled with excited children, parents, and teachers. It was great seeing our new kindergarten students getting their yellow Kindergarten shirt. It was also neat seeing so many faces that I have been missing for the past two months. What was really neat was our new Pre-Kindergarten students coming into a school for the first time to meet their teachers. The students were very excited and the parents were a little nervous! What a great way to start a new year.

Just a little update to our numbers:
2 Pre-K classes
6 Kindergarten classes
5 First Grade Classes
4 Second Grade Classes
5 Third Grade Classes
5 Fourth Grade Classes
4 Fifth Grade Classes
4 Special Needs Classes

All totaling 694 students on roll.

Please don't forget that the first day of school is Monday, August 2nd. We will be having parent meetings on Tuesday, August 3rd at 9:00am and 6:00pm and again on Wednesday, August 4th in Spanish at the same time. This is a great opportunity for parents to learn what is going on at KES and how they can help. Look forward to seeing you there!

Great to be Back!

I know that most of you are probably starting to see the first "Back to School" fliers or commercials and are thinking, "How can the summer almost be over already, we just got out!" I know that it is hard to believe that we have only 20 days until the kids come back to school and only 14 days until the teachers need to report back to school. The summer really does fly by! It is hard to believe, but I really am excited about the fact that school is just around the corner. As much as I like being at the school by myself planning the year; it is just not the same without the teachers and students. That is what a school is all about! I look forward to getting everyone back in 20 days!

Happy July!

Oh my, it is already July 11th and I have not posted anything this month. I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th. We have been closed since the 2nd and I have not done much principal stuff since then. I will really get back into it tomorrow though since we only have 2 weeks until the teachers come back and only 3 for the kids. This summer has gone by very quickly. We have got a lot of great things planned for the 2010-2011 school year. We are going to be Ready Respectful and Responsible and we will also have a S.W.A.G.er to us! I really can't wait!

The week before the 4th!

I hope that everyone's summer is going well. It is very hard to believe that it is the week before the 4th. I hope that you all have great plans to celebrate our country's freedom. I hope that you are going to be doing something fun (Peachtree Road Race, cookout, fireworks, etc.). We have so much to celebrate because we live in the good ole USA. I hope that you do it right. After that, we only have 23 more days until the teachers report and only 30 until the students come back!

One Year of BLOGGING!!

I have now hit the 1 year mark of my blog. It has been really nice to journal the experiences that I have had over the last year as a principal at Kennedy Elementary School. I really like sharing what is going on with KES and myself with everyone. I hope that you will pass on the word so that we can take this blog further. Happy 1 year to all 10 of my followers!!!!!! You guys rock!

World Cup Soccer!

I have to be honest with you, I really don't like soccer. I don't like that they run for up and down the field the size of a Canadian Football field and NO ONE EVER scores. I don't like that the players are better floppers than any NBA player ever. I don't like TIES!!! and I really don't like that there are a million bumble bees buzzing around every game making that annoying sound (Stop it with the valuzalas (sp?) already!) But I have a friend, Shane Ammons, that hosts a Radio Show on WIMO Radio 1300 in Winder called It's Only Money and he has done nothing but boast about how excited he was to watch the World Cup. I gave it another try and watched the second half of the USA v. Algeria game. It was really cool to see the USA pull it out in "Injury Time" (what's that all about?!?) and I have to admit I shouted with excitement. I think it was because I just love the USA or I knew I wouldn't have to listen to the annoying buzzing anymore or possibly a little of both.
While the World Cup has not gotten me into soccer, it has gotten my excited about some of the plans we have for parent engagement next school year. Our teachers will be doing two units that will have a culminating activity that the parents will be invited to come see. The first will be our "Around the World in 80 Days". This will happen in November and the teachers will be doing a unit from all around the world. The "love" of different countries that we see in the world cup should serve as a catalyst for some really good lessons. We will be doing a night time event in November that will bring together the world! Our second activity will happen in May when we do an "I Love the USA!" unit. That will also take that Patriotism that we see in the world cup and be shared with everyone.
While I still don't like soccer, I am excited about what the KES Dragons will be doing this year. Who knows maybe we can get some of those horns to play for a little bit as well!

Back From Vacation

I am now back from vacation in Florida. It was very nice to get away and spend time with my family just having fun. We had a wonderful time in Panama City with our friends from the neighborhood. We went to the beach and played in the pool for 4 straight days. It was a blast! Now I am trying to get caught up with everything that needs to be put together for the beginning of another school year. We have gotten our schedules and handbook together already and are now working on finalizing our class lists and then writing the "Welcome Back to School" letter that every teacher loathes, I mean loves, getting each summer. It is the letter that says it is about time to start thinking about teaching again.

Camp Invention Success

This week, Kennedy Elementary School hosted Camp Invention for over 30 students in Barrow County. These "inventors" did an amazing job of creating some really cool "Avatars", electronic critters that really move, and some camp spirit. Thank you to Ms. Stapleton and her staff for a wonderful week. It sure looked like everyone was having a blast!!!

Thank You Mitsubishi

Yesterday was an amazing day for Kennedy Elementary and Barrow County Schools. One of our fantastic business partners, Mitsubishi Electronics, held a family fun day for all special needs students in the county. Although we did not get the turnout we would have liked, the ones who did come out we treated to a day of fun and free food for their entire family. Mitsubishi brought 65 volunteers from all over the world (1 came from Japan) to treat these students and their families to a wondeful time. The rain did not hinder Mitsubishi's spirit as they just moved everything inside and did not miss a beat. Thank You Mitsubishi, you are amazing.

Summer Fun

Well it is hard to believe that the school year is out, but it really is! We did a remarkable job as a school this year and I am very proud. Please check out this link: http://www.barrow.k12.ga.us/kes/kennedy_connection2.19.pdf to read the last newsletter and find the summer reading lists.
The school hours for summer will be Monday-Thursday from 7:30-4:30. Come by and visit me if you get bored at the pool.

The Greatest Commencement Speech EVER!!!

OK, I was just trying to get your attention. Truth be told, this was only the 2nd one that I have given and in my opinion it was much better than last year's. SO for me, this is the Greatest Commencement Speech ever. This is what I said to our Fifth Graders today at their end of the year ceremony today.

There are 3 groups of people here today that I would like to address and the neat thing for me is that I have either been in or still in each of those 3 groups so I know a thing or two about what it is like to be in your shoes.

The first is the parents.
Parents first I would like to thank you for being here to support and recognize your child. I don’t think that there is anything more important to your child than to have you here today on a very important milestone in their educational journey Dr. Whitman says that children spell love T I M E. So to make the time to come here today to see them say goodbye to elementary school and hello to the big world of Middle School is saying to them just how much you love them. I can only imagine how proud you must be to see your little baby (For some of you it might be your first child, some it might be your youngest baby and for some of you you’ve done this before and still have one or two more to go) but to see your little baby sitting here all dressed up like a little adult ready to move from one level of schooling to another must bring a tear to your eye. That tear is because of how proud you are, but it is probably mixed with some fear of that now they are in middle school they won’t need you or want you around will never listen to you. I can understand that because they are growing up and becoming more independent but don’t do feel that way. Your child IS going to need you and even though they are not going to say it or act like they do, they are going to WANT you. James Baldwin once said that “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” They are going to step into that Middle school and be faced with things that are new and exciting, challenging and scary and they need you to model how to handle it and how to attack it in a positive way. It is been noted before by many educators that, “Virtually every issue that we deal with, be it education… be it human services, gang problems or drugs, we find STRONG FAMILIES the ultimate solution.” That is why the need you to be there for them.
So parents, I thank you for being here today on this special day. I know your child appreciates it; the teachers appreciate it; and I do as well because YOU are one of the most important pieces to your child’s success. As Charles Wells put it, “The school will teach children how to read, but the environment of the home must teach them what to read. The school can teach them how to think, but the home must teach them what to believe.”

The second group of people that I would like to thank is the teachers:
I remember how a 5th Grade teacher feels on the day of the end of the year ceremony; you are tired and worn out physically, mentally and emotionally. You are worn out physically for the last few days these wonderful students thought that they were done and did not have to do anything so you were running around with ALL your teaching energy trying to engage them and redirect them. Not to mention the lock-in gave you only a couple hours of sleep over the weekend. You are worn out mentally because you have given all you got over the past few months to fill the achievement gaps when needed and also challenging students to go further than they think that they can go or even want to go. You are worn out emotionally because this has been a year of victories. You have spent the year connecting with these students and creating learning opportunities that have helped them to believe in themselves as much as you believe in them. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “If you want to move people, it has to be toward a vision that’s positive for them, that taps important values, that gets them something they desire and it has to be presented in a compelling way so that they feel inspired to follow.” That is what these wonderful ladies and gentleman have done over the past nine months for these students. They have moved them towards a vision that is positive for them: to be READY, RESPECTFUL, and RESPONSIBLE; that taps the important values of education, hard work, and belief in themselves, and gives them the love and support that they desire and is presented in a way that is fun and engaging. These teachers have done a wonderful job this year and I thank them for their hard work and dedication to move these kids to not only achieve but to overachieve.

The last group of people is the reason we are here and that is the students. You look wonderful and I promise you boys that you will survive having to wear a collared shirt that is tucked in and a belt I promise. You guys have done an amazing job this year. You had the highest reading and math CRCT scores in the county both of them being over 93%, you had the second highest Writing scores in the county, but had the biggest increase in writing scores over the past 2 years increasing scores by 13% in the past 2 years. We had a group of students who placed 1st in the region in the Fall Stock Market game. We had 8 students serve as special friends to our special needs students. Those are all accomplishments that we should be proud of and deserve applause. They are accomplishments that we should be proud of and continue to strive for each year, but what makes me so proud of this group of students is how they took on the challenges that these teachers and this school presented them with and took them on with hard work and belief that they can do it. That is what I have always said: High scores are great, but your high scores are not what make you a success in life. Hard work, dedication, and a belief that they can succeed is what makes you a success in life. These students will be the ones who will be the teachers, lawyers, doctors, and the decision makers in about 15 to 20 years. That hard work, dedication, and belief is what they will need to make them a success in those areas. My favorite quote comes from General Patton who said, “Accept the challenge so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.” That is what these students did, they accepted the challenge from their teachers and they were able to feel the exhilaration of victory by being the best 5th graders around.

So maybe it wasn't the greatest ever, but it was true and heartfelt. I am very proud of these students, teachers, and parents. This has been a great group of families to work with this year.

The Last Week is Upon Us!

Field Day was a huge success on Friday. Coach Thompson and Mrs. Adams did a fantastic job of setting everything up and getting it organized. Thanks to all the instructional assistants and teachers who ran the events and the teachers who had their kids ready to go. It seemed like all the kids and their parents had a really fun time. I know I enjoyed watching all the events and hanging out with the parents.

Now that Field Day is over, we only have ONE more week of school. It is hard to believe it. We have some special things planned for this week. Our Fifth Graders will have their annual breakfast on Tuesday. Their end of the year ceremony will be on Wednesday at 9:00. It is quite an emotional day for them. Thursday will be the end of the year ceremonies for Kindergarten through Fourth grade. Friday is BEACH DAY with us doing the 5th Grade DRAGON PRIDE Walk at 2:00. It should be a great week!

Sorry I have missed a week, but I am very proud!

It has been a week since I last blogged about what is going on at Kennedy Elementary School. We now only have 7 more days of school left. It is hard to believe that the year has gone by so fast. We have gotten some preliminary scores back from the CRCT and I am very proud to say that we did very well again. I can not give out the scores as of yet, but I can tell you that we did very well with increases in 15 of the 21 areas that were scored. I am very proud of my teachers, students, and all of the parents who helped to get us ready.
I have always said that test scores only show a snap shot of what our kids can do and that it is unfair that so much pressure is put on our students and teachers to pass this test. I also have said I do know that it is the ONE area that we are judged in the media so that we better take it seriously.
The thing that makes me so proud is that every morning when I walk down the hallways at 5:00 am praying over the classrooms, I always pray for the safety of the kids and that they would have fun and be respectful to themselves and each other, but I also pray that the school would BELIEVE. I pray that they would believe that they can accomplish anything and that the would work hard to make sure it would happen. I am so proud because now the wonderful people that enter into KES each day KNOW that if they believe and work hard to accomplish what they believe in, there is NOTHING that can stop them. That is my prayer and my vision for Kennedy Elementary School: That each person that enters KES will believe that they can achieve anything that they put their mind and hard work to. I want them to be Ready, Respectful and Responsible and if they do that, Winder, Georgia and the rest of the world will see the difference.

Teacher Appreciation Day

Today is National Appreciation Day and I have to spend it in a training session. It is not how I would have liked to spend it, but I was able to listen to the radio on my way to the session and they were having people call in and talk about their favorite teacher and how they had impacted their life. As they called in and shared, it just made me remember why I got into education and how lucky I am to be a principal. Educators do so much more than just teach addition and subtraction, reading and writing, or history; teachers teach how to respect and be respected; how to work with others and be confident. Teachers teach how to make better choices and understand the consequences of poor choices. Teachers invest in the lives of those people who will be leading this country in 20 years. Teachers are the ones who will make the difference in the world because they accepted the challenge of investing in our future. That is why teachers should be appreciated.
As a principal, I am lucky enough to be able to see how these educators make it all happen when everything around them is being made more difficult. It is amazing to see how hard they work to continue to provide the best for ALL kids while the financial support is being tightened and the expectations are being increased. Teachers never stop teaching because our future can not survive without them.
Thanks to all the teachers!

The Last 3 Weeks!

It is very hard to believe that we are in our last 3 weeks of school. It seems like just the other day I was writing my first blog of the year. This marks the 80th blog I have written this year and now we have only 15 days of school left. We have a lot going on over those 5 days though. Please check out the latest Kennedy Connection at: www.barrow.k12.ga.us/kes/kennedy_connection2.18.pdf
This newsletter will have all the events over the next few weeks.
We hope to see you at the Parents' Breakfasts this week!

Way to Go 5th Grade Writers!

Yesterday we received our 5th Grade writing scores. Our teachers and students at every grade level have worked really hard this year to improve their writing. Our 3rd-5th Grades have taken mock writing tests that were scored by ALL the teachers and staff at the school, and each grade level has taken 5 writing samples that they have been scored with a genre-specific rubrics. Our 5th Graders had "5 Wonderful Weeks of Writing" where they produced a writing sample each week that was scored on the state writing rubric. The ENTIRE school has really worked hard to become better writers.
Well the scores for our 5th Graders have come back, and the hard work and dedication has paid off!!! 88% of our 5th Graders met or exceeded standards on the 5th Grade Georgia Writing Assessment. That is up from 83% last year and up from 75% the year before that. Our standard score is also up from 210 the year before to 220 this year! Those scores put us above the county (76%), RESA (77%) , and state (73%) average. I am very proud of our 5th Graders, the teachers, and our instructional Facilitator (Leigh Sears) and Assistant Principal (Dr. Jordan) who made sure this happened.
Way to GO KENNEDY WRITERS!!!!

Have a wonderful Spring Break

I wish everyone a wonderful Spring Break. Please take this time to enjoy yourselves and your family. You all deserve a break. As a parent, I am always looking for affordable fun ideas to do with my family. I have included some below to help you enjoy your Spring Break if you are still looking for something to do.

1. Go to a mall exposition. The home remodeling show, holiday choir, or classic car exhibit can be educational as well as entertaining. During the holidays, malls often are decorated in festive fashion, making the experience more enjoyable and meaningful. You also may run into someone you know, which the kids will find exciting. Conclude your trip with an ice cream cone or cookie , and everyone will consider the outing a success.

2. Take a hike. Find a park that you haven't visited before, and select a trail at a level that is suitable for all family members. Bring a camera and snap photos of scenic views or the kids' scampering over fallen logs or tumbling streams. Pack raisins, candy bars, or pretzels with water bottles for a tasty outdoor treat. You may even want to grill hotdogs over a barbecue pit or cook graham crackers and marshmallow over an open fire afterward.

3. Visit the playground. Put on some comfortable clothes and head for the swings and slide, if they'll support adult weight. If not, give your kids a push on the swing or help little ones down the slide or to clamber on the monkey bars. Everyone will be all smiles after an hour or two of the adults reliving their childhoods as the kids enjoy theirs. You may even want to bring a small, hand-held tape recorder to capture each family members comments, yells, and laughter.

4. Rack out under the stars. On a nice evening when stars fill the sky, take a blanket or lawn chairs outside and get comfortable. Look for well-known and new constellations. Remind everyone to keep their eyes open for shooting stars. Scent the clear night air as you savor the quiet and identify night sounds of owls, frogs, and other nearby creatures. This might be a good time for ghost stories or childhood tales that the kids can pass along to their offspring someday.

5. Give someone a hand. While your first thought may be that volunteering is not exactly fun, the opposite can be true. Think of an early scene in Louisa May Alcott's classic story, Little Women. The sisters and their mother find great joy in helping a poor family who is struggling with scarlet fever. Parents and children who work together are likely to bond in a spirit of camaraderie and good will.
Whatever you decide to do for family entertainment, make it creative. You may discover new horizons that will draw your loved ones further a field in search of new adventures together. And you will give your kids priceless memories that will last the rest of their lives.
Ideas came from : http://www.essortment.com/career/cheapfamilyfun_sfzn.htm

Can you Help us out?

We need parent help in giving us some information so that we can effectively plan parent engagement activities for next school year. Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WL328PL and take the survey to help us plan. The survey will be open from April 12th - April 30th.

CRCT Celebration

I stated that we had a great week of testing last week. Here is a little taste of what our celebration picnic looked like. It was a lot of fun, and I really appreciate all the parents who came out!

CRCT Has Been Slam DUNKED!

Friday was the last day of CRCT testing for Kennedy. We still have about 3or 4 make-up tests to give on Monday, but for the most part we are finished. It was a really good week! We only had 5 students tardy and only a few absences all week, so thank you to the parents for making sure your child was well prepared and on time to school each day. When I spoke with the students, most of them felt very confident that they did well each day. I even had one student in first grade tell me that I should make the test harder!!! I am very proud of my students and teachers for how hard they worked to get ready and take the test. Now we just have to box them up and wait for the scores to come back to us!! I also need to thank Leigh Sears and Dr. Gale Jordan for their organization of the testing week. The entire week ran smoothly and we only had a hitch or two all week. That is amazing considering over 450 students in 47 groups took the test. Way to go Leigh and Gale!

Congratulations Kelli!

One of KES's Kindergarten students was recognized on Tuesday night at the Barrow County School Board meeting. Kelli in Mrs. Neal's class was recognized as the County Winner for the Young Georgia Authors competition. Her writing is on display at the PDC in Winder. Great job Kelli; we are very proud of you!

The picture is of all the county winners by grade level. Way to go Barrow County Writers!

Testing is Going Great!

We have now finished 2 days of testing, and we are getting ready to complete the big Math section. Everything has gone very smoothly. I thank the parents for getting their children here on time; I thank the teachers and proctors for administering the tests without a hitch; I thank the students for giving their best effort and believing that they will OVERACHIEVE. A special thanks goes to Leigh Sears and Dr. Jordan for their organization and running of the entire testing process. I know (from being a former testing coordinator) how stressful it can be to make sure that all 500 students get the test given to them the correct way. Their is a lot of scheduling and planning that goes into it to make it work. And make it work they have!!! The entire process has gone so smooth. As long as I stay out of the way; everything about testing is going great!!!

You Gotta Let Them Go!

I have just finished walking the halls for the 4th time this morning checking on the students as they are taking the CRCT. It is such a weird feeling to do this because there is NOTHING I can do to help. I trust that the teachers have done all they possibly could do to get them ready. I know that each student has worked their hardest to be prepared for this week. I am also positive that the parents have done their part (WE DID NOT HAVE ONE LATE STUDENT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to make sure their child does their best. It is now just time for them to shine and celebrate all they have learned. I just have to sit back and let them go and trust that it will all be awesome!!!

Last Day of Spirit Week

Today was the last day of our Spirit Week for the CRCT. We had 2 special guests, Dr. Wanda Creel (Barrow County's new Superintendent) and Gutsy the Flying Fox. Gutsy told us about his 3-point play for success on the CRCT. 1) The need to Read 2) Math Counts 3) Slam Dunk the CRCT. It was very cool because that was our Theme this Year: Slam Dunk the CRCT.

We started the day off with a video that got students ready for our BLACK OUT PEP Rally. It was really cool to see all the teachers and students in their black. My next blog entry will have some more pictures and some video of the pep rally. Enjoy

Spirit Week has begun!

Our students have been working hard all year to make sure that they master each standard at their grade level, and our teachers have been working hard to make sure that they have multiple opportunities to master them.

Well next week, April 5th -9th, is our time to show just how well we have done. CRCT week brings lots of stress and nervousness, so that is why we take the week before to have some fun and build up some spirit and confidence for the CRCT week.

We have had 2 days of spirit week so far. Monday was "Twin Day" because we work twice as hard as anyone to be ready for the CRCT. Tuesday was "Super Hero Day" because we know we will do "SUPER" on the CRCT. I have included a few pictures of the two days so you can see it.

We still have Pajama Day on Wednesday, Crazy Hair Day on Thursday, and Friday is Black Out day- Everyone Wear Black! Our Slam Dunk the CRCT pep rally will be on Friday, April 2nd (8:30 k-2 & 9:45 3rd-5th)

Glad to have Kaloda back!!

It was great to see our Canine Assistance Reader Dog, Kaloda back on Friday. She has not been able to come because of her owner being out for a while, but they were able to arrange it for Mrs. Harwell to take care of her and bring her back in on Friday. Kaloda is a trained reader dog that works as an incentive for our Kindergarten students to read. Our Kindergartners get to earn the opportunity to read to Kaloda each Friday by reading throughout the week at home. It is a great incentive and the students love it.

Way to go Mrs. Tilson!

Mrs. Tilson, the art teacher at KES, just had some of her students' art work featured in the latest edition of the Mpowering News: A Kid2Kid Newsletter. This newsletter is produced by HealthMPowers of which we are a part of. Mrs. Tilson's students created a dinner plate that incorporated the color wheel with eating a balanced meal with areas of the food pyramid identified. It is really neat! Take a look:
http://healthmpowers.org/getmedia/594c0c76-b437-4d12-b2ca-85160f49e2b5/Kid2Kid-Mar-2010-Final-(Read-Only).aspx

KES Appreciation Day

Today we celebrated Staff Appreciation Day. Our teachers were treated to an Italian lunch that was cooked by Dr. Jordan (lasagna), Ms. Bachman (salad), Ms. Sears (desserts, lots of them!), and myself. I really enjoy cooking and it was nice to be able to treat the wonderful people that work so hard each day to prepare these kids for life. What a blessing it was for me to see them smile when they came through the office to get their food. I know how it feels as a teacher when you are only a few days away from the CRCT. You feel like all the pressure is on you to make sure every standard has been taught, retaught, and then taught again. You feel like you need to make sure that you are reminding them to get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast, drink plenty of water, and be at school on time with a sharpened number 2 pencil that does not go outside the bubble. It is crazy, hectic!!!
I don't like that our schools, teachers, and students are judged as successful or not successful in a one-week snapshot. I know that the students at KES are being taught the standards and are working hard to meet and exceed them. I also know that the students at KES are being taught to be Ready, Respectful, and Responsible, to have character, and to take pride in themselves and their school and country! (All things that will never show up on a standardized test, but will take you much farther in life!) I know this because I see the dedication and hard work of these teachers, assistants, media specialist, counselor, custodians, office staff, instructional facilitator, and assistant principal each and every day. I see how they plan to meet needs of the students; I see how they take their lunch to work extra with a struggling child; I see how they bring clothes and materials from home to give to those that don't have them. I see how they love and care for these kids each day! I see how they are dedicated to making sure that all kids are believed in. I see the success each day!
I don't like it and have stated why, but I also understand that it is the ONE hoop that we must jump through in the education business. That is why I push our students and teachers to not just do what I stated above, but to have them ready for the test. We have taken over 6,000 practice tests as a school. We have spent hours on classworks getting extra help on the standards. We have worked before, after, and even during school to provide extra help for those who are still struggling. They have done this with no extra pay (furloughs even) and have done it because they feel that it is their opportunity to invest in our future! That is why I appreciate them!!! Lasagna and salad can not say it enough (Those desserts were pretty close though!)but I really do appreciate all the teachers and staff do at KES!!

Spirit Week Coming Next Week

Well, my bracket has officially been destroyed by Kansas and Villanova losing in the 2nd round. That is the joy of the entire tournament; teams that should not have a chance knock off the Goliath's of the tourney. That is the same thing I hope happens at KES. Our students who at the beginning of the year did not think that they could pass the CRCT with an 800 now believe that they have a shot. We have now taken over 5,000 practice tests as a school and we are working daily with GPS to get us ready. It is now just time to have FAITH and not FEAR what will happen in 2 weeks. We are READY and we will not just achieve, we WILL... OVERACHIEVE!!!
To get us pumped up, next week will be our SPIRIT WEEK. Each day has a theme:
Monday : Twin Day because "We work twice as hard as anyone else to be ready for the CRCT"
Tuesday: Super Hero Day because "We will do SUPER on the CRCT"
Wednesday: Pajama Day to make sure we get enough rest for the CRCT
Thursday: Crazy Hair Day because "the CRCT is NO Hair Raising Experience for Us."
Friday: BLACK OUT DAY "Everyone wear Black to show we are ready to slam dunk the CRCT"
Our Pep Rally will be on Friday at 8:30 for K-2 and 9:45 for 3-5. Come on out and show your support!

Saint Patrick's Day

It was great to see everyone in their green today as we celebrated Saint Patrick's Day. It is always a favorite of mine because it is also my birthday. Thank you to all the students who made me cards and said happy birthday to me as they walked down the hall. It was especially nice of Mrs. Dechicchis's class for singing to me.

March Madness!

I love March Madness!!! I am not a huge college or pro basketball fan, but there is something about March Madness in college basketball that gets me pumped up. I think it is how all the teams that make the tournament have a chance of winning the prize. Everyone of those teams, whether a #1 seed like Kansas, Syracuse, Kentucky, or Duke or a #16 seed like Lehigh, Vermont, East Tennesee State or Winthrop, has a shot at the title. All the players are excited and committed to accomplish the goal of cutting down the nets in Indianapolis on April 5th. It is either that or the fact that in order to make it to the dance, each team had to has some victory to get rewarded the chance. It was either a conference championship like Houston and OHIO STATE or a great season with good wins like Georgia Tech and Washington.

It reminds me of the March Madness we have at Kennedy. Our students are excited and committed to accomplishing their goal of 800 or more on the CRCT. They all have a chance to do it and have made a commitment to see it through. They also have all had victories along the way. It may have been a 100 on a test or an "Exceeds Standards" on a benchmark test. It may have also just been an increase of 10 or 15 points from formative to summative tests, but everyone of our students at Kennedy can find a victory that they have had this year that will assure them that they have chance for the prize of getting 800 or more on the CRCT.

I also love doing a March Madness bracket. In my bracket, I have a final four of Kansas, Pittsburgh, Kentucky, and Villanova with Kansas beating Kentucky in the final. I tried to be the homer and go with my Buckeyes beating Kansas, but they just don't have enough depth. In my bracket at school, I have the Kennedy Dragons beating the CRCT in April with all of them getting an 800 or better. That would be AWESOME!!

Thank You Dr. Saunders!

Dr. Ron Saunders has been the Superintendent of Barrow County Schools for the past 12 years. He has decided to retire after 40 years in education. He has been responsible for some amazing changes in Barrow County schools over the past 12 years (The system has grown from 7,000 to over 12,00o students. We have added an Elementary School, Middle School and High School along with the ELC and PLC.). He was also the person who hired me to be the Principal at Kennedy Elementary School two years ago. I really appreciate him believing in me and giving me the support that I needed to feel that I could lead at Kennedy. He is a great leader and an even better man. I will miss him.

Today he came to Kennedy Elementary School to say, "Thank You" to each teacher and student. It was a great visit. The video above was the "Top 10" List we created for what he should do when he retires. I hope you enjoy it! The video below is our steel drum band playing Sweet Home Alabama! Dr. Saunders will be moving there in a couple years!

GAPSS is Coming!

Tomorrow we will have the first of our two days of GAPSS visit. This is an exciting time for KES. 16 educators from all of Northeast Georgia will be at our school for the next two days. They will be observing in every class multiple times, interviewing staff, and discussing standards with our students. They will write up a summary of what we do really well at Kennedy and also make suggestions on how we can get a little better. It should be interesting to see what they see we do really well!! I will keep you posted!

Story Book Night

Thursday night was a blast! We held our 2nd annual Story Book Night. It was wonderful to see just how much fun our teachers can have when they get the chance. Our Kindergarten teachers brought to life the Napping House by Audrey Wood. Our First grade teachers were fantastic when the presented The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone. The second grade teachers presented The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble. The 3rd grade teachers presented a new twist on Cinderella where Cinderella actually is a shoe maker, it was a cool twist on the classic. Our 4th and 5th Grade teachers told The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Sciesczka. It was really really good. The finale was a very special treat; Mrs. Andrea Lott, the Family Engagement Specialist for Barrow County, did the 3 Little Bear rap and really got all the kids up and moving. I felt really blessed to have her there; even though she made me dance in front of all those people. My wife says, "You REALLY CAN'T dance!!" so I was real excited about that. It was a lot of fun though. Mrs. Sears, Ms. Bachman, Dr. J and I even got into the action by sharing A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon.
The night was also one where parents learned about what was available to help get their child ready for the CRCT and purchase books in the book fair.
What made the night so special to me though was to see the enjoyment on the parents and kids faces as they watched these amazing adults having fun with literature. That is what teaching is about, having fun while investing in young lives while you bring skills to their attention. With everything that teachers have to do to teach on a daily basis, it was great to see them just having fun. I wish we could do it more.
Thanks Teachers, I really appreciate it!!

Early Release Craziness

From the minute that we turned the phones back on this morning, we had people calling about whether we were going to send the students home early. Mrs. Dobbs, Mrs. Bailey and anyone else within arm's length of a phone were busy as bees answering with the same line: "That is Dr. Saunders' decision and we will let you know once he makes it."

At about 11:05 the decision was made to go home 2 hours early and parents actually knew before we did ( I don't know how. They must have known someone who knew someone that knew someone who knew that we were going home early!), but then the real craziness began. It was a mad dash to get the rest of 2nd grade into the cafeteria and serve lunches to the entire 3rd -5th grades all within 1 hour and 10 minutes. It was amazing to see everyone helping out. Anyone that did not have a class was helping out to load up trays, stack milks, and deliver lunches. Others were frantically calling parents who had not filled out emergency pick up arrangements, while even more were working the front office to assist in check outs of other students. It was amazing to see the calmness and efficiency of all those people working together to make sure 607 students all got home safely. Thank you to the entire staff at Kennedy for making it all happen in less than 2 hours. You are amazing!!!

If one of the 8 of you who read this blog could pass on to other parents the importance of making sure we have updated phone numbers and emergency pick up arrangements, it would be greatly appreciated. I promise that we will do everything we can to assure that every student at KES gets home safely when emergencies arrive, but we need to make sure that every parent has made the effort to ensure that we have the latest working contact numbers. Thanks!