Kendon PreK October Newsletter
October 4th, 2023
Important Dates
10/4 Count Day!
10/4 First Fire Drill Scheduled for 11am
*Future drills may be unannounced.
10/4 First ASD Professional Learning Community Session (optional)
- Link to register
- More details below
10/6 School for ECSE Students; No School for UPK Students
10/13 LSEA PGP Plans Due in iObservation
10/20 District P.D. Day
8am to 12pm; Kendon & Pleasant View UPK & ECSE staff attend training in Room 103 at Halik Center (4200 Pattengill Ave, Lansing MI 48910)
12pm to 1pm; Lunch & Travel
1pm to 2:48pm; UPK & Special Education P.D.
- UPK P.M. training to take place in Main Conference Room at Halik Center
- Special Education P.M. training location TBD
*More details to come.
FEMA Emergency Alert: Oct. 4th at 2:20pm
We wanted to make you all aware that FEMA will be conducting an Emergency Alert Test on Oct 4th at 2:20pm. The test will trigger an alert on any phone that has a participating carrier and could override the silent or mute setting on their devices.
According to FEMA, "To help ensure that these alerts are accessible to the entire public, including people with disabilities, the alerts are accompanied by a unique tone and vibration."
Full article is here: FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4, 2023 | FEMA.gov
Angie Barry, Kendon Administrator & Assistant Director of Universal Preschool
Hello everyone! I'm excited to be with you all at Kendon!
I started my career in the Lansing School District in 2007. Over the years, I've had the privilege of serving as a lead preschool teacher at Elmhurst, Dwight Rich, and Reo. I've also spent 5 years as the GSRP Specialist and Early Childhood Coach, followed by 2.5 years in my current role as an administrator for our Universal Preschool program.
I love traveling and learning about different cultures. I lived and taught in Beijing, China for 2 years at 3e International Kindergarten. I also was the Foreign Language Assistance Program (FLAP) Specialist in the Lansing School District for 2 years where I helped to expand and improve our Mandarin Chinese and Japanese language programs.
I am a Lansing resident and love spending time with my boyfriend, Jordon, and Pomeranian, Asher. My favorite place to be is in nature, preferably at a beach. I love learning new things. Recently, I took stained glass classes and I love being creative in my free time.
I'm excited about the possibilities ahead, and I can't wait to collaborate with each one of you to make Kendon PreK an exceptional place for our students to thrive.
Communicating with Angie
As we embark on the journey of shaping Kendon PreK's vision together, I'm deeply grateful to be surrounded by a dedicated team.
Please note that I will frequently be visiting various schools as part of my role in supporting our 32 Universal Preschool classrooms across 12 schools and spending time at the Universal Preschool Office at the Welcome Center, serving as the Assistant Director of Universal Preschool.
The best way to reach me is via email at angela.barry@lansingschools.net. I have the Outlook app on my phone. Therefore, I am immediately alerted of an email. If you would like to meet in person, please send me an email and we can schedule a time.
You can also reach me at my office in Kendon, Room 129A and via phone # 755-5709.
Travis Neller, LSD Urban Fellowship Leader
Educational journey started in 2010
Paraprofessional @ St. Vincent Catholic Charities School, Lansing, MI
Boys Basketball Coach: Waverly High School, Lansing, MI
Physical Education Teacher @ Malcolm Willians High School,
Prevention Case Manager (worked on multiple programs including Sexual Health Program implementation) @ Eaton RESA: Charlotte, MI
Early Childhood Administrator @ Ingham ISD: Mason, MI
Travis loves to mentor, learn, coach basketball, travel, collect sports cards and transformers, watch sports, and hangout with his family. Travis has a 3 year old son named Elijah and says being a Dad along with marrying his wife, Christy, is the best blessing he has ever had. Travis resides on the westside of Lansing.
Travis will be at Kendon often as part of our Kendon PreK leadership team. His office is located in room 125. Please feel free to reach out if you need anything: travis.neller@lansingschools.net
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world -Nelson Mandela
Minjoo (Mindy) Hwang, Kendon & Pleasant View UPK & ECSE Secretary
On Monday, Oct 9; Mindy Hwang starts as the Kendon and Pleasant View Universal Preschool & ECSE secretary. She will be at Kendon Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays; 7am to 3:30pm. On Thursdays and Fridays, she will be at Pleasant View. However, you can still call or email Mindy with any needs on the days she is at Pleasant View. Her office will be located in room 125 when she is at Kendon.
Evaluations
Link to Evaluation Timeline/ Grid
Link to Evaluation PPT
Jennifer Lycos will complete evaluations for ECSE Kendon staff. Angie Barry will complete evaluations for UPK Kendon staff.
LSEA Professional Growth Plans (PGP) must be completed by Friday, Oct 13 to be eligible for the REAP Performance Based Stipend.
PGP plans are completed in iObservation. Link to instructions for logging into iObservation if you are a first-time user.
Jennifer and Angie will be conducting walkthroughs and formal observations. This is a great opportunity to receive feedback on areas of strengths and growth. As a reminder, your last score for each element is what is calculated into your evaluation. Therefore, you have plenty of time to work on areas of growth throughout the school year.
Parking at Kendon PreK
We reached out to Discover Life Church (located on the westside of Kendon). They stated that Kendon staff can park there as long as the shed and dumpster are not blocked. If you are able to park in that parking lot during the day, that would be extremely helpful so parents can park in the Kendon parking lot when dropping off or picking up students. Thank you!
Thursday Nov 16: Picture Day at Kendon
On Thursday November 16, picture day will take place in the gym at Kendon.
More details will come but we wanted to let you know so you could add it to your calendars.
Sharing the Outdoor Space
I want to thank everyone for coming together to share the outdoor space. I know it is not easy with 10 preschool classrooms.
I'm excited about the ideas Universal Preschool and ECSE teachers came up with when we met on Friday, Sept 22 for engaging outdoor materials and activities that are safe for all students to use! We will continue to work together as a team to add these materials to the outdoor area at Kendon!
ASD Professional Learning Community Opportunity
The first ASD Professional Learning Community is Wednesday October 4th! Participants will meet in person at the Ingham ISD (Thorburn Education Center) at 4pm. It is okay to be late due to dismissal taking place near that time. Dinner and SCECHs are provided. The first session focuses on visual and organizational supports. There will be several “make and take” activities, so you will leave with already prepared additional visual supports for your students! You’ll also learn about unique ways to use visuals from other professionals in the county. Hope you can join!
Register here: https://pd.inghamisd.org/catalog/eventdetails/2568
Please feel free to share!
Please share this flyer widely with your families. Cradles to Crayons is offering before and aftercare with transportation to and from Kendon.