Kettering Express
Family Newsletter - Fall 2019
Thank you from the staff at Kettering
- Thank you to all the Kinder parent volunteers who helped make our Kindergarten Fall Fun day a success! The kids had a great day!
- I really appreciate all my parent volunteers in the computer lab! Special treat last week was having D'Ambrosio and Mrs. Teves show the 5th graders how to use Tinkercad so the students will eventually print objects from Kettering's 3D printer! (Ms. Muenzer)
- In Ms. Hernadnez's class, we used our 5 senses to explore pumpkins! Parents, thank you for donating pumpkins!
- Thank you to my Wacky Wednesday VIPS! Your help with small group reading and ring words is greatly appreciated. (Ms. Spencer)
- Room 7 wants to thank all of our awesome VIPs who help me with reading!!(Mr. Willie)
- Kudos to Ms. Baughman who kindly offers coffee and doughnuts to teachers on occasions. (Stella Burner)
- Thank you to the parents that literally gave their blood! (Ms. Fillipow)
- Thanks to all Room 14 VIPs helping with math facts and small reading groups! You all rock! (Ms. Bristol)
- Thank you to all of the wonderful first grade parents who stepped in to help with the Wild Things, Pumpkin Math, and the play. All were a huge success due to your support. (Ms. Cordeiro, Ms. Gonzalez and Ms. Watten)
- A big thank you to Mary Baughman for the coffee and donut delivery on Friday mornings! You are the best!(Ms. Cousino)
- Thank you to Mrs. Yolanda and Mrs. Staci for helping prep materials and for helping during breakfast duty :0) (Ms. Pena)
- Thank you to the room parents in Mrs. Del Rosario’s class in providing Halloween give-aways, treats and helping in making copies/materials for class use.
- Thank you to the PTA board for your dedication to our students and families.
Good bye Grace - Kettering will miss you!
To my dear Kettering parents and families,
it is said that first impressions are the most lasting and Kettering has certainly left one on me. As I sat waiting for my interview taking note of the office activity, I saw something curious. In walked an orange tabby cat. No one seemed to notice him as he brushed past my legs confidently on his way out the back door: Tigger. He belonged here. What a nice school, I thought. I wondered whether I belonged here, too. Turns out I did-- for 26 years!!
26 years? Often my district colleagues will express surprise that I have worked so long at one school site. My response is "Hang around a few minutes. Take a deep breath. Who would leave?"
Everyone at Kettering, past and present, parents, students, admin,staff, and community has contributed to the school's atmosphere. So, how is the atmosphere here at Kettering, its "Air Quality"? Excellence, professionalism, creativity, cooperation, adaptability, generosity, caring, inclusiveness,warmth,friendliness, with a dash of pizazz make a refreshing and invigorating learning and working environment. Take a deep breath. It's energizing!
A recent very fond memory of mine occurred last May---the teacher appreciation picnic lunch on the school's front lawn: Parents prepared and served a lovely lunch to teachers and any other staff member who wished to join. As usual, all were invited. When our US mailman came to deliver the mail-- the parents offered and served him lunch!That's a great atmosphere and that is the "Kettering Way".
I thank all of you for making my work fun and enriching my life with your friendship. It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your families in this way… and may I remain,
Forever yours,
Miss Grace
Principal's Message
We are now into our second quarter. Parent/Teacher conferences are in full swing and all of our efforts are focused on student academic success. On November 18th, Kettering, along with other schools will be recognized during the district's K-12 Outstanding School Growth Awards Celebration. We will be recognized as one of the highest achieving school in the district, having met or exceeded SBAC expectations within 9 out of 10 categories!
Kettering teachers and students are dedicated to learning and work hard every day. Our teachers demonstrate a thorough understanding of our Common Core Standards by providing high quality differentiated instruction on a daily basis. We work to ensure that learners are provided with cognitively demanding tasks through complex text and teachers strategically use formative assessment to guide their planning and determine next steps. They orchestrate opportunities for student discourse and create environments that are warm and welcoming. It is because of these practices, Kettering is consistently recognized as the best little school in the district. KUDOS to the teachers, staff, students and families of Kettering!
Welcome 2019 - 2020 Student Council
Kettering's Student Council
Student Council President
Student Council Vice President
Student Council Secretary
Student Council Spirit Director
Student Council Historian
Student Council Sergeant at Arms
Student Council Treasurer
Student Council Public Relations
Attendance Matters
As you know attendance matters. Students who are in school every day not only do better with their daily academics, but they learn the importance of commitment and accountability. We are the first to understand that students may be out because of illness; and as a matter of fact, we ask that any child out because of a fever do not return to school until 24 hours after the fever has broke. But many times students are missing school because of appointments or even travel. We ask in both of those cases that appointments be made later in the afternoon and travel plans follow our scheduled school breaks.
Thank you to everyone for your continuing support.
R. Peters
Principal
*Example attendance periods for above graph:
#4 11/3 -11/30
#5 12/3 - 12/28
#6 12/31- 1/27
#7 1/28 - 2/22
#8 2/23 - 3/22
Librarian's Corner
The library was transformed into an amazing book fair in October so we visited the virtual library instead. Did you know that there are many informational databases offered on your student’s LBUSD portal? The 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students now know how to access them.
Both GALE InfoBits https://galeapps.gale.com/apps/auth/lbusd and
Encyclopedia Britannica Http://school.eb.com/levels offer a number of resources and the kids really have fun! Better yet, they are able to access these and several other databases from their LBUSD portal at home. On the portal they are listed under Applications then Digital Library Resources. Please encourage your child to visit these databases as we will continue learning more about digital literacy and digital citizenship later this year.
Lisa Johnson, Kettering Teacher Librarian/Information Science Specialist
Cyber Safety
Cyber safety is of the utmost importance as we require students to use technology more and more inside the classroom. With that in mind, I would like to share with you a new addition to our school Website: Cyber Safety
This can be found through the link bar above or on the right-hand side of our Kettering Website www.lbschools.net/kettering. It is a red link underneath the Welcome heading.
This is a site full of information to keep YOU, the parents of our students, and our STUDENTS, safe online.
We have noticed that a few of our students are “roaming” to other sites during their ST. Math time and it may be that they are doing this at home as well under the pre-tense of doing homework online. We feel that it would be a dis-service to you to not inform you of this behavior. I can laugh now, but more than a decade ago my own son innocently made a profile page for me (which was totally unsolicited) and I didn’t realize it until I received an odd email from a stranger. I felt lucky that I received the email and knew what to do. My son has two older sisters who could have been the recipients of that odd email.
Below I have shared links to other good information that you may want to read and view.
Internet Safety
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-fortnite
https://www.commonsense.org/education/family-tips/6-12-relationships-and-communication
Thank you,
Lynda Muenzer
Technology Teacher
“Musical Musings”
The Kettering music program is off to a great start this year!
Thank you so very much to the Kettering PTA for purchasing one clarinet, one trombone and five trumpets for Kettering students! The instruments were delivered by Morey’s Music last week, and students have already begun to play on a few of them during classes. Students will enjoy playing these instruments for years to come, and we truly appreciate your support!
This year, all 3rd graders will be learning the ukulele as part of Kettering’s general music program. The ukuleles were provided by a grant from the RuMBa Foundation. Thank you to the Kettering PTA for purchasing our ‘bucket’ seats!
PTA - Happy Fall Kettering Families
Kettering membership news:
We set a goal of 252 members, which was a 7% increase over last year, and I’m proud to announce we recently achieved 100% membership with over 340 members. This includes 100% teacher membership as well.
If you have not signed up to become a PTA member please click on the link below to receive our newsletter as well as being able to vote at our association meetings for programs you wish to see on our campus.
Your PTA funds the following programs at Kettering: Computer Lab, Teacher Grade Level Enrichment, Kite Day, Kinder Welcome, Library Nights, Meet the Masters, Arts Reflections, Music Enrichment, On Campus Show, Scholastic News, Science Spin, Running Club, Red Ribbon Week, Fright Fest, Assemblies, Field Trips and Transportation, Spirit Assemblies and Playground Equipment and many more.
We only have 2 major fundraisers to help support the programs above: Kettering Fit Fest Pledge Star (starting Dec 3 - Feb 28) and Kettering Carnival & Silent Auction (May 2).
We truly have an incredibly supportive little school in Long Beach. Kettering Families, we can't thank you enough. Sincerely your, Kettering 2019-2020 PTA Executive Board
Kettering Elementary
Email: rpeters@lbschools.net
Website: https://kettering-lbusd-ca.schoolloop.com/
Location: 550 Silvera Avenue, Long Beach, CA, USA
Phone: 562-897-9486