from Maureen Burns

It’s hard to believe it is December already! This year has gone by so fast. As we enter the holiday season, I would like to share few things with you.

The cold season is here!
This means runny noses, coughing and germs. While this is a natural part of growing up, I’d like to ask that you be sensitive to other children’s well-being and considerate when deciding whether or not to send your child to school. Please do not send your child to school if s/he exhibits any of the following symptoms: fever of 101 orally, 102 rectally, or 100 auxiliary; diarrhea (more than one abnormally loose stool); severe coughing causing “croupy, whooping” sounds; severe wheezing or severe respiratory distress; yellowish tint to skin or eyes (jaundice); tearing, irritation, and redness of eyelid lining, followed by swelling or discharge of pus; unusual spots or rashes of unknown origin; severe sore throat or difficulty swallowing; infected areas of skin with yellow crusty areas; severe headache, stomachache, and/or vomiting; unusual behavior; or severe itching of body or scalp or constant scratching.

Please also consider whether or not your child is able to blow his/her nose by him/herself, cover his/her mouth when coughing, or communicate with teachers/staff about not feeling well. There are some very young children who come to school unable to do these things; it may be a good idea to keep them home until they are well enough to come to school. It is our goal to keep all of our children healthy and in a safe environment here at school. Thank you for your consideration and understanding.

What is my role?
A few of you are still unclear as to exactly what my role is. It is true that I play many different roles here at Kendall. I tell people I wear many hats J I will try to be as clear as possible so that we all have a better understanding of what I do here at Kendall.
1) Assistant Principal for Instruction – I work under the supervision of the principal, Marilyn Farmer, focusing on the instructional program here at Kendall for all students, birth through 8th grade. I work with the Coordinator of Instruction, Susan Schatz, who provides direct supervision to the teachers and aides at Kendall for grades 4 through 8. I also work closely with both Educational Planning Coordinators, Gail Solit and Lori Rolnick related to the IEPs and any other documentation about your child’s education. I am also the contact person for parents/guardians who have questions related to the overall instructional programming at KDES.
2) Acting Coordinator of Instruction for birth through Grade 3 – This position is vacant and currently being advertised. During this time, I have also taken over the responsibility of working with teachers and staff members on the ECE team and Team 1/2/3. Marilyn Farmer and I are working closely with teachers and aides on teams, providing supervision and support as needed. I also work with both of these teams in coordinating team meetings, participating in IEP conferences, Student Review Team (SRT) meetings, and parent conferences.
3) I am also a parent. One of my sons attends Kendall on the ECE team, so sometimes I also put on my “mommy” hat and focus on being a mother. Anytime I have my children with me, I switch to my “mommy” mode J
4) I am also a proud Kendall alumnus.

I hope this gives you a better picture of my role(s). I work with many different people and teams this year. Fortunately, we have so many skilled and dedicated professionals here at Kendall who all work together to make sure that our students are receiving the education they need and that they are happy and safe here at Kendall.

ASL/English Bilingual Education & Language Planning
We have started many discussions here at Kendall related to ASL/English bilingual education and language planning. The school is committed to the bilingual approach, with the goal of having our students become proficient in both languages: ASL and English. However, each child learns differently, therefore a language plan is needed for each child. We are inviting Steve Nover, the Director of CAEBER (Center on ASL/English Bilingual Education and Research), to come to Kendall and talk about bilingual education and how language planning fits. His presentation will happen the third week of January. You will be receiving a flyer with more information about this.

Have a wonderful, safe, and happy holiday!