Dear Kerby Families and Friends,
Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe, restful, fun-filled Holiday season. It was great to see the smiles on the boys and girls faces and hear the laughter fill the hallways and classrooms as they shared their vacation memories with one another. Their energy and enthusiasm are truly contagious and are shining examples of why our school is the wonderful place that it is.
The year 2012 provides the opportunity to start “anew” and I look forward to the Kerby community
focusing on putting our best efforts forth and continuing to strive to be the best we can be!
“The happiest people don’t have the best of everything,
they just make the best of everything they have.”
~Anonymous~
Have a Great Month!
Maureen G. Bur
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
November - A time to be Thankful!
Dear Kerby Families and Friends,
“Building a Community of Learners—A successful learner is a child who enters school emotionally and physically healthy; feels safe and is ready to learn; is connected to the school and the community; and has access to challenging and engaging academic programs. A successful learner is prepared for further education, work, and civic life”. The above statement is an excerpt from the NAESP. The Kerby community is lucky to have educators that are inspiring and nurturing at the same time who are willing to partner with parents to create a community feeling along with a sense of caring and family. It is through this work that we are helping our students develop habits that will allow them to be life-long learners!
As you may know, Parent-Teacher Conferences will follow a schedule similar to last school year, consisting of a morning session, an afternoon session, and two evening sessions. This gives parents an opportunity to attend the conferences based on what works best for their schedules. The challenge lies in the schedule - we only have 20 minutes per conference allotted due to the number of conferences that each teacher must accommodate in the 4 sessions. We truly appreciate your cooperation with being on time and respecting the time that the teacher has available for your child's conference. Our goal is to work with you as a team in meeting your child's educational needs. We know that this can only be accomplished through open and frequent two-way communication. The schedule for December Parent-Teacher Conferences is:
Wednesday, December 7th School for Students 8:25 a.m. 3:38 p.m.
Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 p.m. No Homework Club
Thursday, December 8th NO School for Students
Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:30-11:30 a.m., 1:00-3:30 p.m. & 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Most parents signed up for conferences at Back to School Night and conference invitations were sent home Friday, October 21st. If you have not yet received your conference invitation, please contact your child’s teacher. Please leave younger siblings home so that you can devote your full attention to your child's conference. We look forward to partnering with you as your child engages in a school year filled with challenge and lessons learned.
Our annual Thanksgiving Sing is Friday, November 18th, at 2:15 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room @ Brownell. The doors will open to parents and other family members at 2:00 p.m. All students/staff will walk to Brownell for the sing. Please make sure your child is wearing comfortable shoes. Please be mindful of all parking signs around Brownell as we continue to be good neighbors. After the performance students will return to Kerby and be dismissed at the 3:38 p.m. bell. This is a wonderful way to start the holiday season and is one more example of the many things we have to be thankful for … The Kerby Community!
Maureen G. Bur
“Building a Community of Learners—A successful learner is a child who enters school emotionally and physically healthy; feels safe and is ready to learn; is connected to the school and the community; and has access to challenging and engaging academic programs. A successful learner is prepared for further education, work, and civic life”. The above statement is an excerpt from the NAESP. The Kerby community is lucky to have educators that are inspiring and nurturing at the same time who are willing to partner with parents to create a community feeling along with a sense of caring and family. It is through this work that we are helping our students develop habits that will allow them to be life-long learners!
As you may know, Parent-Teacher Conferences will follow a schedule similar to last school year, consisting of a morning session, an afternoon session, and two evening sessions. This gives parents an opportunity to attend the conferences based on what works best for their schedules. The challenge lies in the schedule - we only have 20 minutes per conference allotted due to the number of conferences that each teacher must accommodate in the 4 sessions. We truly appreciate your cooperation with being on time and respecting the time that the teacher has available for your child's conference. Our goal is to work with you as a team in meeting your child's educational needs. We know that this can only be accomplished through open and frequent two-way communication. The schedule for December Parent-Teacher Conferences is:
Wednesday, December 7th School for Students 8:25 a.m. 3:38 p.m.
Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences 5:00-8:00 p.m. No Homework Club
Thursday, December 8th NO School for Students
Parent-Teacher Conferences 8:30-11:30 a.m., 1:00-3:30 p.m. & 5:00-8:00 p.m.
Most parents signed up for conferences at Back to School Night and conference invitations were sent home Friday, October 21st. If you have not yet received your conference invitation, please contact your child’s teacher. Please leave younger siblings home so that you can devote your full attention to your child's conference. We look forward to partnering with you as your child engages in a school year filled with challenge and lessons learned.
Our annual Thanksgiving Sing is Friday, November 18th, at 2:15 p.m. in the Multi-Purpose Room @ Brownell. The doors will open to parents and other family members at 2:00 p.m. All students/staff will walk to Brownell for the sing. Please make sure your child is wearing comfortable shoes. Please be mindful of all parking signs around Brownell as we continue to be good neighbors. After the performance students will return to Kerby and be dismissed at the 3:38 p.m. bell. This is a wonderful way to start the holiday season and is one more example of the many things we have to be thankful for … The Kerby Community!
Maureen G. Bur
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Fall into October
Dear Kerby Families and Friends,
Where has the first month of school gone? As we continue on the path towards another successful, enriching and rewarding school year, I believe we need to maintain our focus on the 3 ‘C’s’: Communication, Curriculum, and Community.
Open and honest communication is a vital ingredient in nurturing the environment which encourages all students to strive to be the best they can be. Throughout the school year on the first Wednesday of each month, the Kerby Cougar Newsletter is sent home (electronically or as a requested hard copy with the youngest only). ‘Bur’s Banter’, which can be accessed from the Kerby webpage by clicking on the ‘blog’ link under my name, also contains information parents may find helpful. To move forward with our “Green” school certification we are encouraging everyone to use e-mail and not paper to receive important parent information, including newsletters. Parents can sign-up for an “e-Alert” which will help provide the best communication between Kerby and your household. In order to do this, please visit http://gpschools.schoolwires.net click on the register button (top right of page) enter your birthday and submit. Once signed-in you’ll be able to receive email alerts and subscriptions via the “access my info” button on the top right of the homepage. Kerby staff sends home classroom newsletters and also have Web pages that help maintain the link between home and school.
The Kerby community of students, staff and parents is second to none with their commitment to academic excellence. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and talented professional staff working with our students. Each day students are encouraged and challenged to apply the Kerby Mindset as they gain new insights and skills that will be used throughout their academic careers. In order to provide these engaging academic experiences we are fortunate to have the unconditional support of our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Families at Kerby who volunteer their time and talents, donate materials, attend PTO and/or school events or participate in fundraisers are key players in this organization.
As we’ve all heard before: “It takes a village to raise a child,” so allow me to say THANK YOU for being part of the Kerby Village as we partner in the education and development of 345 children!!
Have a GREAT week!
Maureen G. Bur
Where has the first month of school gone? As we continue on the path towards another successful, enriching and rewarding school year, I believe we need to maintain our focus on the 3 ‘C’s’: Communication, Curriculum, and Community.
Open and honest communication is a vital ingredient in nurturing the environment which encourages all students to strive to be the best they can be. Throughout the school year on the first Wednesday of each month, the Kerby Cougar Newsletter is sent home (electronically or as a requested hard copy with the youngest only). ‘Bur’s Banter’, which can be accessed from the Kerby webpage by clicking on the ‘blog’ link under my name, also contains information parents may find helpful. To move forward with our “Green” school certification we are encouraging everyone to use e-mail and not paper to receive important parent information, including newsletters. Parents can sign-up for an “e-Alert” which will help provide the best communication between Kerby and your household. In order to do this, please visit http://gpschools.schoolwires.net click on the register button (top right of page) enter your birthday and submit. Once signed-in you’ll be able to receive email alerts and subscriptions via the “access my info” button on the top right of the homepage. Kerby staff sends home classroom newsletters and also have Web pages that help maintain the link between home and school.
The Kerby community of students, staff and parents is second to none with their commitment to academic excellence. We are fortunate to have a dedicated and talented professional staff working with our students. Each day students are encouraged and challenged to apply the Kerby Mindset as they gain new insights and skills that will be used throughout their academic careers. In order to provide these engaging academic experiences we are fortunate to have the unconditional support of our Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). Families at Kerby who volunteer their time and talents, donate materials, attend PTO and/or school events or participate in fundraisers are key players in this organization.
As we’ve all heard before: “It takes a village to raise a child,” so allow me to say THANK YOU for being part of the Kerby Village as we partner in the education and development of 345 children!!
Have a GREAT week!
Maureen G. Bur
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
The 2011 - 2012 School Year Is Here!
Welcome Back… to what promises to be a great school year! September is a time for new beginnings, when the proverbial slate is wiped clean and filled with high expectations. We look forward to partnering with you as we launch another successful school year!
Kerby is committed to providing every child an environment in which they feel a safe sense of belonging while they work to meet the academic challenges throughout the year. This year we are excited to introduce the ‘KERBY’ MINDSET: Intelligence CAN be developed!
The ‘KERBY’ MINDSET:
I AM smart when… …I ask questions
…I correct my mistakes
…I work hard
EMBRACES challenges
“I love a good challenge – learning new things is fun.”
PERSISTS in the face of setbacks
“This is challenging, so I’ll need to work hard.”
BELIEVES effort is the path to mastery
“I’ll keep trying until I find the way that works for me.”
LEARNS from criticism
“Now I know what didn’t work, I’ll try something different.”
INSPIRED by and learns from the success of others
“I bet I can be as successful, if I work hard.”
As a result learning is LIMITLESS!
Thank you for partnering with us as we engage our students to challenge themselves in all that they do as they develop a love of learning and an understanding that success is a journey not a destination!
Have a GREAT week!
Maureen G. Bur
Kerby is committed to providing every child an environment in which they feel a safe sense of belonging while they work to meet the academic challenges throughout the year. This year we are excited to introduce the ‘KERBY’ MINDSET: Intelligence CAN be developed!
The ‘KERBY’ MINDSET:
I AM smart when… …I ask questions
…I correct my mistakes
…I work hard
EMBRACES challenges
“I love a good challenge – learning new things is fun.”
PERSISTS in the face of setbacks
“This is challenging, so I’ll need to work hard.”
BELIEVES effort is the path to mastery
“I’ll keep trying until I find the way that works for me.”
LEARNS from criticism
“Now I know what didn’t work, I’ll try something different.”
INSPIRED by and learns from the success of others
“I bet I can be as successful, if I work hard.”
As a result learning is LIMITLESS!
Thank you for partnering with us as we engage our students to challenge themselves in all that they do as they develop a love of learning and an understanding that success is a journey not a destination!
Have a GREAT week!
Maureen G. Bur
Friday, May 27, 2011
School is out for Summer!
Dear Kerby Families and Friends,
It is unbelievable that this is the last newsletter for the 2011-12 school year! I'd like to say thank you to the entire Kerby Community for all that you've done to make it a successful, engaging, fun-filled school year for all our students. This year, parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, and community members have spent approximately 4,650 hours volunteering to help make the experiences students receive at Kerby the best they can possibly be.
End of the Year Picnics at Pier Park
June 3rd Mrs. Maddalena’s Kdg 11:00-3:30 June 9th Mrs. Cronovich Kdg
Mrs. Brock’s 2nd Grade 11:00-2:30 11:00—2:30 held at Kerby
June 7th Service/Safety Pizza Lunch
and Warren City Pool 11:30-3:15
Ms. Briggs 1st Grade 11:00-3:00
Mr. Restum’s 3rd Grade 10:00-3:00
June 9th Mrs. Kern’s 2nd Grade 11:00-2:30
June 10th Mrs. Bergeron’s 2nd Grade 11:00-3:00
Ms. Corio’s 1st Grade 11:30-3:30
June 14th Mrs. Sullivan’s 3rd Grade 11:30-2:30
Mr. Brown’s 3rd Grade 11:30-2:30
Mrs. Blazinski’s 5th Grade 10:15-3:30
Mrs. Corbett’s 5th Grade 10:15-3:30
Mr. Esze’s 5th Grade 10:15-3:30
Mr. Pfeuffer’s 4th Grade 11:30-3:15
Mrs. Schrade’s 4th Grade 11:30-3:15
June 15th Mr. Sattelmeier’s 1st Grade 9:00-11:30
September 6th is the first day of school for the 2011-12 school year. Please make sure to check out our web calendar during the summer. We will continue to update it with new events after this school year is over.
It is unbelievable that this is the last newsletter for the 2011-12 school year! I'd like to say thank you to the entire Kerby Community for all that you've done to make it a successful, engaging, fun-filled school year for all our students. This year, parents, grandparents, older brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, and community members have spent approximately 4,650 hours volunteering to help make the experiences students receive at Kerby the best they can possibly be.
End of the Year Picnics at Pier Park
June 3rd Mrs. Maddalena’s Kdg 11:00-3:30 June 9th Mrs. Cronovich Kdg
Mrs. Brock’s 2nd Grade 11:00-2:30 11:00—2:30 held at Kerby
June 7th Service/Safety Pizza Lunch
and Warren City Pool 11:30-3:15
Ms. Briggs 1st Grade 11:00-3:00
Mr. Restum’s 3rd Grade 10:00-3:00
June 9th Mrs. Kern’s 2nd Grade 11:00-2:30
June 10th Mrs. Bergeron’s 2nd Grade 11:00-3:00
Ms. Corio’s 1st Grade 11:30-3:30
June 14th Mrs. Sullivan’s 3rd Grade 11:30-2:30
Mr. Brown’s 3rd Grade 11:30-2:30
Mrs. Blazinski’s 5th Grade 10:15-3:30
Mrs. Corbett’s 5th Grade 10:15-3:30
Mr. Esze’s 5th Grade 10:15-3:30
Mr. Pfeuffer’s 4th Grade 11:30-3:15
Mrs. Schrade’s 4th Grade 11:30-3:15
June 15th Mr. Sattelmeier’s 1st Grade 9:00-11:30
September 6th is the first day of school for the 2011-12 school year. Please make sure to check out our web calendar during the summer. We will continue to update it with new events after this school year is over.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
April Showers bring May Flowers :)
Dear Kerby Families and Friends,
Kerby teachers and I are making plans for classroom assignments for the 2011-12 school year. We will work as grade level teams to assign students to a particular classroom group. Our teachers have worked with your children throughout the school year and have gained valuable insight regarding the social, academic, and emotional needs of your children. We will consider the following factors as we prepare classroom assignments for the next school year:
Academic abilities
Cluster groupings
Gender balance
Student personality and interaction
Student behavior
Class size
Social mixture
Individual learning styles (auditory, visual, hands on)
Students benefiting from being together or separated
Student social/emotional needs
Information provided from parents on the student information form.
Our main objective is to produce the most positive classroom environment that enables students to achieve their greatest potential!
At this time of the year we are trying to firm up our Kerby enrollment so we can plan for the number of sections in each grade level and the number of teachers we will need to teach these students. With this in mind, we really need your help. If you plan on moving before the start of the school year, it is very important that you let us know by calling the Kerby Office.
You can help us out by approaching neighborhood parents, whose children may be of kindergarten age or first grade and new neighbors who may move in over the summer. Please have them give us a call or contact the Office of Residency and Enrollment at 313-432-3083.
Maureen G. Bur
Kerby teachers and I are making plans for classroom assignments for the 2011-12 school year. We will work as grade level teams to assign students to a particular classroom group. Our teachers have worked with your children throughout the school year and have gained valuable insight regarding the social, academic, and emotional needs of your children. We will consider the following factors as we prepare classroom assignments for the next school year:
Academic abilities
Cluster groupings
Gender balance
Student personality and interaction
Student behavior
Class size
Social mixture
Individual learning styles (auditory, visual, hands on)
Students benefiting from being together or separated
Student social/emotional needs
Information provided from parents on the student information form.
Our main objective is to produce the most positive classroom environment that enables students to achieve their greatest potential!
At this time of the year we are trying to firm up our Kerby enrollment so we can plan for the number of sections in each grade level and the number of teachers we will need to teach these students. With this in mind, we really need your help. If you plan on moving before the start of the school year, it is very important that you let us know by calling the Kerby Office.
You can help us out by approaching neighborhood parents, whose children may be of kindergarten age or first grade and new neighbors who may move in over the summer. Please have them give us a call or contact the Office of Residency and Enrollment at 313-432-3083.
Maureen G. Bur
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Spring is in the air!
Dear Kerby Families and Friends,
Lately, many of my parent conversations at the end of the day revolve around traffic congestion during drop-off and pick-up times. The reality is that we live busy lives. Just 20 minutes a day in our pick-up/drop off area increases our stress level, which unfortunately could result in an unsafe situation for our students. A few suggestions to alleviate congestion would be car pooling, walking/riding bikes to school (hopefully the weather is starting to change), driving to a designated spot in the neighborhood then park and walk to school from there, etc. There are many ways to alleviate congestion however, we still need to practice safe driving no matter the amount of cars arriving and departing from Kerby. On the rare occasion that you need to accompany your child into school, please park on Beaupre (north of Kerby), on Kerby (West of Beaupre), or on Kerby (east of the driveway). Students continue to hold signs on Kerby and Beaupre reminding us to “follow the rules”.
Recently, I came across a letter that was sent out last year regarding our drop-off/pick-up areas and believe that it truly puts things into perspective. It stated the following:
Today. 99.9% of our children were dropped-off and picked-up without the possibility of a potentially
serious incident.
Today, 99.9% of our drivers did not park and leave their vehicles in the No Parking Areas.
Today, 99.9% of our students were not dangerously dropped-off or picked-up in the designated areas.
Today, 99.9% of our drivers were outstandingly kind, understanding, and very courteous to one another.
Fortunately, there will be plenty of tomorrows. If we remember to follow the system and exercise our greatest care, we can earn the remaining tenth of a percent.
I believe this to be true, if we continue to practice patience during drop-off/pick-up and be Respectful,
Responsible, and Safe, we all will have a better experience.
Have a GREAT week!
Maureen G. Bur
Lately, many of my parent conversations at the end of the day revolve around traffic congestion during drop-off and pick-up times. The reality is that we live busy lives. Just 20 minutes a day in our pick-up/drop off area increases our stress level, which unfortunately could result in an unsafe situation for our students. A few suggestions to alleviate congestion would be car pooling, walking/riding bikes to school (hopefully the weather is starting to change), driving to a designated spot in the neighborhood then park and walk to school from there, etc. There are many ways to alleviate congestion however, we still need to practice safe driving no matter the amount of cars arriving and departing from Kerby. On the rare occasion that you need to accompany your child into school, please park on Beaupre (north of Kerby), on Kerby (West of Beaupre), or on Kerby (east of the driveway). Students continue to hold signs on Kerby and Beaupre reminding us to “follow the rules”.
Recently, I came across a letter that was sent out last year regarding our drop-off/pick-up areas and believe that it truly puts things into perspective. It stated the following:
Today. 99.9% of our children were dropped-off and picked-up without the possibility of a potentially
serious incident.
Today, 99.9% of our drivers did not park and leave their vehicles in the No Parking Areas.
Today, 99.9% of our students were not dangerously dropped-off or picked-up in the designated areas.
Today, 99.9% of our drivers were outstandingly kind, understanding, and very courteous to one another.
Fortunately, there will be plenty of tomorrows. If we remember to follow the system and exercise our greatest care, we can earn the remaining tenth of a percent.
I believe this to be true, if we continue to practice patience during drop-off/pick-up and be Respectful,
Responsible, and Safe, we all will have a better experience.
Have a GREAT week!
Maureen G. Bur
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