Jan 30, 2020

Deadline Day: Thursday February 21st, 2020

Q. I'm tall when I'm young and I'm short when I'm old. What am I?

Info Bursts

• Parents of students who have been invited back for the 2020-20210 school year will soon receive their invitation letter. There is a deadline for preferential re-enrollment, so upon receipt of the letter please contact the school office as soon as possible to schedule a meeting with Mrs. Lent at the Business Office.
• February 8th has been set aside for parents of 8th graders who wish to learn more about the High School. Please contact the front office for more information.
• Please note that Monday February 3rd has been set aside as a Teacher Workday and school will be closed to students.
• Parent 3rd Quarter conferences - March 18th and 19th, 2020
• Also note that school is closed for Spring Break from the afternoon of Wed March 18th 2020 and will begin again on Wednesday April 1st 2020.
• Be reminded that on cold days students may wear jackets or sweatshirts without hoodies, provided a) they do not have inappropriate writing and b) they have their Kentwood sweatshirt underneath. Sweatshirts or hoodies without the Kentwood sweatshirt on underneath is not permitted.
• SAVE THE DATE: Graduation and Awards Ceremony (Every student in the school is recognized and expected to attend) Saturday May, 16th, 2020. Further details to be furnished.

Lower School

Mrs. Pamblanco

Happy New Year... the students are off to a great start. In Reading, we started with the novel "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe" - what a great book so far! The kids are really enjoying it as well as our discussions together. In Language Arts we have been working in our spelling books, focusing on vocabulary and analogies, and then color coding our spelling words. Next week we will begin to write our essay on prompts from our novel. In Math, we are currently reviewing our basic math concepts, math vocabulary and practicing new math skills. In Science, we will be conducting an experiment on Acidy- sure to be lots of fun (will share on Class Dojo). In Social Studies, we have begun our unit on Natural Resources. Although we work on social skills throughout our day, recently in Skills Class, we have been working on Not Making Fun of Others and Communication. I'm looking forward to a fun-filled 2020 year that will include lots of growth and learning!!!

Ms. Osborne

Ms. Osborne's class is doing wonderfully! All the students are now comfortable with one another and socialization is in full bloom!!! :-) We are reading The Great Gilly Hopkins this quarter. It is a very interesting book and the students really seem to enjoy it. In our math class, we are finished reviewing our basic concepts and have started learning pre algebra. The students are working independently on the lessons and getting one on one instruction within a group framework. On occasion we do lessons together to delve into a new concept and interestingly enough the students have expressed how much they like the lessons we do as a class. We plan on continuing these group lessons more frequently to help maintain their interest. In science we've been having lots of fun conducting experiments! We will be doing a crystal growing experiment next week and I am looking forward to many more hands on experiments and activities this year. The students are participating more than ever in social studies as their confidence increases and appear to enjoy learning a new way to see the world. We are currently exposing them to different cultures as they explore the past of our own nation. I truly enjoy being with this wonderful group of children and watching them learn together. In particular, I especially take pleasure in seeing the friendships develop and the bonds they are beginning to create.

Mrs. Steinberg

We're more than half way through the year - it's hard to believe! In reading we are just about midway through our third novel Hatchet, which is a story about a thirteen year old boy who gets stranded in the Canadian forest when his small plane goes down and the pilot dies. He learns resilience, optimism, and hope and by the end of the novel, he learns to survive on his own. This story had great examples of personification, which will be the focus of our essay on this novel. In Language arts, we are getting ready to write our next essay and are also continuing to apply the comprehension skills we have been practicing to new situations and reading samples. The kids continue to work at their "own pace in math, while as a group we review the "language" of math through word problems and real life situations. Our lesson on "brain food" in science sparked a very nice class discussion and some really great questions! Hopefully the kids will be coming home and requesting their "brain foods"! I am always available if you have any questions or concerns. Please feel free to use the DoJo messaging app and I will respond in writing or with a phone call as soon as possible.

Ms. Warren

Happy New Year Kentwood family! It's hard to believe we are already one month into the 3rd quarter of the school year. We are off to a great start by beginning our latest novel, "THE CAVE", with chapter quizzes and activities included to both ensure comprehension and make the experience of the novel exciting and fun. The students will also research and develop two essays. I'm seeing much improvement with their thought processes, data collection and writing development. In Language Arts we continue with Spelling Connections - with emphasis on syllable color-coding, reading comprehension, writing process and editing with each unit. Spelling quizzes occur every Friday concerning the 20 words of emphasis per every unit. In math, some of the students continue developing their basic math skills while others are exploring the beginnings of Pre-Algebra and Algebra. In Science we are studying Biology with the primary focus on Ecology. Two labs/science experiments will also be completed. Economics is proving very interesting to the students as we discuss personal budgets, government budgets, and all areas of taxation. Homework is being completed and turned in daily and the new students seem to have done well as they begin this new process for them. As always, social skills and behavior are a huge focus at Kentwood, and we continue to reinforce these concepts on a daily basis - both as unique classes and by integrating them into the general curriculum. Once again, Happy New Year and I wish you and your family a prosperous and healthy 2020!

Greetings from the Learning Lab!

Welcome back everyone to a new year, and a fresh start. We hope you all had a restful, and perhaps, fun-filled holiday break. Now it's back to business. We continue to read "The Trumpet of the Swan", and are more than halfway through the novel. The students are all enjoying the escapades of Louis the swan, and his quest to earn money to pay his father's debt. The children are all back on track, working diligently on their individual task work. We continue our studies of the Amazon Rainforest animals. In fact, be on the lookout for a permission slip, as we are in the process of planning a field trip to coordinate with our study of these amazing animals. We have a lot of exciting and unique learning experiences planned for your children, and are confident that 2020 will prove to be a positive and successful year. As always, thank you for all your support, and for giving us the opportunity to work with your children.

High School

Hello Everyone. I hope that each and every family had a wonderful holiday season together and that the New Year will bring all of us a fabulous and successful year. After so many weeks off, it is not always an easy adjustment to come back to school and get right in to the school work routine, but we are off to a great start of the second semester. In World Geography class the students are busy working on group presentations. This assignment requires each student to research a topic breaking it into smaller parts for each team member, put the information together for a presentation and then present it to the class. Each student will have an opportunity to present in front of the class. In Physics class we have discussed the branches of Physics and the importance of physics in our daily lives. We conduct the science experiments weekly and organize the experiment information on a factor sheet.

In English class the students continuing to practice essay and research writing using our color-coded system. We have started to enjoy reading the new novel "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. In Math classes each student is working at his or her own pace, thus allowing time management skills to be utilized in preparing to meet all of the requirements. Some students are working on equations with variables, fractions, integers, exponents, roots and multiple operations. We try to keep the language simple to ensure that the students understand what we are requesting. We also have a neat list of shortcuts to solving for a variable. The students are making up their own shortcuts too. Other students are working on Algebra II and Trigonometry. They have much great progress that they have almost covered the work in the textbook for the entire year. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

HOMEWORK CLUB: Students who owe homework must deliver it by Monday morning of each week or remain after school for a "Homework/ Make up Club". The students were notified to check in with the teachers on what they're missing. Thank you for your continuous support. Please contact me if you have any questions or need information.

SAT or ACT information is available on www.collegeboard.com or www. Act.Org Please check with the college of your choice to find out which test is preferred and accepted. Some colleges do not require either test or accept both. Parents are welcome to contact the school for more information or assistance with the college process.

"Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

• - Albert Einstein