KES Newsletter January 13, 2023

January 13, 2023

Dear KES Families,

Happy Friday! I Hope you are all well today! Today provided a busy end to the week at KES. I want to thank the many families who joined us for our 1st KES Friday Morning Meeting in almost three years. Our current second graders were in Pre-K the last time we were all together as one school in the gym. Giving our students the opportunity to sit together as a student body with staff, parents and families, is really the best way to help them see themselves as part of a larger whole school community. KES Friday Morning Meetings also allow us to recognize the many great things that happen at KES regularly, and to share school-wide topics with everyone all at once so that everyone hears the same message. And finally, our assemblies also provide authentic opportunities for students to sing, co-host, perform and learn good audience behaviors alongside their peers.

Beginning Tuesday, January 17th, we are ready to welcome parents/guardians to the KES cafeteria to join their Kindergarten, 1st Grade or 2nd Grade children for lunch. Reservations will need to be made via the KES LUNCH RESERVATION LINK a minimum of 48 hours in advance to come in for lunch. We are going to limit the number of attendees at each meal period per day, so please make your reservations well in advance so if we are “overbooked” we can reach out and reschedule you. Parents who attend lunch will have to bring their driver’s license and get a visitor pass for lunch. We ask that after you are checked in that you wait to  join your child’s class when they arrive outside the cafeteria. At the end of lunch, please plan to say your goodbyes outside the cafeteria before the teachers walk the children back to class. Parents and guardians will need to either bring their lunch from home or purchase school lunch in the cafeteria. We are requesting that parents not bring in restaurant/fast food for either themselves or their child. Parents who are scheduled to volunteer directly after lunch will have to get a volunteer pass before heading down to the classroom. Please let the office know if this is the case when you arrive.

Ranger Tom Wall along with assistant Rangers from Rachel Carson National Wildlife Preserve at Laudholm Farm joined Mrs. French’s class in the KES Learning Lab after the assembly this morning. The Rangers offered a winter milkweed seed sowing and pollinator program for our youngest students, The program was active, interactive, and developmentally perfect for our four-year-old population. The kids loved the role-playing and the costumes, while the grownups loved how engaged the presentation kept the children. Congratulations to Mrs. French's students! 

We had such a wonderful turn out at the parent education session with Linda Price back in December.  We are excited for the additional upcoming opportunity with Linda on January 23rd from 5:45 PM-6:45 PM. Our focus for this webinar will be learning  about supporting our children with big emotions, staying on task, following directions and other executive functioning skills. Here is the Minding Your Mind FLYER . Please reach out to Mr. Muir and/or Miss Wright with any questions you might have.  

 On Wednesday, January 18th from 5:00-7:00 PM, KEPTA and Kennebunk Parks and Rec are hosting a Skate Night for families at The Waterhouse Center. Here is a FLYER with the details.

Just a reminder that we do not have school on Monday in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King’s Birthday. Enjoy the long weekend! 

Yours in Education,
Mr. Quinn