Kenmore Elementary Paw Prints - November, 2025

 

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Strengthen student voice and choice through engaging activities that support academic growth and technology education. Enhance family engagement through shared digital learning portfolios and communication around student work and academic progress.

 

 

Kenmore Elementary Paw Prints - November, 2025

 

IN THIS ISSUE

  • Principal's Message
  • Important Dates
  • Conferences & Early Dismissal Schedule
  • Veteran's Day
  • Veteran's Day Scouts Participation
  • Scholastic Book Fair
  • New Kenmore Staff
  • Message From the Nurse
  • Our Monthly Focus
  • Snacks at School
  • Thank You!
  • District News: Inglemoor Volleyball Club

Principal's Message

On Wednesday, Kenmore Elementary celebrated another milestone with the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony! Thank you to everyone who joined us, especially our exceptional Student Ambassadors who warmly welcomed guests and led tours. We received glowing feedback about these Cubs, and I sincerely appreciate all who took the time to be part of this special occasion alongside the Kenmore Elementary staff, Capital Projects, Design, and Construction teams

On October 17th many of you joined us to celebrate our outstanding PTA-sponsored Family Culture Night! We are especially grateful to Carlee Toth, who led this event with such grace and dedication, supported by an amazing team of parents. The evening was truly magical—the potluck table overflowed with your generous treats, delicious dishes, cultural displays, performances and a treasured cookbook! Your presence and spirit made this annual community celebration deeply meaningful and memorable.

Many of you have kindly offered to support us during recess and lunch, and we sincerely appreciate your willingness to help. We are currently seeking adults who love basketball, soccer, or any other recess games to join us in overseeing and coaching our Cubs. We have the equipment ready, and if you don’t see something you need, please don’t hesitate to ask. Even if you can volunteer just once a month, your time will make a big difference in the lives of our students. Please continue to reach out to Rebecca Shepherd, our PTA President and newest member of the School Assistant Team who is excited to help coordinate this support. You may contact Rebecca at: president@kenmorepta.org

This month would like to introduce a link to Food Resources for any Kenmore Elementary Family who may need it. This resource list is designed to be a living document, growing and evolving over time. With the end of SNAP benefits today (hopefully this is temporary), we understand the challenges many in our community may face. If you are not in need and you feel inspired to support any of these organizations or centers, we encourage you to connect with them directly. Together, we can nurture a compassionate and supportive community during these trying times. We believe this list will be especially valuable when school is not in session. 

We respect the confidentiality and unique needs of each family. Your privacy is important to us, and we aim to support you with dignity and care. If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to reach out.

In November, we celebrate and honor those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces on Veteran’s Day (November 11).

As we move toward Thanksgiving (November 27) and Native American Heritage Day (November 28), we continue to reflect and give thanks.

Till then, we look forward to seeing you around campus during Parent Conference week or at our upcoming Scholastic Book fair!

Have a great November!

Geetha George-Shapiro
Principal

 

Important Dates         

Nov 4 - PTA General Meeting, 6:00-7:30pm, KE Commons.           calendar
Nov 5 - Early Release @ 2:05pm
Nov 5 - STEM4Good Class, 2:25-3:55pm, Multipurpose Room
Nov 6 - Picture Retake Day
Nov 6 - Popcorn Thursday
Nov 7 - Veteran's Day Assembly @ 9:15am
Nov 11 - NO SCHOOL (Veteran's Day)
Nov 12 - Early Release @ 2:05pm
Nov 12 - STEM4Good Class, 2:25-3:55pm, Multipurpose Room
Nov 14 - KE PTA Movie Night
Nov 19 - Nov 26 - Scholastic Book Fair
Nov 18 - Half Day Dismissal @ 12:15pm
Nov 19 - Early Release @ 2:05pm
Nov 20 - Half Day Dismissal @ 12:15pm
Nov 21 - Half Day Dismissal @ 12:15pm
Nov 24 - Half Day Dismissal @ 12:15pm
Nov 25 - Half Day Dismissal @ 12:15pm
Nov 26 - District Half Day Dismissal @ 12:20pm
Nov 27 - NO SCHOOL (Thanksgiving)
Nov 28 - NO SCHOOL (Native American Heritage Day)

 

Conferences & Early Dismissal Schedule

In November all elementary school students will have parent/guardian.             imprtant dates
teacher conferences. Please reach out to your child's teacher if you still
need to schedule a conference time.

Kenmore Elementary Early Dismissal Schedule

Kenmore Elementary will have an 12:15pm early dismissal on the following dates for conferences:

Tuesday, November 18th
Thursday, November 20th
Friday, November 21st
Monday, November 24th
Tuesday, November 25th
 
Normal early release 2:05pm dismissal:
Wednesday, November 19th
 
Half Day 12:20pm dismissal on the day before Thanksgiving:
Wednesday, November 26th 

Our school office does not provide after school care. Please schedule accordingly. Thank you!

 

veterans day

Veteran's Day Assembly

Dear Veterans and Families of Veterans,                                                       

Kenmore Elementary would like to invite members of our community to
our Veteran's Day Assembly on Friday, November 7th at 9:15 am in the
gym. It is a brief 30-minute assembly that will involve various student
performances and presentations. 

If you are planning on attending our assembly, please RSVP by filling out the google form in the link below. This will help us prepare for the set-up of our assembly.

https://forms.gle/CSGe8nmn7qr3tTJS6

If you have any questions, please contact Jesse Finkelstein at jfinkelstein@nsd.org.

 

Veteran's Day Scouts Participation

Dear Families,

We are preparing for our Veterans Day Assembly and would love to include our student Scouts in a special part of the program. Scouts will have the opportunity to participate in the presentation of the flags, a meaningful way to honor our veterans and showcase their commitment to service.

If your scout(s) would like to participate on November 7, 2025, please fill out the form Veterans Day Assembly Scout Participation.

It is highly encouraged that scouts wear their full uniform for the assembly. Wearing the uniform not only allows their troop to be recognized but also helps each scout and the group present themselves in a manner that reflects the values of scouting and respect for the occasion.

Thank you for your support in helping us create a respectful and memorable event for our veterans and school community. 

Veterans Day Assembly Scout Participation

 

 

Scholastic Book Fair                                             Book fair             

Mark your calendars!

The 2025 Kenmore Book Fair is coming!  
This library fundraiser runs from Wednesday, November 19th through
Wednesday, November 26th.
 
Hours: 2:05-4:30 pm (Nov. 19)
8:45-9:05 am (Nov. 20-26)
12:15-4:30 pm (Nov. 20-25)
Not open on the weekend.
 
Visit our Book Fair website to set-up an eWallet, donate to Share the Fair, or shop online.  
A portion of all purchases benefits the Kenmore Elementary Library.
 
Volunteers are needed for this event.  
If you would like to help, please sign up using the link below:

 

 

New Kenmore Staff                                                new kenmore staff

Our Kenmore family is growing, Please join us in welcoming our new staff
members who have joined us to support our students and strengthen our
school community:
  • Kathleen Wick - .5 3rd Grade Teacher
  • Victoria Avery - .5 SPED Teacher 
  • Rebecca Shepherd - School Assistant 
  • Kennedy Speer - Para Educator

 

Each of these talented individuals brings unique skills and a passion for helping our students succeed. We look forward to the positive impact they will have on our classrooms and school culture.

 

 

Message From the Nurse                                   School Nurse

Vision and hearing screening is nearly complete. I am mailing home
vision referrals for those students who need to be seen by an eye
doctor. If you receive a vision referral in the mail for your student, feel
free to contact me for any questions. 
 
Eye health is so important, especially for children. There has been a large
increase over the years in children with Myopia, also known as
nearsidedness.  As parents and caregivers, there are many ways you can
help prevent or slow the progression of Myopia for your children:
 
📱Spend less time on screens. Aim for less than 2 hours/day
📏 Keep digital devices about 2 feet away and at eye level.
👀 Take breaks Rest eyes every 20 minutes
🌳Spend at least 2 hours/day outside. Studies show outdoor light can slow myopia.

For more information visit: aao.org/eyesmart 

Nurse Rachel Ogurkow
rogurkow@nsd.org

 

 

Our Monthly Focus                                               Monthly Focus

Social Emotional Learning with PurposeFull People

Dear Families,

This year we are using PurposeFull People, a program that teaches skills
to help students be successful in school and in life. We just finished up
last month’s focus and are moving on to focusing on Responsibility.  

Responsibility Overview

This month we are talking about Responsibility. One way to define Responsibility is “taking action and understanding the impact of our choices.” Taking action can mean doing the right thing or completing the tasks you have been assigned. Understanding the impact of our choices means that our actions matter. Positive and responsible actions can help people and irresponsible actions can hurt others.

In the classrooms

For the next month each classroom will be focusing on different aspects of what it means to be responsible. Below you will find the overall focus for each grade.

 

Kindergarten: Following Directions
First Grade: Focusing.
Second Grade: Engagement, in school & the community
Third Grade: Flexible Thinking.
Fourth/Fifth Grade: Organization & Goal Setting.

Family Connections 

Conversations Starters: 

  1. Can you share or show what it means to be Responsible?
  2. How can we help each other practice being more Responsible??

Activities:

  • As a family, think of ways in which you might make someone’s life a little easier by helping a neighbor or family friend with 1 of their Responsibilities. Could you bring the garbage out to the curb? Could you carry things in from the grocery store? Could you invite someone over for a meal or a show?
Samantha Nunes
Counselor- Kenmore Elementary
425-408-4816

Snacks at School

 

Snacks at School                                                     

To respect our diverse classroom community, teachers will not be
providing snacks for students this year. We recognize that food allergies,
family dietary preferences, and religious observations all play important
roles in food choices for children. Please discuss appropriate snack
options with your child at home, keeping in mind any classroom allergy
restrictions. Students are also welcome to save a portion of their lunch to
enjoy during our designated snack time.

Please do not send in snack donations to the classroom, as this helps us maintain consistency with our policy and ensures all students' dietary needs are respected.

If your family needs support in providing snacks for your child, please reach out to your child's teacher privately. We are here to help ensure every student has what they need for a successful school day.

 

Thank you

Thank You                                      

Thank you to our generous PTA for treating us to a delicious spread of sandwiches, sides and desserts on October 7th. We felt the love!

Thank you to our community members who have graciously given their time volunteer in the library and playground this month. We appreciate you!

Thank you to our vision and hearing screening volunteers: Andrew Barnes, Juliana Pooley, Stacey Bernethy, Suzanna Blahna and Wendy Kwon. We couldn't have done it without you!

 

 

District News

INGLEMOOR VOLLEYBALL CLUB NSD

Inglemoor Volleyball Club registration is now open for all 5th-8th graders who are interested in playing volleyball. Inglemoor Volleyball Club is a new non-profit organization focused on training anyone interested in improving their volleyball skills and possibly becoming a Future Viking Volleyballer! Trainings will be held on Wednesdays at KMS or NMS and Sundays at IHS. Trainings will run from 12/3/2025 through 4/1/2026.

Details and registration can be found at www.inglemoorvolleyballclub.com

Please contact Alex Nottingham, IHS Head Volleyball Coach anottingham@nsd.org or Gene Wang, NMS Volleyball Coach gwang@nsd.org if you have any questions.

GO VIKINGS!!!

 

 

 

Kenmore Elementary Family Climate Survey     2018-2019

We would like your feedback to inform decisions and planning for the next school year.

ClimateSurvey.pdf