Community Nest

"Relationships are the agents of change." Dr. Bruce Perry

October 25 - October 29

Our Gray Hawk Mission Statement

OUR GRAY HAWK FAMILY works together to help students feel safe, loved, and inspired so they can be empowered learners and engaged citizens.

No School on Monday - Teacher PD Day

FALL FESTIVAL IS FRIDAY, 11/5 5 - 8pm

Don't miss the Fall Festival this Friday from 5 - 8 pm. We will be outside so please bring your lawn chairs for OUR first Family Fun event! The cost is $10/family pre sale or $15/family at the gate. We are CASH ONLY at the event. We will have raffle tickets for sale for the classroom and community baskets and concessions and Kona Ice (cash or credit card). We will have chili, hot dogs, pizza, candy, hot chocolate and warm cider for sale.

Our Family Dance begins at 6:30 with Kansas City's own DJ Fast Eddy. We will have crafts, yard games, photo ops, The Great Pumpkin playing on a loop and so much more! We can't wait to see you there!

UNITY DAY and the SLIMING

We were so proud of our students for meeting and exceeding Dr. Springer's goal of 2,500 acts of kindness in 10 days. Our Gray Hawk total was 3,172 acts of kindness and we celebrated our accomplishment by sliming Dr. Springer on Monday. The kids were very excited as representatives from each class came up to countdown OUR school to the each sliming. It was a lot of fun! Check out the pictures and videos below.

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Fall Parade was a Blast!

An Amazing Third Grade Musical Program

Thank you to our music teacher, Mrs. Penfield for an amazing 3rd grade musical program earlier this week.

Veteran's Day Program November 11 at 2:45 pm

Our incredible music teacher - Mrs. Penfield - is preparing a program to honor our veterans.

Details will be coming soon but parents and community members are invited to bring lawn chairs and enjoy the program as each grade level will perform a song honoring our veterans. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for more information.

Featured Literature

Brad Meltzer is an American Novelist. He has written best selling adult political and legal thrillers. He sold his first novel in 1994, while attending Columbia Law School. When he graduated he was selected to the Columbia Law Review.

In 2010 he wrote his first non-fiction book, “Heroes For My Son”, honoring the birth of his first child. In this book he outlines the lives of 52 people who have changed the world. This led to his Award Winning series “Ordinary People Change the World”. This fabulous series of biographies takes people from a variety of backgrounds and tells their life story. These first person narratives focus on celebrating how these individuals, from many cultures and upbringings, went on to make a huge impact on the world.

(Thank you Mrs. Kenton and Miss Quinby for another great author!)

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I Am I.M. Pei

This book features I. M. Pei, the award-winning Chinese American architect whose projects include the John F. Kennedy Library and the pyramid at the Louvre. Included is a pop-up of the Louvre to help young readers see the space and Pei's design in 3D!

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I Am Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was the leading heavyweight boxer of the 20th century and a charismatic, beloved public figure. His objection to the military draft during the Vietnam War made him an icon for a generation, and his impact in sports and the Civil Rights movement is still felt today.

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I Am Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai won the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 17 for speaking out against injustice even when it was terrifying to do so. She was an ordinary Muslim girl who wanted to attend school, and she refused to stop protesting for her rights even after being attacked by a powerful group in Pakistan who wanted women to remain in the shadows. She continues to fight for women’s rights and free education for children all over the world.

This friendly, fun biography series inspired the PBS Kids TV show Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum. One great role model at a time, these books encourage kids to dream big.

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I Am Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks dared to stand up for herself and other African Americans by staying seated and organizing the Montgomery Bus Boycott. As a result, she helped end public bus segregation and launch the country’s Civil Rights Movement.

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I Am Anne Frank

This engaging biography series focuses on the traits that made our heroes great--the traits that kids can aspire to in order to live heroically themselves. Each book tells the story of an icon in a lively, conversational way that works well for the youngest nonfiction readers. At the back are an excellent timeline and photos. This volume features Anne Frank, whose courage and hope during a time of terror are still an inspiration for people around the world today. While Anne and her family hid in an attic during the Holocaust, she kept a journal about all her hopes and fears and observations. That journal and the story of her life are still read and told today to remember the life of a young girl and warn against the consequences of bigotry.

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I Am Sacagawea

Sacagawea was the only girl, and the only Native American, to join Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery, which explored the United States from the Mississippi River all the way to the Pacific Ocean in the early 1800s. As a translator, she helped the team communicate with members of the Shoshone tribe across the continent, carrying her child on her back the whole way. By the time the expedition arrived at the west coast, Sacagawea had proved that she truly was a trailblazer.

PROMOTING DIVERSITY

As a part of our commitment to ensuring that our students are exposed to the contributions of people of color and from different backgrounds, we kicked off this past week by giving daily clues to a famous person from history that has made our world a better place. This past week, the students heard the following clues:

I was born on November 13, 1911 in Florida. When I was twelve years old, I began playing semi-professional baseball for the Sarasota Tigers. Yes, just 12 years old!

To support myself I needed to find a job. I made $1.25 a day shining shoes and carrying luggage for people. I worked very hard and people loved me for it but it was exhausting and all I wanted to do was just play baseball.

When I finished 8th grade, I wanted to go to high school but because I was black, I could not get into high school in Florida. Eventually I did go to high school and earned scholarships in football and baseball at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida. I went to college for two years before heading out to play baseball as a professional.

From 1934 to 1938 I played on a bunch of different teams including the Miami Giants, New York Tigers, and the Shreveport Acme Giants. In 1938, I became the first baseman for the Kansas City Monarchs, one the most elite teams in the Negro Leagues.

I was a champion for the negro leagues. In 1990, I began raising money for the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum here in Kansas City. In July 2006, I was signed to a one day contract with the Kansas City T-Bones and had two at bats. At the age of 94, I was the oldest person to ever play professional baseball. I died on October 6, 2006.

The answer this week was Buck O'Neil.

Celebrating Buck O'Neil

Bite-Size Brain PD

The video this week is Wired for Danger : The Effects of Childhood Trauma on the Brain. This video discusses three types of stress - Positive, Tolerable, and Toxic. It does a good job explaining how stress can rewire the brain but also offers ways to deal with this negative impact.