KE Families,

As we enter April, our teachers in grades 3-5 are looking to begin Smarter Balanced Assessment [SBA] testing. If you have child in 3rd, 4th or 5th grades, please support your child to get good sleep, have a positive attitude, and work deliberately through all the testing. Reminder that our wonderful Laurie Hasbargen serves breakfast and lunch free of charge to all students at Kent Elementary.  Spring is also a time when students may need to talk about concerns. Maybe they have been holding onto stressors about school. Please talk with your child about school regularly. If there are any issues, please reach out directly to your child's teacher so we can collaborate on plans to support your child. I am available to talk with you about any concern or suggestion. Please reach out to our office manager at 253.373.7497 to schedule time to talk.

Thank you

Dr. Rosa M. Villarreal

3/30 to 4/1- SPIRIT WEEK

4/1- Spirit Week: Twin Day

4/1- Lockdown Drill at 9:15 AM

4/1 Ukrainian Club 1:40-2:30 PM

4/2- Spirit Week: Hat Day

4/2- CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

4/2- STOMP Performance at Ridgewood Elementary School 

4/3- Spirit Week: Pajama Day

4/3- After School Energy at 3:45 PM

4/6-4/10- SPRING BREAK: NO SCHOOL

4/13- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

4/13- Track Practice from 3:45 to 4:40 PM

4/13- CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

4/14- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

4/14- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

4/14- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

4/14- Track Meet from 4:00-6:00 PM

4/15-STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

4/15- Ukrainian Club 1:40-2:30 PM

4/15- Lego Night from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in Cafe

4/16- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

4/16- CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

4/17- SNOW DAY- NO SCHOOL

4/20- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

4/20 CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

4/20- Track Practice from 3:45 to 4:40 PM

4/21- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

4/21- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

4/21- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

4/21- Track Meet from 4:00-6:00 PM

4/22 STOMP Performance at Meeker Middle School

4/23- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

4/23- CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

4/24- After School Energy at 3:45 PM

4/27- Volunteer Monthly Tea from 8:35 to 9:30 AM

4/27- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

4/27- Track Practice from 3:45 to 4:40 PM

4/27- CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

4/28- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

4/28- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

4/28- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

4/28- Track Meet from 4:00-6:00 PM

4/29- Ukrainian Club 1:40-2:30 PM

4/30- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

4/30- CRB Club 3:45 to 4:45 PM

School Start Time- 9:00 AM

Regular End Time- 3:40 PM

Breakfast

Everyday 8:40-8:55 AM

Early Release

Wednesdays 9:00 AM- 1:40 PM

Practice your personal best

Act responsibly

Work and play safe

Show respect

This coconut cookie is made from only 3 ingredients: unsweetened coconut shreds, an egg white, and honey. You can form the dough into little “nests” to fill with a variety of fruit or candies. They can also be made into little round cookies and sandwiched with fillings or simply drizzled with melted chocolate. These 3-Ingredient Coconut Macaroons are great for any holiday, including Easter and Passover. Plus, they are really fun for kids to help make.

Category: Cookies

Ingredients

1 egg white (from a large egg)

pinch salt

1/4 cup honey

1 1/4 cups unsweetened dried coconut shreds not flakes

Oil spray

Optional fillings and toppings for "Nests"

4 oz semisweet chocolate, melted

1/2 cup store-bought lemon curd can use whipped cream, custard, or whatever fillings you'd like

fresh berries, jelly beans, or mini chocolate eggs

Optional fillings for round cookies

2 oz semisweet chocolate, melted for drizzling the top

other optional fillings such as Nutella, jam, caramel or anything you'd like

 

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

Add the egg white and a pinch of salt to a large bowl. Whisk vigorously for 30 seconds until the egg white has lots of air bubbles.

Add the honey. Continue to whisk until the honey is dissolved.

Stir in the coconut shreds and mix until they are fully coated in the egg white mixture.

For Nests:

Grease 20 holes of a mini muffin tin with oil spray. (I prefer to use a silicone muffin tray but a metal one will work too if you grease it really well.)

Fill each hole with a heaping teaspoon of the coconut mixture. Use the back of the spoon to pack the coconut down really well. Once packed down, press the back on the spoon into the center to make an indent.

Bake until the edges of each "nest" are dark golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool fully in the pan then run a butter knife around each nest to loosen and pop out.

Fill each nest with melted chocolate or whatever filling you'd like. Top with fruit or candy, if desired.

 

For cookies/sandwich cookies:

Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat, parchment paper, or grease well with oil spray.

Scoop about 2 teaspoons of the coconut mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and form into a flat, 2-inch circle. Continue to make the circles with the remaining coconut mixture. You can place the cookies pretty close together because they will not spread.

Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool fully on the pan before using a thin spatula or butter knife to loosen them from the pan.

Decorate or fill as desired. (Drizzle the tops with melted chocolate and/or fill and sandwich the cookies with Nutella, caramel, or whatever you'd like.)

Students have been learning about emotional regulation skills through Second Step SEL lessons this past month. Below is an example of steps we teach students to use when they start to feel frustrated or triggered. I’ve also included a few video resources you may want to watch with your child.

How to Calm Down

Stop—use your signal (Ask you child what their signal is)

Name your feeling (How are you feeling?)

Calm down: (Try 3 steps below, if these aren’t working, brainstorm strategies that will work)

Breathe, Count Backwards, Use Positive Self-Talk

Second Step Calm Down Song

https://youtu.be/ilGtl2Ef75E

Anger Management Video for Kids

https://youtu.be/lxxpDF45TPA?si=LHqZ-ObADgK9x8DW

 

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions! Happy Spring!

 

When you feel strong feelings, you can use these steps to help you calm down:

Stop—use your signal

Name your feeling

Calm down:

Breathe

Count

Use positive self-talk

Practice Together: Belly-Breathing Basics

Read “How to Belly Breathe” (above right).

Practice together.

Pick a feeling from the list below.

Think of a time you felt that feeling in a strong way.

Say a stop signal and name the feeling. (For example: “Relax! I feel frustrated.”)

Practice belly breathing to calm down.

Try with another feeling.

How to Belly Breathe

Focus your attention on your breathing.

Take a breath that makes your tummy move out when you breathe in, and in when you breathe out.

Breathe in slowly through your nose and out through your mouth. It should be so quiet that you can hardly hear it.

 Your child is learning to focus attention on his or her body to get clues about how he or she feels.

Why Is It Important?

Thinking about feelings helps the thinking part of the brain start to get back in control. This helps children manage strong feelings.

Ask your child: Where do you feel strong feelings in your body? Point to the places.

Sit down and close your eyes, or look at the floor. Put your hand on your stomach, just above your belly button. Focus your attention on your breathing as you take a breath deep into the lower part of your lungs. You should feel your stomach moving out as you do this. Now breathe out through your mouth slowly. Use your hand to make sure you can feel your stomach moving as you breathe.

Deep breathing works by bringing more oxygen into your lungs and bloodstream, which helps you to slow down your breathing. This, in turn, slows your heart rate and makes you feel calmer.

When you have strong feelings, your body sends messages to the part of your brain that just reacts. That’s why you need to switch on the thinking part of your brain—so you don’t just react and do something you’ll regret later. You can do this by using the first two Calming-Down Steps: Stop—use your signal and Name your feeling.

The first thing you need to do when you feel yourself losing control of your feelings is tell your mind and body to stop. What is a signal you can say to yourself to stop yourself from reacting without thinking?

After you give yourself a signal, the next step is to name your feeling. In the following situations, say your stop signal out loud, then name your feeling.

Karyn Higgins- School Counselor Monday-Thursday

(253) 373-2764

Email: karyn.higgins@kent.k12.wa.us

Did you know that kids and teens need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day?

Physical activity helps strengthen muscles and bones and improves sleep and mood.

Elementary students have 50 minutes of PE twice a week and 30 minutes of recess daily,but need additional physical activity outside of school to remain healthy.

Most activity should be moderate- anything that gets the heart beating faster.

Some activities should be vigorous. Vigorous activities increase the heart rate and breathing. An easy way to tell if an activity is moderate or vigorous is the “talk test”.

If your heart rate is increased, but you can have a conversation easily, the activity is moderate. If you can only say a few words before taking a breath, the activity is vigorous.

All activity counts- running, jumping, playing, dancing, active chores, team sports, etc.

Adults also need physical activity to stay healthy.

Try making physical activity a family goal. Visit the Move Your Way Campaign at https://odphp.health.gov/moveyourway for ideas on incorporating more physical activity into your routine.

Mariel LePage

School Nurse

Kent Elementary (T, W, F)

(253) 373-2733 office

(253) 373-7499 fax

Reporting Absences

Hello KE Families, Everyday matters and makes the greatest difference in a student’s education when present in class. Instruction begins at 9:00 am so we kindly ask you to arrive between 8:40am and 8:50am to ensure your student arrives to class on time. Especially if they plan to have breakfast at school. If arrival is after 9:05 am please have your student come into the office to receive a tardy slip for student to enter class. If a student will be absent for part of the day, or the entire day of learning, please notify the office to update your student’s attendance. In case we are unable to answer a call, please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We thank you ahead of time for your cooperation.

Vanessa Cejas Villegas

Attendance Clerk

(253) 373-7497

keattendance@kent.k12.wa.us

We celebrate birthdays on the first FRIDAY of the month during lunch. If you wish to bring any treats or snacks, consider class allergies.

Please inform your child's teacher. The parent should plan to serve the snack in the cafeteria during the lunch period.

Kinder and 1st Grade Lunch: 11:15-11:40 a.m.

2nd and 4th Grade Lunch: 11:45 a.m. -12:10 p.m.

3rd and 5th Grade Lunch: 12:35-1:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at  rosa.villarreal@kent.k12.wa.us.

Dear Families,

Our new EQUITY Awards highlight the values we strive to build in our school community. Each letter in EQUITY represents a key principle: ensuring every student has what they need to succeed, encouraging critical thinking, honoring diverse experiences, fostering inclusion and respect, practicing empathy and kindness, and empowering students to create positive change. These awards celebrate students who model these values and contribute to a supportive, inclusive environment; helping make our school a place where everyone belongs.

KINDERGARTEN

Liu: Rayyan Abdela, Heartson Raymond, Jeremy Mustapha

Crosier: Misbah Nabizada, Ellie Villalobos Lazaro, Alondra Mejia

Ceras-Garibay: Emiliano Avila, Juan Ramos, Ronald Lemus

1st Grade

Rios: Angel Rodriguez, Kawsar Ziayee

Baluca: Emilio Campos- Lopez, Keysil Sinclair Martinez

Lutsyuk: TJ Timothy, Asi Noori

 

2nd Grade

Hernandez:  Addelyn Manzo Rosales

Neri: Aasenat Nabizada, Abigail Lemus

McCloud: Nooranee, Reid

Ch. Smith:  Emily A, Cliffsonn

3rd Grade

Marshall: Mizraim Juarez Jeronimo, Abril Paz Ruibio

K. Harris: Moises Flores Jimenez, Daira Perez Villavicencio

Wells: 

Cox: Ivy Dwumfour, Ibrakhim Mikiailev

4th Grade

Brin: Perla, Alicia

Maldonado: Christopher, Erlinda

A. Saucedo:  

Trujillo:  Asraa, Melody

5th Grade

D. Saucedo: Evelina Ilyuk, Toluwase Temidoye

Copeland: LenaMarie Zuniga, Maria Crisostomo

Dela Paz: Elssa Ramirez-Velasquez, Izzy Cervantes

L. Harris: Mariham Andrade, Lola Lemon

Vladyka: James Simon and David Mercado

Practice Personal best

Act responsibly

Work and play safe

Show respect