beginning of the year. Parents marked off boxes for
attending parent-teacher conferences, registering on
the school’s Home Access Center, returning important
registration paperwork, reviewing the Student Code of
Conduct, and checking off those beginning of the year
must-dos that can sometimes leave families feeling like
they are drowning in paperwork. This model instead
motivated families to get involved early and included
them in the important aspects of the beginning of the
year. Fun family activities were also on the Bingo card
including reading a poem with your child, visiting the
local library, and posting a selfie to the KES PTO
Facebook page with the hashtag #KESStaug.
The third nine weeks brought another challenge,
and this one focused on keeping students motivated
through that mid-year hump. The Passport to Learning
is an interactive tool that encourages students to
complete activities from December to March. Sections
include home activities, virtual learning, Character
Counts!, independent reading, homework, and
attendance. In the home activities sections, students are
challenged to engage in a variety of fun and healthy
activities from climbing a tree and writing a letter to an
elderly person to trying a new fruit or vegetable and
creating a time capsule. With provided passwords and
logins, students can login and complete grade level
appropriate virtual activities to check off their to do lists
on the virtual learning page. The Character Counts
section has activities designed to strengthen character
in our students. With acts of kindness like including a
classmate at recess, writing a nice note to the teacher,
and helping to clean up the playground. In the
independent reading section, students are challenged
to read an assortment of books and keep up with
nightly reading goals of 20 minutes. The homework and
attendance sections are accountability sections, making
sure the students are completing nightly homework and
trying to be in school every day between January 7 and
March 14. Students that meet the goals of the passport
will be invited to attend a Glow Party at the end of the
nine weeks complete with black lights, glow in the dark
face painting, line dancing, and music.
Special events during the year focus on bringing
families into the school and building a culture of
involvement. These focus days include Donuts with Dad,
Morning with Mom, and the We Are Thankful for Our
Grandparents Breakfast (which is followed by a visit to
the Scholastic Book Fair). The Holiday Door Decorating
Contest, Holiday Sing-Along, and staff caroling
fundraiser spread holiday cheer in and out of the
hallways of the school during December. The annual
Talent Show is highly anticipated and a showcase for
students to share their talents with staff, peers, and
family members.
This year, Principal Kathy Tucker has decided to add
even more celebration by recognizing National Days.
August brought National Trail Mix Day for which the
PTO provided the makings for this delicious treat in the
teacher’s lounge for staff. National Coffee with a Cop
Day in October was celebrated with Kookaburra coffee
and donuts on the front porch and the whole city and
county police force were invited. Students enjoyed
sporting their favorite hats for National Hat Day in
January. These celebrations raise moral and make
Ketterlinus a fun and exciting place to be.
Alumni are also an important part of Ketterlinus. As
Mrs. Tucker is often heard to say, “Once a dolphin,
always a dolphin.” Middle school students return each
year to volunteer in the afterschool program, The Cove,
and to visit their favorite teachers. Alumni families
frequently participate and give back to the school for
fundraisers and make donations.
Ketterlinus is the only Title I elementary school in SJC
to receive the Five Star Award from the Florida
Department of Education for the 2017-18 school year.
This is the sixth consecutive year that KES has received
this recognition. Criteria for this award include: business
partnerships, family involvement, volunteerism, student
community service, and school advisory councils. Schools
must also maintain a grade of “C” or higher, or school
improvement rating of “maintaining or improving” for
the year of nomination. Ketterlinus is also a recipient of
the Golden School Award which is given to schools who
have twice the number of volunteer service hours as the
number of students enrolled in the school.
Ketterlinus Elementary School is a
hub of learning and community, with a
history and location that make it an
incredibly special place for children to
learn and grow. With this culture of
kindness, Ketterlinus is sure to remain
the sweetheart of St. Johns for years
to come.