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February 2025
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Reflecting on the First Half (or More)
of the KAS School Year
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Believe it or not, tomorrow we will celebrate our 100th day of school. As we reflect on a rapidly unfolding year and take stock of the progress we have made, many goals still stand before us, with each student’s growth leading our commitments. For our teachers, it has certainly been an engaging year, and I observe first-hand their effort and care for your child and our school.
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Across our learning environment, we have found time to build, explore, challenge, grow, and present. As I reflect on KAS at its (approximate) mid-point, some wonderful experiences come to mind:
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KAS students participated in the East End Cross Country race series (and will resume training soon to complete the Kids of Steel Run in April).
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Students have enjoyed school spirit days (and monthly assemblies) that include HOP Corn Day, Beach Day, I ♡PGH Day, Pajamas Day, Crazy Hat Day, Crazy Sweater/Winter Clothes Day, the Great Root Beer Tasting Challenge, and more.
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We have engaged our students’ scientific thinking with the Fall STEM Challenge and Egg Drop Competition, and will resume these challenges (in slightly different forms) later in the school year.
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We have taken class trips to places like The Mattress Factory, Phipps Conservatory, The Pittsburgh Ballet, a pumpkin patch, coffee shops, The Boys & Girls Club, and The Cathedral of Learning. And, we have more trips planned like the Carnegie Museum of History and even Washington, DC for our middle schoolers.
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Students and teachers alike have been regularly cooking foods in our cafe like cookies, muffins, pretzels, pizza, poori, and chai, and teachers have hosted events related to food and international cultures (like International Food/Rice Day for Grades 4 & 5).
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Students have participated in after-school events at ClubKAS like Hide-N-Seek, making, art, scavenger hunts, and more. In fact, at times, we’ve had almost 20 students in our after school program - our biggest rosters ever.
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We’ve hosted events, participated in our community, and raised money for worthy causes - and held a carnival for a dog shelter. We have celebrated many successes this year, and many more are on the way like our Talent Show and Exhibition of Learning. Administratively, we are writing grants and seeking funding to strengthen our resources and financial aid opportunities.
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For such a small school, we have a lot 'HOPpening'.
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Philosophical Clarity is another area where we feeling pride. We have found that it’s not always easy describing KAS to prospective parents given our ability to meet so many students’ individual needs. However, it should come as no surprise that a few cornerstones lead our educational philosophy. As we do not have a high school, many of the “top-down” 9-12 educational influences are eliminated, thankfully. This gives KAS the opportunity to focus on a foundational philosophy that starts in Kindergarten and carries through to graduation. Here are a few items that come to mind in this regard.
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- 1. We are a play- and community-based school. This means that we promote individual student choice, freedom, self-expression, and social engagement - and responsibility to others and oneself. Our students problem-solve through play and are at-cause in the development of our community and collective school experience. At KAS teachers embrace roles as guides and collaborators, and student choice is a critical component for deeper learning.
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2. We encourage Project-Based Learning (PBL). While obtaining knowledge in a traditional sense is an important part of learning at KAS, our students are also expected to evaluate and synthesize ideas, and create artifacts that represent their personal relationship to the standards and content we teach. Making, class trips, art, and calculated risk-taking are very important to learning in our school. Projects usually draw learning from across disciplines, and promote experience and true ‘competency’.
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3. Students are at the center of their own learning. We seek to understand each student’s needs and interests - we want to know what “lights a student up” and inspires them. We want them to grow as individuals - but also as part of a learning community, and we integrate socio-emotional support throughout the day. Because students are known, we can meet each student in their learning world.
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KAS teachers have the freedom to interpret these ideals. Because every child is appreciated, teachers can adapt learning to the interests and abilities of the students, and most often, amazing experiences lead our classes. Our teachers embrace the “why” of learning, and seek to enhance a student’s work ethic by supporting that which inspires the student.
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QUICK EVENT REMINDERS:
KAS Running Club is Back. Our Running Club is open to all K-8 KAS students and will meet as early as next week. Keep an eye out for details coming soon as we begin preparations for the Kids of Steel Run as well as for general conditioning.
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1. FEB 13 @ 830AM - Informal meeting in the cafe to brainstorm better use of the cafe as well as rethinking our historical lunch program.
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2. FEB 14 @ 530-800PM- Students Night Out . Note separate flyer from our PTO.
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3. FEB 28-MAR 1 - KAS Spring Cleaning - see flyer below.
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4. MAR 13 @ 6PM - Elementary Talent Show - See flyer below. Sign-ups are online as well as in the Grade 3 classroom.
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5. Wednesdays: "Bonus Activities" at Club KAS, with sign-up through the office.
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