Author: kimwunderlich

Keenan Students Are Honored by the Lake Conroe Area Republican Women

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The Lake Conroe Area Republican Women hold an essay contest each year for local 5th grade students. The title of the essay is “My American Hero”. This year, Keenan students took home top honors.

Anna Bowers was the 1st place winner for Keenan Elementary American Hero Essay, sponsored by the Montgomery County Republican Women. She wrote about her dad, Buster Bowers, a loved member of the community who died suddenly last year. It was a moving tribute and very well written.

Alaina Sydnor was Keenan’s 2nd place winner with her essay describing Bethany Hamilton. Alaina wrote movingly about how Bethany’s perseverance and faith when she lost an arm in a shark attack were inspiring to her. Nathan Newton also placed 3rd with his inspiring essay.

Proud Essay Winners!

Keenan Elementary School Announces the 2021 Spirit of Montgomery and Teacher of the Year Recipients

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Mrs. Kirby, Keenan Principal, is proud to announce that this year’s recipient of the Keenan Spirit of Montgomery Award goes to Mrs. Nikki Taylor. Mrs. Taylor has served on the staff of Keenan Elementary since its opening four years ago. She is currently serving as Keenan’s Librarian/Media Specialist. She is loved and admired by staff and students alike.

The 2021 Keenan Elementary Teacher of the Year Honor goes to Mrs. Lauren Coughlin. Mrs. Coughlin has been a valued Kindergarten Teacher at Keenan Elementary since its opening. Mrs. Coughlin has helped the youngest Keenan Lions to a very strong start on their educational path. She also serves alongside her colleagues as the Kindergarten Team Leader and is very deserving of this honor.

Keenan Elementary Knows the Rules of Tetherball

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Bobbi Jo Wells and Melissa Grisham, Keenan’s PE teachers announced that Tetherball was coming to Keenan! These ladies have gone over rules, etiquette, and procedures with all grades (Kinder-5th) in PE. This is a new, fun game for the Keenan Lions. To actually see students using things learned in the classroom or in the gym is very inspiring. By teaching etiquette as well as rules, these educators have impacted students’ physical activity and their social-emotional growth! Students and teachers think this is awesome!!

Keenan STEM Classes Hatch a Dozen Eggs

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This week all grade levels at Keenan Elementary had the opportunity to watch a dozen eggs hatch into live chicks. They learned terms such as candling, pipping, unzipping, and breaking out. Maria Smith, STEM Specials teacher, took on the responsibility of keeping the eggs at the appropriate temperature and rolling them at the appropriate times to make sure they developed into healthy chicks. She also taught all grade levels about the entire incubation process. Everyone has been so excited to watch this life process. Seeing these things happen in real-life is so exciting!

Keenan Elementary believes in M.A.G.I.C.

Keenan Elementary Takes on the Great Kindness Challenge

~ kimwunderlich

This week, Mrs. Wunderlich, Keenan School Counselor, challenged the entire campus to spread kindness like confetti. As usual, Keenan Lions found some very creative ways to show their kindness.

Mrs. Bagwell’s 4th grade class starts each morning with a “Peace Circle” and the theme for this week was “Glorious Kindness”. Each student has the opportunity to share an act of kindness they witnessed the day before. For example they might say, “Tyler showed kindness when he helped Mrs. Bagwell pick up the scoot cards at the end of the activity.”

The fabulous 5th grade Student Council shared fun ideas for spreading kindness on the morning announcements. They suggested things such as leave a kind note, read to a friend, or even share a fun chant or dance!

Mrs. Taylor, Keenan librarian, took this opportunity to teach the Lions about kindness, and compassion.

K-2 students read Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom De Luise, which is about a caterpillar that gets left out because he’s ugly. Animals only want to be his friend when he turns into a beautiful butterfly. We discussed that beauty comes from within and then decorated butterflies.

Grades 3-5 read The Butterfly by Patricia Polacco, which is set during WWII. We lightly discussed this sad time in our history and then the students decorated their butterflies to symbolize hope, kindness, and freedom.

Keenan ES 1st Grade Remote Learners Are Hands-On

~ kimwunderlich

Katelyn Watkins, 1st grade remote teacher at Keenan ES, utilized recent weather as a teachable moment to instruct her students in the properties of the wind. After making their very own windsocks, she challenged her students to post a picture or video of themselves with their windsocks. These young students made incredibly effective windsocks and were able to demonstrate them very well!

You can watch one of the videos made a student here!