Cougar Connect

Dear Kennedy Community,

Welcome back to school! Our first day of school will be this Wednesday, August 14, 2024. The first bell rings at 8:27 a.m., and classes begin at 8:30 a.m. We will be dismissed at 1:50 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday this week. There are no block days on Wednesday or Thursday. Students will have seven period days Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

Our bell schedule can be found here.

The Kennedy office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Phone Contact: (650) 482-2409

Office Manager: Liz Avalos lmavalos@rcsdk8.net

Office Assistant (Attendance): Jessica Perez jpperez@rcsdk8.net

Office Assistant (Student Records, Student Health): Maritza Gutierrez mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net

Listed below are important reminders and updates to ensure our week runs as smoothly as possible. I look forward to meeting students and families this week.

Have a great week!

Chandra Leonardo

Principal

We are very thankful for the support from our Kennedy parents. Without your monetary support, we would not be able to fund our fine arts, music, and STEAM programs. There are several ways to donate to the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Please click this link to learn about all of the ways to support our Kennedy Cougars.

Direct Drive 2024-25 Click here

The PTO is dedicated to supporting and improving the educational experiences of Kennedy students through donations and volunteering.

What do we support?

Some programs we support include school dances, lunchtime activities, physical education, music, STEAM, art, drama, maker space, & 8th-grade celebration activities. We work closely with the KMS administration to help determine what programs and activities to support.

How can I volunteer?

Everyone (parents or guardians, teachers, and staff of Kennedy Middle School) is automatically a member and is encouraged to attend our monthly meetings. Please join us at our first PTO meeting on Tuesday, August 20th in the Kennedy Library or on Zoom (link to be sent next week). Find more details and opportunities at: www.kennedycougarspto.org

How can I donate?

PayPal (click here)

CreditCard via Online Store (click here)

Donation Form (click here)

Mark your calendars! Our first PTO-sponsored Dine-Out event will be Thursday, August 29 from at Redwood City BBQ.

If your student will not continue their enrollment at Kennedy for the 2024-25 school year, please be sure to let us know. You can send me an email. Be sure to include this information in the First Day of School Packet. I have included important details about these registration forms below.

Please note: you will continue to receive updates from Kennedy until RCSD unenrolls your student. This can take up to two weeks.

There will be no schedule changes during the first few days of school. Our admin team needs to determine our enrollment.

We will focus on students who are missing a class or have double classes (for example, two P.E. classes).

We often get asked why students were placed in an elective they didn't choose. This means their top three courses were full or the class was not offered due to a change in staffing.

Next week, students can request schedule changes. Students should listen to the morning announcements for details.

If your student is enrolled in our after-school enrichment program, BGCP, they have specific areas to meet in order to sign in to the program.

In order to support students with finding their meeting spots on the first day of school, BGCP staff will go to students' seventh period classrooms before the bell rings in order to escort them to BGCP.

This year, all students enrolled in BGCP should meet at the lunch shelter behind the Kennedy Gym and near the field.

If you are interested in enrolling your student in Boys and Girls Club, please sign up here.

Email: kennedy@bgcp.org

Call or text: (650) 804-9045

Students attending Siena Youth Center's after-school program will meet in front of the school at dismissal. Kennedy staff will be waiting for students in front of the school. Siena buses will park on Goodwin Avenue.

Kennedy gates open at 8:05 a.m. Students need to be dropped off in the main front parking lot and enter the black gates near the end of the driveway and drop-off zone. They can also be dropped off at the Washington Avenue gate.

Campus supervisors begin supervising students at 8:05 a.m. Students will not be allowed to enter campus before 8:05 a.m. without supervision. Students should refrain from loitering in groups in front of the school and near our neighbors' yards.

As you drop off your students, please be aware of students crossing the street. Please remind your students to walk their bikes and scooters on sidewalks. Please refrain from pulling in and out of neighbors' driveways.

White-painted curbs along Goodwin, Connecticut, Maddux, and Washington Avenues are also drop-off zones. Please be aware of the bus loading zones. Avoid parking in the bus zone on Goodwin Avenue near the school office. Avoid parking in the SamTrans loading zone on Washington Avenue. Kennedy staff will ask drivers to move if they are parked in loading zones before buses arrive.

For safety reasons, students have two entry points in the morning between 8:05 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. After 8:30 am., students must enter through the front office for a late pass.

At dismissal, students can exit from any unlocked gate. If you are picking up your student, be sure to tell them where you plan to pick them up.

Students can lock bikes and scooters in the bike rack. The bike rack closes at 8:30 am. Skateboards can be left in the back of the school office on the skateboard rack and picked up after school.

Students should practice bicycle, skateboard, and scooter safety while traveling to and from school. Bicycles, skateboards, and scooters should not be ridden on campus. Kennedy staff will ask students to walk all bikes, skateboards, and scooters until they exit the campus.

Please wear a helmet!

Public transportation is provided through SamTrans. Route 79 is for Kennedy students only. In the mornings, students are dropped off by 8:15 a.m. In the afternoons, students are picked up by 3:25 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. On Thursday afternoons, students are picked up by 2:00 pm.

The SamTrans bus stop is located on Washington Avenue near the Boys and Girls Club entrance. Kennedy staff will guide students to the bus stop and monitor them after school until SamTrans arrives.

The SamTrans bus schedule can be found here.

If you need assistance with bus passes, please contact Maria in our Kennedy Family Center. You can also contact Maria if you need assistance with Redwood City School District bus transportation. Maria can be reached here: 650-482-2409 ext. 2110 or msegundo@rcsdk8.net.

Students should not use their cell phones or have them on during the school day. Airpods should be used for class assignments only.

Students will face consequences if they are using their cell phones to record students and staff.

If you need to contact your student during the day, email our office staff so that we can send the message to your student: lmavalos@rcsdk8.net, jpperez@rcsdk8.net, mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net.

We want students to be able to express themselves with their attire, but we also want a school environment free of distractions. Students need to wear shoes appropriate for P.E. Crocs and open toed shoes and shoes without a strap should not be worn. Clothing that references drugs, gangs, alcohol, substance abuse, vulgar language or sexual connotations are not allowed.

We also want students to wear pants, skirts, and shorts that cover their underwear and private body parts.

• The Redwood City School District has been sending out email reminders to complete the First Day of School registration packet. These forms are digital.
• We need 100% of all Kennedy families to complete these forms by August 14th.
• The First Day of School packet includes emergency contact information, parent permission forms, state funding for district services, and district policies.
• This school year, the Student Benefit Form is embedded in the First Day of School Packet. Completing this form is very important for our school as it will determine funding for our after-school program. The Student Benefit Form determines resources and services for our students in a variety of areas in addition to children having access to healthy and nutritious meals at school. Depending on the number of families who complete the survey, it will determine several other services and resources such as school library services, school funding, internet access, and teacher grants.
• If you need assistance, we will be available at Maze Day to assist families. You can also stop by the Kennedy Office from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for support.

In order to make our handbook for students and families more accessible, we have digitized it. Please know that the information in the handbook will be continually updated to ensure families are informed.

Click to view and save the Kennedy Student & Family Handbook.

Please be sure to turn in your vaccination records for your seventh-grade students. Students who have not submitted their vaccinations will not be allowed to attend school. Click the link to learn more from the California Department of Public Health.

• First Day of School Aug. 14 Campus 8:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m.
• Minimum Days Aug. 14-16 Campus 8:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m.
• PTO Meeting Aug. 20 Library/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
• 6th-8th Grade Ice Cream Social Aug. 21 Blacktop 6:00-7:00 p.m.
• 6th-Grade Meet & Greet Aug. 21 B-Quad 7:00-8:00 p.m.
• 7th-Grade Grand Canyon Info Meeting Aug. 21 Gym 7:00-8:00 p.m.
• 7th-Grade Yosemite Trip Info Meeting Aug. 21 Gym 7:00-8:00 p.m.
• 8th-Grade Activities Info Meeting Aug. 21 Library 7:00-8:00 p.m.

🏈Redwood City PRCS Flag Football & Volleyball Registration August 1-August 28🏐

With a commitment to excellence, Kennedy Middle School engages, encourages, and empowers students in challenging and creative learning opportunities while preparing them for their futures in high school and beyond.

Website: https://www.rcsdk8.net/kennedy
Location: 2521 Goodwin Avenue, Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone: 650.482.2409
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennedymiddleschool