Dear Kennedy Community,
I want to thank you for coming together in support of Kennedy students. Parents and guardians continue to show up to Principal's Coffee meetings; we have an amazing School Site Council who is always willing to join meetings and participate, and we have parents who come to Kenendy to volunteer their time for music, drama, art, and amazing events like the Color Run. I am so thankful and impressed with our Kennedy Community.
Our Color Run was on Friday, and parents and family members were on hand to pass out water, manage the photo booth, throw color, organize snacks, clean up, and be available for any and everything!
THANK YOU!
We have about four more weeks left of school, and each we have something happening at Kennedy--like always! Please read the Cougar Connect and check your emails and text messages for any updates.
Here are this week's updates:
Kennedy Jazz Band--Music in the Parks
Mr. Balogh is thrilled to announce that the Kennedy Middle School Jazz Band won 1st place in the Excellent category at the Universal Studios Music Festival in Universal City over the weekend! Even more impressive is that Imani Addy was honored with the Best Jazz Soloist Award. This incredible achievement is a testament to our students' hard work, dedication, and talent. We sincerely thank Mr. and Mrs. Gawronski, Mr. Hoover, Ms. Coyle, Mrs. Webster, and Mrs. Milton for their invaluable support and guidance throughout this journey. As we celebrate this remarkable accomplishment, we assure you that we will continue to foster our young musicians' passion for music. Bravo, Kennedy Middle School Jazz Band!
Thank you, Mr. Balogh, for continuously looking for opportunities for our students to showcase their talent.
Please Check Your Student's Grades
Please log on to PowerSchool this week to view your student's progress. The end of the trimester is June 11. Ensuring your student completes nightly ELA, reading, and math homework is essential. Students need to make sure they submit assignments on time. They should also ask for support when they need it. Teachers have office hours by appointment, so please contact each teacher with questions. If you need support communicating with teachers, please visit our Kennedy Family Center from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm. If your student says their work is turned in, ask them to show you their finished work. If you do not have PowerSchool access, you can always ask your student to show you their grades at least once weekly on their Chromebook. All students have PowerSchool access.
State Testing (CAST): 8th-Graders Only
We have finished testing the majority of our students for ELA and math. Thank you for making sure your students were at school! If your student was absent, we will begin makeup testing this week.
Our 8th-graders have one final test: the California Science Test (CAST). They will begin this test in their science classes on Tuesday and finish the assessment by Friday. All IEP and 504 separate setting accommodations will be followed; students will ask their science teacher about their separate setting location. If your student has any additional IEP accommodations, we will follow the guidelines listed in the IEP or 504.
Students need fully charged Chromebooks, so please ensure they charge them each night and bring them to school each day.
Encourage your students to try their best. Ensure they get a good night’s sleep—lights out by 9:00 p.m.
Thank you for your support!
Here are more important details for this week:
School Site Council Minutes
Here are the minutes from last week's School Site Council meeting.
I will begin drafting our Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) this week. Next week, I will present the draft to the School Site Council for their review and approval.
Kennedy is Getting a Mural!
Kennedy is finally getting a mural! Funded by the PTO, with paint donated by Hassett Hardware, Mrs. Segal's art students will be led by local artist Elizabeth Gomez Freer in this exciting project. Ms. Gomez Freer has done gorgeous murals around Redwood City and is a former Kennedy parent. View some of her beautiful work here: https://www.elizabethgomezart.com/school-murals
The mural will be 10' x 8' and painted on a wall facing the blacktop where the students gather and be visible from Washington Street. KMS is thrilled to have our students showcase their creativity and engage in beautifying the campus. To make the project a success, we are seeking parent volunteers to assist the artist, Mrs. Segal, and students during the week of May 13-17. We need at least ONE ADULT per period to support Ms. Gomez Freer as she guides students through gridding and painting the artwork. Use this link to sign-up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E45ACAE2DA3FE3-49355526-kmsmural#/
Best of Bay Area 2024
Kennedy Middle School was nominated for a Best of 2024 award in the middle school category. Please review the ballot and cast your vote here. Voting closes May 19.
May Family Challenge
Listen to May's podcast here. Join us for our last family challenge! We invite all families to participate in our upcoming school event on May 29th, where we will be hosting an Open House extravaganza!
Get ready to capture precious memories with your loved ones at our special photo booth! Strike a pose, showcase your smiles, and create lasting moments together. Plus, by joining in, you'll have the chance to win fantastic prizes!
Take advantage of this fantastic opportunity to bond, laugh, and celebrate together! Save the date and get your family ready for a day of fun-filled activities at our school's Open House on May 29th.
See you there!
If you cannot make it to OPEN HOUSE, you can still participate in our Family Challenge by joining any of our other school events. Check out our Calendar of Events for more information.
Send us your photographs to KennedyFC@rcsdk8.net or text (650) 656-0501.
Yearbook Update
Kennedy uses Treering to create and sell our yearbooks.
We are working to finish up our yearbook!
In order for students to get their yearbooks in the school delivery, please purchase your yearbook by May 13, 2024. If a yearbook is purchased after this deadline, the yearbook will be shipped to students' homes.
Yearbooks can be purchased online by clicking this link.
If you are asked for a school code, please use Kennedy's code: 1015926081674110.
The yearbook price before taxes is $38.29.
Yearbooks will ship to Kennedy. We will then distribute the yearbooks to students in late May or the first week of June.
Tutoring and Academic Support Opportunities
Students can get drop-in math support on Mondays and Wednesdays with Ms. Le, Mrs. Figueroa, and Ms. Paz in room 533.
Students can reach out to individual teachers to schedule a time to meet during teacher office hours.
Students with IEPs and identified learning disabilities can get targeted intervention and support from
College Advising Prep (CAP). Please reach out to Michelle Fryer Phan for additional information at mfryerphan@rcsdk8.net.
We also partner with Healthy Cities Tutoring. Students can get individual support from a volunteer once a week. Please contact our Kennedy Family Center for more information about Healthy Cities Tutoring kennedyfc@rcsdk8.net.
Missing Assignment Study Hall (MASH) is held after school once per week in the Kennedy Library for any student who is currently earning an overall D+, D, D-, or F in any class. We will have time dedicated to support students with missing assignments, test corrections, essays, etc. Our Kennedy admin team will support students during this time. Students will meet in the library after school from 3:15 to 4:15 pm.
Reminders for 8th-grade Families
8th-Grade Parent Info Night: I will discuss Great America and Promotion Ceremony updates with 8th-grade families on Thursday, May 16, at 6:00 pm via Zoom. Families will be notified by Wednesday if their students cannot participate in the Great America field trip. Your student may not participate if they have had negative school behaviors and/or a cumulative GPA below 2.0. The link for this meeting will be sent out on Thursday at 5:30 pm by email and text message.
Our next event for 8th-graders is the annual trip to Great America. Students must have a cumulative 2.0 GPA and no behavior problems to attend this field trip. Kennedy staff will accompany students on the field trip. We plan to leave Kennedy at 9:00 and return by 5:00 pm.
Please be reminded that your 8th-grade students were given a letter in November that explained Kennedy's expectations for students to participate in 8th-grade activities and the promotion ceremony. The letter was supposed to be read by students and their families. Then, a signed acknowledgment form was to be submitted by December 1. 8th-Grade Letter
Our 8th-grade Promotion Ceremony is Tuesday, June 11, 2024, at 6:00 pm on the Kennedy field.
A cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for all 8th-grade activities and the ceremony. Please be sure to check your student's grades each week.
Please refer to this newsletter with information from the 8th-grade information night.
Student Clubs Meeting This Week
Math Homework Monday and Wednesday in room 534
Writing Club during 7th/8th grade lunch on Monday in room 318
6th-Grade Gaming Club Monday at lunch in room 102
Book Club Tuesday after school in the library
6th-Grade Student Council Reps Tuesday at lunch in room 103
Italian Club after school in room 318 on Tuesday
Makerspace and Robotics Club Tuesday during 6th-grade lunch in room 104
Wellness Club Tuesday during 7th/8th grade lunch in room 636
7th & 8th-Grade Lunch Bunch Wednesday during 7th/8th grade lunch in room 636
K-Pop Club Wednesday during 7th/8th grade lunch in room 208
Rock Band Club after school on Wednesday in room 314
Chess Club Wednesday during 6th-grade lunch in the library
D&D Wednesday during 6th-grade lunch in room 102
Missing Assignment Study Hall after school on Friday in the library
7th-Grade Executive Council Thursday at lunch in room 314
Art Club Thursday during 7th/8th grade lunch in room 527
Jazz Club Thursday morning before school in room 312
GSA Kennedy Skittles Thursday during 7th/8th grade lunch in room 315
GSA Kennedy Skittles Thursday during 6th-grade lunch in room 102
Chess Club Thursday during 7th/8th grade lunch in the library
K-Pop Club Thursday at 6th-grade lunch in room B-9
6th-Grade Lunch Bunch Friday during 6th-grade lunch in room B-6
Environmental Club Friday during 7th/8th grade lunch in room 535
Anime Club Friday during 6th-grade lunch in room B-7
Have a great week!
Mrs. Leonardo
- Please make sure you have your high-top hiking boots ready for the trip! If you purchased new boots, make sure to break them in. We encourage you to go on a few practice hikes to feel more comfortable hiking at the Grand Canyon.
- Backpack Check-in is on Tuesday, May14th from 3:15 to 4:30 PM in the small parking lot at the front of the school, near the Drama Room.
- All items must fit in the backpack that was provided (boots must be tied to the outside of the backpack).
New reminders:
- Students will receive their small carry-on bag at Backpack Check-in on Tuesday, May 14th.
- This is a tech free trip! We appreciate all of the parents support with this matter.
Departure is on Wednesday, May 15th at 6:30 AM. Morning check-in will begin at 5:30 AM near the Drama Room.
- If students want to bring money for souvenir shopping, we can store the money and distribute it to students the days we are gift shopping.
- Here is a packet with more information for this year's trip.
Please reach out to Maestro Alfredo (aoropeza@rcsdk8.net) if you have any questions.
Cell phones are to be turned off and placed in backpacks from the time students get on campus until they exit the campus. If you need to get a hold of your student, please avoid texting or calling during the school day. Please call the office and let us know you would like to speak to your student and we can have them come to the office and call you directly.
We have too many students using and accessing their cell phones during the school day in order to use social media. This is a waste of instructional time.
If your student is caught using their cell phone during the school day, they will be required to check their phone in and out of the office before and after school each day.
We need your continued support with this rule, so we thank you in advance for your help.
Click here to listen to this month's podcast for May.
Join us for our last family challenge! We invite all families to participate in our upcoming school event on May 29th, where we will be hosting an Open House extravaganza!
Get ready to capture precious memories with your loved ones at our special photobooth! Strike a pose, showcase your smiles, and create lasting moments together. Plus, by joining in, you'll have the chance to win fantastic prizes!
Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to bond, laugh, and celebrate together! Save the date and get your family ready for a day of fun-filled activities at our school's Open House on May 29th. See you there!
If you cannot make it to OPEN HOUSE, you can still participate in our Family Challenge by joining any of our other school events. Check out our Calendar of Events for more information.
Send us your photographs to KennedyFC@rcsdk8.net or text (650) 656-0501.
Padres de Kennedy 2023 WhatsApp Group
Cynthia Cardona, Community School Coordinator ccardona@rcsdk8.net
Maria Segundo, Admin Assistant msegundo@rcsdk8.net
Kathryn Lige, Lead Mental Health Counselor klige@rcsdk8.net
Contact the Kennedy Family Center by phone: (650) 482-2110
What's Happening in the Kennedy Library?
Book Club will continue to meet on Tuesdays after school now that the musical is finished. If you are interested in joining, come by the library to sign up or sign up here.
Get more details from Ms. Cooper and the awesome Kennedy Library by visiting the Kennedy Library Website.
We are incredibly grateful for your support! Thank you!
Our wishlist contains items requested by teachers at Kennedy. It now contains items we need for our STEAM and art electives.
Kennedy Middle School
Email: cleonardo@rcsdk8.net
Website: https://kennedy.rcsdk8.net
Location: 2521 Goodwin Avenue, Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone: 650.482.2409
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennedymiddleschool