Cougar Connect

Dear Kennedy Community,

We are entering our last week of February and our last two weeks of trimester two. We have several events at Kennedy this week, so please make sure you're up to date on what's happening at Kennedy. The most important thing to note is that trimester two ends March 8, so please make sure you are aware of how your student(s) are doing--especially if they are an 8th-grade student.

Here are a few reminders for the week ahead:

i-Ready Reading and Math Assessment

RCSD's i-Ready testing window opens this week. This is the third and final i-Ready diagnostic for the year. We plan to have our 8th-graders begin their reading assessment in their ELA classes this week and continue with the math assessment next week. Our 6th and 7th grade students will begin their assessments next week and the week after. We aim to be finished with all i-Ready assessments by Friday, March 15.

Please encourage your students to try their best. The final diagnostic can be used for accelerated math placement for the next school year. We will also use this data to determine the types of enrichment and support we need for students for the next school year. We appreciate your support.

Support for the Spring Dance Needed

Parents and guardians: we need your assistance for our spring dance on Friday, March 15! Our parent volunteer, Marcela, has created a Sign Up Genius form. Please click the link to sign up to chaperone or support in other ways. Our theme is March Madness. Sign up here!

PTO Meeting Tuesday, February 27

• Our monthly PTO meeting will be held in person in the Kennedy Library at 7:45 pm on Tuesday, February 27.

• There will be important updates about how PTO funds are being used to support Kennedy students.

Grand Canyon Meeting Tuesday, February 27

If your 7th-grade student is going on the Grand Canyon trip in May, please be sure to attend the mandatory informational session on Tuesday, February 27 at 6:30 pm in the Kennedy gymnasium. Please park in the gym parking lot off Washington Avenue.

School Site Council Wednesday, February 28

Our February school site council meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 28 at 5:00 pm. The meeting will be virtual. Here is our planned agenda. Here is the meeting link: https://meet.google.com/xmc-ovrb-zvy

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 352-612-0355‬ PIN: ‪667 087 307‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/xmc-ovrb-zvy?pin=5766420026342

English Learner Advisory Committee Meeting Thursday, February 29

Our February ELAC meeting will be held on Thursday, February 29 at 4:00 pm. Here is our planned agenda. Here is the meeting link: https://meet.google.com/rrt-cwxs-fkb

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 575-686-2147‬ PIN: ‪342 888 004‬#

More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/rrt-cwxs-fkb?pin=1963961428908

Kennedy Black History Month Assembly Thursday, February 29

We will hold our Black History Month assembly in the Kennedy gym from 8:45 am to 9:45 am for all students and staff.

Yearbook Update

• Kennedy uses Treering to create and sell our yearbooks.

• 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.

• If you want to create a custom page for your student, custom pages are due by April 11, 2024. You can use this link to learn how to create a custom page.

8th-Grade Baby Photos

• We would like to include baby photos of our 8th-graders in the yearbook.

• Parents and guardians can upload baby photos directly to TreeRing following the instructions here.

• You can also send your photo via email to Mr. Apodaca: papodaca@rcsdk8.net.

• Baby photos should be of good quality (not blurry or out of focus).

• The photo should only feature the 8th-grade student.

• The student should be four years old or younger in the photo.

• The deadline for all 8th-grade baby photo submissions is Friday, March 29.

• The yearbook will only include 8th-grade baby photos.

8th-Grade Dance Planning Meeting Monday, March 4

We are going to have an 8th Grade Dance Planning Meeting - Monday, March 4, 2024 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Join us if you are interested in helping out with planning the graduation dance.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us05web.zoom.us/j/81633633131?pwd=ftaGaB50Noxfg2Rbd45bo1iNzBaklY.1

Meeting ID: 816 3363 3131

Passcode: 4qkFuR

Sports Update

Redwood City Parks and Rec is excited to announce its girls' Flag Football league. Please scroll down to the sports section for additional information.

Kennedy Attendance Wars

Here is the update for the week of February 12-16:

1st Place: Ms. Collins

2nd Place: Ms. Nolan

3rd Place: Ms. Xia

February Family Challenge:

We challenge Kennedy families to have a family date day or night! Have your date day/night, take a picture, and email your picture to kennedyfc@rcsdk8.net. Make sure to include your student's first and last names and grade level. Here are a few local ideas for your family:

1. Visit the Domini Hoskins Black History Museum in Downtown Redwood City

2. Visit Edgewood Park

3. Read together

4. Paint together

5. Make a meal together (a student suggested making pizza together)

6. Learn and record a social media dance together (another student suggestion!)

7. Complete a puzzle

8. Play a board game or a card game (a student suggested UNO)

9. Exercise together

10. Make popcorn and watch a movie at home.

Check Grades

Have you checked your student's grades? Please log on to PowerSchool for the most up-to-date information. Trimester two ends Friday, March 8. Teachers must have grades finalized by Tuesday, March 12th. Report cards will be mailed home by Friday, March 15. However, PowerSchool will always have the most up-to-date information regarding grades.

Parent-Teacher Conferences March 18-22

We will have minimum days with 1:50 pm dismissal Monday, March 18 through Friday, March 22. During this week, teachers will meet with families of students who earned a D or an F in trimester two. Conference priority will be given to these students. Conferences will begin at 2:00 pm and end at 3:15 pm. Teachers will reach out to families directly by email and or text message beginning the week of March 11 to schedule conferences.

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.

New Student Mental Health Support Service

We're excited to offer a new mental health support service to all our students for out-of-school support! Sonar is a personal wellbeing companion for young people. Their certified peer counselors engage in text-based, 1:1 chats with kids - supporting them at any time during the day to cope with life's challenges and proactively identifying challenges based on a review of their social media and phone activity (with consent). You can learn more in this presentation. To get free access for your student(s), please fill out this consent form (English / Spanish). For more information and to refer your student, please contact Kathryn Lige, our lead mental health counselor: at klige@rcsdk8.net

Reminders for 8th-grade Families

• 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. We will contact families this week if we do not have this signed form on file. 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 to participate in 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

• Intramural Basketball begins this week on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.

• Math Homework Support after school on Mondays and Wednesdays in room 534

• Book Club after school on Monday in the library

• 6th-Grade Student Council Reps Tuesday at lunch in room 103

• 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

• 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

• Cooking Club Friday after school in room 107. The Cooking Club is full. We will announce our next sessions in March.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Leonardo

As we move into trimester three, we want to provide students with the opportunity to reset their attentions and attitudes.

Our goal is to assist students who may need support with following our Kennedy PAWS (Being Prepared, Having a Positive Attitude, Making Wise Choices, and Being Safe). Kennedy admin will work with students after school on Fridays from 3:15 to 3:55. We will assist students with reflection, work completion, and figuring out a plan to make sure they end the year successfully.

Parents will be notified on Thursday afternoon if their student is required to stay after school on Fridays. Students will be in the library until 3:55, and students can be picked up in front of the Kennedy office. They can also bike, walk, or scooter home.

If your student takes a bus after school, we will offer the Reset Room option during lunch time.

On Thursday, February 29, we will have a Black History Month assembly. We plan to have a few local individuals volunteer their time to educate students about Black history. We also plan to have the Kennedy Jazz Band perform and have students present their research projects and recite a poem. Thank you to Ms. Camara and her students for being willing to participate in the assembly.

Reservations for this year's Grand Canyon field trip have been confirmed! Students attending the Grand Canyon field trip received a flyer with information about upcoming events and the payment process.

Before the Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting on February 27th, the fee must be collected NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 16th. You can pay via Zelle® or pay by check. These are the only two forms of payment accepted.

For Payments By Check:

• Make your check payable to JFKMSEEF.
• Write your child’s name in the memo line and “GCT”
• Hand deliver the check to JFKMSEEF, 1943 Kentucky Ave., Redwood City, CA 94061 OR
• Drop in the JFKMSEEF Dropbox in the Kennedy School office.

For Payments By ZELLE:
Make payment to John F Kennedy Middle School Expeditionary Education Foundation (or JFKMSEEF) as a recipient. Our account uses our email
address: kennedygrandcanyon@gmail.com PLEASE NOTE YOUR CHILD’S FIRST AND LAST NAMES IN THE MEMO.

Please review the information and email Maestro Alfredo (aoropeza@rcsdk8.net) if you have any questions or concerns.

Rehearsal Reminders for February

• Tuesdays and Wednesdays 3:30 pm-6:30 pm
• One Saturday (Date Coming Shortly)
• One Friday: February 9

Tuesday, Feb. 6, Wednesday, Feb. 7, Friday, Feb 9., Tuesday, Feb. 13, Wednesday, Feb. 14, Tuesday, Feb. 27, Wednesday, Feb. 28

Please read the parent newsletters sent to your email for more details. Email Ms. Rosenbloom or Kennedy PTO for any questions or concerns: srosenbloom@rcsdk8.net or drama@kennedycougarspto.org

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.

The Kennedy school calendar is now on the PTO website and has been updated with school events and activities for the year! You can add it to your personal calendar by going to https://kennedycougarspto.org/calendar and clicking the +Google Calendar button on the bottom right of the calendar.

Hello, Kennedy Community!

The KMS PTO would like to invite everyone to our next monthly meeting. We’d love to share details about how your PTO donations are supporting school-wide programs, like Music, Drama, Art, and STEM! Other topics will include proposed amendments to the PTO budget and updates from committee chairs. We will also be joined by a guest, Ivana Rodriguez, the new Redwood City Safe Routes to School Program Specialist.

Please join us on Tuesday, February 27 at 7:45 pm in-person at the KMS Library.

Remember that your voice matters in our community and we want to hear from you!

Don’t forget to follow the KMS PTO on Instagram and Facebook, @KennedyCougarsPTO.

Check out www.kennedycougarspto.org for more info.

Kind regards,

Jess Bryski

Please check the High School Shadow Programs & Informational Event Links document.

• TIDE and Woodside posted their shadowing request links.
• Carlmont posted links for campus tours and the Chat with a Carlmont Student event.
• Sequoia will open the shadowing request link on 9/13/23.
• Menlo-Atherton will open the shadowing request link within the next ten days.

High School Information Website

Congratulations Juan Jose A. in 7th-grade! JJ won tickets to an escape room!

February Podcast

Cynthia and Kathryn are back with this month's podcast. Be sure to watch by clicking here.

Padres de Kennedy 2023 WhatsApp Group

If you prefer to receive information in Spanish and by text, click on the link to join the Kennedy Family Center's WhatsApp group “Padres de Kennedy 2023"! You will receive updated Kennedy Middle School information in Spanish and reminders of our school events.

https://chat.whatsapp.com/KOQ9MIJsmY9DDyFX8FFord

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

We are launching a new Girls Flag Football Program for girls! Registration can be done online - A League of Their Own - Girls Flag Football Program or in person at Red Morton Community Center.

In addition, we have Redwood City Parks and Rec offers their traditional Spring Programs (Tennis, Run Club, Skateboarding, Watersports, Golf, and Pickleball). Please visit our website for more information - Redwood City After School Sports (teamsideline.com).

Book Club has started! We meet on Tuesdays after school. 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.

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. Students received planners during the fourth week of school, and included in the planner is the student handbook.

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

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's Amazon Wishlist

February

• February 27th PTO Meeting Zoom 7:05-8:30 pm

• February 28th School Site Council 5:00 - 6:00

• February 29th Black History Month Assembly

• February 29th ELAC 4:00 - 5:00 pm

Click here to view the most up-to-date version of the Kennedy Calendar of Events.

Open House has been changed from Tuesday, April 2 to Wednesday, May 29. This has been updated on the Calendar of Events.

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.

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