The Kennedy Cougar Chronicle

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Many people feel lucky on Saint Patrick's Day but I feel lucky every single day to be the Principal of The Kennedy School. My heart was so full to see so many people at Friday night's Pasta Supper, a Kennedy tradition that leaves everyone feeling at home. The support that comes from this school community is unmatchable. The dedication from the families, students, and staff is exceptional, especially when we all come together.

As we head into the Spring season (thank goodness!) I just want to make you aware of a few items. First, sneakers are the best shoes for your child to wear to school. We have been able to get outside to enjoy the warmer weather and sneakers keep your child safe on the playground. Now that we are outside playing, we are relearning what is means to play with our friends. We strongly encourage students to keep hands, feet, etc. to themselves. We know this can be hard when everyone is extremely overexcited to be outside. Please remind your children that not everyone likes to be hugged, wrestled and more. Typically is starts out in fun but tears and hurt feelings are usually the end result.

MCAS will be coming soon. I will be sending home a letter for all students in grades 3 - 5 with more information regarding testing dates and expectations. MCAS can be extremely stressful for some students and we go to great lengths to make sure all students are in a testing environment that puts them at ease.

Thank you, as always, for continuing to be partners with us in your child's education. When they see education is valued at home, the possibilities are endless.

March

3/19 - Half Day

3/20 - STEM Family Night

April

4/1 - Kennedy FUN RUN - More info to follow

4/2 - MCAS - Grade 5 - ELA Session 1

4/3 - MCAS - Grade 5 - ELA Session 2

4/3 - PAC Mtg @ 6 p.m.

4/8 - MCAS - Grades 3 and 4 - ELA Session 1

4/9 - MCAS - Grades 3 and 4 - ELA Session 2

4/10 and 4/11 - Parent Teacher Conferences

4/16 - Brack's Fundraiser - More Info to Follow

4/18 - Half Day

4/21 - 4/25 - April Break

May

5/6 - PAC Mtg @ 6 p.m.

5/6 - MCAS - Grade 5 - Math Session 1

5/7 - MCAS - Grade 5 - Math Session 2

5/8 - MCAS - Grades 3 and 4 - Math Session 1

5/9 - MCAS - Grades 3 and 4 - Math Session 2

5/13 - MCAS - Grade 5 - STE (Science, Technology, and Engineering) Session 1

5/14 - MCAS - Grade 5 - STE Session 2

5/26 - No School - Memorial Day

5/30 - JFK Day - More info to follow

June

6/5 - Half Day

6/5 - PAC Mtg @ 6 p.m.

6/12 - Half Day

6/16 - Grade 5 Graduation - More info to follow

6/17 - Grade 5 Graduation - More info to follow

6/19 - No School - Juneteenth

6/20 - Projected Last Day of School - Half Day

There will be a half day, this Wednesday, March 19th. Dismissal will begin at 12 p.m.

Kennedy Families!

We’re only ONE week away from kicking off our Kennedy Cougar Fun Run fundraiser! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together while we reach our fundraising goals.

Get an overview of our fundraiser by clicking HERE!

Here is the Key Information to help you during the fundraiser:

💵Fundraising Goal: $15,000

🎁Fundraising Item: enrichment, field trips, and a new stage

🎉Kickoff Date (in school): 03/21/2025

👟Event Date: 04/01/2025

All donations will be collected through our fundraising platform: MyBooster.com

How to Get Started on MyBooster.com:

• Click “Sign Up”

• Enter your School Name

• Enter your Information

• Once you sign up, get started by sharing via Facebook, email and text!

Tips for Success:

• Set a goal for how much to raise and make a plan with your student on how to get there.

• Share, share, share using our easy online tools!

• Make sure to thank everyone who supported you after you reach your goal.

Thank you for helping make our fundraiser a success!

Spring has sprung and with it comes seasonal allergies and recess injuries! If you have a kiddo who takes allergy medication in the spring, it is a good idea to start it again! Sniffly noses are here again! Tissues are always helpful and much appreciated for the classrooms too.

Sneakers are the perfect footwear for school! Please save the crocs, heels, and flops for home!

A friendly reminder to keep extra clothes in the backpacks - even for the big kids! Spills and accidents happen! It's so helpful when the kids have clothing! We've had a lot of growing this year so the backpack clothing might need to be refreshed.

Thank you so much for helping us take the best care of our Kennedy cubs!

Students are more than welcome to bring water bottles to school. Water bottles should have secure lids and only have water in them. Students are allowed to bring juice boxes to school for lunch. Please do not send glass bottles or anything other than water due to the likelihood of spills. No hot beverages or iced coffees etc. should be sent to school. We really discourage any caffeine during the school day as we know this disrupts students' learning. Anything other than water will be thrown away.

BPS has launched a new website and it is very user friendly!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made the Annual Kennedy Pasta Supper a night to remember! The PAC volunteers put on quite the event! Thank you to all of the staff that volunteered their time! Thank you to all of the families that donated their time, raffle donations, and baked goods! Yum! I hope everyone left with fully bellies, lots of laughs and maybe even a raffle prize!

March is full of exciting celebrations for so many Kennedy families! Learning about each other is just one more way to stay connected and create our inclusive culture! Here are some resources to learn more about this month's celebrations!

GUIDELINES TO ASSIST YOU TO DECIDE IF YOUR CHILD SHOULD

STAY HOME FROM SCHOOL

Fever of 100 or more - Stay home for 24 hours after fever is gone and encourage fluids.

Vomiting or diarrhea - Stay home 24 hours after last episode and encourage fluids.

Sore throat - Note that strep throat may be present without a fever, and may have symptoms of headache and stomachache.

Runny nose, cough – if your child is coughing all night, keep the child home and treat the cough. Call your health care provider if it does not improve.

Earaches - If these last more than a day or if pain is severe, please see your health provider.

Impetigo or other skin rash - Please have these identified and treated for 24 hours before returning to school. Consult with the school nurse with any questions.

"Pinkeye" or conjunctivitis (not allergy related) - A draining, itchy eye that is red must be treated with antibiotic eye medicine before child returns to school.

PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE IS MOST IMPORTANT.

Talk to your child about the importance of hand washing and encourage it at home and school.

Remember hand washing is the single most important thing we can all do to stay healthy.

Make certain that your child gets the appropriate amount of sleep.

Please feel free to contact the nurse at your child's school and discuss any health issues

If your child is out for five consecutive days or has a communicable disease please provide the nurse with a doctor’s note stating they can be in school.

Our next PAC meeting will be Thursday, April 3th at 6 p.m.

Haven't had a chance to attend yet? That's ok! New members are welcome at every meeting! Our PAC runs on volunteers, your input is valuable! Come join the fun!

Due to allergies, please do not bring in any food items for birthday celebrations. You are more than welcome to send in items like stickers, pencils etc. Thank you so much for being part of keeping the Kennedy cubs safe!

School breakfast and lunch are free everyday. Students are welcome to bring their own lunches as well.

Sometimes we are having just too much fun here at the Kennedy and we forget to ask to use the bathroom! Accidents happen! Please be sure to pack an extra set of clothes in your child's backpack just incase this happens.

Take a look at our website to learn more about us!

https://kennedy.bpsma.org/