Cougar Connect

Dear Kennedy Community,

I hope this message finds you well as we begin another week at Kennedy Middle School. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to supporting our students and each other as we navigate the trimester together.

Check Student Grades

Please make sure you are logging in to PowerSchool and checking your student's grades. Our next Missing Assignment Study Hall will be on Friday, January 24.

Principal's Coffee

Here are the slides from last week's Principal's Coffee.

Winter Concert: Wednesday, January 15

Add this date to your calendar: our winter music concert will be on Wednesday, January 15, at 6:00 p.m. More details will be included in next week's newsletter, and if your student is in the music program, Mr. Balogh will send out additional information to you.

No School: Monday, January 20, 2024

In observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, there will be no school on Monday, January 20,

Be Here, Be Amazing!

In addition to continuing to improve in English and math, attendance is also an area of focus for Kennedy. We aim to decrease chronic absenteeism and increase student attendance (95% daily attendance or higher). The first step is to ensure all students and families know the importance of attendance and why school attendance matters.

• Please schedule vacations during scheduled school breaks.

• Schedule medical appointments after school.

• Reach out to the Kennedy administration if students do not want to attend school due to emotional factors.

• Notify our attendance clerk about absences.

• When absent, students are still responsible for missed assignments and work. We understand that students at the elementary school level may not have to make up for work when absent. At the middle school level, students must connect with each of their teachers upon their return to get missed assignments. Those assignments must be finished and submitted by the required deadlines.

Have a great week!

Mrs. Leonardo

If your child has one of the following symptoms and is unable to participate meaningfully in school, they should be kept at home:

1. Diarrhea and/or vomiting in the past 24 hours

2. A fever of 100 or greater in the past 24 hours

1. headache, fever or chills, cough

2. shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

3. sore throat, congestion

4. nausea or vomiting, fatigue (tiredness)

5. muscle or body aches

Careful attention to hand washing at home and at school is the single most important measure to decrease the spread of any infection or illness. Hand sanitizers may also be helpful when soap and water are not available.

Be sure to call the school office when illness (or any other reason) necessitates your child being kept home.

Thank you for your cooperation and support in our effort to keep all of our students healthy. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our school nurse, Lisa Cox lcox@rcsdk8.net.

RCSD will hold its last information session about 7th-Grade Teen Talk on Wednesday, January 22nd from 6:00-7:00 p.m. This session is for 7th-grade families.

Register for the session here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScEuIac97J8EwLw_PVI4n8ZA3Bv-vzo1aHoa3z0Z9XX9kGHDw/viewform.

If you do not want your student to participate in Teen Talk, please contact your student's 7th-grade science teacher.

Mrs. Figueroa ifigueroa@rcsdk8.net

Ms. Paz ppaz@rcsdk8.net

In first place, we have a TIE with Mrs. Rosenblom and Ms. Paz's class with 100% attendance for this week! Up next we have Ms. Bhaskar with 99.67%.

Make sure your here every day and on time!

Ms. Hernandez will hold math intervention after school on Mondays and Wednesdays beginning in February for students who are one to two grade levels below in math. Students must be willing to stay after school from 3:15-4:15 p.m. Students must have their own transportation after school.

Sign up if you are interested in learning more about math intervention. Signing up does not mean that your student has been accepted into the class. We will review their math skills, speak to their math teacher, and make a decision about enrollment.

Click here to sign up.

Thank you!

MIRA (Mathematics Initiative Readiness Assessment) is a program developed by the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD) to evaluate student math skills. The program uses an assessment to analyze student work and identify their knowledge and abilities in math

All Kennedy 8th-grade students will take the MIRA math assessment for Sequoia Union High School District in their math class on Wednesday, January 22 or Thursday, January 23.

The assessment is completed on the computer. All IEP and 504 accommodations will be followed.

Learn more about MIRA here.

The Kennedy Office is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Liz Avalos, Office Manager: lmavalos@rcsdk8.net

Maritza Gutierrez, Office Assistant (student records, medical notices): mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net

Jessica Perez, Office Assistant (attendance, independent study): jpperez@rcsdk8.net

JANUARY

• School Site Council Jan. 14 Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day ~ No School Jan. 20
• The Great Kindness Challenge Jan. 27-31
• PTO Meeting Jan. 28 Library/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
• High School Placement Testing for 8th grade

Please click here to view our Calendar of Events. Events are subject to change. Please read the Cougar Connect newsletter for changes.

Our January School Site Council will be on Tuesday, January 14 from 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. We will have a virtual meeting. Our main agenda item is to begin our needs assessment, focusing on electives for 2025-26.

Virtual Meeting Link: http://meet.google.com/xqg-qvaw-zer

Agenda Link

Ms. Xia's 7th-period 6th-grade students will go to Monterra Credit Union as part of their financial literacy curriculum on Tuesday, January 14. Students must turn in permission slips by the end of the day on Monday.

Dear Kennedy Students and Families,

We invite you to register for a friendly Math Olympiad at Kennedy!

Deadline to Register: January 31st

Cost: $9

Date of Olympiad: March 20th

Time: 5:30pm

Location: Kennedy Library

Test Format:

• 75 Minute multiple choice test

• 24 Questions for students in agrades 1 to 4

• 30 Questions for students in grades 5 to 12

Practice Materials: https://mathkr es angaroo.org/mks/practice/

How to Register:

1. Register for Math Kangaroo: https://mathkangaroo.oasis-lms.com/Catalog/CatalogueMain

2. Scroll down left-side menu

3. Click on “By Invitation”

4. Enter Invitation Code: CAREDWO0008001@2025MK

5. Add each student participating

6. Pay $9 enrollment fee

Questions? Email coordinator, Meghan.Oreillygreen@gmail.com

Join SEPTAR to learn about the CA Alternative Pathway to High School Diploma for Students with Complex Disabilities on January 21 at 7pm on Zoom. Learn about what it is, why it is beneficial, and why it is important to prepare for it during the elementary years. Stephanie Coleman and Kristin Wright, from the Sacramento County Office of Education, will be our presenters. Register: bit.ly/SEPTAR121. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided.

8th-graders attended an assembly on Monday, November 25th. We discussed behavior and academic expectations for the remainder of the school year. Students were given a letter and agreement form. The letter and agreement form must be reviewed and signed by a parent, guardian, or caregiver. The form should be turned into homeroom teachers by Thursday, December 5.

8th-grade Letter

You may have noticed the vibrant new entrance mural at Kennedy! Designed by acclaimed local artist Jose Castro with creative input from students in Ms. Segal's art classes, the mural painting is nearing completion. Be sure to follow along here for updates!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/R5FPfVEyGku2DLRX8

At more than twice the original planned size and at no additional cost to the PTO, Jose Castro has helped the students fill the entire wall. Let's show him some extra appreciation! Send a donation via his Venmo account at @cassdroeee.

A special thank you to Hassett Hardware in Woodside Plaza, the Redwood City Arts Commission, and the Kennedy PTO for their generous support in making this project possible.

Community donations are also still welcome to further enhance this exciting endeavor—contribute to the PTO Mural Fund to support this initiative. Together, we can make this project a lasting symbol of creativity and community!

Kennedy uses Treering for our yearbooks. Visit www.treering.com/validate to order your student their yearbook. Yearbooks are $38.29; they will be distributed in June to students.

Kennedy's school passcode is 1015926081674110.

A continued focus this year is reducing our chronic absenteeism rate. We currently have over 120 students who are chronically absent. Our attendance team will identify these students and reach out to families to determine root causes and offer support.

Our school goal is 95-97%% daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly attendance. Students and staff have come up with ideas to promote attendance with incentives for individual students, grade levels, and the entire school.

Attendance Reminders

Students need to be at school every day. If students are ill, parents and caregivers should notify Jessica Perez (jpperez@rcsdk8.net), leave a message on the attendance line voicemail 650-482-2409, or use the School Arrivals app to submit the absence.

Please schedule doctor's appointments after school and vacations during scheduled school vacations.

When your student misses school, they miss valuable instruction. It can be difficult to make up assignments for seven different classes, so students become overwhelmed.

Students need to be on time for school. We will be reaching out to families of students who are late to school to determine what supports are needed to ensure students get to school on time. If you need support, please reach out to us.

Below are some updates from our 7th-grade Grand Canyon field trip team.

• Selected students will be required to pay the first half of the payment by December 13th. Payment details and instructions will be passed out during the student meeting on Friday, November 22nd.
• We are working on making reservations at Havasu Falls and need to be ready to make the payment if reservations are made. If reservations are not available, then your payment will be refunded.
• If you have any questions , please email Maestro Alfredo Oropeza (aoropeza@rcsdk8.net)

Hello, Kennedy Community!

Are you looking for ways to volunteer for our school? This link shows you ALL of the available opportunities throughout the entire year: Volunteer Needs.

Remember that our Direct Drive is going on and our students depend on our community’s financial help to make their middle school experience the best it can be! We suggest a $500 donation per family. Payments can be made manageable by choosing to donate $50 a month throughout the school year! Click here to donate: PTO Direct Drive

Kind regards,

Jess Bryski

KMS PTO President

8th grade graduation will be here before we know it! We will be having our first planning meeting on Thursday, January 23 at 7PM (location TBD) to start preparing for this event. Please add your name to the Google Sheet if you would like to attend. If you have any questions, please email krissie.h.rice@gmail.com.

TO CONTRIBUTE ONLINE TO 8TH-GRADE ACTIVITIES:

https://app.99pledges.com/fund/kennedycougarsclassof2025

8TH-GRADE ACTIVITIES CONTRIBUTION INSTRUCTIONS & FORM:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/12HkyLyULf8lgt8O-oH8elnNHDn85toToRaxKxLR9aLg/edit?usp=sharing

• Intramurals Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays at lunch
• Wellness Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Mondays Room 207
• Anime Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Mondays Room 314
  
• Photojournalism Club Mondays Room 532
• Calligraphy/Cursive Writing Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Mondays Room 318

• 6th-Grade Lunch Bunch 6th Grade Lunch Tuesdays and Fridays Room 207
• Chess Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Tuesdays Room 535
• Video Game Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Tuesdays Room 314
  
• GSA Skittles 7/8th Grade Lunch Tuesdays Room 315
  
• Italian Club Tuesdays After School Room 318
• Art Club 6th Grade Lunch Tuesdays Room 104
  
• Art Club 7th/8th Grade Lunch Tuesdays Room 526
• Badminton Club 7th/8th Grade Lunch Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the Gym
• 7/8th-Grade Lunch Bunch Wednesdays Room 207

• Hispanic/Latine Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Wednesdays Room 530

• Book Club in the Kennedy Library Dates/Times TBD
  
• Board Game Club Thursdays in the Kennedy Library
• Origami Club Thursdays 6th Grade lunch in B-8
• Video Game Club 6th Grade Lunch Thursdays Room 102
• Environmental Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Thursdays Room 535

• VinylHeadz (Music Discussion) 7/8th Grade Lunch Fridays Room 528

We encourage every Kennedy student to join and participate in at least one club this school year. Clubs are a great way to make connections, make friends, and create a joyful school environment. Clubs are created by students for students. Students need to find a teacher to advise their club. Clubs generally meet once a week. Students need to listen to the morning announcements for updates.

Students can get help with homework and assignments on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays after school in the Kennedy Library from 3:15-4:15 p.m. If students are enrolled in the Boys and Girls Club after school program, they need to sign in first.

Students must be actively working on assignments. Students should not come to Homework Help to hang out or be off task.

We look forward to helping students succeed!

Students can also get support with Tutor.com. This is a free virtual service available to all students. Students can access Tutor.com through Clever using their Chromebooks. Find the logo that looks like the icon to the left. We will teach students about Tutor.com after Goal-Setting Conferences during homeroom.

Brainfuse is one of the most experienced online tutoring companies in the nation. HelpNow is a unique tutoring, homework help, and studying suite designed to assist patrons of all ages succeed. This is a service provided through Redwood City Public Library. Students can access Brainfuse by finding the Redwood City Public Library icon on Clever on their Chromebook. They should look for the icon like the one pictured on the right.

Boundary Locator

Open Enrollment Transfers

Kennedy High School Information Website

We will host evening events to help Kennedy families with the registration processs. Check back here for updates!

Your students should have homework Monday through Friday. Our English language arts and math teachers will assign homework nightly. Here are the general homework guidelines for each grade level:

6th Grade: 30-45 minutes

7th Grade: 45-60 minutes

8th Grade: 60-75 minutes

These times may vary depending on the assignments and projects, but students should have some math or reading assignment each night. If your student says they do not have homework, please make sure they show you their assignments in Google Classroom. You can also check PowerSchool for grades. If your student says they finished their assignments at school, make them show you their finished work.

If students are finished with their assignments, they can still:

1. Read their independent reading books.

2. Practice reading or math i-Ready or Khan Academy lessons.

3. Review notes from classes to make sure they understand their lessons.

4. Create flashcards for key vocabulary terms and review them.

5. Clean out or organize their backpacks, binders, and folders.

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.

We appreciate you thinking of our teachers.

Kennedy's Amazon Wishlist

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