Kennedy News
#Kennedy BEST 3/25/2024
Note From Mr. Rustad
Happy Spring Break!
I hope this update finds you enjoying spring break with your family! It has been a great month at Kennedy. Not only have we been working hard on our learning each day but we have also had our spring conferences, celebrated students of the month, had our annual Leprechaun Bingo celebration, and enjoyed showing Kennedy BEST!
Kennedy families, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY! Our staff was thankful for the delicious meals that were donated during conferences. The great food was greatly appreciated by everyone. Also, thank you so much for your generosity during Leprechaun Bingo! This annual event is made possible by the generous donations made by families. All of the Cubs went home with many treats and prizes! Thank you for making this event so memorable for our Cubs.
Next month will be busy! Our 3rd-5th graders will start MCA testing, there is a PTO No Cook Night on April 16th, and we will have our kindergarten connections night on April 18th.
Enjoy Spring Break!
Steve Rustad
Be Safe * Engage*Show Empathy*Together WE are Kennedy!
Kennedy in the News!
The Mankato Free Press partnered with Mankato Area Public Schools and Kennedy to do a story on best practices in reading instruction. This approach to literacy is often referred to as the science of reading. The article highlights the great things that are happening at Kennedy!
Pictures and Captions from The Free Press Article
Students in Kelsey McConkey’s kindergarten class at Kennedy Elementary School run through words using the Bridge2Read literacy system. Minnesota’s READ Act aims to have every school child reading at or above grade level every year.
Kelsey McConkey flips through a Bridge2Read booklet in her Kennedy Elementary School classroom.
February Students of the Month
February Students of the Month were celebrated on Thursday, March 14th. Students of the month are selected by their teachers for showing Kennedy BEST throughout the month. Congratulations to all of our students of the month!
Kindergarten Students of the Month
First Grade Students of the Month
2nd Grade Students of the Month
3rd Grade Students of the Month
4th Grade Students of the Month
5th Grade Students of the Month
Kindergarten Connections is Coming Soon!
Kindergarten Connections night will be on April 18th at Kennedy. This event is for students who will be kindergarteners next year at Kennedy. If you have an incoming kindergartener or if you know someone that does, please make sure they know about the event!
Next Kennedy PTO No Cook Night - April 16th
Attendance Matters
Kennedy families, did you know that if your Cub misses 17 or more days of the school year that they are considered chronically absent by the state of Minnesota? We know that students miss school for many reasons such as illness, vacation, or family emergencies. It is expected that a student will miss a few days throughout the year. However, when students start to miss more than a few days of school, it can be detrimental to their academic growth. Research shows that students who miss 7 or more days of school are more likely to struggle to be at grade level academically. Here at Kennedy, we want to see our Cubs in school as often as possible so that they can continue to get what they need to succeed in school.
Here are some important things to know about how we will be approaching attendance for the remainder of the year:
- Mr. Rustad will be sending a message out to all families who have students on pace to miss more than 17 days of school this year. We have about 10% of students who are at this point. Our school goal is to have less than 5% of our students missing 17+ days this year. If you receive that message from me, know that we are looking to partner with you to make a plan for better attendance for the remainder of the year.
- If you have had a student who has missed up to 7 days because of illness, we will be requiring a doctor's note to excuse any further absences for illness. If your child isn't feeling good but they seem like they could be at school, I encourage you to bring them to school and have them checked out by our school nurse, Wendy Allen. She will let you know if your student should stay at school or go home for the day.
- When a student has 8 or more unexcused absences, our school partners with Blue Earth County to support families with a plan to get their students to school more often.
- Please take a few minutes to watch a great video on the importance of students being at school every day. Click here or on the Attendance Matters picture to watch the video.
Thank you for your partnership around attendance. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at srusta1@isd77.org.
Thank you,
Steve Rustad
Schoolwide Title I at Kennedy
Kennedy is a schoolwide Title 1 School. In the past, Title 1 funds were available to
provide additional support to students who qualified based on their test scores. As a schoolwide Title 1 school we are now able to utilize those resources more flexibly to support any students that would benefit. This fits wonderfully with our small group instruction blocks when students receive acceleration or enrichment based on their specific needs. For further information, contact Steve Rustad, principal at Kennedy Elementary.
Check out the Sales at the Kennedy Spiritwear Store!
This store will be open and accepting orders all year long, at any time! All orders will be shipped directly to your home and 10% will come back to our Kennedy PTO. Stay warm and cozy with some new Kennedy gear!!
Shop Now: https://1stplace.sale/49843