Cougar Connect

Dear Kennedy Community,

Thank you for a successful first week of school! I know the first few weeks can be overwhelming for students and their families, so I hope you were able to find some time to relax this weekend.

Evacuation Drill

We were all surprised by a fire alarm on campus Friday. Thankfully, it was a false alarm, but students and staff were able to evacuate quickly and waited patiently for the Redwood City Fire Department to inspect our kitchen.

I do plan for monthly safety drills, so you will be notified in advance for any planned drills. For information about San Mateo County's emergency plan for schools, please review the information here.

Regular Schedule
This week we begin our regular schedule. School is dismissed at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. We will be dismissed at 1:50 p.m. on Thursday. Students will begin their first week of block day schedule on Wednesday. Our bell schedule can be found here.

PowerSchool & Student Passwords

RCSD reset student Google passwords about two weeks ago. We will give students their updated passwords within the next week. PowerSchool is not available for parent or student view until after Labor Day. Student schedules are still changing. I will let you know when PowerSchool is available. We will also have PowerSchool information sessions for families so that you can learn to check your students' grades throughout the year.

PTO Meeting

Our first PTO meeting will be this Tuesday, August 20 at 7:00 p.m. You can join us in the library or on Zoom. The Zoom link information will be sent to families on Tuesday evening at 6:55 p.m. via email and text message.

Ice Cream Social

Our first social event of the year will be this Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 p.m. Please join us on the blacktop at 6:00 p.m. for frozen treats. Families will also be able to purchase food from Ta Con Madre food truck.

At 7:00 p.m., 6th-grade families will move to the B-Quad to continue socializing. Our 7th-grade families will go to the gym to learn more about the 7th-grade Grand Canyon field trip later this school year. Our 8th-grade families can join us under the lunch shelter outside the gym to learn about how to support 8th-graders with all of the events leading up to the 8th-grade promotion ceremony this year.

Back to School Night

Mark your calendars: Back to School Night (BTSN) is Thursday, September 12 at 5:30 p.m. We will begin in the gym at 5:30 p.m. Then, families will have the opportunity to visit classrooms. We will host an 8th-grade high school information session from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the gym after Back to School Night.

The Kennedy office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Phone Contact: (650) 482-2409

Office Manager: Liz Avalos lmavalos@rcsdk8.net

Office Assistant (Attendance): Jessica Perez jpperez@rcsdk8.net

Office Assistant (Student Records, Student Health): Maritza Gutierrez mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net

Have a great week!

Chandra Leonardo

Principal

Teachers and staff are working on teaching our students expected behaviors, so we maintain positive learning environments for all students and staff. We expect students to show their P.A.W.S.:

Be Prepared

Have a Positive Attitude

Make Wise Choices

Be Safe

Kennedy Behavior Matrix

Kennedy PBIS Posters

We will meet as a whole school this Wednesday during advisory to review schoolwide expectations.

We are very thankful for the support from our Kennedy parents. Without your monetary support, we would not be able to fund our fine arts, music, and STEAM programs. There are several ways to donate to the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Please click this link to learn about all of the ways to support our Kennedy Cougars.

Our direct drive goal is $50,000. Without these funds, we won't be able to support the programs and activities that our community values. We need your financial help to continue to support the programs listed below that benefit all students and families. In order to provide these resources, we must raise $50,000. We suggest all families make a minimum financial contribution of $500 per family for the 2024-2025 school year.

To contribute and support our Direct Drive 2024-25:

PayPal (click here)

CreditCard via Online Store (click here)

Donation Form (click here)

What do we support?

Working closely with the KMS administration, PTO Direct Drive funds support: Music / STEAM / Art / Drama / Maker Space / School dances / Lunchtime activities / Physical education / 8th-grade celebration activities.

For more details about our Direct Drive Click here.

The PTO is dedicated to supporting and improving the educational experiences of Kennedy students through donations and volunteering.

How can I volunteer?

Everyone (parents or guardians, teachers, and staff of Kennedy Middle School) is automatically a member and is encouraged to attend our monthly meetings. Please join us at our first PTO meeting on Tuesday, August 20th in the Kennedy Library or on Zoom (link to be sent next week). Find more details and opportunities at: www.kennedycougarspto.org

How can I donate?

PayPal (click here)

CreditCard via Online Store (click here)

Donation Form (click here)

Our first PTO meeting is this Tuesday, August 20th at 7:00 p.m. The Zoom link will be sent to all families at 6:55 p.m. You can also join us in the Kennedy Library.

Mark your calendars! Our first PTO-sponsored Dine-Out event will be Thursday, August 29 from at Redwood City BBQ.

Thank you!

If your student will not continue their enrollment at Kennedy for the 2024-25 school year, please be sure to let us know. You can send me an email. Be sure to include this information in the First Day of School Packet. I have included important details about these registration forms below.

Please note: you will continue to receive updates from Kennedy until RCSD unenrolls your student. This can take up to two weeks.

There will be no schedule changes during the first few days of school. Our admin team needs to determine our enrollment.

We will focus on students who are missing a class or have double classes (for example, two P.E. classes).

We often get asked why students were placed in an elective they didn't choose. This means their top three courses were full or the class was not offered due to a change in staffing.

Next week, students can request schedule changes. Students should listen to the morning announcements for details.

This year, all students enrolled in BGCP should meet at the lunch shelter behind the Kennedy Gym and near the field.

If you are interested in enrolling your student in Boys and Girls Club, please sign up here.

Email: kennedy@bgcp.org

Call or text: (650) 804-9045

Students attending Siena Youth Center's after-school program will meet in front of the school at dismissal. Kennedy staff will be waiting for students in front of the school. Siena buses will park on Goodwin Avenue.

Students should not use their cell phones or have them on during the school day. Airpods should be used for class assignments only.

Students will face consequences if they are using their cell phones to record students and staff.

If you need to contact your student during the day, email our office staff so that we can send the message to your student: lmavalos@rcsdk8.net, jpperez@rcsdk8.net, mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net.

We want students to be able to express themselves with their attire, but we also want a school environment free of distractions. Students need to wear shoes appropriate for P.E. Crocs and open toed shoes and shoes without a strap should not be worn. Clothing that references drugs, gangs, alcohol, substance abuse, vulgar language or sexual connotations are not allowed.

We also want students to wear pants, skirts, and shorts that cover their underwear and private body parts.

• The Redwood City School District has been sending out email reminders to complete the First Day of School registration packet. These forms are digital.
• We need 100% of all Kennedy families to complete these forms by August 14th.
• The First Day of School packet includes emergency contact information, parent permission forms, state funding for district services, and district policies.
• This school year, the Student Benefit Form is embedded in the First Day of School Packet. Completing this form is very important for our school as it will determine funding for our after-school program. The Student Benefit Form determines resources and services for our students in a variety of areas in addition to children having access to healthy and nutritious meals at school. Depending on the number of families who complete the survey, it will determine several other services and resources such as school library services, school funding, internet access, and teacher grants.
• If you need assistance, we will be available at Maze Day to assist families. You can also stop by the Kennedy Office from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for support.

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.

Please be sure to turn in your vaccination records for your seventh-grade students. Students who have not submitted their vaccinations will not be allowed to attend school. Click the link to learn more from the California Department of Public Health.

• PTO Meeting Aug. 20 Library/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
  
• 6th-8th Grade Ice Cream Social Aug. 21 Blacktop 6:00-7:00 p.m.
• 6th-Grade Meet & Greet Aug. 21 B-Quad 7:00-8:00 p.m.
• 7th-Grade Grand Canyon Info Meeting Aug. 21 Gym 7:00-8:00 p.m.
• 7th-Grade Yosemite Trip Info Meeting Aug. 21 Gym 7:00-8:00 p.m.
• 8th-Grade Activities Info Meeting Aug. 21 Library 7:00-8:00 p.m.

🏈Redwood City PRCS Flag Football & Volleyball Registration August 1-August 28🏐

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