Kennedy Cougars

Dear Kennedy families and caregivers,

Kennedy Middle School had our ADVISORY KICK OFF today with 916 students and 96 staff members in every nook and cranny of this building. It was a huge feat to make this happen, but it is one of the best things we could have done for our students.

This is the message I read to the student body this morning:

"Good Morning Kennedy Middle School!!

You should have noticed yesterday that there is a NEW BLOCK called ADVISORY on your schedules with a Teacher Advisor and a room number or room name. If you don’t know where a room is located, please ask your homeroom teacher to help you.

Kennedy’s NEW Advisory Program is designed to create a supportive environment where students can connect with peers and trusted adults. This group will serve as your home base at school, fostering relationships that promote a sense of belonging and community to our school.

Here are the key Features of the Advisory Program:

• Each advisory group will meet every D day from 7:55 - 8:15am in a small group of 9-10 students in your grade level. The students in your group could very well be from a different team than you are on currently. Sometimes that can be unsettling. We will help you meet each other, just as we do when you start school in September.
• Our advisory program emphasizes the importance of social-emotional learning (SEL). Through engaging activities and discussions, you will develop essential skills such as self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication, which are crucial for success both in and out of the classroom.
• The Advisory Program is an opportunity for you to build connections with your classmates. You'll work together on team-building activities, participate in discussions, and celebrate each other's achievements, creating a strong sense of community within your advisory group.

We believe that this new Advisory Program will enhance your experience at Kennedy Middle School, helping you grow not only as a student but also as a member of our school community. We encourage you to embrace this opportunity, engage with your advisor and peers, and make the most of your time in advisory!"

Please take some time to ask your student how advisory went today. We are hopeful the impact of this program on our school community will be far reaching.

Information about WINTER athletics at Kennedy:

Kennedy Winter 2024-2025 Athletic Offerings:

• Boys Basketball (Grades 7 & 8) *Tryouts Dec 3, 4 & 5
• Intramural Boys Basketball (Grades 7 & 8)
• Girls Basketball (Grades 7 & 8) *Tryouts Dec 3, 4 & 5
• Intramural Girls Basketball (Grades 7 & 8)
• Wrestling (Grades 5, 6, 7 & 8)

Click Here for more information on how to register for Winter Kennedy Athletics! Or go to the Kennedy Athletics Website for more info.

Athletics Informational Meetings on Google Meet
*Need to use student Natick email to attend

• Boys & Girls Basketball and Intramural Basketball
• Thursday November 7th, 6:00pm google meet code: basketball
• Wrestling - TBA

Click Here for more information on how to register!

Email Mr. Lyth with any questions, dlyth@natickps.org.

Lost and Found:

Please take some time to check out the HUGE lost and found area in the front hallway of Kennedy. Anything that is not claimed will eventually be donated. Please come check out the pile soon before it's too late.

Clubs information:

For the full list of clubs and the days they will be held, please check out the link HERE.

Late bus information:

Please note that late buses are not completely predictable for student arrival home. The buses have been picking up at Kennedy later than usual (3:30 - 3:45 or later) and, depending on the number of students on the bus, can delay your child arriving home significantly (4:30 or later). The late bus route information can be found HERE.

Kennedy Fall Athletics Update:

There's been some great sports going on here at Kennedy. Check out the update below:

Cross Country

Kennedy A lost to Needham 19-53

Kennedy B lost to Needham 26-41

Kennedy Girls defeated Rivers 21-63

Kennedy Girls defeated Wellesley 21-42

Kennedy Boys defeated Rivers 21-65

Kennedy Boys lost to Wellesley 19-21

Kennedy A defeated Bigelow 2-42

Kennedy B defeated Bigelow 20-52

Girls Volleyball

Kennedy defeats Needham 3-0

Kennedy defeats Weymouth 2-1

Kennedy lost to Wilson 2-1

Kennedy defeats Wellesley 3-0

Intramural Girls Volleyball

Kennedy defeated Wilson 3-0

Kennedy defeated Wilson 3-0

Field Hockey

Kennedy lost to Needham B 2-0

Kennedy lost to Needham A 3-0

Kennedy lost to Medfield 4-0

Kennedy lost to Holliston 5-0

What a Fall season of athletics...GO COUGARS!!!

Laps at Lunch information:

Please consider volunteering at Laps at Lunch. We are looking for help during all 4 lunches, grades 5 - 8. Please follow this LINK for information on how to volunteer. Thank you VERY MUCH for your consideration. We could not do this without our parent/caregiver volunteers.

Parent Teacher conference requests:

Please note that teachers are filling parent teacher requests as quickly as they possibly can. Your patience while they schedule a time is much appreciated. As always, if teachers have a concern, they will reach out quickly to schedule a meeting.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the beautiful fall foliage.

Regards,

Jodie Cohen

Proud Principal of Kennedy

"Empathy is about finding echoes of another person in yourself."

~ Mohsin Hamid

Twitter - @KennedyMSNatick

Instagram - @KennedyMSNatick

website - kennedy.natickps.org

1 - Kennedy Middle School Student Handbook

Here is a link to our newly updated Kennedy Student Handbook. Please take some time to review this handbook with your students. It is chock full of helpful information about our school policies and procedures for students and caregivers.

2 - UPCOMING SCHOOL EVENTS for your calendar:

• Fri, Nov 1 - No School - Diwali

• Tues, Nov 5 - No School - Professional Development Day

• Mon, Nov 11 - No School - Veterans Day Holiday

• Wed, Nov 20 - Early Release Day - PD Half Day - dismissal at 11:30

• Wed, Nov 27 - Early Release Day - Thanksgiving break - dismissal at 11:30

• Thur, Nov 28 - No School

• Fri, Nov 29 - No School

3 - Directions to view grade reports and ROSPs:

Below are the links to directions to access grade reports and ROSPs in PowerSchool.

Viewing Standards-Based Grades in Parent Portal for MS Grade 5

Viewing Student Grades in the PowerSchool Public Portal - grades 6-12

For your convenience, here is a link to the Kennedy Trimester Schedule 2023 - 2024

4 - Drop off and pick up important reminders:

I want to share an important reminder of the rules for driving around the Kennedy Middle School property. These driving regulations are in place to provide a safe environment for all our students as they arrive and leave school. Please follow these guidelines when dropping off or picking up at school:

• ALL drop off during the morning before school and ALL pick up in the afternoon after school will be done around the back of the school at the cafeteria entrance. Please wait in line and only pass other vehicles when a faculty member signals that it is safe to do so.
• Parents/caregivers MUST NOT drop off children in the front parking lot at the beginning of the day. This significantly prohibits faculty the ability to park quickly and enter the building to be ready for your children each day.
• Parents/caregivers MUST NOT wait for their children in the front faculty parking lot next to the buses at end of day dismissal. We understand that everyone is in a rush and it is hard to wait in the pick up line, but ALL PICK UP after school is done IN THE BACK OF THE BUILDING.
• When picking students up following after school activities (clubs, extra help from teachers, music lessons, etc.), please be aware that the late buses also board students in the back of the building. It is imperative that cars DO NOT PASS while students are boarding the late buses. This is a huge safety concern. Because most teachers are helping students after school, we do not have many staff available outside during the boarding process to ensure the rules are being followed. We are counting on you to help with this process. If you are in the line after the buses start boarding you MUST wait until the students are done boarding (usually takes at most 5 minutes) and leave the property before driving around any buses.

The safety of our Kennedy students is our first priority. By following these simple rules, you will help us keep our student and staff community safe while they are traveling to and from school every day. Thank you for adhering to these guidelines.

5 - Dismissal from School Information:

Here is a link to the dismissal policy found on our Kennedy website. Please read for a refresher of the guidelines.

Paper is an online, on-demand tutoring service that provides students with around the clock academic support. Visit their FAQ site for more info: https://paper.co/faqs. All students using the Paper online tutoring program must login via Classlink https://launchpad.classlink.com/natickps.

Our Kennedy Middle School PTO works hard behind the scenes to support our school in a variety of ways. Check out their website for more information about all PTO sponsored events.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5