Cougar Connect

Dear Kennedy Community,

We finished trimester one! Trimester two has started. Teachers will finalize grades by 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Our office staff and instructional aides will work to mail hard copies of report cards to all addresses on file by Friday, November 15th. However, you can view final grades for trimester one on PowerSchool.

GPA, Grade, & Support Reminders

• To participate in the 8th-grade promotion ceremony and other 8th-grade events, 8th-grade students must maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA for all trimesters this school year.

• Our admin team will review all 8th-grade GPAs and reach out to families of students who earned a GPA lower than 2.0 during trimester one.

• Homework Help is available after school in the Kennedy Library from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays each week.

• We will continue Missing Assignment Study Hall on Fridays during trimester two. Students with missing assignments or overall D and F grades must stay after school to complete and submit assignments.

• Students have access to virtual tutoring through Tutor.com and BrainFuse. These links are on their Chromebooks, and information about each resource is available below.

• Please make sure you stay up to date with your student's grades. If you are not connected with PowerSchool, please contact Maria Segundo msegundo@rcsdk8.net or 650-482-2409 extension 3471.

World Kindness Day, Wednesday, November 13

• We will celebrate World Kindness Day on Wednesday.

• Students are encouraged to wear their class colors to show connection and unity.

• 6th-graders: wear green shirts.

• 7th-graders: wear white shirts.

• 8th-graders: wear black shirts.

• Students will write how they will be kind to others on these self-linking chains. We hope to give students a few minutes to do this in homeroom. We will then create a Kennedy Kindess Chain.

Ruby Bridges Walk to SchoolDay, Thursday, November 14

• Students are encouraged to walk to school on Thursday in honor of Ruby Bridges.

• Students can join me on the corner of Roosevelt Avenue and Connecticut Avenue at 8:15 a.m. and we will walk to Kennedy together. https://maps.app.goo.gl/gqhG5UVXeLhB8xiu8

• Students are encouraged to wear purple on Thursday in honor of Ruby Bridges.

• Please read below for more information on Ruby Bridges.

Honor Breakfast

We will honor students who earned Honor Roll (3.75-3.99 GPA) and Principal's Honor Roll (4.0+) on Wednesday, December 4 at 7:30 a.m. Please note this change. Our Calendar of Events previously listed the Honor Breakfast in November, but we changed the date. Details about the Honor Breakfast will be sent to families by Friday, November 22.

November Podcast

Our Kennedy students created podcasts with school updates for November. Marisa S. and Samson M., 6th-graders, created the English podcast (click here). Our 8th-grade students, Danna L.R. and Osiris S.O., created the Spanish podcast (click here). They are also taking the lead with our November Family Challenge. Get the details below!

Attendance

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.

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

Have a great week!

Mrs. Leonardo

Ruby Bridges is a civil rights icon who, at just six years old, became the first Black student to integrate an all-white elementary school in the South. On November 14, 1960, Ruby courageously walked past angry crowds to attend William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, making history and paving the way for racial equality in education. Her bravery and determination remind us of the importance of standing up for justice and inclusion. On Thursday, November 14, our middle school will honor Ruby Bridges and her legacy by reflecting on her contributions and the ongoing work toward equality in our community.

Students can join Mrs. Leonardo at 8:15 a.m. at the corner of Roosevelt and Connecticut Avenues. We will then walk to school together.

We encourage students to wear purple on Thursday.

Marisa S. and Samson M., 6th-graders, created our first-ever student podcast! They are a part of the Photojournalism Club and worked together to create this podcast! I am always so proud when students do things to benefit our school community. Thank you, Ms. Cardona and Ms. Valente, for advising this club on Mondays in Room 532 at lunch.

Join SEPTAR's Association Meeting on November 19 at 7pm on Zoom. We will have a representative from AbilityPath Family Resource Center to talk about the services they provide. There will also be an Open Forum Discussion for participants to talk about special education and disability related issues and topics. Register: bit.ly/SEPTAR1119

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 through the school year! Click here to donate: PTO Direct Drive

Kind regards,

Jess Bryski

KMS PTO President

This year, for the first time, WHS Drama is offering a special Fall Play Preview Night for students and their families that attend K-8 or middle schools in the broader community around WHS. Aside from getting the first peek at this amazing show and enjoying a fun evening out, this event will allow prospective students and their families the opportunity to see one of the many fantastic extracurricular programs that WHS has to offer and experience what it is like spending time at Woodside.

This Preview Night will take place on Thursday, November 21, 2024, where all tickets will be $5 on this night only. The start time for this evening’s performance is 6:00 p.m., which is earlier than our regular show so it won’t be too late for students to attend. The run time for this show is 120 minutes (+ a 15-minute intermission). The show should break around 8:15 p.m.

WHS requests that students from our community schools be accompanied by at least one adult.

Kennedy will be visited by Gennifer Choldenko, author of Al Capone Does My Shirts, One Third Nerd, and Orphan Eleven on November 12th! She will be here in the morning promoting her new book The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman.

Students can get their signed copy if they purchase the book before November 6th (link below for more details).

https://www.hicklebees.com/gennifer-choldenko

8TH-GRADE FAMILIES: We have raised almost $10,000, which is still far from our $27,500 goal to cover all of the 8th-grade activities. The Class of 2025 hoodie is included with your contribution - If you have submitted an order for a hoodie, please make sure also to submit your $100! We are at risk of canceling our graduation field trip to Great America if we don’t raise enough funds.

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.

Thank you for joining us for information about our school musical, Legally Blonde: The Musical Jr. If you were unable to attend the meeting, see the information below:

Google Slide Presentation

Zoom Recording

Link to sign up for tech crew HERE Deadline Feb. 1st

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 th 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.

Game schedules can be found here.

LET'S GO, KENNEDY COUGARS!

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

NOVEMBER

• Veterans’ Day ~ No School Nov. 11
• Ruby Bridges “Walk to School Day” Nov. 14 Campus 7:45-8:30 a.m.
• PTO Meeting Nov. 19 Library/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
• School Site Council Nov. 20 Library/Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
• ELAC Nov. 21 Library 5:00-6:00 p.m.
• Super Minimum Day (Staff Development) Nov. 25 8:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• Minimum Day Nov. 26 Campus 8:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m.
• Thanksgiving Break ~ No School Nov. 27-29

Registration for High School Begins in November

⚽Redwood City PRCS Soccer Registration Opens November 18-February 12⚽

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

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