Greetings, Kennedy Community!
There is no school for students today, Monday, September 30. However, families can still sign up for Goal-Setting Conferences this afternoon. Some of the information below was sent in last week's newsletter, but I am repeating it again since it is important information for the week ahead.
This is RCSD's second year with student goal-setting conferences. These conferences allow students to take ownership of their learning and set academic goals.
On Monday, September 30, there will be no school for students. However, parents can still meet with teachers from 1:00-3:15 p.m. for conferences. Conferences will take up to 20 minutes, and students should be present for the conference. Students will lead their conference. At Kennedy, families will conference with their student's homeroom teacher. I sent emails and text messages to all families last week. If you have RCSD Communication text messages blocked, you may not have received these text reminders and updates.
Students will be on a super-minimum day schedule from Tuesday, October 1-Friday, October 4. samTrans public bus will still come to Kennedy at its normal time. They do not honor our super-minimum day schedules because it interferes with their bus schedule. If your student takes samTrans, please make a note of this. If your student takes Siena Youth Center or RCSD transportation, their buses will arrive at 12:00 p.m. noon.
Breakfast will be served before school in the Kennedy Gym. Students will receive lunch during brunch time.
Dr. Laney, assistant principal, will also contact students to have separate conferences for students who currently have ELD. Our goal this year is to make sure every English learner grows by at least one level or fully reclassifies.
At your student's conference, you will learn their current reading and math levels. You will also learn their scores from the 2023-24 CAASPP assessment. This year, every student should improve by at least 5%. Students will learn their scores and set goals in advisory this week.
If you are unsure of who to schedule your student's conference with, please contact Maritza Gutierrez, our office assistant: mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net or 650-482-2409 ext. 3112.
Beginning October 7th, we will have PowerSchool support for families provided by our Family Center staff. Learn how to access your student's grades and communicate with their teachers. Sign up by clicking this link.
Last week, 6th-grade students in Maestra Adriana and Mrs. Virnich's classes went on canoeing field trips with Marine Science Insitute. We also celebrated our September Students of the Month in advisory class and on Friday. On Friday, we had ballet folklorico dancers entertain students with lively and colorful performances at lunch in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. We also had our secure campus drill that was a success.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Leonardo
Your voice is needed to help our district prioritize services for our students. This fall, we will go through a process of deciding what services will continue in our school and across the school district. You can be a part of these decisions by joining the Budget Renewal Initiative Committee, which will help evaluate potential budget adjustments and ensure diverse perspectives are considered. The budget reductions will be implemented starting in 2025-26 due to additional COVID recovery one-time funds coming to an end next summer. Committee applications close Monday, September 30.
Thank you for being prepared this month! Prepared means you are prompt, you have all classroom materials, you participate, and your help to create a positive learning environment for all students.
Julio R.R., Eleanor T., Dante C., Anna W., Marjorie F.P., Matteo C., Alexandra Y., Adriana C.S., Afaese C.,
Nathan O., Ryan S., Soklinda C., Francisco P., Giovany G. M., Geanella P., Olive O., Alexis L., Valentina J.F., David Z., Sabian P.,Natoma K., Brayan G., Milo D., Emily M., Santiago R., Daniel L.N., Lior N., Geronimo M.F., Yealenne V.S., Riku S., Abigail F., Benjamin H.B., and Minali G.
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:
CLUBS WILL NOT MEET THIS WEEK DUE TO SUPER-MINIMUM DAYS
- Intramurals Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays at lunch--sign up for soccer by Friday, Sept. 27
- 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
- 7/8th-Grade Lunch Bunch Wednesdays Room 207
- Environmental Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Thursdays Room 535
- 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
- Rock Band Club Wednesdays After School Room 314
- Book Club in the Kennedy Library Dates/Times TBD
- Board Game Club Thursdays in the Kennedy Library
- Video Game Club 6th Grade Lunch Thursdays Room 102
Hispanic/Latine Club 7/8th Grade Lunch Thursdays Room 315
Fantasy Leagues Thursdays at Lunch Room 104
Calligraphy/Cursive Writing Club 6th Grade Lunch Fridays Room 423
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.
Clubs will begin after Goal-Setting Conferences. Badminton Club starts this week.
Hello, Kennedy Community!
Are you looking for ways to volunteer for our school? The PTO needs help with the Teacher Appreciation Team, Student Birthday Celebrations and Fundraising Team. If you’re interested in helping, reach out to info@kennedycougarspto.org
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
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.
8TH GRADERS - ORDER YOUR CLASS OF 2025 HOODIE TODAY! Please fill out this Google Form by Friday, October 11 so we have an accurate count and know what sizes to order! If you have questions, please reach out to krissie.h.rice@gmail.com.
6th-Grade Volleyball
- Mon. 9/30 Kennedy Cougars White vs. North Star 5:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Gym
- Mon. 9/30 Kennedy Cougars Green vs. Roy Cloud 4:45 p.m. in the MIT Gym
- Thurs. 10/3 Kennedy Cougars Green vs. Hoover 4:00 p.m. in the Kennedy Gym
- Thurs. 10/3 Kennedy Cougars White vs. Roy Cloud 4:45 p.m. in the Kennedy Gym
7th-Grade Volleyball
- Mon 9/30 Kennedy Cougars Green vs. Kennedy Cougars White 4:00 p.m. in the Kennedy Gym
- Thu 10/3 Kennedy Cougars White vs. Clifford 5:30 p.m. in the Kennedy Gym
8th-Grade Volleyball
- Mon 9/30 Kennedy Cougars Green vs. North Star 4:45 p.m. in the MIT Gym
Thu 10/3 Kennedy Cougars Green vs. Connect 5:30 p.m. in the Hoover Gym
6th-8th Grade(s) Flag Football
Mon 9/30 Kennedy Cougars Green vs. Roy Cloud 4:00 p.m. at the Hawes Field
Wed 10/2 Kennedy Cougars Gold vs. Charles Armstrong 4:00 p.m. at the Hawes Field
LET'S GO, KENNEDY COUGARS!
Are you looking for an easy volunteer opportunity that makes a real difference? Then why not consider being a Los Ayudantes (The Helpers) tutor and make a difference in the lives of English Learner students at Kennedy? At the direction of Mrs. LaPaglia, you will work one-on-one with students, helping them read articles, books, and other texts. You’ll also help the students think deeply about the subject matter, making personal connections to the text. Most rewardingly, however, you can become an important, trusted adult and mentor in the students' lives when you make this commitment to tutor them throughout the remainder of the school year. You can volunteer once a week or more! Training is provided, and you can shadow one of our volunteers before you decide to volunteer. For more information and to volunteer, visit our website, http://www.losayudantes.org.
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:
Read their independent reading books.
Practice reading or math i-Ready or Khan Academy lessons.
Review notes from classes to make sure they understand their lessons.
Create flashcards for key vocabulary terms and review them.
Clean out or organize their backpacks, binders, and folders.
We had a few anonymous Kennedy community members purchase Kleenex and glue sticks for staff. Thank you! We appreciate you thinking of our teachers.
Kennedy Middle School
Website: https://www.rcsdk8.net/kennedy
Location: 2521 Goodwin Avenue, Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone: 650.482.2409
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennedymiddleschool