Parent and Community Update

We hope that you are having a fantastic winter break with your family and friends. We look forward to the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year and the opportunities for your child to grow and succeed. We hope these reminders help you and your family be prepared for the months ahead.

We know you get a lot of messages each week from your teachers, principals, and other KCSD staff to keep you updated. We appreciate you reading this important newsletter that we have sent every other Friday since August. Starting with this edition, look for our Parent and Community Newsletter every other Tuesday at 4 p.m. This will help you stay informed and better digest information you receive. Our next newsletter will be on January 14, 2025!

We’re excited to invite you to check out our new websites for KCSD and KHS, which launch Monday, January 6, 2025! We are still adding new information, and we encourage you to visit them. There’s also a comment form on the websites where you can share your thoughts as we work to make them even better and easier to use!

Our Middle School and Elementary School websites are being filled with more helpful information. Some content will be available, but more will be added soon. You will find calendars and links to important info like attendance, food menus, the nurse’s office, and more. Keep an eye out for updates, including news features, links to newsletters, and other helpful information! Continue to look for your newsletters from your principals and teachers to stay connected and informed while we create a meaningful and informative experience at our websites.

As winter starts, we want to remind you that if school needs to close, we will share the information in several ways: on our website, through a phone message, by email, on Facebook, and by text message. If you want to receive text alerts, please make sure your contact info is updated in the Skyward family portal. To sign up for text messages, just text "Y" to 67587 from the phone number you have listed in your child’s Skyward account. If you’re already signed up for text alerts, you don’t need to do anything.

At the beginning of the school year, we asked families to update their child's information in the Skyward Family Access Portal. If you haven't done this yet, please check that your contact details are correct (like a new phone number or email address). You should also confirm that you’ve read the Family and Student Handbook and the Code of Conduct. Make sure you’ve reviewed the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for technology and the COPPA Compliance. Don't forget to sign and update the Student Device Agreement Forms as well.

You can find all these documents on our website. Whether you’ve already read them or not, the start of the new year is a great time to review these important documents and know where to find them!

Winter can be tough on health. Cold, flu, and other illnesses can sometimes keep your child from coming to school. Please make sure to follow our attendance policies so we can keep track of your child’s absences. When a student is absent, we will quickly notify parents/guardians by email, text, and phone call. Parents must send a written excuse for any absence within three days. You can find more information on how to report absences in the Attendance section of our website under "Our District."

Parents and guardians are welcome to visit schools and we encourage it! However, visitors must give advance notice and get approval from the school principal or Director of Pupil Services & Supports. Visitors must register, sign in, wear a visitor’s badge, and follow all school health and safety rules.

We also welcome volunteers! To volunteer, individuals must have clearances. You can apply for clearances online, and once you receive them, make sure to submit them at least two weeks before your first time volunteering.

For more details, visit the Visitor and Volunteer section on our website.

The Kennett Consolidated School District (KCSD), in partnership with Chartwells, is excited to provide healthy and tasty meals to our students. For the 2024-2025 school year, all students in schools that offer the School Breakfast Program (SBP) will get free breakfast. Also, students who qualify for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will get their meals for free.

Lunch prices for the 2024-2025 school year are $3.00 for Elementary School students and $3.25 for Middle and High School students. You can pay with cash or check (made out to "KCSD Food Service Department") by sending it with your child or mailing it in (no extra fees). You can also pay online at www.schoolcafe.com (but there is a fee for online payments). To find the school menus, visit the Food section on our website under the "Departments" tab.

Families can view Board meeting agendas, minutes, and policies on the Board Docs platform in the Board section of the KCSD website. The first Board meeting of 2025 will be on January 13 at 7 p.m. at the MDL Kindergarten Center. You can also find the Board meeting schedule in the same Board section of the website.

Families can pick up a pre-packed bag of groceries and fill a second bag with other pantry items. Select up to 5 books for children and adolescents to take home, too. While any family is eligible to pick up bags, the Winter Pantry is intended to specifically help those families who count on school breakfasts and lunches to keep their children healthy, but who might struggle over the holidays. See the flyers below for the organizations supporting this pantry, details, and times.