community news (english/fam)

On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, dozens of administrators, staff, teachers, parents and community members who volunteered to contribute their time and talent to the KCSD educational planning committee, met for the fourth time to continue their work.

Six subcommittees formed in January to guide priorities for the five-year KCSD Education Plan, addressing curriculum, student support, technology, facilities, finance and operations, human resources and personnel, and communication. The goal of this effort is to work through protocols to analyze the recent survey and focus group data and determine priorities for district administration. Groups often break into even smaller groups to discuss key themes and share back with the larger groups.

Tuesday's subcommittees worked on identifying key goal areas based on the analysis of staff, parent, and community input and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that data identified.

Four more committee meetings remain through May 13. The final Educational Plan covering five years will be complete and shared with the community and Pennsylvania Education Department this summer.

The Entry Plan activities and report are complete. If you haven't reviewed the report, please do so by going to our website. We would like to hear from you about how the experience went. Could you take a moment to complete the assessment below and tell us what you think?

Spring conferences at all schools will take place on Tuesday, April 8, Wednesday, April 9, and Thursday, April 10. Details about the process as well as scheduling resources will be shared with families on March 18. Look for details via email and on the kcsd.org website next week.

Our students will enjoy early dismissal on conference days as well as on Friday, April 11. Spring break begins Monday, April 14. All schools reopen on Monday, April 21.

The following are dismissal times for those days:

• All high school students at 11:00 am
• All middle school students at 11:30 am
• All kindergarten students at 12:00 pm
• All elementary students at 12:30 pm

Does your student have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)? Join us at the Kennett High School Library on Thursday, March 20 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for a special training session that will include an exploration of the sections of the IEP and a discussion about your role as an IEP team member. You will have the opportunity to learn with other KCSD families who have IEPs and ask questions, too. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Simply register at the link below to attend.

The Kennett Middle School opened their doors to K-5 students for the third annual KCSD science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) night featuring nearly two dozen stations and countless opportunities for learning! Eight hundred and thirty students logged into the welcoming station before exploring opportunities to experiment, play, and learn. From the middle school gym, to the library, to multiple hallways, learning stations filled the first floor offering opportunities to experiment and experience. Watch the STEM video recap below and read about the planning that went into this incredible event by the Teaching and Learning team including Jennifer Miller and Rebecca Vietri as well as STEM teachers Jen Braunstein, Anne Bailey, and Danny Hess.

On Saturday, March 8, Annabeth Drumm and Brinley Welch, from Bancroft Elementary competed in the Habitat for Humanity 22nd Annual Build a House…Build a Dream Contest. The contest is open to all 5th graders in the Delaware Valley area.

In this competition, students work individually or in teams to build their own three-dimensional, model dream home which they then bring on the day of the contest for judging by professional architects, engineers, and builders. Students may choose the materials used to build the house. Both Annabeth and Brinley chose to use cardboard to construct their houses. Annabeth’s 4-story house had a Harry Potter themed room and Brinley chose to landscape her 2-story house with trees and flower boxes. Both students were required to write an essay and present to judges.

The goal of the Build a House. . . Build a Dream Contest is to introduce the students to what Habitat for Humanity does as an organization. Although they aren’t able to help at the construction site yet, they can learn about the importance of affordable housing at a young age and what they can do in the future to help their neighbors in need.

For 40 years, March has been officially designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) for the observance of Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®), the time of year when music education becomes the focus of schools and communities across the nation.

The purpose of MIOSM is to raise awareness of the importance of music education for all children—and to remind citizens that school is where all children should have access to music.

It continues to be a busy and rewarding month for our school musicians in Kennett.

From March 13 - 15, six of our high school chorus members chosen at the District 12 Chorus Festival will participate in the Region VI Chorus Festival at Garnet Valley High School ending with a concert including all regional chorus members from the Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties. Congratulations to Ryan Church,Pierce Duckworth, Ryan Hunter, Natalie Jeffery, Sarah Myers, and Shani Raath. All of these chorus members will have the opportunity to audition for the PMEA State Chorus Festival held in April.

Thursday, March 6 was an incredible day for the KHS Concert Choir as they traveled to Harrisburg to perform in the PA State Capitol's Rotunda in celebration of Music in our Schools Month. This is a huge honor as only a few schools from across all age levels and areas of the state are selected to perform! Photo is featured above.

Our Kennett High School Jazz Band competed for the first time in over 15 years this month and earned an OUTSTANDING rating! Juan DuToit also won a Best Overall Soloist medal.

Celebrate Music In Our Schools Month by attending a high school musical in March! Kennett High School will be presenting a production of Little Shop of Horrors with 7 p.m. evening shows March 27 - 29 and a matinee on Saturday March 29, too. Get your tickets today for a fun-filled celebration of music theater in Kennett. Tickets are $8 and $12 and available at Hometown Ticketing.

The Delaware Valley Excellence in Teaching Awards, presented by FMFCU Foundation, is an esteemed program designed to recognize and honor outstanding educators in the Philadelphia region. Each year, 20 exceptional teachers are selected for their dedication, innovation, and impact on their students and school communities.

Sarah Goudy was chosen out of approximately 400 nominees and will be honored with the other educators selected at the Drexelbrook Country Club on April 10th. Sarah will receive $1,000 for her classroom and an additional $1,000 will be awarded to Greenwood!

"Sarah leads her class with her heart," said Greenwood Principal Dr. Bridgette Miles. "She sets high expectations for students and exemplifies those expectations. The students love her and do their best knowing that it will make her proud."

Sarah was nominated by one of her classroom parents to receive this annual award.

For a 7th time, the KMS Chorus (under the direction of Ms. Patti Pranzo) will take the field at Citizens Bank Park to sing the National Anthem on Sunday, May 4th. We hope you can join us and support our students! This is an K-12 event for all of KCSD family and friends.

Last year, over 1,100 people bought tickets to support our chorus and the Phillies. We hope to include even more of our community for a day at the ballpark.

• Date: Sunday, May 4th, 2025
• Game Time: 2:05 PM
• Ticket Price: $38 (Part of the proceeds go to KMS to purchase shirts for singers)
• Where to Purchase: Purchases can be made exclusively at kcsd.org/kmsphillies (Hometown Ticketing): see link below
• Goal: We need to sell at least 500 tickets to sing!
• Help Us Sell Tickets: Call your relatives and tell your neighbors and share our website and flyers
• Want To Sit With Friends?: Families that wish to sit together should make one purchase together

This amazing event shines the light on our students. Come cheer on KMS and the Phillies in 1 trip! Share the flyers below or send the link to our community section of the website.

The week of March 3 was filled with spirit and a celebration of reading in Kennett Consolidated School District. Launched in 1998 by the National Education Association (NEA) and guided by a committee of educators, NEA’s Read Across America is the nation’s largest celebration of reading. The NEA reports that readers who feel included, recognized, and a part of the world are engaged readers.

At the Kindergarten Center, students and teachers spent an entire week fostering a love for reading with fun activities and daily spirit days. Each day, students dove into the magic of books through engaging read-alouds, creative literacy activities, and special surprises to bring stories to life. The highlight of the week may have been the opportunity to dress like your favorite book character (as pictured above)!

Cheer on Demon Robotics 4342, our high school robotics team at their upcoming competitions. Admission is free to the next event, so bring the whole family and make a day out of it. People over 18 will need an ID.

Springside Chestnut Hill (SCH) Competition

When: Saturday, March 15 (matches from ~11:00 AM – 6:30 PM) & Sunday, March 16, 2025 (matches from ~9:30 AM – 5:00 PM)

Where: Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, 500 West Willow Grove Avenue, Philadelphia, PA

Our Indoor Track Team competed at States late last month with the following athletes:

• Aydriane Bowden: 60 Meter Hurdles (placed 2nd) and the 200 Meter Dash (placed 3rd)
• Sara Frey: Pole Vault
• Elyssa Henry: Pole Vault
• Xavier McGreal: High Jump (placed 3rd) and 60 Meter Hurdle
• Saige Pfeifer: 60 Meter Dash
• Aiden Ritch: 60 Meter Dash

The Girls Team finished 15th while the Boys finished 30th. All competitors finished in the top 16!

The state wrestling competition was held this past weekend with Blake Boyer (139 lbs), Bryce Boyer (127 lbs), Zach Jaffe (152 lbs), and Kane Lengel (145 lbs) all qualifying to compete. Congratulations to Blake who placed 5th and Kane who placed 6th in their weight classes (pictured above).

Alex Scime will compete this weekend at Bucknell University in the 100 and 200 Freestyle!

Construction continues and is on schedule for New Garden Elementary. For more details about new construction, visit our Building Our Future section in the Facilities Department tab at kcsd.org for live webcams too!

On Friday, April 4, 2025, After-The- Bell will be holding their annual spring fundraiser, Discover Your Destiny, at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science on Route 52 in Wilmington, DE. They invite you to explore the museum while enjoying cocktails, live music, and delicious fare.

After-The-Bell’s mission is to provide a safe, enriching, after-school program of recreational, social, and academic skill-developing activities for Kennett Middle School students. The program is overseen by the Kennett After-School Association which supervises a small staff along with community volunteers. After-The-Bell is provided free of charge to students, their families, taxpayers and the school district.

Secure tickets, including for Teachers and Staff, as well as explore sponsorship opportunities, by clicking the link below.

Dust off your dancing shoes and join us for an evening of food, dancing & FUN! Our Annual Spring Soirée is back with all your party favorites—live music by The Late Ambitions, delicious fare from Gia Bella Catering and a curated silent auction—in a new venue: The Greathouse at Loch Nairn Farm! Tickets go on sale March 7th.

Mark your calendars for May 2, 2025 from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. at The Greathouse at Loch Nairn Farm, 514 McCue Road, Avondale, PA 19311

We had an amazing time last year, and we're excited to do it all over again! Watch our brave and enthusiastic teachers take on the world-famous Harlem Wizards! All funds raised will go to supporting Mini-THON, a student-led initiative raising money to fight pediatric cancer.

• Date: Saturday, April 5, 2025
• Time: Game Starts at 6:30pm/Doors Open at 5:30pm
• Location: Kennett High School-Reynolds Gym

Ticket Information: Friends and Family can purchase tickets by using the link below. Volunteers do not need to purchase tickets. Check out the flyer for more information.