Kennedy School News

Dear Kennedy families,

Thank you for taking time to read the first edition of the Kennedy School News for the 2017-18 school year! On Fridays throughout the school year, you'll receive emails like this one. It's our weekly E-newsletter, and it features exciting stories, important news, and timely event information from Kennedy School that's intended to keep you informed. This news blast will also be posted on our school website so that you can reference it at your convenience.

It is with great excitement that I welcome our new and returning families to another year at Kennedy School! Kindergarten through 3rd grade students completed their first week of school. The classrooms & hallways were filled with smiling children, eager and excited to be at school. We can't wait to welcome our Pre School students on Monday!

Welcome to a great year. We are thrilled to have your family join ours. I thank you for your ongoing support, and I am grateful for your trust and partnership as we work to best meet your children's needs. The 2017-2018 school year promises to be an exciting one with great opportunities for our students to learn and grow. Please know that my door is always open to parents and students. I encourage parents to contact their child's teacher or me with any questions or concerns throughout the year. In order for your child to learn and grow as much as possible, it is imperative that we work together.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Melissa Kartsimas

Principal

mkartsimas@sd81.org

The safety of your children is always our top priority at Kennedy School. It is important to review information that both children and parents need to be aware of to ensure the safety of all students during arrival & dismissal.

*Students in grades K-3 should not arrive to school prior to 7:40am. There is no supervision on the playground or common areas prior to this time.

*The lane located on the south side of the building is for student drop-off and pick-up only. No parking is available in the South Lot for parents during arrival/dismissal. Please take advantage of the drop-off lane by remaining inside your vehicle while your child unloads.

*If you wish to park your car and walk your child onto the blacktop, you may park along Scott Street (behind the school) and walk your child to the courtyard area.

*Students line up daily in the courtyard (weather permitting) according to their room number. The fenced-in courtyard is for student line-up only. Please keep in mind, the space is limited and we ask that parents/siblings/strollers remain on the OUTSIDE of the courtyard, if you choose to wait until the children walk into the building.

*If you choose to pick your child up in our lane, please be courteous and respectful to school personnel and each other. The safety of your children is our top priority and the rules we have in place are in your child's best interest.

*All vehicles picking children up at the end of the day should have their CAR RIDER PRO tag hanging from their rear view mirror.

Arrival:

All students will enter Door 22 at Pre School arrival.

Dismissal:

All PreK students who are picked up on foot (walkers) will line up/wait inside of a classroom (E102) and will dismiss out of Door 20.

If you are picking your PreK child up in a car, the vehicle must display the CAR RIDER PRO hanging tag from the rearview mirror. Each new family will be provided one tag at the meet & greet. Any additional tags can be purchased in the main office for $3/each. If you are a returning student, you should continue to use the same tag from last year.

**If you have a child in grades K-3, you will utilize the same tag in both the PreK pick up line, and the K-3 pick up line.

Please note: At dismissal, please do not arrive any earlier than 10 minutes prior to the end of the school day. Especially for our Afternoon PreK families: cars cannot pull into Kennedy Drive until all school buses have been loaded and safely exit the lane.

On Monday, August 21st, a total eclipse will take place for certain positions of the continental United States. This event hasn't occurred in the continental US in 40 years. The next total eclipse on display in Illinois will be in 2024. We will see a large part of the sun eclipsed by the moon. It will look like the moon is taking a bite out of the sun, but it will only be partially covered.

Students at Kennedy School will participate in learning activities about the eclipse during the school day. Teachers are encouraged to use NASA's online resources, which includes a live stream from many locations across the continental US, from aircraft and from space.

Teachers will be able to show the NASA Eclipse Livestream on their Smart Boards.

Parents who wish to pick up their children to view the partial eclipse together are certainly allowed to do so. Please let your child's teacher and the office know ahead of time if you plan to have your child out of school for all or part of the day.

All children will remain indoors on Monday 8/21 for recess.

Week of August 21st: MAP Testing Window Opens

August 21st: 1st Day of Pre School

September 4th: No School (Labor Day)

September 7th: Curriculum Night (6:30pm-8:00pm)