Welcome back, everyone! I hope everyone had a restful break last week. As we return to school, this is a perfect time to refocus and re-energize for the weeks ahead.
We have a few changes to our Calendar of Events this week. Our Honor Breakfast is on Wednesday morning. Our winter concert has been postponed as we await Mr. Balogh's return to school. My Principal's Coffee will be rescheduled for the month of December. I will share the new date in next week's newsletter.
Our continued focus and area of growth as a school continues to be to improve our schoolwide attendance rates. Our daily goal is 95%-97% attendance, and we are very close! I've included some information about our attendance below.7% daily attendance, and we are very close! I've included some information about our attendance below.
Focused Interim Assessment Blocks
Beginning this week, our ELA teachers will administer Focused Interim Assessment Blocks in ELA class. Our 8th-graders will take the assessment this Wednesday and Thursday. Our 6th and 7th-grade students will take this assessment next week. Teachers will review the data from this assessment to determine the next steps for instruction. Parents and guardians are encouraged to view the practice tests on the CAASPP website. Click here.
Family Partnership
Your involvement is critical to our success. Whether attending events, joining the PTO, or simply checking in with your student about their day, your engagement makes a difference.
Thank you for your continued support. Let’s make the last weeks of December filled with the spirit of community. As always, feel free to reach out with any questions or feedback—I’m here to partner with you to support our students.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Leonardo
This year’s theme, “Every Voice Matters,” echoes the fundamental belief that every individual has a unique perspective and contributes to the rich tapestry of our school communities.
Creating more inclusive learning environments, dismantling barriers to participation, and promoting equity and understanding among all members of the school community is crucial for several reasons.
Throughout the week, we’ll honor the diverse backgrounds and experiences of students, educators, and families. From classroom activities to school and community events, we’ll highlight the importance of fostering inclusive environments where every voice is heard, valued, and respected.
8th-graders attended an assembly on Monday, November 25th. We discussed behavior and academic expectations for the remainder of the school year. Students were given a letter and agreement form. The letter and agreement form must be reviewed and signed by a parent, guardian, or caregiver. The form should be turned into homeroom teachers by Thursday, December 5.
The District English Learner Advisory Committee (DELAC) is a group of parents, school staff, and community members who work together to support students learning English. Their main role is to give advice and feedback to the school district about programs and services for English learners.
Here’s how DELAC helps:
- Improving Programs: They review and suggest ways to make programs for English learners better, so students can succeed in school.
- Planning and Policies: DELAC helps the district create plans and rules to support English learners, including how to use funding for these programs.
- Parent Voice: This committee makes sure parents of English learners have a say in decisions that affect their children’s education.
By being part of DELAC, parents can share their ideas, learn about resources, and help shape the future of English learner programs in their district. It’s a great way for families to work together with schools to make a difference!
A continued focus this year is reducing our chronic absenteeism rate. We currently have over 120 students who are chronically absent. Our attendance team will identify these students and reach out to families to determine root causes and offer support.
Our school goal is 95-97%% daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly attendance. Students and staff have come up with ideas to promote attendance with incentives for individual students, grade levels, and the entire school.
Attendance Reminders
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.
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 were emailed to families on Friday, November 22. Students who met Honor Roll GPA requirements were given invitations on Friday, November 22. Please RSVP using the link that was emailed to you on Friday, November 22. Thank you!
Below are some updates from our 7th-grade Grand Canyon field trip team.
- Selected students will be required to pay the first half of the payment by December 13th. Payment details and instructions will be passed out during the student meeting on Friday, November 22nd.
- We are working on making reservations at Havasu Falls and need to be ready to make the payment if reservations are made. If reservations are not available, then your payment will be refunded.
- If you have any questions , please email Maestro Alfredo Oropeza (aoropeza@rcsdk8.net)
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 throughout the school year! Click here to donate: PTO Direct Drive
Kind regards,
Jess Bryski
KMS PTO President
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.
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.
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.
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