
Cougar Connect
Week of February 3, 2025
Principal's Message
Dear Kennedy Community,
I hope this message finds you well as we welcome February, a month full of celebration, recognition, and student success.
First, I want to highlight the incredible performances by our Mandarin Immersion students at Orion School and at Downtown Redwood City’s Lunar New Year Festival. It was wonderful to see them share their talents with the community. A huge thank you to our students, families, and Cao Laoshi, who supported them in preparing for these performances! We will continue our Lunar New Year celebrations at Kennedy this week during lunchtime.
I also want to celebrate the students who met the expectations for positive behavior, good attendance, and strong academic effort—earning the opportunity to participate in Friday’s Snack Shack! These students are demonstrating the habits that lead to success, and we are proud of their commitment to our school community. Reminder: make sure you are checking your student's progress on PowerSchool.
February is also Black History Month, a time to honor and reflect on the contributions, history, and resilience of Black Americans. Throughout the month, we will be engaging in learning opportunities that highlight the achievements and impact of Black leaders, artists, scientists, and change-makers. I encourage families to continue these conversations at home and explore ways to celebrate Black history together.
This week, our English learners will begin the ELPAC assessment in their ELD classes. Dr. Laney and I will send separate emails and text message reminders about how you can support your students. This is an important assessment and the goal is for every EL to make at least one year's growth or completely reclassify as English proficient. Please make sure your student is present and on time each day. They will take this assessment in their ELD classes beginning Tuesday of this week.
Thank you for your continued support in making our school a place where every student can thrive.
Be Here, Be Amazing!
In addition to continuing to improve in English and math, attendance is also an area of focus for Kennedy. We aim to decrease chronic absenteeism and increase student attendance (95% daily attendance or higher). The first step is to ensure all students and families know the importance of attendance and why school attendance matters.
Please schedule vacations during scheduled school breaks.
Schedule medical appointments after school.
Reach out to the Kennedy administration if students do not want to attend school due to emotional factors.
Notify our attendance clerk about absences.
When absent, students are still responsible for missed assignments and work. We understand that students at the elementary school level may not have to make up for work when absent. At the middle school level, students must connect with each of their teachers upon their return to get missed assignments. Those assignments must be finished and submitted by the required deadlines.
Have a great week!
Mrs. Leonardo
Principal's Coffee: Thursday, February 6
Please join me on Thursday for the February Principal's Coffee. We will meet in the Kennedy Library at 8:45 a.m.
Please Take the Needs Assessment Survey
Kennedy Middle School is conducting the yearly evaluation of the site plan goals, which align with our district goals. As parents/guardians, your feedback on the site plan and instructional goals is paramount to the direction we will take and the funding we will allocate to continue, revisit, or cancel initiatives. Please answer the questions from your parent/guardian perspective. The survey is anonymous. Please take the time to give your honest opinion on each of the questions. All your answers will be kept in the strictest of confidentiality. If you have any questions about this survey, please contact Mrs. Leonardo.
Kennedy Needs Assessment Survey: click here.
Deadline: Monday, February 10, 2025.
RCEF Equity Summit
RCEF Equity Summit
Join the Redwood City Education Foundation for the 3rd RCEF Equity Summit: Building Resilience in Our Students. On February 6 from 2–5 PM at CZI Community Space in Redwood City, children and their guardians will explore resilience and discover strategies to tackle challenges. Through interactive activities, we’ll examine how resilience is fostered in schools and how we can support students facing adversity. Sign up here: tinyurl.com/equitysummit2025
School Site Council Minutes
Here are the minutes from January 29th's School Site Council meeting.
Grand Canyon Donations
Our 7th graders are going to the Grand Canyon in May!
We would love to collect used hiking items for the upcoming trip. As you know, these items can be very expensive, so we are asking families to donate used items from the previous Grand Canyon and Yosemite trips. If your students are done with the items listed below (or if they are just ready to part with them), please drop them off in the bin in front of the Kennedy office!
We ONLY need the following:
Hiking boots (must be high top boots-must support the ankles)
Hiking pants
Wool Socks
Where to drop off:
Front of the Kennedy office in “Grand Canyon Donation Box”
When:
No later than February 27th
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Melinda Moye (melindakayemoye@gmail.com)
Thank you in advance!
SEPTAR Meeting February 11, 2025
Join SEPTAR on Tuesday, February 11 at 7pm on Zoom to learn about ADHD: Diagnosis and Strategies for Success in School and at Home. You will learn how to identify characteristics of ADHD, when to be concerned, and strategies to help your child. Dr. Heather Taylor and Erendida Gonzalez, both from the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Group from Stanford Children's Health will be our presenters. Simultaneous Spanish interpretation is provided, all families are invited! Register: bit.ly/SEPTAR211
When Does My Student Stay Home from School?
If your child has one of the following symptoms and is unable to participate meaningfully in school, they should be kept at home:
Diarrhea and/or vomiting in the past 24 hours
A fever of 100 or greater in the past 24 hours
headache, fever or chills, cough
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
sore throat, congestion
nausea or vomiting, fatigue (tiredness)
muscle or body aches
Careful attention to hand washing at home and at school is the single most important measure to decrease the spread of any infection or illness. Hand sanitizers may also be helpful when soap and water are not available.
Be sure to call the school office when illness (or any other reason) necessitates your child being kept home.
Thank you for your cooperation and support in our effort to keep all of our students healthy. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact our school nurse, Lisa Cox lcox@rcsdk8.net.
Attendance Wars Update
Mrs. Olinares's class won the January Attendance War! Congratulations! Who will be our February winner?
Kennedy Office Contact Information
The Kennedy Office is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Liz Avalos, Office Manager: lmavalos@rcsdk8.net
Maritza Gutierrez, Office Assistant (student records, medical notices): mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net
Jessica Perez, Office Assistant (attendance, independent study): jpperez@rcsdk8.net
Calendar of Events
FEBRUARY
- ELPAC Testing Begins Feb. 3
- Woodside HS Music Performance Feb. 5 Gym 7:00-8:00 p.m.
- Principal’s Coffee Feb. 6 Library 8:45-9:45 a.m.
- School Site Council Feb. 12 Library/Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
- Lincoln’s Day ~ No School Feb. 14
- February Break ~ No School Feb. 17-21
- PTO Meeting Feb. 25 Library/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
- School Site Council Feb. 26 Library/Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
- ELAC Feb. 25 Room 101 5:30-6:30 p.m.
⚽Soccer Registration Ends Feb. 12⚽
Please click here to view our Calendar of Events. Events are subject to change. Please read the Cougar Connect newsletter for changes.
PTO Corner
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 Reminders
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.
Exciting News: Mural Painting Underway!
You may have noticed the vibrant new entrance mural at Kennedy! Designed by acclaimed local artist Jose Castro with creative input from students in Ms. Segal's art classes, the mural painting is nearing completion. Be sure to follow along here for updates!
https://photos.app.goo.gl/R5FPfVEyGku2DLRX8
At more than twice the original planned size and at no additional cost to the PTO, Jose Castro has helped the students fill the entire wall. Let's show him some extra appreciation! Send a donation via his Venmo account at @cassdroeee.
A special thank you to Hassett Hardware in Woodside Plaza, the Redwood City Arts Commission, and the Kennedy PTO for their generous support in making this project possible.
Community donations are also still welcome to further enhance this exciting endeavor—contribute to the PTO Mural Fund to support this initiative. Together, we can make this project a lasting symbol of creativity and community!
Photos of the Week
Order a Kennedy Yearbook
Kennedy uses Treering for our yearbooks. Visit www.treering.com/validate to order your student their yearbook. Yearbooks are $38.29; they will be distributed in June to students.
Kennedy's school passcode is 1015926081674110.
Tackling Chronic Absenteeism
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.
Grand Canyon Updates
Below are some updates from our 7th-grade Grand Canyon field trip team.
- Reservations for Havasu Falls have been made! We can now move forward with this year's trip!
- We will collect the second payment for the trip from February 14-28, 2025, or sooner if you prefer. Families that are signed up will receive a text message from Kennedy by Wednesday, February 5.
- Mandatory Practice Hike: Saturday, March 1st from 8:00-11:30 AM. Students will meet at the Kennedy gym and hike up to Cañada College and back to Kennedy.
- Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting: Tuesday, March 4th at 6:30 PM in the Kennedy gym.
- THERE ARE STILL OPEN SPOTS! If you missed sign ups for the trip in August and are interested in participating you can still sign up. Email Maestro Alfredo if you are interested.
We are accepting donations for students that will need gear for this year's trip. Click HERE for more information on how to donate.
Please email Maestro Alfredo Oropeza (aoropeza@rcsdk8.net) if you have any questions.
8th-Grade Updates
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
Clubs at Kennedy
- 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.
Homework Help: Mondays, Tuesdays, & Wednesdays
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!
Tutor.com Support
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 the icon to the left. We will teach students about Tutor.com after Goal-Setting Conferences during homeroom.
Homework Support: Brain Fuse & Redwood City Public Library
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.
Homework Reminders
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.
Student & Family Handbook
In order to make our handbook for students and families more accessible, we have digitized it. Please know that the information in the handbook will be continually updated to ensure families are informed.
Click to view and save the Kennedy Student & Family Handbook.
Kennedy's Amazon Wishlist
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