Dear Kennedy Community,
Last week was a busy week at Kennedy. Students were able to join lunchtime events that included pumpkin painting, intramural soccer, and musical chairs. We also had Spirit Week with different dress-up days. We had a friendly competition between advisory periods. We ended the week with our first school dance of the year--a Halloween Dance with over 340 students in attendance! Students had a great time dancing, playing air hockey, taking photos at the photo booth, using a claw machine, and eating delicious food and treats provided by our PTO. I am so thankful for the teachers, staff members, and parents who joined together to make the event a success.
At my Principal Coffees, I mentioned our site goal of 5% increases for ELA and math for all students on our summative CAASPP test. Our dedicated teachers are implementing targeted instructional strategies, leveraging data-driven approaches, and providing additional support to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed. We are also focusing on differentiated instruction to meet each student’s unique needs and offering after-school support for additional practice and guidance.
As trimester one comes to an end, we will analyze student data to determine which additional supports are needed for students. Stay tuned for these updates.
I believe that with a collaborative effort between our school, students, and families, we will see meaningful growth in student achievement this year. Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education.
Halloween Guidelines:
Students can wear Halloween costumes on Thursday, October 31. Costumes need to be school-appropriate. Here are some guidelines/rules, many of which are our normal dress code:
Costume masks are prohibited. COVID-19 masks are allowed.
Fake blood, props, and accessories are prohibited (Examples: guns, wands, knives, etc.).
Costumes should not have obscene language, hate speech, or themes/references to drugs, alcohol, the occult, death/suicide, or violence.
Gang-related costumes, clothing, and/or props are prohibited.
Hair coloring must be applied at home.
Candy should remain at home. Teachers and administrators have the right to confiscate candy if it is disruptive to the learning environment.
This information will be shared with students during our daily announcements.
No School Friday, November 1, 2024
There will be no school this Friday, November 1, for students. Teachers have professional development.
End of Trimester 1: November 8
Don't forget! Trimester one will end on November 8. Please check PowerSchool for the most up-to-date information about your student's grades. Students have daily math and reading homework. If students tell you they do not have homework, please ask them to show you their finished assignments. Parents, guardians, and caregivers should check PowerSchool at least once per week to make sure their students are keeping up with assignments. Connect with individual teachers with questions about grades and assignments.
Attendance
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.
Parent, Student, & School Compact
Our School Site Council recently reviewed and approved our 2024-25 compact. Please take some time to review the compact with your student. Click here. After reviewing the compact, please complete and submit this form by Friday, November 1.
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
Have a great week!
Mrs. Leonardo
Redwood City School District (RCSD) invites all families, staff, and community members to tune in for the upcoming Board of Trustees Study Session, where discussions on budget reductions for the 2025-26 school year will take place. Superintendent Dr. Baker will provide an update on the Budget Renewal Initiative Process, outlining the financial challenges ahead as federal and state pandemic-related funds come to an end.
This session is part of RCSD’s commitment to transparency and community engagement. The district is seeking input through its Budget Renewal Initiative, a process designed to gather feedback from the entire school community on prioritizing student services.
The Board Study Session will take place Wednesday, October 30, at 6:00 pm. You can join the session from home by accessing the agenda and meeting details here.
Don’t forget to share your thoughts by completing the district-wide survey. Your input will help shape the final recommendations presented to the Board of Trustees in December.
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
Our next event is the Book Fair, happening Nov. 4-8. Sign up to help here: Book Fair Volunteers
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 through the school year! Click here to donate: PTO Direct Drive
Kind regards,
Jess Bryski
KMS PTO President
Kennedy will be visited by Gennifer Choldenko, author of Al Capone Does My Shirts, One Third Nerd, and Orphan Eleven on November 12th! She will be here in the morning promoting her new book The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman.
Students can get their signed copy if they purchase the book before November 6th (link below for more details).
Here are the minutes from our most recent School Site Council Meeting.
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.
Thank you for joining us for information about our school musical, Legally Blonde: The Musical Jr. If you were unable to attend the meeting, see the information below:
Link to sign up for tech crew HERE Deadline Feb. 1st
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