Cougar Connect
Week of September 2, 2024
Principal's Message
Dear Kennedy Community,
I hope you are enjoying your extended weekend.
Here's what you need to know for the week ahead:
Chromebook Distribution
Your Kennedy student will get their Redwood City School District Chromebook this week. For the past two weeks, we have been discussing RCSD policies and expectations regarding school devices. I need your support. Please review the expectations below with your student. A video overview is also included for you to review.
We expect all students to come to school with a fully charged Chromebook each day and bring their chargers with them. Teachers use the Chromebooks in class for lessons, and when your student shows up unprepared, they are unable to complete assignments, and it causes classroom disruptions; time is also wasted. Students' Chromebooks are a tool for school, and they need to bring their laptops to school every day. Please support your students by reminding them to charge their Chromebooks each night.
The Chromebook should not be used past 9:00 p.m. Students need rest.
Backpacks and Chromebooks should not be left in vehicles. Backpacks and Chromebooks should not be left at a park or other unsupervised areas.
A school administrator or tech administrator can view student emails and files at any time. Students are expected to make wise choices while using their Chromebooks. Cyberbullying, inappropriate comments, insensitive jokes, and other vulgarity will not be tolerated. Please discuss these expectations with your student(s).
Students should keep their passwords safe. They should not share them with their peers.
Please review RCSD's expectations here. You may also watch an overview of the expectations here.
Students should not bring their own personal devices to school.
I have received emails from parents alerting me that students know how to avert district firewalls and filters. I will discuss this topic at my Principal's Coffee later this week.
Thank you for your support!
Picture Day Tuesday, September 10
Picture Day will be on Tuesday, September 10. Students will take their photos during PE in the Kennedy Gymnasium. We use Jostens for our school photos. Jostens uses green screen technology, so students should not wear any green clothing or green accessories. Please see the flyer below for more details.
i-Ready Assessment
The beginning of the year reading and math diagnostic will begin the week of September 9. All grade levels will complete the math assessment in PE classes. Our 6th and 7th graders will also complete the reading assessment in PE. Our 8th-graders will complete the reading assessment in their ELA classes. NOTE: Sequoia Union High School District will use the scores for the first 8th-grade reading diagnostic to determine students' English placement for 9th grade. We want students to always try their best, but we are strongly encouraging our 8th graders to take this initial assessment seriously.
Missing Assignment Study Hall
Missing Assignment Study Hall will begin this Friday after school from 3:15 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. in the Kennedy Library. Students who are missing one or more assignments will need to stay after school to ensure the assignment is finished and submitted. We will run run a Missing Assignment Report on Wednesday afternoon. Families will be notified by email and text message on Wednesday afternoon. Please make sure your student has turned in all assignments.
Music Program Updates
If you were unable to attend the Music Program meeting last Wednesday, here are the slides from the meeting: English and Spanish
PowerSchool & Student Passwords
RCSD reset student Google passwords. We will give students their updated passwords once they receive their Chromebooks on Tuesday. PowerSchool will be available for families on Tuesday. If you have any issues with PowerSchool and need support, please email Maria Segundo in the Kennedy Family Center msegundo@rcsdk8.net. We will have PowerSchool info sessions for parents and guardians in September. We will update families once we have a date.
Please check student grades at least once per week. If you have questions about a grade, you can email the teacher directly. Come to Back to School Night on Thursday, September 12 to get more information about each teacher's grading policies.
School Policy on Fast Food and Food Delivery
Food deliveries (DoorDash, UberEats, PostMates, etc.) are NOT allowed, as this is a major disruption to the office and could lead to safety issues. Families should refrain from dropping off fast food lunches for students, and we have reminded students not to use their phones to order food. Thank you for following this policy.
Principal's Coffee
My first Principal's Coffee of the year will be held this Thursday, September 5th, at 8:45 a.m. in the Kennedy Library. Please join me in learning about our goals and vision for this school year.
Back to School Night & High School Info Night
Mark your calendars: Back to School Night (BTSN) is Thursday, September 12 at 5:30 p.m. We will begin in the gym at 5:30 p.m. Then, families will have the opportunity to visit classrooms. We will host an 8th-grade high school information session from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. in the gym after Back to School Night.
School Site Council Meeting/English Learner Advisory Committee Meeting
Two of our School Site Council (SSC) parent members ended their two-year term in May. We are in need of two Kennedy parents or guardians to join our SSC. Our SSC will meet on the third Wednesday of every month from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Last year, our SSC preferred to meet virtually. We will determine whether we will continue with virtual meetings or in-person meetings at our first meeting later this month. To nominate yourself for School Site Council, please fill out this form by Saturday, September 7, 11:59 p.m. Once we have nominations, our school community will vote next week. I'll send more updates about this in next week's newsletter.
The Kennedy office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Phone Contact: (650) 482-2409
Office Manager: Liz Avalos lmavalos@rcsdk8.net
Office Assistant (Attendance): Jessica Perez jpperez@rcsdk8.net
Office Assistant (Student Records, Student Health): Maritza Gutierrez mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net
Have a great week!
Chandra Leonardo
Principal
Los Ayudantes Tutors Needed to Volunteer in the Classroom
Are you looking for an easy volunteer opportunity that makes a real difference? Then why not consider being a Los Ayudantes (The Helpers) tutor and make a difference in the lives of English Learner students at Kennedy? At the direction of Mrs. LaPaglia, you will work one-on-one with students, helping them read articles, books, and other texts. You’ll also help the students think deeply about the subject matter, making personal connections to the text. Most rewardingly, however, you can become an important, trusted adult and mentor in the students' lives when you make this commitment to tutor them throughout the remainder of the school year. You can volunteer once a week or more! Training is provided, and you can shadow one of our volunteers before you decide to volunteer. For more information and to volunteer, visit our website, http://www.losayudantes.org.
RCSD Chromebook Policy
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.
Google Classroom Updates
Teachers will begin inviting families to Google Classroom over the next two weeks. We encourage all families to get connected with Google Classroom so that you may see your students' assignments. We will host a Parent Information session in the coming weeks where you can learn how to navigate Google Classroom, PowerSchool, Amplify, CPM, and other important tools for you to monitor your students' success.
The Week in Photos
Grand Canyon Info for 7th-Graders
More information about our annual Grand Canyon field trip for 7th-graders can be found by clicking the links below. Information about next year's Yosemite trip will happen at a later date; our coordinator was unable to join us for the meeting.
Picture Day: Tuesday, September 10
PTO Corner
We are very thankful for the support from our Kennedy parents. Without your monetary support, we would not be able to fund our fine arts, music, and STEAM programs. There are several ways to donate to the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). Please click this link to learn about all of the ways to support our Kennedy Cougars.
Our direct drive goal is $50,000. Without these funds, we won't be able to support the programs and activities that our community values. We need your financial help to continue to support the programs listed below that benefit all students and families. In order to provide these resources, we must raise $50,000. We suggest all families make a minimum financial contribution of $500 per family for the 2024-2025 school year.
To contribute and support our Direct Drive 2024-25:
PayPal (click here)
CreditCard via Online Store (click here)
Donation Form (click here)
What do we support?
Working closely with the KMS administration, PTO Direct Drive funds support: Music / STEAM / Art / Drama / Maker Space / School dances / Lunchtime activities / Physical education / 8th-grade celebration activities.
For more details about our Direct Drive Click here.
The PTO is dedicated to supporting and improving the educational experiences of Kennedy students through donations and volunteering.
How can I volunteer?
Everyone (parents or guardians, teachers, and staff of Kennedy Middle School) is automatically a member and is encouraged to attend our monthly meetings. Please join us at our first PTO meeting on Tuesday, August 20th in the Kennedy Library or on Zoom (link to be sent next week). Find more details and opportunities at: www.kennedycougarspto.org
How can I donate?
PayPal (click here)
CreditCard via Online Store (click here)
Donation Form (click here)
Thank you!
Kennedy Cell Phone & Dress Code Policies
Students should not use their cell phones or have them on during the school day. Airpods should be used for class assignments only.
Students will face consequences if they are using their cell phones to record students and staff.
If you need to contact your student during the day, email our office staff so that we can send the message to your student: lmavalos@rcsdk8.net, jpperez@rcsdk8.net, mggutierrez@rcsdk8.net.
We want students to be able to express themselves with their attire, but we also want a school environment free of distractions. Students need to wear shoes appropriate for P.E. Crocs and open toed shoes and shoes without a strap should not be worn. Clothing that references drugs, gangs, alcohol, substance abuse, vulgar language or sexual connotations are not allowed.
We also want students to wear pants, skirts, and shorts that cover their underwear and private body parts.
New Attendance Procedures for RCSD
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
We had a few anonymous Kennedy community members purchase Kleenex and glue sticks for staff. Thank you! We appreciate you thinking of our teachers.
Calendar of Events
SEPTEMBER
- Labor Day ~No School Sept. 2
- Principal’s Coffee Sept. 5 Library 8:45-9:45 a.m.
- Picture Day Sept. 10 Campus (during PE) 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
- Back to School Night Sept. 12 Campus 6:00-7:15 p.m.
- 8th Grade High School Info Sept. 12 Gym 7:15-8:15 p.m.
- School Site Council Sept. 18 Library/Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
- ELAC Sept. 19 Library/Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
- PTO Meeting Sept. 24 Library/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
- Staff Development ~ No School Sept. 30 All Day
- Fall Goal Setting Conferences Sept. 30-Oct. 4 Campus 1:00-3:15 p.m.
- i-Ready District Assessment in ELA-Math Sept. 4-30
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