KENNEDY ELEMENTARY

Attendance Line: 651-480-7220

Main Office: 651-480-7221

Nurse: 651-480-7224

Kids' Campus: 651-480-7257

Hastings Bus Company: 651-437-1888

Kennedy Elementary Website

Elementary Handbook

District Calendars

Monthly newsletters are available to you online each month. Please check out our website as it is updated monthly with upcoming events and information.

SEPTEMBER

7 - First Day Grades K-4

11 - Monthly PTA Meeting 7pm - Kennedy Media Center

15 - NO SCHOOL - Staff Development

18 & 19 - Bus Safety Presentations during school day

20 - Picture Day {see details below about how to order}

25 & 26 - Fire Safety Presentations during school day

28 - 2nd Annual Fun Run & Family Fun Night 5 pm

OCTOBER

10 - Monthly PTA Meeting 7pm - Kennedy Media Center

10 - Hastings Fire Station Open House 7-9 pm

16 - Evening Conferences - Elementary Only

17 - Evening Conferences - All grades

18 - NO SCHOOL - Conferences - All grades

19 & 20 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Association Days

25 - Picture Retakes

8:30 am: Buses begin to drop students, classrooms are open, and breakfast is served. **Students may not enter the building before this time**

8:50 am: School begins

3:25 pm: Dismissal for all students

Hastings Public Schools is pleased to provide families with a new and easy way to sign annual forms and review and update household contact information for the 2023-24 school year through their Campus Parent Portal Account. The process will take approximately 5-20 minutes depending on the number of children. All families must complete this update by September 15, 2023. An email was sent on September 12th to those that have not completed the updates.

Families will be asked to review and update parent/guardian contact information and non-household emergency contacts. Families will also be asked to review and agree to their school's student handbook, the Student Device User Agreement & Responsible Use of Technology Agreement, and a COVID Daily Symptoms Check Agreement.

One parent or guardian from the primary household will be required to provide information for your children. Parents/Guardians from a secondary household will be able to update their own contact information.

After logging into your Parent Portal Account, click More and Back-To-School Annual Updates to begin.

**If you do not have an activation key for the parent portal, please call 651-480-7220 or email mhavard@isd200.org**

Kennedy Elementary School Picture Day with Cahill Studios is on:

Wednesday, September 20th

How to Order?

All galleries will be delivered to parents via email 2-5 business days after picture day.

If you need/want to order with cash or a check, there are paper order forms available at the school. All paper order forms come with your students' school headshot and the standard gray background. All paper order forms must be given to the photographer on Picture Day. If you would like to purchase any additional poses or backgrounds, you will have to place your order online when links are sent out.

Cahill Studios will be sending you a picture day reminder before picture day from the following email address: no-reply@imagequix.com so keep a lookout!

View their 100+ FREE background options on their website so you can best coordinate your students' outfit! Don't forget to dress head to toe and get your haircuts done!

www.cahillphotostudio.com

Don't like your first day photos?
Wait to purchase photos, and your child can have their picture taken on Retake Day: Wednesday, October 25th.

Please note.. The email with your link to order may go to your junk, spam, or promotions folder. It is a secure link and it will allow access to your student's gallery. If you don't get an email within 5 business days after picture day, please reach out to Cahill Studio's customer service team.

Email: service@cahillphotostudio.com
Office Number: 715-268-9363
Toll-Free Number: 866-229-0135

Fun Run & Family Night will be held on Thursday, September 28th from 5-7 pm

• Bounce house, music, face painting and family fun!

Check out the PTA Website for more information and details!

https://www.kennedycougarpta.org/home

What is the Minnesota Free School Meals Program?

The Minnesota Free School Meals Program provides state reimbursement to schools participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program so that students can have one breakfast and one lunch at no cost at school.

Can the meals be picked up or brought home like we did during the pandemic?

No. Congregate meal service is required in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Meals may not be taken off campus, sent home, delivered, or picked up by parents or others.

Do I still need to complete the Application for Educational Benefits?

Families need to complete the Application for Educational Benefits. Applications for Educational Benefits determine how much funding your child’s school receives for educational programs and support. Additionally, eligible families can qualify for other benefits, such as:

• WIC Benefits
• Metro Transit Assistance Program
• FCC Affordable Connectivity Program/Reduced price internet programs
• Some summer camps, athletics programs, and child cares offer scholarships or discounts

What is included in the MN Free School Meals Program?

The student must choose at least three items to be counted as a reimbursable meal at breakfast. The student must choose a ½ cup serving of fruit or vegetable as part of their breakfast. At lunch, the student must choose at least three components to be counted as a reimbursable meal. The student must choose a ½ cup serving of fruit or vegetable as part of their lunch.

What is NOT included in the MN Free School Meals Program?

Single-item purchases and non-reimbursable meals are not free. Some examples include: a carton of milk, snack items, a second entrée, a second breakfast, or a second lunch, meals that do not meet the minimum requirements, and meals served to teachers, staff, and other adults.

The price for breakfast and lunch meals will be $0 for all sites.

Fill out the Form! The Application for Education Benefits helps determine how much education funding your school will receive. Complete an application for your student for the school year 2023-24.

• Students and families may qualify for other program fee reductions based on their eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Parents should complete an Application for Education Benefits.
• Only meals that meet the requirements are reimbursed. Students that want additional or single items will be charged for those items.
• The 2023-24 Free and Reduced Meal Application will be available online this summer on the district website under Food Service, and a paper application has been mailed out to families.

For more information, please call Andrea Seleski 651-480-7050 or Brittney Hirschauer 651-480-7126

Illness and Keeping your Child Home

A student should not come to school (and may be sent home from school) if they have or have had:

• a fever of 100 degrees F or more in the past 24 hours

• vomiting or diarrhea in the past 24 hours

• an undiagnosed skin rash

Reporting Absences

If your student will not be at school, please call and report the reason for their absence at 651-480-7220. If your student is ill, please report their symptoms and/or any diagnosed communicable condition like chicken pox, strep throat, cough and fever, influenza, or pink eye. It is recommended that you follow the MDH and CDC exclusion guidelines for communicable diseases.

Immunizations
In order to attend school, students must show that they're in compliance with Minnesota School Immunization Requirements (see the Minnesota Department of Health Link below for more Information). Hastings School's immunization policy states that students who are not up to date on their immunizations will not be allowed to start school until they provide the school with documentation that they have received the required immunizations.
Parents/guardians may check their student's immunization status by logging on to the parent portal in Infinite Campus. To see the immunization records, click on the HEALTH tab. If your student's immunization status says "current for grade" in ALL immunizations required by law, then the student is up to date and ready for the start of school. If your student is not current, they will need to get the required immunizations to attend the first day of school. Yearly physicals with their healthcare provider are strongly encouraged for students to have optimal health.

Parents/guardians may choose to decline immunizations for their students by filing a legal exemption with the school. Student Immunization Form

If you have further questions, please reach out to your building nurse.

If during the school year your address or daycare changes and this requires a change in transportation, please contact the school, not the bus company. If you give us the information we will work with the bus company to make the changes. The only changes that can be made are those that are permanent or for an extended length of time. It is very difficult for the bus company to make brief or sudden changes in the routes. Thank you for your help in this matter.

In order to minimize interruptions to the classroom, students should not be picked up early unless it is an emergency. On those occasions when it is necessary to pick your child up during the school day, please go to the school office to sign your child out. The office secretary will call the classroom and have the student sent to the office. Teachers will not release students unless the office gives prior approval. This practice has been established to help protect your child.

Your child's safety is of prime importance to us. There are a few procedure guidelines that help us maintain a secured building and limit the number of distractions to our classrooms. Our building is designed to have a single entry point during the school day. Please keep the following in mind:

• Always check in at the office whenever you are at school.
  
• We have a new secure entrance, please ring the doorbell and state your reason for visiting.
• When delivering things for your child (ex. snow gear), please drop them off at the office. We will deliver articles or call your child down to the office.
  
• When picking up your child early from school, please do so by signing them out at the office. The office personnel will contact your child’s teacher to dismiss them and meet you in the office.

Please bring your driver's license with you when you are checking out your student.

Please drop your children off at the bottom of the stairs in the north parking lot. A short sidewalk will lead them right into the building without crossing streets or going between cars or buses. Enter the lot from Tyler St. Please have them ready to exit your car so the line does not back up. Parents should stay in the car. The curved drive at the front of the building is reserved for buses only.

If your student is walking to school and needs to use the intersection of Tyler & 10th Street E, the best times are 8:30 - 8:45 am as this allows them to arrive to school on time and have assistance by a crossing guard.

Dismissal Time: 3:25 is the dismissal time for all students. Students being picked up by car will be dismissed from the back horseshoe drive. Be sure to get your car/student number from the office. Walkers and bus students will use the front door. The curved drive at the front of the building is reserved for buses.

Afternoon car pick-up procedures: Dismissal begins at 3:25 and takes a total of about 10 minutes. The line moves quickly beginning at the 3:25 dismissal bell.

· If you are picking your child up at the end of the day, you will need to stop at the school office to get a number to display in your vehicle window. Students will have a matching number attached to their backpack.

· Form a single line of traffic entering from Tyler Street, through the north parking lot, around to the back of the building.

· PLEASE STAY IN YOUR VEHICLE. Students will be assisted to the vehicles.

· Please move your car up as soon as the car in front of you moves forward.

· Make sure your car number is visible. The numbers may be attached to the passenger side visor so it can conveniently be flipped down or on the front passenger window. The numbers are not visible if they are on the dash.