Cougar Connect

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Dear Kennedy Community,

Please join me and Kennedy teachers at Back to School Night this Thursday, September 11. I will begin with a short presentation and overview of the evening in the Kennedy Gym at 5:30 p.m. Then, at 5:55 p.m., families will be dismissed to visit classrooms. You can visit all of your students' teachers. Kennedy students will complete their Back to School Night schedule during homeroom class on Thursday. Please ask your student for their schedule. Teachers will present information about their class; presentations will be 10 minutes long.

High School Information for 8th Grade Families

Immediately following Back to School Night, 8th grade students and families can join us in the gym to learn about information related to high school registration, tours, and shadowing. We will meet from 7:30 to 8:15 p.m.

Principal's Coffee

Thank you for joining me at my first Principal's Coffee and Title 1 Meeting of the year! If you were unable to attend, you can access the presentation below.

September 5, 2025 Principal's Coffee Presentation

PowerSchool Parent Portal Letters

PowerSchool Parent Portal letters were distributed to students last Thursday. Please use the letter to create an account for PowerSchool. This is how families will stay up to date on their students' grades and attendance. We will have a PowerSchool Parent Workshop this Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. in classroom 101. Please scroll down to view the flyer.

Student Goal-Setting Conferences September 15-19

Mark your calendars! Next week, Kennedy students will be dismissed at 12:00 p.m. Monday through Friday for RCSD's Student Goal-Setting Conferences. Students will lead their conferences with their homeroom teacher and set academic SMART goals. Homeroom teachers will send out text messages and email their conference sign-up links this Tuesday afternoon.

School Site Council Nominations

Please scroll down to learn more about School Site Council nominations. The deadline has been extended.

Homework Help

Homework Help will begin on Monday, September 8, in the Kennedy Library. Homework Help will be on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays from 3:15-4:15 in the Kennedy Library. Students must sign in. While students are not required to stay the full hour, they will not be allowed to re-enter after exiting. Students can work on assignments independently or get assistance from teachers.

Attendance Contact

When attendance concerns arise, please email Jessica Perez. She will update your student's attendance.

The Kennedy office is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Phone Contact: (650) 482-2409

Principal: Chandra Leonardo cleonardo@rcsdk8.net

Assistant Principal: Dr. Shanna Laney slaney@rcsdk8.net

Assistant Principal: Enrique Pin epin@rcsdk8.net

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

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🏀Redwood City PRCS Basketball Registration August 1-October 30🏀

🍁SEPTEMBER: Heritage & Belonging

Somos Kennedy: Celebrating Hispanic Cultures

• Back to School Night Sept. 11 Campus 6:00-7:15 p.m.
• 8th Grade High School Info Night Sept. 11 Gym 7:15-8:15 p.m.
• Minimum Day Sept. 12 8:30 a.m.-1:50 p.m.
• Fall Goal Setting Conferences Sept. 15-19 Campus 1:00-3:15 p.m.
• Super Minimum Days Sep. 15-19 Campus 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
• ELAC Meeting Sept. 17 Library/Zoom 6:00-7:00 p.m.
• Food Distribution Day for Families Sept.18 Blacktop 2:30-4:00 p.m.
• Picture Day Sept. 23 Gym 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
• PTO Meeting Sept. 23 Room 101/Zoom 7:00-8:30 p.m.
• School Site Council Sept. 24 Library/Zoom 5:00-6:00 p.m.
• Planning Day~No School Sept. 29

All events are subject to change. Please read the weekly newsletter for updates. Click here to view the Calendar of Events.

Our Kennedy PTO has added our Calendar of Events to their website. You can click the link on the calendar to add all Kennedy events to your own Google Calendar. Click here to view and add these events to your calendar.

samTrans bus passes are now available in the Family Center. Students can come during brunch or lunch to pick them up. Students must ask their teacher for a pass. Students should not come to the Family Center during class time for bus passes. Thank you!

samTrans Route 79

Each month, families can download and read the Parent Institute newsletter. Each newsletter provides tips and updates for families about how to support their Kennedy Middle School student.

This month's topics include how to help your student transition into middle school, how to connect with teachers, and how to help your student stay organized.

PowerSchool access codes and access IDs were distributed to students during their homeroom class on Thursday, September 4. Please ask your student for the form to get your access code and ID.

This week, we have one PowerSchool Information Session for families who need support creating the account and navigating PowerSchool. See the information below.

Kennedy Middle School is requesting nominations for School Site Council. We invite you to nominate yourself or another Kennedy parent/guardian/caregiver for School Site Council.

A School Site Council (SSC) must be established at all Redwood City School District schools. The elected members represent parents, students, school community members, and school staff in school governance.

The SSC is expected to:

• Review and analyze student data.

• Solicit community input and develop a needs assessment.

• Assist the principal, or designee, in developing the SPSA, school site budget, and Safety Plan.

• Monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the SPSA on an ongoing basis.

• Approve the Academic Plan and categorical school site budget before it is submitted to the District for final review and approval.

The school council and committees are needed to support all school programs. You are invited to become a candidate for membership on the council. The school & district are responsible for providing you with the information and training you need to be an effective member. Generally, the groups meet three to four times a year for up to two hours. Each member is elected for a two year term. Family members often offer insights on how effective our school is in creating a positive learning environment and how well their children understand their assignments. Perspectives and parent participation/involvement are important to our school.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs. Leonardo cleonardo@rcsdk8.net 650-482-2409.

Please click this link to nominate yourself or another Kennedy parent for Kennedy's SSC. Nominations have been extended to Sunday, 14 at 11:59 p.m. Voting will begin on Monday, September 15, 2025.

Please click this link to view information about high school shadowing and other details from Sequoia Union High School District and local charter high schools.

Save the date for Kennedy’s Fall Carnival Friday, October 3rd 5-9pm!

Enjoy games, music, and food, and celebrate our community. Volunteers needed!

Sign up to help make it a success here

Carnival Flyer

Redwood BBQ Fundraiser

September 11th, all day!

If ordering online code is: KMS2025

Show the flyer, and 15% goes back to Kennedy!

Direct Drive Kickoff! Our Direct Drive has begun with the goal of raising $75K towards our total annual goal of $245k. Please join your Kennedy Community in contributing to raising crucial funds for our students. We ask each family to contribute $500 or an amount comfortable for them. Our community goal is 100%

participation. More details here!

Calling all 6th-grade families: Save the date for our first social and meet-up on Sunday, September 21, from 3:30-5:30 on the Kennedy field. We hope to see you there!

Kennedy students will have nightly math and reading homework. If your student says they do not have homework or they finished their homework, please ask them to show you what they completed or worked on during the day.

All 6th grade students will have planners, and they will write in their planners. Students will also have homework folders with sections for assignments to complete and assignments to turn in.

Your student should have at least one reading book at their reading level that they enjoy reading. They will also have texts to read in their English language arts, ELD, and/or Expository Reading & Writing classes.

Attendance is important at Kennedy. We continue to improve our attendance rates, and our goal this year is to improve our attendance by 5%. Students need to be at school on time every day. Please schedule doctor's appointments after school and schedule vacations and trips during RCSD's scheduled breaks.

If your student must be absent, caregivers are expected to notify our office staff by calling our attendance line and leaving a message. You may also email the details of your student's absence to Ms. Perez: jpperez@rcsdk8.net.

Click here to read Kennedy's attendance policy and guidelines.

Remember

• Calling in an absence does not mean the absence is excused. An absence is excused if a student is ill, has a medical need, must attend a funeral of an immediate family member, or for religious reasons. You may view the California Ed Code policy on excused absences here. If a student's absences do not meet these guidelines, the absence is unexcused.

• Absences must be called in during the week the absence occurs. We are unable to change or update absences after the school week ends.

• A doctor's note is required after two days of illness.

• Truancy letters are generated by our district and are sent to families.

• Caregivers should check PowerSchool weekly to ensure attendance is accurate.

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.

With a commitment to excellence, Kennedy Middle School engages, encourages, and empowers students in challenging and creative learning opportunities while preparing them for their futures in high school and beyond.

Website: https://www.rcsdk8.net/kennedy
Location: 2521 Goodwin Avenue, Redwood City, CA, USA
Phone: 650.482.2409
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kennedymiddleschool