Better Together Newsletter

As we recognize National School Bus Safety Week, a time to promote safe transportation practices and celebrate the professionals who transport millions of children each day, KCSD is excited to introduce Stopfinder, a new app that gives families real-time information about their child’s school bus*.

Stopfinder is a free, easy-to-use app that helps parents and guardians stay informed about their child’s bus schedule and location. With Stopfinder, families can:

• Track their child’s bus in real time on a map.

• View bus schedules and routes from anywhere, at any time.

• Set up customized alerts (GeoAlerts) to receive notifications when their child’s bus arrives at or leaves a designated location, such as their bus stop or school.

• Receive advance notifications when the bus is approaching a selected location.

• Access information for all their children in one account.

• Share bus schedules with other family members or caregivers.

How to Get Started

On Monday, October 26, KCSD will email families an invitation to register for Stopfinder. The invitation will be sent to the primary email address listed at the Skyward Family Access Portal and will include registration information for each child.

Getting started is easy!

1. Check your email for your Stopfinder registration invitation from KCSD.

2. Activate your account by following the instructions in the email and creating a password.

3. Download the free Stopfinder app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

4. Personalize your experience by selecting your preferred language, viewing helpful tutorials, and setting up alerts for your child’s bus.

Once registered, you can view bus schedules, track trips, and manage transportation information for all your children in one convenient place.

Stopfinder is another way KCSD is working to make school transportation information easier to access, helping families stay informed and connected.

Questions? Contact the KCSD Transportation Department at 610-444-6619.

*Families do not have to download Stopfinder to access information about their child's bus schedule and bus number. Families can still find that information at the Skyward Family Access Portal.

Mark your calendars! KCSD's Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences will be here soon. Conferences will take place on Monday, November 23 and Tuesday, November 24, 2026. Students will not attend school on conference days. Information about scheduling for Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences for Kindergarten, Elementary, and High School students will be sent in November.

Because the Middle School holds team conferences, teachers handle scheduling for all conference requests. Look for communication directly from middle school teachers.

There is no school for KCSD students on Tuesday, November 3 due to a scheduled Teacher In-Service Day. Conference and Thanksgiving week means no school for our students on Monday, November 23 through Friday, November 27, 2026. Please make a note of these days.

Our offices are open on November 3, November 23 and November 24. The District is closed for Thanksgiving holiday November 25 - 27.

The School Counseling Department held its first advisory council meeting of the 2026–2027 school year on October 16. Re-establishing an advisory council comprised of diverse educational partners—including students, staff, parents, and community partners—was one of the action steps outlined in the Comprehensive School Counseling Plan developed and approved by the Board last year.

The advisory council serves as a bridge between the District’s school counseling program and the community, helping ensure that services meet students’ needs and align with school and District goals.

Kourtney Phillips (MDL), Emma Termini (Bancroft), Lauren Boder (KMS), and Michelle Sojo Carro are leading the advisory council this school year. Our first meeting was energizing, and participants shared many thoughtful suggestions for enhancing the services we provide to students.

Thank you to everyone who participated and contributed their ideas, especially our KHS students, whose voices and perspectives are invaluable to this work!

Kennett High School senior Margo Schwarz reached an extraordinary athletic milestone on Wednesday, October 14, scoring her 100th career goal as a member of the Kennett Blue Demons field hockey team.

Schwarz, who scored four of the five winning goals against Sun Valley during the team's Senior Night celebration, has been a driving force behind Kennett's field hockey program throughout her four-year high school career. Her achievement adds another chapter to a remarkable athletic journey that will continue at Villanova University, where she has committed to play field hockey beginning in the 2027–28 academic year.

Legacy Field at Kennett High School was filled with more than just teamwork and school spirit as students came together on October 9 for the fourth annual Best Buddies Soccer Practice, a special tradition celebrating friendship, inclusion and the joy of being part of a team.

What began four years ago as a collaboration between Best Buddies participants and Kennett's three boys' soccer teams has grown into a schoolwide celebration. Last year, the girls' soccer team joined the tradition, and this year, the Kennett High School Pep Band added even more excitement and energy to the event.

Together, students of all abilities shared an opportunity to practice soccer skills, build friendships, cheer one another on and simply have fun.

Best Buddies is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Through programs that promote meaningful friendships, employment opportunities, leadership development and independent living, Best Buddies empowers individuals with IDD to build connections and thrive in their communities.

Kennett's annual soccer practice brings that mission to life by creating opportunities for students with and without disabilities to engage, socialize and develop friendships through a shared experience.

More than a soccer practice, the event reflects the spirit of inclusion, kindness and community that makes Kennett special. Each year, the tradition continues to grow, bringing more students together and demonstrating that some of the most meaningful moments in school happen when everyone has an opportunity to participate and belong.

A special thank-you goes to the dedicated staff members who helped make this year's event possible: Kristi Douglass, Alyvia Svetovich, Dawn Fox, girls' soccer coach Justin Wyatt, boys' soccer coach Kevin Lentz, pep band director Andrew Whisler and Sue Steuber, along with the many support staff members whose efforts contributed to a memorable experience for students.

At Kennett, we're not just building stronger teams. We're building friendships, connections and a community where everyone belongs. That's Better in Kennett!

Nominations are now open for the Chester County Champions of Education Awards! This is your chance to recognize a teacher, specialist, paraprofessional, custodian, food service worker, or any staff member whose dedication makes a real impact on our students and school community.

Two ways to nominate:

• Champion of the Classroom: for certified teachers and instructional staff providing direct Pre-K-12 instruction
• Champion of Service / CCRES Champion: for non-instructional staff in a support role

Nominating is quick: visit the nomination website to submit your nomination. Nominations close on November 30, 2026.

Every nomination matters. Take a few minutes today to recognize someone who deserves it.

The newly constructed Greenwood Elementary opened to staff and students officially on Tuesday, October 20! See what all the excitement is about by joining our KCSD community at the official Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening Ceremony on Saturday, November 21 at 10 a.m. - noon. There will be music, speeches, and a formal ribbon cutting before the school is open to tours! Greenwood families get a sneak peek October 28. Check out the first day highlight reel below.

Help us spread holiday cheer to our service members! Drop off donations at any KCSD school through November 18, or contact Megan Greener at mgreener@kcsd.org to make other arrangements.

You can also shop our Amazon Wishlist. Wishlist purchases will ship directly to Kennett High School, where we will sort the donations and deliver them to Stockings for Soldiers.

Thank you for helping us show our service members how much they are appreciated!

Where can you find the BEST pizza in Kennett? You’ll find out at After-The-Bell’s Fall Pizza Fest fundraiser! We’re bringing together the best pizza makers in Kennett Square. Bring your family and your appetite to help us crown Kennett’s Favorite Pizzas! Join us November 12 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. at Loch Nairn Farm. See the flyer for more information.

• In every state, it is illegal for vehicle drivers to pass a school bus while the school bus stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing. Failing to stop could result in injury or death to child pedestrians or their caretakers. Vehicle drivers must always come to a complete stop when a school bus stop-arm is extended and the red lights are flashing.

• More injuries and fatalities occur outside of or near a school bus because a motorist has failed to obey the stop-arm warning or has failed to follow local traffic laws.

• Although school buses are statistically the safest way to transport school children, fatalities still happen. This is why it is critical that drivers follow all driving laws.

• A driver in a school-bus-related crash could be charged with one of the following:
• A violation for passing a stopped school bus
• A related factor of passing a school bus when prohibited by posted signs, pavement markings, or school bus displaying warning not to pass, and the crash was school-bus-related.

• The most dangerous part of the school bus ride is getting on and off the school bus.

• The school bus loading and unloading area is called the “Danger Zone.” Specifically, this is any side of the bus where a child may not be seen by the bus driver and, therefore, is in the most danger. These areas include:
• 10 feet in front of the bus, where the driver may be sitting too high to see a child
• 10 feet on either side of the bus, where a child may be in the driver’s blind spots
• Behind the school bus

• Young children are most likely to be struck because they:
• Hurry to get on and off the bus
• Act before they think and have little experience with traffic
• Assume motorists will see them and wait for them to cross the street

• Arrive at the bus stop ten minutes early.
• Stand at least 5 giant steps (10 feet) away from the edge of the road.
• Wait until the bus stops, the door opens, and the driver says it’s okay before stepping onto the bus.
• Be careful that clothing with drawstrings and book bags with straps or dangling objects do not get caught in the handrail or door when exiting the bus.
• Walk in front of the bus; never walk behind the bus.
• Be sure the bus driver can always see you, and you can see the bus driver.
• Before crossing the street, stop and look left-right-left before crossing.

• The overall best practice is to “always stop if there’s a school bus.”
• Yellow flashing lights indicate the bus is preparing to stop to load or unload children. Motorists should slow down and prepare to stop their vehicles.
• Motorists may begin moving only when the red flashing lights are turned off, the stop-arm is withdrawn, and the bus begins to move.
• Never pass on the right side of the bus, where children enter or exit. This is illegal and can have tragic results.
• The greatest risk to a child isn’t riding a school bus, but approaching or leaving one. That’s why, as a vehicle driver, it is especially important to pay attention. Students’ lives are on the line.
• Slow down. Watch for children walking in the street, especially if there are no sidewalks in the neighborhood. Watch for children playing and gathering near bus stops.
• Don’t drive distracted. Be alert. Children arriving for the bus may dart into the street without looking for traffic.
• Watch out for young people who may be distracted and not paying attention to the traffic around them.

For more information about school bus safety, please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

We appreciate our transportation partner, Krapf, particularly Sue Kramer and Elizabeth Williams, and our drivers for their commitment to providing safe, reliable transportation for our students. We ask everyone to follow the safety guidelines outlined in this newsletter to help ensure safe conditions on the road for our dedicated Krapf drivers and the precious cargo they transport each day.

We appreciate our KCSD Transportation Team Tom Jenkins, Transportation Manager, and Veronica Gamboa, Administrative Assistant to the Transportation Manager. Your commitment to the KCSD community is valued!

Better in Kennett reflects our commitment to continuous growth and opportunity for every student, educator, family, and community member. Through high-quality teaching and learning, future-ready opportunities, safe and innovative environments, empowered educators, and strong community partnerships, KCSD is building a stronger future together. We hope you enjoy our Better Together Newsletter and the information you need and may want to know about how we are learning, growing and building Better in Kennett together.

This recognition celebrates more than music , it celebrates opportunity. KCSD is proud to be a Best Communities for Music Education recipient, ensuring access to music learning for every student.