The Kenwood Courier

We’re eager to connect and partner with you the 2025-26 school year in support of your children’s academic, social, and emotional growth. You can expect to receive the Kenwood Courier every Friday.

• On the top of the page, you will find ADA and Translation features. To translate, click on the Translate button and choose your desired language.
• En la parte superior de la página, encontrará funciones de ADA y traducción. Para traducir, haga clic en el botón Traducir y elija el idioma que desee.
• Dusha sare ee bogga, waxaad ka heli doontaa ADA iyo sifooyinka Turjumaada. Si aad u turjunto, dhagsii badhanka Turjumka oo dooro luqadda aad rabto.
  
• В верхней части страницы вы найдете функции ADA и перевода. Для перевода нажмите кнопку «Перевести» и выберите нужный язык.
  
• د پاڼې په سر کې، تاسو به د ADA او ژباړې ځانګړتیاوې ومومئ. د ژباړې لپاره، د ژباړې تڼۍ باندې کلیک وکړئ او د خپلې خوښې ژبه غوره کړئ.
  
• در بالای صفحه، شما ویژگی های ADA و ترجمه را پیدا کنید. برای ترجمه، روی دکمه ترجمه کلیک کنید و زبان مورد نظر خود را انتخاب کنید.
  

The school was filled with more than just music on Thursday. It was filled with the incredible spirit of our Kenwood community! Seeing our kindergarten and first grade students come together to perform was truly magical. A huge thank you to Ms. Sue, our music teacher, for her patience, passion and energy to direct such a beautiful show.

• March 11-12: Scholastic Book Fair
• March 11: SPIRIT DAY! (Wednesday): Spell It Out! (wear a message on your shirt)
• March 16-19: 5th Grade Trip to Camp Widjiwagan

• March 19: SPIRIT DAY (Thursday): Reading Rainbow Day (pick a color and wear as much of it as you can!)

• March 20: Eid/No School for Students

• March 26: SPIRIT DAY! (Thursday) Pajama Day

• March 27: Teacher Record Keeping Day/No School for Students

• March 27-April 5: Spring Break

Dear Kenwood Families,

I’m writing to share an important update on Kenwood’s budget for the 2026-27 school year. I’m pleased to say that although there have been changes to a few positions, we are fortunate to be able to support the majority of our priorities with the resources that have been allocated to Kenwood: strong tier 1 instruction in math, reading, science, and social studies; intervention and rigor in literacy; acceleration and stretch for our advanced learners; and reasonable class sizes. Like most MPS schools, we wish we had more funds at our disposal, but we will find many ways to shine with what we have.

The table that is linked here compares the positions we’re funding now with the positions and FTEs that we are able to fund in the 2026-27 academic year.

As previously mentioned, our projected enrollment is 372, which is a slight increase from last year’s projected enrollment. The projected class sizes for 2026-27 are as follows:

Kinder: 22

1st: 21

2nd: 24

3rd: 29

4th: 28

5th: 29

It's important to note that we are deeply grateful to the Kenwood PTA, which generously funds the arts residencies our students love, access to outdoor learning, various field trips, language opportunities, cooking residencies, and family gatherings that make our school community such a special place to learn and grow. Thank you for your belief in and love for Kenwood School.

Thank you for taking time to read through this update and the included link to the 2025-26 and 2026-27 comparison. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have.

In partnership,

Heidi Johnson

heidi.johnson@mpls.k12.mn.us

Read-a-Thon has officially begun! This year's Read-a-Thon runs from March 2nd to March 13th. It is a great way to get students excited about reading and is the PTA’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Happy Reading!

Registration Opened Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 PM

We’re thrilled to welcome back the Kenwood Musical, returning with even more creativity, excitement, and opportunities for young performers to shine. And that’s not all — we’re expanding our lineup of high‑energy outdoor classes to keep kids exploring, creating, and soaking up the sunshine all summer long.

Registration went live Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 PM, and spots fill fast!

👉 Parents can sign up here: Kenwood Super Summer

Explore more this summer with innovative, immersive experiences that inspire students to discover new possibilities inside and outside the classroom. This includes programs like…

• Summer Scholars

• Minneapolis Kids

• Super Summer

• Summer long-camps

• Freedom Schools

This summer, Minneapolis Kids Before and After Summer Scholars Care (grades 1-7) will not be offered. Our Summer Scholars program will run from June 29 to July 23 this summer, which is slightly shorter than previous years. We understand this may impact summer care for students, and we apologize for the inconvenience. These changes allow us to continue to offer quality programming while addressing budget challenges. Learn more about MPS Summer Programming!

Help us make this year's book fair a success! Volunteer to help with set up or break down, or to help while students shop with their class or caregiver! Sign up here - https://signup.com/go/iVKZheN

Students will shop the book fair with their class on Wednesday, March 11th or Thursday, March 12th. Parents and caregivers are welcome to shop the fair after school on Wednesday, March 11th from 4 to 5:30 pm or during the school day on Thursday, March 12th from 9 am to 4 pm. The Scholastic Book Fair raises funds for the Kenwood Media Center/Library, benefitting all students. We appreciate your support! Cash, credit cards, and Scholastic e-wallets are accepted at the book fair.

Please join us on Thursday, March 19th at Punch Pizza on Lake Street for our next Dining for Dollars. Dine-in or takeout and 20% of the proceeds will come back to our school! Don’t forget to use the code “WOODY” when placing your order.

The Yearbook ALC has been busy this winter creative directing a really special Kenwood Yearbook. And to finish off their process, they concepted, art directed and filmed this video to promote the yearbook. If you’d like to order a yearbook for your Woodchuck, please go here

Join the Family Directory via this Google Form. Those who opt in will have access to the directory to arrange playdates and connect with classmates' families. The directory cannot be used for business or political solicitations. The directory link should not be shared with people who are not in the directory.

Did you know you can subscribe to our Google Calendar to have PTA events added automatically to your Google Calendar? Click the link and simplify!? Click the link and simplify!

We sincerely hope you have enjoyed the PTA-hosted events you have attended this year. It is our goal to ensure that our PTA events are inclusive and welcoming to our entire school community. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to provide feedback to help us plan for the future. As much or as little perspective as you would like to share is much appreciated. Click here to share your feedback.

Are you looking for a small volunteer job at school? The PTA distributes a "library" of winter gear to each classroom for kids to use as needed. We could use help with the initial distribution, fulfilling occasional requests from teachers, and collection/cleaning/storing in spring. Contact Amy Sanborn at amysanborn18@gmail.com or 612-868-8664 if you would like to help.

If you requested MPS transportation, bus stop details are now available in the My Ride K-12 app.

Get the My Ride app!

My Ride K-12 is the new GPS app that lets you:

• View your student’s bus in real time
• Get notifications
• Access bus stop details

Already have the app? Make sure notifications are turned on to get updates like arrival times, school arrival and more. Go to Settings in the app to enable notifications.

Need transportation this year but didn’t request it yet?

• Complete a Save Your Seat form in the My Ride app, or Contact your child’s school directly to set up transportation
• Families will be notified once their students are assigned to buses.

More Information can be found here: https://www.mpschools.org/departments/transportation/myridek12

During Spring Break families can get FREE state park pass at the library. If you are not traveling over break, this can be a great way to have an adventure close to home.

Just like you check out a book at the public library, you can also check out a state park. With a library card, you can get a free day pass for admittance to any state park. The pass is good for 7 days.

Here is the website.

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/minnesota-state-parks-library-program.html

You can get a library card and your pass at most public libraries. Here are a few in the area.

Brookdale

Brooklyn Park

East Lake

Franklin

Hosmer

North Regional

Webber Park

Here is a list of state park you can visit: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/list_alpha.html

UMTYMP is a great opportunity for both students and schools. By offering a challenging and supportive environment, we aim to create rapid growth so your students can move more freely in their educational journey. Exam registration for the 2026-2027 school year is currently open. Students can learn more and register at our About UMTYMP page. I have attached a flyer to give students and parents a brief synopsis of the program with multiple language translations available. I am also happy to help you reach out to any potential students with details on the program or discuss materials I can create for you to reach out to your specific students.

The Department of Human Rights recently created a landing page that details what is (and is not)

covered under the Minnesota Human Rights Act, when it comes to discrimination against

immigrants. State law clearly prohibits discrimination based on national origin, race, color, and

religion in the areas of employment, housing, public accommodations, public services, education,

credit, and business. While the Minnesota Human Rights Act does not explicitly prohibit

discrimination based on “immigration status” or “citizenship status,” discrimination that targets people

because they were born outside of the United States, speak a different language, appear to be

immigrants, or are perceived as undocumented may be covered under the Minnesota Human

Rights Act’s national-origin and race protections. Anyone who believes they may have been

discriminated against should contact us by completing this online form. Learn more on our

webpage here: Discrimination Related to Immigration Status.

We want to ensure Kenwood families are aware of the following food and nutrition resources. Every Meal works to fight hunger in our community by filling the food gaps children face during weekends, summers, and extended breaks. The program provides students with 4-5 pounds of food to take home in their backpacks every Friday. We have five different food bag options available to accommodate various cultural, dietary, and situational needs. If you are interested in receiving an Every Meal bag, please contact the Kenwood Family Liaison, Victoria Johnson [Victoria.Johnson@mpls.k12.mn.us or (612) 668-2760] to enroll or to ask questions.

Additionally, the Second Harvest Heartland Care Center helps people find free food through a network of food shelves and community resources. Find the best resource for you here You can also talk to a Care Center an advisor 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday. The Care Center is free, friendly, and confidential. Help is available in English, Spanish, Hmong and Somali with interpreters available for other languages. Call or text 866-844-3663, or visit 2harvest.org/carecenter for more information.

If you are in need of immediate assistance reach out to our school Social Worker, Alex Holzchuh [Alexandra.Holzschuh@mpls.k12.mn.us or (612) 668-2760]

Finally, if you are in the position to help, the Kenwood PTA is collecting monetary donations to purchase gift cards for our school Social Worker, Alex Holzchuh to distribute to families. If you can contribute, please venmo the Kenwood PTA at @KenwoodPTAMpls

When school is not in session, children can eat free meals and snacks at many

community sites, including Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board and Hennepin County

Library locations. Visit the MPS Culinary & Wellness Services community sites webpage for

details about no-cost meals. Contact a site for specific hours and meal types.

Do you need help with rent, utilities, or a security deposit? Funding is available to support families who are experiencing financial hardship and need assistance maintaining stable housing.

If you are in need of support, please reach out to:

Ciara Graham, Stable Homes Stable Schools Site-based Lead
📧 ciara.graham@mpls.k12.mn.us

Let us help ensure your family has the housing stability it needs.

United Way 2-1-1 provides free and confidential help 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on many topics; housing, childcare, mental health, employment, transportation, and more! Call 211 or toll free 800-543-7709. Visit https://211unitedway.org/ for more information. Interpreters are available for all languages.

Click here to find a step-by-step guide to finding the right place for your child's care.

HelpMeConnect is a groundbreaking interagency collaboration between Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and, Families; Education; Health; and Human Services. Click here to explore HelpMeConnect and find the support you need.

• School Secretary: Danielle.Sanders@mpls.k12.mn.us
• Family Liaison: Victoria.johnson@mpls.k12.mn.us
• Main Office Number: 612-668-2760
• School Website
• Kenwood Staff Directory