KPF Newsletter 12/3/25

Hello Kenny Families -

December snuck up on me this year, and we are quickly moving towards the start of 2026! Time flies when you are having fun, and every day at Kenny holds laughter and fun. December is often called the "Season of Giving," and while the festive lights and cheer are wonderful, I want to take a moment to focus on the most meaningful form of giving we can teach our students: supporting one another. This season provides a powerful opportunity to look beyond ourselves and recognize the needs and feelings of those around us. Empathy—the ability to understand and share the feelings of another—is the key to a compassionate community and the greatest gift we can give back into the world.

We are continually teaching our students the Kenny Bees of being respectful, being responsible, being safe, and being your best. This means encouraging kindness in the hallways, celebrating each other's successes, and offering a helping hand when it is needed most. While those principles are not being followed around the nation, it is important that we continue to instill them in our children so that we can do better.

To put these lessons into practice, I have some reminders that you can talk to your kids about. First, we have reached the halfway point in our toy drive, collecting 50 toys so far. These items will be donated to three schools in Minneapolis Public Schools. The 4th and 5th graders will be working at Feed My Starving Children to package meals for people around the world. These are concrete ways for our students to see the impact of on the wider community. It helps them understand that giving is not just about material things, but about providing comfort, security, and hope to others. Ask your children not just about what they learned in class, but about how they showed kindness or how they helped a friend.

The safety of our students is of utmost importance. Please review the arrival and dismissal plans with your children. As we get more snow and winter weather becomes more unpredictable, remember to only let your children cross the street at the corners, especially during busy arrival and dismissal times. Ensure that you communicate with your child’s teacher and the front office about any changes. Illnesses are going around - make sure your children are washing their hands and getting good sleep to stay healthy.

There are lots of upcoming events to be in community with one another as well. This Friday, Anthony Middle School is hosting a Pathways Movie Night of Matilda, at 5:30pm. Next week, MPS is hosting a budget and transformation session at Southwest High School on 12/11 from 6:30-8pm. And the last week of school before Winter Break is filled with activities and a Spirit Week! The last bit of fun for 2025!

Thank you for being such wonderful partners in your child's education. Wishing you and your family a season filled with warmth, generosity, and joy.

Warmly,

Dr. Jessica Busse

Principal, Kenny School

December 4: Student of the Month Assembly (RSVP here)

December 5: SW Pathway Movie Night at Anthony, 5:30pm

December 5: Variety Show Audition Forms due

December 10: BIPOC Family Dinner

December 10: MPS Finance and School Transformation Meeting, 6:30-8pm at Southwest High School

December 15-19: Winter Spirit Week

December 18: 3rd, 4th, 5th Grade Winter Options, 2:45-3:45pm (set-up at 2:30pm)

December 22-January 2: No School, Winter Break

Upcoming Meetings: ALL Caregivers Welcome!

Next KPF Meeting is January 6, 7-8:30pm (on zoom)

Next Site Council Meeting is December 9, 5-6pm (in the media center or on zoom)

Planning ahead? View the entire calendar here

Registration for our next session of after school programming begins Friday, December 5! Visit our Kenny webpage here to view the virtual flyer for class options, get to the registration link, and see all the details about after-school through Community Ed. at Kenny.

Get ready, it's time for Winter Options! Join us on Thursday, December 18th from 2:45pm-3:45pm (plan to set up your station around 2:30pm). Think of an activity, grab the supplies, and help us make this a memorable event for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders! Each activity will have a maximum of eight students and should be something that can keep them busy for the full hour. Ideas in the past have included canvas painting, winter games, cookie decorating, bingo, custom tote bags, bonfire/s'mores, etc. Hoping to keep these activities winter focused, not geared toward a specific holiday. Reach out to your room parent with any questions!

MPS is hosting a series of community meetings to share information about the budget and to hear your feedback as we reimagine the MPS student experience through our school transformation process. Your feedback is important to us.

Meetings will include a budget presentation from the Finance Department followed by breakout sessions facilitated by staff. Join us!

December 11

6:30-8pm

Southwest High School

3414 W. 47th St.

Interpretation support will be available for multilingual families in Spanish, Somali, Hmong and English. Check in at the language supports table if you need interpretation support. Childcare will be available.

For more information visit the Mpls Kids Juniors Website, register online here starting 7am on January 30!

We’re excited to share that we have some wonderful plans in the works for the Kenny School Gardens, and we’d love your help bringing them to life!

This winter, we’ll be planning two exciting projects:

• A total redesign of the front entrance garden bed, and
• A new nature play space on the east side of the school

To make these spaces as beautiful and functional as possible, we’re looking for volunteers to help brainstorm plant ideas, layout options, and design concepts over the coming months. We’ll be hosting three planning sessions this winter.

We also now have a Kenny Gardens WhatsApp Community! This will be the quickest place to get updates about garden clean-ups, planning conversations, and informal meet-ups. Within the Community, you can join specific groups based on the updates you want to receive. Email updates will continue as well, but WhatsApp will be especially useful for more organic, unstructured communication.

If you'd like to join us, please join the Kenny Gardens WhatsApp Community or email Terri at terri.lindenbaum@gmail.com

March Magic is Kenny’s biggest adults-only fundraiser of the year. It is a high-energy night of music, connection, and fun, all in support of our school.

We are looking for a few more parent volunteers to help make the event happen, especially in fundraising, design and decor, and tech such as ticketing, visuals, and digital setup.

The good news is that many hands make little work. Helping out does not take away from the fun. It actually adds to it when you get to help bring the night together.

Curious but not ready to commit? Join our first planning meeting on Dec. 8th at 7:30pm to learn more and decide if and how you would like to be involved.

Why join in?

• Meet parents from across grades
• Contribute at a level that works for you
• Support a fundraiser that directly benefits our kids and school

Every bit of help makes a difference. We would love to have you join us.

Reach out if you want to learn more or would like to attend our planning meeting: kennymarchmagic@gmail.com

The Kenny Variety show was such a highlight of last year - and it's already time to think about this year's show!

All kids are encouraged to participate. Everyone makes the show as long as they have an act planned and they try out. Encourage your child's creativity - no talent is too small!

And mark your calendars for the two shows on February 12, 2pm and 6pm. Each act will be assigned only one performance. This allows for two time friendly shows and greater participation!

Join fellow Kenny families in a community service project packing food at Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park!

Kids need to be age 8 or older to volunteer and do not need to be registered in the group, however parents/caregivers do need to complete a waiver in order for their kids to volunteer. You will be sent a waiver so that you can fill it out for your kids.

Click here to sign up.

If you are in need of winter gear for your student, please get in touch with Ms. Nora

Health Services Assistant / Attendance: Angie McCann, 612-668-3346

School Nurse: Rebecca Richardson

School Social Worker: Nora Beyers

School Psychologist: Kate Wagner

Secretary: Shermane Gatlin-Johnson

Kenny Principal: Dr. Jessica Busse

KPF Board: kennyschool99@gmail.com

Phone: 612-668-3340

School Website: https://kenny.mpschools.org

KPF Website: https://www.thekpf.org

Address: 5720 Emerson Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419