KHS Update

Spanish

Hello Kennedy families,

It’s hard to believe we’re already nearing the end of Trimester 1! This fall has been filled with joy, success and community eastside pride. From an awesome fall sports season (that is not over yet!) to a packed auditorium for Frozen: A Broadway Musical, academic recognitions and record-setting athletic performances, our students have truly shown what it means to live out Belonging, Support, and Excellence.

As we move toward the end of November, we’re focused on finishing strong, preparing for finals and continuing to build positive momentum into the winter season.

November 23 & 24: Trimester 1 finals
November 25, 26 & 27: No School
November 30: Trimester 2 begins

💙💛 GO EAGLES!

In partnership,

Molly Hollenbeck

Principal

952.681.5050

mhollenbeck@isd271.org

The Kennedy Theatre Company’s production of Frozen: A Broadway Musical was a smash hit! Congratulations to the talented cast and crew on a fantastic show. Up next: Show Choir season kicks off later this month with this year’s production of Wonka! It’s going to be a great season!

A talented group of students were inducted into the National Honor Society under the guidance of Mrs. Juul. The group’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign raised funds for research and demonstrated the spirit of leadership and service that defines Kennedy students.

Students should expect to graduate on time with a plan for what’s next. 65 credits are required to graduate and credits need to be aligned to graduation course requirements. Students reach the next grade level by passing classes and earning credits , not by getting a year older. Each school year consists of three trimesters with six classes. This means on-track–graduate credit totals are generally 18, 36, and 54 at the end of 9th, 10th and 11th grade.

If students fail a course, they should work with their Counselor to ensure they have a plan to recover the course. Courses can be recovered via multiple ways, including after-school credit recovery and summer school. In order to be/remain eligible to participate in athletics, students must meet athletic eligibility requirements. Credits can be viewed in Infinite Campus > More > Academic Plan Progress. Students can see this too, so ask them to show you and review together!

This session is especially helpful for families of students in grades 9-11 who are beginning to explore college options.

• When: Wednesday, November 18, at 7:30 PM
  
• Where: Virtual webinar
  
• Register here
• After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions for joining the webinar.

Each year, every school in Bloomington writes a School Improvement Plan that must contain two goals in an effort to build on the great things already happening and strengthen student outcomes. This year, our goals aim to decrease classroom removals and increase the percentage of students with a gpa of 3.0 or higher. We do this by 1) supporting teachers and staff to co-create strong and supportive classroom expectations and routines and 2) ensuring students get the instructional support they need from their teachers while in class, and 3) supporting students to build strong self-advocacy skills by developing the confidence to ask for help. This is an area our students tell us they don’t always feel confident in.

Students who are credit deficient and are not on track to graduate have access to Beacon Alternative Learning Program (ALP) located within Kennedy. Information about Beacon can be found here and any questions can be directed to Paul Collier at pcollier@isd271.org or 952-681-5058.

Hosting Beacon Alternative Learning Program provides us access to federal Title 1 funding to support student success. As a result, we are required to share the following information with families:

• Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)

• Parent Notification

• Comprehensive Support

• School-Parent Compact

Have a question? If it is class related, start with your student’s teacher. If you need a place to start, our student support team members are here to provide support.

All students will have the opportunity to review and are expected to follow the Kennedy Student Handbook.

Attendance

Students who attend school and class regularly are more likely to graduate from high school. We expect students to be at school and in class on time every day. We’ve noticed that arriving on time is particularly challenging at the start of the school day, so we ask for your support in helping your student arrive promptly. Please talk with your student about these items and reinforce your expectations for class and school attendance.

• First hour starts at 7:50 AM. It is important for students to be at school by 7:45 AM . Free breakfast is available in the cafeteria from 7:15-7:45 AM.
  
  

• Morning Drop-Off: Students can be dropped off starting at 7:00 am. Kike (Kee-Kay) Guzman, Officer Nelson and Principal Hollenbeck are visible outside of school for morning drop-off. Mr. Guzman and Officer Nelson are incredibly skilled at directing traffic to ensure students and families are safe and lines keep moving. If you are dropping off from 98th, please encourage your student to get out of the car at any stopping point along the sidewalk. This allows for more cars to leave property in a timely manner and more students to get to first hour on time. Your attention to this is appreciated!

• Cars are not allowed to use the small bus loop parking lot during drop off or pick-up to ensure buses can safely access those lots.
  
  

• Students who are not in class at the final bell will need a pass to enter school and classes.
  
  

• After School Pick-Up: School ends at 2:37 pm on a 6-period day and 2:14 pm on a block day. If you are picking up your student, please expect them to exit the building quickly and find their way to your car. If you are blocking traffic while waiting for your child, know that you might be asked, and will be expected, to move forward to allow for cars to exit.
  
  

• After School Expectations: At 2:45 pm, all students must be off-campus for the day, with a coach or advisor in a designated sport or activity, or waiting for a ride in the front atrium. It is expected that students are picked up no later than 3:30 pm, except for rare exceptions. Students are not allowed to wait for rides in the Activity Center after school and families should not use this spot for drop-off or pick-up.
  
  

• Students are not eligible to participate in any after school sport or activity if they miss any part of the academic day as indicated by an unexcused or unexplained absence (AUX, A) or unexcused or unexplained tardy (TUX or T) in Infinite Campus. Students are also not eligible to participate when they have been out of school suspended for all or part of the day. Eligibility is not impacted by excused or exempt absences (AEX, AEM) or excused or exempt tardies (TEX, TEM).
  
  

• We are a closed campus. To ensure a safe learning environment and community, students should not leave the campus during the school day.
  
  

• Food deliveries from outside vendors (such as DoorDash, Uber Eats, etc.) are not allowed during the school day. These deliveries are disruptive to the learning environment and pose safety and security concerns. Students should bring meals from home or eat school-provided meals.

What You Can Do -

At Home

• Keep a routine for sleep and getting ready

• Ask your child how they feel about school

• Schedule appointments after school

• Track days missed - every day counts. Missing 2 days a month means you are chronically absent.

• Get involved with school - involved families often lead to strong attendance

If Your Child Misses School

Parents are now able to report or request student absences in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. The new feature will automatically update a student’s record, and save staff time in processing and translating attendance calls. View the step-by-step instructions.

To access the Parent Portal go to BPS Login, login with your credentials, select Infinite Campus Parent, and click on “Absence Requests” in the shortcuts option. A link to report absences can also be found in the “Contact” icon on your school website, which will take you to BPS Login.

For BPS Login password assistance, contact Tech Help at 952-681-6750 or techhelp@isd271.org.

You are an important member of the pathway to career and college team! One way you can partner with us is to monitor and support regular attendance and academic progress for your student(s). Here are some tools you can use:

Need help?

BPS Login Help

Canvas Parent Help

Infinite Campus Parent Portal Help

Email kenn_geniusbar@isd271.org