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.
  

Thanks to the generosity of the Kenwood PTA, our 2nd graders learned about the art of Taiko and performed beautifully, AND the whole school enjoyed jumping with the Rondo Double Dutch Team. Yay Evie and Ms. Sklar!

• Feb. 16: Presidents' Day/No School for Students
• Feb. 17: Teacher Professional Development Day/No School for Students
• Feb. 18: Some online learning students return to in-person learning
• Feb. 19: Black Families Involvement Dinner
• Feb. 20: Ha Family Lion Dance Performance, 3:20 (families are welcome to join us)
• Feb. 24: Site Council, 4:15-5:45
• Feb 27: All School Morning Meeting: Read-A-Thon Kick-Off!
• March 2-13: Read-A-Thon/We Love to Read Month!
• March 10-13: Scholastic Book Fair
• March 5: K-1 Music Concert
• March 6: SPIRIT DAY: Hat Day
• March 6: Coffee with the Principal
• March 16-19: 5th Grade Trip to Camp Widjiwagan
• March 13: SPIRIT DAY: Spell It Out! (wear a message on your shirt)

• March 19: SPIRIT DAY: 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! Pajama Day

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

Dear Kenwood Families:

We look forward to seeing you at conferences, today and tomorrow, and we're excited to welcome back many of our students who've been learning online the past four weeks! If your child is continuing online learning, please look for email and text notifications with more information about schedules and links between now and Feb. 17.

I expect to receive Kenwood's budget allocation on Tuesday, Feb. 17. I'll share detailed information about it with you once I've had a chance to process the information and consult with Kenwood staff and the Instructional Leadership Team. More to come very soon!

I wish you a wonderful long weekend. May we all experience well-deserved peace and comfort in the weeks ahead. Happy Valentine's Day!

Warmly,

Heidi Johnson

Registration Opens Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 PM

The countdown is officially ON — just 11 days until registration launches for our biggest summer yet!
We’re thrilled to announce the return of the Kenwood Musical, back and better than ever. Plus, we’re expanding our lineup of high‑energy outdoor classes to keep kids exploring, creating, and soaking up the sunshine all summer long.

Get ready, set your reminders, and spread the word —
Registration goes live Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 PM, and spots move quickly. Here is the link: Kenwood Super Summer

Please join us for our Kindergarten and 1st grade music performance! The Kenwood students will sing, dance and play instruments on Thursday, March 5 in the gym. We will have two performances in hopes that all families can attend.

3:00 PM for families and 2nd through 5th grade Kenwood students

6:00 PM for all who can make it back to school that evening

It will be a joyful day and night listening to your wonderful children making music!

• The dates for the spring session for ALC are Tuesday, March 3 - Thursday, May 8 (9 weeks).

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

In partnership with the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) and the generosity of our PTA, we are pleased to be able to offer Art Adventure again this year. This program engages students with artwork from the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s collection, encourages creativity, critical thinking, and global awareness through in-depth explorations of art across various cultures and periods. Art Adventure is an opportunity for students to experience art up close and personal through reproductions, technology, and props.

We need parent volunteers, aka Picture People, to introduce classroom students to a variety of preselected artworks from various cultures, places, and eras. No art expertise is needed! Classroom visits can be scheduled based on Picture Person and teacher schedule availability during the months of February, March & April. If you have questions or are interested in volunteering, please contact Marstal Aamodt marstal.aamodt@gmail.com or if you are familiar with the program and are ready to sign up to support a specific classroom you can do so 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.

Our Students love playing outside during recess! To ensure they can enjoy the fresh air and sunshine even in cooler weather, please send your kids to school with their winter gear: hat, snow gloves, snow pants, snow boots and coat. If you need assistance with winter gear, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Call the main office at 612-688-2760 and ask for Ms. Victoria.

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

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.

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.

The Second Harvest Heartland Care Center helps people find food through our network of food shelves and community resources, as well as assistance with applying for SNAP. The Care Center is free, friendly, and confidential. Talk to an advisor 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday, and 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.

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