KJSH Family Newsletter

The summer is going by quickly and we will soon be back to school. We are getting ready for the start of another great year at Kenmore Jr/Sr High School! We have many new students joining our school and we are so excited to welcome all of our new and returning students on September 2nd. We also have some new Advisors and staff at KJSH that we are so excited to share with you:

• James Bedard - James traveled between Kenmore East and Big Picture last year. We are thrilled to have him join the Big Picture Middle School team full-time as the new Clovers Advisor and Middle School ELA teacher.
• Sara Catalano-Panaro - Sara will be the Clerk Typist working in our KJSH Main Office alongside our Senior Clerk Typist Andra Fik. Sara comes to KJSH from Kenmore East where she most recently served as the Clerk Typist in the Counseling Office.
• John Graber - John completed his student teaching a couple of years ago with Matt LaVigne in the Big Picture High School program. John is coming back to KJSH full-time and and will be working with all three programs teaching Social Studies and supporting L2Ls and internships.
• Jeremy McPhail - Jeremy has worked at Big Picture when it first opened years ago. He will be coming back to Big Picture this school as part of his traveling teacher schedule. Jeremey will be at Big Picture in the afternoon working with BPMS and BPHS students.
• Madelyn Micket - Madelyn completed her student teaching a couple of years ago with Matt Miller in the Big Picture Middle School program. Madelyn is coming back to KJSH to be the new Advisor with the Big Picture Middle School team. She will work with the Balloons Advisory.
• Anna Roulley - Anna worked at KJSH last school year as our building-based sub and will now be the 101 Orange Advisor in the Big Picture High School program. She will also be teaching math at BPHS.

Join us for a locker move-in and Open House on Monday August 31st at 3:30 PM. Please enter through Door 1 in the front of the building. We will start with a brief overview in the auditorium and then have you walk the halls and meet the teachers.

We look forward to September 2nd - the first day of school! If you have any questions during the summer, please feel free to call us at (716) 874-8403.

Kenmore Jr/Sr High School start and end times for the 2026-2027 school year for all students in grades 7-12 are listed in the graphic below. Please note all students will enter the building through Door 1 (in the front of the building) and will be screened daily through the Opengate weapons detections system.

Please help us keep all of your contact information current for the 2026-2027 school year by clicking the button below. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to complete this form.

The safety of our students remains a top priority. To ensure a smooth, safe, and efficient start and end to the day for everyone, we would like to remind you of our drop-off/pick-up procedures. Please take a moment to review the map below and the following guidelines:

Where to Drop Off

• Designated Zone: For the safety of our walkers and staff, please drop off students along the south side of the building (indicated by the green arrows on the map).
• Direction of Traffic: Please enter from Myron Ave and proceed toward Delaware Rd.
• Crossing Guard: A crossing guard is stationed at the corner of Delaware Rd to assist students crossing the street.

• The Bus Lane: The lane on the north side of the building (marked with a red X) is strictly reserved for school buses.
• For the safety of our students exiting buses, passenger vehicles are not permitted in this area during drop-off times of 7:30-7:50 AM.

• Stay in Sequence: Please stay in line and avoid pulling around other vehicles.
• Be Ready: Having students ready with their bags and gear helps keep the line moving quickly for everyone.
• Patience is Appreciated: The first few minutes of the drop-off/pick-up window are always the busiest. Planning to arrive a few minutes earlier can help you avoid the rush!

Each student's absence, tardiness, and early departure from scheduled instruction will be classified and recorded as "excused" or "unexcused" based on the reason for the absence. Please provide a written note for all excused absences/tardies/releases.

Excused absences may be for the following reasons:

• Personal illness or hospitalization
• Medical or dental appointment that cannot be scheduled outside school hours
• Death in the family
• Religious observance
• Legal obligation (e.g., required to be in court)
• Authorized school activity (e.g., field trip, music lesson, etc.)
• College visits
• Other reasons as may be approved by the principal and are consistent with the intent of the policy.

Absences for any reason other than those listed above are unexcused. Such absences include, but are not limited to:

• Family vacation
• Oversleeping
• Babysitting
• Car trouble
• Take your child to work day
• Truancy/class cut
• Other

Each year we host an Open House and locker move-in session for all enrolled students. Students and their families are welcome to join us for our Annual Open House and Locker Move-In on Monday August 31, 2026 at 3:30 PM. Please enter through Door 1 when you arrive. We will begin in the auditorium and then have opportunities to explore your child's program. More details are listed in the flyers linked below.

We look forward to seeing everyone on August 31st!

The health office is excited to welcome everyone back for a safe, healthy, and successful school year! We look forward to partnering with families to support the health and well being of all Big PIcture and Crossroads Academy students!

Please make sure of the following:

• Emergency contact information is current and up to date.
• Your child’s immunizations and required physicals are completed and submitted.
• The school is informed of any new medical conditions, allergies, or health concerns.

If your child needs medication during the school day:

• All medications must be brought to school by a parent or guardian.
• Prescription medications must be in the original pharmacy-labeled container.
• Over the counter medications must be in their original, unopened container.
• A completed medication authorization form signed by both the parent and healthcare provider is required before medication can be administered.

If you have any questions or need to discuss your child’s health needs, please don’t hesitate to contact the health office. Working together, we can help every student stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

Thank You!

Adele Turek, RN

Phone (716) 874-8403 ext 2

Fax (716) 873-1259

KJSH is an innovative school that is best understood in-person. We help each individual student understand their schedule, locker assignment, school rules, etc. starting the very first day of school. We do not want to overwhelm anyone before the school year has begun. As a result, we offer the following information to help you prepare as a family for the start of the school year:

• Locker assignments will be ready by August 31 for Locker Move-In Day. Your Advisor will have your locker assignment.
• Schedules will be shared with students during the first week of school.
• Supply list:
• Pens
• Pencils
• Sneakers and active attire for Physical Education

• August 31 - KJSH Open House for all students and families, 3:30 PM
• September 2 - First Day of School
• September 4 - NO SCHOOL - Superintendent's Conference Day
• September 7 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day
• September 9 - Picture Day
• October 1 - Early Release Day, 11:20 AM
• October 12 - NO SCHOOL - Columbus Day
• October 19 - Picture Re-Take Day
• November 18 - 1/2 Day for BP Exhibitions and CA Parent/Teacher Conferences, 11:20 AM

Website: https://kenmore.ktufsd.org/

Location: 155 Delaware Rd. Buffalo, NY 14217

Phone: (716) 874-8403