Kennedy School News

Dear Kennedy families,

Thank you for taking time to read the first edition of the Kennedy School News for the 2015-16 school year! On Fridays throughout the school year, you'll receive emails like this one. It's our weekly E-newsletter, and it features exciting stories, important news, and timely event information from Kennedy School that's intended to keep you informed. This news blast will also be posted on our school website so that you can reference it at your convenience.

It is with great excitement that I welcome our new and returning families to another year at Kennedy School! Pre School through 3rd grade students completed their first week of school. The classrooms & hallways were filled with smiling children, eager and excited to be at school.

You may have noticed a redesigned front entrance that has increased security by requiring visitors to enter the building through the main office and check in to District 81's visitor management software before being granted access to the rest of the school.

Welcome to a great year. We are thrilled to have your family join ours. I thank you for your ongoing support, and I am grateful for your trust and partnership as we work to best meet your children's needs. The 2015-2016 school year promises to be an exciting one with great opportunities for our students to learn and grow. Please know that my door is always open to parents and students. I encourage parents to contact their child's teacher or me with any questions or concerns throughout the year. In order for your child to learn and grow as much as possible, it is imperative that we work together.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Melissa Kartsimas

Principal

mkartsimas@sd81.org

The safety of your children is always our top priority at Kennedy School. It is important to review information that both children and parents need to be aware of to ensure the safety of all students during arrival & dismissal.

*Students in grades K-3 should not arrive to school prior to 7:40am. There is no supervision on the playground or common areas prior to this time.

*The driveway located on the south side of the building is for student drop-off and pick-up only. No parking is available in the South Lot for parents during arrival/dismissal. Please take advantage of the drop-off circle by remaining inside your vehicle while your child unloads in the circle drive. After your child exits the vehicle, please wait until the car in front of you moves before exiting the drive-through-lane. Please do not pass cars in front of you, as this is a major safety concern and there is only 1 lane to exit the parking lot.

*If you wish to park your car and walk your child onto the blacktop, you may park along Scott Street (behind the school) and walk your child to the playground.

*If you choose to pick your child up in our circle drive, please be courteous and respectful to school personnel and each other. The safety of your children is our top priority and the rules we have in place are in your child's best interest.

During the school year at Kennedy School the safety of our students and our staff members is a high priority. Each year the schools participate in bus evacuation, school evacuation, code red, fire and tornado drills. On Tuesday, August 25th, Kennedy School will conduct a school evacuation drill. This drill consists of our students vacating the school building and walking to one of our four designated safe locations. Once the students have arrived at this location, school buses will pick the students up and transport them back to school. The drill will last approximately 45 minutes.

Additionally, Kennedy School will conduct a Code Red Drill on Friday, August 28th. This drill will take place during school hours and will last approximately 30 minutes. During this lockdown drill, no one will be allowed into the building or out of the building. Please make a note of this to avoid any inconvenience to you. We will not be able to allow parents/guardians into the building to pick up students during this drill. Members of the Schiller Park Police Department will be assisting us with the drill, so it is very important that we follow proper procedure. The students will be instructed to stay in their classroom away from windows and doors. They must remain quiet until the drill is over and the school is deemed safe by the Police Department.

Our hope is that we will never have the need for these emergency procedures; however we feel that by advance planning and practice of specific procedures that we are preparing our students and staff members to react in a calm manner. I hope you understand the importance for this type of activity. As always, the safety of the children is our top priority.

Week of August 24th: MAP Testing Begins

September 3rd: Curriculum Night (6:00pm-7:30pm)