Message from the Administrators:
Hello Kennedy Cougar Families!
April is here and testing season has arrived. Our 3rd & 4th grade teams have worked hard and it's our students time to shine! Our RLA STAAR assessment is 4 days away. Please be sure that all students are in bed early and at school by 7:55am.
April is filled with new experiences and exciting family events. We encourage you to stay engaged and involved in your child's education by attending school events, participating in parent teacher conferences, and volunteering your time when available. Together, we will continue to create a school environment where every child feels supported, valued, and empowered to reach their full potential.
4 Days away from STAAR - It's our time to shine!
Spring testing days for 3rd and 4th grade students are listed below. Please discuss with your child the upcoming dates to reduce testing anxiety and encourage them to perform their absolute best during these times. There will be no visitors permitted on testing days. Thank you for your continued support.
- April 9: ELAR STAAR Assessment
- April 23: MATH STAAR Assessment
Safety First!
To ensure a smooth and safe start to the school day it is important to adhere to the no parking zones, especially during morning drop-off time. It's crucial to remember that the drop-off lane is a no-parking zone. Abiding by this rule can significantly help with the flow of traffic. The school doors open at 7:15 am, providing ample time for students to get to their classes or breakfast.
If you arrive before 7:15am, please park in the visitor's parking lot to wait. Refrain from parking in the drop off line, causing cars to attempt to go around you and the safety cones. Please share this information with other family members who drop off/pick up your student. Thank you for your assistance and attention to this safety protocol.
Volunteer Application/ Field Trip Chaperones
We are committed to strengthening our home to school connection. If you are interested in volunteering or being a field trip chaperone at Kennedy, please contact Mrs. Perez (Family Center Liaison) for more details. The deadline for submitting volunteer applications for the 23-24 school year is April 26th.
The district process takes approximately 3-4 weeks to complete. Please submit your application now to avoid delays. Volunteer information and application are included in the link below. Please make sure that you use your complete government name. Remember that all chaperones must be cleared through the district which includes a background check and campus training and orientation. You cannot serve as a chaperone unless you are a cleared district volunteer.
Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you on campus.
https://www.aliefisd.net/o/aisd/page/volunteers-in-public-schools
Upcoming Field Trips:
Kindergarten - April 9
First Grade - May 10
Second Grade - April 19
Remember that all chaperones must be cleared through the district which includes a background check and campus training and orientation. You cannot serve as a chaperone unless you are a cleared district volunteer.
Parent Conferences
Contact your child's teacher to schedule a parent teacher conference. It's an opportunity for you to ask questions about your child's progress. It is also a time for you and the teacher to work together as a team to discuss ways you both can help your son or daughter finish the school year strong!
Your Attendance Matters!
School attendance is very important and Kennedy Elementary is striving to meet and beat Gold Performance with 95% Average Daily Attendance (ADA) this year. Morning announcements begin at 7:50am. The tardy bell rings at 7:55 AM and the instructional day begins at this time. Once the tardy bell rings, all students should be in their classroom and ready for learning.
Our goal is to ensure that every student attends school regularly. We realize some absences are unavoidable, however excessive tardies and absences can cause students to fall behind academically.
This spring semester, we are leveling up with our prizes! We will celebrate our monthly winners with a delicious pizza party. Congratulations to our Attendance Winners! These classes have won a pizza party. Be sure that your child is at school, on time every day!
March Winners:
Kinder: Villatoro
1st grade: Martinez
2nd grade: Davis
3rd grade: Deanda
4th grade : Machado
April Attendance Challenge
In a fun and vibrant effort to promote consistent attendance among students, our school has announced a delightful incentive for the month of April. We will track each classes attendance daily average each week. At the end of the month, the class that successfully meets our campus ADA (Average Daily Attendance) goal the whole month of April will be rewarded with a unique and entertaining slime party! This innovative approach not only aims to encourage students to be present at school every day but also to foster a spirit of teamwork and collective responsibility among classmates.
How to Support Your Child to Stay on Task at School
Keeping students focused in a classroom setting can be very challenging at times. In a classroom, one student can become off task which can create a domino effect. That student can distract the student next to them and so on. This causes the teacher to stop what he/she is doing to bring all the students back to the task they were supposed to be doing. When the student is off task, they start to lose learning time and could begin to fall behind in school as they miss out on important material.
Here are some strategies to discuss with you child to keep them focused and on task.
- Sit At The Front Of The Classroom: For school-aged children, sitting at the front of the classroom can help them stay focused and concentrate. This helps them avoid distractions and stay on task.
- Keep An Organized School Workspace: Make sure your child’s school workspace is organized. This will help them stay focused and on task. Make sure their desk, books, and supplies are neat and organized so they can easily find what they need.
- Learn How To Deal With Distractions: Distractions are inevitable, so it’s important to teach your child how to deal with them. Encourage your child to take a few deep breaths and focus on the task at hand. You can also help them by creating a quiet and distraction-free environment.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that we create the expectation of what we want from our children in school and at home. Using these strategies will help keep them focused. By giving the students the time, support, and tools they need to focus, we can help them become better learners and develop the confidence and perseverance they need to succeed in school and in life.
Character Trait of the Month: Perseverance
Our character trait this month is Perseverance. Make sure to join us on April 4th by wearing purple to spotlight our character trait as we continue to support social emotional learning, SEL, with our students.
Children need to experience perseverance. When your children struggle, are you the kind of parent that finds it easier to let them give up? Do you hate to see them falter and fall down so much you stop them from having those learning experiences? We must teach our children perseverance in order for them to be successful in all their endeavors.
The first thing we can do as parents is teach perseverance language in the home. Words like “keep trying,” “never give up,” or “you can do it” are essential in developing your children’s belief system. When they do achieve a goal, especially when it has been difficult, always recognize and acknowledge their success. Help them recognize which of their behaviors demonstrated perseverance. Teach them that when they start something, they have committed to its completion. Do not give in to their desire to quit something they started. Make sure they understand what they will have to give up as well as what they will gain through their commitment. Helping children learn to stick with a tough challenge will give them the confidence they need to succeed.
Bullying Information
In our previous newsletters, we learned the definition of what is considered bullying and discussed the difference between bullying and conflict.
Bullying includes all three of the following:
- The person is hurting or harming you with their words or behavior on purpose
- It happens repeatedly
- And you feel that the person has more power than you
We have also discussed what to do if you are being bullied, reporting bullying, the difference between reporting and tattling, when should you immediately report bullying, and what is a bystander? This time we will talk about how do bystanders make a bullying situation better or worse?
HOW DO BYSTANDERS MAKE A BULLYING SITUATION BETTER OR WORSE?
We’ve learned about bystanders in our previous newsletter – the people who watch a bullying situation. Often there are several bystanders watching a bullying situation. These bystanders also have power. How they use that power can either help stop bullying or make it worse. We want you to help.
Bystanders who watch bullying give their power away to the person who bullies. They hurt the person who is being bullied. They’re not helping, and that’s how they become part of the bullying problem.
An important thing to remember is that bystanders can use their power to help people that are being bullied. Actions that help reduce or stop bullying are part of the solution.
Every child is unique and has their own way of responding to situations. That is why it is important for parents and guardians to understand bullying to create a meaningful dialogue and identify when a child needs help.
