Kennedy Cougars

Dear Kennedy Families and Caregivers,

This has been a wonderful week heading up to April vacation. The students were working diligently on MCAS, while also enjoying the warmer weather, fun socializing outside at Laps at Lunch, running the mini-marathon in grades 7 and 8 (see pic below as the Brown School Bears cheer us on) and coasting their way along with the engaging curriculum provided by our wonderful Kennedy staff.

School Year 2023/2024

In the next month, we will begin our scheduling process for next school year. If there is information that you would like to share regarding your child's particular learning style, we ask you to put that in writing to us no later than April 28th. Email is fine: Please send to our front office admin assistant, Joyce MacGregor: jmacgregor@natickps.org

Professional Development Day

Kennedy and Wilson staff joined forces on Wednesday for a professional development focused on social emotional well-being that included a wonderful keynote address by Dr. Art Fergusson, Director or SEL and DEI for Natick Public Schools, followed by group work time for reflection on how to support staff and student SEL. #weR1Kennedy #wilsonunited #natickstrong

MCAS schedule

A picture of the upcoming MCAS schedule can be found below.

Positivity Project News

This week our school community will be focusing on the character strength of Social Intelligence. Social intelligence means you are aware of other people’s thoughts and feelings. You understand why they do things.

Social intelligence refers to a person’s ability to understand and manage interpersonal relationships. It is distinct from a person’s IQ or “book smarts.” It includes an individual’s ability to understand, and act on, the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of other people. This type of intelligence can take place “in the moment” of face-to-face conversations but also appears during times of deliberate thinking. It involves emotional intelligence and self-awareness.

To practice and encourage the character strength of social intelligence with your child, please visit the Positivity Project’s P2 for Families (password: P2), where together you will watch a video, read a quote, and talk about the answers to three questions.

Here is the social intelligence letter for families for this week's character strength.

I hope everyone has a wonderful April vacation. We will see everyone refreshed on April 24th.

Regards,

Jodie Cohen, Principal

"Blossom by blossom the spring begins."

~Algernon Charles Swinburne

Twitter - @KennedyMSNatick

Instagram - @KennedyMSNatick

#weR1Kennedy

#hearusROAR

#cougarpride
#positivityinaction

1 - Upcoming Events:

• Monday, April 17-Friday, April 21 - No School (April break)

2 - Step Up Night for 8th Graders Notification:

WEDNESDAY, April 26, 2023 At 6:30 p.m. In the Natick High School Auditorium

Please join us for this informative program where you will meet various members of the high school community. You will hear about the transition from Middle School to High School, as well as visit an Activity/Club Fair and a Sports Fair. Building tours will be offered throughout the evening program. (See picture below for invitation)

3 - Grade 8 to 9 Transition to Natick High School Timeline

Here is the link to the Grade 8 to 9 Transition Timeline.

4 - From the Nurses Health Clinic:

If your student tests positive for Covid-19, they must stay home for 5 days. The day they started symptoms is Day 0, the next day is Day 1, then Day 2, etc. They may return to school on Day 6 and must wear a mask for an additional 5 days. A headache, scratchy throat, congestion/runny nose, cough, and/or fever are some of the more common symptoms of Covid-19.

Siblings and close contacts do not need to quarantine and can come to school as long as they are not having symptoms of illness. However, they must wear a mask for 10 days when around others following exposure.

Click for more information from the Massachusetts DPH: Covid-19 Isolation and Exposure Guidance

5 - Information notification letters about math placement

For information about the math placement process, please see the letters below.

22-23 6th to 7th opening placement letter

22-23 7th to 8th opening placement letter

Natick Public Schools is excited to announce our partnership with Paper for on-demand tutoring for NHS students. Paper is a secure, online tutoring service that provides students with unlimited, 24/7 academic support. Whether they’re stuck on homework, studying for a test, or need someone to read and make suggestions to their essays, there will always be experts available online to assist students in over 200 subjects and more than 4 languages.

Paper tutors have been specially trained to conduct expert, academic support in a secure, chat-based platform. With a commitment to helping students learn, they’ll never give students answers, but rather interact with them in an encouraging tone to lead them forward.

This is a free service that we’re providing, so students are encouraged to use it as much as they need, whenever they need. Our teachers also have accounts and will be able to review all student activity to see what they’re working on and provide more targeted instruction as needed.

If you’d like to learn more about Paper you can sign up for a Paper hosted Parent Info Session, available in both English and Spanish.

To see Paper and the help it offers firsthand, we encourage you to login with your students. To get started, simply visit PAPER’s student login page, type your school’s name, and log in via Google using your school credentials

We’re thrilled to offer our students the unlimited, 24/7 support that Paper provides and we can’t wait to see what we’re able to accomplish together.

Our Kennedy Middle School PTO works hard behind the scenes to support our school in a variety of ways. They are working diligently to bring great activities to our school community. Please check out their website for more information.

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title II
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title VI
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title IX
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5