Kennedy Cougars

Dear Kennedy Families and Caregivers,

It's been a great last week of March. The weather has been warmer and more students are venturing outside for Laps at Lunch. Big shout out to our parent laps volunteers. Without you, this would not be possible. We are truly grateful. If you, too, want to be in on THE FUN, please contact our Laps at Lunch Coordinator, Rebecca Waterhouse, rpwaterhouse@gmail.com.

**NEW Seminar from Spark Kindness:

Growing Up in Public: Navigating Reputation and Social Media in the Digital Age

Thursday, April 13 at 7pm via Zoom -- For parents, caregivers, educators, and community members of all ages

In this talk, author Devorah Heitner, PhD, will share pragmatic, research-based advice on how we can mentor our kids on cultivating a healthy online presence. She will address why character and learning how to navigate relationships are most important and how parents can stop stressing and focus instead on helping young people become responsible digital citizens. ASL interpretation will be provided at this event Register and learn more about this FREE online program and all our upcoming events at www.SPARKKindness.org

Upcoming mySAEBRS survey information:

As part of our transformative SEL work in Natick, we are committed to supporting every student’s academic growth as well as their social, emotional and behavioral growth.This year, we are piloting the mySAEBRS Social, Academic, Emotional, Behaviors Risk Screener screening tool with students. The use of the SAEBRS refines and strengthens our efforts to help all of our students be successful by allowing us to take positive and preventative measures as early as possible. Students will be completing the mySAEBRS screener at both middle schools between the window of Monday, March 20th - Friday, April 7th. Please email your school counselor with any questions about the survey.

Grade 5 counselor, Melisa MacDonald - memacdonald@natickps.org

Grade 6 counselor, Kelly Corey - kcorey@natickps.org

Grade 7 counselor, Todd Heller - rheller@natickps.org

Grade 8 counselor, Kelly Morin - kmorin@natickps.org

Upcoming 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 Other People Mindset of Knowing That My Words and Actions Affect Others. Everything that you say and do can affect others -- and your relationships with them.

Everything we do, say, text, tweet, snap, or post can positively or negatively impact other people. Our words and our actions are our choices to make, but they can have ripple effects long after we make them. Words and actions have the power to lift others up or tear them down, but, our words and actions also impact ourselves. When a group is comprised of individuals who are thoughtful about their words and actions -- individuals who show respect and consideration for the people around them -- we’re likely to have a happier and healthier culture.

To practice and encourage the character strength of perspective 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 OPM - Knowing that my WORDS and ACTIONS affect others letter for families for this week's character strength.

From our town partners:

All Aboard! Public input requested for accessible cycling.

The Town of Natick is launching a trial program for accessible/adaptive cycling on the Cochituate Rail Trail, and we need your input. Thanks to grant funding from the MetroWest Health Foundation and the MathWorks Community Grant Program, Natick will be acquiring an accessible bicycle and a storage unit, and setting up a program in 2023 to offer rides to people with disabilities. To help us get started, we have launched a survey to ask…

• What style of bicycle would work for you or a family member/friend?
• Are you interested in being a volunteer?
• Do you have any questions or advice?

Please take a few minutes to complete this survey by Friday, April 14. If you are not able to complete the survey, you can contact Melissa Carter, Coordinator of Adaptive Programs for Recreation and Parks at mcarter@natickma.org.

All Aboard is being launched in partnership with the Friends of Natick Trails and the Natick Public Schools.

All Aboard Accessible Cycling Community Input

Car Pickup/Dropoff Safety Reminder:

Just a quick reminder to be careful while dropping off and picking up students in the car line. We work diligently to get the line moving quickly. Please be patient so that we may ensure the safety of our students getting into/out of cars and pedestrian's walking in the crosswalks. Thank you for your attention to this important reminder.

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.

Regards,

Jodie Cohen, Principal

"Be mindful with words. A string of some that don't mean much to you may stick with someone for a lifetime."

~ Rachel Wolchin

Twitter - @KennedyMSNatick

Instagram - @KennedyMSNatick

#weR1Kennedy

#hearusROAR

#cougarpride
#positivityinaction

1 - Upcoming Events:

• Monday, April 3: Faculty Meeting Day - No After School Activities or Late Buses

• Thursday, April 6: No After School Activities or Late Buses due to holiday on April 7th.

• Friday, April 7 - Good Friday, No School
• Wednesday, April 12 - Professional Development Day, Early Release 11:30 am
• 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