Kennedy Parent Newsletter
March 2021
Principal's News
School Start and End Times
School start time is 8:10 am and dismissal time is 2:32 pm. Doors will open at 7:55 am. Do not drop children off any earlier than 7:55 am to ensure that students are supervised.
Information links for parents - Check out the following valuable links:
COVID information www.parentslead.org/covid-19
Behavioral Health https://www.behavioralhealth.nd.gov/helpishere
5 day schedule continues to go well - students are eating in the lunch room! During lunch, students are podded (sitting in a small group while unmasked) in groups of 4 or 5 students with others from their class. The lunch pods are consistent with pods that are currently in the classroom. (For contact tracing purposes, seats will be assigned in lunch and in the class.) Two classes in a grade are going outside at the same time and can use the same play area (i.e., equipment, green space or fitness equipment). A minimum of one teacher will supervise recess each day and may assign students to specific areas or zones. No more distance learning on Friday. Take home meals will be suspended. If you have concerns with meals, please contact Mrs. Mitzel, our counselor, at 446-4268.
No visitors/outside food deliveries are allowed in the buildings - No food can be brought in to share (they can bring their own snack); drop off time is 7:55 am; masks must be worn. We will continue to encourage sanitizing and social distancing when and where possible. We are not able to ensure 6 feet of social distancing at all times. Students will be considered as close contacts to a student who is positive if they are unmasked. If your child is in close contact (unmasked) with a positive student, parents will be called to quarantine their child (i.e., keep them home). If two (or more students) are unmasked for more than 15 minutes per day, they are considered a "close contact".
Attendance - Attendance is calculated on 6 periods in a school day. This means that 6 absences = 1 day.
Extra Mask - Please continue to supply extra masks in your students backpack. Thank you.
COVID Testing - REMEMBER: if any member of your family is tested- please make sure you keep your students home until the test results have been received. Please share the results with the school. Thank you for continuing to keep us up-to-date.
DROP OFF REMINDERS:
If you drop off your child or children at school, we ask that you be kind and patient to others in the drop off loop. If the loop gets congested, you can pull to the tennis court for extra parking and drop off space.
Reminders for the drop off loop:
- Have your child ready to get out of the car once you are stopped. Have their backpack and device beside them, so they can exit the car as quickly as possible..
- All children being dropped off in the loop should get out on the passenger side door.
- Adults are to ALWAYS remain in the vehicle.
- If your child needs assistance in dressing or gathering their belongings, please park in the parking lot to assist them. Fast drop offs keeps the drop off line flowing.
- The north loop is for buses and daycares only, not for parent drop off or parent pick up.
- Parents picking up Kindergarten & 1st grade students please park on the south side of 44th Ave ONLY for the safety of your children. We do not want them crossing the street to get into your cars.
- Pull up as far as you are able.
- Be courteous to staff and others while dropping off - they are they are they to assist with the safety of dropping off and picking up of of your child/ren.
Thank you for your cooperation and showing other's empathy and kindness. We look forward to having everyone back in the building together!
End of Day Pick-Up
We are staggering dismissal times to prevent congregating. Classes dismiss starting at 2:25 and the last class dismisses at 2:32. K & 1 parents: you are encouraged to park in the north staff lot to pick up children.
No School
- Spring Break - March 15th-19th - No Classes
- Friday, April 2nd - No Classes
Storm Day Make-Up on APRIL 30th
Due to the storm day on December 23rd, there WILL BE SCHOOL on Friday, April 30th.
Accessing Progress Reports
STEP 1
Click the PowerSchool logo on the Fargo Public School webpage. Use your parent account to log into PowerSchool.
STEP 2
If you have more than one child at Fargo Schools, select the child you want to view from the top of the screen (names will be listed).
STEP 3
Along the left side of the screen, scroll down and select “Document Storage” from the menu list.
STEP 4
At the top of the Document Storage screen that appears, change the “Show All” box to “Progress Report (K-5)” or “NDSA”. Your child’s progress report results will appear. Click the document links to open each progress report result.
If you require assistance with accessing your child's progress report please call Kennedy School Office at 446-4200.
FREE Spring Break Food Boxes
Starting Monday, could you please assist with dissemination of this information regarding FREE spring break meals. Feel free to put it in newsletters, daily announcements, etc. Attached is a picture you may wish to use as well. Thank you so much and have a great weekend!
Fargo Public Schools (FPS) is offering FREE food assistance for enrolled FPS students while school is closed for Spring Break March 15-19. Food boxes will be available to all students regardless of financial means to ensure all have access to food when not in school. All students, whether learning in-person or in the Virtual Academy, are encouraged to participate. Food boxes must be preordered.
What: FREE Spring Break Food Boxes
Order Deadline:
- Tuesday, March 9 at 4:00 p.m.
Pickup Time:
- Thursday, March 11
- 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Pickup Location:
- FPS Operations Center
- 3901 40th Avenue South
Click here to preorder food boxes.
*Families with more than one student must place separate orders for each student.
Enrichment Summer School
The Fargo Public Schools Elementary Enrichment program offers a wide variety of classes for children who have completed grades 2-5. The summer enrichment courses are intended to strengthen students’ self-esteem, learn new abilities, and encourage lifelong learning through creative and enriching activities. You can register online for courses by clicking the following link:
https://www.schoolpay.com/pay/for/Elementary-Enrichment-Summer-School-Cour/Md8r
June 7th to June 25th
8:00AM – 10:00AM
10:00AM – 12:00PM
All Classes held at Hawthorne Elementary School
555 8th Ave. South Fargo, ND 58103
Transitions Summer School
Transitions Summer School is a teacher referred program. It is designed to provide additional support for students, in the area of math and/or reading, who are in need of extra instruction for them to be successful for the upcoming school year. Registration forms are due by April 15th. Parents will receive an email confirmation letter from the Transitions office by June 15th, informing them of their child's placement.
DATES: July 12th-30th (Monday-Friday)
TIMES: 8:00 AM -12:00 PM
WHERE: Elementary Buildings
Attendance Policy: Students enrolled in the "Transitions" Summer School Program are expected to be in attendance a minimum of 13 days of the 15 class days scheduled. Students who are absent are expected to make up the work they missed during their absence.
Please contact Rebecca Folden, Summer School Director, at 446-4404 with any questions.
Virtual Academy News
Parents,
In the 2020-2021 school year, Fargo Public Schools was able to provide the Virtual Academy for students and families because of an executive order by Governor Burgum. Currently, that order is slated to expire at the end of the school year; legislative action would be needed to continue offering this type of setting. As a result, all students enrolled in the Virtual Academy in the 2020-2021 school year will be enrolled back at their neighborhood school for the 2021-2022 school year. This helps assure that we have your student assigned a teacher for the 2021-2022 school year.
If future legislative action allows for North Dakota schools to offer virtual programming for students, Fargo Public Schools would complete a process to review the viability of implementing a sustainable virtual academy. FPS has experienced successes and also learned many lessons over the course of this school year that would be considered if a virtual school was allowed to continue.
Hope this finds you all doing well!
-Missy Eidsness, Associate Superintendent
-Bob Grosz, Associate Superintendent
Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration for Fall 2021 is open online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration on February 1, 2021. Child must be age 5 by July 31, 2021 to attend school in the fall. This is for New to district Kindergarten registration only - all other students (including Pre-School) will need to be re-enrolled after July 1st, 2021. Check out our Kindergarten video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6A5Gdf0ZOA&feature=emb_title
Registration is a two-step process:
STEP ONE: REGISTRATION ONLINE
Complete online registration forms at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/registration. For assistance, please contact your child’s school to schedule an appointment to complete in-person. (masks are required for all visitors)
STEP TWO: SUBMIT DOCUMENTATION
Upload or bring the following documents to your child’s school before August 25 to finalize registration.
- Child’s certified birth certificate
- Child’s immunization record, with 5-year shots
- Document (i.e. current city utility bill or bank statement) that includes parent/guardian name and current address to verify the correct
If you do not know which school your child will attend, call 701.446.1043 or check online at www.fargo.k12.nd.us/boundarymaps.
If you need PowerSchool help, please call 446-1030
Kennedy Elementary School
Email: ragek@fargo.k12.nd.us
Website: https://www.fargo.k12.nd.us/kennedy
Location: 4401 42nd Street South, Fargo, ND, USA
Phone: 701-446-4200
Twitter: @KennedyFargo