Kennedy Newsletter for Families
January 2020
Principal's Post
Kennedy Families,
Greetings from the Kennedy Elementary Office!
Happy New Year! It's 2020! I hope all of you had a joyous season of family and rest. Tomorrow our students will return to school to start the second half of our school year. For some reason, our Spring semester always seems to go more quickly than our Fall Semester.
Before the break our Coyotes were able to celebrate the holiday season together as we wore PJs and sang carols on the last day before our Christmas Break. But now it's time to get back to business. Our teachers have met with other teachers from across the district to learn the latest and most beneficial ways to educate your child(ren). We are ready to go!
This is the time of year to look excitedly at the future and make goals for ourselves. Our students will set goals for themselves as they return. Research shows over and over again that goal setting for children/students helps them learn more, and grow in their confidence.
I am sure you have seen on the news that the flu is really ramping up in our area. I have attached some information about avoiding the flu from the Center for Disease Control below. We take health seriously and our custodians are proud to maintain a very clean school.
It is a true joy to the principal of Kennedy Elementary. I am someone who is lucky enough to say, "I love my job!". If there is ever anything I can improve upon, please let me know. I want to ensure that your child(ren) and mine have a wonderful elementary school experience.
Proud to serve you and the Lynn Garden Community,
Janice Irvin, Ed. D.
Principal
Kennedy Elementary
Donations Needed!
- Please donate Clorox or Lysol wipes to your child's classroom during flu season. We appreciate your help! We have EXCELLENT custodians and have had the lowest flu numbers in Kingsport City Schools. BUT-- Dr. Irvin doesn't like germs so we will be wiping door knobs, etc, more frequently. :)
Kennedy Teachers Edition
- Each classroom teacher greets students at the door every morning. This is to establish a positive connection from the first moment our Coyotes walk into our doors.
- Our teachers receive over 20 hours a year of training from Kingsport City Schools and the Tennessee State Department of Education to ensure your student receives the best possible education.
- Teachers use testing data to determine what students need to know, what they already know, what they need to be retaught, and how to teach extend their learning past what they have mastered.
- Our students take 9-weeks tests to let us know how they are doing, and how we can best teach them. Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will be setting goals for themselves based on the 9-weeks assessments they took in Math and Literacy when we come back.
- Our school-wide HOWL expectations are implemented throughout the day in every class.
- HOWL cards are our way of finding the good and praising it in all of our Coyotes!
We need your help!
Sad tag with no name! :(
Make these homeless jackets happy and come back for them! They miss you! Haha!
Coyotes are going green!
Feeling Crafty?
Kennedy is a Bully-Free Zone! #CoyotesAreKind
**** Kennedy Office Staff ****
Cindy Salyer - Office Assistant
Kem Padgett - Award Winning KCS Secretary
Debbie Allen - Family Liaison
Kim Oaks-Blair - School Counselor
Heather Hobbs - Associate Principal
Dr. Janice Irvin - Principal
Kennedy Constants
We hope you find it helpful! Please let us know if we can clarify anything for you.
Attendance, Absences, and Tardiness
Birthdays
Please only send healthy snacks as a birthday treat for your child's class. We cannot accept cupcakes, cakes, or homemade items. Please make arrangements with your child's teacher before sending in healthy treats.
Flowers, balloons, etc. should not be sent to the office for students. Please give these sweet gifts at home.
Breakfast and Lunch Programs
Ice-cream day is Friday and must be purchased ($1)
Healthy chips can also be purchased ($1)
Bus Transportation
The number to the transportation garage is 392-4416, if needed.
Carline
- During AM drop off, please stay in your car and allow your child to exit independently.
- During AM drop off, please unload at all 4 numbers/lanes. No need to stop at the bottom of the hill.
- During AM drop off, students can walk into the cafe from 7:30-8:05.
- In the afternoons, 4th and 5th grade cars (side parking lot) please turn RIGHT after you pick-up.
- In the afternoons, PLEASE USE YOUR CAR TAG! :) There is often a glare and I cannot see faces until you are right beside me. This helps our line move as quickly as possible.
Communication & Class Dojo
Contact us!
857-2700 - Main Office
857-2704 - Cafe, Karen Mullins
857-2702 -Nurse Lundy
378-2340 -Fax
1500 Woodland Avenue
Kingsport, TN 37665
Discipline
They are:
H- Helping Others
O- Overcoming Challenges
W- Willingness to Learn
L- Leading with Respect
Hear us HOWL!
In addition to these expectations we use Positive Discipline with Lifeskills at Kennedy Elementary. We know that a part of growing our students as leaders includes citizenship and character. We believe our students are the best in Tennessee.
Kennedy Family Lifeskills for Reference
Kennedy Family Positive Discipline Reference
Positive Discipline really boils down to discipline that is kind and firm. We focus on fixing the behavior, not necessarily punishment. It's based on respect and character building.
Drills/AED
Health and Medical
Additionally, we have a tele-medicine program where a child can be seen via a camera and equipment in Nurse Lundy's office. They can receive antibiotics through this program if needed! We encourage you to use this program! It's awesome!
Homework
Lost and Found
Opportunities for Coyotes
AM Tutoring (5th Grade)
Big Brothers Big Sisters (all grades)
Chorus (all grades)
DBYes (DB student mentors)
HOWLers (Boys, 4th and 5th)
Kiwanis Club Readers (volunteers)
RTI - Response to Intervention (time set aside to catch up academically)
STREAM Club
Ladies of Lynn Garden (Girls 4th and 5th)
Lego League
Maker Space (only one in a KCS elementary school!)
Morning Mile (Coach Robbins - 7:45-8:00)
Speech Services for approved students
Spelling Bee (3rd, 4th, and 5th)
Snacks/Water Bottles
Testing Policies
Our KCS Website can be found here: https://www.k12k.com/
Zones of Regulation
In addition to addressing self-regulation, the students will be gaining an increased vocabulary of emotional terms, skills in reading facial expressions, perspective on how others see and react to their behavior, insight on events that trigger their behavior, calming and alerting strategies, problem solving skills and much more. You can connect this work to parenting as home. We are excited to help our Coyotes stay in the Green Zone!
Taken from Zones of Regulation Content
Zoning and Tuition
If you have any questions feel free to contact Alisa Strong (astrong@k12k.com) via email or by calling (423)378-2100.
Approvals are based on: Attendance, Behavior, and Classroom Space