John F. Kennedy Middle School

Board of Education Anjali Kausar

Josephine Lucey Kristen Lyn

Soma McCandless Phyllis Vogel

Superintendent

Wendy Gudalewicz

News & Views October 2016

Mark Your Calendar

October

6 Yosemite Parent Night 6:30 p.m. 12 Student Picture Retakes

Parent Ed Night (Screenagers) 7:00 p.m. PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m. (immediately following) 14 PTA – Fall Festival 4:00 p.m. 19 School Site Council 3:00 p.m. 17-20 Book Fair 21 Learning Day – No Students 28 6th Grade Social 3:00 p.m. November 7 Superintendent Coffee 9 Parent Ed Night (Social Media) 6:00 p.m. PTA Meeting 7 p.m. 11 Veteran’s Day Holiday – No School 16 School Site Council 3:00 p.m. 21-25 Thanksgiving Recess – No school December 7 FAME Show 7:00 p.m. 8 FAME Show 7:00 p.m. 9 7/8 Dance 6:00 p.m. 12 Strings Concert 7:00 p.m. 14 PTA Meeting 7:00 p.m. Winter Break Dec. 19 – Jan. 2 School Resumes January 3, 2017

Steve Hamm – Principal Erin Lindsey – Assistant Principal Brian White – Assistant Principal Lisa Perea – Counselor Jessica Williams – Counselor Stewart Kelly – PTA President Follow us on Twitter & Instagram:

kmscupertino

Volunteering at CUSD

The Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) Board of Education recognizes and appreciates that volunteer assistance in schools can significantly enrich the educational program, increase supervision of students, contribute to school safety, and strengthen a school’s relationship with the community. The Board encourages parents/guardians and other members of the community to share their time, knowledge and abilities with students. The Board, in compliance with California Education Code Section 35021 and Board Policy 1240, requires school volunteers to be screened and authorized to volunteer. Volunteers who may be in contact with students outside the presence of certificated staff, however briefly, must arrange for a California Department of Justice (DOJ) fingerprint submission prior to volunteering. Also, volunteers who will have frequent or prolonged contact with students must also be TB tested and cleared. These requirements are in place given an abundance of caution for student safety and well-being. Feel free to visit our website for more information and the forms necessary to volunteer at Kennedy or any of the CUSD schools. TB tests expire after 4 years, while fingerprinting only needs to happen once during your time within the district. If you have been fingerprinted at an elementary school for example, the information would be available for the middle school to view.

November 9th Please join the Santa Clara County Sherriff’s department as they present on Social Media for parents and students. The presentation will cover topics on how to be a good online citizen, how to establish a good digital reputation, some caution zones and how to set students up for a positive future in social media.

Yosemite Parent Meeting – October 6th Thursday Night @ 6:30 pm in the gym

Donations will be accepted at the parent meeting

All donations are due by Friday,

October 7th.

Kennedy PTA

2 0 1 6 I 2 0 1 7

PTA Meeting Wednesday, October 12 at 6 p.m. in the Kennedy CLC (next to the Library) Meet other parents, share ideas and learn more about PTA programs. Then stay for the Parent Ed presentation immediately following the meeting. Parent Ed Night Presents Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age Wednesday, October 12 at 7-8:30 p.m in the Kennedy MU – Note new start time! This critically acclaimed documentary looks at the impact of screen time and how to effectively manage it. Reserve your free ticket here: bit.ly/KMSScreenagers

Fall Festival Friday, October 14 at 5 p.m. The Kennedy Fall Festival returns with lots of food, fun and entertainment. Food and games will open at 5 p.m., and the movie starts on our GIANT screen at 7 p.m. See details below or visit kennedyFallFestival.wordpress.com.

Direct Donation Contest Deadline Extended to October 14! Remember, this is the only school-wide fundraiser with all money going to support classroom technology, student programs and teacher grants. Class with the most kids participating or the most funds raised win prizes. See details below or donate here: www.kennedymspta.org/forms/donation2016/

Reflections Art Contest Deadline October 17 Theme: What Is Your Story? PTA Reflections is a national arts achievement program open to all Kennedy students. More information and entry forms are available at www.kennedymspta.org/reflections/ Entries must be submitted to the Kennedy office by Oct. 17 at 3 p.m.

Stay Connected! Please be sure to join our PTA Announcements email list to receive valuable news and updates. Sign up online at: eepurl.com/bgZe3v. You can also publish updates about PTA activities and valuable community information on the PTA website: www.kennedymspta.org.

PTA News

The third annual KENNEDY FALL FESTIVAL Friday, October 14, 2016, from 5 PM to 9 PM.

The third annual KENNEDY FALL FESTIVAL is coming up on Friday, October 14, 2016, from 5 PM to 9 PM. Last year, we had over 1,000 people attend — families, friends, current, former, and incoming students, and the surrounding neighborhood! This year promises to be EVEN BIGGER! We’ve secured the rights to show “THE JUNGLE BOOK”, out under the stars, on a giant 40′ outdoor movie screen, and ADMISSION AND THE MOVIE IS FREE, for everyone. We will have Pizza, Chipotle, Subway, Samosas, Spring Rolls, T-Pumps, Water, Soda, Popcorn, Cotton Candy, Marshmallow Pops, and many other snacks available to be purchased with FESTIVAL TICKETS, which can be bought online (see link below), or directly at the Festival. Purchased tickets must be used for the Photo Booth, Henna Artists, Caricature Artists, and Spin Art tables. No cash will be accepted at the food or game zones. Most other activities (including Carnival Challenge Activities and Kennedy Music Performances) are FREE! It all begins at 5 PM in the South Court, then at 7 PM, we gather under the stars on the lower field to watch the movie on a giant outdoor movie screen. Please remember that we will be collecting food for Second Harvest Food Bank on that night and all week long, so bring some donated food to contribute to this worthy cause. You can buy tickets in advance, sign-up to volunteer (WE NEED YOUR HELP), and find more information at our Fall Festival website: KennedyFallFestival.wordpress.com.

It’s going to be an amazing evening!

Direct Donation Contest! We’re in the final two weeks of the Direct Donation Contest. Direct Donation Contest forms are available on the www.kennedymspta.org and in the front office. Donation can be made by check, or online by credit or debit card.

6 Opportunities to Win! 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes for first period class with the Highest Percentage of Students Participating, and for the class with the Highest Amount Raised (average per student). 1st Prize:

- $10 Amazon gift certificate for all students - Head-of-the-line pass for all students - Baskin Robbins 2-for-1 certificate for all students

2nd Prize: - $7 Yogurtland gift certificate for all students - Baskin Robbins 2-for-1 certificate for all students

3rd Prize: - $5 Jamba Juice gift certificate for all students - Baskin Robbins 2-for-1 certificate for all students

Remember, this is the only school-wide fundraiser and all money goes to support teachers and programs for all students. We encourage everyone to participate.

Kennedy

Direct Donation at Work • Teacher Grants • Student Socials & Dances • Teacher Training • Student Clubs: Math, Art, Red Cross, etc. • Parent Education Nights • Classroom Technology

The deadline for the Direct Donation Contest has been extended to Friday, October 14, prizes will be awarded the following week. Want to participate? Simply donate to Direct Donation here: www.kennedymspta.org/forms/donation2016/ P.S. Check out the teachers’ Direct Donation Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocLLchlPl_M

Coming to Kennedy … Wednesday, October 12 @ 7 p.m.

SCREENAGERS probes into the vulnerable corners of family life, including the director's own, and depicts messy struggles, over social media, video games, academics and internet addiction. Through surprising insights from authors and brain scientists solutions emerge on how we can empower kids to best navigate the digital world.

This is a Kennedy PTA-sponsored presentation, tickets are free, but we request you reserve your seat here (bit.ly/KMSScreenagers)

DISTRICT NEWS SECTION  Vol. 2 2016-2017 Middle School

CUPERTINO SAFE ROUTES 2 SCHOOL – JOIN THE MOVEMENT! The Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School program has expanded its program reach to include all 14 Cupertino Schools and is actively looking for more volunteers! This community safety program is a partnership between the City of Cupertino, Cupertino Union School District, Fremont Union High School District, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, and YOU – our community residents. The keyword here is community, and in order to reduce traffic and increase safety in our community, we need community participation! So how can one participate? It starts with awareness about the way we are traveling. If we want Cupertino to be a safer place to travel, we must consciously change the way we travel. If we want to empower our kids to walk and bike safely to schools, we must ensure that our actions out on the road support an environment of safe pedestrian and cyclist travel. If we want to see more pedestrians and cyclists out on the streets, we need to get out there and walk or bike! Let’s lead by example in a city that is safe to walk and bike from place to place by safely walking and biking as daily habit. By participating in the Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School program we are taking responsibility for our community’s safety and becoming a part of the solution rather than accepting and complaining about and the problem. Here are some specific ways to participate in Safe Routes 2 School. We need your help to create change! • Come to a monthly meeting! Take a seat at the solutions table at one of our Safe Routes 2 School

Working Group meetings! This is the place where ideas take shape and community input is integrated into City plans. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it!

• Walk or bike to work one more time per week than you currently do. Maybe this means walking or biking just once a week- that’s great! Any amount of progress is progress and you’ll take one more car off the road!

• Walk or bike to school with your child(ren). Allow mornings or afternoons to be times of family bonding while meeting neighbors and enjoying fresh air. If you live too far to walk or bike, park ½ mile away and walk or bike the rest!

• Join in a carpool at least once a week. Carpooling is a fantastic way to reduce the number of cars on the road and improve community health. Plus it can save you the stress of driving your child every single day!

• Lead a walking group! Frustrated with the backup of cars in your neighborhood due to school traffic? Volunteer to be a walking group leader at your local school and eliminate 10-20 cars from the road per morning! Contact the Safe Routes 2 School Coordinator for planning assistance.

• Volunteer during mornings or afternoons at your local school! Are you seeing near misses during pickup and drop-off? Why not help and ask your local school staff if you can volunteer to help calm traffic flow? Your liability is protected by the federal Volunteer Protection Act!

For more information on any of these steps, contact the Cupertino Safe Routes 2 School Coordinator at saferoutes@cupertino.org! As scientist and philosopher Aristotle once said, “We are what we repeatedly do.” Let’s ensure that every time we ride, walk, or drive that we adopt the mentality that our family and friends are biking or walking on the road alongside us and ALWAYS prioritize the lives and safety of others.

District News News

SCHOOL SAFETY The Cupertino Union School District believes a safe school environment is essential to learning and allows all students equal access and opportunities in the district’s academic and other educational support programs, services and activities. To support our students, all district schools have discipline policies that promote a positive environment and stress good citizenship. Our schools also have prevention and intervention programs to help students make decisions, solve problems and deal with conflict. In addition to this, we ensure that schools are prepared in the event of an emergency. The District has a Disaster Preparedness Plan and each school has a disaster plan for student safety. Principals and school staff are prepared to make prompt and responsible decisions in any situation that could threaten the safety of students. The District encourages families to consider the following to support the school and the safety of their child(ren) at home.

1. Notify the school when phone numbers or emergency contacts have changed. This allows school emergency cards to be changed accordingly.

2. When visiting any of the Cupertino School District campuses during the school day, sign in at the office upon arriving. (This excludes drop off and pick up.) 3. Follow the rules of the road when traveling with your child(ren) to and from school. 4. Always be prepared to stop for pedestrians in residential and school areas. 5. If your family owns firearms, store them in a safe way, including keeping them locked when not in use and storing ammunition separately. California Law states that an adult is criminally liable if a firearm is stored improperly and a child gains access to the weapon. 6. Create a home family emergency plan.

BE SAFE WHILE WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL! When walking, the safest place to cross is at marked crosswalks and corners. Before you cross, make sure to STOP – LOOK – LISTEN before entering crosswalks or corners. When bicycling, ride on the right side of the road and obey all traffic laws. Always wear a helmet- SNUG fit around your head, ears, and chin, as well as LEVEL and LOW on the forehead, just above the eyebrows.