John F. Kennedy Middle School

Board of Education Anjali Kausar

Josephine Lucey Kristen Lyn

Soma McCandless Phyllis Vogel

Superintendent

Wendy Gudalewicz

News & Views September 2016

Mark Your Calendar

September

5 Labor Day Holiday – No Students 9 7/8 Grade Dance 14 PTA Meeting 7 p.m. 16 Staff Learning Day – No Students 21 School Site Council 3:00 p.m. 23 6th Grade Social 3:00 p.m.

October

6 Yosemite Parent Night 7:00 p.m. 12 Student Picture Retakes

Parent Ed Night (Screenagers) 6:00 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

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

Attention 6th grade parents; Below are the iPad deployment sessions for Tuesday, September 13th and Wednesday, September 14th. You and your child are required to attend ONE deployment session. An email was sent to you on August 29th asking for your deployment session selection. If you did not receive this email, please contact the front office. During the deployment session, you and child will sign our iPad contract and attach your iPad to Kennedy’s management system. Option 3 (BYOD) will need to bring their iPad. Options 1, 2 and 4 will purchase and/or receive their iPads. Tuesday, September 13, 3:30 - 4:30 pm Tuesday, September 13, 4:30 - 5:30 pm Tuesday, September 13, 5:30 - 6:30 pm Wednesday, September 14, 8:00 - 9:00 am Wednesday, September 14, 3:30 - 4:30 pm

Applications for the Speech Club can be picked up in Room K the week of Sept. 12th -16th. Applications are due on Thursday, September 22nd at the mandatory interest meeting from 3:15 to 4:15 in the MU. The Speech club begins October 20th. We do not accept late applicants nor will all students will be accepted into the club. The number of students accepted is dependent on the number of parent volunteers. Parent volunteers will oversee the MVHS speech captains teaching the lessons. CUSD requires that all parent volunteers must be TB tested and fingerprinted. Instructions on how to become a parent volunteer at CUSD can be found on the school’s website under the Parent link.

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. Nightmare on Puberty Street – our special assembly for 7th & 8th graders September 30th. This professionally produced live theatre program is brought to us by Kaiser Permanente. Comedy, music, dance and emotional drama take students on a tongue-in cheek journey along the rocky road to adulthood. Parent Guide

Kennedy PTA

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Mark Your Calendars! We trust that everyone is settling into their school year rhythm and looking forward to a wonderful new year. Please join us for the first PTA meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. in the CLC. We invite you to share your ideas, hear what PTA is up to as well as the latest on school issues from Principal Steve Hamm. If you can’t make the meeting, please email PTA President Stewart Kelly with your ideas and questions at kennedymspta@gmail.com Please also mark your calendars for these upcoming events:

Direct Donation Campaign & Contest Deadline September 30 Remember, this is the only school-wide fundraiser with all money going to support classroom technology, student programs and teacher grants. See details below or donate here: www.kennedymspta.org/forms/donation2016/

PTA Meeting Wednesday, September 14 at 7 p.m. in the Kennedy CLC (next to the Library) Meet other parents, share ideas and learn more about PTA programs. Reflections Art Contest Begins September 1; 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.

Parent Ed Night Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age

Wednesday, October 12 at 6 p.m. See details below.

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. More details are coming soon!

PTA News

Direct Donation Contest! The Kennedy Direct Donation Contest is ramping up in September with morning announcements to the students and through email to parents. 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

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

The deadline for the Direct Donation Contest is Friday, September 30, prizes will be awarded the following week. Want to participate? Simply donate to Direct Donation here: www.kennedymspta.org/forms/donation2016/

Good Luck and Go-o-o Cougars!

P.S. Check out the teachers’ Direct Donation Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocLLchlPl_M

Parent Ed Night: Screenagers Coming Wednesday, October 12 at 6 p.m. The first Parent Education Night of the year will feature the award-winning film Screenagers.

ScreenAgers examines the impact of social media, video

games and Internet addiction and how we can empower

our kids to navigate the digital world. Through surprising

insights from authors and brain scientists, solutions

emerge on how we can empower kids to best navigate the digital world.

Stay tuned for information on how to reserve your seat. 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.

DISTRICT NEWS SECTION  Vol. 1 2016-2017 Middle School

ROTARY FALL FESTIVAL Saturday, September 10, 2016 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Memorial Park in Cupertino Free Admission http://sv-ff.com/ As part of its continued community outreach efforts, the Cupertino Union School District will host two, parent and community workshops at the Silicon Valley Fall Festival on Saturday, September 10th at Cupertino’s Memorial Park. Please join Cupertino Union School District staff at the Silicon Valley Fall Festival. Saturday, September 10, 2016 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Senior Center, Memorial Park in Cupertino Presentation Schedule: 10:00 a.m. Cupertino Union School District Updates and Successes Meet with the Superintendent of Schools in the Cupertino Union School District Superintendent, Wendy Gudalewicz. This session will feature District updates including information about state testing results and continued student excellence as well as information about “learner focused classrooms” and the District’s Local Control Accountability Plan 12:30 p.m. Instructional Use of Technology Come learn how students are using technology in the classrooms as an instructional tool to enhance their learning. The session will feature two outstanding CUSD teachers who are recent recipients of the 2016 Cupertino Educational Endowment Foundation (CEEF) Innovate Technology Educator Award.

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.

District News News

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.

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL: GUIDE TO SAFE CYCLING THIS SCHOOL YEAR

The end of summer is near and the kids are headed back to school. These last few months of warm, sunny weather are perfect for testing out new cycling routes to schools, stores, and community centers as we all gear up for our Autumn routines. We’ve created this short safety guide to keep all you riders cycling in safe style and grace.

Bicycle Handling 101

• Riding in a Straight Line: Riding in a straight line sends a clear message to other road users of the direction you are traveling. A predictable route of travel is safer for everyone, so while on your bicycle use slight motions to steer the front wheel, center yourself, and look ahead of you to help with balance.

• Scanning: Looking over your shoulder, or scanning, is a skill that helps cyclists change lanes or merge safely on streets. In all situations and especially in traffic, predictability and communication with drivers is essential to cyclist safety. Tell drivers when you are going to change speed or roadway position by scanning, signaling your intended direction, and moving when it is safe.

• Signaling: Signaling is a key element of predictability for cyclists out on the road. By letting other road users (motorists, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.) know which direction you intend to go by signaling with your right or left hand, you’ll keep everyone safer and happier. Drivers appreciate the courtesy of a hand signal and often respond kindly. For more information on how to signal, visit: http://bikeleague.org/content/signaling

Traffic Law 101

• Drive Your Bike: Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles. Remember to drive your bike out on the road and obey all traffic signs and signals just as a car would. Evading the rules of the road only puts yourself and others in danger.

• Ride on the Right-Hand Side of the Road: Cyclists are safest and most predictable when riding on the right-hand side of the road with traffic. This puts you in the correct position to read all signs and signals and be visible to cars. Preserve the safety of our Cupertino streets and don’t be a wrong-way rider.

• First Come, First Served: Cyclists and motorists are both considered operators of vehicles and therefore have equal rights when sharing the road. As a cyclist, you have the right to use as much of the lane as you need to feel safe and comfortable and by law drivers must yield to you if you were there first. When the lane is wide enough to allow car and bike traffic side-by-side safely, ride on the right-hand side of the road and allow faster vehicles to pass on the left.

For more information or safety tips, visit Cupertino.org/saferoutes or mailto:saferoutes@cupertino.org.