John F. Kennedy School
Phone - (650) 991-1239 – Fax (650)755-1937
Absence Hotline – (650) 746-2596
Website: www.jsd.k12.ca.us
8/14/09
Welcome to the 2009-2010 school year!
We want you to know about some “opening of school” information so your child’s return to school may go smoothly.
School begins on Wednesday, August 26, 2009.
This is a Minimum Day
Pre-K: 8:20 – 11:20AM
Kindergarten: 8:20AM-12:25PM
Grades 1 – 5: 8:20AM – 12:35AM
Beginning August 27, students in Pre-K will be dismissed at 12 Noon
And students in grades 1 – 5 will be dismissed at 3:00PM.
Kindergarten dismissal time is always 12:25
Early Release Wednesday for Grades 1 – 5
Early Release Wednesday schedule will not begin until next week. Please see early release permission slip with the opening day forms that need to be signed and returned.
Kindergarten Orientation
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
Multi Use Room
Opening Day Packet
You will be receiving a folder on the first day of school with very important forms to be completed and returned. Please look for this folder on your child’s first day and return the forms as soon as possible. Included in the opening day packet is your child’s emergency form. Please remember that this is our link to you in case of an emergency at school. Make sure the form is filled out neatly, accurately and completely. Be sure that any numbers you list are current and that there is at least one contact person available at all times. Also, pay attention to the section on the back of the form that asks for Health Information. Please list any health conditions that your child has and any medication that he/she might require at school. If your child requires meds at school there is an additional form that must be filled out, please inquire at the office. Please take the time to fill out the form neatly and completely.
Also included in the packet is a free and reduced lunch application. If you qualified for free or reduced lunch last year your status will remain the same for about 3 weeks after which time your new application will have been processed and your status may or may not have changed. The cost of a school lunch is $2.75. It takes approximately 2 weeks at the beginning of the year to process the lunch applications so the sooner you return your completed application the sooner you will receive status notification.
Drop off and Pick up Area
Please use the Guadalupe Gate for CAR Drop off and Pick Up. Price Street should be used for walkers only.
All Kindergarten students leaving at 12:25 will be dismissed to Guadalupe Canyon Parkway.
The Price St. parking lots (JFK & Second Home) are reserved for staff access between the hours of 7:45am and 8:30am and again between 11:25am and 1:00pm and lastly, 30 minutes prior to dismissal. If you park there, you may have to wait to exit.
Please Note:
**8:15AM is drop off time – No supervision is provided before this time. No one may be on the yard before this time. This is an important safety issue.
**Students must be picked up on time at dismissal unless they are enrolled in an after school program
Class Lists
Class lists will be posted on Tuesday afternoon, August 25th. If you have questions or concerns about your child’s placement please fill out a parent concern form in the office. Forms will be reviewed and every effort will be made to accommodate. But, please be aware that there are many factors to consider when making class lists and it is not always possible to assign every student to his/her favorite teacher. All lists are are 98% final. Class movement may be made after school starts depending on class sizes.
School Supply Wish Lists
We are including a general wish list with this letter. On the first day of school teachers will send home an updated list. Remember, your child is not required to bring any supplies, but if you are shopping please use the teachers “wish list” as a guideline. We would love if each family could bring a large box of Kleenex and if possible, copy paper. (Don’t forget when you are doing your back to school shopping to purchase supplies for your child’s study area at home. (i.e. pencils, crayons, glue, scissors...) Remember, in order to get good results, it is important to have the right tools.
Snacks
Snacks are optional for students in grades 1-5. However, if you do send snack it must be a healthy snack. We do not allow chips, soda, sweets (i.e. cookies or candy) or fast food. We encourage fruit, water, crackers, small sandwich or half a sandwich. Thank you for your cooperation. Kindergarten students should bring a healthy snack every day. Pre-K students have a very short day so a healthy snack is optional. If you are bringing treats for your child’s birthday or any occasion you must notify the teacher in advance and they must be healthy treats.
Uniforms
JFK has a uniform policy. Students are requested to wear navy blue pants, skirts, skorts, or jumpers, white shirt, and navy blue or green sweaters or sweatshirts. We have Dragon sweatshirts and T-shirts on sale in the office. Sweatshirts are $20.00 and t-shirts are $10.00. If you buy both you get them for $25.00. This year we would like to get the support of all of our parents in encouraging all the children to wear uniforms. Uniforms can be purchased in most of the department stores or at Simply Uniforms on El Camino Real.
Attendance
Good attendance is an integral part of your child’s success at school. That means not only being at school daily but being there on time. When students arrive to school late, they miss the very important morning routine of lining up with their classmates, doing the pledge and hearing any announcements that the principal might have. Being tardy creates a chaotic start to the day and disrupts the other students and often interrupts the teacher’s instruction. Prepare your student the evening before school by packing his/her backpack and laying out his/her uniform for the next day. Train your child that punctuality is a quality that will help them be successful in life. If your child is ill please call our absence hotline at (650) 746-2596.
If your child is going to be absent on the first day of school, please notify the office beforehand. The district mandates that any child who is not present or has not called in sick be dropped from the class roster to allow for students who are on the waiting list to be enrolled.
ASES and Daycare
Both ASES and Daycare will be available on the first day of school. If you have not registered your child for Daycare, forms will be available in August. ASES is a free afterschool program from 3:00PM – 6:00PM.
The program is paid for through a grant so there are criteria that must be met for acceptance. Initial applications were processed in June. All new applicants must submit a form and wait for acceptance.
Thank you,
Carolyn Casey, Principal