Website: http://cusdk8.org/kennedyAttendance: (408) 253-1525 ext. 6

School: (408) 253-1525FAX: (408) 257-5777

Office Hours: 7:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Volumne IX, Issue II October 2008

Nicole Johnston, PrincipalKeith Rocha, Assistant PrincipalSara Brown, CounselorGregory Alfaro, CounselorDavid Fung, PTA President

continued on page 2

NEWS & VIEWSBoard of EducationAnjali KausarBen LiaoJosephine LuceyGary McCuePhyllis Vogel

SuperintendentWendy Gudalewicz

Cupertino Union School DistrictJohn F. Kennedy Middle School, 821 Bubb Road, Cupertino, 95014

Volume IX, Issue VII March 2014

Dates to Remember

March

2 - 7 Eighth Grade Yosemite Trip

10 Trimester 3 begins

11 6:30pm CUSD Board Meeting, 1309 S. Mary Ave., Sunnyvale

12 6:00pm Grad Planning Mtg., Comm Rm. 7:00pm PTA Meeting, Comm Rm

14 Dynamics POP Show - School Assembly 17 Anti-Bully Movie - Special Bell Schedule

20 7:00pm Dynamcis POP Show, MU

21 Report Cards go home with students Music Fest @ Monta Vista HS 7:00pm Dynamics POP Show, MU

25 6:30pm CUSD Board Meeting, 1309 S. Mary Ave., Sunnyvale

26 3:15pm SSC Meeting, Comm Rm

28 Elective Sign-up Sheets due Spirit Day: College Apparel Day

31 Staff Learning Day - No School

Sports Calendar On The Last Page

Kennedy Administrative Team Message

Yosemite TripThis week students in our eighth grade class are in Yosemite on our annual trip. There is noth-ing quite like watching our students marching around campus in hiking boots breaking them in prior to leaving! The Yosemite Trip is an incred-ible experience and we wish our eighth graders well on this very memorable trip.

CLCThe Collaborative Learning Center or CLC is now open for teachers and students during class time. A room with flexible furniture and updat-ed technology will provide our students with a new experience in learning. Teachers are able to utilize this space to help students learn more about their content and prepare our 21st centu-ry students for a global society through critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.

Electives NightWe had a great turn out for our Electives Night as sixth and seventh grade parents and students visited classrooms to learn more about our broad electives program. With so many fun classes be-ing offered next year, making elective decisions become even more difficult for students. How-ever, no final decisions on elective options can be made until all students have turned in their

NEWS & VIEWS

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Kennedy Administrative Team Message, continued from page 1

elective selection cards. Depending on our staff-ing allocation, it is our hope that we will be able to continue offering zero period PE so that eighth grade students who wish to remain involved in our instrumental and vocal music programs have an opportunity to take a second elective provided they are willing to come to school by 7:25 a.m.!

BullyOur Bully Movie community viewing night was wonderful. We invited you, our parents, to a preview last week, February 26th, to see what the students would be watching. Parents had the opportunity to see the full movie and ask questions to our panel of experts. Our leadership students are committed to providing opportunities for students to engage in generative conversations about real-life. We plan to offer this opportunity, by providing students with a viewing of the video entitled: Bully, which provides for a closer look into the lives of adolescents that have experienced bullying and the seriousness of it. The personal ex-periences of the individuals featured will help our students understand that bullying doesn’t just hurt the one being bullied, but hurts the loved ones sur-rounding the individual along with the community in which the family belongs. You may also wish to visit The Bully Project at: http://www.thebullyproj-ect.com to view some of the materials our students and teachers plan to use as they discuss the film on March 17th. The video can also be viewed on Netflix. Please be sure to turn in the permission slip by March 10th if you wish for your child to participate in an alternate activity.

SAVE THE DATE: May 2nd Spring Fest!Mark your calendars for May 2, 4-7pm, and plan to bring the entire family to an afternoon of games, entertainment and international cuisine. In cooper-ation with PTA and Student Council, this fun-filled community event provides another opportunity for our Kennedy to come together and have fun!

Watch for more information in April’s News and Views.

SBAC (Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium)Remember that old STAR test? If not, it’s okay. We no longer will be taking the STAR exam. In-stead, we will now begin with a pilot of the SBAC assessment. This assessment is an adaptive ap-proach to test taking and our students will have the opportunity to try this computer-based exam for either Language Arts or Mathematics. The window will begin the last week of March and go through the end of April. Scores will not be reported, but will be used to help prepare California and CUSD for the following year.

Awards NightIf one were to walk on campus, evidence of our exceptional student body would be everywhere. Not only do our students achieve high standards academically but they also are well rounded, active in their community, and have a wide range of personal interests and strengths. Each year, after careful deliberation, the eighth grade teaching staff honors many of these unique individuals at Eighth Grade Awards Night. Awards Night will be held by invitation only on Tuesday, June 3rd at 6:30 p.m. in the Multi-Use Room. These invited students will receive special recognition by their teachers for their exemplary achievements.

As always, we thank you for your continued sup-port and appreciate the dedication you have to our students, staff, and the Kennedy Middle School community.

Sincerely,

Nicole Johnston, PrincipalKeith Rocha, Assistant Principal

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PTA NewsEvery April, our PTA holds elections for next year’s PTA Executive Board. This year, the election will be held at our April Association Meeting on April 9 at 7:00PM in the CLC. The Exec Board leads and organizes the activities of the PTA, from fundraising to volunteer activities.

We need your experience and participation to continue our strong partnership with Kennedy, and hope you’ll take a look at the job descriptions, which are included in another article in this issue of News&Views. If you are interested in one of the positions or need more information, please contact Ravi Shankar (ravi_shank@yahoo.com), our current PTA Parliamentarian and chair of the Nominating Committee.

Our list of positions includes a list of PTA Committee chairpersons, too. Although we don’t include committee chairs in the election, getting these positions filled are critical to our ability to operate many events over the course of the year. Again, you can contact Ravi for information or to volunteer for one of these positions.

Speaking of committees, the Graduation Committee kicked off in January and has been making great progress under the leadership of Monica Loke. The team has been looking at refreshing elements of the Graduation event, including some great ideas about decorating the gym for the Graduation Dance. Here’s a message from Keith Millar, Decorations Chair, looking to our community for help in trying something new:

We’re looking at projecting imagery on the walls instead of paper decorations. To do this, we need to project onto big walls 60 and 80 feet away. We need to find smart people with knowledge on how to do this well. Do you have the connections with people who work at Sony, Panasonic, or Epson? Do you know anyone in a professional video projection company who can advise us on how to do this cost ef-fectively? Perhaps you can donate equipment?

If you’ve got expertise of contacts you can reach Keith at keithvmill@gmail.com.

The Graduation teams need parent volunteers for all activities. You can volunteer now by contacting Terri Ettinger (terri@ettingers.org). We’re seeking volunteers from all grades – hopefully, we can make it possible for our 8th grade parents to enjoy the ceremony with their kids.

Finally, you should have received your PTA Donation Receipt in the past week. We distributed the receipts (on green paper) along with your PTA membership card via your children, so please check with them if you didn’t receive it yet. Kennedy PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, so the full amount of your Direct Donation is tax deductable (PTA membership is not normally deductible). If you make your donation payment to your company for corporate match, you will receive your receipt directly from your company. If you have not received your receipt or the amount is not what you expect, please contact us at kennedymspta@gmail.com.

As always, thank you for your generous support of Kennedy PTA!

David FungPresident, Kennedy PTA 2013-2014

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Call for Participation – Kennedy PTA Executive Board & Committee Chairs for 2014-2015

Kennedy PTA elects its 2014-2015 Executive Board officers at our April 9 Association Meeting. Our PTA leader-ship team are elected to a 1-year term. Any PTA member may serve, and anybody from our community may join the Kennedy PTA unit.

A list of PTA officer positions and their job responsibilities follows. Per our bylaws, we will publish a list of can-didates one month before the election, however, you may announce yourself as a candidate for any position after the listing, including volunteering for a position at the election meeting.

There are also many important PTA committees that need your support. If you have interest in chairing a commit-tee next year, or just want more information, please write to me at ravi_shank@yahoo.com

Kennedy is a great middle school environment with wonderful teachers and superb administration. Our family community is a strong partner that is coordinated via our PTA. Your participation and leadership will help keep this relationship strong and make Kennedy the best middle school for your daughter or son.

Ravi ShankarKennedy PTA Parliamentarian & Nominating Committee Chair, 2013-2014

President • Presides over the meetings of Association and Executive Board • Coordinates the efforts of officers, committees, and volunteersVice-President • Serve as primary aide to the President • Perform the duties of the President in their absenceSecretary • Keeps the legal record of all meetings of the Association and Executive Board • Approve financial documents and expendituresTreasurer • Maintains the financial records of the PTA • Oversees the PTA bank accounts and prepares PTA payments • Present a Treasurer’s Report at all Association and Executive Board meetingsFinancial Secretary • Receive incoming funds on behalf of PTAAuditor • Independent audit of the PTA financial records twice yearlyHistorian • Assemble a record of the activities, achievements, and volunteer hours of the AssociationParliamentarian • Advise the Executive Board and Association on parliamentary procedures • Call the first meeting of Nominating Committee, to identify next year’s Executive Board officers • Chair the Bylaws Review Committee

In addition, the following Committee Chair and Volunteer positions are needed every year:

A. Fund Raising B. Hospitality C. Membership D. 6th grade Social Coordinator E. Copy & Laminating Service F. Emergency Prep.

G. 7/8 Dance ChaperonesH. 7th/8th Dance FoodI. Family DirectoryJ. Graduation ChairK. Pizza Night CoordinatorL. PE Sales

M. ReflectionsN. Spring Fest CoordinatorO. Volunteer CoordinatorP. Boltage/Bike-to-schoolQ. PTA Webmaster

Kennedy Golf Club 2014April marks the beginning of another year of Kennedy Middle School's partnership with Deep Cliff Golf Course. Once again, the Golf Club is offering three sessions beginning April 21, 2014. The ses-sions are taught by Angie Papangellin, the local Golf Pro at Deep Cliff Golf Course. Each session lasts two weeks and on the last day of each session everyone will get to play nine holes of golf!

Students of all skill levels may participate, from beginners who have never picked up a club to the advanced golfers who are hoping to refine their game. Golf clubs are available at no extra cost for students who do not own their own set. Kennedy students may sign up for as many sessions as wanted on a first come basis. Sessions are 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. The requested donation for each session is $80. Sign-ups begin on-line on Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at http://www.edline.net/pages/JF_Kennedy_Middle_School/Student_Life/Sports_Information

Session I April 21 to May 1 Session II May 5 to May 15Session III May 19 to May 30 (no golf on Memorial Day)

Do you have what it takes to be a WEB Leader?Are you outgoing, enthusiastic and willing to take risks? Would your teachers and parents say that you are friend-ly with all people, trustworthy and self-motivated? Do you enjoy working in a team setting? If you answered “yes” to those questions, you just might be a future WEB Leader!

As a WEB Leader, you must be prepared to:4Sacrifice the last week and a half of summer vacation to be trained and then conduct the orientation of in-

coming 6th graders.4 Make repeated social connections at brunch and lunch with 6th graders throughout the year.4 Help orchestrate the major events for the sixth graders like the near-legendary WEB Carnival Social, the

WEB Scavenger Hunt, and the Greek Olympics.4 Participate in Staff Appreciation activities.4 And do much, much more...

Important Dates for All Interested Future WEB Leaders:* attend mandatory informational lunch meeting in gym on March 20* turn in a WEB application no later than March 28 at 3:30pm* attend Play Day on April 25 from 3:15 - 4:45pm in the gym* interview with one of the WEB advisors during the weeks of April 7 -

April 11 or April 21 - April 25* MUST ATTEND ORIENTATION AND TRAINING AUGUST 7, 8,

11, and 12 from 8am-5pm, EVERY DAY-NO EXCEPTIONS

The time to take the first step in becoming a WEB Leader is quickly approaching. Pay attention to morning an-nouncements and mark your calendar. Seventh graders, if you have any questions, please come talk to any of the WEB advisors.

Mrs. Kampp, Ms. Norris, Mr. Taheri, Mr. Yang

NEWS & VIEWS

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6

CUSD NEWS

2014-2015 School Year CalendarThe full calendar is available on the District’s website at www.cusdk8.org. Here are the important dates for the District and Murdock-Portal Elementary School for next year:

District Calendar Murdock-Portal Calendar (All schools except Murdock-Portal)

Students Return August 18, 2014 August 4, 2014

Labor Day September 1, 2014 September 1, 2014

October Break (Murdock-Portal only) October 6-17, 2014

Veterans Day Observed November 10-11, 2014 November 10-11, 2014

Thanksgiving Recess November 24-28, 2014 November 24-28, 2014

Winter Recess Dec. 22, 2014 - Jan. 2, 2015 Dec. 22, 2014-Jan. 2, 2015

Martin Luther King Day January 19, 2015 January 19, 2015

Mid-Year Recess February 16-20, 2015 February 16-20, 2015

Spring Recess April 13-17, 2015 April 6-17, 2015

Memorial Day May 25, 2015 May 25, 2015Last Day of School June 11, 2015 June 18, 2015

Attention 6th Grade ParentsTdap Immunization Requirement

To curb the spread of whooping cough (pertussis), state law (Assembly Bill 354) requires all students entering grade seven (7) to show proof of the Tdap booster (tetanus toxoid, reduced diptheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine) shot.

Now is the time for sixth grade parents to check your child’s immunization records and make an appointment with your healthcare provider or clinic to obtain the Tdap booster shot. If you have not turned yours in to the office, send an updated copy of your child’s immunization re-cord showing the Tdap booster shot to your school office at your earliest convenience.

Verification of the Tdap booster shot is due by May 1, 2014. Send your verification in early, don't wait until the last minute!

CUSD NEWS

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Human Growth and Development Materials Previews

Children need to acquire accurate information about the growth and development of boys and girls so that they can make responsible decisions. In keeping with this concept, the Cupertino Union School District promotes informed, responsible action through instruction, which supports the home in this important area of human behavior. Parents will be provided an opportunity to preview a sampling of the Grades 6 to 8 Human Growth and Development videos that will be shown to your children.

Human Growth and Development Parent Information NightsGrade 5 – March 5, 2014 – Collins GLC – 6:30 – 7:30Grade 8 – April 9, 2014 – Cupertino Middle School Library 6:30 – 7:30

Parents will view all of the videos for that particular grade level, and receive information on curriculum and teaching guidelines.

Children are not recommended to attend – no childcare provisions are available.

New State Assessment – CAASPP (also known as SBAC)

As you may already know, we, along with thousands of schools across California, are participating in a field test of a modern assessment system designed to help shape teaching and learning in the classroom. Known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress – or CAASPP – these com-puter-based tests replace the CST and STAR program. Please note that students in 5th and 8th grade will still take the CST in science this year.

These tests are aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English and math, which California adopted in 2010 to describe what knowledge and skills students need to be well prepared for college and beyond. The new assessments are very different from the STAR assessments. Not only are there multi-ple-choice questions, but also matching, fill-in tables, drag and drop, graphing, short text, and long essay as well as a performance task. The field test is not an adaptive test but the 2015 operational test will be adaptive. The field test must be taken on a computer. No paper-and-pencil option will be provided be-cause the field test is supposed to mimic the real testing conditions.

Part of the goal of the field test this year is to determine how well individual questions allow students to demonstrate what they know and still need to learn. We are also taking this opportunity to see how well our technical capabilities meet the demands of computer-based assessments and to see what resources our teachers and school may yet need. The District is just completing an analysis of the readiness of all 25 of our schools sites regarding the availability of compliant devices and the availability of headphones and keyboards. The District is working to ensure that all school sites have the access to devices and pe-ripheral items necessary to successfully complete the testing within the testing window.

Finally and importantly, this year also gives your student an opportunity to try out the new system with-out consequences. All of this combined means that we will not be capturing scores this year. Instead, we will use what we learn from this field test to help ensure a successful full launch of the system in the 2014-15 school year.

Our next step in that transition is to administer the field test to students in grades 3-8 from April 7 – May 16. If you want to see what types of questions students will be asked or how the test will be presented, there is a practice test available online at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/practicetest.asp.

Blach Jr. High School (650) 964-1196 1120 Covington, Los Altos

Columbia Middle School (408) 522-8247739 Morse Avenue, Sunnyvale

Cupertino Middle School (408) 245-03031650 S. Bernardo Avenue, Sunnyvale

Egan Intermediate School (650) 941-6174100 W. Portola Avenue, Los Altos

Graham Middle School (650) 526-35701175 Castro Street, Mountain View

Hyde Middle School (408) 252-629019325 Bollinger Road, Cupertino

Jordan Middle School (650) 494-8120750 N. California Avenue, Palo Alto

Lawson Middle School (408) 255-750010401 Vista Drive, Cupertino

Redwood Middle School (408) 867-304213925 Fruitvale Avenue, Saratoga

Miller Middle School (408) 252-37556151 Rainbow Drive, San Jose

Sunnyvale Middle School (408) 522-82881080 Mango Avenue, Sunnyvale

SCHOOL SITES

SPORTS PAGE

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Boys Soccer 7th GRADE 8th GRADEMarch 11 Columbia @ Kennedy Kennedy @ ColumbiaMarch 13 Kennedy @ Blach Blach @ KennedyMarch 17 Kennedy @ Miller Miller @ KennedyMarch 18 Lawson @ Kennedy Kennedy @ LawsonMarch 20 Cupertino @ Kennedy Kennedy @ CupertinoMarch 25 Kennedy @ Graham Graham @ KennedyMarch 27 Kennedy @ Sunnyvale Sunnyvale @ Kennedy

Playoff ScheduleMonday, March 31 Quarter Finals TBATuesday, April 1 Semi Finals TBAThursday, April 3 Finals TBA

6th GRADE 7th GRADE 8th GRADEMarch 11 Columbia @ Kennedy Columbia @ Kennedy Kennedy @ ColumbiaMarch 13 BYE Kennedy @ Blach Blach @ KennedyMarch 17 Miller @ Kennedy Kennedy @ Miller Miller @ KennedyMarch 18 Kennedy @ Lawson Lawson @ Kennedy Kennedy @ LawsonMarch 20 Cupertino @ Kennedy Cupertino @ Kennedy Kennedy @ CupertinoMarch 25 Graham @ Kennedy Kennedy @ Graham Graham @ KennedyMarch 27 Kennedy @ Sunnyvale Kennedy @ Sunnyvale Sunnyvale @ Kennedy

Playoff ScheduleMonday, March 31 Quarter Finals – TBATuesday, April 1 Semi Fimals –TBAThursday, April 3 Finals –TBA

Girls Basketball