Dear Students, Families and Staff,
My favorite time of the school year is the first week of school. The students all want to be at school. They look great and are excited to learn. Everything is new and exciting. The students are all telling me about the “cool” things they are doing in their classes. It is a great start to the school year at Kenilworth Junior High School! On behalf of the faculty and staff, I want to extend a special welcome to all of our new students and families and a warm welcome back to those of you who were with us last year.
We begin the year with a few new staff members at our site. Mr. Wedge and Mrs. Qualls are joining our math department this year. Ms. Dudley is joining us from San Antonio High School in our Science department. Also, Mr. Raiewski, a former Kenilworth Student, has joined our English department. We also have a new school nurse, Cynthia Giovinco, and school Psychologist, Fran Chouchena They each bring a wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm to an already great staff!
Our two counselors, Eric Westcott (7th) and Christine Ruzick (8th), have done an outstanding job scheduling our 925 students into teams where teachers share a common group of students. The teams of teachers are working together to create an exceptional educational opportunity for your student this year. If you find that your student needs extra assistance in any class, encourage him/her to speak to their teacher and counselor about getting extra help. We are currently designing remediation programs for students who need additional assistance.
Back to School Night will be held on Thursday, August 29th from 6:00 -8:00 pm.
I encourage you to come and meet the teachers and get information on how to help your student be successful in each class. The following are some strategies that will provide general support to your student throughout the school year:
- Encourage your student to complete homework assignments the night they are assigned instead of the night before they are due. The lesson is fresh in the student’s mind. If your student needs assistance, he/she will have a full day at school to talk with their teacher before the assignment is due.
- Ask your student to get the phone number of one or two students in each class so in case of an absence or questions regarding homework assignments or teacher instructions this resource is available to use.
- Recommend that your student check in occasionally with teachers during non-class time to get help, check for missing assignments or to ask questions as needed. Teachers will inform your student of days and times that they are available.
- Email or call teachers with questions. They welcome parent involvement.
- Check out our website. It has information about our school policies, important phone numbers, dates, as well as school programs and activities that are available to you and your student. Check the Kenilworth website at www.kenilworthjuniorhigh.org for updates.
- Like us on Facebook to see what happens at KJHS during the day to stay informed.
- Sign up for a parent Portal account to keep track of your student’s grades.
Another way to help your student is to stay involved in your student’s education throughout junior and senior high school. There are many opportunities for parental involvement from membership and participation in organizations like the Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) and School Site Council (SSC) to volunteer activities. Check the school website calendar for meeting dates and to get more information on how you can get involved.
The PTSA provides educational and social functions for families and also raises money for school programs and equipment. Information will be forthcoming about the Pledge-A-Thon, this year’s major PTSA fundraiser which starts with a Kick-Off Rally on September 3rd. We understand that many of our families are facing difficult times, but anything you can give, no matter how small, is greatly appreciated and will benefit our students.
The School Site Council is a decision-making body made of up of parents, students, faculty and other school staff. Members may serve for a two year term and are elected by their constituents. While anyone may attend Site Council meetings, we have openings for two voting parent members this year. Interested parties should email Ms. Dunnagan at edunnagan@petk12.org by September 10th with their contact information and a paragraph about why they would like to serve.
We also have different programs throughout the year to help parents prepare for their student’s needs during junior high. Coffee with the Principal is an informal meeting to talk about KJHS and go visit a few classrooms. Parent Boot Camp is designed to educate parents in order to help their student be successful. The dates for these activities are located on the KJHS calendar on the following website: www.kenilworthjuniorhigh.org
Student safety is one of the top priorities for parents and school personnel. To ensure student safety it is extremely important that parents and students observe all traffic rules during drop off and pick up times. Please yield the right of way to pedestrians and watch for students near buses and parked cars. We ask that you continue to use the circular drive in front of the school office on Riesling Road and on Dover Street for drop off and pick up of you student. Please be mindful that our school is in the middle of a neighborhood and we want to be good neighbors! Be cautious and courteous to our neighbors by observing speed limits and being alert to children. Remind students to use the crosswalks when crossing the street whether they are riding a bike or walking. It is critical that we all follow these safety rules to prevent accidents. The police will ticket drivers who make illegal U-turns and bicyclists who are not wearing helmets. Students are asked not to loiter in the nearby shopping center after school. Please discuss with your student how to maintain safe, respectful and responsible behavior before and after school.
In an effort to keep you well informed, a new edition of this newsletter will be posted
on line at the beginning of each month. Print copies will also be available on the counter in our front office. Best wishes to all of the Kenilworth community for an interesting and productive year!
Emily G. Dunnagan
Principal
