Daily Announcements / Daily Announcements

Kenmore Daily AnnouncementsThursday, March 3, 2016Attendance Number and Email703-228-6802kenmore.attendance@apsva.us Parent Conference Day: Friday, March 4th, is Early Release with conference time in the afternoon. Conferences will be scheduled through EXCEL Teachers. The March 4th conferences are open to any parent/guardian who would like to meet to discuss academic progress with the EXCEL Teacher. Students in

Kenmore Daily Announcements
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Attendance Number and Email
703-228-6802
kenmore.attendance@apsva.us

Parent Conference Day:

Friday, March 4th, is Early Release with conference time in the afternoon.  Conferences will be scheduled through EXCEL Teachers.  The March 4th conferences are open to any parent/guardian who would like to meet to discuss academic progress with the EXCEL Teacher.  Students in need of further academic and behavioral support will have a scheduled conference.  Look for a sign-up letter via email and posted on the web.

Course Request Forms:

All rising 7th and 8th grade students are reminded that Course Request Forms are now due to your counselor.  Please return your CRF cards that are approved and signed by your parents to your EXCEL teacher or counselor this week.  We are currently scheduling our classes for next school year and need these back. 

National Coalition of 100 Black Women:

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women has decided to take the mentees to see the play "Shake Loose: on Friday, March 4th at 8:00 PM at Metro Stage in Alexandria, VA.  We would like mentees to arrive at Metro Stage at 7:30 PM.  Please RSVP by seeing Ms. Stockton in room 394 by Tuesday, March 1st. 

Arlington Student FilmFest:

Do you enjoy making movies, whether they be short films, music videos, documentaries, or drama?  If so, consider entering your film in the 2016 Arlington Student FilmFest.  Enter as many films as you like.  All entries will receive feedback and who knows--maybe an award.  The entry deadline is April 11, 2016.  Applications are on the Kenmore home page or see Mrs. Dyer for entry information. 

PTA Grants Announcement:

The Kenmore PTA Grants Committee is pleased to announce funding of the following grant applications for our spring (round 2) decisions:

We received 9 applications totaling over $9,853.45 in requests, and we had just over $8,000 available, from our total allocation of $16,000 for the entire year.

Applications were reviewed for impact on student achievement, number of students impacted, the tie to the Kenmore’s Arts and Tech focus, and cost effectiveness.  The grants committee also looked at measurable outcomes.  

Below is a summary of the approved grant fund requests for the spring funds:

STEM Trip: 50 7th grade students will travel to the USA Science and Engineering Festival at the Washington Convention Center on April 15th and 10 ACT II or other advanced students to STEM-X on April 14th, also at the convention center.  The festival, which is held every other year, is an excellent opportunity to showcase the fun in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). It’s a “can’t miss” event for our students. The festival occupies the entire Washington Convention Center and is large enough that students will be able to customize their experience based on their interests. Students are welcome to bring their families back on 4/16 and 4/17 when the event is open to the public. The 4/15 festival is only open to student groups. “The USA Science & Engineering Festival is a national grassroots effort to advance STEM education and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.  Our exhibitors, performers, speakers, partners, sponsors and advisors are a who-is-who of science and engineering in the United States: from major academic centers and leading research institutes and government agencies to cutting-edge high tech companies, museums and community organizations.” ($520 total, of which PTA is providing $173.25 to complement the funds raised on Ed Backer)

40th Book Celebration: For the third year of our sixth grade students reading 40 or more books, we will be hosting our 40 Book Celebration on June 20, 2016.  In the past, students on each team in the sixth grade have rotated through four workshop sessions with various authors in the morning.  The content of the sessions vary depending on the author, but typically the author will speak about their published books and discuss the writing process with students. Authors may also complete a writing activity with students and host a Q and A after their presentation.  Last year in the afternoon, our keynote speaker, Kwame Alexander, winner of the 2015 Newbery award for his book The Crossover, spoke to students about his text, his trials and tribulations of getting his book published, his successes, and also interacted with students in an inspirational, engaging, and encouraging way.  ($2,025)

IXL Math Program IXL is an online interactive website that provides comprehensive, standards-aligned math practice for K–12.  Each subject has a specific link that takes the student to a course overview of the entire math course.  IXL provides immediate feedback for each student and hints to help as they work through problems.  Through interactive activities and many visual representations students solidify the skills that have been previously taught in class.  Students may practice at home and at school without a teacher’s immediate assistance, and still receive feedback on the problems they are struggling with.  A score displayed allows the teacher and the student to see which standards a student requires more help with in class.  This allows the teacher to differentiate instruction to meet that particular student’s needs. With the help of IXL, students can improve upon standards that they struggle with and increase their understanding of that particular math course, and improve their chances of pass the Standards of Learning Exam as well.  ($996)

Dance Shoes: This grant will provide scholarships for students in need to purchase dance shoes for their spring recital and for future use in Kenmore’s endeavors. The grant provides the opportunity for students to have these shoes for their recital, dance class, and can be passed down from one year to the next as the students outgrow them. The chosen shoes are tan jazz shoes, which are commonly acceptable for multiple styles of dance including jazz, lyrical, contemporary, modern, and hip-hop. Currently all students use socks in dance class at Kenmore. ($770)

Yearbook: This funding will provide yearbooks for 8th Grade students who have shown economic hardship, but demonstrated outstanding leadership and academics.  The PTA has established this grant and has funded it for many years to give disadvantaged students an opportunity to receive a yearbook. Additional funding will help the yearbook staff cover production costs at the end of the year.  The design of the Yearbook and the contents feature the Arts and Communications Technology Focus. Each student may contribute to Kenmore through their time and talent by helping with Community Service—feeding the homeless, car wash fundraisers, etc.  The yearbook staff will help with sales and fundraisers to help support the cost. ($1082)

We also had two projects that straddled the two grant funding rounds, and so you may already be familiar with these projects:

College Bound Students – This program provides services such as tutoring, test prep, and college visits to encourage a specific group of 8th graders to focus on college and career goals.  College Bound Group (CBG) will support targeted, highly-able 8th graders from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds with a cohort group that will support their academic and career goals. Based on the success of last year's group, we anticipate that CBG will: provide academic enrichment and support; increase their communication, self-advocacy, and academic planning skills; empower and assist students in developing a documented plan and network of support to achieve college and career goals; and encourage and support students in setting and maintaining rigorous academic expectations. ($900 for the Spring)

Hershey Music Trip – Each spring the students in Kenmore’s Music program (Orchestra, Band and Chorus) attend a Music Festival where they perform for judges and compete against musical groups from other area schools.  Although we search for a high quality festival with a lower cost, we have Kenmore families that cannot afford the cost for their child to participate in the festival.  Our goal is for music students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades to have the opportunity to participate in this event regardless of personal economic hardship.  This funding will allow us to support part of the trip, and this campaign is also posted on EdBacker.com: https://edbacker.com/c/help-send-our-performers-to-hershey-pa (a fundraising platform for PTAs) where we have already raised almost $1600. ($2,000)

For more information on the Kenmore PTA Grants program, please visit our google site at:  https://sites.google.com/site/kenmoreptagrants/home

The Grants Committee:

Sylvie Mortimer (Chair), Shauna Dyer, Ed Bracken, Chris Tran Ley, Martha Taylor, Diane Schwartz.


Kenmore Soccer Night:

D.C. UNITED vs. Vancouver White Caps
Saturday, April 9th, 5:30 PM//RFK STADIUM

Join your fellow classmates and teachers for an exciting night of soccer. Tickets are $25 in the sideline section (indicated in black) with a portion going back to the PTA.  This year for an extra $10 your child can partake in a “high five” tunnel where they get to “high five” the players while they walk onto the field.  

For more information, contact Kathleen Storer at 703.407.2932 or kathleen.storer@gmail.com 

Kenmore Online Auction: 

This is one of the PTA's largest fundraisers, which enables the PTA to give out $16,000 in grants to teachers and staff annually.  The auction is ongoing with over 140 items with a retail value of about $13,000.  Donations will also be accepted through the site. Minimums for items without bids have just been drastically reduced! Check it out at https://www.32auctions.com/kenmoreauction2016 - save $$ and support the PTA at the same time, a win-win!

Kenmore Store:

Teachers have a first-hand view into what their students and classrooms need. Parents and guardians can help.

Kenmore’s PTA is trying something new this school year -- taking the Kenmore Store online with some inspiration from Freecycle and Craig's List -- and we've created a sign up genius to get these needs met.

The idea is that teachers will post a need, beginning with "WANTED."

If you see something that you can fulfill, sign up for it. You don't have to account for every single item: Even four of 112 AAA batteries will be much appreciated.

Deliver the item to the front office labeled with Kenmore Store and the reference number you see in the offer. It will be something like (Ref#365). This way the item will get to the correct teacher.

Head here, and make a kid's day better.

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e094da9a72aa7f94-kenmore

Faculty Basketball Game:

Huge Showdown vs. Ashlawn Elementary!  Friday, March 4th.  Doors open at 6:30 and the game starts at 7:00.  Location is the Kenmore Middle School Gym.  Suggested donation to enter is $5.

Beverages, pizza, subs, baked goods and other concessions for sale.  Halftime show featuring celebrities from Kenmore and Ashlawn.  Come out and support Kenmore and Ashlawn PTAs and have a fun family night out.  This is a great way for families new to Kenmore to connect with the Kenmore Community.

Volunteers needed: email Katie Boone for Kenmore at kt_boone@verizon.net

Sign up genius at

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/9040E4EA5A92A1-kenmoreashlawn

Kenmore Calendar Fundraiser:

It’s a New Year!  Do you need help keeping track of the days?

To raise funds to support the 3rd annual 40-book Celebration for 6th grade, Kenmore is selling a 2016 Wall Calendar featuring black and white photographs of Kenmore student readers from all grade levels.

Calendars are $15 (Kenmore makes $6) or $20 (Kenmore makes $10)

To order your calendar, complete the form found on the Kenmore web site and return with payment (checks payable to Kenmore Middle School) to Ms. Juengst or pay with a credit card at the following site:

2016 Yearbook Sale:

Get a 2016 yearbook.  There is a sale for 1 yearbook for $40.  This introductory price ends February 29th, so plan now to order your yearbook. Submit all forms to Mrs. Benjamin in room 93.  This deal will not last.  Order today.

Words Alive:

Words Alive Raffle Winner: Robbie Spadetti from Ms. Kenely’s EXCEL. Robbie, please come to Ms. Privitera’s office in room 210 before your lunch to choose a free book!!!  Teachers, this is also a reminder to do the Words Alive with your Excel classes today or tomorrow. The students can enter the raffle until 12 noon on Friday, March 4th.

Words Alive is back!  Every week word parts will be shared with the school and students will have a chance to win books through a weekly raffle.  Teachers are encouraged to use the Words Alive program to teach content vocabulary connected to the featured word part.  This week’s word part follows--

  • grad, gress (step)
  • You are making progress in your vocabulary growth as you step into this very useful root.  Words like progress, graduate, grade, and even gradual are branches on this tree. They all, in some way, have to do with going from one level to the next, step by step.

In EXCEL classes students will have a chance to brainstorm words associated with grad and gress and enter at raffle.  Good luck!

Important Dates:

Friday, March 4th Early Release and Parent Conference Day

Friday, March 4th, 7PM, Faculty Basketball Game vs Ashlawn

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