At JFK Academy, we lead with safety, kindness, and community. We set high expectations, challenge every scholar, and prepare them for a future of excellence—while caring for the whole child every step of the way!

📊 Our Kennedy Schoolwide Goals 📊

At Kennedy, we believe in setting high expectations for learning and working together to help every scholar succeed. This year, our goals are:

📚 Reading & Math: Strive for at-least 45% proficiency in both Reading and Math by the end of the school year.
🌎 English Language Learners: Support our EL scholars so that at least 15% are reclassified as fully proficient in English.

With your partnership at home and our dedication at school, we know our scholars can rise to the challenge! Together, we can make it happen. 💙

📝 Beginning of the Year Assessments

Our students are currently taking beginning-of-the-year STAR benchmark assessments to help us understand their baseline skills. These assessments allow us to:

Measure growth and progress throughout the school year
Identify strengths and areas where support is needed
Plan targeted interventions to build specific skills

📚 Kindergarten and 1st Grade
Students will take the Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) and Star Early Literacy assessment, which focuses on early literacy and foundational math skills, helping teachers support emerging readers and mathematicians.

📖 1st – 3rd Grade
Students will also complete reading, math, and writing benchmarks to give a well-rounded picture of their academic skills.

These assessments are an important first step in ensuring every Kennedy scholar receives the instruction and support they need to thrive this year!

Welcome Back to the 2025–2026 School Year at John F. Kennedy!

Kennedy Families,

We are off to a great start in our second week of school! In August, our focus is on learning and practicing our School Expectations—the 3 B’s:
✅ Be Safe
✅ Be Respectful
✅ Be Responsible

Each morning, teachers engage students in lessons and conversations about social skills that help them succeed both in and out of the classroom. Our scholars have also been learning and practicing our school-wide expectations throughout the campus—whether in the classroom, hallways, cafeteria, or playground.

We will continue to build and reinforce these expectations throughout the month of August to create a safe, respectful, and responsible school environment for everyone.

Thank you for partnering with us in encouraging your child to practice the 3 B’s every day! Together, we are creating a positive and supportive learning community.

Art Class

🎨 Exciting News – Kennedy Now Has Art Class! 🎨

We’re thrilled to share that Kennedy now has Art class! Please join us in welcoming Ms. Cenna, our new art teacher. She has so many creative ideas planned, and our scholars will be working on all kinds of fun and inspiring art projects this year.

We can’t wait to see their creativity come to life! 🖌️✨

Backpack Giveaway!

🎒 Backpack Giveaway!
Coming This September!

We’re excited to announce that families who attended Meet the Teacher Night in August will receive a FREE backpack filled with school supplies in September.

Southwest Behavioral & Health Services

School-Based Therapy at Kennedy

At Kennedy, we have partnered with Southwest Behavioral Health to offer School-Based Therapy—bringing the benefits of outpatient mental health care right to our campus during the school day for students who enroll.

Through our School and Community-Based Counseling Services (SCCS) program, students and their families can access:

Individualized Assessments
Individualized Service Plans (ISP)
Individual & Family Counseling
Psychoeducational & Therapeutic Groups
Community Outreach & Resource Development
Child and Family Team Process (part of the Arizona Model for Children and Families)

This unique community-centered approach makes mental health services more accessible by offering them in a familiar school setting, reducing barriers, and tailoring support to meet the needs of our Kennedy community.

📩 For more information or to enroll your child, please contact the Kennedy front office to speak with our school counselor, Ms.Tockstein .

🚸 Morning Arrival & Drop-Off Reminder

For safety purposes, only ALC and Pre-Kindergarten parents may walk students to and from class during arrival and dismissal.

Parents of all other grades may:

Walk students to the front/ back gate, or
Drop students off in the roundabout drop-off area.

⏰ Gates will close at 8:00 AM. After this time, students must be walked to the office to receive a tardy pass.

Thank you for helping us keep arrival and dismissal safe, smooth, and efficient for all our Kennedy scholars! 💙

Kennedy Family and Community Center

The Family Center at John F. Kennedy is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM.

We are excited to offer a FREE 8-week reading program in English and Spanish for children ages 0–5 and their parents.

First 15 families to sign up will reserve a spot!
Classes begin Thursday, September 4 from 8:30–9:30 AM in the Kennedy Family Center.
Activities include story time, music, crafts, and snacks with our amazing teacher.

💡 Did you know? Brain development is most rapid during the first five years of life—90% of brain growth happens by age 5. Let’s make those years count!

We had so much fun last year, and we can’t wait to welcome you back!

📩 Questions? Contact Melissa Downs at melissa.downs@rsd.k12.az.us

🪪 Student Identification Badges🪪

As part of our commitment to campus safety, ALL students will be required to wear their school ID badges at all times during the school day. They help ensure that we are accountable for who is accessing our schools at all times

🚌 Student ID badges will be used to:

Access RSD bus transportation and school meals during lunch

💳 Lost or damaged ID cards?
There will be a $5.00 replacement fee for any lost or damaged badges.

Please help us by reminding your scholar to wear their badge daily and to treat it with care. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our school safe, organized, and running smoothly! 💙🙌