Dear Kent Middle School Families,

This morning we welcomed our Falcons back to Kent to launch the fast-paced and exciting final 9-week stretch of the school year. This is a span of the year when our students are primed for maximum learning and growth, and the spring season fills us with a sense of renewal and possibility. Thank you for encouraging your child to maintain engagement, determination, and focus to fully benefit from the many learning experiences ahead.

Attendance Considerations - Consistent school attendance is one predictor of student academic success and social-emotional wellness, and it is the legal responsibility of all parents/guardians to ensure regular school attendance for their children. Our school policy on attendance outlines attendance expectations and processes for our school, including what constitutes excused versus unexcused absences. For a variety of reasons, we have noticed an increase in chronic absenteeism in our district. In California, a student is considered a "chronic absentee" when they miss 10% or more school days per year for any reason (excused or unexcused). While we do acknowledge the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on illness-related absences, we continue to hold a fixed number of school days each year, and additional absences accumulating on top of illness-related absences can create inconsistent school experiences for chronically absent students.

To call attention to potentially damaging attendance patterns, we have sent attendance letter notifications to all parents/guardians of students who meet the "chronic absenteeism" criteria outlined above and will notify parents in the future if this threshold is met. Additionally, we are notifying families via Parent Square when your child accumulates four or more period tardies during the third trimester, with an interest to ensure that all students are present for the full class period, every class period. Thank you for monitoring your student’s attendance record and working to ensure as consistent, regular, and timely attendance as possible for our remaining weeks of school.

Principal Coffee - This Friday, April 21, from 8:45 to 10 a.m., we will gather in the Kent Library for our April Principal’s Coffee. The focus of this month's presentation and discussion will be our Kent advisory period and the multiple ways we utilize advisory to support social and emotional wellness among our Kent Falcons. Advisory is a non-academic session each week where a smaller group of students (~13 students in 6th through 8th grades and nest groups in 5th grade) meets with a known teacher or staff member from their schedule. Advisory groups learn about and discuss a variety of topics/lessons, including the emphasis of our grade level through lines, social justice themes, shared problem solving, digital citizenship, academic check-ins, and social and emotional learning. Please join school librarian and social justice chair Rebecca Jelen, assistant principal Wendy Holmes, and me this Friday to learn more about our weekly advisory sessions and to discuss the themes explored during these important sessions.

Lion King Appreciations - On April 5 and 6, a cast and crew of more than 75 5th through 8th grade Kent Falcons performed a spirited version of Lion King The Musical to enthralled student, staff, and family audiences. For a short period of time, our MP Room transformed into the Pride Lands, and our Kent actors led us through an exceptional version of this timeless classic. We extend our sincere appreciation to all KIK donors who made the first musical at Kent in decades possible for our 2022-2023 Kent Falcons, as well as to Ashley Kimball and the whole North Bay Theatrics team for their fantastic work with our students. Congratulations to all the Lion King cast and crew for a job well done!

May the fast-paced spring season commence! I am so thankful to engage in this important work with your child and your family!