Greetings Kent Community,

This Friday December 10th at 4 p.m. we will publish first trimester grades in Aeries for students and families to review. You can access your child’s grade through the Aeries Family Portal, where trimester 1 grades will be prominently displayed.

Grades are an important communication tool regarding students’ progress in their classes, yet I advise that families take care when interpreting and communicating with your children regarding their grades. While it can be tempting to focus on the letter grade alone, and to compliment high grades and question lower grades, I encourage you to ask your child about their learning, effort, and engagement in each class. Ask for specific examples of what they’ve learned or a particularly effective habit they’ve developed that led to success in a class. Discuss what obstacles to learning and/or assignment completion exist, and work together to make a plan to overcome them. Most importantly, celebrate and affirm where hard work, perseverance and effort has led your child to learn and achieve, regardless of the letter grade received. If you have questions after reviewing your child’s first trimester report card, please contact your child’s teacher.

This Wednesday during Advisory class, we will engage in a discussion about school safety, and the ways in which we prepare to lockdown our campus during an unsafe situation. Per California Education Code, it is required that schools hold lockdown drills each year, and that schools are adequately prepared to protect students from an unwelcome and unsafe threat on campus. While these are difficult conversations to have, it is essential that we prepare in case the unthinkable transpires on our own campus.

At Kent we prepare for two specific lockdown scenarios, named lockdown 1 and lockdown 2:

• In a lockdown 1 scenario, there is an unsafe situation in our community that does not include an explicit threat to our campus. During a lockdown 1 event, students and staff remain in a locked classroom or space with windows covered, yet typical classroom activity may continue.
• In a lockdown 2 scenario, there is an unwelcome and unsafe situation on campus that suggests a direct threat to student and staff safety. During a lockdown 2 event, classroom spaces are locked, windows are covered, all entry points are barricaded, and students gather together in a safe and protected space in the classroom.

During Advisory this week, Ms. Holmes and I will be sharing a video where we carefully explain the two types of lockdown scenarios, as well as the manner in which students and staff are expected to respond. The video will be followed by classroom discussions about how we are to respond if faced with a lockdown 1 and 2 scenario, as well as time for students to ask questions of their advisors.

We will hold a lockdown 1 drill next Tuesday during study session, and a lockdown 2 drill in February. While we all hope this preparation will never have to be applied at our school during a real life situation, it is our responsibility to be prepared and practice for safety. Please reach out to Ms. Holmes and me if you have any questions about our lockdown preparations and procedures at our school.

All my best,

Mock Newbery Club: meets Mondays at lunch outside the library. The club reading list can be found here.

Newspaper Club: meets on Tuesday during study session.

Need Book Recommendations?

Email me at rjelen@kentfieldschools.org and follow us on Instagram @kentmiddleschoollibrary.