Hello KE Families,

Thank you for working alongside the teaching team to support your children at Kent Elementary. Your partnership is the support we need to share responsibility for deep learning. If you have any concern or question, please share with us. We want to know what you think and what you need. Our goal is to create an open, supportive, caring, and high performing learning environment for your children.  We are eager to hear your feedback any day, any time.  Please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or me. Have a fabulous February!

Dr. Rosa M. Villarreal

Principal and Lead Learner

Kent Elementary

2/2- Lockdown Drill at 9:30 AM at KE

2/2- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

2/3- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

2/3- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

2/3- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

2/4-STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

2/5- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

2/6- After School Energy 3:40-5:00 PM 

2/9- 2/13 Conference Week

2/9-2/12 Scholastic Book Fair

2/9-2/13 SmileMobile 

2/10- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

2/11-STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

2/16-2/20- Presidents' Break (NO SCHOOL)

2/23- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

2/24- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

2/24- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

2/24- Extended Learning Club in cafe at 3:45 to 4:30 PM

2/25- STOMP Practice from 8:10-8:50 AM

2/26- PAWS Assembly K-2 from 2:05 to 2:25 pm

2/26- PAWS Assembly 3-5 from 2:30-2:50 pm

2/26- Tutoring Station at Calvary Chapel from 4:00 to 5:00 pm

2/27- After School Energy 3:40-5:00 PM

School Start Time- 9:00 AM

Regular End Time- 3:40 PM

Breakfast

Everyday 8:40-8:55 AM

Early Release

Wednesdays 9:00 AM- 1:40 PM

Conference Week Schedule

9:00 AM-12:40 PM Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Practice your personal best

Act responsibly

Work and play safe

Show respect

“Hello February, bring love and happiness in our lives.” – Anonymous

A quick and easy treat combining pretzels, Hershey’s Hugs, and M&M’s. Simply melt the chocolate candies on top and you can enjoy this sweet and salty snack in no time.

Ingredients:

• Hershey’s Hugs Candy

• M&M candies – If you can find the Valentine’s Day-themed M&M’s, use them. If not, you can use regular M&M’s.

• Square pretzels

DIRECTIONS:

Step One: Preheat oven to 200°F.

Step Two: While the oven is preheating, unwrap all the Hershey Hugs and set them aside.

Step Three: Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Step Four: Arrange the pretzels on the baking sheet.

Step Five: Top each square pretzel with one Hershey’s Hug. Make sure the hug is in the center of the pretzel to avoid spilling over. Once all the hugs are in place, put the baking sheet in the oven for 3 minutes and 30 seconds or until the hugs are slightly melted.

Step Six: Remove the oven. Using a toothpick, gently jiggle the center of each hug to flood the chocolate on the pretzel.

Step Seven: Gently place one M&M in the center of each hug. Make sure not to press down, or the chocolate may run over the pretzel. Repeat this step until all the hugs have M&Ms.

Step Eight: Place on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature, or you can place them in the fridge to speed up the cooling process.

Step Nine: Package in your favorite airtight jar or tin for a cute gift or serve immediately and enjoy!

I recently started a Kindness Club! Our club meets on Monday mornings at 8:15am. Students work on kindness projects at KE. For example, students are making kindness posters and cards to give to other students. Our Kindness Student Leaders will also help with Kindness week in February! If you would like your child to join, please let me know.

Also, students have been learning about the importance of EMPATHY. Empathy is a feeling or understanding what someone else is feeling. Please ask your child to share their thoughts about Empathy! Our Second Step curriculum teaches our students the following steps:

                Look at her face and body for clues.

                What is his point of view?

                How does she feel?

                How can I help?

                What is a kind thing to say?

                Remember, Compassion is Empathy in Action!

Here’s a few Empathy videos you could watch together:

All About Empathy https://youtu.be/Itp21tly8nM?si=fT7eeZjEKKBToP_W

A Little Spot of Empathy https://youtu.be/RBFHr6Zj39g?si=uFeSYdks3Sty63fh

If you have any academic, social, emotional, or behavior concerns for your child, please feel free to contact me at Karyn.higgins@kent.k12.wa.us or 253-373-2764. I’m here to help!

Karyn Higgins- School Counselor Monday-Thursday

(253) 373-2764

Email: karyn.higgins@kent.k12.wa.us

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. A healthy mouth is an important part of overall wellness. Cavities (tooth decay) are one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. Left untreated, they can cause pain and infections that may affect eating, speaking, and learning. All individuals are encouraged to:

Brush teeth twice daily with fluoride toothpaste

Clean between teeth daily

Eat healthy food and limit sugary beverages

See a dentist at least twice per year

One great resource available to KSD students is the SmileMobile. This mobile dental clinic is returning to Kent Elementary the week of February 9-13th. This is parent teacher conference week and a great time to schedule a dental exam! The dental team will see children and pregnant women who either do not have insurance or have Apple Health. Call 888-286-9105 to schedule an appointment.

Another great health resource for KSD families is Hazel Health. KSD students can make free Telehealth visits through a partnership with Hazel Health. See the attached flyer for more information or visit getstarted.hazel.co to sign up.

Mariel LePage

School Nurse

Kent Elementary (M, W, F)

(253) 373-2733 office

(253) 373-7499 fax

Reporting Absences

Hello KE Families, Everyday matters and makes the greatest difference in a student’s education when present in class. Instruction begins at 9:00 am so we kindly ask you to arrive between 8:40am and 8:50am to ensure your student arrives to class on time. Especially if they plan to have breakfast at school. If arrival is after 9:05 am please have your student come into the office to receive a tardy slip for student to enter class. If a student will be absent for part of the day, or the entire day of learning, please notify the office to update your student’s attendance. In case we are unable to answer a call, please leave a voicemail and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We thank you ahead of time for your cooperation.

Vanessa Cejas Villegas

Attendance Clerk

(253) 373-7497

keattendance@kent.k12.wa.us

We celebrate birthdays on the first FRIDAY of the month during lunch. If you wish to bring any treats or snacks, consider class allergies.

Please inform your child's teacher. The parent should plan to serve the snack in the cafeteria during the lunch period.

Kinder and 1st Grade Lunch: 11:15-11:40 a.m.

2nd and 4th Grade Lunch: 11:45 a.m. -12:10 p.m.

3rd and 5th Grade Lunch: 12:35-1:00 p.m.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at  rosa.villarreal@kent.k12.wa.us.

Dear Families,

We are excited to share that our school rotunda is proudly featuring a Black History Month display that honors, celebrates, and uplifts Black excellence. This display reflects our continued commitment to educating our students, celebrating diversity, and highlighting the many contributions of Black leaders, innovators, and change-makers—past, present, and future.

This year, our 5th grade students played a special role in bringing this display to life. Through thoughtful research, meaningful discussions, and creative expression, they explored what Black excellence looks like and how it shows up in history, in our communities, and in themselves. Our students demonstrated excellence through their curiosity, effort, collaboration, and pride in learning. They showed up as scholars, leaders, and critical thinkers, and we could not be more proud of the work they produced.

The purpose of this display is to educate and to highlight important voices and stories, and to create opportunities for reflection and learning for our entire school community. Black History Month provides a powerful opportunity to deepen understanding, encourage empathy, and recognize the impact of Black individuals who have shaped our world in meaningful ways.

We invite families to take time to view the display when visiting the school and to engage your students in conversations at home about what they have learned. Together, we aim to continue fostering an environment where all students feel seen, valued, and inspired to strive for excellence.

Thank you for your continued support as we work to educate, uplift, and celebrate our students and our community.

Kent Elementary Equity Team

KINDERGARTEN

Liu: Mehrad Kaihan and Saadra

Crosier: Elena Flores Jimenez, Leah Alta De Luna

Ceras-Garibay: John Takyi, Jostin Diaz and Ahmad Jamili

1st Grade

Rios: Florinda Vidales, Elias Morales

Baluca: Emmett Ryan, Fernanda Villeda Cortez

Lutsyuk: Musawer Liwal, Hasnat Sadat

2nd Grade

Hernandez:  Marjorie Soto Machuca, Jamilla Barrack

Neri/Kovacs: Beberlyn Vicente, Jose Crisostomo

McCloud: Subhan, Niha

Ch. Smith:  Raghad, Abbas

3rd Grade

Marshall: Raquel Menjivar, Leilani Roman Gomez

K. Harris: Zair Espana Velez, Cristal Vega

Wells: Arthur Legister, Kailee Rose

Cox: Martin Clark, Athena Letim

Vladyka: Kala Meador

4th Grade

Brin: Melissa, Perla

Maldonado: Max, Rachel

A. Saucedo:  

Trujillo:  Mackenzie, Emranullah 

Vladyka: Ahmad Shirza

5th Grade

D. Saucedo: Angel Aguilar, Jason Sematungu

Copeland: Roland Zarate, Emeli Acevedo

Dela Paz: LenaMarie Zuniga, Kiara Alvarez Sanchez

L. Harris: Mahamadou Tambadou, Alison Chith

Practice Personal best

Act responsibly

Work and play safe

Show respect

A Reminder for Parents who would like to VOLUNTEER for field trips, crosswalk, etc:

Please Contact MONICA MARQUEZ PEDROZA 253-373-2722.

Approval prior to participation is required. You may also walk-in, and Office Staff can assist with completion of required forms.

Hello families!

Our conferences are right around the corner, February 9-13. This week our teachers have been working to schedule your conference times. Please look for a letter coming home with your child by Monday, February 2nd that will let you know your scheduled time. 

We look forward to meeting with you to share your child's progress. Thank you!

Hi KE families,

All KE families are invited to attend the Winter Wonderland Friendship Dance at KE on Friday, February 27, 4:30-6:00.

We are excited to offer free admission into the dance. You may purchase tickets to buy pizza, soda/water, Candy, Chips. We are also selling LED flashing glasses, rings, glow friendship bracelets, and glow necklaces.

Come dance with our STOMP team as they teach us some moves to the music played by DJ Sweetser.

There will also be a photo backdrop for fun group pictures!

Come join the fun at KE!!!

Free Entry with Parent/Guardian!

Dates: February 27th

Time: 4:30pm to 6:00pm

Location: Kent Elementary Cafeteria

Kent School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. To contact the district, the phone number is (253) 373-7000. District Office: 12033 SE 256th Street, Kent, WA 98030.