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REMINDER: Club KAS will be closed Friday, December 20. December 20th is the last day of school before the Winter Break, and will be a full day of school. If you plan to leave early, please inform the KAS Office. Thank You!
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KAS Middle School: In Focus
I think it is important that our entire community understand - and celebrate - how well our students do in KAS's Grades 6 through 8. We believe that giving our students extra time in a small setting appears to exhibit clear benefits for our rising high schoolers.
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As an organization, we judge our success on where our students attend high school, and how far they go beyond KAS. For some, it can be a surprise to learn that we have exceptional success with high school preparation and placements.
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KAS Middle schoolers usually enter the regional high schools of their choice, which include The Ellis School, City of Bridges, The Creative and Performing Arts Magnet School, Winchester Thurston School, Central Catholic, The University School, Pittsburgh Science and Technology Academy, and others. As a small school, we have the ability to effectively support students during their most challenging educational and emotional time: the middle school years. The extra time promoting our school mission in our small-class setting - with Mike and Nana - appears to pay off annually.
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KAS Middle School students do things a little differently as older students. Some volunteer in the Kindergarten, while others manage school recycling and school wide cleanup. Some have interests that include performance and dance, while others are developing tech, drawing, martial arts, and cooking skills. In the middle school, privileges increase as students look forward to the benefits of our pending Maker Space and Tech Hub, as well as to our spring trip to Washington, DC.
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We are proud of our middle schoolers as our KAS's 'elder states people' and believe they are clearly on tracks of success. And, we'd be happy to share more with you.
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Nutcracker Ballet and High Tea at KAS
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Special thanks to our Music Teacher Rachel Matos and the parents of Grades 2 & 3 who oversaw our visit to the Nutcracker Ballet, followed by the Nutcracker Tea and Luncheon. Our students (and teachers) took the public bus to the Benedum Theater to see this year's ballet production of the Nutcracker, and were part of a private acknowledgement by Highmark WholeCare, who donated $45,000 to the production. The ballet was amazing and all student remained engaged throughout the performance.
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Afterward, as a surprise, Grade 2 and 3 parents donated, prepared, and served desserts, finger foods, and a range of snacks and drinks to celebrate the experience. In it's entirety, it was a very special day for our students, and showed the unity, creativity, and engagement of this amazing community.
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Keep Reading
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Thinking ahead, we encourage parents to celebrate reading over the winter break. We understand that daily reading is of huge benefit to growing minds so please, let's keep the reading going! Remember, any printed media is good and even reading to your children - of any age - is a win for all.
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Tower Building
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This Wednesday, on the 18th, we have planned our first ALL-SCHOOL STEM CHALLENGE. Students will be grouped across all grade levels (K-8) to complete a building challenge. In addition to design and construction challenges, students will be tasked with working together, and must communicate effectively across all ages. Get ready - we'll share pictures on social media afterward!
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Academic Excellence
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Most often, KAS is celebrated for its welcoming community and small class sizes. Unfortunately, most do not appreciate our academic power! MAP test scores from this past Fall indicate that as a school we ranked in the Top Quartile (75%-100%) compared to all students in our cohort, and multiple grade-level averages reaching the 90th percentile in Math and Reading. While we don't commonly focus on these scores, it's worth acknowledging the academic strengths of our students.
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Thanks to parents who have donated to the fall Fundraiser, as well as toward all the activities and events we've had so far this school year. We continue to gather resources for our Makerspace, which in honor of our mascot (the kangaroo) is called the KAS Hop Shop. We continue to accept donations so please call the office if you would like to gift items for use in this emerging space. Expect your child to begin making and creating in our Hop Shop shortly after the Winter Break.
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Thank you for participating in the KAS Used Battery Drive. We have met our goal of filling our used battery container, and we will deliver the collected used batteries to the recycling center. It's not too late: you still have a few days to donate your old batteries to KAS and help prevent unwanted battery waste.
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We Are So Lucky To Have Time with your Children!
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It sometimes goes without saying, but we are so happy to see your children every morning. It is an absolute honor to laugh, create, and challenge your child every day here at KAS. It is amazing to think that for over half a century, children like yours have been coming through these doors to learn and grow.
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Thank you for trusting your child's future to KAS. If you ever need a break from your exceptionally boring adult life, please come for a visit! Have tea or coffee with us, and enjoy the learning that takes place across the school every day.
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Snow Day And School Delay Reminder
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KAS Snow Days and Delays are guided by the Pittsburgh Public Schools Central Office. If the weather appears concerning, please check your local media to see if KAS will be open or delayed (we do what the PPS does). For now, we hope that if there is a snow day, your child will enjoy time outside in the snow, followed by a mug of hot cocoa! Should snow days continue, we may need to shift at some point to online learning. We will keep you posted.
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SAVE THE DATE: January 28th Parent Meeting
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Kentucky Avenue School is thrilled to announce our partnership with RedefinED to expand and manage our Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program! This collaboration will significantly enhance our capacity to offer financial aid and ensure more children have access to our wonderful educational community.
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Please mark your calendars for a Zoom meeting on the evening of January 28th. Erin Rockwell, our RedefinEd Donor Relationships Manager, will explain the details of the EITC program and its advantages. We request that every KAS family attend the meeting. More information will be forthcoming.
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Thank you for your ongoing support!
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An (Ongoing) Commitment to Giving
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Recently, students in grades 4 and 5 visited a Pittsburgh Area animal rescue to donate funds they generated with a school-based carnival. Student representatives were able to donate the money, and had the opportunity to spend time with a few "new friends" that were destined to new homes. Thanks to our students who exhibited a notable spirit for giving.
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Thank you, parents, for supporting KAS. As we seek to grow, we are asking parents to drop off flyers at their local gyms, sports arenas, and deli bulletin boards. Thank you in advance: let us know if we can send a few flyers by contacting Genevieve at admissions@kentuckyavenueschool.org.
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