Community News

What is The Good Stuff?

The Good Stuff is our e-newsletter celebrating and sharing great news in the Kennewick School District. In the newsletter, we highlight programs, initiatives, people and events, share important district-related information, post links to resources, and more.

Watch for The Good Stuff in your inbox bi-monthly.

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Latest edition - Jan. 19, 2023

No-Cost Immunization event Planned

A no-cost childhood immunization clinic is planned on Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Amistad Elementary. All school-required vaccines will be available, along with recommended vaccines such as HPV, pediatric flu, Hepatitis A, COVID-19 (including the new pediatric Omicron booster) and Meningococcal.

The clinic runs from 2:30 to 7 p.m. Appointments aren't needed and insurance isn't required. All families and children ages 6 months and older are welcome.

Interested in Dual Language? Watch an informational video now

Interested in enrolling your incoming kindergartner in Kennewick School District's dual language program? Watch a brief video now to learn more about the program and the process. An information meeting for families also is planned on Jan. 26 at Fuerza Elementary, with a session in English from 5 to 5:45 p.m. and a session in Spanish from 6 to 6:45 p.m.

View a flyer in English and Spanish.

Watch the video in English: https://youtu.be/tq70SPhSr7I

Watch the video in Spanish: https://youtu.be/oxAT3IzbJnA

The dual language lottery application will be posted on the district website on Jan. 26 and is due by Feb. 17.

MCP student wearing a virtual reality headset

Engaging Students Through Virtual Reality

The students explored outer space without leaving their desks. They zoomed past Earth, Mars, Saturn, Venus and more – the planets appearing in brilliant color and 3D.

If they reached out their hands, it felt like they could make contact

"It was pretty fun," said Eben, an eighth-grader at Mid-Columbia Partnership. "It felt like I was actually moving around."

That's the idea.

Eben and the other students in Julie Rheinschmidt's earth sciences class wore virtual reality headsets to get an immersive view of the solar system.

Our district recently secured four classroom sets of virtual reality equipment, with a handful of teachers already trained in employing them to bring lessons to life. Another 45 teachers across the district are scheduled for training at the end of January. They'll teach lessons in everything from science to math, world language, geography, literacy, history and social studies using the equipment.

Internet safety resource for parents

Kennewick Police Department is sharing information about an internet safety resource that can help you remove certain sensitive photos and video taken before you or your child were 18 years old.

The service, Take it Down, is provided by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Participating platforms include Facebook, Instagram, OnlyFans and Yubo.

Learn more on the Take it Down website.

Get Your Senior Citizen Gold Card

If you're 65 or older and living within the Kennewick, Pasco or Richland school districts, get your free Tri-Cities Senior Citizen Gold Card today! The card provides free admission to district and ASB events at middle and high schools, including concerts and athletic events. It isn't valid for tournaments, playoffs or sold-out events.

Bring your photo ID and fill out an application at any of the three school district offices, including Kennewick's at 1000 W. Fourth Ave.

Two girls standing in front of a school bus

Transfer Requests Due by Jan. 31

In-district and out-of-district transfer requests are due by Jan. 31.

The transfer request form is available here: https://bit.ly/3VMVIvH

You should fill out a transfer request form for your child if:

You live within the Kennewick School District and want your child to attend a school in 2023-23 other than their assigned boundary school.
You live outside the Kennewick School District and want your child to attend school within KSD. You must get a new release from your home school district each school year.

Requests received after Jan. 31 will be processed on a space-available basis prior to school starting in the fall of 2023.

Upcoming Events

Jan. 20
K-5 Mid-Trimester

Jan. 25
Educational Programs & Operations Levy Ballots Mailed

Jan. 25
K-8 Early Release
*No early release for Highlands and Park middle schools