KENNEDY ELEMENTARY
Manistee Area Public Schools
Welcome to Kennedy – Grades 3-5
Mariners aim to be leaders in our own way at school, at home, and in our community. Through learning, we explore our world, inspire our potential, and achieve our goals. Together Mariners Lead the Way to a brighter future.
Mariners Lead the Way!
Please Note!
KENNEDY ELEMENTARY will be operating from the Madison Community Learning Center location for the 2024/25 school year during the construction of our consolidated elementary school building.
MAPS students grades 3-5 will will attend school at 1309 Madison Rd. (off of 28th Street), directions: MAP
School Nutrition Services Information
We are pleased to inform you that we will be participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) as part of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.
The GREAT NEWS is that ALL students enrolled at Manistee Area Public Schools can receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at NO CHARGE to your household each day.
As we start this program for the 24/25 school year, we ask that each household complete a Household Information Report found online at: https://manisteeps.familyportal.cloud. Click "Apply for benefits" to get started. This report only takes five minutes to fill out and must be completed by each household in our District. Paper copies are available upon request. We also ask that you pay any lunch balance due from the prior school year. The CEP Program cannot be in place with overdue balances remaining.
In addition, the Household Information Report is critical in determining the amount of money that our school receives from a variety of State and Federal supplemental programs like Title I A, At-risk (31a), Title II A, E-Rate, etc. These supplemental programs have the potential to offer supports and services for our students including, but not limited to:
- Instructional support (staff, supplies & materials, etc.)
- Non-instructional services (counseling, social work, health services, etc.)
- Professional Learning for staff
- Parent and Community engagement supplies and activities
- Technology
We are asking that you please complete and submit the Household Information Report as soon as possible to ensure that additional funding for our school is available to meet the needs of our students. All information on the report submitted is confidential. Without your assistance in completing and returning the report, our school cannot maximize the use of available State and Federal funds. If we can be of any further assistance, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Keri Carlson, Nutrition Services Director
Kennedy Announcements
MHS AP Chemistry Class demonstrates experiments for Kennedy Third Graders
MHS Chemistry Teacher Ryan O’Donnell’s AP Chemistry Class was eager to demonstrate experiments to the Kennedy Third Grade students. AP Chemistry Teacher Ryan O’Donnell talked about what his students had learned this past year in class and said that chemistry is a...
Masons’ “Bikes for Books” program encourages student reading
Through the efforts of the Manistee Lodge No. 228 of Free & Accepted Masons and the Michigan Masonic Charitable Foundation’s Community Charities Program, new bikes and helmets are given away to local school students as a part of its “Bikes for Books” reading...
A SALUTE TO MRS. HUNTER — THE AMERICAN LEGION ZONE 4 “2021 TEACHER OF THE YEAR”
On a picture-perfect day, Mrs. Tanya Hunter, Kennedy Elementary 5th Grade Teacher, was honored for being selected as The American Legion Zone 4 “2021 Teacher of the Year.” On May 26th, Brian Morrison, Department Education and Scholarship 4th Zone Committeemen, and...
Your Kennedy Team
Location: 1309 Madison Rd, Manistee, MI 49660 | Map
Telephone: (231) 723-3271
Fax: (231) 723-5879
School Office Hours: M-Th: 7:30am – 4pm, Friday 7:30am – 3pm
Principal: Shelly Vanvoorst svanvoorst@manistee.org
Administrative Assistant: Carly Cheever ccheever@manistee.org
View Kennedy Staff
Administrative Team
Principal: Shelly Vanvoorst | svanvoorst@manistee.org
Administrative Assistant: Carly Cheever | ccheever@manistee.org
Instructional Staff
Jennifer Abel
Resource Room jabel@manistee.org
Leah Antal
3rd Grade Teacher lantal@manistee.org
Tristan Baller
3rd Grade Teacher tballer@manistee.org
Ryan Biller
Specials - Instrumental Music rbiller@manistee.org
Linda Coyle
Special Education lcoyle@manistee.org
William Edmondson
4th Grade Teacher wedmondson@manistee.org
Amanda Feyen
Elementary Music afeyen@manistee.org
Tanya Hunter
5th Grade Teacher thunter@manistee.org
Jaclyn Kaminski
5th Grade Teacher jkaminski@manistee.org
Tina Mannon
4th Grade Teacher tmannon@manistee.org
Taylor Mellon
5th Grade Teacher tmellon@manistee.org
Cassie Miller
Specials - PE/Health cmmiller@manistee.org
Emily Noteware
Special Education enoteware@manistee.org
Kelly Petersen
3rd Grade Teacher kpetersen@manistee.org
Michael Rosteck
Specials - Elementary Art mrosteck@manistee.org
Rose Savela
5th Grade Teacher rsavela@manistee.org
Kayla Szokola
3rd Grade Teacher kszokola@manistee.org
Nicole Weaver
4th Grade Teacher nweaver@manistee.org
Sam Zeller
Elementary Coding szeller@manistee.org
Kelly Zimmerman
4th Grade Teacher kzimmerman@manistee.org
Non-Instructional Staff
Gabby Applegarth
Academic Specialist gapplegarth@manistee.org
Krista Bennett
Math Coach kbennett@manistee.org
Chasity Gouker
Title I Reading/Literacy Coach cgouker@manistee.org
Emma Peake
SafeNet epeake@manistee.org
Andra Shobe
Academic Specialist ashobe@manistee.org
Para-Professionals
Terri Barkholz tbarkholz@manistee.org
Jill Johnson jjohnson@manistee.org
Natalie Knickerbocker nknickerbocker@manistee.org
Phil Kroll pkroll@manistee.org
Rachel Lindeman rlindeman@manistee.org
Selena Loredo sloredo@manistee.org
Alissa Stickel astickel@manistee.org
Nutrition Services
Stacy Applegarth bapplegarth@manistee.org
Melissa Gutowski mgutowski@manistee.org
Carol LeMieux clemieux@manistee.org
Laura Olk lolk@manistee.org
Custodial Staff
Don Froncek dfroncek@manistee.org
Johnny Skocelas jskocelas@manistee.org
2024-2025 Meeting Schedule
All meetings are held 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
When held at Jefferson, meetings are located in Mrs. Bradford’s classroom
When held at Kennedy Elementary, meetings will be located in Mrs. Antal's classroom
September 12th
October 17th
November 21st - Kennedy
December 19th - Jefferson
January 16th - Kennedy
February 20th - Jefferson
March 20th - Kennedy
April 17th - Jefferson
May 15th - Kennedy
Current Officers
President: Ariel Ferreira
Vice President: Katrina Jankowski
Treasurer: Kris Brandt
Secretary: Kelly Vartyak
ATP Contact Information
ATP Contact: mapsatp1@gmail.com and we can be found on Facebook as MAPS Elementary ATP
Building Contacts: Julia Raddatz raddatzj@manistee.org
MAPS Elementary ATP (Assembly for Teachers & Parents)
What is ATP?: ATP is our parent-teacher group for all of the MAPS Elementary buildings – Jefferson and Kennedy, grades Pre-K through 5.
Parents who become involved in their child’s education can make a positive difference.
What does ATP do?
We fundraise to help support our schools and students. We pay for field trips, school supplies, recess/playground equipment, books, staff appreciation activities, and more! We also organize many family events: Fall Carnival, Daddy-Daughter and Mother-Son nights, Holiday Caroling, Birthday Lunches, Book Fairs, and Santa Shop are some examples.
What are the objectives of the ATP?
The MAPS Elementary ATP (Assembly of Teachers & Parents), is a dedicated group parents that spearhead projects to benefit our students grades Pre-K through 5th. It is similar to a Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) only a little more prescriptive and based on committees, including:
- Parenting
- Communicating
- Volunteering
- Learning at Home
- Decision Making
- Community Collaboration
ATP Points Tracker
Starting January 2019, ATP is starting a point tracker for volunteers!
How do I earn points?
- Every ATP event (popcorn day, slushy day, winter carnival, etc.) every 2 hours you volunteer, you earn 1 point.
- For showing up to our ATP meeting that’s once a month, you earn 1 point.
- For suggesting a friend to volunteer & they show up for at least 2 hours, you earn 1 point.
All the points you earn will be entered for a drawing. At the end of the year, we will choose two winners. We hope to have a ton of volunteers!
Your Journey Continues at Kennedy Elementary
The staff at Kennedy Elementary are looking forward to an exciting school year. Kennedy Elementary offers a challenging academic program along with many athletic opportunities and after school programs. We are proud of the programs our school offers and encourage you to work hard, do your best, and find success both academically and in your personal accomplishments.
We offer the following programs throughout the year:
- PowerLearning 1:1 iPad instruction
- Data Driven Instruction
- Guaranteed & Viable Curriculum
- Educational based field trips & assemblies
- Paraprofessional Assistance
- After-School Tutoring
- Response to Intervention (RTI) & Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
- Safenet
- Child Study Meetings
As Manistee Mariners, we are all leaders in our own way. Mariners lead at school, with friends, and in the community by developing healthy relationships, using responsible decision-making and respectful communication.
Mariners are:
T | TRUSTWORTHY — Always tell the truth
R | RESPECTFUL — Listen and are polite
A | ACCEPTING — Friends to all
C | COOPERATIVE — Work as a team
K | KIND — Thoughtful and caring
“TRACK” is the Manistee Area Public Schools global, district-wide, leaders platform that all educators, staff and students follow throughout their educational journey. This initiative is connected to course curriculum, extra curricular programs, disciplinary procedures, and internal culture.
