Commander Communicator

Message from the Principal

Dr. Lisa García Simms joins the JFK team as a district-funded Assistant Principal for the 2025–2026 school year, bringing more than 20 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and central-office leader in Denver Public Schools. She has led districtwide initiatives focused on teacher development, evaluation, and novice-educator support.

At JFK, her focus areas include supporting the MTSS process with the Attendance Team, overseeing Gifted and Talented programming, coordinating Khan Academy PSAT/SAT prep, and coaching a caseload of Co-Teachers.

Lisa recently earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Denver. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring Denver’s trails with her dogs, traveling, and spending time with family. She is excited to join the JFK Commanders community and help foster a culture of growth and success!

Important Dates

October 13: Indigenous Peoples' Day - No school for students and staff

October 15: Class of 2026 Mandatory Meeting + Balfour Orders, 5:30 - 6:30 PM

October 21: MLE PAC Night, 6 - 7 PM

October 29: Trick-or-Treat Street, 5 - 7 PM

October 29: Halloween Cabaret, 6 - 7 PM

October 31: No School

DSF Parent Newsletter

Click here to see the October Denver Scholarship Foundation Newsletter for important information and upcoming workshops!

Class of 2026 Information

There is a mandatory Class of 2026 meeting October 15th from 5:30 - 7PM. Check out our website for more information.

Families--we sincerely apologize for any miscommunication with the date of this meeting in a recent Commander Communicator. Our intent is for the Mandatory Senior Class Meeting to provide families with all of the details related to graduation, and the original date was pushed back to October 15th in order to make sure we had those details to share. We hope you will still be able to join us on October 15th. Individual emails will also be sent to all seniors and families of seniors in the coming week.

Join a Club at JFK!

Looking to get involved? Ms. Lisa sponsors several amazing clubs, including the Speech and Debate Team and the Asian Student Alliance. Both are great opportunities to build skills, meet new people, and be part of a supportive community. Interested students can reach out to Ms. Lisa lisa_mcdonald@dpsk12.netfor more details on how to join.

Denver Public Schools Storytelling Campaign

Denver Public Schools is launching a storytelling campaign to celebrate the incredible students and educators across our community.

In this campaign, we replace the word “Public” in Denver Public Schools with five empowering adjectives — Passionate, Personalized, Powerful, Prestigious and Proud — to highlight what makes DPS amazing.

We’re inviting you to nominate a student, educator, team of people, or even yourself to be featured in this campaign. It’s a chance to share good news with the community and spotlight the people behind our district's accomplishments. Fill out the form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScd2eETEnjLt3ghSINU7I0Dnw-d6GZDO-CqybORzpGIVuUHuA/viewform

BESS Screener

BESS is a screening tool that we use in Denver Public Schools to identify students' emotional and behavioral strengths and weaknesses. The purpose is to identify students who are at risk, and this helps us determine what kind of support or intervention might be beneficial for individual students. Students, teachers and parents/guardians take the screener two times per year. Parents/Guardians, you can take the screener from now through October 31st using the links below. You will need your students ID # as well as their date of birth in order to complete the screener.

English

Spanish

Vietnamese

Students will be taking the screener in their 4th period class the week of 9/29. If your student has opted out of this screener, they will not participate. However, we do still encourage parents to take the screener for their student even if they have been opted out.

We encourage all Parents/Guardians to complete the screener for their student. If you have any questions please reach out to Merlinda Maldonado (mmaldon@dpsk12.net or 720.423.4545).

Thanks!!

Weekly Bell Schedule

Doors open at 8:00 AM every day.
Class begins at 8:20 AM every day.
On Commander Days (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays), class ends at 3:50 PM.
On Green Days (Wednesdays), class ends at 3:00 PM. Students may stay until 3:50 to engage with clubs, participate in study hall, or meet with teachers.
On Blue Days (Thursdays), class ends at 1:30 PM. Open office hours for teachers are held weekly on Blue Days from 1:30-2:30.

Please see our updated bell schedule: 2025-26 Bell Schedule

School Breakfast and Lunch

This is a reminder that every student has the opportunity to receive free breakfast and lunch here at Kennedy. Families can access the menus through the SchoolCafé website. Useful features include:

Nutritional Information
Allergen Information
Print a PDF of the menu
Ability to make a sample tray with your student

Student Parking Passes

Starting September 8th, 2025, students will need a parking pass in order to park in the student lot. Passes are $20 for the covered parking under the solar panels and $15 for uncovered parking. Students will need the following items in order to obtain a parking pass:

Valid Driver's License
Proof of insurance
Current vehicle registration

Student Drop-Off

To better control traffic flow in the morning, students must be dropped off and enter through the student parking lot entrance.

Students will not be let into the East side of the building unless they are with a parent who is checking in. All students must enter on the West side of the building next to the student parking lot.

Student IDs

All students are required to have their student ID out and visible at all times.

Student Handbook

Please review the 2025-26 Student Handbook.

General Information

Attendance Line:

Call the Attendance Line at 720-423-4354 or email jfkattendance@dpsk12.net to excuse your student’s absences.

Office Support:

Phone Number: 720-423-4300

Follow Kennedy on Social Media!

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