I am thrilled with Kennedy. Since the curriculum is structured to challenge all children regardless of their aptitude level, he is in 2nd grade but is about to complete 3rd grade math utilizing the Everyday Math Program. He is also being challenged in reading and spelling. The teachers are fantastic, dynamic, loving individuals. School test scores are incredible as seen by the fact that the school received the coveted National Blue Ribbon award and is an Indiana 4-star school. Our only complaint is that the new principal seems to not be backing up the teachers when it comes to discipline. There is a handful of highly disruptive kids that when teachers send them to the office, little is done. I fear this inaction will erode teacher morale and the school will suffer. These kids also add stress to their classmates' experience as well. I hope Kennedy can maintain its high standards while breaking in the new principal.
—Submitted by a parent

I have two children at Kennedy, a 3rd grader and Kindergartner. For my 3rd grader, this is her first year at the school. What a wonderful experience it has been. She is excited about school again and I can't believe the progess she has made this year. Same goes for my other child. She reading above grade level and is doing math story problems at age 5. The teachers and staff have been great and parents are encouraged to be envolved in the school. I am looking forward to the next few years at Kennedy.
—Submitted by a parent

Kennedy offers excellent, caring, hard-working teachers and a challenging curriculum. There is an emphasis on science, math and technology. I am amazed at the science experiences my children are receiving there in particular. I am a former private school teacher and this school tops the education offered at most private schools. Besides a rigorous academic curriculum, it also offers Art, Library, Gym, Music and Spanish classes for all ages. It was ranked the #1 elementary school in the state of Indiana three years in a row and is consistently ranked in the top ten. Kennedy is a four star school and a blue ribbon school. I am confused by some posts referring to a lack of recess/physical education. For the past three years, my children have had gym two times a week and recess everyday. As parents, we are beyond pleased with the education our children are receiving at Kennedy.
—Submitted by a parent

Older son had a great k-4 experience here - excellent teachers all 5 years, great academic programs and wonderful music/Spanish/art/gym specials.
—Submitted by a parent

My daughter has had two good years at Kennedy and two very frustration years there. Both years we struggled it was with new teachers. The first one was very non responsive and talked down to the kids. As I spoke to other parents this was a general consensus amongst the class. It required chasing down information constantly and creating a parent support system to successful get though the year. The second bad year was our last year there. The teacher was not clear on tasks, put my daughter in uncomfortable positions buy confronting her in front of her peers often and using inappropriate language to her. The principal on both occasions was not helpful in resolving any of the situations. This last year we were discouraged by the principal from continuing on with the current program and applying to LaSalle. At the last minute we did anyway and ended up getting
—Submitted by a parent

Teachers are great - hardworking, encourage the kid to excel and challenge them to exceed expectations. My daughter really enjoys getting up in the morning and going to school. I also like the fact that they begin teaching Spanish in kindergarten and have 'flex' classes within the child's repective grade levels so that kids progressing at different levels are somewhat separated so the teachers can focus on the levels they are teaching. They also encourage the kids to mentor younger students giving them leadership skills as well as peer recognition (being smart is good and normal.)
—Submitted by a parent

It is a great school. All of the teachers give 100% and the students are anxious to learn. The amount of parental involvement is amazing and is an important part of the education at Kennedy. This school is a regular four star award winner, a testament to everyone involved from the administrators, teachers, staff parents, students and the community.
—Submitted by a parent

Kennedy is by far the only acceptable South Bend Community primary school to send a child too. That said, Kennedy has a lot of problems. Kennedy does not allow a lot of time for exercise and recess, which I think it incredibly important for young kids, not only as a release so they are able to focus on the rest of the day's studies, but it also encourages childhood obesity. They also do not allow celebrations throughout the year. It's great that they are academically focused, but to what extent are you losing your childhood? It feels like they are preparing politically correct, overweight robots. We encourage a lot of active play at home, but I look at the student population, and it seems every year, more and more kids are getting chubbier! I think Kennedy needs to find balance, they are too extreme.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in Kindergarten and he knows how to read, write and do math at a first grade level. Its amazing.
—Submitted by a parent

My son is in kindergarten at Kennedy school. Overall I feel very good about this school. Only what I feel is a few faults, but NO school will ever be perfect for ANY OF OUR CHILDREN. I don't like that my son eats LUNCH at 9:40 in the morning at all. Yes, us parents do send in snacks for the kids but normally the teacher does not give the snacks til its about time to leave, so that does not do much for our kids. I feel ALL kids should be pushed but there are limits, and sometimes I feel these limits are pushed way to far. I now my issues are not what you would say big issues, but just my conserns. I have other concerns but nothing that I could say is a major one. Overall, I am very happy my son is getting this chance.
—Submitted by a parent

We happened to research Kennedy Primary Academy when we moved to South Bend. The school is quite a wonderful place - especially with the University of Chicago-based math curriculum, the language arts programs, the exploratory labs, and (best of all) the planetarium. It is an amazing school, ranked as Indiana's top scoring elementary school. I do have one concern, as I am a mother of all boys, and that is how boys are handled in the school. There is a large focus on academics, strict behavior and seriousness in all areas. In first grade there is only one recess and lunch happens very late in the day. I do, often times, wish the children had more time to blow off steam and run, run, run! Some teachers handle this with MUCH compassion, while others are not very accepting. As stated in another review: some teachers are great and others are so-so.
—Submitted by a parent

After working at Kennedy, I feel that principal leadership is lacking while teacher quality is up. There is not a lot of time for play and exploring when pressured to get through 2 curriculums (S.Bend's and Academy). Kennedy is a place where you have to keep up to be successful, and if you don't you fall way behind.
—Submitted by a teacher

The school seems to really welcome parent involvement. I helped out in the science exploratory labs and the children were just fantastic--curious and interested in the world around them. My son went from 2nd through 4th grade. The workload was high (I don't remember having homework at all in 2nd grade!) and some of his teachers were relatively inexperienced, but he learned a lot and enjoyed the chance to work on projects like science fair and the international fair.
—Submitted by Marya, a parent

I was thrilled to learn about a magnet school that had such high standards! My daughter entered in Kindergarten and she is challenged yet seems to really enjoy school. We love the International Fair!
—Submitted by Eve, a parent

My daughter was recommended to Kennedy by two of her teachers at Darden (Kindergarten and First grades). She was reading, self-taught, before Kdgdn. We applied to get her into 2nd grade at Kennedy and she was accepted. Now that she is in third grade at Kennedy she's been a student there for 1 1/2 yrs. She is challenged there. She takes her studies seriously without pressure from us. She has a hard time with some things and easy time with others. She seems to have a fair amount of homework which, at time, can be a burden. I wouldn't have her in any other school. She loves it there. She has had only the best teachers in her life, maybe she just lucky. I'm grateful to Kennedy!
—Submitted by Andrea, a parent

you are lucky your children were given the opportunity for a better education. my child passed all the testing, yet there was not room for her at the school. all children who qualify should be allowed a better education. i believe this school should be shut down if it doesnt have room for more students. i think all schools should have honor programs, not just one. i was told by staff at the school that theres simply not room for the some students who should be there. its not fair, so now i am choosing a private school for my child. its sad i have to pay to challenge her, even though i pay taxes in south bend!
—Submitted by a parent

As with any other school my children had both outstanding teachers here and other teachers who were only so-so. Overall we felt that our kids received a more challenging curriculum at Kennedy. We appreciated the effort put into incorporating music, art, and Spanish as part of the students' instruction. Being a relatively new magnet school I can see where some issues still need to be addressed (e.g. overcrowded schoolwide assemblies/functions, a PTO that's just starting out, etc.) But we were generally pleased with Kennedy and had no hesitation in choosing it over our neighborhood school.
—Submitted by a parent

Things I like: Parents are really involved with the school. The kids have a lot of oppurtunities to do and see new things. Most of the kids are there to learn you don't have the fighting and bullying you have at other schools. Things I don't like The teachers forget to start with the basics and assume the kids already know things. For the most part I'm glad the children have the oppurtunity to go here
—Submitted by a parent