The mission of John F. Kennedy High School is to promote academic excellence, individual opportunities, and critical thinking for each student.  In collaboration with parents and families and our community, we commit to the following set of core values and beliefs about learning to ensure that each student is prepared for the 21st century.

Our core values include and emphasize:

• Personal Responsibility
• Respect
• Integrity
• Determination
• Excellence

Our beliefs about learning include and develop our instructional practices:

• All students have the potential to achieve.
• All graduates will be college or career ready and are capable of resolving real world challenges. 
• Each student has something unique to offer our school and community. 
• Students are diverse learners; therefore, instruction and assessment need to be differentiated, personalized, and varied allowing them to become willing and productive thinkers.
• Students need timely, regular, and meaningful feedback.
• Students learn best when instruction ensures they are active, self-directed, and inquisitive. 
• Students learn best when instruction provides opportunities to use appropriate skills within and across disciplines.
• Students learn best when instruction ensures they have equal opportunities to work alone, to reflect on their learning, and to work collaboratively in realistic settings.

Our learning expectations for each student include the following:

• Students will work effectively and productively both individually and collaboratively.
• Students will evaluate information critically, use information accurately from a wide variety of sources, and understand the ethical issues surrounding the use of information.
• Students will read, write, and communicate effectively.
• Students will be emergent thinkers who demonstrate originality and creativity.
• Students demonstrate respect, responsibility, honesty, and integrity while developing skills and qualities to succeed professionally and personally.