JFK Elementary School
January 19, 2024
Hawks’ Herald
SOARing through the Week at JFK
Hello JFK Families!
Winter has surely arrived this week! ❄️
I came across this quote this week and it made me think about our kindness efforts at JFK and how our focus on kind acts toward others are beautifying our school community.
We have a new addition to our Hawk Family. Our “Kindness Hawk” has swooped into classrooms this week. Students are having fun being on the lookout for him. Check out his Hawk-some JFK gear!
He flew into a Grade 1 Classroom
And he also enjoyed some time in Espanol!
Have a wonderful Winter weekend, JFK! Stay warm, take care of yourself and our community and most of all, BE KIND!
In partnership,
Amy E. Rizzo
Amy E. Rizzo, Principal
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @JFKPrincipalRIz
Important Dates & Information:
January 20th - PTO Skate Night 3:50-5:50 PM
January 24th - Early Dismissal @ 1:25 PM
February 9th - Jersey Day *** This is a DATE CHANGE***
February 9th- PTO Sweetheart Dance
February 12th - PTO Enrichment Program - Prismatic “Kindness Quest” Laser Show
❄️ In the case of inclement weather please check the MPS website and your email for delays, cancellations, or early dismissals.
Parent Reminders:
Student Absence & Reporting Procedure:
The school attendance line is no longer the means for reporting student absence. A new requirement is for parents/guardians to fill out the Attendance Absence Form within PowerSchool any time their child is absent.
The procedure for notifying the school of your child’s early dismissal or late arrival is the same as previous years. If your child will be arriving/joining late or leaving early, please email the building secretary, the greeter and classroom teacher.
This form must be completed on the day the child is absent and must be completed on each day
Absent. If you fill out the form more than once in a day, only the latest will be seen.
You can watch the steps below in this video:
The purpose of this form is to keep everyone safe and healthy by verifying the child’s symptoms.
1) Start by logging into PowerSchool (https://gradebook.milforded.org)
2) After logging in, click Forms in the left navigation.
Note: If you are on a phone’s browser and don’t see Forms at first, tap the little right-facing
arrow in the upper-left corner to show the left navigation.
3) If you have more than one child, make sure you click/tap the correct child’s name in the
upper-left corner first.
4) On the Forms page, look for the Attendance section. Click/tap the Attendance Absence Form -
Parents link.
Note: If the form never loads, please make sure you are not using the Firefox web browser.
5) Answer Yes or No to the questions and then click/tap Submit.
6) If you answer No for the following question “Even though your student is out sick today will
he/she be participating in class as a distance learner” a follow up question will appear.
PowerSchool Portal:
Please take a moment to log into PowerSchool and update your parent contact information. We want to make sure we have accurate addresses, phone numbers and contact information for all of our JFK learners. Thank you!
Morning Drop Off:
Please be sure to pull all the way up when dropping students off in the morning! It helps the drop off line move more smoothly. Thank you!
School Counselor Notes
Are your kids on their phone too much? Are they having trouble with friends? Are you worried about their stress level? Please see the attached flier to find out more information about an exciting learning opportunity for families on January 25 at West Shore.
Kindergarten Registration for the 2024-2025 School Year
The December assessment appointment window is closed for those families that have requested a waiver for their child to enter into Kindergarten for the 2024 - 2025 school year. If you requested a waiver, but did not have the opportunity to schedule a December appointment, you will receive a communication in the near future to make an appointment for the next Kindergarten Waiver assessment. The online Kindergarten registration will remain open, if you have not had the opportunity to register, please do so.
Morning Snack/Breakfast
The cafeteria does not serve breakfast on delayed opening days. Please be sure your child has breakfast before coming to school. On delayed opening days lunch is served at the regular times.
K & 2 - 11:10-11:40
1 & 4 - 11:45-12:15
2 & 5 - 12:20-12:50
🍎January Elementary Lunch Menu
❤️🩹News from the Nurse
Hello families!
With cold/flu season upon us please remember to be diligent with handwashing and notify the school nurse of any communicable illnesses. There is a copy of the illness guidelines on the MPS JFK website under the nurse's office tab.
Reminder - all PreK students need a flu shot by the end of the year.
Remember to make sure your student has a winter coat for outdoor recess.
With the weather changing a lot of children have been getting very chapped lips, send in chapstick if possible.
The school health office will be continuing to conduct hearing and vision screenings.
Change of Clothes - If your child comes home with clothing from the Nurse’s Office, please wash the item and return it to school as soon as possible so it is available for other children when needed. We do encourage parents of our students to pack a change of clothes in their child’s backpack.
Community Connections News
This week's CCC News contains information and links for a mix of resources & fun activities. Among the community services you will find links for the CT FoodShare's Mobile Pantry, resources for income tax filing and two resources for how to be prepared in emergencies.
For Family fun you'll find information about LOWE's DIY program for kids and The Discovery Museum in Bridgeport.
Because of inclement weather the PDS's SPARKLER ``Ring in the New Year" Family Night was moved to Tuesday, Jan. 30th from 5:00pm-7:30pm Contact the MFRC today for registration information by calling Kathy or Judy at 203-783-3626.
Remember that the CCC Website is updated with links to community resources.
To locate the CCC’s web page go to Milford’s main page and click on the Menu tab & scroll down under district Information to find the Community Connections Centers!
Have a great week!
Mary-Kathryn Williams, Coordinator
Milford Community Connection Centers
203-882-6094
Learn more about our “Hawk-some” School Counselor
Specialist Spotlight - Physical Education
Hello JFK Families and Friends!
P.E. and Health are still in full swing!
In P.E. grades 3-5 are finishing up the CT Physical Fitness Test with the PACER test this month which tests their cardiovascular endurance. We are also having a lot of fun playing mat ball which is like kickball with a twist! In grades K-2 we have been embracing the cold and enjoying winter stations like sledding, ice skating, snowshoeing and snow building!
In addition to P.E. some of our JFK learners have started a health unit with me! Ms. Nastasia's fifth grade class is learning about nutrition like my plate and reading food labels. In the end they will set simple nutrition goals to try to meet in their lives. In Ms. Curria's fourth grade class we are learning about decision making. Which decisions are thoughtful and which can be quick, when to ask for help and how decision making affects our safety. As always our health classes have strong discussions and lifelong learning!!!
Thank you!!!
Ms. Anastasiou
News from the JFK PTO
Be sure to check out the Newsletter from the JFK PTO this week that includes important information on upcoming events, programming and fundraisers! When you support the PTO you are directly supporting our school community.
News Around the District
MPS PreSchool and Kindergarten Event
See the attached flier for registration and program information for January 30th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Any questions call Pumpkin Delight School.
Room 17 and the Milford Arts Council
Room 17 and the Milford Arts Council have designed an event to showcase that Math is EVERYWHERE! Children (“artists”) in grades K-12 can use various media (Music, Digital Media, Dance, Photography, Painting Sculpting..etc.) to create a piece and share how they incorporated math.
Artists will be invited to The MAC on March 24th, 2024 to share their creation with our community and their family members. Judges will be visiting all artists and selecting finalists and winners. Prizes will be awarded. New this year, we will have CASH prizes for our grades 6-12 winner(s)! Finalists and winners will have their work displayed at The Walnut Beach Coffee House for a period of time after the event. Last year we received news coverage as well!
We would appreciate it if you could share this opportunity with your teachers and school communities. See attached flier to display in Art Rooms, included in weekly Upcoming Milford Events and school newsletters!
Click here for submission details and deadlines or visit www.room17math.com/MACshow.
Interested in judging, sponsoring or donating to our event? Email MACshow@room17math.com.
We encourage EVERYONE to save the date and stop by to support youth education and the arts! See attached photos and a few submissions from last year!
~The Room 17 Team and The Milford Arts Council
Room 17, Inc. is a women-run nonprofit organization with a mission to spread the joy of mathematics through engaging experiences, in order to eliminate math phobia. We are deeply passionate about teaching and learning mathematics, encouraging everyone to see math all around them, and creating a community of confident mathematicians.
A Glimpse at the Week:
Congratulations to 5th Grade student Lily Pirulli for being awarded 1st place for MPS in the CT Fire Prevention Poster Contest!
Check out Lily’s winning entry below. Hawk-mazing job! W are so proud of you, Lily!
Click here to view pictures of some of the HAWK-SOME learning and events that happened at JFK this week!
JFK: A Community Where ALL Learners SOAR!