SOARing through the Week at JFK
December 13, 2024
Hello, JFK Families!
We have a busy week ahead of us at JFK with our upcoming PTO Holiday Store Monday & Tuesday, DARE graduation for our 5th graders, the Winter Concert for our 4th and 5th grade musicians at Parson’s Auditorium on Thursday, and next week marks our Winter Spirit Week! It’s bound to be a JFK spirit-filled week! Thank you for celebrating this joyous time of year with our learning community.
In last week’s Hawks’ Herald we highlighted our literacy program UFLI. This week I’d like to take a moment to shine a spotlight on our Heggerty program. This instructional literacy program is used to build phonological awareness in our younger grades (PreK-2). Phonological awareness allows children to recognize and work with the sounds of language. These activities focus on hearing the parts or sounds in words and are often associated with movements to engage students. Below are some fun and easy ways to build phonological awareness at home
Reciting nursery rhymes
Reading books with rhyming words
Playing with alliteration (words that begin with the same sound) - Example: Seven silly sisters said surprise!
Thank you for your continued support and partnership, JFK families! Remember to take care of yourself, our community and most of all BE KIND!
In partnership,
Amy E. Rizzo
Amy E. Rizzo, Principal
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @JFKPrincipalRIz
Heggerty in Action:
Important Dates:
December 16th - 20th - JFK Winter Spirit Week (see below) ❄️
December 16-18th- JFK PTO Holiday Store ☃️
December 18th - 5th Grade DARE Graduation (More details on page 2)
December 19th- JFK Chorus Winter Concert (4th & 5th Grades @ Parsons 6:30pm)
December 23rd-January 1st- Winter Recess- No School
January 2, 2025- School is back in session
January 8th- Early Dismissal- Staff Professional Learning
January 8th- JFK January PTO Meeting
January 11th- MPS Community Conversation- Long Range Planning
January 20th- No School - MLK Day
January 22nd- Early Dismissal- Staff Professional Learning
**We will also hold a fire drill before the winter break.
📷A Glimpse at the Week:
Click here to view pictures of some of the HAWK-SOME learning and events that happened at JFK this week!
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First Trimester Report Cards
Elementary first trimester report cards are now available on PowerSchool. Click on “Report Cards” on the menu bar on the left side of the screen. Please note that report cards can be viewed when you log into the web based PowerSchool site, but they are not accessible via the PowerSchool app. Please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns.
DARE Graduation: On Wednesday, December 18th at 2pm, 5th-grade families are invited to attend an in-school graduation event to celebrate our 5th graders' completion of the DARE Program.
Please note there is a maximum of 2 guests per student.
If you wish to take your 5th grader home after graduation, please complete this separate form which will serve as your written notice to school.
Winter Traditions
Winter officially begins on December 21, 2024, and ends on March 20, 2025. There are MANY winter holidays and events from December to March. We want to learn more about our JFK family traditions!
All JFK families are invited to share a winter tradition or winter holiday tradition with our school community by completing this Google Slide template. The template includes a space for your family name, a picture, and a brief description of your family tradition. Families are welcome to submit more than one slide.
Slides can be returned as soon as they are completed. Share your slide(s) with Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org) or print your slide at home and return it to the Main Office. Hard copies can be sent home by request. Please contact your classroom teacher or Mrs. Koosa if you have any questions.
Slides will be displayed in our school hallway for our community to see throughout the winter season.
Specialist Spotlight - World Language
¡Hola from Spanish with Señorita Polansky!
It's been a great first half of the school year in World Language! K students have just finished our first unit introducing our daily routine- they can show their comprehension of the calendar (including days of the weeks and months), how they are feeling and the weather, in addition to simple greetings in Spanish.
1st grade is continuing our Identity unit, and can talk about how old they are, their birthdays and will be able to describe personal characteristics.
2nd graders have been talking about likes and dislikes using "Me gusta and no me gusta". Each class we have a "Star of the Day" where I describe a student in Spanish and the class has to guess who it is based on their birthday, favorite color and something they like to do.
In 3rd grade, we have just started reading a short story called "Carlos Celebra". Students are beginning to read longer stories in Spanish by recognizing familiar words and noting cognates- words that look and sound alike in English and Spanish.
4th graders just finished their first "Señor Wooly" story called "La Lucha de Limonada". It's a prequel to the very popular music video "Puedo Ir Al Baño"... which I am sure your child will sing for you if you ask about it!
5th graders are working up to reading a new Señor Wooly story called "Encerrada en la Escuela". Señor Wooly is an online subscription that contains music videos and graphic novels that are comprehensible for all levels of language learners.
I hope everyone has a safe, healthy and restful holiday season! Looking forward to continuing the learning in 2025!
Reminders!
Winter Attire
Whenever the weather permits, our students have outdoor recess. Please ensure that your child has proper attire to stay warm when they are outside. We recommend a warm winter coat, hat, and gloves. If you need assistance please reach out to our school Social Worker, Mrs. Dougherty.
Return Library Books
Please return any JFK library books your student has finished reading. We have many popular books checked out that other students are waiting to read!
Milford Public Schools policy is “No Food” for Celebrations.
Just a friendly reminder that Milford Public Schools has a no-food policy for special celebrations or classroom events. For the safety of our children, we ask that everyone adheres to this policy. More information on the district’s policy can be found HERE.
Please label your child’s sweatshirts, jackets, lunch bag, and water bottles. Our Lost and Found continues to grow! Please review the pictures and email Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org) or your child’s classroom teacher if any of these items belong to your family.
Upcoming Fire Drill: Conducting emergency drills (fire, crisis, lockdown, etc.) is one of the most important ways we enhance our preparedness for students and staff during an emergency. Drills allow us to practice what we need to do when an emergency arises in our school.
JFK School will be conducting a fire drill next week (weather permitting) or the week of December 16th. This will only be a drill and will be conducted in accordance with the School Incident Management Protocols established by the district and in collaboration with our local first responders. Please discuss the importance of our emergency drills with your children. If you have any feedback please reach out to Mrs. Rizzo (arizzo@milforded.org) or Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org ). We thank you for your cooperation and partnership in making our schools a safer place for learning.
Hawks SOAR Awards - Our JFK Hawks SOAR award is designed to recognize student and staff behaviors and actions that enhance our school community and those individuals who exemplify citizenship within this community beyond the expected norms. When your child comes home with a sticker, please ask them how they SOARED that day!
Attendance Reminder
A reminder that absences should be reported in PowerSchool.
Click HERE for instructions on how to report absences. Be sure to update the date on the top of the form each time you fill it out.
Arrival and Dismissal Information -
Please do not leave students unattended at the school prior to 8:20 am.
Please note that our Walker Pick Up should be utilized for families who are walking to the building. If you are driving to JFK to pick up your child, please use our car pick up procedure. Families of students who are being dismissed as walkers should not be parking in our parking lot and then picking up at the walker door. Doing this interferes with the flow of traffic in our car pick up line. Thank you for adhering to our dismissal procedures.
Parents, please be sure to drive slowly and safely through our parking lot at drop off and pick up times. We understand that mornings can be hectic getting students off to school and adults off to work, but please drive slowly and with caution on our school grounds.
If you are dropping off your child please pull all the way forward in line and remain in the car for safety. If you wish to get out of the car, please park in a designated parking spot and walk your child to the parking lot crosswalk. Mr. Kee will assist your child in crossing safely.
Dismissal Car Tags should be placed on your dashboard/mirror when lining up for pick up. We ask that you please do not line up in the parking lot prior to 3pm.
❤️🩹News from the Nurse
MPS Health Department Guidelines
With the weather getting colder please make sure your child has appropriate outdoor clothing for recess. Additionally, we have many students with very chapped lips as the weather is getting colder. Please provide chapstick for your child as needed.
If clothing is borrowed from the school health office please wash and return :)
If possible, pack a spare set of clothes in your child's backpack. Accidents happen! Students can get wet on the playground or spill on themselves at lunch. It's always helpful to have extra clothing available
~Nurse Jacqueline Campbell
Community Connections Center
This week's CCC News contains information and links for a mix of resources & fun activities. Featured this week : "Helping Hearts Heal" at Adam's House,The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and Friends of Wood Memorial Library and Museum,"Gingerbread House Festival,“Snowed Inn”
Find these and more in our CCC Newsletter. Looking for other community resources, visit the CCC Website.
Have a great weekend!
Mary-Kate Williams & Cara Dascenzo
Milford Community Connection Centers
203-882-6094
The CCC honors all family inquiries as private and confidential unless parent permission is given or Connecticut mandated reporting applies
JFK PTO Fall Calendar of Events
Join the JFK PTO! It’s not too late and our PTO supports so many of our wonderful school community events. Your membership matters!
We welcome and encourage everyone to join the JFK PTO. Membership is simple and in no way commits you to volunteer and/or attend meetings (although we would love to have you). Simply click the link below and submit your dues/donation. Don't forget to fill out the membership form as well. Once both steps are complete you are able to join our PTO Membership page which has all upcoming events and updates! https://john-f-kennedy-elem-pto.square.site/
Additional MPS information can be accessed through the district website at www.milforded.org.
Have a great weekend, JFK!
JFK: A Community Where
ALL
Learners SOAR!