Hello JFK Families,
Great news! As stated in Dr. Cutaia’s message from 3/12/22, we will be able to begin opening up our classroom instructional spaces and school learning communities with regard to some planned adjustments to the previous COVID related restrictions - starting March 28th. At the elementary level we have missed having our families in the buildings and we are excited to welcome back families and visitors in our building, hold activities after school, and work with our PT0 for Spring events. Field trips and celebrations of learning will also start to be planned including opportunities for classrooms to visit Mondo Pond!
For the time being, students will continue to have lunch in their own classrooms and we will hold off on all school gatherings as we are not yet comfortable with groups of 100 plus students being together with the lower vaccine rate among our elementary students. We have created social opportunities within each classroom by placing the students in small groups where they also have their lunches. Students also have more social opportunities when they go out for recess, including with their grade level peers from other classrooms. (Please note student groups can now also intermingle during recess times.)
We are excited by the changes in our classrooms and across the building -- and look forward to sharing with you all the great activities that will be happening throughout the spring.
One of these exciting events that the PTO has planned for our community is an In Person Paint Night!! Please join us on Friday, April 8th at 6:30PM for a JFK Paint Night with Picasso Parties in the multipurpose room. More information below in the PTO News section!!
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Brennan
Kindergarten Registration - We are pleased to announce that Kindergarten Registration for the 2022-2023 school year will take place during February and March. If you have a child who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, registration information will be posted to the district website www.milforded.org on February 22, 2022. You must register your child for Kindergarten at the school determined by your street address, unless placed by Pupil Personnel Services. School/Street Assignments are available on the district website under “District Information.”
Students must be at least age five (5) on or before December 31, 2022, in order to register for Kindergarten.
Current MPS preschool or Ready To Learn students do not need to complete an online registration packet.
If you need assistance with the registration portal, please contact the main office for your district assigned school. School contact information can be found on the district website under “ Schools.”
We are excited for your children to come to our schools! Fully registered families, please be on the lookout for more information from your school’s Principal about an in person kindergarten event in the spring. In the meantime, click here for a sneak peek of what to expect in Kindergarten!
We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2035!
Community Connection Center - In this week's CCC Newsletter you will find information about the April 5th Sing, Dance & Play for Families with Children in Preschool & Kindergarten that the MPS Parent University & the Milford CCC are sponsoring. Read the Consumer Reports article about the best way to stay safe from tick bites! Looking for summer fun? Check out the US Sports Institute's summer offerings or Mommy Poppins list of Summer camps for Kids.
Click here for this week's CCC Newsletter! And don't forget that the CCC website is also updated with links to community resources. You are also welcome to contact the CCC office at 203-882-6094 and speak with Mrs. Williams.
Specialist Spotlight - Music
Greetings from the music room at JFK! I hope you all are enjoying the increasing signs of spring. Our Pre-K, K, and grade 1 students continue to learn new songs, rhymes, and movement to help them to be ‘tuneful, artful, and beautiful’. They will also soon explore music from “Carnival of the Animals”, a work by Saint-Saens. Grade 2 will take a deep dive into “Peter and the Wolf”, by Prokofiev, which will introduce them to some of the instruments in the orchestra. Grade 3 is focusing on reading pitches and rhythms, and will soon transfer that learning to playing pitched percussion instruments. Grade 4 has been learning about choral singing, and is practicing songs in preparation for our Spring Performance on Tuesday, May 10, at 6:30pm! (More on that soon.) In grade 5, the students are nearing the end of their group composition projects, and will have their in-class performance in two weeks.
Grade 5 students and parents should watch their email next Friday, for information about Middle School Music choices!! We will make sure the students understand their options, and know how to access the required form. If you have any questions about middle school music or JFK music, please feel free to reach out to me at tvoss@milforded.org.
Important Dates:
Tuesday, March 29th: Families can access report cards in Powerschool
Wednesday, March 30th, Thursday, March 31st, Friday, April 1st: Early Release day for Spring Conferences NOTE: Students dismissed at 1:15 (10 minutes earlier that normal)
Wednesday April 6th - PTO Meeting, 7PM
Thursday, April 7th: Picture Day - Save the date. Picture info was sent home at the beginning of the week. The order forms will be coming home on Friday, April, 1st.
Friday, April 8th - JFK Paint NIght, 6:30PM
Please click here for the revised Academic Calendar for 2021-22.
Older, but still relevant news!
School Attendance
Regular school attendance and overall student safety and well-being are always vital for laying a foundation for success during the school year. Paying attention to attendance is even more essential this year, given the unique challenges created by COVID-19 for schools, families, students, and community providers.
Stay home if you are sick! Complete the COVID-19 Daily Self Checklist at home before you send your child to school. If your child(ren) has any symptoms, no matter how mild they seem, do not send them to school. Notify your school of the absence using the current MPS Student Absence Reporting Procedure and your School Nurse will follow-up regarding next steps.
If your child is feeling well and answered “no” to the COVID-19 Daily Self Checklist, please send your child into school. We know that students learn best with regular attendance. In-person attendance each day is the best school experience for our students when other challenges do not prevent students from getting to their schools.
PTO News
JFK Paint Night - live and in-person!
We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting our first in-person, in-school event in over 2 years!!! Join us on Friday, April 8th at 6:30PM for a JFK Paint Night with Picasso Parties in the multipurpose room at school. The cost to participate is $12 per canvas. To register and pay go to https://www.picassoparties.com/ and select JFK Kids Paint Night. Due to the limited space and canvases, JFK students and guardians only. Please note this is NOT a drop-off event.
We can’t wait to paint together!
Stay Connected With Us!
With in-person event opportunities opening up there will be a lot more opportunities for parent and family involvement in our events through the end of the school - YAY! Sign up for our email list, join our FB page, or just reach out via email to get all the latest info about PTO plans and how you can get involved. ptojfk@gmail.com We’re always talking about something or sharing new information, so come check it out!
Spirit Wear Store is stocked!
We have updated our JFK PTO store with some items from our recent spirit wear sale. Orders will be sent home from school with your student or you can arrange for alternate pickup. We have adult and youth size t-shirts, baseball tees, baseball hats, masks, bows and even a few hoodies! https://john-f-kennedy-elem-pto.square.site/
Spirit Fridays
At JFK we celebrate the first Friday of every month with a SPIRIT DAY!
Friday, April 1, 2022 - Mismatch day
Thursday, April 14, 2022 - Hat day
Friday, May 6, 2022 - Dress like a teacher for Teacher Appreciation Week
Friday, May 27, 2022 - Red, white and blue day!
Friday, June 3, 2022 - Crazy sock day
Friday, June 10, 2022 - Tie Dye Day
