Hello JFK Families,
It was a very exciting week at JFK!! Our staff selected and recognized some members of our learning community who make JFK a great place to learn and grow!! Please join me in congratulating our Teacher, Paraprofessional, and Parent of the Year! See below!!
Another important reminder: The JFK PTO hanging basket pre-order deadline is coming up Friday, April 22 - place your order here https://john-f-kennedy-elem-pto.square.site/ and pick them up at JFK school on Thursday, May 5, 2022.
I hope everyone has a great, long Spring Break!!!
Mr. Brennan
Teacher of the Year
Ms. Jessica Swope
Paraprofessional of the Year
Ms. Laurie Quinn
Parent of the Year
Ms. Laura St. John Schulze
Spring Concert - Come join us for the Spring Concert on May 10th at 6:30 PM featuring our grade 4 Chorus and the grade 4 and 5 Band and Strings.
Lost & Found
Parent University - join us for a pasta dinner and an exciting evening of new learning at our upcoming Parent University.
When: April 27, 2022
Where: Foran High School
Dinner: 6:00-7:00pm in Cafeteria
Session: 7:00-8:00pm
More information here
Grade 5 Students - Please review this document about making a selection for 6th grade music.
Kindergarten Kickoff - For our incoming Kindergarten families who are fully registered or currently in a MPS preschool program, be on the lookout for an email on our Kickoff to Kindergarten school visits in May. If your child is eligible for Kindergarten but you have not yet registered, please click the link to register and be included in this Kickoff to Kindergarten experience.
Career Day - Please see the attached letter.
Community Connection Center - In this week's CCC Newsletter you will find information about the MPS Parent University & the Milford CCC Family Music Night taking place on April 26th titled, "Around the World with Your Whole Family!" Click here to register. Don't forget about the Pop Up Food Pantry on Thursday April 21st. Do you want to know the best way to wash fresh produce? This issue of the CC News has links to the FDA, CDC, & the USDA who all share ways to wash & store your fresh produce. If you need more information, the USDA has a webpage where you can submit your own questions.
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 - Physical Education
Hi JFK Family and Friends!
I am Mr. Hanson. I took over for Ms. Anastasiou after she had her baby in early March. I was lucky enough to shadow her for a week before she left so I could continue with her routines. I spent the first few weeks finishing up her Slam Ball tournament as I got to know all the students. We then moved onto basketball to coincide with March Madness.
In grades 3-5 we worked on our ball handling skills first then continued to practice our dribbling, passing and shooting skills. At the end of the basketball unit we enjoyed an activity called Scooter Basketball. This allowed students to practice their team skills by getting into open space and communicating for the ball.
In grades K-2 we worked on our basketball skills as well. We used stations and rotated through each station that addressed a particular skill. We practiced dribbling with playground balls, chest passing against the wall, created our own ball handling tricks and even utilized soft gatorskin balls to practice our shooting. At the end of the unit we played a fun game called Hot Spots where if the student made a shot they kept the spot.
As we head towards April vacation all grades will be enjoying some “Egg”-citing Relay Races and some Funny Bunny Tag.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday break!
- Mr. Hanson
Important Dates:
Monday, April 18th-Friday, April 22nd: No School for Spring Recess
Friday, April 22 - Hanging Basket pre-order deadline
May 2-6 - Teacher Appreciation Week
Wednesday, May 4 - PTO Meeting, 7PM
Thursday, May 5 - hanging basket pick-up 4-5:30PM
Friday, May 6 - In-school plant/flower sale
Friday, May 6 - Dress like a teacher Spirit Day!
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 PTO Spring Plant Sale!
We are so excited to be able to bring back our favorite spring plant sale! You have two easy ways to bring fun spring colors into your home - First, you can pre-order beautiful hanging baskets from our online store. Orders are due by Friday, April 22nd and you will pick them up at school on Thursday, May 5th. Second, we are bringing back our popular, in-school sale on Friday, May 6th where students can shop with their class during the day and bring home beautiful flowers just in time for Mother’s Day! Check out the flyer for more info
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week - gift card donations
We are finalizing our plans for Teacher Appreciation week and will share more details soon. There will be lots of ways for you to support our appreciation celebrations!
As part of our activities, we are looking for GIFT CARD DONATIONS to raffle off to teachers and staff throughout the week. If you would like to participate by either purchasing a gift card or asking for a donation from a local business, please send them to school in an envelope addressed to “JFK PTO - TAW”. Thank you in advance for your support!
Call for volunteers
We are looking for volunteers for the following events - a signup for the plant sale is below: :
May 5 - hanging basket pickup (3:45-5:45) in JFK Bus loop
May 6 - In School flower sale (8:30-3:30 - half or full day slots available) in JFK Courtyard
SIgn up to volunteer for the plant sale on the link below
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0C4BAAAC23A6FF2-jfkpto2
May 19 & 24 - Kindergarten registration (during school day) - if you are interested in helping us at the PTO table during Kindergarten registration please email Liz at ptojfk@gmail.com
Save the Dates
We are in the process of planning many spring events - some dates are still being confirmed but be on the lookout for:
End of school family LUAU celebration June 10 (rain date June 17)
Field Day - date TBA
5th Grade celebration - date TBA
There are also many opportunities coming up for VOLUNTEERS! Stay tuned!
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, 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
Pictures from the school - Another great week at JFK!!
PTO - Spirit Day - Hat Day!
