Hello JFK Families!
It was an exciting week at JFK and we have lots of great news to share with you!
Our first PTO meeting this past Wednesday was amazing and we discussed just some of the great ideas that our PTO is planning for our students and staff this year. Thank you to all the parents who attended! Our next meeting is on October 12th, at 7 pm. Make sure you save the date.
Earlier today we conducted our first Lockdown Drill of the year. The students and staff did an amazing job following our protocols in a safe and orderly fashion. Thank you to our partners in the Milford Police Department for taking the time to come to JFK this morning and help oversee the drill. We appreciate all your support and guidance!
Lastly, I wanted to take a minute to highlight our PTO and thank them for all that they do for our school throughout the year. We appreciate all their thoughtfulness and creativity to plan activities that enhance the experience of our students. There are many ways to help support all the things the PTO does for our school throughout the year. If you are interested in joining, please click the becoming a member link. If you have any questions, please reach out to the PTO at ptojfk@gmail.com Just one of the many fun filled events the PTO plans is happening tonight! We hope to see you this evening at the Back to School Family Picnic at 5:30pm!
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Brennan
Arrival and Dismissal: Thank you for helping to improve our arrival and dismissal procedures by pulling as far up as possible, staying in your vehicle, and encouraging students to always enter or exit on the passenger side of the car.
Open House - We are looking forward to seeing all our families on Tuesday, September 20th - 6:00 - 7:45 pm. Make sure you save the date! We will be sending a flier with more information next week.
A Welcome from all our Specialists
Hola! Welcome to another wonderful year of World Language with Senorita Polansky. I am excited to share that this year we will be pushing into Pre-K4 through 4th grade classrooms to provide Spanish language lessons. Please click HERE to visit our website to learn more about the Elementary World Language program and if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at rpolansky@milfored.org. Looking forward to another great year of language learning!
Hi JFK families, my name is Zach Sabo, the STEM Educator at JFK and I am really looking forward to diving into every area of science this year with the students here. Our activities this year will range from growing plants, exploding volcanoes, and observing the stars!
Hello families! My name is Kristin Soder and I teach Library Media at JFK. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns throughout the year. I am looking forward to getting to know you and your children this year!
Hi, JFK families! I am Ms. Theresa Voss, the music teacher for grades K-5. I am so excited to continue to explore music in many forms, using our voices and instruments. In music class we will focus on creating, performing and responding to music from many cultures.
Hi JFK Families! My name is Kayla Benedetti and I am one of the two art teachers here. I'm super excited for a new school year full of exploring different types of art, artists, and mediums. This week students worked on creating a school-wide artwork using collage to show that JFK is connected! Our artists created some spectacular art last year and I'm looking forward to making more! Be on the lookout for pictures in the family newsletter and artworks coming home throughout the year. Feel free to reach out with any questions or pictures of any art made at home at kbenedetti@milforded.org.
Hello JFK Families and Friends! I am Ms. Anastasiou, the Physical Education teacher at JFK! I have the pleasure of teaching the entire school this year pre-K to fifth grade! We will explore tons of movement: from walking and running to fitness and sports. I can't wait for an active year...just remember to wear sneakers on P.E. days!
Important Dates:
Friday, September 9th - Back to School Picnic - 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Thurs, Sept. 15th - Registration deadline for after school theater program
Friday, Sept. 16th - Deadline to order Fall mums
Monday, September 19th - Pantachino After School Program begins - Grade 3-5, 3:25 - 4:50 PM
Tuesday, September 20th - Open House - 6:00 - 7:45 pm
Wednesday, September 21 - Early Release - Dismissal at 1:25 PM
Friday, Oct. 14th - Hawk-a-Thon!
Some pictures from the week at JFK!
PTO News
There is a lot going on this time of year, so please read to the end and don’t miss out!
Back to School Family Picnic - Friday, 9/9
Come out tonight and meet other JFK families at our Back to School picnic! It’s outdoors at JFK from 5:30-7:30pm. Bring a picnic, chairs and your whole family. We can’t wait to meet you, and look forward to getting the JFK community together to kick-off the new year with style!
It’s Time to Join the PTO!
The start of a new year means it’s time to renew your PTO membership! If you’ve never been a member, joining is a great way to support the programs, events and resources we provide our JFK community all year long. Click here for the PTO Family Membership form, or here for the PTO Staff Membership form.
This year we’re bringing back the Two Hour Power Hour Challenge! If you join the PTO and volunteer for 2 hours at some point during the year, you’ll be entered into a drawing for a super fun family adventure! Hint: Attend a PTO meeting and you’re halfway there!
Decorate with Fall Mums! This year, we’re again partnering with Glendale Farms to bring you beautiful Fall flowers! Choose from a variety of beautiful Fall mums in either 8" or 12" pots. Click Here for full details, and be sure to get your orders in by next Friday, 9/16 for pick-up on 9/22!
Last Call for Afterschool Theater Program Registration!
The deadline to register for our after school theater program is coming up next Thursday, September 15th. All K-5 students are welcome to enroll. Please view the flyer here to see the details and links to register. If you have any questions, please contact Laura Schulze stjohn.l@gmail.com or ptojfk@gmail.com
Attention 5th Grade Families!
Help us make our kids final year at JFK the best it can be! Complete the 5th grade family form to stay up-to-date on events, planning and volunteer opportunities for your 5th grader. The class of 2030 is preparing to launch!
Hawk-a-Thon is Back!
We’re so excited to be planning for the 5th Annual JFK Hawk-a-Thon on Oct. 14th! We are currently finalizing details and collecting donations for raffle prizes. Check out our flyer here, and let us know if you’d like to donate - ptojfk@gmail.com. Stay tuned for more information…
Older, but still relevant school news!
Please make sure your child(ren) has a reusable water bottle to help keep them hydrated throughout the day. We have multiple refilling stations throughout the building. Thank you!!
Foodservice News: Meals Will Once Again be Free – for a while. As we begin the 2022-23 school year, the Milford Foodservice department will continue to provide breakfast and lunch at no charge (for a limited time). This benefit has been made possible by federal funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) and the subsequent allocation to the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE). We are receiving this limited funding under the Free School Meals for Children grant. Due to the fact that this funding is limited, we will provide free meals to students until this funding source is depleted. There are many factors that will affect how long we will be able to offer free meals: enrollment, participation in the school lunch program, and the number of families registered for the Free/Reduced Price program. We estimate we will be able to offer free meals to all students for the first few months of school. As we monitor the available funds we have left in grant, we will provide you with a 30-day notice of when we anticipate these funds will be depleted. Once the funds are depleted, families will begin paying for full-price meals, once again, as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Free & Reduced Price Meals Application: As a participant in the National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs, the Milford Food Services department is here to support you. Once the funding described above is depleted, families will still be able to apply to receive continued Free or Reduced Price meals by completing the Free/ Reduced Price Meals Application. We strongly recommend you complete the form NOW so your child's meal service will not be interrupted. The form can be found online on the district website on the Foodservice page or by clicking the links below.
Food to Kids: Is an organization whose mission is to provide free meals to families of children who attend local schools. If you are interested in learning more about this program, please reach out to (insert social worker email here).
Chromebook Insurance: You Can Renew When You Enter the Parent Portal - Many parents have reached out to us to ask about Chromebook Insurance. We are happy to report that our low-cost Chromebook Insurance program is WELL worth the annual renewal fee ($25 per year). If you’ve got kids, then you already know there’s always the potential for something to happen to the Chromebook during the year: cracked screen, broken hinges, water damage, just to name a few. Do yourself a favor. Purchase the insurance – it will give you peace of mind and save you a lot of aggravation when something goes wrong. You can renew your insurance right on your Parent Portal account when you first sign in next Thursday. If you have any questions, please contact our BIDS dept. at (203) 783-3446.
Grade 4 & 5 Instrument Selection - It's that time of year where our 4th & 5th grade students may choose to play an instrument at school. We have many opportunities available -- woodwinds, brass, percussion, strings and several others.To get started, click on THIS LINK to see the many choices -- then click on the REGISTRATION form to let us know what you would like to try! (And, for parents, there's lots of other great information on the website, too. Check it out!).If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to your school's music teacher (you can find the teacher for your school also on the website).