Hello JFK Families!
We can’t wait to see all our families at our upcoming Open House next Tuesday, September 20th. This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and learn about just some of the great things they will be learning this school year! Please see our flier below for more details!
We also are beginning our Specialist Spotlight with Mr. Sabo, our STEM teacher here at JFK. He has included a link to a video of an experiment that you can do at home with your children! These experiments are always enjoyed in the Brennan household! I hope you enjoy the video experiments also!
It’s Hawk-a-Thon time again! This is the PTO’s biggest fundraiser of the year and will take place on Friday, Oct. 14th. Please see below for more information on how your child can participate and win big prizes!
Have a great weekend!
Mr. Brennan
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! Please see the attached flier for more information.
Fall Conferences: We are pleased to announce our Fall 2022 Elementary Conference Schedule:
Wednesday, October 19th 1:45-3:45 p.m.
Thursday, October 20th 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Friday, October 21st 1:45-3:45 p.m.
*Please note that we will have a modified early dismissal time on the conference days to accommodate the conference schedule. Therefore, students will be dismissed on October 19th, 20th, and October 21st at 1:15pm.
Parents/guardians will once again have the opportunity to select a conference time through My Conference Time. All conferences will be in person unless a parent/guardian requests a Google Meet link directly from the teacher. Fall conference sign up information will be live on our school website from Friday, October 7th, at 9:00 a.m. through Monday, October 17th, at 12:00 p.m. If you prefer a virtual session, please contact the teacher to request a Google Meet link to conduct your conference virtually after you have confirmed your conference time through My Conference Time Online Scheduler. We are looking forward to meeting with you to discuss your child’s learning!
Quick tip: Look for emails from “noreply@myconferencetime.com” when searching email for conference confirmation communication.
Specialist Spotlight - STEM
Hi JFK Families, I have been so excited to welcome the students into the science lab this year! As of now, every single class has had at least one opportunity in the lab, and that schedule will continue on throughout the year. Students have been starting units on animal habitats and traits, space systems, and living things! I also have an experiment video here for you to try at home.
In addition I have a link to a folder containing all of the video experiments I have done during my time at JFK so feel free to check them out and reach out to me with any questions, feedback, or scientific triumphs!
Video Link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lmCvukl77t_DOIJaIFsElI02h5pSj9gu/view?usp=sharing
Folder Link:https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1YuxhS2dK0Cp0z27VWRlXxSoSniYYqq-j?usp=sharing
Thanks
Zachary Sabo
Elementary STEM Educator
Important Dates:
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
Thursday, Sept. 22nd - Pick-up Fall mums
Friday, Sept. 23rd - Wear GOLD for pediatric cancer awareness
September 26 - No School- Rosh Hashanah
October 5 - No School - Yom Kippur
Friday, Oct. 14th - Hawk-a-Thon!
October 19 - 21 - Parent Conferences
Some pictures from the week at JFK!
Hawk-a-Thon is HERE!
We’re so excited to announce that the 5th Annual JFK Hawk-a-Thon is kicking-off Monday! Hawk-a-thon is a single day of JFK spirited fun where kids raise money to support the PTO and win super cool prizes. This year it’s on Friday, Oct. 14th, so it’s time to get moving!
- For those who raise $50 or more, there will be a drawing for Yankees/Red Sox tickets, an Amazon Kindle, and Kid Echo Dots!
- Anyone who raises ANY amount of money will be entered in a drawing to win awesome prizes from local businesses and gift baskets for the whole family!
- The grade that raises the most will win FREE ice cream from the Devon McDonald’s!
- If we meet our school wide goal, there is a very special prize being planned. More to come on that…
This year, students will again be able to raise money in two ways: our virtual fundraising pages with 99Pledges.com; and by collecting actual donations and bringing them into school. More details on both of these options will be sent around on Monday.
Please note that Hawk-a-thon is the one major fundraiser the PTO has during the year, and it’s your easiest chance to help support all the activities we sponsor - from in-school assemblies to teacher appreciation to family events that bring our whole JFK community together.
Our prize list is growing all the time, but it’s not too late to donate! If you are a local business that wants to support JFK, let us know at ptojfk@gmail.com. Be sure to check your email on Monday for more information on how your family can support Hawk-a-thon!
Pick Up Your Fall Mums! If you ordered Fall mums, be sure to swing by JFK from 4-5:30pm next Thursday, Sept. 22nd to pick them up. Our super efficient crew will have you loaded up and on your way in no time!
There’s Still 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 limo ride with free ice cream!
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!
Spirit Days are Back!
Next Friday is our 1st spirit day of the new school year! It’s a color day, so wear GOLD for pediatric cancer awareness day. Let’s see how shiny we can be!
After School Theater Starts Monday!
If you signed up for the after school theater program with Pantochino, please remember that rehearsals for Grades 3-5 start next Monday right after school. Pretty please be sure to pick-up your child by 4:50pm!
Older, but still relevant school news!
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.
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 Laurie Dougherty.
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).