Friday, December 7, 2018

JFK PTO Update – December 7, 2018

JFK PTO Update – December 7, 2018
 
Important Dates:
TODAY! December 7 - JFKeys at Look Park
December 12 - JFK Band Concert
December 17 - PTO Dessert Buffet for Staff (Bakers Needed!)
December 24 - January 1 - Winter Break
December 31 - Deadline to vote for JFK PTO
January 2 - Back to School
January 8 - JFK PTO Meeting in JFK Library (6-7:30pm)

Thanks to all who Make it Count 💯%!
Our annual November Make it Count fundraiser, where 100% of every dollar donated by JFK families and friends directly benefits our JFK students, was a big success. Last year we raised $12,000 and this year we reached $8,230. If you have not had a chance to give, it is never too late to donate. Click on our link to give online or send in a check to school made out to JFK PTO. Many thanks to all our JFK families! We truly appreciate your support. Every dollar helps.

Wondering how the staff and students of JFK benefit from your tax-deductible donation? Here is a list of some of the amazing projects the JFK PTO has been able to help fund thanks to your generous contributions: Ancient Greece Interdisciplinary Arts Program, Zoo on the Go, JFK Day of Service, Video Production Software, Theater Workshop Visiting Artists, Visual Aids for GOALS Group, JFK Scrabble Club, Discovering Beowulf Artist Grant, trips to Quebec and NYC… and more!

Request for Community Assistance
Friends of Nancy Fanara Berrian, a single mom of two JFK students, have established a GoFundMe campaign to help with hospice and expenses, and to help ease the family's burden at this time. Unfortunately, her health is abruptly declining, and her friends are stepping in to ask for support. To contribute to her family and end of life expenses, visit this link: https://www.gofundme.com/6dshq00

Last Call for the JFK Book Fair Online
A big thank you as well to all our volunteers for this week’s annual Scholastic Book Fair and JFK Mall to benefit JFK After School. There is still an online shopping option: At this link, you can shop a wide selection of books and other items from home. Proceeds from the book fair allow us to add to the library and classroom libraries. This link will only be active through today.

Chorus Today and Band Next Week
The JFKeys will be leading Holiday Carols at Look Park's first evening of Santa's Train in the Garden House today, Friday, December 7 at 4pm. Then on Wednesday, December 12, join us in the High School Auditorium for the JFK Band Concert at 6:30pm.

We Need Desserts for the Annual Open House for Faculty and Staff on Monday, December 17
It’s a great time to say thank you to the staff and teachers of JFK who make a difference in our students’ lives. We need lots of desserts (just desserts!) to be served at the annual open house for around 100 faculty and staff on Monday, December 17. Just drop your dessert item in the office before lunchtime on Monday 12/17. If refrigeration is needed, that’s not a problem. But, no desserts with nuts or peanut butter, thanks!

You can Shop and Support JFK!
You can support JFK at Stop and Shop by clicking here. Big Y Express can be found at this link: https://www.bigy.com/rs/educationexpress. Be sure to share your Boxtops for Education with us by having your student drop them off in the JFK office. And be sure to link to JFK MS PTO through Amazon Smile. We appreciate your support.

Vote for JFK PTO in Florence Savings Bank Customer Choice Awards by December 31
If you are a Florence Bank customer, you can vote for the JFK Middle School PTO as your favorite non-profit organization. Last year Florence Savings Bank donated $880 to JFK PTO, and we are grateful for this community support. Be sure to vote here before December 31st to make your vote count: https://www.florencebank.com/vote

Engineering the Future with Project Lead the Way
JFK 7th grade students in the Technology Exploratory course with Mr. Dembkowski are newly engaged in STEM education through Project Lead the Way. As part of the Automation and Robotics unit, students trace the history, development, and influence of automation and robotics as they learn about mechanical systems, energy transfer, machine automation, and computer control systems. Students use the VEX Robotics® platform to design, build, and program real-world objects such as traffic lights, toll booths, and robotic arms. For more info, read the JFK News here.

Calendar Updates for School Council, Health Advisory Council, After School and January’s Teacher Work Day
The Health Advisory Council will meet on Wednesday, December 19 at 3:30pm. The School Council meets the third school day Thursday of each month at 5pm in the JFK Library. The next School Council meeting is December 20. The next After School session starts January 15. Registration forms will be sent home after the first of the year. And don’t forget to mark Friday, January 25 as a teacher work day (no school). We’ll be sending out information about the teacher appreciation lunch the PTO will host on this day and how to volunteer.

Our next PTO Meeting is Tuesday, January 8 (6-7:30pm)
The JFK PTO meets the first Tuesday of the month from 6-7:30pm in the JFK Library. Join us to help plan for the new year, including upcoming 6th and 7th grade school dances, teacher grants, and teacher appreciation events. All are welcome.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

TONIGHT: The NHS Improv Troupe Funktionlust at 7pm
On Friday, December 7 at 7pm, the NHS Improv troupe Funktionlust will perform in the NHS Black Box Theater. Proceeds from this show will benefit Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts, a HIAS refugee resettlement affiliate agency. Admission is $5 at the door and contributions to JFS are encouraged. Doors open at 6:45. Seating is limited. Funktionlust is now in its 14th year at NHS. The Funks have been entertaining their audiences at Northampton’s First Night, Smith College, Lathrop Community, Historic Northampton, Click Workspace, with UMass’ Mission IMPROVable and at NHS! They are spontaneous, creative and funny. But they take the refugee issue seriously and want to help. So they are using their humor to make a difference! Funktionlust supports Jewish Family Services of Western Mass., a HIAS refugee resettlement affiliate agency. Donations are welcome.

2018 Holiday Toy Exchange on Saturday, December 8 from 10-11am
Northampton ReUse will be accepting donations of gently used toys, musical instruments, today Friday, December 7 from 4-8pm at the Smith Vocational HS Cafeteria. This is a great way to Pay It Forward and help support our neighbors and it's a useful way for families to spread Holiday Cheer to their children. Please consider taking some time to collect some items and then bring them over to Smith Voc. More info on the event is here.

Registration for 2018 Boys Youth LaCrosse Is Starting
Register online at http://northamptonlacrosse.com/. For details, click this link to flyer. O en español aquí.

Cooley Dickinson/Mass General Lecture: Young Adults and Marijuana
Now that recreational marijuana is legal in Massachusetts, what does this mean for young adults in our community? James Morrill, MD, a primary care provider from Mass General's Charlestown Healthcare Center, will lead an informative discussion about marijuana and its impact on adolescents, Thursday, December 13, from 6 to 7pm in the Dakin Conference Room at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Dr. Morrill will use case examples to address key questions about marijuana, including:
  •  How serious is it for adolescents and young adults to use cannabis?
  •  Cannabis is now legal in Massachusetts: Does this matter?
  •  What should parents do?
  •  Are there any treatments that can help?
This program, which is part of the Cooley Dickinson/Mass General lecture series, is free and open to all. Registration is required; seating is limited. To register, call 888-554-4234 (4CDH) or visit https://www.cooleydickinson.org/events/young-adults-and-marijuana/

Kid’s Fun and Culture Retreat (December 26-28)
Kidsafrik is providing a 3-day Cultural Retreat during the holiday school break this December 26-28, 8:30am-3pm, with the support of Allsport Soccer Arena. Limit: 50 students (Register soon as it fills quickly!). Cost: $165 (Scholarships are available for school lunch students). More info at: tinyurl.com/KACULSCH


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