JFK PTO Update – March 29, 2019
Important
Dates:
April 2 - MCAS
testing begins
April 9 -
Special JFK PTO Meeting with a presentation by NPC
April 15-19 -
No School - Spring Recess
MCAS
Reminders (Testing begins Tuesday, April 2)
A letter was
sent home with testing details, but here are some reminders:
- It is very important that grade 7 & 8 students have their Chromebook charged and in school for testing.
- Students are asked to bring a book to read (e-readers are not permitted) in the event they complete their testing before the end of the scheduled time.
- Testing will begin promptly each day at 7:55am. It is important that your student arrive at school on time.
- Encourage your child to get a good night’s sleep, to have breakfast, and to do his or her very best.
- Cell phones are not allowed.
- April 2-3 will be English testing for grades 6-7.
- April 4-5 will be English testing for grade 8.
Our next
PTO Meeting is Tuesday, April 9
(SPECIAL
PRESENTATION AND DATE!)
The JFK PTO
has invited the Hampshire Franklin Tobacco-Free Community Partnership to
present at our April PTO meeting. Vape pens and e-cigarettes are not harmless,
yet 20% of high school students report currently using them, and 40% have tried
them at least once. Learn more about what these products are, why they are
harmful, and how to protect our kids from this latest trend.
This presentation will be at the beginning of the PTO meeting and takes about
45 minutes and is intended for parents and guardians only. Learn more at this link. Or visit: getoutraged.org
Stay afterward
to help plan for special spring events, PTO transitions, and approve teacher
grants. All are welcome.
Dance Thank
You!
Thank you to
all our awesome parent and staff volunteers for making the dances a big
success. We look forward to more fun community building events next year. Send
us your ideas and thoughts!
Teacher
Appreciation Week -- Lunch Organizers Needed
Teacher Appreciation
Week begins May 5. We are seeking one or two volunteers to help coordinate a
light lunch and will be seeking more parent volunteers to cook, donate, or
serve. The proposed date for the teacher lunch is Wednesday, May 8. Please let
us know by contacting us at jfkmspto@gmail.com if you can help!
Eighth
Grade Picnic Volunteers Needed
The Eighth
Grade Picnic in the Look Park Pines Theater will be held the first Monday in
June (June 3 with a June 4 rain date). We are seeking one or two volunteers to
help coordinate the picnic. Send us an email if you can help! jfkmspto@gmail.com
Step up to
Volunteer with the JFK PTO in 2020
This year is
the last year for our amazing PTO President. The PTO needs volunteers to carry
on the great work we do. With the limited resources of public school budgets, a
PTO can make a significant impact in funding gaps to enrich our students’
middle school educational experience. The JFK PTO is highly organized and ready
to go; we just need parents willing to set aside about an hour a month to keep
events happening and approve teacher grant requests. Please send us an email
and let us know you can help next year. jfkmspto@gmail.com
Did you see
the news? Friday, June 14 is the last day of school. Wednesday, August 28 is
the first day of school for the new year. And that’s when we’ll need lots of
new PTO volunteers! Please email us to get involved.
JFK
Yearbook Orders
You only have
a few more days to order your 2019 JFK Yearbook online. Now to March 31, the
JFK Yearbook is available for $27. Send in cash or check payable to JFK
in an envelope with your student’s name and homeroom number or order at www.coffeepond.com. Price increases to $29 on Monday,
April 1 (no fooling!).
Shop and
Raise Funds for JFK
We collect Boxtops for
Education all
year long; your student can drop them off in the JFK office. Support JFK at
Stop and Shop by using the link here. Big Y Express: https://www.bigy.com/rs/educationexpress. Or link to JFK MS PTO through Amazon Smile and donate to Parent-Teacher
Organization of John F Kennedy Middle School Inc.
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
Strengthening
Families (Tuesday evenings, April 2- May 21)
Raising a
young teen (ages 10-14)? This program is for you. Held at White Brook Middle School
in Easthampton. Free program, dinner, childcare for younger
siblings and weekly giveaways. Fun for the whole family while building life
skills for your child and support for the teen years. Learn more here.
Healthy
Foods! Northampton Farm to School Summit (April 6)
The first
annual FREE Northampton Farm to
School Summit
on Saturday, April 6 from 9am to 1pm will bring together stakeholders and
enthusiasts interested in connecting kids to healthy food and local farms in
the school environment. At this gathering we will come together to learn about
current successes and challenges, gather input, and create a unified vision for
how to take this work forward. Childcare and lunch will be provided, and
teachers will receive a stipend for attending. Registration is free. Register
to attend for free at this Eventbrite link: https://northamptonfarmtoschoolsummit.eventbrite.com
Who should
attend?
- Parents and family members
- Teachers, all grades
- School administrators
- Local elected officials
- Food service professionals
- Students
- Anyone interested in connecting kids with healthy food – it doesn’t matter if you are familiar with Farm to School work
- We have confirmations that Jo Comerford, Lindsay Sabadosa, and Jim McGovern will be joining us: a good sign that there is support for our work!
Schedule:
• 8:30-9:00: gathering and refreshments
• 9:00-12:00: speakers, breakout groups, and
discussion
• 12:00-1:00: Lunch
(free!)
Many thanks to
Cooley Dickinson Hospital, Smith College, River Valley Coop, and the Jackson
Street, Bridge Street, Northampton High, and JFK PTO's for their support of
this event.
Free
Screening of Paper Tigers (April 10)
Join the
Northampton Prevention Coalition on April 10, 6:30-9:30pm in the NHS Auditorium
for a viewing of Paper Tigers with an introduction and facilitated
discussion by Pam Plumer, NPS Director of Student Services, Kathy Casale, NPS
School Psychologist, and Community Action student group Shout Out! They will
address topics from the film including ACE scores (adverse childhood
experiences), trauma, education, and NPS’s approach to educating and connecting
with our most vulnerable students. FREE and OPEN to the PUBLIC. NHS auditorium.
View trailer here: https://youtu.be/KdDr_nZOIXc
23rd Annual
Northampton Education Foundation Plant Sale
Save the date!
The plant sale will take place Saturday, May 11 from 9am to 1pm at Smith Voc. https://northamptoneducation.org/plant-sale/
Follow us on
our JFK PTO Facebook Page at https://www.facebook.com/jfkmspto/
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Likes!
