JFK PTO Update – May
3, 2019
Important Dates:
May 5 - Teacher Appreciation Week Fundraising Begins!
May 7-24 - MCAS Testing
May 7 - JFK PTO Meeting
May 8 - Teacher Appreciation Brunch - Volunteers Needed!
May 17 - Half Day - Early Dismissal
May 19 - Eighth Grade Mayor’s Dance
It’s starting! THE 2019 JFK PTO TEACHER APPRECIATION CAMPAIGN
Has a JFK teacher or
staff member made a difference in your student’s life? Thank a teacher by
contributing to this year’s TEACHER APPRECIATION campaign.
Your year-end donation
will help address the needs of JFK teachers by adding to the JFK PTO teacher
grant fund. JFK PTO teacher grants fund staff requests for equipment, school
supplies, field trips, and more. Did you know that we had more requests for
funding this year than we could afford to fund? Express your appreciation of a
teacher’s commitment to your student(s) and help us ensure future funding for
more teacher grants.
HOW TO DONATE:
- Look for a letter that came home with your student.
- Send in your completed form and a check made out to JFK PTO with your student to school, or, return the form by mail. You can donate online through Mighty Cause: https://tinyurl.com/y529vnzp
- The teacher(s) you choose to honor will receive a special note of thanks from the JFK PTO acknowledging their important contribution to the school. You can also enclose a special message with your donation form.
- Teacher Appreciation Week is May 5-10. Donate now through the end of the school year!
Here is what one teacher said about the JFK PTO teacher grants
funded with your donations: Thank you so much! Please know how much I
appreciate the PTO's efforts to raise funds that support student learning. The grants
have provided such valuable opportunities for our students throughout this
year!
Teacher Appreciation Brunch -- Volunteers and Bakers Still Needed!
Teacher Appreciation Week is here! We can still use more
volunteers to donate food or drinks. The brunch date is this Wednesday, May 8.
Sign up to volunteer at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040949aeaa2ba75-20193
And don’t forget, on May 8, we also recognize our school nurses by
celebrating National School Nurse Day as a way to foster a
better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting.
May MCAS Schedule
May 7-8 - Grade 8 Math
May 9-10 - Grade 6 and 7 Math
May 14-15 - Grade 8 Science and Technology
May 12-24 - Make up testing
JFK PTO Meeting (Tuesday, May 7 at 6pm in the JFK Library)
Our next PTO meeting will take place Tuesday, May 7 at 6pm in the
JFK Library. There are only 2 meetings left this year! Help us to plan our
eighth grade picnic and to transition to a new PTO president. Bring questions
and ideas!
Eighth Grade Mayor’s Dance Ticket Sale Info
The Northampton Parks & Recreation is once again sponsoring
the annual Parks & Recreation Mayor's Dance. This dance is offered to JFK
Middle School 8th grade students only. The dance will be held on Sunday, May 19
from 6pm to 9pm. A fun time with music, munchies to snack on, and a photo
booth! Tickets will be sold during 8th grade lunch on Wednesday, May 15, and
Thursday, May 16. Additionally, tickets will be sold after school dismissal on
Friday, May 17 until 4:30pm. To purchase a ticket, students will need to bring
$20 (cash/check) and the signed parent/guardian form that was sent to the
household. Any questions please contact the Parks & Rec office at recreation@northamptonma.gov or call 413-587-1040.
Want to Learn More about the Farm to School Summit?
On Saturday April 6, over 50 Northampton teachers, parents,
residents, local leaders and legislators spent the morning talking about how to
strengthen the connections between the city’s schools and healthy local food,
farms, and gardens. Read the Grow Food Northampton summary here. To keep the momentum
going and continue the conversation in an informal way, there will be an
opportunity to gather in late May/early June. Contact Grow Food Northampton to get involved.
Eighth Grade Picnic Volunteers Needed
The Eighth Grade Picnic in the Look Park Pines Theater will be
held on Monday, June 3 (with a June 4 rain date). We are seeking volunteers to
help during the picnic. Send us an email at jfkmspto@gmail.com! More picnic details
coming soon.
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 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: jfkmspto@gmail.com
2019-2020 District Calendar
Did you see the news?
Friday, June 14 is the last day of school (half day). 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! Email us to get involved in your student’s education.
JFK Yearbook Orders
The JFK Yearbook is
available for year-end purchase for $29 through June 1. Send in cash or check
payable to JFK in an envelope with your student’s name and homeroom
number.
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
Northampton Area Pediatrics Parenting Workshop (May 5)
Free parenting
workshop on Sunday, May 5 from 4-5:30pm: "Raising Digital Kids: How to
Manage Screens in your Family with More Cooperation and Less Yelling" with
Sharon Saline, Psy.D. RSVP by calling (413) 517-2226 or contactus@napeds.com.
Eat for Education (May 7)
Eat for Education! On
Tuesday, May 7, restaurants in Northampton and Florence will give 10% of their
day’s take to the Northampton High School PTO. Eat out for breakfast, lunch,
and/or dinner, support local restaurants, and support the PTO! Participating
restaurants are Bela, Bombay Royale, Bueno Y Sano, Cooper’s Corner Deli,
Eastside Grill, Florence Pie Bar, Freckled Fox Café, GoBerry, Herrell’s,
Homestead, India House, Jake’s, Joe’s Café, Local Burger, Osaka, Paul &
Elizabeth’s, Pizza Amore, Roberto’s, Sierra Grille, State Street Deli,
Sylvester’s, Taipei & Tokyo, Thai Garden.
Northampton Public Schools’ K-8 Art Show (May 10-31)
The art teachers from
the elementary schools and the middle school cordially invite students and
their families to JFK Middle School on Friday, May 10 from 4-6pm for an art
opening reception. The exhibition will host a sampling of original artwork by
local students. There will be light refreshments served by the Jackson Street
PTO. Please join us for this wonderful event!
22nd Annual Northampton Education Foundation Plant Sale (May 11)
The Northampton
Education Foundation needs your plants! If you’re digging up or separating
plants this spring, donate them to the NEF plant sale. You can drop them at
Smith Vocational High School (80 Locust Street, Northampton) on Friday, May 10,
from 4-7pm or contact Francie Lin at francie.m.lin@gmail.com for an alternative
drop off.
The 22nd Annual Plant Sale is
Saturday, May 11, 9am-1pm, at Smith Voke. It includes a wide range of plants,
including annuals and perennials, vegetable starters, herbs, hanging plants,
trees, and shrubs, as well as organic lawn and garden products and compost.
Shoppers can buy treasures from local artisans, including handcrafted garden
furniture donated by local woodworkers. The event also includes a raffle to win
a handmade quilt and garden furniture made by Smith Vocational woodworking
students. Last year’s Plant Sale raised over $10,000 for books for the
Northampton Public Schools and Smith Voke. You’ll find more information on the NEF website.
Bicycle Rodeo at JFK (May 11)
Northampton Police Dept and local bicycle groups will provide
various activities with the goal of teaching safety bike-riding skills to
children. Two sessions 10am-12pm and 12-2pm. Suitable for ages 4-10. More info here.
2019 Northampton Public Arts Festival (May 11-12)
The Northampton Public
Arts Festival is a unique two-day event aimed at promoting public arts through
live mural painting and street art workshops for youth. The festival will bring
local and nationally recognized street artists and muralists to convene and
create beautiful public art for the city of Northampton and the Pioneer Valley.
For more info, visit:
Northampton Parks & Recreation & Sugarloaf Youth Track
League
The Northampton Parks
& Recreation Department and The Sugarloaf Mountain Athletic Club are
sponsoring the Sugarloaf Youth Track League for youth entering grades 2 through
9. Children of all abilities are invited to participate and will be placed on
one of six teams. Meets take place at Northampton High School Track beginning
at 5pm on the following nights: Fridays, June 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29. Team
assignment is Wednesday, May 29. For further information call the Recreation
Department at 587-1040 or visit:
Teen Expeditions Summer Day Camp
Northampton Parks
& Recreation has your summer plans for your JFK Middle School Student!
Enroll in Teen Expeditions, for kids entering grades 7-10, for any one week
session beginning June 24 all the way through August 9. This unique day camp
program is our adventure based trip camp! Each day is filled with exciting
experiences. Your teen might be hiking around the Pioneer Valley, swimming at a
beach, biking along the Norwottuck Rail Trail, reaching great heights at a
ropes course, exploring Brownstone Adventure Park (a water based adventure
park), and much more! Experienced staff lead our unique trips & adventures.
Find information about our programs at this link:
Counselor In Training Program
The Northampton Parks
& Recreation has a unique opportunity to offer to teens between ages 14
& 15 or entering grades 9 & 10. Potential Counselor in Trainings (CIT)
will have the opportunity to interact with campers, lead activities, receive
hands on experience, and develop some real-life skills. There are three 2-week
sessions offered for both Safety Village and Camp Kidzone. Deadline to apply is
Monday, May 20. More information about the program can be found at this link: http://www.northamptonma.gov/882/Counselor-In-Training-Program
Summer Sports Skills & Drills Programs
Northampton Parks & Recreation is offering half day, week long
skills and drills programs this summer. Young athletes will be able to sharpen
their skills and develop their play in various sports. Contact the office at
587-1040, or visit the website www.northamptonma.gov/recreation for more details:
- Soccer Skills & Drills: Grades 2-7, June 24-38, Director: Brad McGrath
- Girls Basketball Skills & Drills: Grades 4–8, July 8–13, Director: Perry Messer, Head Basketball Coach @ Northampton High
- Joe Mantegna Basketball: Grades 2-8, July 29-August 1, Director: Joseph Mantegna Jr., Head Basketball Coach @ Blair Academy, NJ
- Coed Lacrosse Skills & Drills: Grades 1-8, July 15-19, Director: RJ Dawson, Coaches Boys Lacrosse @ Saint Andrew’s School, FL
- Junior Tennis Skills & Drills: Ages 8-14, Weekly Sessions in June-August, Instructor: Ryan Paquette
Summer Specialty Day Programs
Northampton Parks & Recreation is once again offering
different half day programs this summer for a unique and creative experience.
Contact the office at 587-1040, or visit the website www.northamptonma.gov/recreation for more details:
- Incrediflix: Ages 7-13, led by Incrediflix Instructors. Participants will storyboard, design, and shoot their own film! Week 1: July 8-12, Green Screen LEGO Flix &/or Animation Flix. Week 2: July 29-August 2, Action Movie Flix &/or Minecraft Movie Flix.
- Art-Ventures for Kids: Ages 5-12, led by Art-Ventures Instructors. Participants will create their own 2D and 3D art. One week only, August 12-August 16, Fairies & Dragons.
- Homeslice Puppetry: Ages 8-12, led by the very own Homeslice, a professional puppet builder. Participants will learn about a different style of puppetry, develop new skills, and create take home puppets. One week only, June 24-28, The Puppet Show &/or Crank it Up!
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