JFK PTO Update – November 29, 2019
IMPORTANT DATES:
December
1 - JFK Yearbook Super Special Discount Orders Due
December
4 - Half Day
December
11 - JFK Band Concert at NHS
December
12 - JFK Arts Night Out and Book Fair in the JFK Library
December
19 - JFK School Council Meets
JFK PTO
Fundraising Update and Giving of Thanks!
Giving
Tuesday is coming up on December 3, but don’t wait! Here at JFK PTO our mission
is to enrich a student’s academic experience by providing additional funding
for a variety of programming. For the fall session, we are asking families to
donate to our PTO so that we can support three unique cultural academic
programs that make our school special:
● 8th Grade Scholastic Writing Program ●
● 7th Grade Ancient Greece Program ●
● 6th Grade Hero’s Journey ●
Our goal is attainable if every family donates $35.
JFK PTO
is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and all donations are tax-deductible.
Gifts of any amount are deeply appreciated. 100% of every dollar donated
directly benefits our students.
DONATE to
support special programs at JFK (2 ways to donate!):
Write a
check payable to JFK PTO. Add “Cultural Arts” to the memo line. Mail the
check to: JFK PTO, 100 Bridge Road, Florence, MA 01062. OR Send the check to
school with your student to drop off in the office. Look for our online
donation site at Mighty Cause: https://tinyurl.com/y529vnzp
Would you
like to donate in honor of a teacher or staff member at JFK? Just add a note to
your donation check and we will make sure the teacher of your choice receives a
certificate of appreciation noting the donation in their honor. Your donations
help us help teachers, and we are so grateful for all the donations we have
received so far.
The
annual Scholastic book fair will take place December 9-13. Students will be
able to come to, and shop at, the book fair during the day. An evening event,
open to the public, will be held from 5:30-7:30pm on Thursday, December
12.
To make
the book fair a success, we need parent volunteers to help run the cash
register, especially during priority times. Training is provided (it’s
easy), but all volunteers should have a CORI background check on file with the
school. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040949aeaa2ba75-book
New this
year for the evening event: the book fair is joining forces with the art
department! During our open-to-the-public book fair event on December 12, there
will be an art show displaying wonderful works of art by our students,
including some which will be available for purchase! This event will feature
artwork displayed in the lobby from 6th-8th students that have had art
exploratory/art enrichment so far this year PLUS include some students from
science classes that turned trash into treasure! The Scholastic Book Fair will
be running in the Library during this event! The cafeteria will feature
soloists from the Chorus and Band! There will be light refreshments served,
artwork for sale, bake sale, and more! Please put this date on your calendar
and thanks for all of your support!!!
For the
book fair, there is also an online shopping option. Visit http://www.scholastic.com/bf/jfknorthampton for more information
(including information on the new eWallet system) and to shop a wide selection
of books and other items from the comfort of your home! Proceeds from the book
fair allow us to add to the library and classroom libraries.
JFK
Silverware Drive
JFK is
organizing a silverware collection to reduce plastic use. You can donate your
items in the JFK office.
JFK
Yearbook Super Special Discount
The 2020
JFK Yearbook is on sale for a special early bird price of $24 until December 1.
After December 1, the price will increase to $27. To get your early bird price,
send a cash or check made out to JFK Middle School in an envelope to
school with your student’s name and homeroom number and “yearbook” in the
notes. Or go to www.coffeepond.com and click “place an order”
then “yearbook”.
JFK PTO
Meeting at the NEF
Our PTO
meetings are usually held the first Tuesday of the month. If you can’t attend
the meeting but can help via email, sign up at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040949AEAA2BA75-jfkmspto
We’re still
looking for volunteers! Want to help organize the 7th grade dance? Come
meet faculty and staff at our PTO meetings and let us know, or email us at jfkmspto@gmail.com.
For
December, our regularly scheduled meeting falls on the same date as the Northampton
Education Foundation celebration, so our members will be celebrating. The NEF
celebration will be held Tuesday, December 3 from 6-8pm in the Smith College
Campus Center Carroll Room. Delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts, live music
by The Northamptones and the JFK Jazz Band, and presentations about the amazing
things that NEF Endowment grants bring to our public schools. This evening is
free to attend, but please RSVP. Guests will be asked to make a gift or pledge
to NEF. Our regularly scheduled JFK PTO meetings will resume on January 7.
JFK
School Council
The
School Council meets the third school day Thursday of each month at 5pm in the
JFK Library. The next meeting is December 19.
5 Easy
Ways to Support JFK This Holiday Season
·
Donate online. Our fall annual appeal is happening!
This year, Giving Tuesday is December 3rd.
·
Link to JFK MS PTO through Amazon Smile and donate to Parent-Teacher
Organization of John F Kennedy Middle School Inc. Click here for
instructions on how to use the app.
·
Be sure to vote for us in the Florence
Savings Bank Customers’ Choice Awards before December 31.
·
Send in your Boxtops with your student to the JFK main
office; we can accept Boxtop donations year round. Online we are: JOHN F
KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL| School ID: 573700.
·
Register your Stop and Shop card to benefit JFK Middle School
using ID#05378. Call 1-877-275-2758 to register or log on to www.stopandshop.com
COMMUNITY
EVENTS
Calling All Youth Artists!
Want to
create an original dance, song, play, poem, or video? Join us for the YOUTH
PERFORMANCE FESTIVAL coming to the Northampton Center for the Arts. The inaugural
Youth Performance Festival (YPF) will showcase the work of young artists (8-18
yrs old) in the disciplines of theater, dance, music, poetry, and video. Young
artists will be paired with mentor artists in their field, and over the course
of 6 weekends, the mentor artists will help to guide the young artists in the
creation of original work to be shared with the greater community. Co-sponsored
by the Center for the Arts and Valley Performance Playground, the Festival will
be held February 8-9, 2020. There is an upcoming orientation on Sunday December
8, 2:30-4pm at the Northampton Center for the Arts (33 Hawley St) for anyone
who is interested.
- Are you
interested in sponsoring YPF as a business or an individual? We need your
support! Please contact Kelly Silliman at kelly@nohoarts.org
for more information.
- Are you
interested in being a mentor artist? Email Sarah Marcus at sarah@valleyperformanceplayground.com.
Board of
Health Meeting on Tobacco and Vape Regulations (December 5)
Please
consider attending the upcoming Board of Health meeting to add your voice to
the discussion on restricting the sales of vape and tobacco products in the
City Hall Hearing Room, 210 Main Street, Northampton at 5:30pm. Policy on the
table that concerns youth:
- To
restrict all vape sales to adult only retail tobacco stores, where you
have to be 21 to enter
- To
restrict ALL tobacco and vape sales to adult only retail tobacco stores,
where you have to be 21 to enter
What you
can do: Speak during the public comment session of these two meetings. Public
comment takes place at the beginning of the meetings at 5:30pm. Please limit
your comment to under 3 minutes.
The Centers for Disease Control have created a collection of
resources and factsheets on vaping:
The
Massachusetts Tobacco Control Partnership, in response to the vaping illnesses
and deaths and the subsequent ban in Massachusetts on vape sales, has
created some talking
points and tips for families to share/ponder over their Thanksgiving meals and
conversations. These include resources for cessation.
Upcoming
Racial Equity and Learning Meeting
Racial
Equity and Learning (REAL) is hosting a meeting for new members on January 14
from 7:30-9pm, location TBD. ALL are welcome! This will be an opportunity to
learn about REAL’s mission and work in the district; to meet others who are
interested in working toward equity and inclusion; to reflect, ask questions,
share ideas or simply listen. In the meantime, if you have questions about or
would like a one-on-one conversation about REAL, please do not hesitate to
reach out to a co-leader:
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Volunteer with us! Sign up here if you can help the JFK PTO this
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