JFK PTO: JFK PTO Update – November 8, 2019

JFK PTO Update – November 8, 2019

IMPORTANT DATES:

November 11 - No School (Veterans Day)

November 14 - NPS School Committee Meeting

November 21 - Bingo Night at JFK

November 27 - Early Dismissal (Start of Thanksgiving Break)

December 3 - JFK PTO Meeting and NEF Celebration

December 9-13 - Scholastic Book Fair at JFK (Volunteers needed!)

Support Our JFK PTO Fall Fundraising

Here at JFK PTO our mission is to enrich a student’s academic experience by providing additional funding for a variety of programming. To kick off the school year, 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

To fund these three programs, we are hoping to raise $9000. Please help!

The Book Fair Is Coming! (Volunteers Needed)

The annual Scholastic Book Fair will take place December 9 through December 13. An evening event, open to the public, will be held from 6-8pm on Thursday, December 12. There will also be an online shopping option! Proceeds from the book fair allow JFK to add book selections to the library and classroom libraries. If you haven’t yet visited the JFK Library blog, now is a great time to check it out. Be sure to remember the JFK Book Fair in your holiday shopping options.

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. For more information, please see our book fair volunteer sign up at this link here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040949aeaa2ba75-book

JFK PTO Meeting in the JFK Library

Our PTO meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month in the JFK Library from 6-7pm. If you can’t attend the meeting but can help via email, sign up at thislink: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040949AEAA2BA75-jfkmspto

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.

Our PTO Survey

We want as many parents as possible to participate in PTO. Thanks for taking a minute to give us your feedback! Click here to respond.

JFK Silverware Drive

JFK is organizing a silverware collection to reduce plastic use. You can donate your items in the JFK office. Look for more info coming home soon.

Easy Ways to Support JFK All Year Long

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 new app.
Send in your Boxtops with your student to the JFK main office; we can accept Boxtop donations year round.
Be sure to vote for us in the Florence Savings Bank Customers’ Choice Awards before December 31.
Donate online. Our fall annual appeal is happening!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

The NHS Improv troupe will perform TONIGHT

The NHS Improv troupe, Funktionlust, will perform their unpredictable show combining family-friendly hilarity and spontaneous story-making on Friday, November 8 at CLICK Workspace, part of Arts Night Out Northampton. Showtime is 6:00-7:30pm: http://clickworkspace.org/events This is a Free event for all ages! Refreshments will be available.

Northampton Reuse Committee’s Fall Recycling Rally (November 9)

Toss your jack-o-lantern or recycle select items (rigid plastic, styrofoam, clothing, textiles, bicycles, medical equipment, seed bags) from 9am to 12pm at Smith Vocational High School, 80 Locust Street.

Recycle Your Small Change Too

From November 1 to 22, coins collected by students in the Northampton public schools will go to the Northampton Education Foundation (NEF) Endowment for amazing grants in all our schools! NEF will collect all the coins donated in November as part of our campaign to raise $1 million for the NEF Endowment. The money will be invested and grow, creating larger grants for projects in all the public schools, forever. During November, please bring in coins and put them in the jars in your school office. Check your pockets, your couch, your backpack. Maybe your family has a jar of coins? Those coins can make a big difference for the future of our schools!

After School Ski with Northampton Parks & Recreation

Northampton Parks & Recreation will once again be running our After School Ski program at Berkshire East for students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. The program will run for five weeks on Wednesdays starting January 8 and ending February 5. From beginners to experienced skiers or snowboarders, this convenient bus trip departing and arriving at JFK will be a great time! Feel free to check out this link for more information or contact Rebecca Learnard at the Parks & Recreation office at rlearnard@northamptonma.gov or call (413) 587-1040. Registration has already started!

Arts & Industry Open Studios & Holiday Sale (November 9-10)

Be sure to visit 221 Pine Street in Florence from 10-5pm this weekend for a look into the studios of 50+ local artists and craftspeople.

Romeo & Juliet at NHS (November 14-16)

Director Stephen Eldredge and a cast and crew of 30 NHS students have spent the past five months re-imagining the world of the play to suit the generation of Juliets, Tybalts, Mercutios and Romeos taking the stage in today’s Globe-al theater. Ticket info here:

https://romeonhs.brownpapertickets.com/

Save the Date: Be Part of the Change in Northampton Public Schools

Tuesday, December 3 from 6-8pm. Smith College Campus Center Carroll Room. A festive evening to celebrate the Northampton Education Foundation Endowment, thank our wonderful community of donors, and raise money to bring us to our $1 million goal. A larger endowment will ensure larger, long-term grants for all Northampton schools, forever. Please join us for: Delicious hors d’oeuvres and desserts, live music by The Northamptones and the JFK Jazz Band, presentation about the amazing things NEF Endowment grants bring to our public schools. Please mark your calendars now – invitations to come. This evening is free to attend.

Opportunity for Schools, Parents, Guardians to attend Board of Health Meetings on Tobacco and Vape Regulations

Please consider attending one of the upcoming Board of Health meetings to add your voice to the discussion on restricting the sales of vape and tobacco products. Meetings are held in the City Hall Hearing Room, 210 Main Street, Northampton, MA and start 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, where the public is encouraged to voice their opinions. Please limit your comment to under 3 minutes. The schedule for the upcoming BOH meetings is as follows: