JFK
PTO Update – February 21, 2020
IMPORTANT
DATES
February 25 - Family Game Night at JFK
hosted by the School Council
March 3 - JFK PTO Meeting Postponed /
Election Day at JFK
March 5 - Spotlight at JFK for New
Families
March 20 - Seventh Grade Dance (Save the
Date! 6:30-8pm)
Let’s Dance! Leap Year Winter Fest (6th Grade Dance on February 28)
The
Sixth Grade Dance Is Almost Here! With the help of the Student Council, the JFK
PTO is planning two dances to liven up the winter months. The first dance will
be for 6th grade only on Friday, February 28. The next dance will be for
7th grade on Friday, March 20. Both dances will be from 6:30-8pm in the JFK
Cafetorium. Tickets will be on sale ahead of the dance on Wednesday Feb 26,
Thursday Feb 27, and Friday Feb 28 during 6th grade lunch. No tickets
sold at the door! More info is attached on our flyer here.
We’ll
need lots of parent chaperones to help. Please sign up to help at our Sign Up Genius
online. Our volunteer slots include ticket sales
(Wed, Thur, Fri at 6th grade lunch), water donation, seltzer donation, snack
donation, decorating, and chaperoning. Please consider chaperoning especially
if your student is not a 6th grade student. (Sometimes students don’t want
their parents at the dance!) Not sure if your student will come? We recommend
planning on buying a ticket just in case as no tickets are sold at the door for
safety’s sake.
JFK Family Game Night! (Tuesday, 2/25
5:30-7pm)
An evening of FUN playing BOARD GAMES. Try
your skill at CORN HOLE, CAN-JAM, TWISTER, and more. Faculty, staff,
caregivers, students & their siblings--ALL ARE WELCOME to join in the fun!
Pizza, popcorn and drinks will be available (for $1 or blue tickets). Blue
ticket RAFFLE for PRIZES! Student representatives from the ASK Team, Student
Council and Scrabble Club will help facilitate activities. Hosted by the JFK
School Council. Location: The JFK cafeteria (snow date, 2/26). More info here.
A Note from the Superintendent of Schools:
Budget Survey
Dear Caregivers: We enter this budget season
without knowing the outcome of the Proposition 2 1/2 override vote. As always,
we will advocate for the high priority needs of our schools. Obviously, we
would be able to address those needs more effectively with additional funding
from the override. We will plan for either outcome by preparing multiple budget
scenarios this year. As is always the case, we will solicit input from the
faculty, staff, students, and community members to help us determine priorities
for our budget planning. We invite you to share your thoughts by responding to
this survey which is posted on the district website and available directly at
this link.
Sincerely, John Provost, Ed.D.
Need Help with Aspen?
Cynthia Kelley is the Aspen coordinator
for NPS. Learn more about how to contact her here: http://www.northamptonschools.org/profile/cynthia-kelley/
Health Screenings for 8th Grade
During the month of March, the JFK nursing
staff will be providing interview-based screening for 8th grade students
about the use of alcohol and marijuana. SBIRT screening sessions will be
included with the regular 8th grade health screenings (hearing, vision &
scoliosis). They will be brief (5-10 minutes) and be conducted confidentially
in private, one-on-one sessions. A copy of the screening tool was mailed home
on 2/14/20 to parents/guardians for their review.
Northampton’s Prevention Needs Assessment
data consistently demonstrates that a small number of our students try alcohol,
marijuana and other drugs in middle school, and by the end of high school, many
more students report substance use. These screenings are an attempt to help
prevent students from starting to use substances, or intervene with early use.
Results of the SBIRT screening will not be included in your student’s
school record and parents will be notified if a student is referred to Guidance
for further intervention.
You have the right to opt your child out
of these screenings. Contact the JFK School Nurse, Karen Schiaffo, RN at
587-1488 or at kschiaffo@northampton-k12.us
if you wish to do so. Please indicate if you prefer that your child not
participate in SBIRT, hearing, vision, scoliosis or all of the screenings.
Additionally, students may choose not to answer any of the SBIRT screening
questions as it is voluntary.
One way to prevent youth substance use is
to talk with your child about your expectations around use. For ideas on how to
begin these conversations, please visit www.northamptonprevents.org
or refer to the Family Checkup resources at https://www.drugabuse.gov/family-checkup
Together, schools and parents CAN make a difference in the lives of our youth.
JFK Silverware Drive
JFK is organizing a silverware collection
to reduce plastic use. You can donate your extra items in the JFK office any
time during the school year.
The JFK Yearbook Is On Sale
The 2020 JFK Yearbook is on sale for $27.
To place an order, 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 memo line. Online, go to www.coffeepond.com
and click “place an order” then “yearbook”. Order before 3/29 as the price
increases to $29 after that. The last day to order is 4/26.
5 Easy Ways to Support JFK MS PTO
·
Donate online. Your donations are tax-deductible and
help fund special programs at JFK. We accept donations year-round!
·
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.
·
Send in your Boxtops with your student to the JFK office.
The next deadline is February 28, but 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
·
Be sure to vote for us in the 2020 Florence
Savings Bank Customers’ Choice Awards.
JFK PTO Meetings
Stay tuned for more info on our dances,
spring teacher appreciation fundraiser, and the 8th grade picnic. If you can
help with any of these events, join us at our next PTO meeting. PTO meetings
are usually held the first Tuesday of the month from 6-7pm. In March, because
of the election on March 3, our meeting will be postponed to April 7. But, be
sure to stop by and say hello at the JFK PTO table at Spotlight on March 5th.
If you can’t attend the meeting but can help at other times, email us and let
us know: jfkmspto@gmail.com.
Calling all 8th grade parents: We Need a
Graduation Picnic Organizer!
Can you help JFK PTO host a great
graduation for 8th grade in June? We need folks to help organize our event in
Look Park. Please email jfkmspto@gmail.com
and let us know. We need someone to coordinate venue, food, and decorations for
a fun day in the sun. Thanks!
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Girls on the Run’s Heart and Sole
COMMUNITY team at Smith College- Spring 2020! REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Girls on the Run is a unique 10 week
(twice weekly) after-school program led by trained coaches who lead small teams
through our research-based curricula which includes dynamic discussions,
activities and running games. Over the course of the ten-week program, girls in
6th-8th grade develop essential skills to help them navigate their worlds and
establish a lifetime appreciation for health and fitness. Each season
culminates with a Girls on the Run 5K event. Learn more on the flyer
attached here.
FOUR SUNDAYS IN FEBRUARY 2020 Winter Arts
Series!
Four Sundays in February is one of the
longest running community winter arts series in the country. Our upcoming
events include The Bachata Academy DREAM Project Performance,
which is a live introduction to Bachata, a genre of folk music and dance from
the Dominican Republic, featuring Grammy-nominated musicians Martires de Leon
and Abel Martinez taking place at the Northampton Center for the Arts at 33
Hawley Street.
Override Town Hall Meeting (Monday,
February 24)
7-9pm at Leeds Elementary School (in the
Cafeteria), 20 Florence St., Leeds (Ward 7). Mayor David J. Narkewicz invites
Northampton residents to join him to discuss how the March 3, 2020, Proposition
2½ Override ballot question question will allow the city to renew its fiscal
stability plan after 7 years and preserve its vital city services and excellent
schools. More info here: https://www.northamptonma.gov/2076/2020-Proposition-2-Override
Learn about Vaping
An Event
Commemorating the Career of Gwen Agna
(Tuesday, February 25) 6pm at Edwards Church, 297 Main St, Northampton. Free
and Open to All. Young People Welcome. Free Childcare Available. Traducción
simultánea en español disponible. www.umass.edu/history/agna-prashad
Free Parenting Workshop at Northampton
Area Pediatrics (March 1)
“Everything You Want to Know about
Parenting an ADHD Child or Teen” with Sharon Saline, PsyD and Jonathan Schwab,
MD. March 1st from 4pm to 5:30pm. This workshop is intended to help parents of
children of any age who have, or might have, a diagnosis of ADHD. Dr. Sharon
Saline will discuss concrete parenting methods which can lead to greater
success in both school and life as written in her recent book, “What Your ADHD
Child Wishes You Knew”. For more information, see this flyer
or contact sharon@drsharonsaline.com.
Copies of Dr. Saline’s will be available for purchase. Enrollment is limited.
Massachusetts Presidential Primary and
Override Vote (March 3)
Voting will take place from 7am-8pm at
JFK. http://lwvnorthamptonarea.org/event/massachusetts-presidential-primary/
VINS 15th Annual Dog Show at NHS
(Saturday, March 7)
Save the Date! The annual VINS Dog Show
has been scheduled for Saturday, March 7 from 12-3pm. Snow date is Sunday,
March 8. This is a great fundraiser for Volunteers in Northampton Schools, Inc.
You can read more on the attached flyer.
Free entry! Only dogs pay. Registration for dogs is $8 before February 28 and
$12 at the door ($5 for non-competing dogs). Dogs compete for prizes like best
fetcher, best hair, and best smile. All dogs must be on a non-extending leash.
Join us for awards, raffle, food and fun. For more info, call (413) 587-1332 or
email: vinsvolunteer@gmail.com
Doodle for Google
This year’s Doodle for Google theme is: “I
SHOW KINDNESS BY...” This year’s contest is open for online and mailed entries
until March 13 at 8pm PST. Download instructions and entry form here.
The Sound of Music Tickets!
Tickets are on sale for this year’s
Northampton High School musical, The Sound of Music (March 19-21). Go to Brown Paper Tickets
to buy your tickets today! (Remember that last year’s musical sold out.)
The Northampton Education Foundation
Spelling Bee (March 25)
The Northampton Education Foundation
Spelling Bee needs sponsors and teams of spellers! On March 25, NEF will hold
its beloved annual event, the Adult Spelling Bee, for the 20th time. Each year,
up to 40 teams composed of three adults, most in costume, vie for awards in
spelling, costume, and humor. Funds from the NEF Spelling Bee support our Small
Grants for Teachers program. Last year, NEF awarded $45,324 to fund 20 creative
and innovative grants. However, this was fewer than half of the 43 grant
proposals we received. Help us fund more grants this year by participating in
the Bee! Do you want to sponsor, but have no team? Do you have a team but no
sponsor? Email mrzinn88 at gmail.com and we’ll set you up! The registration fee
is $275.00 per team.
We’ll recognize team sponsors in the following places:
• NEF Spelling Bee publicity poster
(if payment is received by Feb. 25)
• NEF Spelling Bee program
• NEF newsletter
• NEF website and social media
April 1, 2020 Census Count: Everyone
Counts
In mid March households will receive
materials from the U.S. Census Bureau in the mail. Responding online is the
preferred method. It’s your choice: you can respond securely online, by mail,
or by phone. By law, your responses cannot be used against you. Your census
responses are safe and secure. http://lwvnorthamptonarea.org/event/april-1-2020-census-count-everyone-counts/
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