Sunday, February 23, 2020

JFK PTO Update – February 21, 2020


JFK PTO Update – February 21, 2020
 
IMPORTANT DATES 
February 25 - Family Game Night at JFK hosted by the School Council
February 28 - Sixth Grade Dance: Parent Volunteers Needed
March 3 - JFK PTO Meeting Postponed / Election Day at JFK
March 5 - Spotlight at JFK for New Families
March 12 - NPS School Committee Meeting at JFK
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
Click here for info on a free community event coming up in Amherst. Monday, February 24.

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)

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
Go to the NEF website to register or for more information.

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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Volunteer with us! Sign up here if you can help the JFK PTO this year: 

Si desea recibir esta información en español, envíenos un mensaje a jfkmspto@gmail.com.