SOARing through the Week at JFK
January 31, 2025
Hello Hawk Families!
It’s hard to believe that Monday, February 3rd will be the 100th day of school! We look forward to celebrating this milestone day together as a school community. Many of our grade levels will be honoring 100 days of learning!
This past week many of our JFK teachers took part in a professional development to prepare them to implement our newly adopted literacy program, Bookworms. As you may have seen in Dr. Cutia and Mr. Autieri’s November Milford Moment Video, Milford has decided to add Bookworms as our core literacy program in addition to our UFLI phonics program and our Heggerty phonemic awareness program. Bookworms will focus on the remaining components of a comprehensive literacy program - fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. With a soft launch in the coming month, teachers will begin the shared reading aspect of this program. Teachers read aloud alongside students, often with multiple readings of the same text, each time focusing on different aspects like character development or the author's purpose, to deepen comprehension. The goal is not just to improve reading skills but to cultivate a lifelong passion for reading by exposing students to diverse genres and engaging stories. We look forward to soft launching this new program across our K-5 classrooms during the month of February!
I wish all of our JFK families a wonderful weekend. Remember to take care of yourself, our community and most of all BE KIND!
In partnership,
Amy E. Rizzo
Amy E. Rizzo, Principal
Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @JFKPrincipalRIz
Important Dates:
February 3rd- 100th Day of School!
February 5th- Early Dismissal- Staff Professional Learning
February 5th- World Read Aloud Day! (WRAD)
February 5th- JFK PTO Meeting 6pm Join in person or virtually
February 7th- Love for LA donations due
February 7th- PTO Spirit Day: Jersey Day
February 11th- JFK McDonald’s Night 5-7pm
February 10th - 13th - JFK Kindness Week 💛
February 14th & 17th - No School - Winter Break
February 26th- Early Dismissal- Staff Professional Learning
March 5th- No School- Staff Professional Learning
_____________________
📷A Glimpse at the Week:
Click here to view pictures of some of the HAWK-SOME learning and events that happened at JFK this week!
Teachers have noticed that some students have returned to school from the winter break with new personal technology. While we know that these new devices are exciting, we appreciate your help in keeping these items at home or in backpacks so that they do not become a distraction to our learning environment.
Please note the MPS BOE Policy regarding personal technology in our schools:
At the elementary level - No use of a cell phone/smartwatch or other personal communication device will be permitted during school hours. These devices must be turned off or on silent and left in backpacks, stored in a student’s locker/cubbie or other place designated by building administration. MPS Policy
Kindergarten registration for SY 2025-2026 is now open!
2025-26 Kindergarten Registration Press Release
We are pleased to announce that Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opened on Monday, January 6, 2025. If you have a child who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, registration information will be posted to the district website www.milforded.org. You must register your child for Kindergarten at the school determined by your street address, unless placed by Pupil Personnel Services. School/Street Assignments are available on the district website under “District Information.”
Children born on or before September 1, 2020 are eligible to register for Kindergarten. If your child is not age eligible (born September 2, 2020 through December 31, 2020), please use the online registration form to request a waiver.
Any current MPS Preschool or Ready To Learn (RTL) students will not need to complete an online registration form. However, we ask that you complete the Kindergarten Notification Form located in PowerSchool.
If you need assistance with the registration portal, please contact the main office of your district assigned school. School contact information can be found on the district website under “ Schools.”
We are excited for your children to join us! Fully registered families, please be on the lookout for more information from your school’s Principal about an in person kindergarten event in the spring. In the meantime, click here for a sneak peek of what to expect in Kindergarten!
We look forward to welcoming the Class of 2038!
Lockdown Drill Week of February 3rd
Conducting emergency drills (fire, crisis, lockdown, etc.) is one of the most important ways we enhance our preparedness for students and staff during an emergency. Drills allow us to practice what we need to do when an emergency arises in our school.
JFK School will be conducting a crisis/lockdown drill next week. This will only be a drill and will be conducted in accordance with the School Incident Management Protocols established by the district and in collaboration with our local first responders. Please discuss the importance of our emergency drills with your children. If you have any feedback please reach out to Mrs. Rizzo (arizzo@milforded.org) or Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org). We thank you for your cooperation and partnership in making our schools a safer place for learning.
Community Connections Center
CCC News for the week of January 31, 2025
This week's CCC News has important info from the City of Milford on the proper way to dispose of lithium-ion batteries. Also, there are still spots available for the MPL's Circle of Security Parenting program starting next week.
On the fun side, don’t miss Essez Ed's Groundhog Parade on Saturday, Feb.1st, and the Lunar New Year celebration in New Haven on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2025!
So much to do, don’t miss out! For all the details and more activities, check out our CCC Newsletter. And if you're looking for more community resources, be sure to visit the CCC Website
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead!
Mary-Kate Williams & Cara Dascenzo
Milford Community Connection Centers
203-882-6094
The CCC honors all family inquiries as private and confidential unless parent permission is given or Connecticut mandated reporting applies
Specialist Spotlight: Media Center - Mrs. Soder
Can you believe we’ve made it through the first month of the new year? I am excited to share the incredible learning taking place in the Media Center across all grade levels:
Coding Lessons: All classes have successfully completed their coding lessons, enhancing their digital skills.
First and Second Grade: Students are diving into reading to gather information on topics of their choice. First graders are currently engaged in an animal research project, while second graders are collaborating on a book about the presidents. They are also practicing their note-taking skills.
Third Grade: Students are revisiting concepts from the Digital Citizenship unit to create a collaborative book that showcases their understanding.
Fourth Grade: They are developing their research skills in preparation for a library research project scheduled for the spring.
Fifth Grade: Our fifth graders have just completed their Digital Citizenship unit and are now working on short videos to highlight what they have learned.
Looking ahead to February, most classes will embark on an exciting unit called "Innovative Designer." This unit will allow students to utilize various makerspace materials available in the library, fostering creativity and innovation. Meanwhile, our third graders will shift their focus to research skills.
As we navigate the rest of winter, let’s remember: we’ve got this, one snow day at a time! Here’s to keeping the kids motivated, the hot cocoa flowing, and finishing the season strong together!
Older, But Important Reminders
Winter Attire
Whenever the weather permits, our students have outdoor recess. Please ensure that your child has proper attire to stay warm when they are outside. We recommend a warm winter coat, hat, and gloves. If you need assistance please reach out to our school Social Worker, Mrs. Dougherty.
Return Library Books
Please return any JFK library books your student has finished reading. We have many popular books checked out that other students are waiting to read!
Please label your child’s sweatshirts, jackets, lunch bag, and water bottles. Our Lost and Found continues to grow! Please have your child check the lost and found email Mrs. Koosa (dkoosa@milforded.org) or your child’s classroom teacher if any of these items belong to your family.
Hawks SOAR Awards - Our JFK Hawks SOAR award is designed to recognize student and staff behaviors and actions that enhance our school community and those individuals who exemplify citizenship within this community beyond the expected norms. When your child comes home with a sticker, please ask them how they SOARED that day!
Attendance Reminder
A reminder that absences should be reported in PowerSchool.
Click HERE for instructions on how to report absences. Be sure to update the date on the top of the form each time you fill it out.
Arrival and Dismissal Information -
Please do not leave students unattended at the school prior to 8:20 am.
Please note that our Walker Pick Up should be utilized for families who are walking to the building. If you are driving to JFK to pick up your child, please use our car pick up procedure. Families of students who are being dismissed as walkers should not be parking in our parking lot and then picking up at the walker door. Doing this interferes with the flow of traffic in our car pick up line. Thank you for adhering to our dismissal procedures.
Parents, please be sure to drive slowly and safely through our parking lot at drop off and pick up times. We understand that mornings can be hectic getting students off to school and adults off to work, but please drive slowly and with caution on our school grounds.
If you are dropping off your child please pull all the way forward in line and remain in the car for safety. If you wish to get out of the car, please park in a designated parking spot and walk your child to the parking lot crosswalk. Mr. Kee will assist your child in crossing safely.
Dismissal Car Tags should be placed on your dashboard/mirror when lining up for pick up. We ask that you please do not line up in the parking lot prior to 3pm.
❤️🩹News from the Nurse
MPS Health Department Guidelines
With the weather getting colder please make sure your child has appropriate outdoor clothing for recess. Additionally, we have many students with very chapped lips as the weather is getting colder. Please provide chapstick for your child as needed.
If clothing is borrowed from the school health office please wash and return :)
If possible, pack a spare set of clothes in your child's backpack. Accidents happen! Students can get wet on the playground or spill on themselves at lunch. It's always helpful to have extra clothing available
~Nurse Jacqueline Campbell
JFK McDonald’s Night
JFK is taking on McDonald’s! Be sure to head down to McDonald’s on Bridgeport Ave on 2/11 from 5-7pm. Our very own JFK teachers will be working and serving customers! 10% of sales will be donated to the PTO for fun upcoming events.
Join the JFK PTO! It’s never too late and our PTO supports so many of our wonderful school community events. Your membership matters!
We welcome and encourage everyone to join the JFK PTO. Membership is simple and in no way commits you to volunteer and/or attend meetings (although we would love to have you). Simply click the link below and submit your dues/donation. Don't forget to fill out the membership form as well. Once both steps are complete you are able to join our PTO Membership page which has all upcoming events and updates! https://john-f-kennedy-elem-pto.square.site/
Additional MPS information can be accessed through the district website at www.milforded.org.
JFK: A Community Where
ALL
Learners SOAR!