SOARing through the Week at JFK
March 28, 2025
Hello Hawk Families!
My heart was “aglow” with joy and pride this week seeing our JFK community come together for two incredible events! Friday’s PTO Glow Dance and Tuesday’s Arts and Music Night were both filled with neon, energy, creativity, and celebration. The amazing turnout at each event is a testament to the strong sense of community we share at JFK. Special thank yous go out to our PTO for hosting the dance and to our Hawk-some Art and Music teachers Ms. Benedetti and Ms. Voss for providing our community with a wonderful celebration of the arts. The special “Glow Room” and student performances make the night extra special. Watching our students support and encourage one another during the performances was heartwarming and captured the spirit of our kind campus! (Be sure to check out some of the photos from the events linked below.)
A huge thank you to our families, staff, and PTO for making these events so special. Your support and involvement truly make JFK a wonderful place to learn and grow!
Wishing everyone a fantastic weekend! 💙✨🎶🎨 Remember to take care of yourself, take care of 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:
March 25-April 4- Books for Break Book Donation Collection
April 1st- Spring Photos 📸
April 1st- MPS Family Literacy Program at JFK (see flyer below)
April 2nd- JFK PTO Meeting- 6:30 pm Join in person or virtually
April 7-11th- The Week of the Young Child
April 18-27th- No School- MPS Spring Recess
April 30th- Early Dismissal for students- Staff Professional Learning
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📷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!
2nd Trimester Report Cards
Your child’s Report Card is available to view/print in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The report card can be accessed right from the grades and attendance screen. You must access it from your web browser and not the Powerschool App. Below is a screen-shot of the page. Should you have any issues logging into PowerSchool, please contact the IT Department - computerhelpdesk@milforded.org or 203-783-3446.
5th Grade Families- Middle School Placement and Course Selection:
5th-grade families should have received an email regarding middle school placement for next year. Please contact the main office with any questions. Be on the lookout for additional emails about grade 6 course selection.
Grades 3-5- Spring Assessments:
Please click here to access an important letter from Mr. Steven Autieri regarding student assessments.
Item Drop Off at Morning Arrival
Please remember that only students should enter the front doors at arrival time. If parents or guardians have items to drop off, please speak with a staff member on duty outside for assistance.
Congratulations to 5th Grade Student, Charlotte V., who organized an initiative to collect donations to support the Topsail Turtle Project. Thanks to your donations at the Book Fair & Glow Night Dance, Charlotte was able to send $83 to the Topsail Turtle Project.
Thank you for your support!
Spring Picture Day!
The Week of the Young Child
PreK & K
Registration:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcdXgQAhgTAPvI1zKFmF3umQ1nBjS4zpourBc1qCKb47PIoQ/viewform
We would like to invite MPS elementary parents, guardians, and community members to participate in our fourth annual JFK Career Day! Our tentative date is April 29. We are planning on inviting community members into our building to share with our students about their careers. Please come share about your career with our students. Know some people with cool jobs, feel free to invite them! More information can be found here.
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!
Community Connections Center
Parents, we invite you to check out our weekly CCC Newsletter and join us for the CCC Circle of Security starting April 2nd! This is a great opportunity to connect, learn, and support each other as we explore ways to strengthen parent-child relationships. There are still a few spots open, so don’t miss out!
Looking for fun activities for the family? Milford Ice Arena offers public skating every Saturday and Sunday—gather your friends and enjoy some indoor ice skating! Don’t forget to buy your tickets online in advance.
Want to get your kids moving? Join a FREE Kids Hip-Hop Class on Sunday, March 30, 2025. It’s a great chance for young dancers to learn some new moves and have a blast!
If you're looking for a sweet adventure, Lamothe’s Sugar House is running maple syrup tours through the end of March! Learn about the history of maple syrup, see the syrup-making process in action, and enjoy a fun family outing.
Check out our CCC Newsletter for more details, and visit the CCC website for additional community resources. Wishing you a fantastic week ahead!
Mary-Kate Wiliams & Cara Dascenza
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: Music
Greetings from the Music Room! Lots to cover, so please read it all...
First, I am happy to introduce our new Student Teacher to you. Please read this message from Miss Winters:
"Hello! I am Miss Winters, a student from Western Connecticut State University. I play woodwinds and I sing. I will graduate this May with my Bachelors in Music Education, after my student teaching at JFK. I am so excited to be at JFK, and I can’t wait for the musical memories I will make with your children!"
Next, I want to extend a BIG congratulations to all of the performers from Art & Music Night! They all showed such courage and perseverance, and amazing musicality! Thank you to ALL who attended and showed support and encouragement. Music is alive and well at JFK!
IMPORTANT: There has been a change in the plan for our Spring Concert. ALL students in grades 4 and 5 will perform on Thursday, May 15, at Jonathan Law High School at 6:30pm. This one concert will feature strings, band, and chorus for both grades. Mark your calendars!
Grade 5 Families: By now, you have received information about choosing a music course for 6th grade. Mr. Boots and I will make sure the students understand their four music options. If you have any questions about middle school music or JFK music, please feel free to reach out to me at tvoss@milforded.org.
In the music room, our Pre-K, and K students continue to learn new songs, rhymes, and movement to help them to be ‘tuneful, artful, and beatful’. Grade 1 has learned several songs with dances, and will continue with folk dancing. Grade 2 is focused on literacy, and will soon demonstrate their learning creating rhythmic pieces on percussion instruments. Grade 3 is enjoying learning the recorder, grade 4 is learning ukulele, and grade 5 is studying the 12-bar blues on keyboard. Grades 4 & 5 will begin their concert chorus music now!
If you made it to the end of ALL of this, please email me your FAVORITE song about spring or summer...I'll make a playlist for our kids. Thanks for supporting our JFK musicia
Older, But Important Reminders
Early Spring Attire - It’s still chilly! Coats/sweatshirts are needed for recess!
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.
Dismissal Reminders:
Please drive slowly and carefully at arrival and dismissal. We have had a few instances recently where cars are pulling out and there have been close calls. Proceed with caution when driving on school grounds.
If you are picking up your child as a walker, please do not enter or park in any of the spaces in the front parking lot. The front lot entrance is exclusively for car pick ups. Thank you!
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.
Smart Watches, I-Phones and other Personal Devices
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
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
Check out these fun photos from our Glow Dance!
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!