SOARing through the Week at JFK
March 21, 2025
Hello Hawk Families!
We are so grateful to all the parents who attended Spring Conferences this week! The home-school connection is an essential part of student success, and we truly value your partnership in our JFK learning community. Thank you for your continued support!
Another highlight of the week was our school Book Fair! A huge thank you to our PTO and Mrs. Soder for providing this exciting opportunity for students to explore and shop for new books. It was wonderful to see their excitement for reading!
And the fun isn’t over yet—we’re looking forward to an amazing time at our Glow Dance this evening! We can’t wait to see our JFK families light up the night! ✨🎶🎉
Have a great weekend, JFK families! 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 25th- JFK Arts & Music Night! 🎵🎨
March 25-April 4- Books for Break Book Donation Collection
March 26th- Early Dismissal for students- Staff Professional Learning
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 18-27th- No School- MPS Spring Recess
April 30th- Early Dismissal for students- 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!
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.
A big Congratulations to our 5th Grade Spelling Bee Finalists,
RJ, Kervin and Hannah!
Hannah will be representing JFK at the 39th City Wide 5th Grade Spelling Bee hosted by the Junior Women’s League on April 9th at 6pm at City Hall. Best of luck!
We will see you tonight at the GLOW Dance!
Registration was required to attend this event.
This is not a drop off event.
Parents are responsible for supervising their child at this event.
5th Grade Student, Charlotte V., is raising awareness about the Topsail Turtle Project. She is collecting donations to support the Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehab Center in Surf City, NC. She will be collecting donations at the school dance this evening. Help Charlotte in her efforts!
JFK Art and Music Night: It’s only a few days away! March 25th from 6:30 to 8 PM!
Join us for a night of creativity and melody as our talented students showcase their artistic and musical talents.
Thank you for your continued support and encouragement. We look forward to seeing you at Art and Music Night!
Spring Picture Day!
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.
Chorus News 🎶
Congratulations to three grade 5 students, who are representing JFK at the Connecticut Music Educators Association Elementary Honors Chorus Festival! They are spending today at CCSU, rehearsing with other grade 5 and 6 students from across the state, and will perform a concert for their families this afternoon. They have worked hard to learn their music. We are so proud of them! Way to SOAR, Olivia Z, RayJohn L, and Amadou G.!
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
Our CCC Newsletter is packed with exciting updates and fun events you won’t want to miss!
Keep your kids active during April break with the Milford Park & Recreation: April Break Sports & Fun Camp, running from April 21–25, 2025, from 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM. This camp helps children develop athletic skills in a fun, non-competitive setting.
For a creative experience, join the Pysanky Ukrainian Egg Decorating Workshop at Ambler Farm in Wilton, CT, on March 29, 2025. This hands-on workshop teaches the traditional art of Pysanky using wax and dye.
If you’re a fan of Pixar, don’t miss The Science Behind Pixar exhibit at the Connecticut Science Center in Hartford, where you can explore the STEM magic behind Pixar’s beloved films.
Calling all parents! Our Circle of Security Parenting program starts this April. Join us as we explore ways to strengthen our connections with our children in a supportive environment. Check the CCC News for registration details—we'd love to have you!
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: World Language
¡Hola from Spanish with Señorita Polansky!
In Kindergarten we are continuing our unit on "La Familia". We are looking at all kinds of families from around the world- and want to include yours, too! If you'd like to email me a picture of your child's family (whoever that means to you!), please feel free to send it to me at rpolansky@milforded.org.
In 1st grade we are talking about our school community, including people and places that make up our JFK family. Students will help create labels for the places around JFK in Spanish!
2nd graders are focusing on the target structures "quiere" (wants) and "puede (can)", reading stories and talking about things they CAN do and things they want to do! We will be continuing this unit talking about superheroes and students will create their own superheroes!
3rd, 4th and 5th graders are all deeply entrenched in our annual "Mania Musical de Marzo". We have a March Madness music competition each year where we listen to 16 songs from the Spanish speaking world, and students in each class vote until we have the final winner. This is a great way for students to explore language and culture through the universal language of music. Ask your child what their favorite song is so far!
Additionally, over the next few weeks, all 5th grade Spanish classes will showcase their listening and speaking skills through the AAPPL proficiency assessment. After we finish testing, a report will be sent home with your child’s proficiency that highlights their strengths and helps them set goals for their future language learning journey. We are excited to offer this opportunity at the elementary level and celebrate all of our students' progress in Spanish! Look for an email next week from me with more information!
Last, but not least, SAVE THE DATE for our 2nd Annual JFK Multicultural Night on Thursday, May 1st at 6PM. We hope you will join us to celebrate our wonderful JFK community!
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at rpolansky@milforded.org!
JFK YMCA News:🤖
What else would we do at the YMCA on 3 half days? Build robots of course! The kids spend a day"shopping" for materials and writing a plan and a day building their robots. This is one of our favorite projects of the year.
Older, But Important Reminders
Early Spring Attire - It’s still chilly! Coats 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
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!