SOARing through the Week at JFK
April 4, 2025
Hello Hawk Families!
What a fun and festive week at JFK! Our staff had a blast pulling an April Fool’s “switcheroo” prank on our students—it was all in good fun and brought lots of laughs and smiles throughout the building!
This week, we also celebrated National Paraprofessional Appreciation and School Librarian Appreciation. We are incredibly grateful to our amazing paraprofessionals—Ms. Cameron, Mrs. Quinn, Mrs. Casapulla, Ms. Sperduti, and Mrs. Gambardella—for the many ways they support our students and staff each day. And a big shoutout to Mrs. Soder, our Media Specialist, for sparking a love of reading, encouraging creativity, and teaching our students to be safe and savvy digital citizens.
We ended the week with a fun Spirit Day, and it was awesome to see so many superheroes around the school—JFK’s spirit truly shines!
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 7-11th- The Week of the Young Child
April 18th- No School- Good Friday
April 21-25th- No School- MPS Spring Recess
April 29th- JFK Career Day
April 30th- Early Dismissal for students- Staff Professional Learning
May 1st- JFK Multicultural Night
May 1st- 2nd Grade Field Trip
May 1st- 5th Grade Field Trip
May 2nd- 1st Grade Field Trip
May 5th- K Field Trip
May 6th-5th Grade Visit to Middle School
May 7th- JFK PTO Meeting
May 9th- JFK Plant Sale
May 5th-May 23rd- SBA Testing
May 12th- STEM Night
May 15th-JFK Spring Concert
May 23rd- 3rd & 4th Grade Field Trip
May 29th- JFK Field Day
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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!
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.
Summer Enrichment The Milford Public Schools is excited to offer a summer enrichment experience for elementary school learners. Please click here to access more information about this opportunity.
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.
JFK PTO McTeacher Night at McDonalds was a big success!
As a result of your participation in this fun evening, McDonalds delivered a $400 check to JFK PTO! Thank you, McDonalds!
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.
Community Connections Center
Dear Families,
Check out this week's CCC newsletter for exciting updates and important resources! Ct Family Service Network is thrilled to invite you to their upcoming Respite and Extended Services Funding Workshop, hosted in collaboration with Favor CT. This virtual session on Wednesday, April 9th, from 12 PM - 1 PM, will provide essential information on how to apply for respite care and extended services funding. Don't miss this opportunity—register today!
Plus, explore community events like the Wooster Square Cherry Blossom Festival and Jurassic Quest at the Hartford Convention Center. We’ve also included details on free tax preparation through the VITA program for eligible families.
Stay informed and connected—read the full CCC newsletter now! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out. Or goto the CCC Website for other community resources.
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: STEM
Kindergarten recently completed a force and motion unit titled, Pushes and Pulls. The students explored how objects move by changing the strength and direction of pushes and pulls. Through hands-on activities, they built a basic understanding of forces and how they affect motion. Students practiced skills like planning investigations, taking part in experiments, and analyzing data. The idea of cause and effect is an important part of this unit.
We have moved into our third and final unit, Living Things. This unit helps kindergarten students learn about the patterns and differences in what living things need to grow and stay alive. They will use simple science and engineering skills to explore two big questions: What do living things need to survive? How do living things change their surroundings? We already started our garden in the classroom!
First graders have completed their second trimester unit. In this unit, students explored light waves, discovering how we see in the dark and hear different sounds. They explored parts of the eye and how animal eyes help them survive through unique features such as night vision. Through hands-on investigations, they learned how light can be used to send messages and find ways to communicate without making noise. They apply engineering skills to solve real-world problems related to light and sound.
We are moving into their third and final unit, Star Light, Star Bright. In this unit the students will use observations of the sun, moon, and stars to describe patterns that can be predicted. They will explore the patterns of the sun and moon rising and moving across the sky. They will make observations about different amounts of daylight throughout the different times of the year and build models that demonstrate earth’s orbit around the sun.
In second grade, students learned about how the Earth’s surface is constantly changing. These changes could happen quickly or slowly through processes like wind and water erosion. Students used maps of Milford to show how the Earth has changed over time. Students built structures that we exposed to floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis to determine what might happen, following the design and engineering practices.
Second grade students have transitioned into their third and final unit, Bloom Where You’re Planted. In this unit of study, students will develop an understanding of what plants need to grow and how plants depend on animals for seed dispersal and pollination. They will also compare the diversity of life in different habitats. A field trip to Common Grounds in New Haven will conclude the unit as we explore how different seeds are dispersed while doing “field research”.
Third grade students are wrapping up their Climate and Weather Unit. This unit focused on helping students understand that weather and climate are different but connected. Students learned that weather changes daily and can be predicted based on temperature, wind speed, and seasonal patterns in a region. They also explored how human activities affect different areas of the Earth. Additionally, they discovered that while natural hazards cannot be stopped, people can take steps to reduce their impact. They built some awesome structures to withstand the storms.
Up next is our final unit, Forces and Interactions. This unit concerns forces and interactions between objects. Students will have the opportunity to learn about and explore how objects exert forces on one another, and what happens when they do. Students will also learn to use patterns to predict motion, and then use that knowledge to create motion in a predictable way. Finally, students will learn about forces that do not even need to contact objects to influence motion like in cases of magnetism or electricity.
In fourth grade, students explored energy through a cross-curricular journey that included generating ideas about how energy can be transformed, understanding different types of renewable energy, and finding solutions to real-life energy-related problems. Throughout the unit, they investigated how energy changes from one form to another and examined the benefits of using renewable energy sources. They also applied their learning to real-world situations, thinking about ways to conserve energy and make better choices for energy use in our school.
We have started the final unit, Structure, Function, and Information Processing of Living Things. In this unit, students will learn about the internal and external structures of plants and animals and how they work together to help them survive, grow, behave, and reproduce. They will also explore how different body parts are specialized for each sense, like sight, hearing, and smell. Students will discover how the brain combines sensory information with memories, which can cause an animal to respond in a certain way.
In fifth grade, students have completed their second unit, Interrelationships in Ecosystems. In this unit, students investigated what happened to the body of deceased animals as they slowly disappeared over time. Their findings led them to discover the important role of decomposers in breaking down dead animals and plant debris. Students also explored where the materials needed for growth and repair in living things come from. The worms feasted on our compost and were released into my garden at home.
We have begun our third unit and are moving forward with the curriculum. In this unit, fifth-grade students will learn about different forms and properties of matter and how scientists identify matter based on these properties. They will also explore how a substance’s properties can change when it is mixed with another substance, heated, or cooled. Students will use science and engineering skills to answer key questions: How do the properties of a substance help us identify it? How can we tell if matter has gone through a physical or chemical change?
Older, But Important Reminders
Early Spring Attire -Layers are helpful with the changing weather conditions!
Whenever the weather permits, our students have outdoor recess. Please ensure that your child has proper attire to stay warm when they are outside.
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.
We will be clearing out the lost and found before April break!
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!