JFK WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Week of January 10, 2022
Greetings, JFK Families!
We hope the new year is off to a great start for all of you. As I am sure many of you can relate, this first week back to school has been a whirlwind as we not only navigate the transition back into school routines but also the ongoing issues related to COVID and student and staff health and well-being. Thank you to all of our families for your continued support and adherence to the health protocols as we do our best to keep everyone safe and well.
This week, we will hold our School Site Council meeting virtually; we will be looking at the Family Engagement Survey results and talking a bit about opportunities for increased engagement, particularly within this challenging landscape. If you would like to join, please email Emily DiDonna at didonnae@cantonma.org by Tuesday morning.
As a reminder, we are continuing to get students outside as often as we are able to do so safely, and students should come dressed for the weather of the day with the expectation of going outside for recess, mask breaks, snack etc. Classroom windows will also be open to maintain fresh air circulation, so please send students with layers. This Tuesday will be particularly cold, so while we are likely to be indoors much of the day, windows will still remain open a bit. If anyone is in need of warm winter clothes, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly (didonnae@cantonma.org), and we are happy to assist as best we can.
We thought it would be helpful to keep these reminders here this week, as we continue to manage the increase in COVID numbers:
-Please do not send students to school with any symptoms that could be COVID related; please reach out to Nurse Stenmon directly to review symptoms and seek appropriate guidance. Please also contact her ASAP with any positive COVID test results. She can be reached at stenmone@cantonma.org or at 781-821-5080 x5102.
-When sending students to school, please be sure they have a well-fitting mask. While we will be looking for opportunities to have students outside as much as possible, masking indoors is critical.
-Please consider signing students up for regular screening testing, as well as providing consent for Test & Stay, should they become symptomatic at school and/or be identified as a close contact. These are both important ways to ensure the overall health of our school community and to keep kids in school as much as possible. Links for both consent forms are here (and BOTH need to be completed):
To register and sign the consent for student COVID-19 Testing, please click HERE.
To select COVID-19 testing OPTIONS for students, please click HERE.
We wish you a wonderful week ahead!
Please follow us on Instagram @jfk_elementary for photos of life at the Kennedy. Please also follow us on Twitter: JFK Elementary School, @JFKGallahue.
Grade 5 Musical!
Attention 5th Grade Families:
Costume links have been sent out for the musical. If you have not received an email for these please contact Kim Barron KLindberg8@gmail.com. Also please make sure your child has submitted their bio and artwork submission for the playbill. Both are in the Google Classroom folder for Moana Jr. This is also the last week for Ads and Shout outs for the playbill (see below).
The Kennedy School is excited about this year's Grade 5 Musical, Moana, Jr.! It will be presented on February 11th and 12th at 7pm in the Canton High School auditorium. More details about tickets to come.
In the meantime, please click HERE for opportunities to advertise your local business or to shout out a Grade 5 student! Thank you for your support!
Student COVID Quarantine Updates - Letter Re-share
We hope you are all doing well as we settle into the early days of 2022. Happy New Year once again!
I am writing with some updates around our COVID practices, particularly when a student is directed by our nursing staff to quarantine and follow our COVID protocol. While we absolutely wish we were not facing the reality of a highly contagious variant, we certainly want to be as prepared as possible to respond to and support students as cases increase.
First and foremost, please do not send students into school if they are not feeling well. Symptoms of Omicron/COVID can vary from very mild to more severe; they can mimic the everyday cold or allergies. Please contact school nurse Ellen Stenmon at 781-821-5080 or stenmone@cantonma.org with any questions or concerns, including a possible COVID exposure, a positive family member or other close contact, or a positive home test.
Once the nurse assesses your situation, she may place your student out on COVID protocol and will provide you with a return date and additional instructions.
If the nurse places your student out on our COVID protocol, they will communicate that to you and to the necessary school personnel. You can expect to hear from a staff member within 24 hours to determine the appropriate academic support for your student during their absence.
The school will work with you to determine a number of things, including whether your student is feeling well enough to complete school work and engage in periodic check-ins with school staff. If your student is sick, we advise that they rest so that they can recover. If they are able to engage in school work, however, we can make sure that remote work and daily check-ins are provided. Over the course of their absence, it is possible that some of the days may be resting days and other days it may be possible for them to complete school work and participate in virtual check-ins with school staff.
Per DESE guidelines, if students on COVID protocol are able to complete work as outlined by the teacher and maintain check-ins, they can receive attendance credit once the teacher confirms that the work has been completed.
We appreciate your support during this challenging time. Please feel free to reach out with any questions you may have.
Winter STAR Assessment Window
We will continue using the STAR 360 Benchmark Assessments this year as our universal screener. This assessment is designed to help us identify students who may need additional support and/or intervention in reading and math. The Winter STAR window will run through January 20th. This will be the first time Kindergarten students will be taking this assessment. Students will need to bring their school issued iPad or Chromebook to school on days that they are testing. Parents/guardians should expect an email from their teacher with more specifics on the dates for their class and Parent Reports will be sent home in January.
More information about STAR Assessment is available on the Renaissance parent page and in this video Universal Screening.
CAPT Corner
Update from the Rodman Early Childhood Program
The Rodman Early Childhood Program, the integrated preschool for the district, has a handful of community peer slots available in their four and five day classrooms. This preschool services children ages 3-5 years with and without disabilities in an inclusive, high quality early childhood setting. The program offers low teacher to student ratios coupled with a highly qualified staff who are committed to the success of every child. The program values inclusiveness and diversity which is reflected within their practices and curriculum.
If you have a preschooler who was three years old by September 1, 2021 and you live in Canton, or if you you know of anyone who may be interested in joining our school, please have them reach out to Mrs. Kilday , our Early Childhood Coordinator at kildayd@cantonma.org.
Tuition assistance is available to those who qualify.
January STEAM Connection
Be sure to check out the CPS STEAM for Students website for more resources and past issues of The STEAM Connection.
Community Connections
Canton Public Schools has a new Community Resources and Information Page on its website titled Around Town. This page lists resources that are available in our community for families and students. Information on this page will be updated periodically.
This site can be reached at this link: About/Around Town.
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The Canton Area Helpline 781- 828-6666
The Canton Area Helpline is a free telephone service. Leave a message on the answering machine and your call will be returned by a concerned staff member who will discuss your problems with you. All calls are confidential and it is not necessary to give your name, although we hope you will so that we can follow through to be sure you found a satisfactory answer. After you have talked about possible solutions and alternatives, you will be referred to appropriate agencies and/or community resources. Many people in need in Canton do not know where to turn for assistance or what resources are available to them. The Helpline provides a way to connect people with the available resources and services.
The Canton Food Pantry
Our purpose is to provide free food to eligible Canton residents. We serve many individuals and families, on a temporary basis, who have been affected by economic problems. The Food Pantry is operated entirely by volunteers who wish to help their fellow townspeople, by providing a basic human necessity Donations Food Donations Non-perishable food, personal care items, and household products may be left at the Bank of Canton, Canton Cooperative Bank, Canton Public Library, Pratt Realtors, HarborOne Bank and Envisionbank (Cobb Corner). Donations of food, including perishable items, may be dropped off at the pantry on Mondays only between 7 - 9 a.m.
Monetary Donations:
Donations are tax-deductible and may be made online at https://town.canton.ma.us/193/Canton-Food-Pantry or mailed to: Canton Area Helpline P.O. Box 202 Canton, MA 02021
Absence Hotline
Daily attendance for all students is a critical element of their learning, though we understand that absences sometimes occur. As a friendly reminder, if your child will be absent from school, please call the JFK Absence Hotline at 781-821-5080, Option 1.
What's Coming Up?
- Tuesday, January 11 - School Site Council Meeting, 4:30 (Virtual)
- Friday, January 14 - Early Release (11:50am Dismissal)
- Monday, January 17 - No School (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- Wednesday, January 19 - CAPT Meeting (6:30pm, JFK)
Contact Info
John F. Kennedy Elementary School
Kate Gallahue, Team Chair/Administrator
John F. Kennedy Elementary School
Instagram: @jfk_elementary
Twitter: @JFKGallahue
Email: didonnae@cantonma.org
Website: https://www.cantonma.org/kennedy
Location: 100 Dedham Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: 781-821-5080
Twitter: @JFKGallahue