News from JFK Middle School
Updates from JFK Middle School - 3/31/23
Principal's Letter to Caregivers
Dear JFK Caregivers,
It's hard to believe that tomorrow will be April! Time is flying by, and we are nearing the 4th and final quarter here at JFK. Next week, all JFK students will take the ELA MCAS.
Here is some information regarding these important assessments:
- The data that our staff receives helps us to identify which students might benefit from math/ELA interventions, in which areas we are succeeding, and which areas need a greater focus; for example, if we notice that all/most students are scoring lower on a specific topic/standard, this will better inform us which units of study may need to be taught differently next year.
- MCAS scores help the state know where to focus their time and money - they can help identify school districts that need help providing more comprehensive instruction to benefit ALL students
- Middle school students do not get penalized (would not be affected academically and/or left back) if they do not "pass" the MCAS.
- Students will need to receive a passing MCAS score in 10th grade in order to receive a HS diploma; therefore, we tell students that we consider 6th, 7th, and 8th grade as spring training. It is important that students are given these opportunities to practice taking these assessments.
- JFK Middle School will share MCAS results with caregivers in the fall. This information will help you to determine which areas your child is succeeding and potentially struggling.
- The bottom line is, "state test scores are just one piece of a student's academic picture, but they are important information. Why does testing matter? Because you deserve to know where your child, school, and district stand." (from this website)
Dr. Simon Ahtaridis Visits JFK
PTO News
Come and join us at JFK on Wednesday, April 5th at 6:00pm! All are welcome; we'll have pizza. Check out the agenda below:
Welcome
Treasurer’s Report and Budget
Events and Activities (current & upcoming)
Teacher/staff grants
Teacher/staff appreciation [April 17th (parents organizing lunch), May 15th (food truck), June 5th - TBD]
Spring Fundraiser
Principal’s Report
New Business
2023 - 2024 PTO Board - we need at least one additional officer, or the PTO must legally disband
Adjournment
PBIS April Incentive for Students
Thank you to the PBIS team for another awesome and exciting student incentive!
For the month of April, each day at each lunch, admin and teachers will choose one table as the daily “winner” for that grade.
The winning table will be 1.) the cleanest with 2.) no students out of seat/wandering. Our custodians, Amy and Roger will have a say in this!
Admin/Teachers will give each student at the winning table a blue ticket. Students will sign their first and last names on the back of the tickets and put them in a large, marked bucket in the cafeteria
It is possible that there will be NO Winner at a lunch if all of the tables are messy/if all of the tables have students wandering!
At the end of the month of April, we will draw the names of 50 students who can board the Ice Cream Emergency Bus!
Project 351 Clothing Drive Information
After School Program Updates
- This coming Monday, April 3rd will be the start of our After School Ultimate Frisbee program. It runs Monday-Friday 3:05pm - 4:35pm.
- April 13th will be our last day for our After School Programs session 3.
- April 24th will be the start of our session 4 After School Programs.
- Registration paperwork can be found in the office starting April 3rd or by emailing camirault@northampton-K12.us.
- Available After School Programs can be found in the office starting April 3rd or by emailing camirault@northampton-K12.us.
8th Grade Families
***REMINDERS! ***
4th Quarter Will Begin 4/10
If you have any concerns regarding any of your child's classes, please reach out to the teacher or guidance counselor to set up a meeting. We are here to support you and your child/ren!
MCAS Dates and Survey
Here are the MCAS testing dates for 2023:
ELA: 4/4 and 4/5
Math: 5/10 and 5/11
STE: 5/17 and 5/18
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.
NPS - Spring Sports
The following sports are available to JFK students this spring:
- Softball - 7th and 8th Graders
- Boys Tennis - 7th and 8th Graders
- Girls Lacrosse - 7th and 8th Graders
- Boys Lacrosse - 8th Graders
Registration is open and families can sign up at the following link: https://www.familyid.com/northampton-high-school-athletics/spring-athletics-2023-5
Please reach out to David Proulx, Northampton Public Schools Athletics Director at dproulx@northampton-k12.us
EARTH WEEK CELEBRATION - APRIL 10-14TH
Thanks to Ms. Terry and the Environmental Club for hosting an Earth Week celebration the week before Spring Break (April 10th-14th).
In order to make this happen we need to collect some materials to use in sustainable art projects.
They are looking for the following materials:
Rolls of craft wire
Glue sticks for a glue gun
Chicken wire (about 10 ft)
beading wire
Embroidery thread
A collection box will be in the library.
Please let us know if you have any items to donate.
Additional thanks go the PTO has approved $200, mostly for prizes.
Contact Information Reminder
Please call 413-587-1489, or email Ms. Velez at jvelez@northampton-k12.us
JFK Announcements
Policy ACF - Protections from Discriminatory Bias
"provide a means by which students, staff members, and visitors who experience bias (defined below) may have their concerns heard and receive support, conflicts may be mediated, parties may be educated regarding the impact of harm, and, when called for, effective community responses forged."
We will be discussing this document and its implications as a faculty beginning on Monday during our faculty meeting. We will be creating a presentation for staff, students and caregivers so that there is a clear process for identifying, reporting, and responding to incidents of discriminatory bias at JFK Middle School.
This tool can be used to isolate the standards for all classes and grade levels. It might be helpful in determining the expectations for your child/ren for each of their academic classes.
From DESE: The learning standards in the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks set expectations for what all students should know and be able to do by the end of each school year. Educators, students, families, and others can use the Standards Navigator to explore the Massachusetts learning standards and find related resources such as student work exemplars, quick reference guides, and definitions of terms.
Chromebook Care
-> Your chromebook is yours. No one else should use it.
-> Your chromebook is for school-related use only.
-> Keep your chromebook in its case
-> Keep food and drinks away
-> Charge your chromebook each night
-> Check your Gmail regularly and keep it clean
-> Bookmark Google Classroom and any websites
-> Check your assignment due date calendar
->Keep your Google Drive organized (folders)
Your chromebook is in your hands. Please be ACCOUNTABLE, SAFE, and KIND!
In Every Edition
Important Dates
April 4th/5th - ELA MCAS
April 5th - PTO Meeting (at JFK)
April 12th - School Council
April 17- 21 - Spring Break
Early Dismissal Procedures
Please see the following information from the JFK office staff regarding early dismissals:
JFK Early Dismissal Procedures:
Please ring the doorbell to speak to someone in the Main Office.
The office staff will call the classroom to dismiss the student.
Students should report to the office before leaving the building.
*Caregivers do not need to call the school or send a note ahead of time (unless someone other than the caregiver is picking up the student). Students cannot be dismissed until the caregiver arrives at school.
Technology Resources
Resources
I will use this space to link accessible resources for caregivers. Please let me know what additional information would be helpful. The resources below are from specific caregiver requests. I intend on continually adding more information as the school year progresses.
JFK Counseling Department Information
Grade Level Curriculum (please note that there is a district-wide initiative to update all curriculum)