Next week is spirit week!

2/6: MONDAY

Pajama Day

Wear your comfy clothes and PJs to get through this winter Monday!

2/7: TUESDAY

Celebrity/Character Day

Dress up like your favorite celebrity or popular character

2/8: WEDNESDAY

• Class Color Day
• Grade 9: Green
• Grade 10: Red
• Grade 11: Purple
• Grade 12: Black
  
  

2/9: THURSDAY

Throwback Thursday- Decade Day

Celebrate your favorite era in history: 70’s, 80’s, 90’s or 00’s.

2/10: FRIDAY

KT Bronco Day

Break out your best Blue and Orange for the Pep Rally!

“Wacky Lunch” will be held on Friday with music, face paint, and fun before the afternoon activities begin!

Wednesday, February 8 - 10:35AM dismissal for students

Course Selection Process: Students in grades 9, 10 and 11 will start meeting with their School Counselors to select course for the 23-24 school year. This will happen over the next 5 weeks in Career and Tech Programs.

Attention Adventurers! Project Adventure is snow tubing Thursday February 9th! We

leave from the Horticulture Shop at 2:00pm. Returning at 5:30pm. All participants need

a new permission slip as well as an online waiver completed. The cost is $37. There

are only 14 seats available. See Mr. Paul to reserve a seat!

Parent Virtual Workshop with Spectrum Health partnership - What every parent needs to know about substance use and how to support kids - there is going to be a date change till after February break - will send details once we have them

Wednesday, February 15, 2023 - Students of Color Alliance is hosting a movie night: 42, 2013 American biographical sports film about baseball player Jackie Robinson, the first black athlete to play in Major League Baseball

Nan Project Peer Mentor Program for Grade 10 students: Wednesday, 2/15 and Thursday, 2/16 - email will go home to all grade 10 parents/guardians with more information.

Information to create and/or login to ipass to view grades and student progress can be found below:

Please see the attached link regarding a sign-up for KT's MCAS ELA Prep Acceleration Academy for current grade 10 students.

This is a terrific (and free) voluntary opportunity for students prior to the MCAS ELA exam this coming March 2023. Register here: https://forms.gle/UhmGCjR1gmAYYUH59

Kiyomi Erickson Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator

Mark Bingham Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator
Aidan Vilaranda Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator
Nicholas Gomes Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator
Samantha Orn Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator
Malachai Ciardi. Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator

Adrien Jewell Print & digital media publication using Adobe InDesign

Leela Baer Visual Design using Adobe Photoshop and Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator

Mari Morello Graphic Design & Illustration using Adobe Illustrator

Joey Franklin Adobe Certified Professional and Visual Design using Adobe Photoshop

A link to the interview can be found below. The Legal students researched the public perception of cannabis use and impaired driving and presented their research findings to the Commission. Massachusetts is the first state in the country to require new drivers to complete a cannabis awareness course. The Legal shop research project provided the public perception data incorporated into this new program. Great job Keefe Tech Legal shop!

https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2023/01/24/marijuana-drivers-ed

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency has issued warnings about the severe weather predicted for today and Saturday. Please plan accordingly for your family. Per MEMA,

• Bitterly cold temperatures and gusty winds will lead to dangerous wind chill temperatures. Exposure to these wind chills may result in hypothermia and frostbite. Exposed skin can become frostbitten in as little as 10 minutes under forecast conditions.
• Severe winds may cause loss of power.
• 
  

iHealth covid test expiration date extension:
On January 11, 2023 the FDA extended the expiration date of iHealth COVID-19 at-home tests by an additional 3 months. iHealth COVID-19 at-home tests may be used for up to 15 months from the date of manufacture. Check the FDA's website for updated dates. https://www.fda.gov/media/164551/download

Please note, as of today, unfortunately, iHealth's website is not yet updated to reflect the new dates. https://ihealthlabs.com/pages/news.

MassBay On-the-Spot Is Coming!!!

Is MassBay part of your plan after Keefe? Or are you unsure of a plan for after Keefe? MassBay Community College is a FANTASTIC option to start your future off on the right foot!! See you Guidance Counselor or check the Senior Class Google Classroom to sign up for this opportunity!

Seniors who are planning to apply to 4-year colleges and universities should be working on their college applications, completing necessary essays and making sure they have connected with teachers about recommendations. Students should make an appointment with their School Counselor if they have not done so already. Deadlines come up quick and we want to make sure they everyone is on track.

Financial Aid Information:

Presentations in English and Spanish from our MEFA Financial Aid Night on October 19th are below!

Would you like even more help with your FAFSA form? Use this link to schedule one-on-one Zoom sessions with a MEFA Advisor: https://masfaa.org/fafsaday/

Ongoing workshops: Need to learn about financial aid? The trusted experts at MEFA are hosting FREE webinars to help. Register at https://bit.ly/3eaiKwD, or watch the on-demand recording anytime at https://bit.ly/3AAaQEd.

School Counselor Caseloads and additional contact information are below:

Counselor Caseload Information 2022-2023 School Year

Counselor Contact Information 2022-2023 School Year

• Fill out this counselor request form online
• Stop by the counseling office to fill out an appointment request
• Email your School Counselor
• Call your School Counselor
• Text their google voice number during school hours to connect

February marks Black History month, so in this issue I wanted to highlight some information about mental health among black adolescents. While we know that people of all races experience mental health issues, only 25% of black individuals seek mental health treatment when needed, compared to 40% of white people, according to an article on this topic posted on the Mass General Brigham/MacLean website.

The article highlights that African Americans "silently live with mental illness for fear of being judged." Visit https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/black-mental-health for the full text in this article.

In fact, Martin Luther King Jr. reportedly struggled with depression and refused treatment, due to the fear of being stigmatized, the article points out.

Black Americans are at equal risk to mental health conditions as anyone else. However the Centers for Disease Control has declared racism a "serious threat to public health that has placed communities of color at a greater risk for poor health outcomes. When looking at mental health of black Americans it is important to see their experience through a historical and cultural lens. The black community has shown resilience in the face of adversity for centuries, the article points out.

Furthermore, racial trauma can result from direct experiences of racism. Major experiences of racism include physical and verbal attacks, while indirect stressors include seeing videos of police brutality on social media or being the target of subtle putdowns. Racial trauma can also result from trauma being passed down from one generation to the next. Researchers think that racial trauma is one of the reasons black individuals in some communities have higher rates of PTSD (8.7%) compared to white people (7.4%), the article notes.

In this issue, I have included more specific information on how you can help your student, with some more information and strategies that I hope you find helpful.

Thank you,

Julia Fairclough LICSW, SAC

Adjustment Counselor

Catie's Closet is a non-profit organization that works to improve the mental, emotional, and physical health of students facing poverty, homelessness, and other crises by providing free, in-school, access to clothing and basic necessities.

To assist in this organization's mission, the Keefe Tech National Honor Society is collecting new and gently used clothing and sneakers for any and all school-aged children and adolescents. You can drop off any donations in 219, the Visual Design classroom, or in the Legal and Protective Services classroom. If you have any questions, email Mrs. Sullivan at ksullivan@jpkeefehs.org.

Your assistance in helping others is greatly appreciated.

Black History Month celebration: This year's Theme, Blacks in sports.

SAME DAY ACCESS FOR FRAMINGHAM and MARLBORO CLINICS - EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

No matter what age, insurance, language spoken, etc- we will set you up with an intake and review service options.

Framingham Clinic:

Monday through Thursday 8:00am to 6:00pm;

Fridays 9:00am-5:00pm;

1st and 3rd Sundays 9:00am-1:00pm

354 Waverly Street, Framingham MA

508-661-2020

Marlboro Clinic:

Monday through Thursday 8:00am to 6:00pm;

Fridays 9:00am-5:00pm;

2nd and 4th Sundays 9:00am-1:00pm

340 Maple Street, Marlboro MA

508-485-9300

For questions, please contact the Advocates Community Counseling Intake Department at 508-661-2038 or counseling2@advocates.org

Informational Flyer in English

Informational Flyer in Portuguese

Informational Flyer in Spanish

Pearl Street Cupboard and Cafe - The Pearl Street Cupboard & Café provides monthly groceries to Framingham residents. Individuals and families in need are provided with a monthly supply of nutritious foods like chicken and fish, produce, dairy, bread and grocery items to prepare meals at home. A community meal is served 7 days each week for residents of Framingham and surrounding towns.

Daniel's Table - Daniel's Table distributes food to Framingham residents with children 18 and under and persons over 60 years of age.

Project Bread - Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. If you are in need of food security, call 1-800-645-8333.

Metrowest YMCA Food Distribution - The MetroWest YMCA believes that fighting food insecurity makes their community stronger. As part of their commitment to healthy living, youth development, and social responsibility, they provide year-round grocery distribution at the Framingham Branch and meal distribution at various community sites throughout the summer.

• Grocery distribution takes place on Monday's and Friday's from 3:00pm - 5:00pm (while supplies last) at the Metrowest YMCA. No membership is required to access these resources.
  
  

A Place to Turn - A Place To Turn is committed to providing emergency food and clothing to our neighbors in the MetroWest community. We will serve those in need in an atmosphere of caring and mutual respect.

Salvation Army Framingham - On Tuesdays and Thursdays, clients arrive at 12 to stock up on fresh produce, bread, sweets and miscellaneous items donated from Trader Joe's, BJ's, Stop & Shop, Wegmans and the Greater Boston Food Bank.

SNAP Benefits Application - SNAP stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It was formerly known as food stamps and is run by the Department of Transitional Assistance. 1 out of 9 people in Massachusetts receive SNAP benefits. Apply for SNAP in 20 minutes or less.

WIC - The Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program keeps pregnant and breastfeeding women and kids under 5 healthy. WIC is a nutrition program that provides healthy foods, nutrition education, breastfeeding support, and referrals to healthcare and other services, free of charge, to Massachusetts families who qualify.