Dear KT Community:

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break! Below please find several upcoming dates and important reminders.

Term I ended yesterday. Term I report cards will be available for families to view in PowerSchool on Thursday, December 7th. As a reminder, report cards will NOT be mailed home this year. To view your students report card, you must log into PowerSchool. If you do not already have a PowerSchool account, please see the directions below to create an account. If you need assistance, please contact powerschooladmin@jpkeefehs.org.

Grade 9 students will be selecting their vocational program the week of December 18-21. This is an exciting time at Keefe Tech! More information about this process will be shared by the School counseling Department, and be sure to check in with your students as they prepare for their selection.

Save the date for individual conferences with teachers - Wednesday, January 31st from 12-3pm and Thursday, February 1st from 6-8pm. More information and the online sign-up form will be sent in early January.

Finally, a friendly reminder that family vacations are not considered excused absences from school. All students must have 16 or less days absent from school (including excused and unexcused) in order to be promoted to the next grade. Any number of absences that exceeds 16 days requires students to make up the time or they cannot move to the next grade. Please check in with your students' School Counselor or our attendance liaison, jmcgrath@jpkeefehs.org, with any questions.

Thank you,

Dr. Snow

MassBay is offering a ton of Dual Enrollment courses free of charge beginning in January! Details are below in the School Counseling section.

The Keefe Tech Drama Club will hold auditions for "Alice", an adaptation of "Alice In Wonderland" on Tuesday, December 5th, from 2-4:30 PM in the auditorium. Auditions will consist of readings from the script. All are welcome and encouraged to get involved!

Project Adventure is excited to announce our 6-week Ski and Snowboarding Trip starting this January. Join us Friday after school for a fun night on the Mountain. To sign up, simply scan the QR code located on our flyers posted around the school. For pricing and additional information, refer to our flyers or reach out to Mr. Sylvestre in the Metal Fabrication Shop or Mr. Paul in Horticulture. The deadline to secure your spot is December 15th. Don't miss out on this opportunity to hit the slopes and have an amazing adventure!

Interested in STEM activities outside the classroom? Come to the STEM Academy Thursdays after school in room 300. If you missed the Perspectives of Earth program meeting, you can also still apply for the internship during the STEM Academy.

Brrrrrr… It's getting cold outside, and some members of our community do not have adequate winter coats. You can help! The Interact Club will be running a coat drive from now until December 14th. Please drop your gently used or new winter coats off in one of the blue boxes located outside of room 216, the cafeteria, the gymnasium, or the main entrance. Help others stay warm!

Are you looking to get into the holiday spirit? Grab your friends and come join SkillsUSA on Wednesday, December 13th at 2:15pm in the auditorium to watch the brand new holiday movie Candy Cane Lane starring Eddie Murphy. Tickets are $3 and will be sold at lunch starting Monday, December 4th. Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. Please see Mrs. Roy or Mrs. Graham if you have any questions.

ATTENTION SENIORS & FAMILIES OF SENIORS!

Senior Portraits

If you don't want to use your Keefe Tech student photo please email your preferred photo by January 5TH to: jmcgrath@jpkeefehs.org

Please send original high-resolution photos (not pictures of pictures.)

• send the largest file size available (not to exceed 5 MB.)

• a size between 500KB- 3 MB We will let you know if the image will not work

• JPG and PNG

• Simple backgrounds are preferred

In addition, senior bio forms have been sent to all seniors. Here is the link: FILL OUT THIS FORM

If your child is going to be absent you are connecting with Melissa Sabo - 508.416.2259 / mksabo@jpkeefehs.org

Looking to order your school photo? Go to https://www.jostens.com/

You need your students ID number and our Keefe Tech event code is: FE255623

Instructions to access PowerSchool parent/guardian account for Keefe Tech:

• The PowerSchool Parent Portal URL is: https://keefetech.powerschool.com/public/

• Access codes and passwords needed to set up parent/guardian accounts were originally sent home via email. If you need them again, please contact support at powerschool@jpkeefehs.org. Please provide your student’s name, grade, and student ID# if known/possible.

• Your username should be set to your full email address.

• Examples of special characters, when setting your password, are: !@#$*

• If you forget your Username or Password click the “Forgot Username or Password” link to have an email sent to reset it.

• If you aren’t receiving the Reset Password email, contact powerschool@jpkeefehs.org for further assistance.
  
  

Do you need to add another student to your PowerSchool parent account?

In your parent portal navigate to Account Preferences, then select the Students tab. Click on the Add button located on the right side of the screen. Enter your student’s name, access ID and Password, and your relationship to your student, then click OK. You should now see your 2nd student in your account. If you do not have the Access codes to add your student, contact powerschool@jpkeefehs.org too.

The PowerSchool app (on iPhone and Droid phone) works for students using their Keefe Tech email address now. The same PowerSchool app (on iPhone and Droid phone) works for parents/guardians to view their children as long as they have setup a registered account with PowerSchool.

All Keefe Tech students can download the PowerSchool app from the App Store, type in District code: CQJG and use the same Keefe email credentials to access their school information. Please work with your students at home if they need assistance accessing, email powerschool@jpkeefehs.org or have students visit 319A for further assistance from the Keefe Tech technology team.

If you do not have a smartphone, you can access your current grades and other information in PowerSchool via most internet browsers.

To access PowerSchool at KeefeTech, you will need to follow these steps:

1. Open an internet browser on your computer.

2. Type https://keefetech.powerschool.com/student into the address bar.

3. Type the student ID (email address) and Password (Google password). It is advisable that you keep your username and password secure and not share it with anyone else.

4. View the information.

5. Remember to log off when you are finished.

PARENT PORTAL HIGHLIGHTS

• The Grades and Attendance tab will allow you to check assignments and scores by clicking on the blue percentage across from a class.

• Email the teacher a question or concern by simply clicking the blue teacher's name link.

• Announcements can be viewed daily

• The parent portal is an excellent tool for monitoring your child's academic success. Log in and familiarize yourself with its capabilities. If you have any questions regarding the use of PowerSchool please contact the school office at 508-416-2100.

Link to the Work Permit Google Form for students: Work Permit Google Form

Important! Students need to be logged in to their Keefe student account to access the link :)

Mr. Adamiak's Forensics students measured femur bones to determine the height of unknown individuals!

Flame tests in Ms Flynn’s chemistry class!

Modeling atomic radius in Ms Flynn’s chemistry class!

The Senior and Sophomore Programming students learned the principles of Agile Software Development by taking the Marshmallow Challenge!

Carpentry juniors framing the gable end of a shed!

Exploratory students in Carpentry!

The Massachusetts Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership (CDEP) provides opportunities for

Massachusetts high school students to take college-level courses for free and earn credit toward high school completion and their future college degrees.

MassBay Community College is offering FREE college-level courses this spring for juniors and seniors. Classes will be held after school or fully Online from January 22, 2024 - May 19, 2024. Learn More!

Information sessions will be held remotely on:

Thursday, December 7, 2023 | 7:00 PM

Tuesday, December 12, 2023 | 7:00 PM

Thursday, December 14, 2023 | 4:00 PM
Register for information sessions at: CLICK LINK

Classes Offered:

Health Careers Exploration | MassBay Framingham Campus | This course will meet in-person

on select Thursdays: 1/25, 2/8, 2/29, 3/14, 3/28, 4/11 and 5/2 | 6:00-9:00 PM | The rest of the

course is online.

Communication | MassBay Wellesley Campus | Tuesdays & Thursdays 3:30-4:45 PM

Critical Thinking | MassBay Wellesley Campus | Mondays & Wednesdays 3:30-4:45 PM

Nutrition | Fully Online | No scheduled class meetings

Marketing | Keefe Tech - Tuesdays & Thursdays 2:30-4:00 PM - this class is going to be held at our school! We will open it to grade 10 students interested if there is space.

APPLY HERE TODAY!

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 to review. Deadlines come up quick and we want to make sure they everyone is on track. Counselors are planning to put together some group workshops and different ways to get information our to seniors that are as user friendly as possible - say tuned!

Important Changes with the FAFSA/Financial Aid process for the Class of 2024:

The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be delayed due to the new changes in the implementation of the Simplified FAFSA form. The 2024-2025 FAFSA application will become available in December 2023 (previous years it was on October 1st). Some of the new changes to the FAFSA include: fewer questions (decreasing from 108 to 46) and the ability to list more colleges. Students planning on attending college after high school should start learning about the new FAFSA program. Students/parents can learn more about financial aid and the financial aid process right now by visiting: https://studentaid.gov/ or https://www.mefa.org/types-of-financial-aid.

Workshops to help with FAFSA:

FSA ID Creating help:

The FSA ID will be more important than ever with the new FAFSA changes. uAspire will be hosting FSA ID help in the month of November via Zoom. Click here to sign up.

Financial Aid Student Webinars:

FAFSA completion

· January 3, 2024 at 4:00-5:00 pm -ET

· January 30, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET

· February 27, 2024 at 5:30-6:30pm -ET

Next Steps post-FAFSA

· April 2, 2024 at 4:00-5:00 pm -ET

Financial Aid Offer

· April 24, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET

Summer Steps

· May 21, 2024 at 5:00-6:00 pm -ET

School Counselor Caseloads and additional contact information are below:

• 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

Dear parents/guardians:

I have been going into one of the psychology classrooms this week to teach students about substance use. Students had questions about how one becomes addicted to substances, what are the long term impacts of substance use, and how the different substances impact mental health. While educators go into the classrooms from an early age to talk about substance use, it is a perennial topic that requires ongoing attention.

As we embark upon the holiday season, there will be more parties for both adults and young people and with that comes the opportunity to come into contact with alcohol and other drugs. Marijuana use in particular is popular among youth, with the legalization of marijuana making it seem more appealing and harmless to impressionable teens. As is the case with any substance, we always give the message that young people should wait until after the age of 21 to use substances as the brain is developing until then. However, we know that curiosity and peer pressure sometimes get in the way.

In this issue I attached a pamphlet about parents' role in talking to their child about substance use and tips for having these conversations.

Thank you,

Julia Fairclough LICSW, SAC

Adjustment Counselor

Family Resource:

The McLean School Consultation Service is excited to announce our second annual “Leaders in Youth Mental Health Series.” For the 2023-2024 academic year, McLean will be hosting 7 free parent webinars presented by McLean clinical experts. The topics will focus on childhood suicidality/self-harm, childhood irritability, pediatric anxiety disorders and OCD, navigating the mental health system for youth in crisis, supporting non-binary and transgender youth, and partnering with schools for youth services and supports.

There were approximately 11 current and former KTXC members participating in the Framingham Turkey Trot! Attached to this email is a photo from the first mile of Bruno Barbosa ('22), Declan Regan ('26), Mr. Beling, and Michael Najarian ('22).

It was a successful two days for Keefe Tech SkillsUSA at the Fall State Leadership Conference held November 19-20 in Marlboro. Keefe students spent the weekend attending workshops and planning their chapter programs for the coming year. The following students were recognized Monday night at the awards banquet:

Top 30 Leader Award: Tricia Richard and Carolline Carvalho

Leader Award Credential: TJ Nickerson, Maria Lopes Reyes, Sky Burke, Morgan Gedman, Bryan Costa, Victoria Magalhaes

MVP/Technical Skills: Morgan Gedman

Safety Award - Community Service Project: Skye Burke and Tricia Richard

Gold Medal: Workplace Skills: Bryan Costa, Astro Collette and Victoria Magalhaes

Check out a few pictures below. We will keep adding to the winter sports google photo link all season!

Check out our winter athletes in action!

TBA Basketball is looking for players that enjoy shooting some hoops without the high stakes pressure of traditional High School basketball. All you need to know can be found on their website.

SAME DAY ACCESS FOR FRAMINGHAM CLINIC - 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:
Framingham: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm; Sat-Sun 9am-5pm

1094 Worcester Road
Framingham, MA 01702
United States

Location Phone

(508) 661-2020

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

State Programs and Local Food Resources:

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.

Website: keefetech.org
Location: 750 Winter Street, Framingham, MA, United States
Phone: 508-416-2100
Facebook: facebook.com/keefetech