News from our Principals: Mrs. Frank (UPK-2) & Mrs. Bouchard (3-6)
Hello, JFK families!
We hope you have enjoyed the summer months and are as excited to return to JFK as we are to welcome you back! As we approach the first day of school, we are writing to share some important details for the 2024-2025 school year.
Open House
We hope you will join us for our annual Open House on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, from 5:30-7:00 pm. Students and their families can meet their classroom teacher, walk around the building, and find the library, cafeteria, and your special area teachers. You can get a jump start on your beginning of school paperwork, too. We encourage you to bring your school supplies and lighten the load to carry on the first day of school! Come early at 5:00 pm and join us to learn about our Title I funded programs!
Orientation (UPK, Jr. Kindergarten, Kindergarten ONLY)
In addition to our annual Open House, we have planned a special orientation for our newest JFK students and their families! Orientation for all students in Universal Pre-Kindergarten (Mrs. Langley, Mrs. Wilkinson, Mrs. M. Williams), Jr. Kindergarten (Mrs. Jacobs & Miss Wright), and Kindergarten (Mr. Doyle, Mrs. Frysinger, Mrs. Lalone) will take place on the first day of school, Thursday, September 5th from 9:00 until 10:00 am. After the orientation, students will return home with their families. As we begin the 2024-2025 school year, this will serve as an opportunity to meet your child’s classroom teacher, as well as a chance for your child to meet his or her new classmates, and experience the classroom for the first time! The first full school day for UPK, Jr. K, and Kindergarten students will be Friday, September 6th.
Breakfast
All students will continue to be offered breakfast daily at no cost to families. Breakfast will be served beginning at 7:30 am in the cafeteria. Please note students in UPK and Jr. Kindergarten only eat breakfast as part of their school day, and should not arrive until 7:50 am.
The weekly menu for hot breakfast is as follows:
Monday: French toast sticks & sausage patty
Tuesday: One slice of pizza
Wednesday: Scrambled eggs, one half english muffin, sausage patty
Thursday: Fresh baked cinnamon roll & sausage patty
Friday: Devil Muffin (english muffin with ham & cheese) & hashbrown
Lunch
We are excited to share that lunch will continue to be provided to all students daily at no cost to families! The lunch menu for our first days of school is included below, and the full September menu can be found linked below in this newsletter, and will also be provided to students on the first day of school.
Thursday, September 5: Chicken nuggets, french fries, corn, fruit
Friday, September 6: Cheese pizza, garden salad, fruit
Water
Students are encouraged to bring their own water bottle, clearly labeled with their name.
After School Program
The After School Program will be available beginning on the first day of school (Thursday, September 5, 2024). Students in grades UPK-6 are eligible to attend, and an application is required. Pricing for the program is as follows: 1 child for $30, 2 children for $35, and 3 children for $40 weekly. If you require information about the After School Program, please contact the JFK site director, Mrs. Stacey Powers, at spowers@ogdensburgk12.org.
Arrival
Students may begin to arrive at school at 7:30 am, and will proceed to the cafeteria. Students may enter classrooms at 8:05 am, when the school day officially begins. Students are considered tardy after 8:20 a.m. Students in grades UPK-2 will enter at the main entrance (Door 1) on Jersey Avenue, while students in grades 3-6 will enter at the old main entrance (Door 2) on the newly renovated Park Street circle. As a reminder, students in UPK and Jr. Kindergarten should not arrive until 7:50 am, as breakfast is served as part of our UPK students' daily schedule within the classroom.
Dismissal
As outlined below, students will be dismissed at 2:50 p.m. at specific locations by grade level. Please note that students in grades UPK-2 will only be dismissed to a parent or other designated adult. We recognize that many families attending JFK have siblings across grade levels, and welcome older siblings to meet younger siblings at their dismissal door. Please communicate dismissal procedures to your child’s classroom teacher and talk with your child to ensure a smooth dismissal.
Door 1: Mrs. Wilkinson, Mrs. Langley, Mrs. M. Williams, Mrs. Jacobs, Miss Wright, Mr. O'Grady
Door 10: Mrs. Frysinger, Mr. Doyle, Mrs. K. Lalone, Miss Kelly, Miss DiSalvo
Door 9: Mrs. Hammond, Mr. Dwyer, Mrs. Smith, Mrs. B. Williams, Mr. McCarthy
Door 2: Mrs. Marshall, Mrs. Robb, Mrs. Powers, Mrs. Morley, Mrs. Mousaw, Miss O'Neil, Mr. Rupert
Door 4: Mr. Albert, Mrs. Doyle, Mrs. Woods, Mrs. Baxter, Mrs. Mathews, Mrs. Weston, Mrs. Farley
Regarding phone usage and dismissal from the 2024-2025 Elementary Handbook:
When there is not an emergency situation, children will not be allowed to use the phone at the end of the school day. Children should use their planner or have a note stating a change in dismissal plans to their classroom teacher if the need should arise. This is another way to help children develop independence. If it gets to be 3:05 PM and a ride has not yet arrived, permission will be given to make contact with a parent/guardian to determine what plan will be followed for getting home that day.
Please make every effort to communicate a dismissal plan with your child. End of the day interruptions in the classroom to relay phone messages often make children apprehensive and are disruptive to classroom routines. Phone calls for a change in dismissal plans will only be accepted until 12:00 PM unless there is an unforeseen emergency.
Transportation
The Ogdensburg City School District provides transportation to and from school via school bus for students who reside in outlying areas of the district, for students who attend a program housed in a school building that lies on the alternate side of the school district as their home, and for students whose Individualized Education Plan requires transportation. Transportation in all other circumstances requires approval by the Building Principal and Superintendent of Schools.
We look forward to welcoming your student(s) back to JFK on Thursday, September 5th to kick off a fantastic 2024-2025 school year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Frank
Principal UPK-2
Mrs. Bouchard
Principal, 3-6
The 2024-2025 Elementary Handbook can be accessed here, or at the link below. We encourage you to view the guide for information on everything from playground rules to library books to school meal programs to our music programs.
The Ogdensburg City School District has adopted a new form of school-to-home communication called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection between home and school. It provides a safe way for school administrators, teachers, staff, and parents to:
Receive important alerts,
Send and receive school and class information,
Share pictures and files,
View Calendar items,
Sign up to volunteer, and
Schedule parent-teacher conferences
All district and school, grade level, and classroom information will now be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text. For even more convenience, you can download the ParentSquare app for iOS and Android devices using the links below or search for Parent Square in your app store.
Join the JFK PTO!
The John F. Kennedy Elementary School PTO is seeking volunteers. Meetings are held monthly, with volunteers helping to provide our harvest reading event, family sleigh rides, holiday door decorating contest prizes, Art to Remember fundraiser, Scholastic Book Fairs, classroom field trips, and much more. PTO events are much loved by our students, and we would love your support!
Our next meeting for the 2023-2024 school year will take place on Monday, September 9, 2024 at 6:00 pm in the library at JFK.
If you are interested in joining, please email Mrs. Frank at cfrank@ogdensburgk12.org or Mrs. Bouchard at sbouchard@ogdensburgk12.org, or join us at our next meeting!
Student Health Examination Information
Dear JFK families,
Beginning July 1, 2018, all New York State public school students must have a health exam when they enter school as a new entrant, in Pre-K or Kindergarten, and in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11. These examinations must be completed and documented on the approved NYSED Student Health Examination Form for School for the health exam.
The required physical form can be found attached below, and is also available from the JFK Health Office. Dental certificates are requested but are NOT required for school attendance, and the dental certificate form is also attached below.
Immunization Requirement Reminder:
- Students entering Pre-Kindergarten are required to have 4 doses of DTap, 3 doses of Polio (IPV), 1 MMR, 3 doses of Hepatitis B, 1 Varicella, 1-4 doses of Hib, and 1-4 doses of pneumococcal (PCV).
- Students entering Kindergarten or Jr. Kindergarten are required to have 5 doses of DTap, 4 doses of Polio (IPV), 2 doses of MMR, 3 doses of Hepatitis B, and 2 doses of Varicella.
- Students entering 6th grade are required to receive a dose of Tdap.
- Students entering 7th grade are required to receive a dose of meningococcal.
*Proof of required immunizations is due by the first day of the school year.
Sincerely,
Paige Thornhill, RN, BSN
Adriana Whitmarsh, RN, BSN
Returning to or starting school for the first time can be exciting, but many students experience anxiety and worry. Here are a few tips to help if you find your child is struggling. Always feel free to reach out to your child’s School Counselor for more tips or support. We are looking forward to a fun school year full of growth and kindness!
Mrs. McNichol (UPK-2 Counselor)
(315) 393-4264 x32068
Ms. Bateman (3-6 Counselor)
(315) 393-4264 x32868
Mrs. Misty Fishel (School Social Worker)
(315) 393-4264 x33033
