JFK Weekly Update
September 22, 2024
Dear Families of JFK,
Last Wednesday two staff members presented a professional development session on diversifying your classroom library. Research shows that diverse libraries build empathy, compassion and knowledge of others. As a district, our goal is to create classroom libraries that reflect the students reading them. We would like to hear from you. Please use this Book Wish List Link to share any book titles, including the author, that are special to you and your family. If you are interested in reading a special story to your child’s class please include your email address as well. Our hope is to add to our classroom libraries in order to portray a broad sense of human diversity.
At the beginning of each school year, the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires districts to notify in writing the families/guardians of students attending a Title I school that they may request information regarding the professional qualifications of their student’s classroom teachers. Please see the attachment below from Deborah O. Rooney, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Title 1 Coordinator.
Please complete the Student Demographic Verification Form in PowerSchool.
September 15th - October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month. Our Librarian Maura Bayliss shared this link to some great resources. https://www.cbcbooks.org/readers/reader-resources/hispanic-heritage-resources/
Sincerely,
Saundra Watson, Principal
What's Coming Up
- October 3, 2024: No School, Rosh Hashanah
- October 14, 2024: Indigenous People's Day
- October 23, 2024: Early Release, 12:20 PM Dismissal
- October 30, 2024: Picture Retake Day
- November 5, 2024: No School
- November 11, 2024: No School, Veteran’s Day
- November 19, 2024: Evening Parent Conferences
- November 20, 2024: Early Release (Conferences), 12:20 Dismissal
- November 27, 2024: Early Release (Thanksgiving Break), 12:20 Dismissal
- November 28 & 29, 2024: Thanksgiving Break
- December 11, 2024: Early Release, 12:20 PM Dismissal
- December 12 & 13, 2024: Holiday Shop
- December 20, 2024: Early Release (Winter Break), 12:20 DIsmissal
- December 23, 20024 - January 1, 2025: No School, Winter Break
- January 2, 2025: School Resumes
Calendars/Information Sheets
PowerSchool
The PowerSchool Parent/Guardian Portal is now open for you to review and update your demographic information, as well as manage media, handbook and device permissions for your student. This process will help ensure that your contact information is current and that you’ve provided the necessary permissions for the use of media and technology in our educational programs.
To assist you with this process, we have created a series of helpful slides and a video that guide you step-by-step through updating your information in PowerSchool. These resources are available to help make the process as simple and straightforward as possible. And, please see a summarized set of steps to follow below to access the Demographic Verification and CPS Handbook Permissions form:
Step 1: Log into your PowerSchool Parent/Guardian Portal
Step 2: Find the “Forms” tab on the left side under Navigation
Step 3: Click, “General Forms”
Step 4: Click, “Student Demographic Verification Form”
Please take a moment to complete these updates as soon as you are able. Should you need any further assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out—we are here to support you.
If you have any problems logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal system, adding another student to your PowerSchool account, or you’d like your student(s)’ Access ID and Password re-sent, please submit your issue on THIS GOOGLE FORM. A member of our tech team will respond back within 48 hours.
Thank you, as always, for your cooperation and commitment to our school community.
Universal Screening
Students in grades 1-5 will be participating in STAR testing this week or next. This STAR 360 Assessment is our universal screener that helps us identify current performance levels and will be administered three times this year to monitor progress and growth. This assessment is given on an ipad or chromebook and is adaptive so it will adjust as students answer questions correctly or incorrectly. Family reports will go home in the next couple of weeks with information on your child's Fall screening results and possible next steps.
JFK Policies and Procedures
The Elementary Handbook contains important information regarding school operations, policies, curriculum, and discipline. Please take a moment to review it.
Please remember that students are not permitted to wear SmartWatches at school and cell phones must be put in their backpacks for the day. We encourage you to send your children without these devices. Please communicate with your classroom teacher, the Nurse and front office if your child needs their device for a medical issue.
Arrival & Dismissal
An important aspect of our community is keeping children safe during arrival and dismissal. I'd like to share our longstanding protocols and ask you to please comply. School administrators and the School Resource Officer will be working to enforce our procedures for the safety of everyone.
ARRIVAL:
Students arriving by car are dropped off in the parking lot by the playground. Please follow the flow of trafffic to assist us in making morning drop off as smooth as possible.
Parking is limited. All students K-5 are encouraged to walk or use the driveline.
Do not get out of your car in the driveline to assist your child. A staff member will be there to assist you.
Kids should exit on the passenger side only.
DISMISSAL:
Students are dismissed beginning at 3:25 PM. Parking is limited. Some suggestions to make the situation less stressful for everyone:
Avoid the traffic. You are encouraged to walk or park on streets adjacent to JFK.
Encourage independence. Pick a nearby meeting spot in the neighborhood and have your child walk off campus to meet you.
Avoid the awkwardness. You don’t want a staff member to talk to you about parking in the middle of the lot or in the handicap parking spots -- and we don’t want to talk to you about it. Please park in legal, marked spots only. If none are available please exit the lot and come back in five minutes.
Walkers will be dismissed onto the playground blacktop. An adult will wait with students until 3:40 PM. After that point students will be brought to the front office and a parent will be called.
Dog's are not allowed on the JFK property while school is in session, including during arrival and dismissal. Simply put, not everyone loves dogs as much as dog owners. In fact, your friendly, bouncy pup might be terrifying to someone who is two and a half feet tall. Dogs are welcome to ride along in the car for carline drop off and pick up. I'd especially ask community members who run their dog on the field (which is not technically allowed) to pick up after their dog so that teachers do not have to add student shoe-washing duty to their list of responsibilities. Thank you in advance.
CAPT Corner
Interested in being a room parent for your child's classroom? Please submit the Room Parent Form HERE by September 27, 2024.
Family Photos are back! Book your mini session now HERE!
Parent’s Night – Music Bingo is back! October 25th at 7 pm at the Town Club. Mark your calendars now! Ticket link will be available soon!
CAPT Meetings are on the second Tuesday of each month at 7 pm in the JFK Library. Join us!
Family Resources
The Food Pantry has moved to 1860 Washington Street (formerly St. Gerard’s).
The Canton Farmers Market also accepts SNAP and HIP
Join the Canton Public School celebrations and highlights by following our social media platforms! #CantonBulldogs #ChampionsofExcellence
Around Town Events
Canton Public Schools has a Community Resources and Information Page on its website titled Around Town. This page lists resources and events taking place in our community. To access the information on this webpage, use this link: About/Around Town.
This webpage will be updated periodically.
School Info.
School Hours: 9:10 AM - 3:25 PM
Adult supervision provided at 8:50 AM for breakfast or morning recess
Breakfast: 8:50 - 9:05 AM
Early Release: 12:20 PM (no lunch served)
John F. Kennedy Elementary School
Alana Marino, Administrative Assistant
Kathryn Gallahue, Assistant Principal
Email: watsons@cantonma.org
Website: https://www.cantonma.org/kennedy/index
Location: 100 Dedham Street, Canton, MA, USA
Phone: (781) 821-5080
Twitter: @JFKGallahue
Office hours will be 8:30 AM - 3:45 PM.