Dear Parents and Guardians:

Keefe Tech Curriculum Night is scheduled for September 26th from 6-8PM. Curriculum Night allows parents/guardians to follow their student’s schedule and to learn about each course your student is enrolled in this year. Teachers are planning brief presentations to explain the course and major topics to be studied, options for getting extra assistance, grading, and homework requirements.

A copy of the schedule for Curriculum Night and a copy of your student’s schedule will be mailed next week. Please plan to bring the copy of your student’s schedule with you. You will need the schedule to guide you through the evening. Curriculum Night will begin promptly at 6 PM.

If you are interested in a more personalized meeting with your student’s teachers, individual parent/teacher conferences are scheduled for January 29th and January 30th, 2025. You are always welcome to reach out to your student’s teachers and counselors through email, phone calls and/or by setting up in-person meetings.

In addition to Curriculum Night, the Special Education Department is hosting a Procedural Safeguard review and an overview of the new IEP in Massachusetts. This meeting will be held at 5:00PM in the Auditorium.

We look forward to seeing many of you on September 26th!

Dr. Snow

Business Professionals of America, BPA, will be having a meeting after school in the Design and Visual Communications shop at 2:00pm on September 17th. If you are interested in participating in BPA this year please come to this meeting to learn more about the organization and what it is like to be in BPA at Keefe Tech.

Attention Seniors: There will be a class meeting on Tuesday, September 17th in room 208 from 2:00-2:30pm to discuss senior elections, senior breakfast, and some upcoming fundraisers. All are welcome to join!

Attention all singers: The Keefe Tech Chorus club will have their first rehearsal after school on Monday, September 16th at 2:05pm in room 314A. All are welcome to come sing with us! Please reach out to Mrs. Sanders with any questions!

The first meeting of the Japanese anime club will be next Monday after school in room 204. If you are interested in watching anime, finding new shows, and learning more about it feel free to stop by!

School Photo Update: Photos will be available to order 2 weeks from September 12th. FE138424 is the Keefe Tech ID code.

Picture make-up day is October 16th.

Thursday, September 26th - Curriculum Night from 6-8PM - SAVE THE DATE!

Reach out for more info how to help:
Jacinthe Benstrong-Twohig, KT Booster Club President
Jacinthe2019@icloud.com

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 :)

We will be following the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the DESE recommendations to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses at school.*

• If you test positive for covid, stay home for at least 24 hours. You can return to school when:

1. You have not had a fever for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medicines; AND
2. Your symptoms are improving and you feel well enough.

You may still be able to spread the virus that made you sick, even if you are feeling better so please continue to follow these precautions.

• For at least the first 5 days after you resume normal activities:

• Wear a mask anytime you are indoors around other people Avoid crowded indoor spaces.

• Wash your hands often with soap and warm water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol.

• Avoid spending time with people who are at increased risk for severe disease.

• Make plans to schedule your seasonal flu & covid shots

• If you would like covid test kits for home, please reach out to the KT nurses.

*Please be aware that this protocol may change based on updated CDC/DPH recommendations.

Staying Up to Date with COVID-19 Vaccines:

• Everyone ages 6 months and older should get a 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine.

• The COVID-19 vaccine helps protect you from severe disease, hospitalization, and death.

• Vaccine protection decreases over time, so it is important to stay up to date with your COVID-19 vaccine.

Getting the 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccine is especially important if you:

• Never received a COVID-19 vaccine

• Are ages 65 years and older

• Are at high risk for severe COVID-19

• Are living in a long-term care facility

• Are pregnant, breastfeeding, trying to get pregnant, or might become pregnant in the future.

• Want to lower your risk of getting Long COVID

Coming soon! Order your free COVID-19 Tests at the end of September 2024.

U.S. households will be eligible to order 4 free COVID-19 tests at COVIDTests.gov. The COVID-19 Tests will detect current COVID-19 variants and can be used through the end of the year. If your student has covid-related symptoms during the school day, we can rapid covid test them in the Health Office. We can also provide additional test kits for home. Check in with the KT nurses with any questions.

Influenza (flu) is very contagious. Thankfully the flu rate remains low nationally. The CDC continues to recommend that everyone over age 6 months get their annual flu shot.

• For more info re: flu prevention and treatment recommendations: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm

Weekly flu surveillance data: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

Students working hard to develop their improv skills with Ms. Rettino!

Student’s in Mr. Sadowski’s Anatomy & Physiology students participated in a dissection activity using pickles to close out their academic week!

Students in Ms. Edward’s Honors Chemistry class were actively participating in solving significant figures as part of their unit this week. Bravo!

Students in Ms. Garabadian’s Fine Arts Honors class worked on elements of value this week. Great job!

24 students are out on Cooperative Employment at this time with another 10 completing their paperwork. Please see Mr. Brochu if you have any questions about Cooperative Employment or want to start the paperwork. Juniors will be eligible on January 27th, providing all of the school standards are met.

Dental junior class making their own toothpaste!

Grade 9 exploratory students had the opportunity to learn all about bulletin boards, careers and see children in their learning environment and at play.

Senior ECET Class learned how to create their own preschool classroom environment!

Grade 9 Health Careers Exploratory students debut the new RealityWorks Geriatric Simulators made possible but the Massachusetts Skills Capital Grant! Freshman gained a new perspective on what it may feel like to grow old!

Our Senior Cosmetology class had a lash extension class to start an exciting year!

A reminder to all students that the add/drop deadline to modify your schedule is Friday, September 20th! Counselors will be unable to accommodate schedule changes after this date. Please keep in mind that we made a huge transition to Powerschool this summer and we thank you for your understanding and patience!

Keefe Tech partnered with Care Solace this year for our school to have access to 24/7/365 multilingual Mental Health Care Coordination Service. Getting help can be a daunting process.

Care Solace connects students, staff, and their families to care. At no cost to you, Care Solace will quickly and confidentially find available mental health and substance use providers matcher to your needs. Click the link below to check out this resource if you are looking for support outside of school.

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!

Juniors who are interested in taking in the PSAT we are scheduling a date late October 2024 for this practice test - be on the lookout for signups! If you have a disability and are looking for accommodations for this exam, you can go here to start that process: https://accommodations.collegeboard.org/request-accommodations

While the SAT and/or ACT is still not required for a lot of colleges/Universities, we want to make sure that seniors are aware of the testing dates and deadlines to register. Please check with individual colleges about their testing policy. The next SAT test day is October 5th with the deadline to register, September 20th. Students who register and feel that they qualify for a fee waiver can apply for a fee waiver through College Board. *Students, if you are signed up to take the SAT at Framingham High, you need to bring your own device, not your school chromebook. See your School Counselor if you have an issue with this.

Our school code is: 220854

Students who feel that they require accommodations for the SAT must request accommodations through the College Board. This typically is for students who maintain a 504 plan or IEP. Your counselor can help facilitate this process, but is not in charge of it. Decisions are made by College Board. In order for your counselor to help you apply for accommodations, you parent/guardian must sign the attached form, giving Keefe Tech permission to release some of your personal information. Get this form to your counselor ASAP because the College Board processes these requests as they receive them.

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:

September is suicide awarerness month. Although we pay attention to the signs of depression and suicidality in our students throughout the year, this is a good opportunity to talk a little more about this important issue.

According to Child Mind Institute, symptoms of depression in teens include behaviors like

- isolating,

- mood changes,

- decrease in school performance,

- changes in sleep,

- changes in appetite,

- substance use,

- self harm,

- and losing interest in hobbies, among other signs.

There are two main kinds of depression: Major depression (stretches of depression for months) and dysthymia (lower-level blues). Early treatment is critical to head off long-term effects of depression or symptoms that may lead to feeling hopeless and suicidal.

Each September, our department teaches all freshmen about the warning signs of depression and how to seek help from a trusted adult before feelings of hopelessness set in. Known as Signs of Suicide (SOS), this class will start next week during health classes.

Also in this issue, I am attaching a link to a suicide awareness toolkit at www.caresolace.org/suicide-prevention-month-resources-for-schools. This toolkit is offered by Care Solace, the 24-hour help center for both students and adults. Visit https://caresolace.com/entity-user/dashboard to learn more about this service available to the Keefe Tech community.

Thank you,
--

Julia Fairclough LICSW, SAC

Adjustment Counselor

My Ascension Film Screening and Q&A with Emma Benoit
and mental health experts

Sept. 25, 2024 • 6PM
Fuller Middle School
31 Flagg Drive, Framingham, MA 01702

A suicide attempt left 16-year-old varsity cheerleader, Emma Benoit, paralyzed, but propelled her on a mission to use her painful experience to help others find hope and stay alive. The 55 minute film screening will be followed by an important dialogue. related to preventing youth suicide in our community.

Best suited for grades 7-12 • Subtitles in Spanish

Click Here to register for the event. Trailer for the film is below.

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