Homecoming Dance is tonight from 6-9PM. All attendees must have already purchased a ticket!

No school for students on Friday, November 1, 2024 - Except if you are a Student Ambassador! Ambassadors will receive details about next Friday's Showcase Day on Monday!

No School Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Attention students interested in joining the military. Keefe Tech will host the ASVAB, the military entrance exam, on Thursday, November 7th. Please fill out this form if you are interested: https://forms.gle/swtmtRJKX69v1wHG8 Or see Ms. Lyskowski in the School Counseling Office.

Hey Cheerleaders! There will be an informational meeting for Winter Cheer on Monday, October 28th at 2:05pm in room 323. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to attend. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Graham in room 323.

Attention Juniors and Seniors: Registration is now open for the Seal of Biliteracy test, which will be held in December. Registration is open through November 18th. This is an excellent opportunity to earn a prestigious designation that recognizes your proficiency in multiple languages! For more details and to sign up to test, please use the link sent out in your Keefe Tech email. If you have any questions, please see Dr. Swasey or Mr. Johnson. There is a link below in the academic section with more information on how to register.

Attention Seniors and Senior families: If you are planning on submitting a senior photo for the yearbook, they are due by December 20th. That is the last day of school before winter break. If you don't submit a photo, your Powerschool/ student I.D. photo will be used. If you do submit a photo, here are some guidelines.

Please send original high-resolution photos (not pictures of pictures.) Also, no cellphone photos please.

• 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
• Headshots are preferred

Please email your photos to jmcgrath@jpkeefehs.org and nhargrove@jpkeefehs.org. Thank you!

School Pictures are Ready!

View and order at https://shop.jostenspix.com/login

• JOSEPH P KEEFE TECH HIGH SCHOOL
• Event Code: FE138424
• Also Needed: Powerschool Student ID

The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced this week at Upper Cape Cod Tech that it has awarded more than $17 million in Skills Capital Lab Modernization Grants to 18 schools across Massachusetts. Career technical education and training programs can use this funding to purchase and install equipment related to high demand industries and occupations, such as advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, construction/skilled trades, and life sciences. Announced during STEM Week, these grants modernize and upgrade equipment, ensuring that students and workers are prepared for the rapidly evolving demands of today’s job market through expanded career programs for young people and adults and increased capacity in workforce training programs.

The grant at Keefe Tech will be used to upgrade equipment in our Metal Fabrication Program and create a maker space in our current shed next to Cushing Park that will allow students from the construction trades to work on a variety of projects together. Our students will also be working on that renovation together to make that happen. Way to go Mr. Flynn on his hard work applying for this opportunity!

On 10/24/25, Secretary of Education, Patrick Tutwiler, Secretary of Labor, Lauren Jones, and Lt. Governor, Kim Driscoll, celebrated STEM Week at Keefe Tech and highlighted the amazing work happening between our government and private industry partners to enhance career and tech training opportunities in the commonwealth.

Keefe Tech Electrical and HVAC/R students highlighted the projects they are working on in their programs, with a focus on green energy and did an amazing job sharing why they chose their programs and what they want to do in the future. Keefe Tech is proud to offer 3 Career and Technical Initiative (CTI) Programs for adults in HVAC, plumbing and electrical.

Use the google form to sign up! Learn how to get financial aid for college. A MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority) representative will be presenting on the financial aid process. Please bring a parent or guardian because they are an important part of this process! If you have any questions, please see your counselor!

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 :)

Are you fluent in another language? Please see below about your chance to sign up for the Seal of Biliteracy Exam.

To Get Started:

1. To access the digital library, go to https://soraapp.com/library/keefema.

2. Users can log in to Sora with their KT Google credentials (KT email and password) and start reading!

3. Once connected, you can also access the digital collection by downloading the Sora app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.

4. Sora allows you to add other libraries if you have a library card. KT can add the Framingham Public Library/Minuteman Library Network for free. Please take a look below for more details.

5. Lastly, check out Sora's free promotional materials from the Resource Center.

Happy Reading!

Students in Ms. Guastella’s class participated in a read aloud of Swing by Kwame Alexander. Students finished the novel!

Grade 11 Physics students calculating the speed of a falling object.

Personal Finance assembly with Fernando Garcia Matos, a branch manager at Middlesex Savings Bank!

From Mr. Madden: We were working on a brazing and leak test project in preparation for their national refrigerant handling certification. As part of the training, each student needed to make a piping project 18" long with multiple swages and braze connections. Freshmen may have done a similar project during exploratory. The goal was to connect each project in series and put refrigerant in the project so we could use an electronic leak detector to find and pinpoint the leaks.

I have done this project several dozen of times at various trainings. It always works. There are always 3-5 leaks that show up before the system pressure reaches 100 PSI. Their project was over 15 feet long with 55 hand-made connections. I was excited to see the students find the leaks... Unfortunately, there was not one leak. So we got a little creative and started to increase the pressure. This never fails to create a leak in a system... Until today. This system held over 500 PSI without failing. I tried pushing it even higher... but unfortunately, that is when the pressure regulator on the nitrogen tank started to leak. (in case you are concerned we were being safe)

So while the experiment failed to deliver the results we needed for training, this team created something I have not seen in years of training and working in the field. They achieved perfection on their first try. Something most field technicians don't achieve after years in the field. I could not have done this.

Amazing job by every student.

Freshmen create fall bulletin boards.

ECET goes to MassBay to explore their new Early Childhood Program.

ECET seniors present fall activities.

Early Childhood Education and Teaching was invited to visit the Mass Bay campus in Framingham that houses the Early Education Majors. Our students had a great time and learned about the programs offered and the free tuition program available to them.

Junior Horticulture & Landscape Management students wrapped up their turfgrass management unit with a tour of Sodco sod farm and an info session with the sports turf manager at URI.

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. Make sure yo keep checking your Life After High School Google Classroom for updates!

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. 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.

• MassEducate provides free tuition and fees at the state’s community colleges for all eligible Massachusetts students.
• MASSGrant Plus provides free tuition and fees at the state’s four-year universities for students whose families make up to $85,000 a year before taxes. Tuition and fees are reduced by up to half for students whose families earn between $85,000 and $100,000 a year before taxes.
• Applying for financial aid at any college starts with completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. While that application is not available yet, students and families can apply now for the Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) so that they will be ready when the application opens.
• Eligible, non-U.S. citizens can apply for state financial aid through the Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA).
• Information about applying for financial aid, including links to information and one-on-one help, is available online.

Office of Students Financial Assistance / MA Dept of Higher Ed

MassGrant Plus

Create Account - Federal Student Aid

Tuition Equity / MA Dept of Higher Education

Tuition Equity/ Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

Tuition Equity/ Massachusetts Department of Higher Education

FAFSA Events - Financial Aid

Tons of colleges and universities are visiting Keefe Tech during lunches this fall! See the calendar below for details and get your questions answered by these knowledgeable admissions representatives.

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.

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:

Tonight is the annual Homecoming Ball at Keefe Tech, a fun time for students to get together, share school pride, get dressed up, and dance. Sounds simple, right? Well, it's not really so easy for young people to attend large group events. Social anxiety is very common and impacts more teenagers than one would think. In fact, with anxiety issues on the rise among teens - thanks in part to social media and societal pressure on looks and popularity - going to a school dance is often terrifying.

In this issue I will talk a little bit about social anxiety and how, as a parent, you can help your child. Attached is a PDF with some self-help strategies on how to work with your teen. Social anxiety is the extreme fear that you will do something embarrassing, that people will judge or laugh at you, or that you will do something in public to bring unwanted attention. Sometimes social anxiety impacts a persons' life - they will avoid social situations and large groups.

Such avoidance can lead to students avoiding going to the cafeteria, standing up in class, attending school assemblies and functions, and so on. Some students may even become school avoidant.

Some other suggestions on how to manage social anxiety (which can also blend into school anxiety) considering the following:

1. Challenge your negative thoughts : Ask yourself, "How realistic is my fear?" "What is the worst thing that can happen if my fear turns out to be true?" "How likely is the worst outcome to actually happen?"

2. Keep things in perspective : Remind yourself that people are most often paying more attention to themselves. Remember everyone makes mistakes.

3. Use some mindfulness techniques : When feeling signs of social anxiety, experience the negative emotions without judging or acting on them. Stay in the present moment and focus on the five senses as a way to ground yourself. "What do you see right now?" "What do you smell right now?" "What do you taste?" "Hear?" You can also focus on the present with other games, such as, "How many red objects do I see?", etc.

When noticing anxiety climbing, focus on taking slow, deep breaths. Quick and shallow breathing is the automatic response when anxious, but that can lead to feeling dizzy, which further heightens anxiety.

In any case, I hope that these tips are helpful and that we will see you at Homecoming tonight!

Thanks,

Julia Fairclough LICSW, SAC

Adjustment Counselor

Agricultural Sales Team- Silver Medal

Chris Day- Gold Medal

Elias Ferreira- Silver Medal

Elton Sanger-Silver Medal

Charlotte Colagiovanni- Bronze Medal

Fuller Ski Club Information Sessions and Interest Form:

The Fuller Ski Club will be hosting information sessions this week on Tuesday, October 29th at 8pm and Wednesday, October 30th at 8pm. During the information sessions we will share all the details for Ski Club and answer any questions you have. The dates for the 2025 club season are: January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31, and February 7 (all Friday nights).

Ski Club is for any Keefe Tech student who is interested in skiing or snowboarding whether new to the sport, or if you have been skiing/snowboarding for a while. Ski Club is a great way to enjoy the sport of skiing/snowboarding with your friends from school.

Use this link if you would like to register for Ski Club. Bus payment is required to reserve your spot in the club. Bus seats are limited and assigned on a first-come, first-serve basis.

If you are not able to join the information sessions or have any questions, please email fullerskiclub@gmail.com

We are in need of some items for the school play, The Importance of Being Earnest, which runs November 15th-16th. We need these items by November 8th, and will promptly return them by the end of our run, and will give you a big special thank you in the school program. If by chance you have any of these things, and would like to help our developing drama program, we would greatly appreciate it! The play is set in 1895, so we are looking for items that would fit that era.

Looking for:

• Brass/gold, silver (looking), or glass candlesticks
• 2 vases for flowers
• Any victorian looking landscape artwork
• Any of those victorian looking oval frames
• Side tables
• Victorian looking coffee table/s
• Beverage cart (not super modern looking)
• Cafe table and chairs/or a wicker garden set
• Fake flowers
• Fake vines (they don't mind not getting back, as we will be hot gluing them)
• Watering can
• cross stitch items/or knitting items with something half knit
• hand bell
• A round white table cloth
• If you have a teapot and cups and saucers you can part with??
• Fireplace screen
• Fireplace poker set
• Wingback/Queen Anne chair or chairs
• Terracotta looking large plastic pots
• old hardcover books - no jackets (not like true rare vintage books, but something you don't care about so much about)
• And anything else you think may work well with a play set in 1895.

Thank you so much!!! You will greatly help us, and it is much appreciated.

Erin Rettino, M.ED.

Keefe Technical School

Theater & Elective Teacher

erettino@jpkeefehs.org

508-426-2100 Ext. 320

Her Career Tech Education concentration was in the field of Early Childhood Education. Her hard work as well as perseverance led her towards her ultimate goal of becoming a police officer. She started working security, became a corrections officer, and is a recent graduate of the police academy. She is one of the newest members of the Natick Police Department. Another Keefe Tech graduate serving the local community...congratulations Maria, we are all so proud of you!!!

Nate Kulp: Boys Soccer
Sam McDonald: Girls Volleyball

Freshmen Volleyball!

Senior Nights!

KT Cross Country Team at CAL State Championship Meet!

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