What's Happening This January:
Hello, JFK families!
Happy New Year! We hope you enjoyed a fabulous holiday season, and took a moment to enjoy some time with your children. We've missed them so in the last two weeks!
As we prepare for cold weather to come, and (maybe?) growing snowbanks, we ask that you please be cautious when dropping off and picking up your children from school. Please drive slowly and with caution, as we have many students who walk to and from school. Unfortunately, children are not always visible around the corners or when they are crossing between cars. Please also keep in mind that the doors at school are opened at 7:30 am. For the safety of your child, please do not drop him or her off prior to 7:30 am. Students in UPK are asked to arrive no earlier than 7:50 am.
Positivity Project
During the month of January, students at JFK will dive deeper into the Other People Matter Mindset, exploring the character strengths of optimism, prudence, perseverance, and social intelligence.
Optimism represents a state of hopefulness and confidence about the future (both short and long term). People with this strength are future-oriented. They have a positive vision of what the future holds and maintain confidence that they will get there. Despite setbacks, they keep a positive attitude and often find ways to convert what seems like an obstacle into a stepping-stone to achieving their goals.
Prudence is the ability to do the right thing for the right reason, at the right time. Itβs a future-oriented way of thinking that helps a person set goals, make plans, and have the discipline to accomplish them. It is cognitive -- more a strength of the head than of the heart.
The concept of perseverance can most often be found in oneβs active pursuit of overcoming obstacles. Perseverance is a uniquely human characteristic that identifies an individualβs ability to spend long periods of time devoted to a single goal or set of goals. People demonstrating high levels of perseverance can handle significant, sometimes repeated, setbacks in pursuit of goals.
Social intelligence refers to a personβs ability to understand and manage interpersonal relationships. It is distinct from a personβs IQ or βbook smarts.β It includes an individualβs ability to understand, and act on, the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of other people. This type of intelligence can take place βin the momentβ of face-to-face conversations but also appears during times of deliberate thinking. It involves emotional intelligence and self-awareness.
We hope to see you throughout the month of January at JFK, and wish you and your family a very happy and healthy new year!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Frank
Principal UPK-2
Mrs. Bouchard
Principal, 3-6
We wish to thank everyone for their support of our PTO events in December. From the Krispy Kreme fundraiser to the sleigh ride to our raffles, the JFK family truly showed their support!
Join our PTO
The John F. Kennedy Elementary School PTO is always 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, and much more. PTO events are much loved by our students, and we would love your support! Our next meetings for the 2023-2024 school year will take place on the following Mondays: January 8th, February 5th at 6:00 pm in the library at JFK. Childcare is provided during each meeting. 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! We are always open to new membership, new fundraising ideas, and your thoughts on what would benefit JFK. The PTO can also be reached at their new email address: johnfkennedypto22@gmail.com
JFK PTO Facebook Page
Don't forget to like the JFK PTO Facebook page for updates on fundraisers and PTO sponsored events. You can find it by clicking here, or search JFK Elementary School PTO on Facebook.
We hope you are excited for the JFK Student Council School Store! Students may shop on the following days of the cycle: Day 1 (UPK, Jr. Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Grade 1), Day 2 (Grade 2), Day 3 (Grade 3), Day 4 (Grade 4), Day 5 (Grade 5), Day 6 (Grade 6). Available items include pencils, fidgets, keychains, erasers, and more!
Hazel Miller
Mr. Vernsey
Hazel Miller (UPK with Mrs. Williams) is the PE student of the month for January. Hazel is always excited to come to PE class. Hazel is a wonderful teammate to others in class and always gives 100% to all activities in PE. Keep up the great work Hazel!
Harper Joanette
Music
Miss Sheats
Caelum Rider
Physical Education
Mr. Vernsey
Beck Lowry
Physical Education
Mrs. Halladay
Beck Lowry (Grade 4 with Mrs. Mousaw) is the PE student of the month! Beck is the epitome of a team player. He is always looking to help his team succeed in whatever they are doing. Beck is always encouraging others and lending a hand when needed. Every coach hopes to have a player on their team like Beck. Keep up the good work!
Joey Wylie
Music
Miss Sheats
Joey Wylie (Grade 4 with Mrs. Tebo) is our musician of the month! Joeyβs endless creativity and attention to detail make him an excellent musician and composer! Joey can work with anyone and is a uniquely compassionate student. Keep up the good work, Joey!
Aubrey Bechtel
Physical Education
Mrs. Halladay
Aubrey Bechtel (UPK with Mrs. Wilkinson) is the PE student of the month! Aubrey is a delight to have in class. I can count on Aubrey to always be the perfect role model. Aubrey always comes to class with a smile on her face and ready to play. She is a great friend to all and lends a helping hand whenever needed. Thanks Aubrey. I appreciate you more than you know.
Lucas Halpin
Instrumental Music
Mr. McAfee
For January, I would like to nominate Lucas Halpin (Grade 6 with Mrs. Weston). Lucas is one of our four wonderful students headed to the SLC Elementary All County Festival at Crane School of Music this month. He has earned this opportunity through his great hard work and dedication to playing. Thank you Lucas!
Mason Lottie
Physical Education
Mr. Sholette
Mason Lottie is the PE student of the month! Mason comes to gym class everyday and puts in his best effort. Mason is a hard worker, especially when it comes to improving his basketball skills. Way to go Mason!
Ryder Charlton
Instrumental Music
Mr. McAfee
For January, I would like to nominate Ryder Charlton (Grade 6 with Mrs. Baxter). Ryder is one of our four wonderful students headed to the SLC Elementary All County Festival at Crane School of Music this month. He has earned this opportunity through his great hard work and dedication to playing. Thank you Ryder!
Emerson Rishe
Art
Mrs. Willmart
Emerson (Kindergarten with Mr. Doyle) comes to art class with a huge smile and he is always so excited to start creating! Emerson is a kind friend to all of his classmates and he lends a helping hand whenever anyone needs one! He is very creative and uses his imagination when he makes his artworks! Great job Emerson! It's so wonderful having you in art class!
Jaidyn Doyle
Library
Ms. Seymour
Jaidyn (Kindergarten with Mrs. Lalone) is a respectful listener who is kind to everyone. She loves listening to stories and asks great questions! Keep up the good work, Jaidyn!
Alaina Thurston
Art
Mrs. Willmart
Alaina (Grade 3 with Mrs. Robb) comes to art class ready to work. She has such a quiet nature about her, and she really focuses on what she will make when itβs working time! Alaina has a beautiful imagination and she creates some amazing works of art! She really takes her time to think about what she will create, and then she does some fantastic artwork! Keep being courageous with your creativity Alaina! Itβs a joy to have you in art class!
Olivia Caruso
Art
Miss O'Neil
Olivia (Grade 5 with Mrs. Doyle) is a joy to have in class and is a great classmate and friend to all. She is always willing to attempt the project to the best of her ability, while helping her classmates when they are struggling. Keep up the good work, Olivia!
Kameryn Lipinsky
Library
Ms. Seymour
Kameryn (Grade 5 with Mrs. Woods) works hard on his tasks and he shows enthusiasm when selecting books during book check out. His terrific sense of humor always lifts everyoneβs spirits. Keep up the good work, Kameryn!
It is hard to believe that a new year has already started! December was a very busy month for our students, yet many of them found time to use the FIRST IN MATH program.
The grade 2-6 students have collected 226,526 sticker points and solved 679,578 math problems. They are amazing mathematicians!
This month we would like to give a shout out to the students who have reached the Genius Level for
First in Math. This means that they have 4,000 to 5,499 sticker points. Some may even have earned points beyond genius level!
Our Genius Level students include: Elijah Vernsey, Isabella Farrell, Elliana Willard, Wyatt Yerdon, Aspen Wulf, Cormac Rider, Caydence Peluso-Hunter, Ashton Lowes, Lachlan Demers, Zander Power, Luke White, Rowan Caruso, Neveah Saunders, Sophia Planty, John Ashley, and Kammein Ellard.
We can't wait to see how many students reach the next level, Mastermind, to be recognized next month!
The Zones of Regulation teach us how to cope with strong feelings of anger and frustration. Here is a great visual you can use at home to encourage healthy coping skills.
You can ask your child to share what zone they are in. If they are in yellow or red, encourage them to choose a coping strategy below to help them "get back in the green zone." For more information on The Zones of Regulation check out: https://zonesofregulation.com
As always, please reach out if we can help in any way!
Mrs. McNichol (UPK-2 Counselor)
(315) 393-4264 x32068
Mrs. Arika Bateman (Grades 3-6 Counselor)
(315) 393-4264 x32868
Mrs. Misty Fishel (School Social Worker)
(315) 393-4264 x33033
The holiday season is petering out and it is time to buckle down for winter. The library is the perfect place to find fun indoor activities and cozy books to help you survive until the sun starts setting in the evening instead of midafternoon. This month we will be learning to paint a winter scene in water color, making lightsabers in order to slay balloon storm troopers and playing with Lego bricks.
Library Hours
Mondays and Tuesdays 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesdays 11:30 am to 7:00 pm
Thursdays and Fridays 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
Bookstore Hours
Wednesdays 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Thursdays and Fridays 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Programs
Take Home Crafts: Available for pickup during library hours.
Music and Movement: Tuesdays at 11:00 am
A preschool movement and socialization class. Jump your jiggles out and wiggle your waggles away with music, instruments and sensory play. Designed for ages 18 months β 4 years.
Story Time: Thursdays at 11:00 am
Stories, activities and crafts for young children. Socialize, gain early literacy skills and learn to love books during this preschool program. Designed for ages 2-6.
Watercolor Painting: Wednesday, January 17th at 5:00 PM
Paint a simple winter scene in watercolor. Designed for ages 5 and up.
Make a Lightsaber: Wednesday, January 31st at 5:00 PM
Make a lightsaber and fight some balloons. Designed for ages 5 and up.
Lego Play: Wednesday, January 24th at 5:00 pm
Complete a challenge or just experiment on your own with Lego bricks. Designed for ages 6-12.
Fishing Gear Checkout
The library loans out fishing gear. Fishing equipment can be checked out by children and adults (those 16 years and older must have a fishing license) You can keep fishing items for up to one week. Available items include:
- Adult Fishing Poles
- Tackle Boxes
- Nets
- Pliers/Grippers
- Childrenβs Fishing Kits
Library tours and classroom visits are available upon request by emailing dlenney-wallace@ncls.org for more information.
