Check out our March PTSO newsletter — lots of good stuff to share! Reach out if you have any questions, suggestions, or interest in volunteering!
"Spring is the time of plans and projects." – Leo Tolstoy
🍦 PTSO Meeting Tonight / Join the JVF 5th Grade Committee!
Please join us virtually tonight (Tuesday, March 15 at 7pm) for our monthly PTSO meeting! We'll share updates on key initiatives and upcoming plans, ranging from the Book Fair to Earth Day to Springfest.
Plus, special guests / awesome volunteers Margaux Lange and Dave Balogh are spearheading a 5th Grade Parent Committee at JVF to help plan end-of-year programming for our soon-to-be JVF graduates! If you are parent or caretaker of a 5th grader and would like to get involved, join us tonight to hear more.
Click here for the agenda and click here to join the Zoom meeting at 7:00pm!
👩🏾⚖️ Black History Month Gallery Walk Success
We had an amazing turnout last month for JVF's 4th Annual Black History Month Gallery Walk to celebrate local trailblazers, including our four special guests!
Special thanks to Principal Wiggins and Mrs. Martha Feeney; the JVF Equity Team (Ms. Gall, Mrs. Coleman, and Mrs. Greenspan); all teachers and staff who helped make it a great evening; special guests Coach Larry Collins, BCSD BOE Member John Galloway, Jr., Beacon City Councilmember Justice McCray (pictured below); our PTSO volunteers Jaime DiTata, Andrea Lenci-Cerchiara, and Hannah Holdsworth — and of course all our awesome JVF students who created the beautiful work on display!
Click here to check out some pics of the event! To view the full slideshow showcasing our trailblazers that was playing in the gym, click here!
📚Split Rock Book Fair – March 19-27!
From March 19-27, shop online or in-person at Split Rock Books at 97 Main Street in Cold Spring and use the code JV FORRESTAL to support PTSO programming with 20% of sales!
All book fair shoppers who use the code will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $25 gift cards to buy even more books at Split Rock! Thank you to our Literacy Chair Kristen Holt-Browning for organizing!
📖Little Free Library
Over spring break, the PTSO will be installing a Little Free Library outside near the kindergarten entrance. Special thanks to Kristen Holt-Browning and Andrea Lenci-Cerchiara for organizing, to Mandy and Daryl Embry for their help with its design and painting, and to Valerie Shively and Hayden Cummings for their help with its installation!
🌯 Chipotle Fundraiser on Wednesday, April 6 from 4-8pm
Skip a night of cooking and benefit JVF too! Order dinner online and pick up from Chipotle Fishkill using the Promo Code MQV89WK on the Chipotle app or website. The JVF PTSO will receive 33% of sales! Yum!
🦅 JVF Scholarships for Seniors
Each year, the J.V. Forrestal PTSO offers two $500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are JVF alums. Click here for the link to this year's application — all applications should be emailed to jvfptso@gmail.com by April 30th. Please help spread the word!
🥫 Food Drive for Fareground
Our fabulous Student Council will be collaborating with the PTSO to organize a food drive to help Fareground keep local pantry shelves stocked. Keep an eye out for more details in a few weeks. Thanks to Student Council, advisors Ms. Gall and Ms. Pezzo, and our Treasurer/Fareground volunteer Andrea Lenci-Cerchiara for organizing!
🥳 Save the Dates for Earth Day Cleanup (4/23) and Springfest (4/30)!
JVF will once again be participating in the Beacon-wide Earth Day Cleanup on the morning of Saturday, April 23, in partnership with Green Beacon Coalition. We'll focus on cleaning up the mini hiking trail that starts near the 4th grade entrance!
And, building off the success of our Fall Fun Day, we’re collaborating with the Building Leadership Team (BLT) to plan an outdoor fun day, with lots of great activities for families and a green/sustainability focus, in line with the BCSD Board of Education's sustainability goals. Taking place on Saturday, April 30 (rain date Sunday, May 1).
Volunteers are needed to help with both the Cleanup and the Springfest activity stations! If you'd like to help, please email us!
📕 Order Yearbooks Online
Click here to order yearbooks online ($15 each) through April 26. Thanks to our yearbook advisors, Mrs. Coleman and Mrs. Dinkins, for putting this together!
📣 Open Invitation for PTSO Board Candidates!
We're getting ready to assemble next year's PTSO board, ahead of elections in May! If you'd like to get involved, or just have questions what the board positions entail, please get in touch! We can always create or shape a role to fit your time and interests. Our programming is only as good as our volunteer support. Thank you for stepping up to support JVF!
Helpful Reminders
📕 Book Nook
The Book Nook is a free resource for all JVF students. Remind your kids to stop by the Nook, just outside the nurse's office, to check it out! Kids can take as many books as they wish and they don't need to be returned! Special thanks to our Literacy Chair, Kristen Holt-Browning, for spearheading this great program!
Mark the Marker Recycling Program
All year long our students and staff will be collecting used Crayola and Non-Crayola brand markers, Dry-Erase markers and Highlighters. We will ship what we collect to Crayola for free recycling! We encourage families to participate by sending in your used plastic markers from home. Look for MARK the MARKER, our collection box, located at the main entrance! Thank you for helping JVF do our part to protect the environment. Special thanks again to PTSO member extraordinaire Margaux Lange for spearheading this program!
⏰ Upcoming Dates and Programs
Here are some key dates coming up:
April 11–15 — No school
April 19 – Spring Picture Day in case you missed it in the fall
Also April 19 – Our next PTSO meeting, which will be in person!
🔖 Helpful Resources
We send out a monthly PTSO newsletter and occasional special announcements to keep everyone updated on news, events, and volunteer opportunities. Sometimes you’ll also get paper flyers sent home with your child(ren). For up-to-the-minute updates, be sure to follow the JV Forrestal PTSO Facebook page (our online bulletin board) and join the JV Forrestal PTSO Facebook discussion group (our closed discussion group.)
Not on Facebook? The JVF PTSO is also on Instagram (@jvforrestalptso) and Twitter (@JVFPTSO). On Twitter, also follow @MsSessoms and @JVFElementary.
For your reference, you'll find the JV Forrestal Student Handbook here and the BCSD Code of Conduct here. Get the latest BCSD Superintendent Blog post here.
Shop and Earn Money for JVF!
Did you know that when you shop at ShopRite or purchase Box Tops products, you can easily earn free money for JVF? Follow the links below (it’ll take 5 minutes!) to set it up and watch the rewards roll in! Thank you so much for helping our school!
ShopRite for My School: Click here to register your ShopRite card and earn money for JVF each time you shop! This program will automatically redeem any Box Tops credits you get from products you buy at ShopRite!
Box Tops for Education: For any Box Tops products you buy outside of ShopRite, you can still earn 10 cents per product for JVF! The Box Tops program has gone fully digital — download the Box Tops app and scan your receipts!
The JVF PTSO:
Fostering community among JVF families and staff
Email: jvfptso@gmail.com
Website: jvfptso.com
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