John F. Kennedy School

At April’s Coffee Talk with Dr. Hill, community members had a real seat at the table—discussing how today’s political climate could shape the future of Windsor Public Schools. Dr. Hill made it clear: programs that keep students engaged—like CTE, sports, and student activities—are here to stay under his leadership. He also reminded us all: VOTE on May 13—no matter how you vote, just be part of the process! 🗳️ #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #community #familyengagement

It’s your Thursday reminder, family! Have you knocked out your Returning Student Registration yet? If not, now’s the perfect time to get it done — it’s quick, easy, and makes sure your child is ready to roll for the 2025-26 school year! Click here to get started: https://windsor.powerschool.com/public/home.html And while we’ve got your attention… HUGE shoutout to all the beautiful people who make Windsor Public Schools the place to be, work, and learn! Y’all are the real MVPs. Let’s keep showing up and showing out — #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

✨ APRIL BOE RECAP ✨ 🌱 JFK is leading the way in sustainability! Students presented their amazing work with the Blue Earth Composting Program—diverting 7,000+ lbs of food waste since October (that’s 19 bags of garbage/day!) 🙌🏽💚 Big shoutout to the JFK PTO and all the staff & students making it happen! 👋🏽 Welcome Tracey Zotter to the Board of Education! Described by community members, including Mayor Nuchette Black-Burke, as a “roll-your-sleeves-up kind of person,” Tracey brings a spirit of collaboration, problem-solving, and deep commitment to our schools. We’re lucky to have her! 🍎 The Board also declared May 5–9, 2025 as Teacher Appreciation Week—get ready to show love to our amazing educators! 📅 And mark your calendars: Last day of school for students is June 9 (half day) Last day for staff is June 10 #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #SustainabilityInAction #WPSBoardRecap #ThankAWindsorTeacher #FinishStrongWPS

🚨 ATTENTION WPS FAMILIES! 🚨 Returning Student Registration for the 2025-26 school year is NOW OPEN. If your child currently attends Windsor Public Schools and plans to return, you must update their district information. ✅ It only takes a few minutes! 📲 Use the PowerSchool Parent Portal: https://windsor.powerschool.com/public/home.html 📝 Step-by-step directions: https://5il.co/1tp0b 📱 Available via the PowerSchool App too! Please complete this process as soon as possible. Let’s get ready for another great year! #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

🎉 A Huge Success: WPS 1st Annual Transition Fair! 🎉 What an incredible day at the 1st Annual WPS Transition Fair! Families & students with disabilities (PreK-12+) gathered to connect with vital resources, explore outside agencies, and gain valuable support for the future. With engaging vendors, exciting giveaways, informative tours, and delicious food, this event truly embodied our commitment to empowering every student. A HUGE shoutout to Mary Cristafaro, Director of Pupil and Special Education Services, whose transformative leadership continues to elevate the way we serve our students and families. Her vision, along with the dedication of her outstanding team, made this event a resounding success! 👏🏽👏🏽 To all the families who joined us—thank you for being part of this important conversation and for trusting us to support your child’s journey. This is just the beginning! ❤️✨ #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #TransitionFair #SupportingEveryStudent

🎉 JFK wrapped up Women’s History Month with another unforgettable Girls Empowerment Assembly! 💖🔥 Huge shoutout to our amazing guest speakers for dropping gems on owning your personal legend, chasing your dreams, and turning every challenge into a superpower—because being a girl is NEVER an obstacle, it’s the ultimate strength! 💪🏽✨ #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #GirlPower #FearlessFriday

📢 WPS Families: Don’t miss our 1st Annual Transition Fair! Families & students with disabilities (PreK-12+) are invited to connect with agencies, explore resources, & get support. With so many changes and uncertainties in education and services, this is a great opportunity to get answers to important questions. 📅 April 1, 2025 ⏰ Stop by anytime between 2 PM - 6 PM 📍 LP Wilson Join us for vendors, giveaways, tours, food & more! 🍽️🎁 🔗 RSVP today: https://tinyurl.com/uxhm4hb9 #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

💥 A day to remember at JFK! 💥 JFK’s first Girls Empowerment Assembly kicked off with an incredible session featuring Windsor’s own first responders—two hometown heroes who showed our girls the power of courage, leadership, and service. 🚒👩🏽‍⚕️🚓 It was interactive. It was inspiring. It was EMPOWERING. 💪🏽 Seeing these young women engage, ask questions, and gain confidence was everything this initiative is about! This is just the beginning of a month-long journey of mentorship, self-discovery, and sisterhood. Stay tuned for more moments that remind us: when we lift each other up, we all rise. ✨💜 Shoutout to Mrs. Sonia Turner for organizing this event year after year! 🫶🏽 We ♥️ to see it! #GirlsEmpowerment #RepresentationMatters #FutureLeaders #weareWINdsor👐🏽

☕️A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for an insightful and engaging March Coffee Talk with Dr. Hill. As always, the conversation was authentic, transparent, and informative—we appreciate the thoughtful questions and dialogue. Chief of Operations Danielle Batchelder provided clarity on Cabinet’s response to the BOE’s 1% budget reduction request. With limited options, the difficult decision was made to phase out full day Pre-K, a program that was originally funded by a grant that is no longer fully supported. While this was not an easy choice, it allowed the district to honor Dr. Hill’s commitment to protecting jobs and keeping class sizes small—both of which remain top priorities. We recognize that changes like this impact families, and we remain committed to supporting all of our students through this transition. Thank you for being part of the conversation and for your continued engagement. We look forward to our April 23rd Coffee Talk with Dr. Hill! 🫶🏽 #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

✅ March BOE Recap ✅ ✔️ Huge shoutout to Windsor Education Foundation (WEF) and President Daniell Hynes for providing over $14,000 in mini grants to Windsor Public Schools educators! These funds will enrich curriculum and extracurricular activities, ensuring learning remains accessible to all students. ✔️ The AI Taskforce, led by Dr. Abdel-Hady, along with her tech team and district administrators, presented exciting updates and next steps to the Board, pioneering the intentional integration of AI with our WPS Graduate Attributes. ✔️ Superintendent Dr. Hill stood on business last night, taking a clear stance on his unwavering commitment to protecting WPS students and staff. ✔️ The Board’s budget—reflecting a 1% reduction—will go to the Town as is, with no adjustments or shifts. Dr. Hill’s top priority? Keeping jobs. ✔️ Windsor Public Schools is set to be among the first districts to align graduate attributes with AI learning, ensuring our students are prepared for a future where AI literacy is essential. 🎓 #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #stayinformed

We are stepping into the third week of #WHM and the holy month of Ramadan. As our Muslim students, teachers, and families observe this sacred time of reflection and renewal, we recognize the strength, discipline, and devotion it represents. We, too, are in a season of renewal—embracing growth, curiosity, and new possibilities. Our educators are working hard to spark wonder and capture the essence of exploration within our classrooms. Let’s continue to inspire, uplift, and empower one another to make this a great week! #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

Fighting for Windsor’s Students at the State Level! CABE President and Windsor BOE member Leonard Lockhart is leading the charge for fair teacher pay, sustainable funding, and critical special education resources for Connecticut’s students. At CABE’s annual Day on the Hill, Lockhart was joined by Windsor High School students, Superintendent Dr. Terrell Hill, and Windsor BOE President David Furie as he addressed key legislative issues, including: ✅ Fair Teacher Pay – Supporting competitive salaries while ensuring a sustainable funding plan for districts. ✅ Special Education Funding – Advocating for increased state support as WPS faces $23M+ in special education costs. ✅ Unfunded Mandates – Pushing back against financial burdens placed on school boards without full state funding. “With 756 students on IEPs in Windsor alone, we need state-backed solutions to ensure every child gets the support they deserve,” Lockhart emphasized. In today’s national climate, advocacy matters more than ever—and we’re proud to have a leader fighting for Windsor’s students! Huge Thank you to CABE President Lockhart and our WHS students for showing up!!! We ♥️ to see it! #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #EducationMatters #AdvocacyInAction

📚✨ Celebrating Read Across America at JFK! ✨📚 What’s better than a great book? A great book and some special guest readers—including a few furry friends! 🐶📖 Today, JFK was buzzing with excitement as community members and Windsor High School students returned to their elementary school roots to share the joy of reading with our young learners. A huge THANK YOU to our Windsor community for always stepping up to create unforgettable moments like these. And to our WHS students—seeing you give back in such a meaningful way makes us #WINdsorProud! 🫡👏🏽 Special shoutout to Beth Abbott, OFCP Family Resource Coordinator, for organizing such a spectacular event! ♥️ #ReadAcrossAmerica #JFKReads #WeAreWINdsor 👐🏽

Happy Friday, #WINdsorNation! 🎉 Can you believe it’s been 4 years since Dr. Mallery and his Social Emotional Learning team hit the ground running at WPS? Now, SEL isn’t just something we do—it’s in everything we are. Today, you could see it in action across the district during #SELDay. When student mental health is a priority, success follows—together, we’re building a stronger, more supportive community. #weareWINdsor 👐🏽 #SELfcare #SELitswhatwedo

Wishing our students, staff, and families observing a peaceful and blessed Ramadan! 🌙✨ May this month be filled with reflection, kindness, and community. Let’s continue to celebrate the cultures, traditions, and beliefs that make our district so vibrant. Ramadan Mubarak! #RamadanMubarak #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

JFK’s Black History Month Extravaganza was a whole vibe: a true celebration of culture, knowledge, and creativity! 🎤✨ Led by Humanities Coach Sonia Turner, students brought their classroom learning to life with spoken word, trivia, live book readings, music, and dance! 🎶📖💃🏽 Shoutout to the WHS band for making a special cameo! Learning in action, culture in motion. Stay tuned for more highlights as we continue to honor, uplift, and celebrate! #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

Happy Friday #WINdsorNation! ✨Black educators do more than teach—they inspire, uplift, and create spaces where every student feels seen, valued, and capable of greatness! From the classroom to leadership, they challenge narratives, break barriers, and showcase Black excellence in action. To every Black educator shaping the future—your impact is powerful, your work is seen, and your joy is a revolution! 💛🙌🏾 (📸We ♥️ to see it JFK & POQ!) #HappyFriday #BlackJoy 🖤✨ #RepresentationMatters #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

Super shoutout to our incredible students and families who joined us on their day off for #WindsorNation! When everyone is invited to the table, true growth happens. Thank you for helping us continue to elevate both culture and academics at WPS. ♥️ #StudentVoice #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

Educators and staff left #WindsorNation energized and empowered! 🔑 Armed with key data trends, we celebrated student #wins and refocused on growth. As Dr. Hady declared, “Nothing can stop us—we’re on our way up!” 🚀 Here’s to even greater success in the second half of the year! #weareWINdsor 👐🏽

At WPS, we PD different. 💡 Another inspiring #WindsorNation PD under the leadership of our North Star Navigator, Dr. Noha Abdel Hady, centered on Student Voice. From the award-winning WHS Gospel Choir to insights from Dr. Hill’s Student Advisory Council, our students showed up and spoke powerfully. We also saw our #LeadLearners, AKA building principals, take center stage, leading powerful PD sessions. 🗣️ #weareWINdsor 👐🏽