Main Office
Model United Nations
Most educators agree that one of the most authentic real-life educational experiences available to schools is the so-called Model United Nations program.
The first of these events took place in 1949 in the US and the idea quickly spread. The JFK began offering this in the early 1990s in Middle School, but was stopped temporarily in 2004 and was revamped and established the following year in High School where it has been popular ever since.
Model United Nations (MUN) is designed as a simulation of the real United Nations. Participants are allocated to one of various committees to discuss and debate real life issues facing the world. The students all have to assume the role and real-life position of their allocated country, representing authentically the opinions and actions of the delegates as they would be in the real United Nations meetings. Students spend months researching and preparing their ‘position-papers’ so that they can debate the issues of their committee staying true to the role they are playing of real delegates. At the end of the event, best-performing delegates are recognized with awards as ‘Best Delegates’ or Best Delegation’ (for a school).
Since we began the new High School MUN, we have grown to include once more our Middle School. By establishing our own event each October (Union and Peace), we encouraged other schools in Queretaro to join us and then create their own events. In this way we now compete locally with other schools and also nationally with many most other ASOMEX schools. Union and Peace is now a recognized ASOMEX event and attracts students from across the country. I have also received enquiries from schools as far as Costa Rica and Guatemala. Although we are yet to have an impact internationally, we are on the way there!
Over the years we have won many ‘Best Delegation’ awards and countless students have been successful as ‘Best Delegate’. After winning consecutively in such an event in Puebla we were approached by Georgetown University in Washington and invited to participate in their event. After three years at Georgetown we were honored this year to be invited to New York, to perhaps the world’s most prestigious MUN event including a session in the actual United Nations General Assembly Hall!
Four students attended this event earlier this month. What an incredible opportunity for those students and such an honor for our school!
We keep on building on our successes as a school and looking for more opportunities to help each of our students to develop their interests and talents in as many ways as possible. This is all part of helping to build on elements of our Mission: leading and serving, as well as moving on with our Vision of Achieving the Extraordinary!
Adrian Leece
Main Office
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technology
Our Journey: Tech in the Classrooms
We invite all our JFK parents to hear more details about the implementation of the Tech in the Classroom plan. You all received an email earlier with some information about this exciting step forward in Our Journey to Achieve the Extraordinary, and now we would like to offer everyone the opportunity to learn more about it.
Come hear how all sections of the school will be participating in this school-wide initiative. Find out how your students will be involved, what the school has done and will be doing next, and what expectations we have for you parents. After the presentation, members of the EdTech Team will be available to answer any questions you might have.
Jeff Lewis
Director of Services and Operations
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Kermesse
Note: You can leave your present at the main entrance, or at the preschool, elementary or middle school office.
Gaby Platas
Best wishes and have a great show!
Institutional Development
Sports Results
Soccer Results click here
Women Tennis Category
A special recognition to Regina Urbiola from High School, who is ranking in 1st place in Quéretaro and is ranking in 4th place nationally among the Women Tennis Category of 16 and under.
Congratulations!
Congratulations!
Sports Team
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Rock Band at Art ASOMEX
The students from the Rock Band and Prof.Raúl, have been preparing with great enthusiasm and effort a great performance in the ART ASOMEX in Mexico City. The event will take place at the Peterson School, next Friday, March 22nd, among several groups from other Schools in the country.
Best wishes and have a great show!
Fe García
Extended Learning Coordinator
What is SWAS working on for the Environmental Fair
First, second and third grade SWAS students are creating videos about reducing waste in their homes, and posters about endangered animals, some from their home countries. Fourth and fifth grade SWAS students are investigating the waste they and their peers produce during lunch time and creating a video to analyze their findings while observing differences in consumption between cultures. Middle school and high school SWAS students are exploring responsible consumerism. They will create a vertical farm and environmentally friendly personal care products; they will sell lip balms and exfoliants during the fair. Communication and open-mindedness are two of the characteristics on the IB Learn Profile. Having all of our students participate in school wide events helps us to embrace those characteristics by learning from peers with backgrounds different from our own. As students from different nationalities work in each project, we see how their individual personalities, as well as their cultures, will come through!
Luz Arredondo
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Environmental Program Coordinator
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Preschool
Technology in the Classrooms Parent Talk
We hope you can join us this Wednesday, March 20th at 8:00 am or 7:00 pm for an informational talk about the direction of technology in the classrooms here at JFK. Both talks will be held in the Elementary Multipurpose Room.
Official PYP Training for all Preschool and Elementary School Staff
School will be closed on Thursday and Friday, April 4th and 5th for all Preschool and Elementary School students. All staff of these sections will be in a three day training course as a part of the last requirement for our PYP verification visit which will take place in May. Thank you for your support!
JFK Kermesse
Our largest community building event of the year will take place this Saturday. There are activities for all ages and all kinds of ways to get involved and help out. Invite your friends and family and come on out to enjoy the fun at our annual school carnival!
Debra Cortney
Preschool Principal
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Elementary School
Grades on PowerSchool
In November, we published the Trimester 1 grades on PowerSchool. Now, we are publishing Trimester 2 grades. As I wrote to you previously, JFK grading is evolving to reflect the changing world. Grading with quizzes and tests, and ranges from 50 to 100 no longer reflects what the children’s skills are. That is why we are using a 1 to 4 scale with rubrics as a better and accurate way to measure skills and assign grades to those skills. More commonly now, students will be experiencing performance based assessments. In the JFK grading system, we now focus on giving feedback on the development of the essential elements of knowledge, conceptual understanding, skills, attitudes, and action in order to support our learners as they grow in the attributes of the PYP learner profile. You can learn more about this evaluation philosophy at www.ibo.org.
So what does this mean for children and parents when they look at the Trimester 2 grades on PowerSchool? First, you will see less grades reported. We used to have more grades reported based on knowledge, and usually described as tests, quizzes, and/or assignments. We still have some tests, quizzes, and assignments, but also projects, performances and demonstrated skills. These are more significant measures of how the student is doing. Parents and students can see the assessments graded during the trimester and the summative assessment in all the graded subject areas including reading, language, unit of inquiry (science and/or social studies), math, music, art, physical education, and technology (as well as conduct and responsibility).
This is the internal JFK report card. We use the grades gathered for our internal report card to also assign grades to SEP subjects. The science lab, English math, and library classes are really important to support the learning of the students; however, those classes are not formally graded on the report card. Soon, we will receive the Stanford results and compare them to how each child is doing on the grades from Trimester 1 and Trimester 2.
On a different note, don't forget to pass by with your child this Wednesday and/or Thursday after school in the ES patio to check for lost items.
On a different note, don't forget to pass by with your child this Wednesday and/or Thursday after school in the ES patio to check for lost items.
SpongeBob SquarePants The Musical
SpongeBob SquarePants, the musical played on Broadway last summer, arrives at the John F. Kennedy School's Auditorium on the 26th and 27th of March. There will only be 3 shows, on Tuesday at 8 pm and Wednesday at 6 pm and 8 pm.
Elementary School Principal
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Middle School
Kermesse this weekend!
Hello Middle School community!
I am so excited that art and music students from Middle School and High School will be attending the ASOMEX Arts Festival in Mexico City this weekend! They will experience guided museum tours with workshops, as well as exhibitions and concerts at the Peterson School. Special thanks to Miss Chelsea for organizing the trip, and to Miss Ruth and Prof. Raul for providing our students with guidance and support to explore how the arts are also a reflection of IB learning.
In addition, we have the Kermesse this weekend! Aside from the rides, and the delicious food, there are games and stands from all sections of the school. The Middle School NJHS students are sponsoring a dunk tank, where you can take a shot to soak your favorite teacher! The 7th grade Social Service teams will be having a car wash, so please check at the entrance of the parking lot to find out details. The money raised will go towards our overall goal of providing scholarships to young ladies in Amealco through Raiz Mujer.
We successfully have transitioned into the final trimester, and with the warmer temperatures, I want to remind our students about the importance of adhering to the dress code. Ripped jeans, short shorts, and spaghetti straps are not appropriate for the classroom environment. I appreciate your support at home in helping our students continue to dress as Middle School students.
Have a great week!
I am so excited that art and music students from Middle School and High School will be attending the ASOMEX Arts Festival in Mexico City this weekend! They will experience guided museum tours with workshops, as well as exhibitions and concerts at the Peterson School. Special thanks to Miss Chelsea for organizing the trip, and to Miss Ruth and Prof. Raul for providing our students with guidance and support to explore how the arts are also a reflection of IB learning.
In addition, we have the Kermesse this weekend! Aside from the rides, and the delicious food, there are games and stands from all sections of the school. The Middle School NJHS students are sponsoring a dunk tank, where you can take a shot to soak your favorite teacher! The 7th grade Social Service teams will be having a car wash, so please check at the entrance of the parking lot to find out details. The money raised will go towards our overall goal of providing scholarships to young ladies in Amealco through Raiz Mujer.
We successfully have transitioned into the final trimester, and with the warmer temperatures, I want to remind our students about the importance of adhering to the dress code. Ripped jeans, short shorts, and spaghetti straps are not appropriate for the classroom environment. I appreciate your support at home in helping our students continue to dress as Middle School students.
Have a great week!
Camille Casses
Middle School Principal
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High School
Beautiful leadership experience
Last week, our 11th Grade English Teacher Mr. Orrin Luc created a beautiful leadership experience for a group of our students by connecting with the company MABE through one of our parents, Mr. Víctor González. Mr. Orrin, together with our Career Counselor Mr. Steve McGough, have been leading a group of students in Student Council through “Design Thinking” exercises since September, to creatively address issues and give students meaningful input into their own learning environment. Our “Mugs on Monday” and “JFK Canvas” projects were in part products of this methodology. And…last Friday, Mr. Orrin and Mr. Victor organized a Design Thinking dynamic with people who actually use this methodology in the private sector with MABE. It was a wonderful experience, and I heard amazing comments from students who can now see connections between leadership training in school and the world of work beyond JFK. Congratulations Mr. Orrin and thank you so much Victor for helping to bring this experience to JFK!
Theory of Knowledge TED Talks
Dear Parents,
I am very excited to invite you to our annual Theory of Knowledge TED Talks! The presentations will take place on March 21 and 22 from 7 am till 5pm. Please join us as your child showcases their understanding of real-life controversies of knowledge and breaks down complex problems to arrive at innovative solutions. A schedule of what day and time your child will be presenting will be posted on PowerSchool and in the high school office as of March 19. Come be part of our learning community: where we will lead, serve and create beauty!
High School Principal