Memorial-Spaulding PTO

Sep 7	Tues	8:35 a.m.-12:30 p.m.	First Day of School!
Sep 9	Thurs		Holiday
Sep 13	Mon		ASCA Registration Packet Online
Sep 14	Tues		VOTING DAY
Sep 16	Thurs	8:20 a.m.	ASCA Fall 2010 REG DAY
Sep 30			Early Release

"Welcome to Memorial Spaulding School!” The staff and I are delighted you are here for what promises to be an exciting year. Each September is a new beginning, a fresh start, a hopeful time. As we begin this year together I expect our focus to be: “Be the Best You Can Be”. We will be working on our 4 Core Values of Personal Achievement, Effort, Kindness, and Communication. Please look for opportunities to talk to your children about how they can demonstrate these core values everyday in school and in their community. Your support of these core values is appreciated.

Given the new office configuration in the building, the need for safety, and the need for thorough communication, there are a number of reminders I must share with you as we begin the year together:

While we want to foster an open and welcoming community, I felt it was important for me to move Mrs. Sheehan’s office down next to the principal and nurse’s office in the middle of the building. This move will help the three of us function as a team that will be available to support your children, the staff, and you; the parents more effectively. As a result, when you enter the building to volunteer or come in for a meeting, please check in with the “Greeter” to sign in, get a visitor’s pass, and come to the office. No one should be in the building without a visitor’s pass or a Memorial-Spaulding ID (Staff Only).

When dismissing your child from school early, please do not go to your child’s classroom. The office will call your child down to meet you. If you are dropping something off for your child, please leave it in the office with your child’s name and classroom teacher on it. The office will notify the teacher and they will in turn send the child up to the office at a time that does not interfere with classroom work to pick up whatever has been left for them. Once the school day begins at 8:35 parents should not stand in the hallways. I know that the morning allows you to chat with friends, but it would be appreciated if you caught up with your friends outside in the front of the building. This will keep the noise down in the hallways allowing the children and teachers to focus on learning.

A copy of the current Emergency Contact form we have for each child will be sent home with the students this week. The information you provide us on these forms allow us to access your child’s emergency information so we can reach you when needed. This year we are collecting email addresses. Help us communicate with you more effectively by giving us your email. Please review the information you have provided in the past and if any of this information needs to be changed, please make the necessary changes right on the form. Return the form to your child’s classroom teacher as soon as possible. If you don't have any changes; please send the form back to us with a note saying, “No Changes”. Our main form of communication is email and the PTO newsletter. Please make sure you keep your email updated.

If your child is going to be absent or tardy for any reason, please call (671) 559-9617. You will reach an answering machine. Please leave the following information: the date, child’s name, teacher’s name, and the reason for the absence /tardy. If your phone call is not received by 9:00 AM, you will receive a telephone call from the “call-back” volunteer to ascertain where your child is. Please call for religious holidays as well. DO NOT just inform your child’s teacher.

While this has been a long standing policy, some people are still unaware of this process so this is just a reminder. No phone messages for children about pick up and/or change of plans will be taken by the school unless you have set up a password. You can set up a password by filling out the password form. For the safety of your child, we can not accept changes of plans over the telephone unless a password has been set up. These forms can be found in the front of the building in the black plastic mailboxes or in the school handbook. Please return the forms to the main office when completed.

We want to keep all children on the bus safe. Please remind your children to stay in their seat at all times, follow the instructions of the bus driver, and treat everyone with respect.

If you have any bus questions, please call our transportation department at (617) 559-9051.

· Only the front door will be open for students and parents to enter during drop off.

· To protect children who are walking to and from school, crossing guards are placed at the following busy intersections:

· · DO NOT cross your child in the middle of the street as this is a safety issue. Please walk them to a crosswalk.

· Back Door- for the safety and security of the building, the back door will be locked all before school and throughout the day. Students will be allowed to exit the building through the back door at the end of the day to make parent pick up more convenient.

School lunches will be available on the first full day of school for those who have enrolled their children in the school lunch program. Please watch for the September menu in the mail explaining the program. Please call the Food Service Office at (617) 559-9015 if you have any questions.

If a child does not buy a lunch they are expected to bring their lunch with them in the morning. If a child forgets his lunch, one will be provided by the kitchen staff. Parents will be billed for this service.

If you do not want your family information passed on to the PTO and published in the school district, photos taken of your child, please fill out the OPT Out form.

The Open House is scheduled for September 28^th from 6:30-8:00. More details to follow.

Please email me at lisa_mcmanus@newton.k12.ma.us if you have any questions or concerns that you would like to share with me.

Hello Fellow Memorial-Spaulding Families,

We want to welcome everyone back to what we are sure will be a great
school year! We are looking forward to the many traditional events,
such as the Around the World, The International Festival, The
Harvest Festival and The Spring Festival. As well as some new
"Funraiser" events we will be introducing this year to foster our
community’s school spirit! The first of which will be the Back To
School Picnic being held next Thursday, September 16th at 6:00 pm on
the upper field at Memorial-Spaulding. This is a fun, bring your own
picnic, and it is a wonderful way to reconnect with friends and to meet new families and friends. We hope you will all be able to join us for this kick off event to the 2010-2011 school year.

The PTO at Memorial-Spaulding is an active and vital part of our school community. We have many fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for many important things including the most recent technology in our school (smart boards for all 3 fifth grades this year!), mini- grants for our teachers, Kindergarten Soccer, playground improvements; the list goes on and on. Our PTO is so successful in supporting our school because of wonderful parents like you who volunteer their time, ideas and energy. There are many ways to volunteer, both big and small; from baking something for an event to chairing a committee. We will be discussing these opportunities fully at Back-To-School Night on September 28^th. We look forward to many of you getting involved in the PTO and look forward to our united efforts in making our children's school the best it can be!!!!!

And last, but most certainly not least, we welcome our new principal, Lisa McManus! She has hit the ground running and has already begun to invigorate our community with her intelligence, boundless energy and positive spirit. As Memorial Spaulding begins a new chapter under her leadership, we look forward to a renewed energy in the PTO as well as we strive to infuse an even greater sense of innovation, inclusiveness, community spirit and fun.

We look forward to seeing you all in school.

Debbie Alper and Megan Tager

cajmom@comcast.net

megan@tager.com
PTO Presidents

NOTES FROM THE INCLUSION COMMITTEE/SPED PAC

Welcome back, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful summer and are ready for an exciting new beginning this year.

On behalf of the Inclusion Committee, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to our new principal, Lisa McManus as she joins the Memorial-Spaulding community. I had the opportunity to sit down with Ms McManus this summer and I am looking forward to working closely with her as we continue the progress that the Inclusion Committee began last year. We accomplished a lot in our inaugural year, but there's much, much more yet to be done.

If you are interested in joining the committee or would like to hear more about what we do, please don't hesitate to contact me. I look forward to hearing from you!

Also, if your child receives Special Education services, please join me on the Newton Parent Advisory Council (PAC). The PAC serves as a liaison between parents of students with special needs and school district administrators. As mandated by Massachusetts law, we provide feedback to the district on special education programs and policies, and participate in their planning and development.

We offer information to the community on a range of disabilities, resources, remediation approaches, and education issues. Topics presented at our monthly meetings include parents' rights under special education laws and regulations, effective collaboration with teachers and administrators, and strategies for parenting and teaching children with disabilities. Meetings are open to all parents, teachers, specialists, and others with an interest in education.

There is NEVER any charge nor time commitment necessary to join the PAC. We are here as a resource for YOU!

Best of all, we run the Newton PAC online discussion group - a forum for parents to exchange information and share suggestions for community resources. For more information, contact us at info@newtonpac.org or see http://www.newtonpac.org/ for more information.

I look forward to seeing some familiar faces and welcoming new friends to the community.

Have a great year!

Jess Wilson

jessgordonwilson@yahoo.com

M-S Inclusion Committee Chair

Newton PAC Liaison

~NewtonPAC Evening Meetings will Resume. We hope that you will be able to attend these upcoming meetings:

September 23, Thursday

Middle and High School NPS Special Education Programs with Judy Levin-Charns and staff

October 5, Tuesday

Preschool and Elementary School NPS Special Education Programs with Judy Levin-Charns and staff

October 20, Wednesday

Inclusive Schools Week Planning Kick-Off Meeting led by Jess Wilson and Jo-Louise Allen

November 16, Tuesday

Your Rights Under Special Education Law with Dan Ahearn, Esq.

Looking forward to seeing you!

Sandy Baird

info@newtonpac.org

www.newtonpac.org

Co-Chair, Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education

NURSE'S NOTES

Nurse's Notes are submitted by Memorial-Spaulding School Nurse, Linda Sawyer, RN, NCSN

From the Library is submitted by, Diane Holzheimer, Memorial-Spaulding School Librarian

~All School Volunteers must have a CORI done (this includes homeroom parents, library volunteers, after-school volunteers, PTO chairs, etc) not just chaperones. Please see Francie (our school secretary) for an application. A CORI takes approximately 2 weeks to process. Parents need to be re-CORI'd every 3 years. Thank you, in advance, for your cooperation!

Registration will take place predominantly online this year. Registration packets will be available to view and print online on Monday, September 13th. A limited number of packets will be available in the ASCA outbox, under the top right ASCA inbox in the PTO mailboxes in the front hallway of the school.

Please Register ONLINE if possible or HAND IN the REG FORM and CHECKS TO US directly on REGISTRATION DAY, so that we can correct any errors immediately and so that we may determine which classes will run.

If you cannot register online or you or your child cannot hand registration forms and checks to us, please put them in the ASCA PTO MAILBOX (top right mailbox across from front office)
or MAIL TO the mailbox at: Memorial-Spaulding PTO ATTN: PTO - ASCA Program Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School 250 Brookline St Newton Centre MA 02459

Please do not give ASCA forms & checks to your child's teachers or put them in student folders. We may not receive your documents in a timely manner.

Starting September 13, 2010, Newton Public Schools will be offering an Early Morning Program for students in Grades K through 5 in each of the elementary schools. The program is designed to provide a needed service by giving parents the opportunity to bring their children to school prior to the beginning of the regularly scheduled school day. Within the program, each elementary school will offer supervised before school care from 7:30 a.m. until 8:20 a.m. when the school day begins.

The cost of the program is $141.60 per semester for each weekday chosen, based on a fee of $8.00 per day. The program is divided into two semesters. The first semester runs from September 13, 2010 through January 31, 2011. The second semester runs from February 1, 2011 through the last day of school, currently scheduled for June 16, 2011. If snow day(s) cause the last day of school to be after June 16, 2011, the program will run on those days. Payment for semester one is due July 15, 2010. Payment for semester two is due by January 15, 2011. If you know your student will be attending both semesters you may send payment for both semesters at once.

On the Application Form you will find a chart with the cost of the program per semester. Please check off all days that apply. You may choose a single day of the week, multiple days, or all of the days of the week. It is important to note that once you have chosen your days, you may not change them without the consent of your school principal and program directors.

The Student Services Department is pleased to announce that there will be six co-taught classrooms in the district next year. These co-taught classrooms will be located at Bowen, Countryside, Franklin, Mason Rice, and Memorial Spalding. The class size is the same as for any other classroom within the school and is made up of each school's neighborhood students. The classroom will be supported by a general education teacher, a special education teacher, and special education aide or intern.

FOOD SERVICES: When a late menu is submitted after the cut-off date posted on the menu, your child will be offered the choice of the bagel or breakfast fun lunch. To avoid this we encourage you to sign up for an on-line account. This will prevent any confusion about what your child will get for lunch. To sign up, please e-mail us at: k5foodmenu@newton.k12.ma.us with your child’s name and school. As always, if you have any questions regarding our policies, feel free to contact the Food Service Office at 617-559-6315, or e-mail us at: Food_Services.newton.k12.ma.us Submitted by Rob Clickstein

~Families will find on the Newton Public Schools website (www.newton.k12.ma.us/) a letter from the district's lunch program director, Rob Clickstein, explaining all the information about the lunch program, menus, how to prepay and his commitment to providing an excellent lunch program for all students. Please note that there are no increases in the lunch prices; the prices remain the same as they have been for over six years.

For Information Regarding the School Curriculum click onto www.cityofnewton.org. then click onto the school's link and then curriculum.

The School Committee has an E-mail Newsletter: For information about upcoming meetings and all school committee news, go to:

This column will share friendly, easy to apply ECO TIPS for changing our behavior toward Mother Earth! She’s the only one we’ve got and if we don’t take care of her, then we’re not taking care of ourselves, our families and our communities!

Some of the tips will be suggestions for and by parents, some will be for and by
students. Please feel free to share the tips with other organization’s newsletters--- cut and paste and email to everyone on your lists!!!

If you or your child has a suggestion or two, please pass them along to the MS
PTO Newsletter editor---
We know it takes a village to raise a child---- and we need a healthy planet to
sustain our village!

The first tip of the season comes from a student who loves cars! He became concerned about oil and gasoline usage this summer while following the BP oil catastrophe. He discovered that as individuals, THE MOST USEFUL and EFFICIENT behavior we can adopt to lower our consumption of gasoline is:
Drive with your vehicles tires properly inflated!!! How many of us regularly check our tires???

Checking tire pressure is the number one maintenance practice we can do to have our cars perform to maximize fuel efficiency. Do you own a tire gauge? They are very low cost—and can be purchased at
most filing stations, Target stores, and hardware stores.

Only 15 percent of drivers properly check their tire pressure! Check your tire pressure at least once a month when the tires are cold, and inflate them to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended pressure.
Where can you find the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle? It is usually printed on a tire information decal attached to the driver’s door jamb (and it is in the owner’s manual—that booklet in the glove compartment!)

55 percent of drivers mistakenly believe the inflation pressure molded into the tire sidewall is the recommendation for their vehicle. Make a commitment to be more fuel efficient! It’s simple! Check your tire pressure once a month!

Become a Newton School Volunteer!

Would you like to help a Newton elementary school student learn basic mathematics concepts? Adult volunteers are needed to tutors students in grades 2-5.

*Tutor once a week for 30-45 minutes.
*No teaching experience is needed.
*Tutors select their preferred school, grade, day, and time.
*Play special math games that reinforce skills and help students gain confidence.
* Training, Everyday Math books and learning materials, and ongoing support are provided.

For more information, please contact Ellen Bender @ 617.559.6131 or ellen_bender@newton.k12.ma.us

Online at www.newtonma.gov/cpa or contact Alice E. Ingerson, Community Preservation Program Manager, 617.796.1144

COMMUNITY PRESERVATION COMMITTEE Public Hearing & Public Meeting 7 pm, Wednesday, 15 September 2010, City Hall Cafeteria (Basement). AGENDA SUMMARY: Public hearing for City Archives Survey proposal ($46,064, submitted off-cycle at CPC request). The full proposal is available by email upon request but will also be online from this webpage: www.newtonma.gov/cpa/projects.htm .

All online forms are read-only. See our Guidelines & Forms webpage for current funding guidelines, proposal instructions, and read-only forms.

Unless otherwise noted, all events are held at the Jackson Homestead and Museum, 527 Washington Street in Newton. If you need special assistance, or for more information, please call 617-796-1450.

Saturday, September 11, 10 am-noon
NEWTON CULTURAL CENTER OPEN HOUSE
feature "My Town," with Ellen Jackson, at 11:30 am
The Newton Cultural Center will host a morning of activities for the whole family. Enjoy concerts, storytelling, and activities as well as a visit at 11:30 am from Ellen Jackson who will talk about her town in the 1800s. This half-hour performance will be by Historic Newton educator Sarah Cole. At the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street. Free.

Sunday, September 12, 2 pm
HISTORIC NEWTON WALKS
City Hall: Inside and Out
City Clerk David Olson will lead a tour of City Hall inside and out. Learn about the Olmsted- designed landscape that surrounds the building, the multi-family buildings that used to stand on the site, and fun facts about the building itself. Meet on the front steps of City Hall. Free.

Tuesday, September 21, 7 pm
STORM WATER MANAGEMENT: PART ONE
The Flood Last Time – In Over Our Heads?
Welcome What caused the March 2010 floods? Why was sewage mixed into the water flowing in some basements? Where were the floods and why? Learn about Newton’s past decisions about wetlands, flooding, and water management and how they have influenced the situation today and in the future. A panel of specialists will answer questions about the Charles River, storm water pollution, and sewage. Co-sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Newton, Newton Free Library, Green Decade/Newton, Newton Conservators and Historic Newton. At the Newton Free Library, 330 Homer Street, Newton. Free.

Wednesday, September 22, 7 pm
NEWTON ARCHAEOLOGY ROADSHOW
Interested in archaeology? The City of Newton has hired archaeologists to help locate areas in the City where archaeological sites may be present. They will discuss this archaeological survey and its goals, and request your help! Perhaps you found an artifact (pottery, stone tools, or other items) in your backyard while digging or know of a possible Native American or historic archaeological site. Come to this archaeological roadshow: see artifacts already found, share your information, and bring items for archaeologists to identify. We would love to hear from you and have the public's help in this project. Free.

Thursday, September 23, 7:30 pm
HISTORY BOOK CLUB
Welcome For its next meeting, the Historic Newton Book Club has selected Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent. In this authoritative history of America's most puzzling era, Okrent describes how the odd bedfellows of the anti-liquor forces – suffragettes, Klu Klux Klansmen, Boston puritans and rural sharecroppers, among others – succeeded in making Prohibition the law of the land by a lopsided legislative majority representing a demographic minority. Okrent tells the very entertaining and instructive history of the disastrous and unintended consequences of America's "noble experiment." The book club is free and open to all.

Saturday, September 25, 11 am–5 pm
NEWTON JAZZ FESTIVAL
Come out for a free-and-easy afternoon of some of the area’s best Jazz presented by the Newton Jazz & Wine Festival in association with Historic Newton. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic lunches – it’s sure to be a swingin’ time! The lineup will include The Nate Aronow Nextet, Award Winning Vocalist Patrice Williamson, and The Rusty Scott Organ Group - Hammond B3 Jazz. Rain date Sunday Sept 26th noon–5 pm. Free. Visit the festival website at http://www.newtonjazzfestival.com/home.html for more information.

Sunday, September 26, 2 pm
HISTORIC NEWTON WALKS
A Remarkable Woman: Mrs Annie Cobb, Architect and Builder in the Late 1800s
Throughout history men have largely occupied the fields of construction and architecture. Annie M. Cobb, a Victorian woman of some means but with no traditional education, managed to develop skills as both an architect and builder in the newly emerging suburb of Newton Highlands. Come and learn about Mrs. Cobb, who is Massachusetts’ first woman architect, and her houses, which date from 1877 to 1903 from local resident Laura Fitzmaurice. Meet at the corner of Forest and Chester Streets. Free.

Lynette E. Aznavourian
Public Relations Manager
Historic Newton
527 Washington Street
Newton MA 02458
617-796-1450

Celebrate NewtonNewton's own holiday crafts fair, is around the corner! It's running this year on Sunday December 5 at Newton South High School. Exhibitor applications are now being accepted. Please visit our website atwww.celebratenewton.com to learn more about the fair or to download an application. This year's fair is sponsored by Newton Community Education; proceeds will help us expand our program and grow our scholarship fund. Attendees--mark your calendars! We hope to see you all there.

Newton Community Education is sponsoring Celebrate Newton and needs your help planning the event. Celebrate Newton is a holiday crafts fair that takes place at Newton South High School. This year's fair is Sunday December 5. Local artists and crafters display their works at the fair, and there is live music and a wonderful community spirit. Proceeds from the fair benefit Newton Community Education, which is a self-sustaining arm of the Newton Public Schools. We are looking for someone to help put all the pieces together for this year's fair, including publicizing the event, organizing the volunteers, supporting the exhibitors with logistical needs, and helping to make sure the fair itself runs smoothly. Your hours would be flexible between now and the fair and you would receive a stipend or hourly pay for your work.

If you're interested, please contact Lisa at lisa_rucinski@newton.k12.ma.us, or call 617-559-6995.

Newton Farmer's Market runs through the end of October. Tuesdays 1:30pm-6:00pm at ColdSpring Park, 1200 Beacon Street in Newton Four Corners. Fridays 1:30pm-6:00pm at Post 440 Parking Lot, 295 California Street in Nonantum. Lots of fresh, locally-produced farm products. To view an article from last season: http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/08/newton-massachusetts-farmers-market-cold-spring-park.html

CLASSES/ACTIVITIES/SPORTS

Newton Center Cub Scout Pack 210 is seeking boys in grades 1-5 to join a fun, active and local Cub Scout group over the school year. We have been rock climbing, snow tubing, and raced Pinewood Derby Cars we built. We have had sleepovers at the Museum of Science, in the Pawsox outfield, on a battleship, and in a cabin at a local Scout camp. Pack 210 is also involved with the Newton community. We help to collect food for the underprivileged, clean up the Charles River, and support City ceremonies and celebrations. The monthly time commitment is two one-hour meetings and an optional group activity.

The organizational Pack Meeting is on Thursday September 16, 2010 a 7:00 pm at the First Baptist Church on the corner of Beacon and Centre Streets. Thereafter we meet on the first Thursday of the month (October 7, etc.). E-mail Jim Janosky, Cubmaster Pack 210, at jjanosky@alum.mit.edu for more information.

Kids Classes at Newton Community Farm

Farm Sprouts Give your preschool- and kindergarten-aged child a head start on the farm! Come and enjoy a story hour, a song, or a tasty farm activity. For registration information, visit www.newtoncommunityfarm.org or email education@newtoncommunityfarm.org.
Date: Sep 14, 21, and 28
Time: 1:30 – 2:30 PM
Place: Newton Community Farm
Fee: $5 per family group

Kids’ Art in the Garden! Bring your 3rd-5th grade kids out to observe and create in our Learning Garden this month! Marcia Cooper, an experienced artist and elementary art teacher, will lead this oil pastel workshop for budding artists. Enjoy some of the last warm, sunny days of the season and take home your own work of art that was inspired by our thriving Learning Garden! Paper and pastels will be provided by the instructor. For registration information, visit www.newtoncommunityfarm.org or email education@newtoncommunityfarm.org.
Date: September 15, 2010
Time: 3:30-4:30PM
Place: Newton Community Farm
Fee: $15 Friends of the Farm/$20 general public
Max # of Participants: 6
Instructor: Marcia Cooper

Junior Elite Soccer Academy

A new Newton training academy is looking for elite soccer players ages 6-9 This program is co-ed and is looking for players who demonstrate a higher skill level and the desire to learn more than the average fundamentals for their age. The goal is to form a solid group of elite players to train with one another once or twice a week throughout the year and then when they are ready to compete, to enter local tournaments and games. A strong focus will be placed on developing each individual's skills, as well as the team as a whole, and training them in all aspects of soccer. For more information contact Brian Kelly brian@beaheadofthegame.com, 617-571-9091), or Newton parent Emily Norton (emily@voterscount.org, 617-795-0362).

The summer flew by and here we are at the beginning of another school year. We start the school year with something new and something old (or something like that!) To quote Deb and Megan, in their very first From the PTO column, we welcome our new school principal, Lisa McManus!! The Eco Tips from the M-S Community is also new to this school year's newsletter.

Please feel free to submit to the Eco Tips column, Jokes from M-S Students or anything else you like to share with the M-S community to sflaxslp@gmail.com l

"Never doubt that a small group of individuals can change the world" ~Margaret Mead