OCTOBER 31, 2014
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Monday, November 3
School Committee Meeting – 6:00 pm
Tuesday and Wednesday, November 4 and 5
Parent/Teacher Conferences -1:05 Dismissal
Tuesday, November 11
Veterans Day – NO SCHOOL
Thursday, November 13
PTO Meeting – 5:30 pm
Wednesday & Thursday, November 19 & 20
Book Swap
Friday, November 21
All-School Assembly – 2:15 pm
Wednesday-Friday, November 26-28
Thanksgiving Break – NO SCHOOL
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IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE
Do You Know?
In place of my usual message, I’m going to offer a bit of a quiz, to give parents the flavor of our Morning Announcements!
We often announce the birthdays of notable people. For what are the following people well known?
Diego Maradona Noah Webster
Mahatma Gandhi Christopher Wren
Leif Erikson Emily Post
Shel Silverstein
Why was there no October 5, 1582 in four European countries?
What are the first six numbers in the Fibonacci sequence?
Did Columbus discover America?
What is a marsupial? How many animals can you name that are marsupials?
What is “Old Ironsides”?
Where do the words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free” appear?
And, finally, what are these occupations?
Anatomist, astronomer, geometer, architect, mathematician, physicist
(Clue: Christopher Wren was all of these things!)
If you have ideas about special celebrations, historical events, people, or inventions, or a good brain teaser, I hope you will let me know, so that we add them into our Announcement Book!
-Margot Lacey
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent/Teacher conferences will continue next week on Tuesday, November 4 and Wednesday, November 5. Students will go home at 1:05 on those days in order for teachers to meet with the parents of individual children to discuss their academic progress. If you do not already have an appointment for a conference, please contact your child’s teacher. There will not be any childcare at school on these afternoons. If your child is registered in the Afterschool Program, they may go to Afterschool while parents go to conferences (even if they are not enrolled for that day of the week). Please check with Mike DeRosa if you would like your child to stay for Afterschool on any of the conference dates.
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
The School Committee will meet at 6:00 on Monday, November 3rd. The agenda for the meeting is available on the school's website. All interested members of the community are welcome to attend.
NOVEMBER CALENDAR
The calendar for next month is available on the front page of the school's website. Please keep it for future reference.
Town Hall will be open and staffed on Halloween, Friday, October 31st, from 10 a.m. until midnight. It is the last day to sign up for the Broadband special deal of getting one month free. There will be candy for trick-or-treaters!
SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH – DEADLINE EXTENDED UNTIL 11/6
The search for the new Superintendent is beginning. As a first step, the search committee will need input from the school community regarding the qualities and skills of our next school leader. A survey has been created to gather that information. Please go to: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QSF762S to view the survey, which will take approximately five minutes to conclude. The deadline for the survey is November 6, 2014. Thank you in advance of your efforts to assist in this process.
PTO SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
Leverett Community Interview of the Week
KALEB SHAW
GRADE 1
What are you looking forward to at Leverett Elementary School?
Character Day! I'm going to be a Ninja. I also love recess and PE. I play soccer a lot.
What do you like to do outside of school?
I like playing with Legos. I build a lot of towers.
PTO News
•Thank you, thank you to all who participated in the Genevieve's Fundraiser! Orders were submitted and we are waiting to make sure that our calculations are correct. As soon as we hear from Genevieves we'll report our profit. This was a terrific first fundraiser. More to come...
•Enjoy snacks and the company of other Leverett parents and Principal Margot Lacey at our next PTO Meeting on Thursday, November 13th at 5:30pm. (at the school). New ideas and new faces are always welcome!
• A Dean’s Beans order form is attached to this week’s Post. Orders are due on Monday, November 3rd.
THANKS FROM THE GREENHOUSE
Hello everyone, the greenhouse was open for Harvest Fest and even though the playground field was basically empty due to weather conditions, some folks still ventured out to give a visit to the greenhouse! In addition to leaving kind words behind- many left monetary donations.
I want to give a GREAT BIG THANKS to Wes Goscenski and his family who brought 2 big crates full of their family grown butternut squash and a dozen beautifully large pumpkins for us to sell for the greenhouse! In addition to bringing produce donations, Wes loaded up a wagon with his donated squash, then he and his two children, Bohden and Mariah, walked around the parking lot selling squash! The bit of unsold squash went to the school cafeteria for which Molly was delighted to receive!
We received $80 from sales and donations by the time the event was over! I will use some of those funds towards garden bulbs for the students to plant along the south side of the greenhouse for spring bloom.
As the weather continues to cool down in preparation for winter, the kids and I will soon harvest out much of the beds and plant cold hardy seeds to attempt to bring through the winter for next spring. Thank you for those who stopped out to the greenhouse, bought squash or left a donation! Donations are ALWAYS welcome at any time as the greenhouse has NO budget! We also always have a wish list for “growing” projects. Enjoy the rest of your fall season -- Dawn, Greenhouse lesson leader and manager.
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME ENDS
Don’t forget to set your clock back one hour on Saturday Night!
NEWS FROM THE LEVERETT LIBRARY
Ph: 548-9220
[email protected]
•STEAM program MAGNETS! Thursday, November 6, 3:15-4:15pm. Kids ages 3-6. Using different types of magnets, we will discover what they can do and how they can be useful, and fun. Please call or stop in to register.
•Local author Cammie McGovern Thursday, November 13, 7pm will be at the library to talk about her work. McGovern is the author of three adult novels, The Art of Seeing, Eye Contact, and Neighborhood Watch, and most recently the acclaimed YA novel Say What You Will.
• Put it on your calendar now, on Sunday, November 16th at 1:30: free family movie, DisneyNature’s Bears on the big screen.
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COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
(Items listed here are not school sponsored)
BOARD or SKI WACHUSETT this winter and get a nice discount on a season’s pass. Wachusett is only 45 min East on rt 2 and has a great variety of trails and park, and does a good job grooming. Its also open a long season, and pretty consistently 7 days + 7 afternoon/evenings per week as long as its cold enough. My favorite pass is the Bronze pass – 7 afternoon/evenings + non-holiday/non weekend days. It costs $369, but even less, $249 if you buy through “Group Sales/GPS Club” at Wachusett.com. Type in “Shutesbury Board And Ski” and my name as Coordinator,“Susan Reyes,” on your form, and we’ll all get the discount as long as at least 4 people including my family buy through this "GPS club" before Nov 19. Call or email with questions: 413-259-1658, [email protected]
Women’s Yoga Circle with Nancy Paglia. Six monthly circles beginning Sunday, October 16th, 10am-1pm, at the Montague Retreat Center, Ripley Road, Montague. In this serene and tranquil setting, we will create a sacred space for each of us. Through yoga, meditation, journaling, music and sharing we will experience profound states of relaxation and rejuvenation. The cost is $50/session or $75 drop-in rate. Special Bonus: Receive $30 off a one-hour massage for yourself or to give as a gift. For more information and registration, please call 413-687-2125. Nancy Paglia, M.Ed., is a certified yoga instructor and massage therapist with over twenty years in private practice and at Canyon Ranch Spa and Amherst Leisure Services.
Screening of the Oscar nominated film, The Last Campaign of Govenor Booth Gardner. Saturday, November 15th, 1 pm, at the Sunderland Public Library, 20 School Street, Sunderland. Synopsis of the film: In 1994 a year after serving two terms as one of the most popular governors in modern Washington State history, Booth Gardner was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. In 2008, as his health continued to deteriorate, he returned to the political spotlight as the driving force behind a ballot initiative that would legalize one’s choice to die. The film chronicles his controversial crusade, looking at both sides of this hotly debated issue. The film runs 40 minutes and will be followed by a discussion. For questions, and to RSVP, please contact Marie Manis, 617-379-0033, [email protected]. This event is free and open to the public.
FALL CRAFT FAIR at Wesley United Methodist Church, 98 North Maple Street, Hadley, on Saturday, November 8th, 9 am – 3 pm. Craft Vendors – Grandma’s Attic – Pies – Silent Auction – Luncheon – Country Store – Quilts! Start your Christmas shopping early or find a few treasures for yourself at this popular annual craft fair. For more information, visit www.westleyfamily.org.
Starlight's Youth Theatre is excited to announce registration for: Aristocats (open to young actors in grades 2-4) Reserve your spot on-line at starlights-youth-theatre.com (space is limited). Rehearsals are Saturdays starting Jan 10th, 9-10:00 am at Maple Ridge
Show: March 14th at Amherst Middle School
Cyn Strycharz, Director
Josh Hornick Musical Director
Please join our information day on November 8th, 9-10am at Maple Ridge across from Bubs BBQ in Sunderland to learn more about this fun production!
Starlight's Youth Theatre: Providing quality education and production of children’s theatre.
Website: starlights-youth-theatre.com
Facebook: facebook.com/StarlightsYouthTheatre
PICTURE RE-TAKE DAY HAS BEEN SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18th. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A RE-TAKE, PLEASE KEEP THE CLASS PICTURE AND RETURN THE REST OF THE PACKET TO SCHOOL BEFORE THE 18th.
