DECEMBER 5, 2014
Tuesday, December 9
Winter Concert – 7:00 pm
Thursday, December 11
PTO Holiday Get-Together Mtg. - 5:30 pm
Friday, December 19
All-School Assembly
Wednesday – Sunday, December 24 – January 4
VACATION - NO SCHOOL
Monday, January 5
First Day of School in 2015
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LETTER FROM THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE
December
When the first snow falls, the holiday lights appear in storefronts and young children ramp up their energy level in anticipation of the magic of the season, well, it usually means that the school budget discussions have begun. Sure enough, this past Monday the members of the Leverett School Committee were presented with a proposed FY16 budget by Superintendent Mahler and Principal Lacey. And this is the routine, year in and year out. Except this year is very, very different. The town of Leverett is facing a financial crisis and as a result each town department has been asked to cut the FY 16 budget by 3.5%.
Over the course of the next three months Committee members will be closely monitoring the financial situation. However, it is important for everyone to know and understand that this current crisis will have significant consequences on the elementary school budget. It is also important to appreciate that the financial pain is being felt throughout town government. As always we welcome your attendance and participation at our monthly meetings. Now more than ever we need to hear your voice, your opinions, your concerns, your priorities. Our next monthly meeting is Monday, January 5th, 2015 in the LES library.
The search for a new superintendent for Union #28 continues. The search committee has identified eight candidates to interview and will conduct those interviews next week. That group will be reduced to a smaller group of possibly three or four finalists. There will be an opportunity for the public to meet with the finalists and it is hoped that a finalist will be chosen by the end of January.
The Regional Agreement Working Group, the citizen group charged with submitting amendments to the Regional agreement, has submitted a set of amendments to legal counsel for review. It is hoped that the proposed amendments will go to the Regional School Committee for their consideration. It is hoped that they will pass judgment on those proposals by the end of January to allow residents of all four towns to vote on them during Spring Town Meetings. Forums will be scheduled to present the proposed amendments, provide additional information, and provide opportunity for residents to pose questions.
This is a busy time of year for everyone. We know that your lives are full of family responsibilities, meals to prepare, jobs to do, children to care for. Please take a moment to share your views on these events. Attend our meetings. If you cannot, do not hesitate to contact one of the members of the Committee. We cannot do it without you and your energy.
For my colleagues on the School Committee I want to wish you and your family the very best for the holiday season and good health and good fortune for the New Year.
Respectfully,
Kip Fonsh, School Committee Chair
IN THE SCOOLHOUSE
Pathways to Learning
This morning I visited the third grade class and had the pleasure of reading many different kinds of wonderful original poetry. Last week, it was sixth grade essays that captured my attention. The week before that, the second graders put on a magnificent display of their ocean projects. And going back a week more, I was able to observe the final stages in the first graders’ work on their 3-D mapping. While these were all projects that were initially designed by the classroom teachers, it speaks to the tremendous capacity of our teachers to communicate the information in a way that captures the children’s imaginations and allows them to make it their own. Every piece of writing, every element of artwork, every oral presentation, carried the unique stamp of its creator. How fortunate our students are to work with adults who resist a ‘cookie cutter’ approach to learning and are constantly working to use the pathway of creativity to increase student learning.
What makes your child tick? I would bet every parent could identify particular interests, skills, or environments that resonate in a child. Professor Howard Gardner is renowned for his “theory of multiple intelligences.” His work suggests that people have many different ways of processing information, each quite unique unto itself. The eight intelligences that Professor Gardner has identified include linguistic, logic-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily/kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalistic. More recently, he has also been exploring two other intelligences, existential and pedagogical. His work is fascinating, and I would encourage you to explore it and to think about how the different intelligences in your family are similar and different. It could also give some valuables clues to how your child learns best.
Whether your child is happiest writing poetry, working in the greenhouse, catching a Frisbee, working with numbers, or creating beautiful art or music, LES is a great learning ground. The video on our website says it all, “We are artists, movers, musicians, performers, authors, scientists…We are Leverett!”
-Margot Lacey
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
WHAT TO WEAR FOR RECESS
Now that winter is finally here, we’ve been enjoying the snow at recess. Nurse Jill has had a run on hats, mittens, and snowpants from her collection. Children should come to school dressed for outdoor recess everyday, except for Wednesdays. Children who want to play in the snow during recess MUST wear:
• PS, K, and Grade 1: boots and snowpants
•Grades 2, 3, & 4: boots to play on the snow,
snowpants to play in the snow
•Grades 5 &6: boots
When children wear boots to school, they should also bring shoes or sneakers to wear at school. Keeping a pair of sneakers and socks at school during the winter months could be the most practical plan, since students must have sneakers for P.E. class. All articles of outerwear should be labeled with the owner’s name or initials. There has already been a big increase in the Lost & Found collection.
PTO SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
Leverett Community Interview of the Week
LANI BLECHMAN
LIBRARY INTERN
Lani has been at LES all semester working in the library and is leaving this week. Many students have enjoyed getting to know her and benefited from her help in the library.
What did you like about being at LES this semester?I have loved building relationships with really incredible teachers, students and staff. I loved working with classes in the library, talking about books and school assemblies.
What do you like doing outside of school?
I like taking long road trips. This December I am driving to Miami and back. I have some important places to stop along the way. West Virginia to see some sheep, Virginia to get some jam and a new baby in North Carolina to meet.
PTO Update
• Give the Gift That Gives Twice! This holiday season consider making a tax deductible donation to the PTO in honor of a teacher/staff member. For every donation made a card and your message will be sent to the teacher/staff member. A form is attached to this Post.
• Join the PTO holiday gathering next Thursday, December 11th, at 5:30 pm at Mission Cantina, 485 West St. (Route 116), Amherst. All are welcome! A fun night to get to know other Leverett parents.
DID YOU GET A PHONE CALL?
Yesterday, after the excitement of the fire alarm, building evacuation, and subsequent check of the school by the Fire Department, Margot sent a phone message to every family using the CTY calling system. This is the same system that we will use if and when we have a snow day or a delayed school opening. If you did not receive the call, please contact Marilyn at [email protected] or 548-9144. If you did receive the call, but would like to get future calls at an additional or different phone number, please let us know that as well. Thank you.
HOW MANY ACORNS IN THE JAR?
The kindergartners counted 309 acorns, and the winner of the $30 gift certificate to the Leverett Village Coop is Ben Rubin with a guess of 297 acorns. Congratulations, Ben, and thanks to all for supporting the kindergarten table at Harvest Festival.
UNICEF UPDATE
Many thanks to all the students who Trick-or-Treated for UNICEF this year. We raised $396.27, more than double our total from last year!
DECEMBER EVENTS AT
THE LEVERETT LIBRARY
• Friday December 12, at 7:30pm. Please join us for a free screening of Six Degrees of Separation a 1993 American comedy-drama film adaptation of a John Guare play which was inspired by real-life con artist David Hampton. An affluent New York couple find their lives touched, intruded upon, and compelled by a mysterious young man who is not who he says he is. Starring Stockard Channing, Donald Sutherland and Will Smith. Rated R.
• Thursday, December 18, at 7pm. Leverett author/ humorist/screenwriter Steve Adams (aka Waldo Mellon) will join us to talk about his new book, What's What And What To Do About It. This program is for adults. Waldo Mellon knows What's What. His advice to the perplexed fills this wry, witty, and heartfelt book. Some three-dozen short chapters, each a Dear Waldo letter followed by Waldo's response, deal with the yearnings and fantasies of Everyperson. Death. God. Stupidity. Hope. Marriage. Fighting. Forgiveness. But Waldo does more than advise and amuse. He offers memorable mechanisms for coping with the challenges of living. This unique book, part self-help parody, part sincere wisdom, contains enough hope and laugh-out-loud zaniness to earn a permanent position on your Favorite Books list.
• Food For Fines - December is amnesty month at the library. We will waive fines from overdue Leverett Library materials if you bring in non-perishable food items for the Amherst Survival Center, or cleaning products/pet food for the Dakin Animal Shelter. We cannot waive fines from other libraries or for lost/damaged items.
• Works by local artists featuring Leverett Pond are on display in the Community Room. The exhibit runs through December. Sponsored by the Friends of Leverett Pond.
• Note: Lego Club will not be held in December. We will be back with another building challenge in January.
Hope to see you at the library soon!
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COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
(Items listed here are not school sponsored)
Happy Valley Children's Chorus Concert!
Sunday, Dec. 7th, 1:30 PM, at the First Congregational Church of Amherst, 165 Main Street. Children ages 5-12 will sing a collection of Pete Seeger songs, including many solos. Join us! Call 413-323-9383 with any questions. .
CRAIGIEBURN OPEN FARM DAYS - 10:00am to 3pm, Saturday Dec. 6th; and Sunday Dec. 7th. Once again, it’s time for the annual Open Farm and Holiday Sale at Craigieburn Farm alpacas. This is our final year for hosting our annual holiday event. The support we have received from Shutesbury and our neighboring communities has been heart-warming. Our decade as alpaca farmers has connected us to the earth in inspirational ways. We are deeply grateful for this experience in our journey. So please come one last time. Visit our farm, sip cider, enjoy some holiday shopping and meet the whimsical creatures that provide us with soft and insulating fiber. Our selection of products includes yarn, roving, sweaters, shawls, jackets, throws, hat, socks, gloves, and soft, cuddly teddy bears. We are located at 243 W. Pelham Rd (Shutesbury), across from Leonard Rd. Visit our website (Alpacas4u.com) for more details or call us (413-253-4485).
NEED BABYSITTING? Rheannon Stewart and Rosie Dinsmore have recently been certified by the Red Cross as official babysitters. They are 7th graders who are enthusiastic and fun with kids. They live close to LES and are welcoming to all children between the ages 0 and 7 years old. Fliers are up at both the Leverett Library and Post Office. They are responsible, careful, and loads of fun! Please call 549-6535.
Whimsical Holiday Gifts and Decorations
Be creative and inspired by nature
All supplies, instruction and refreshments provided
December 7th, Sunday, 1pm to 4pm
For ages 11 and up!
$55 per person, family discounts available
Takes place at 155 Hemenway Rd., Leverett, MA, the home of Jean Bergstrom
Make pine cone angels, nut gnomes, woodsy vessels, birch jewelry, woodland creatures, milkweed and acorn ornaments, and more. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.
[email protected] or 413-367-2842
RUMPUS – Center School Admissions Open House, Saturday, December 6th, 10:00-2:00. Come explore an enchanted, interactive, indoor forest installation with 9 magical realms: YGGDRSIL. Free crafting and art activities for kids ages 3-12. Buy sweet, savory, and warm treats at the Rumpus Café. Everyone is welcome. The Center School is located at 71 Montague City Road in Greenfield. Visit centerschool.net for a full schedule of events.
MAKE AND TAKE CRAFT FAIR – Come and make all your holiday gifts in one day! Saturday, December 13th, 10am-3pm, at the Montague Common Hall (formerly the Grange), 34 Main Street, Montague Center. For adults, teens and children. Free admission. Gifts $1-$10 to make. Crafts will include spin art, shrinky dinks, glass magnets, juggling balls, beeswax candles, snow globes, holiday ornaments, and so much more. Savory snacks and baked goods will also be available. All proceeds will benefit the Montague Common Hall.
If you would like to put a notice in the Community Bulletin Board section of the Friday Post, please submit notices to be published no later than Thursday at noon. The easiest way to do that is by e-mail to [email protected]. Flyers for non-school sponsored events can be attached to the Post. They must contain a disclaimer “This is not a school-sponsored event” and a sufficient number of copies (125) should be provided to the office by the end of the school day on Thursday.
