APRIL 3, 2015
Saturday, April 4 – TOMORROW!
LES/Shutesbury Community Skate, 3-3:50 pm
Monday, April 6
School Committee Meeting – 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday and Thursday, April 8 and 9 and Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14 and 15
Parent-Teacher Conferences – 1:05 Dismissal
Friday, April 17
All-School Assembly – 2:15 p.m.
Monday-Friday, April 20-24
Spring Vacation
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IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE
Hope
If you venture through Leverett Elementary School in the coming weeks, you will notice paper cranes hanging in the hallways and some of the rooms.
It has been a long winter for all of us, and has been especially challenging here at LES. Dealing with ice dams, lots of snow, and a flood have all been challenges that, working together, we have been able to fix. But there have also been personal losses and health issues within the school community that have presented challenges that can’t be addressed with a hammer and paintbrush. In talking together as a staff, we decided that we wanted to embark on a project that would give the entire community a visible symbol of hope and healing.
In Japanese culture, the crane has come to represent hope and healing in challenging times. Japanese mothers have a prayer they recite, calling for the protection of the crane’s wings for their children. It was believed that if you folded 1000 origami cranes, your wish would come true. The Japanese call this “senbazuru.” This tradition became more widely known after the publication, in 1977, of “Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.” This story is about a child exposed to radiation in the bombing of Hiroshima. The folding of origami cranes became her legacy.
At LES, many children and staff have been folding and stringing origami cranes. Before each piece of paper is folded, a hope is written on the reverse of the paper.
The strings of cranes are beginning to appear throughout the school. If anyone would like to make some cranes at home, we would be very happy to include them. Although the first one is a bit of a challenge, once you’ve master the sequence of folds, they’re fairly easy to make. There are some good YouTube videos that can help.
As you walk through the school, think about what the cranes represent to you. We hope that that everyone who walks our halls will feel uplifted by these lovely creations!
-Margot Lacey
SPOTLIGHT ON . . .
SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
The School Committee will meet on Monday evening, April 6th, at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting is attached to this week’s Post. All members of the community are welcome to attend.
SPRING PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Parent/Teacher conferences begin next week. The days reserved for conferences are April 8, 9, 14, and 15. Students in all grades will go home at 1:05 on each of those days. The only children who will be able to remain at school on conference days are the children who are enrolled in the Afterschool Program. If you do not yet have an appointment for a conference, please contact your child’s teacher. Thank you.
PTO SPOTLIGHT ON…
SARAH GAHAGAN
GRADE 3
What do you like about LES? I look forward to playing with my friends and learning new things.
What do you like to do outside of school? I like to splash in puddles, play in snow, and sleep in my bed!
PTO News!
•Shutesbury and Leverett PTOs are sponsoring a free ice skating event TOMORROW, Saturday, April 4th from 3 - 3:50 at the Mullins Center Practice Rink. See the flyer attached to today’s Post. Snack donations will be accepted at the Skating Event for our bake sale to support both the LES and Shutesbury PTO.
•The teacher appreciation luncheon is happening in May. Would you like to help coordinate this special meal for our teachers? Contact Jo-Ann Konieczny at [email protected]
LEVERETT PEACE COMMISSION NEWS
The Leverett Peace Commission is pleased to sponsor a Food Film Series. GMO OMG is the first film and will be shown on Thursday, April 9th at 7pm at the Leverett Library.
GMO OMG director and concerned father Jeremy Seifert is in search of answers. How do GMOs affect our children, the health of our planet, and our freedom of choice? And perhaps the ultimate question, which Seifert tests himself: is it even possible to reject the food system currently in place, or have we lost something we can’t gain back? These and other questions take Seifert on a journey from his family’s table to Haiti, Paris, Norway, and the lobby of agra-giant Monsanto, from which he is unceremoniously ejected. Along the way we gain insight into a question that is of growing concern to citizens the world over: What's on your plate?
Please save the dates for the other films - Fed Up on Thursday, April 23 and a film yet to be determined on Thursday, May 7th.
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COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
(Items listed here are not school sponsored)
WILD HEARTED BOYS: Mentoring Tomorrow’s Conscientious, Caring and Courageous Men
Single-gender program encouraging boys ages 9-13 to explore, inquire, play, reflect and dialogue within the context of the natural world and all of the challenges and mysteries it presents. Led by mentors whose goal is to honor and foster the inner capabilities of each participant. Climbing, cave exploration, nature skills, paddling and other adventures await!
Full week session during April vacation, 9am to 4 pm. Drop off and pick up at Mill River Recreation area in Amherst. Contact Pandora at 413-253-4910; www.AdventureinAdventureOut.com - see tab titled Wild Hearted Programs.
Qigong with Dvora Esenstein will be offered on Mondays from 10:00 to 11:00 am beginning March 16th at the Sunderland Library, and on Tuesdays from 5:15 to 6:15 at the Leverett Library. Qigong is an ancient Chinese health care system integrating slow movements, breathing techniques and focused intention. It helps to calm your mind, improve your balance, and enhance your health. This class is suitable for all ages and ability levels. You may join this free class at any time. Dvora has been a Tai Chi and Qigong student for nearly 30 years, Her practice is focused on softness and centeredness.
April Vacation Week Weaving & Fiber Arts Explorations Class with Susan Loring-Wells at the Leverett Crafts & Arts Center, 13 Montague Road, Leverett, MA.
Dates: April 20-24, ~ Time: 9-3 pm ~ Ages: 10-14 ~ Cost: $250
Come and explore a world of endless possibilities of handweaving and fiber arts. Students will weave at least one project on a floor loom, try card weaving, tapestry weaving, felting, kumihimo, embroidery and band weaving.
Please email me if you are interested at: [email protected].
EASTER SERVICES AND COMMUNITY BREAKFAST, 
LEVERETT CONGRETATIONAL CHURCH
Join us for Easter with your choice of services and a free community breakfast.
• Easter Sunrise Service, Sunday, April 5, 6:30 a.m., a short service of celebration held in the Emerson Garden beside the church (or inside if conditions are inclement).
• A hearty breakfast follows at 7 a.m., in the Leverett Town Hall, free, open to the public, all are invited.
• Easter Sunday Service, April 5, 10 a.m., a service of music and readings.
The Leverett Congregational Church has handicapable access and welcomes all; located at 4 Montague Road, Leverett (across from the Leverett Post Office). Child supervision will be provided. For more information, call Claudia Gere 413-359-0003 or email [email protected].
The Montague Reporter is seeking Leverett residents interested in reporting on local happenings. We will have an opening this spring in our regular selectboard and town hall coverage, and are also seeking feature contributors. The Reporter is a nonprofit weekly print newspaper that can offer small stipends for writing on assignment. Join a team of journalists, writers and artists producing news of, and for, the communities we live in. Contact [email protected] or call us at (413) 863-8666 for more information.
FOR SALE: From Hill House Farm in Leverett - goose eggs for Easter, and 2015 maple syrup. Please call Portia at 548-9737.
