APRIL 17, 2015
Friday, April 17 - TONIGHT!
Greenhouse Workday 5:00-7:00pm
Saturday April 18 – TOMORROW!
Greenhouse Workday 11:00 m-1:00pm
Monday-Friday, April 20-24
Spring Vacation
Saturday, May 2
Annual Town Meeting
Monday, May 4
School Committee Meeting – 6:00 pm
Monday, May 25
Memorial Day – NO SCHOOL
Tuesday-Friday, May 26-29
Scholastic Book Fair
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IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE
Spring has Sprung!
Last weekend, I suddenly found myself full of energy. The warmth brought a sense of renewal and newfound purpose. I hiked, and raked, and cleaned, and planted. I jogged and biked, and also dreamed and schemed, contemplating the building of a new shed and the digging of a new garden. There was the tremendous satisfaction of stowing the artifacts of winter far away and out of sight—finally!
It was amazing to me what the warm air and the appearance of flowers did for my psyche. Everything seemed possible. In my mind, my garden already mirrored the perfection of the flowers in the seed catalog. It is truly that time of year when ‘hope springs eternal.’
Over the past few weeks, I have watched students transition from sliding down snowbanks to lying in the grass. At Leverett, we are incredibly lucky to be able to embrace the growing season as part of our school day, with students hard at work in the courtyard and greenhouse. None of this would be possible without the persistence, fortitude, and tremendous knowledge of our own master gardener, Dawn Ward.
Dawn is one of those people who you don’t often see, unless you frequent the greenhouse. But our children know her well. Imagine a school where garden club is an oversubscribed recess activity! That’s exactly what we have here. Dawn runs the program on a very meager budget, funded primarily by small grants and donations. So, with Arbor Day on Friday, and Earth Day coming up next week (April 22), this is a perfect opportunity to show our appreciation to Dawn, by giving up a few hours of our time to help her or to make a donation to the greenhouse.
In this Friday Post, you will find an article that Dawn has written about the greenhouse workdays that she has planned for Friday evening (4/17) and Saturday (4/18). She has also made her wish list of things that would be useful to have as the growing season gets underway.
Let’s all join in and give Dawn a hand, both with our applause and our paws!!
- Margot Lacey
MAY CALENDAR
It’s hard to believe, but May will begin the week after vacation! A calendar for the month is attached to this week’s Post. Please make note of the many events happening in May and keep the calendar for future reference.
LEVERETT GET FIT INVITES YOU
TO JOIN THE PRINCIPAL HIKE
WITH MARGOT LACEY
On Monday, April 27th Ms Lacy will lead a hike, which will include a scavenger search of unusual things hanging along the hiking trail. This will be offered during recess time and is about a half of a mile long. It is open to all appropriately clothed children who would like to participate. Wear footwear that will keep you dry in mud and bring a raincoat if it is raining! Come earn Fitness Miles and have fun in the woods with us!
- Victoria Shaw and Bill Stewart
GREENHOUSE WORKDAYS:
Well, the greenhouse program is finally up and running! But off to a very SLOW start while we worked to get the waterline working this spring. Things do NOT look like much yet – BUT soon we should be able to see seedlings germinating and before you know it, color and flavor will soon blossom in our greenhouse again.
Once again, there is a goal to provide greens to the cafeteria salad bar as well as curriculum-based projects for each class.
This year, I have big plans for an Outdoor Space as well as the growing beds in the greenhouse. Yet, I could use some group effort to help get things started.
Therefore; I am planning on two workday sessions to set the stage for a “courtyard” area beside the greenhouse. The idea is to create a space for mini-gardens as well as sitting places for class times or just hanging out among the plants.
On Arbor Day April 17- Friday evening 5-7p.m. and on Saturday April 18 mid-morn 11-1, I invite families to come visit the greenhouse, hear the ideas and be prepared to work on some hands-on projects to get things underway.
Folks with carpentry skills are encouraged to join along for advice and assistance.
Some things for the general ‘wish list’ include:
-Well composted compost that can be delivered
-Clean(ish) hay bales for sitting upon
-Ceramic bird bath
-Wooden trellis
- Wooden garden bench or seat
-Bagged potting soil
-Summer bulbs (i.e. glads, begonias, etc)
-Herbs (lavender, sage, thyme etc)
If you need to contact me for any reason regarding either of these workdays or greenhouse donations- feel free to do so:
Dawn Marvin Ward [email protected]
I look forward to a special “growing” season at the greenhouse!
Please join us!
- Dawn
LEVERETT PEACE COMMISSION NEWS
The Leverett Peace Commission is pleased to sponsor a Food Film Series. The next film in the series is Fed Up, on Thursday, April 23 and a film yet to be determined on Thursday, May 7th.
PTO SPOTLIGHT ON…
Yahsiel Devi-Dalomba
Grade 4
What are you looking forward to at LES this year? The Invention Fair
What do you like doing outside of school? I like to play basketball and hang out with my family.
PTO News
We are having a PTO meeting on Wednesday, April 29th at 7 pm at LES. The three items on the agenda are a treasurer’s report, teacher appreciation and ideas for next year. We can really use your enthusiasm and great ideas. Please consider attending this meeting.
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COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
(Items listed here are not school sponsored)
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.
Family Afternoon with Multi-Arts! Sunday, April 12, 1:30 p.m., at the Jones Library in Amherst. Open to children of all ages and their parents/caregivers. Come to this free, fun, and creative workshop. Titus Neijens will guide you and your child in the creation of 3D structures born from your imagination: cats, dogs, masks, airplanes, just to name a few. Spend the afternoon with us, and you’ll be sure to leave with a beautiful final product to take home, as well as ideas for many more projects to come. This program is supported in part by the Jones Library and by a grant from the Amherst Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council,
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.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HAVE A FRACKED GAS PIPELINE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD? A Discussion led by Jim Cutler, Ashfield land owner whose land Kinder Morgan wants to take. Sunday, April 12, 2015 at the Leverett Town Hall
4 PM-5:30 PM
YOU WILL LEARN MORE ABOUT:
- KINDER MORGAN TAKING PRIVATE LAND BY EMINENT DOMAIN
- THE HIGHER CORPORATE TAXES THAT MAY BE IMPOSED ON ELECTRIC RATE PAYERS TO PAY FOR THE PIPELINE
- POTENTIAL GAS LEAKS INTO THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AND OUR WATER TABLE
- THE FRACKED GAS CHEMICALS THAT LEAK INTO OUR AIR FROM THE PIPELINE
- THAT THE GAS WILL BE PRIMARILY FOR EXPORT
April Vacation Week Weaving & Fiber Arts Explorations Class
with Susan Loring-Wells
Location: Leverett Crafts & Arts Center, 13 Montague Road, Leverett, MA.
Dates: April 20-24, 2015
Time: 9-3 pm (Extra hours available til 5pm for an additional fee)
Ages: 7 - 14+ are welcome.
Cost: $250 for the full week. Individual days available for $60/day. Siblings get a $50 discount for the week or $10 discount per day. Financial Aid is available.
Travel the world through Weaving & Fiber Arts!
Weave a scarf or table mat or tapestry, on a loom. Try your hand at needle felting, Japanese braiding(kumihimo), yarnwinding (temari) and other fun fiber arts.
Students should bring a bag lunch and snacks.
Monday - Scandinavian inspired floor loom & tapestry weaving projects
Tuesday - Japanese inspired Kumihimo braiding technique & Temari
Wednesday - African Strip Weaving
Thursday - Needlefelting & Stitching
Friday - Collage, Bookarts, & Cardmaking
Please call or email me to register or if you have questions: 413-695-0637 [email protected].
Susan Loring- Wells has been teaching & weaving since 1975. She received a BFA from Boston University's Program in Artisanry in 1985, and completed her Master Weaver Certificate in 1996 from Hill Institute in Florence, MA. She is mother to three daughters and a nephew, and lives in Shutesbury, MA.
HERBFEST 2015. Tuesday, April 21st, 11:00am to 2:00 pm. Student Union Ballroom, UMass. Herbfest is an annual celebration of medicinal and aromatic plants presented by UMass students studying Herbs, Spices, and Medicinal Plaints. Visitors to HerbFest will have the chance to sample foods and beverages, smell aromatherapy formulas, see fabrics dyed with plant extracts, and more.
