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J. R. Briggs Elementary School Briggs At Large Newsletter The Voice of John R. Briggs Elementary School April 28, 2005 Volume 23, Number 28 |
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Upcoming events…
April 28 Math Night—Family workshop May 2 Kindergarten Orientation, 9-10:30 a.m. No School for present Kindergarten May 2 – 6 Grade 5 Nature’s Classroom May 12 School Council Meeting, 6:15 p.m. May 16 – May 28 MCAS Testing, Gr. 3 – 5 May 19 PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. May 25 Fine Arts Night May 30 Memorial Day, No School Parents…please help Just a reminder……parents who wish to speak to a staff member are asked to contact the school office. The beginning and end of the school day are NOT appropriate times to discuss your child’s progress or visit the classroom without prior notification. Remember EVERYONE must sign in at the office when visiting our school. Kindergarten Orientation – May 2nd 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. We are very excited to be welcoming our incoming Kindergarten students for the 2005-2006 school year. While students explore their new environment, parent will meet with school staff to learn about the kindergarten experience and our school. Full Day Kindergarten… The Ashburnham Westminster Regional School District has again approved to offer a full day Kindergarten class (5 full days per week) for the September 2005 school year. This class will be in addition to the half-time Kindergarten classes. The program will be available based on a lottery system to occur during the week of May 23, 2005; when 18 names will be chosen. This full-time class will be tuition based at a cost of $2600.00 per student. A limited number of scholarships will be available for families that qualify for financial assistance as established by the Free and Reduced Lunch Program criteria. The deadline for the application (applications are available at the front office): May 20, 2005. Lottery will be conducted during the week of May 23, 2005. Parents will be notified during the last week of May. On Placement Next Year
Again, we remind you that the deadline for the placement letter is May 13, 2005. If you can be understanding of this deadline, we can be much more able to take your feelings and input into account – in creating optimal classrooms that will ensure maximum feasible benefit to each of our 500 students. Please call if you have any questions.
News from Summer School
There will be a Summer School offered at Briggs for students that are presently in grades 2, 3 and 4. Final decisions about the format of this program are being made now and additional information will be given to those students who qualify for this program within the next couple of weeks. There will be a $40 registration fee for this program. It will begin the last week in June and run through the third week of July. The children will attend the program on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. There will be a small teacher to student ratio and each group will be a mix of regular and special education students. Students’ eligibility will be based on MCAS scores when applicable and teacher recommendation. If your child is eligible you will be notified in writing within the next couple of weeks. The emphasis of this program will be MCAS preparation focusing on Mathematics, Language Arts and test taking strategies. School Lunch Program
Just a reminder…if your financial situation changes any time during the school year and you feel you may be eligible for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program, please contact Vic Pulnik, Food Service Director at Meetinghouse Elementary, 978-874-0163. MCAS Update May is a VERY busy MCAS month at JRB. ALL students in Grades 3 – 5 will be involved in testing during the two-week period of May 16th – 25th. Please be sure to have your child arrive to school on time, having had a good night’s sleep and nutritious breakfast. Bonus Spring Pictures The bonus pictures have been sent home. Please return payment and unwanted pictures sheets (if any) to your child’s teacher or the front office by May 4, 2005. Thank you. Parking Reminders… As many of you know, parking at J.R. Briggs is limited. We have designated the Upper Wing playground as a parking area for parents before and after school. Please utilize the second driveway that leads directly to the upper wing playground, drive completely into the area and have your child disembark in the playground area and proceed into the school using the sidewalk. Please do not stop in the area entering the playground, as this blocks traffic and the bus ramp. Borrow a Book! J.R. Briggs is now offering resources for parents to borrow on the topics of ADD, raising children, and creating family connections. Last month, Dr. Edward M. Hallowell visited the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District to educate our community on ADD and related topics. As a result of his presentation, we purchased some of his books to use as reference materials for parents and educators. Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder and The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness: Five Steps to Help Kids Create and Sustain Lifelong Joy will be available upon request for two week increments. Please contact Lauren Clark, School Adjustment Counselor, if you are interested in borrowing one of these titles! DRESS APPROPRIATELY FOR SCHOOL As the warm weather approaches, we suggest consideration regarding student dress. Appropriate clothing choices are appreciated and students are highly discouraged from wearing “short shorts”, tube tops, halter-tops or any clothing items that expose the midriff. We also discourage any type of sandals, platform, roller blade, or cleat shoes at any time. Please refrain from sending your child to school with extra accessories such as chains, as they pose a safety issue on the playground. Remember…SNEAKERS are a must for physical education. Sneakers are a practical shoe for any day in school, as we expect children to participate in recess activities. Friends of Amber
Benefit
A Public Skating Event April 30, 2005 12:00 - 3:00p.m Iorio Skating Rink Route 12 Cushing Academy Ashburnham, MA For more info please call Julie at 978-827-5816 Amber Hamilton had just turned 22 when on her way to classes at FSC she was in a near fatal car accident. Extended Day News… The Summer Program planning is well underway. The program will run July 5-August 12. You can pick up registration forms at the Extended Day desk. There will be field trips, swimming, a fishing derby, and loads of fun. W.A.V.E. You are invited: 14th Annual Meeting of W.A.V.E. Thursday, May 5, 2005 7:00 p.m. Overlook Middle School Library Agenda: · W.A.V.E. activities during the past year · Election of new board members · Upcoming W.A.V.E. events W.A.V.E. Westminster-Ashburnham Value Education is sponsoring a…………. Spaghetti Dinner May 11, 2005 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Overlook Middle School This is being held in conjunction with the Evening of the Arts! Bring the whole family; tickets will be available at the door. * Looking for volunteers to help at the supper, perhaps previous W.A.V.E. recipients would consider calling Mary Durkee 978-827-4522 April Student Council News The 5th Grade Student Council Members have been busy at work once again. This month we are working on improving the condition of Platts Road. This area near the school has been littered with trash. Thanks to Christian, Ben, Justin, Jess, Joe, Maranda, Chad, Tyler, Genesis, and Nicole we filled a number of trash bags and things are looking better on “Platts”. This is an excellent local community service that improves conditions for many of our local citizens. Last updated 04/29/05 by Tiffany Davis. |
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