Briggs At Large Newsletter

J. R. Briggs Elementary School Briggs At Large Newsletter The Voice of John R. Briggs Elementary School October 28, 2004 Volume 23, Number 8
Meet Jennifer Partridge… Hello Briggs family. My name is Jennifer Partridge and I am the new grade one teacher. I am very excited to be teaching here at Briggs. I was born and raised in Haverhill, MA. That is about 1 hour from here. I received my Bachelor's degree from Fitchburg State College in Early Childhood Education. I received my Master's degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. My teaching career started in Londonderry, N.H., then to Newport News, VA, then Haverhill, MA, and finally here at Briggs. The grades I have taught have been kindergarten, first grade, multiage 1-2, third grade, second grade, and back to first. I love being back in first grade. I am looking forward to a wonderful year! School Safety For safety reasons, the main entrance will be locked at 3:45 p.m. We have a number of after-school activities occurring in our school. For your child’s safety, we are asking ALL after-school visitors to sign-in and enter through the Extended Day Entrance. 3^rd Annual Holiday Poinsettia Sale The Oakmont Booster Club is currently holding its annual poinsettia sale! These are beautiful, florist-quality and locally grown plants in various colors and sizes. Order forms are available and may be turned in at the school office on or before Friday, Nov. 19^th. To order by phone, please call Lorri Wallace, (978)827-1347. Thanks for supporting our athletes! 6 ½ “ pot – Large “most popular” size $15 red or white 8” pot – Double plants – very large $20 -red, white or combo 10” pot Multiplants – huge $27 – red or white Checks payable to: Oakmont Booster Club.*Thank you for your support!!!* 5th Grade Student Council Once again, our 5^th Grade Student Council members have taken on two ambitious projects for the month of October. The first project was home made cookies—made at school with the help of Candy Savoie—that were sold with lemonade on “voting” day here at Briggs. The second project involves visiting EVERY room in our school Friday afternoons to collect ALL of the recycled paper. Great Job; Darian, Jason, Tim, Kyle, Kayala, James, Travis, Meaghan, Ashley, Evan. Parent Reminder: Clothing! PARENTS—the temperature changes on an hourly basis at this time of year. Please send outer clothing for recesses—marked with names. Thank you. Please remind your child, to check the Lost and Found. These items will be donated to charity by mid-November. *Many, many, many, items are bagged on the stage. Stop by and look for your child’s things.* *Chorus Rehearsal Schedule* Tuesday Nov. 2—3-3:45 p.m. AFTER SCHOOL Monday Nov. 8—1:55-2:40 p.m. DURING SCHOOL Tuesday Nov. 16—3-3:45 p.m. AFTER SCHOOL Monday Nov. 22—1:55- 2:40 p.m. DURING SCHOOL Tuesday Nov. 30—3-3:45 p.m. AFTER SCHOOL *Call for Artisans* Sponsored by W.A.V.E., Inc. Date: Saturday, Nov. 13, 2004, 9 am-3 pm Set-up: Saturday, 7 am – 9 am Place: Westminster Elementary School Fee: $35 for 10’ x 10’ pre-assigned space Contacts: Mary Durkee (978) 827-4522 Dave Metivier (978) 874-2164 Application: must be received ASAP BREAKFAST OUT!! DATE: Sunday Nov. 7, 8-11 a.m. PLACE: Ashburnham Town Hall DONATION: $4 (3 and under FREE) Tickets available at the door or call Gay Houghton at 978-827-1248 Steven’s Memorial Library An Hour of Stories and Song… In a ghoulish send off for our trick-or-treaters Sunday, October 31^st 3:00 p.m. Notes from Band………. “B” Band started out very well last Friday. It is not too late to join if you want to learn an instrument! “A” Band is in full swing, getting ready for the Holiday concert in December. Both bands will be performing. We’ve all heard that practice makes perfect, and here are a few tips to practicing your instrument: Make practicing part of your daily schedule. Start with a warm-up routine including long tones and simple technical exercises. Set goals for each practice session. Practice the hard spots in your music over and over, until you can play them perfectly. At the end of each practice session, play something fun! Practicing every day will help your child succeed at memorizing note names, values, and fingerings, positions, or stickings. It will also improve hand-eye coordination. When your child finds success, he or she will enjoy playing more, resulting in even more success, which will be good for his or her self-esteem and our ears! Again, if you have any questions or comments, call Bev Chadwick, 978-827-4836. Extended Day News November & December calendars have been sent home to all families registered with Ext. Day. If you did not receive yours, please be sure to stop by to pick one up. There are many important dates upcoming in the next few months so it is very important that schedules are filled out and returned to us as soon as possible. Spanish Club! Students in Grades 3 – 5 may still sign up for the after school Spanish Club. It will run for 8 weeks on Tuesday afternoons from 4:10-5:10. Have fun & learn a new language with your friends! Call Dorene at 978-827-1412 Flu Facts The flu is a very contagious disease of the respiratory system. The flu is easily passed from one person to another by coughing and sneezing. It is usually very unpleasant, but for most people symptoms generally get better after 7 – 10 days. The flu usually starts very suddenly with: Fever (from 102 – 104) lasting 3 – 4 days Headache Severe muscle aches General weakness/extreme fatigue These symptoms may be accompanied by: Dry cough Sore throat Runny or stuffy nose Next week: what to do if you have the flu. Last updated 10-28-04 by Tiffany Davis.		Contact Us Briggs At Large Teacher Resources Student Resources Tech Class Web Quests Nature Trail District Home Page