Briggs At Large Newsletter

J. R. Briggs Elementary School Briggs At Large Newsletter The Voice of John R. Briggs Elementary School October 13, 2005 Volume 24, Number 6
WELCOME TO THE 2005-2006 SCHOOL YEAR OCTOBER DATES 13 School Council, 5:45 p.m. 19 Chorus, 3:00 – 3:45 pm 20 PTO Meeting, 6:30 p.m. 21 PTO “Shop ‘til You Drop” 22 BJs “Make a Difference Day” 24 Picture Day 26 Select Chorus – ONLY, 3:00 – 3:45 30 Trick or Treating, 4:00 – 6:00 pm NOVEMBER DATES 2 Chorus, 3:00 – 3:45 p.m. 8 Election Day – NO SCHOOL News from 4^th Grade Grade 4 will again be actively involved in EIC this year. In conjunction with our rock and mineral unit, we went on a field study recently. In the woods behind our school, we observed stonewalls dating from Ashburnham’s colonial period. Our fourth graders participated in activities that incorporated math, creative writing and art into the study of the stonewalls. Our next EIC activity will involve a study of erosion and its effects on the land surrounding our school. In addition, Ms. Gera’s class is participating in a study with a Harvard Forest ecologist, John O’Keefe. Dr. O’Keefe is studying how our growing season is affected by climate change. Each week, 4G students visit an assigned tree and complete a data sheet describing leaf coloration and noting which leaves from an assigned branch have fallen. During the spring, they will return to the same tree and the same branch, to track “bud burst”. Their data will eventually be posted on the Harvard Forest website and used in Dr. O’Keefe’s research. It’s exciting to participate in a real world research project. Thanks to the parents who have accompanied us in our forest treks! *Love and Support:* *The Heartbeat of Healthy Families* Love and support. It sounds easy…but, giving your child consistent love and support can be tricky. Young people know our body language. They listen to what we say – and don’t say. They notice when our words and our actions do not match. Supporting and loving our children refers to the many ways we affirm, love, and accept them, both verbally and non-verbally. When we hug them or say "I love you," the expression is obvious. Paying attention to them, listening to them, and taking interest in what they’re doing are less obvious ways of giving support. Be consistent. Be loving. Develop an openness so that your child always knows that you’re available and you’ll love her or him – no matter what. *Time Together* Have a weekly family night…decide what to do together. Spend one hour a week with each child alone. Take a walk, go out for dinner, or just hang out. Find one area where your child is struggling. Listen to your child’s concerns. Help your child think of ways to address the issue. PTO Reminder The PTO is looking for donations of candy to be used in this years’ Halloween Goody Bags. *We will be accepting donations from now until Monday, Oct. 17^th. Please send in your bags of candy marked “PTO” with your children. Any one interested in helping make the Halloween bags, we will be making them at the next PTO meeting on October 20^th. Box Top for Education* From now until Dec. 31^st, our school can earn an extra 50 cents for each new person who joins the Box Tops Booster Club. All you have to do is sign up at www.boxtops4education.com TARGET – “Take charge of Education” Sign up for a Target Visa RedCard. Target will donate 1% to our school. Visit: www.Target.com and designate JRB – VMS School. *Come to TWEEDOVILLE…* Saturday, October 22, 2005 Noon – 10:00 p.m. 3 Dunn Road, Ashburnham Come in Costume, Play Spooky Miniature Golf, Games, and Prizes * For each dollar collected for golf, half will be donated to JRB YOGA for KIDS Grade 2 – 5 Join Paula Magee for this four-week program on Tuesday, beginning October 18^th through Thursday, November 15^th from 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.. The cost is $24.00 for four weeks or $7.00 drop in fee. If interested, please complete the “Consent and Release Form” that was sent home this week. Enrollment is limited to 12 students, so please register as soon as possible. MASS HEALTH To apply for MassHealth or the children’s Medical Security Plan or simply to learn more, please contact your local health center or hospital. To find your local health center, call: 1-800-475-8455 To find a hospital, visit: www.mhalink.org/public/mahospitals/ Or, call: 1-877-KIDS-NOW FALL FOOD DRIVE Help stock the near-empty shelves at the Gardner Community Action Committee food pantry by donating items to a food drive running from Monday, Oct. 3 to Friday, Oct. 14. This community pantry is experiencing a 6 year low in its supplies, and winter has yet to arrive! The pantry is used by residents of Gardner and surrounding communities. Drop-off boxes will be placed around MWCC’s Gardner campus: near the library entrance, the commons area, student life offices and the cafeteria. The CAC asks for donations of non-perishable items in non-glass containers: cereal, jellies and jams, spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes, crackers, soup, pasta, juice, baked beans, canned meats and canned vegetables. Money donated to the pantry is used to buy meat, eggs, cheese, baby formula and other refrigerator items. *Donations of food or money may be brought to the nurse's office at the JR Briggs Elementary School.* Recycled Printer Cartridge Update Many thanks to all parents, students and teachers who have brought in their empty ink jet printer cartridges. Last year, we earned over $500 for the school! The money was used to purchase digital video cameras for student use and chairs for the computer lab. Keep those cartridges coming! Remember, any ink jet cartridge with a print head qualifies. That includes most of the Hewlett Packard, Lexmark, Compaq, Canon and Apple cartridges. Ink jet cartridges without a print head are accepted for recycle, not payment. That includes mostly Epson cartridges. We do not accept laser printer cartridges. Thanks again for your support! Briggs Web Page You can find the Briggs At Large newsletter, PTO meeting minutes, and other important school announcements at the school's web site. Our address is: www.awrsd.org/jrb. Mrs. Davis & Mrs. Pinsoneault Technology Teachers *WAVE* ARTISIAN’S FAIR—Saturday November 12^th, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Westminster Elementary sponsored by W.A.V.E. Inc. Art, pottery, textiles, jewelry, primitives and more—a variety of artisans, a perfect opportunity for holiday shopping. Free admission, music, food and refreshments. W.A.V.E. Inc. is a nonprofit organization with the purpose of promoting and enhancing educational opportunities in Ashburnham and Westminster. Interested in becoming a member? You can contact Mary Durkee at 978-827-4522 for more information.		Contact Us Briggs At Large Teacher Resources Student Resources Tech Class Web Quests Nature Trail District Home Page