Pre-paid Lunches

  I write at this time as a reminder to all parents of the policy for the prepaid lunch money for your child.  When he or she has an extra portion of food or buys an extra carton of mild at lunchtime, the extra amount is deducted from another day’s lunch money that is prepaid.  If there is no credit left, the school will send home a notice of the amount owed. 

  If you do not wish your child to receive an extra portion at lunch time, please let the cafeteria know by calling or sending in a note.

  All checks are recorded daily when they come in and proper credits are given to the student.  If there is more than one student per family in the school, please let the cafeteria manager know to separate the money per child.

  If at any time you need to check for how many credits your child has, feel free to call the cafeteria.  It is always our goal to keep the balances accurate and we do not want any misunderstandings and are more than willing to answer questions at any time.

  Again, if a family is having a hard time paying for their child’s lunch due to a family emergency, application forms are available for free and reduced lunches at the school and we will work with you to set this up if necessary.

  I hope this clears up any concerns, feel free to contact me or Diane Hubbard at any time.

                      Vic Pulnik, Food Service Director

   Community Survey

  Soon you will receive a copy of a Community Survey enclosed in your monthly Ashburnham Municipal Light statement.  The J. R. Briggs building Assessment committee has created this survey to measure public awareness of current conditions at the J. R. Briggs Elementary School and to evaluate public opinion regarding the future renovation or replacement of the building.

  You may return this survey by return mail with your electric payment, mail separately to the Superintendent of Schools, or drop off at one of the following locations:  Town Hall, Ashburnham Marketplace, Ashburnham Hardware, Ashburnham Wine and Spirits, Steven’s Public Library, the Ashburnham Senior center, or the J. R. Briggs School.

  Tours of the J. R. Briggs School are available on the following dates:

• Friday, October 28^th, 10:00 a.m.
• Monday, October 31^st, 6:00 p.m.
• Friday, November 4^th, 10:00 a.m.

  A Public Forum will also be held at the J. R. Briggs School on November 30^th at 6:30 p.m.  There will be an opportunity for a question and answer period during this presentation, as well as an additional tour of the building.

News from BEST Program

The BEST program currently has seven students in grades one through four.  All of our students are included in general education classrooms with support.  Our philosophy is based on positive reinforcement and inclusion.  We use a variety of techniques to help our students increase positive behavior and decrease negative behavior.  We also modify classroom work to meet the needs of each student based on their Individual Education Plans.  All of the BEST staff have been trained in positive reinforcement and data collection so that we can follow the progress of the students.  We are very proud of all of our students (and staff) who have been working hard over the past few months.  Keep up the good work! 

W.A.V.E.

Westminster Ashburnham Value Education

ARTISAN’S FAIR

Saturday, November 12, 2005

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

A variety of artisans, a perfect opportunity for HOLIDAY shopping!

Art, Pottery, Textiles, Jewelry, Primitives, and Much More!!

Music, food and refreshments!!!

Westminster Elementary School

1 Academy Street

Westminster, MA

Free Admission

  W.A.V.E. is a non-profit organization with the purpose of promoting and enhancing educational opportunities in Ashburnham and Westminster.

  Consider becoming a member of our group for more information; contact – Mary Durkee, 978-827-4522.

EXTENDED DAY….

November schedules are due back on Friday, October 21^st. 

  Please read the calendars over carefully, they include information regarding all the early-release and days off.  There are several field trips being offered and all you have to do is sign permission right on the calendar!  Space on early-release days fills up fast – reserve your time now to avoid being shut out… Please call if you have any questions – 978-827-1412.

Gymnastics Program

  Extended Day is once again offering a gymnastics class (Grades 1 – 4), run by Oakmont Senior, Ariana LeBlanc.  This class has been very popular and fills up quickly.  If you would like more information, stop by Extended Day or call 978-827-1412.  classes begin November 1^st and run through the end of January. 

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. 

Holly Berry Fair

Saturday, November 19^th

10:00 am – 4:00 pm

First Congregational Church

Main Street, Westminster, MA

Coffee Shop – Corn Chowder Luncheon

OCTOBER STUDENT COUNCIL

   We want to THANK EVERYONE for contributing to our Coat and Back Pack Drive.  We are very happy with the amount of collected items.  Our October Student Council should feel proud of themselves for this worthy project helping to keep those in need warm and cozy this winter

   A special THANKS to Kay’s Restaurant in Westminster and Horrigan Cleaners Inc. in Gardner for helping us with this project. 

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