STAFF APPRECIATION "GRAB 'N' GO BREAKFAST": A YUMMY SUCCESS!
On a chilly morning last week, the entire Alcott team of staff, faculty, administrators and transportation folks were greeted with delicious pastries, hot beverages and a sincere show of gratitude for their incredible season of hard work and dedication. We love our Alcott team and we said it with carbs, caffeine and camaraderie! Many thanks to our Staff Appreciation chairs, Sarah Flynn and Hilary Drake, for making this wonderful morning happen, and to our Alcott community donors, whose generosity to the PTG fund paid for this event, and a few more to come!
ALCOTT ANNOUNCEMENTS
HAPPY THANKSGIVING, ALCOTT COMMUNITY! We hope that all of our students, faculty and staff have a wonderful Thanksgiving break with their families! Enjoy this time off and we will see you on Monday, November 29th.
Superintendent Hunter announces second-dose COVID-19 vaccine scheduling for CPS district students: Second doses for the students vaccinated on November 10 and November 17 can now be scheduled. Please note the location has changed to CCHS to allow for ease of parking. Please be sure to bring your child's vaccination card with you.
Click HERE to schedule appointments for either 12/1 or 12/13 second-dose COVID-19 vaccination clinic:
Wednesday 12/1
Concord Carlisle High School Cafeteria
500 Walden Street
Concord, MA
4:00pm – 9:00pm (2nd dose clinic for 11/10 clinic)
Monday 12/13
Concord Carlisle High School Cafeteria
500 Walden Street
Concord, MA
4:00pm – 9:00pm (2nd dose clinic for 11/17 clinic)
Still accepting TURKEY TROT pledges!
The deadline for pledges is Monday, December 6th. Students can bring their pledges into their classroom teachers and they will be sent down to the office. You may also DONATE via PayPal or check (payable to "Alcott PTG," which will transfer all funds to the charities). For more information visit the site.
Let's beat our 2020 total of $1,200! All of our pledge donations will be processed and sent to our charitable recipients (Open Table and Concord Recreation Scholarship Fund). Go, Alcott!
Haven't had time to donate to the PTG's Staff Appreciation efforts yet? No problem! While the November Staff Appreciation Breakfast is just a pleasant memory, there are several plans in the works for the rest of the school year to celebrate the Alcott team's hard work and dedication, and we need your help to make it happen. Did you know Staff Appreciation is one of the many efforts supported by your PTG Dues? If you haven't contributed yet, or would like to help even more, please take a moment to do so here: Donate to the Alcott PTG
While the pandemic may be shifting some of the ways we can say thank you, it has also shown how much our school staff does for our kids and our families. It may be harder to give our thanks in person, but let's be sure our staff know what they mean to us. Thanks for your support!
Winter is coming! Are you planning on buying gifts, cards and mementos on Amazon, Tiny Prints, Shutterfly or Minted? The winter season and holiday gift-giving are around the corner. You can support your Alcott PTG while taking care of all of your gift and photo needs!
Shop on minted.com using the code FUNDRAISEALCOTT to receive 20% OFF your order + give 15% back to the Alcott PTG!
Shop on Shutterfly & TinyPrints through our storefront -AlcottElementarySchool.ShutterflyStorefront.com - and they will donate 8% of your order back to the Alcott PTG!
Shop on the "AmazonSmile" page and the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of all qualifying purchases to a charitable organization of your choice. There is no catch and no extra fees; just designate “Alcott School Parent Teacher Group Inc” as your charity, then shop through the “AmazonSmile” link:
Share the code and storefront link with friends and family to help make our fundraiser a success!
The Concord Middle School Coats for Kids Club needs your help! Their annual Anton’s Cleaners Coats for Kids drive is NOW UNDERWAY! The goal this year is to collect 300 coats! Please consider donating any gently-used coats in good condition by sending them to Alcott with your child. The drop-off box is next to the office. We accept any size coat, from infant snowsuits to oversized adult, but please do not donate clothing other than winter coats – no sweatshirts, raincoats, vests, scarves, hats, gloves, mittens or snow pants. The drive runs until January 8th, 2022. If you get a new coat for the winter, consider donating your old coat to Coats for Kids. Thank you very much for your generosity!
***Every Wednesday is now a half-day***
Nov 25-26: Thanksgiving Recess (NO SCHOOL)
Dec 23: Half-day (12:30pm dismissal)
Dec 24-31: Winter Recess (NO SCHOOL)
CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here
COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS
Looking for some community service to do with your kids in this season of giving? Your friends at the Auxiliary of Emerson Hospital invite you to craft a handmade card for a patient, hospital staff, or anyone else this November and beyond. The Auxiliary's annual Tree of Lights is also something you can do as a family; donate a light or a star in tribute to someone special, and think about them each time you drive by the hospital's illuminated tree this winter-- we'll also send you or your honoree an acknowledgement in the mail. Click HERE for more info on the cards, and HERE for more info on the lights. Thank you!
The Concord Free Public Library will host a free reading of the classic tale, The Nutcracker, on Wednesday, December 8th at 4:30 pm. Several ballet dancers from the Commonwealth Ballet Company will help bring the story to life in their elegant and colorful costumes as the story is read aloud. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to see and meet their favorite characters from the beloved holiday tale. The dancers will be available to answer questions and pose for photos with the children after the reading. This program is recommended for children ages 4-10. Registration not required.
Concord Conservatory of Music:
Symphonic Exploration Friday, December 10th, 7:00 pm
Lecture presented by Sepehr Pirasteh, which will be held at the Concord COA. Be prepared to explore the depths of some of the greatest symphonies ever composed, and learn how the symphony evolved from the 18th to the 20th century. We encourage students to bring their instrument to sightread simple melodies that Sepehr has arranged from different music eras. Sepehr will conduct participating musicians in an orchestral setting, and students will learn firsthand from an experienced conductor! Purchase $15 tickets HERE or pay at the door. Free for kids 18 and under.
Concord AMP Auction to support the music programs! The Concord Association of Music Parents (Concord AMP) has launched its annual online auction at www.concordamp.org/auction. Concord AMP is a parent-led volunteer organization that raises money to support the music performing programs (band, chorus and orchestra) in the Concord Public Schools. The auction includes homemade treats, exclusive gifts, and sought-after services. Please support our student musicians, and bid now, until December 17!
Events and Updates from CONCORD RECREATION:
Beede Swim and Fitness Center’s Winter Vacation Program
December 27, 2021 – December 30, 2021
Looking to swim and play over December vacation week? Join us at Concord Recreation’s Beede Swim and Fitness Center for a week of all things aquatics! Participants grades K-5 will have the opportunity daily to participate in free swim, aquatics games, use aquatics props (kiddie pool spray features, diving boards, water slide, etc), do aquatics-based crafts, and more! Participants will be supervised by three camp staff and lifeguards as they get to enjoy all things Beede aquatics!
Annie – Musical Theater Experience Monday Cast
For over 25 years, Elaine Jarvis and Jen Jarvis and the Musical Theater Experience staff have offered children the opportunity for children in grades 1-5 to learn and then perform for family and friends, an age appropriate version of both original and well known musicals. Emphasis is on building self-confidence and self-esteem. No auditions or experience is necessary and everyone gets a part, along with singing and dancing. Annie will take place at Willard School.
Concord Tree Lighting
All are welcome at the Town of Concord's Annual Tree Lighting on Sunday, December 5th from 3:00 - 6:00pm. This year's event will be host to a variety of outdoor entertainment, a parade and festive store fronts. Santa will make his way down Main Street aboard one of Concord's Fire Trucks to light the Town Tree.
Chanukah Celebration and Menorah Lighting in Concord
The Town of Concord and Congregation Karem Shalom presents A CHANUKAH CELEBRATION AND MENORAH LIGHTING on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 from 4:30 - 6:00 pm. Meet on the Concord Youth Theatre lawn at 53 Church Street in West Concord.
Programs @ Alcott (Registration opens December 8 @ 7:30am)
String Orchestra (Fridays beginning 1/12/22 @ 8:00am)--Festival String Orchestra before or after school program is for students who have been studying basic skills since September and can play Twinkle Twinkle (#43 in the book) by January. The program is suitable for 4th year beginner students or second year + players (5th) graders. Join to further develop your ensemble playing skills on your string instrument. It's fun to make music all together! The final product will be sound recorded and emailed to the parents.
Engineering Workshop (Mondays beginning 1/24/22 @ 3:30pm)--Wicked Cool engineers will be put to the task to build things that go. Explore the engineering and design process to build balloon powered cars, hovercrafts, and magnet powered JunkBots.
Kids Test Kitchen (Thursdays beginning 3/3/22 @ 3:30pm)--Each class presents students with an opportunity to explore new or familiar foods in their raw, unmanipulated state. Then, working as a team, we’ll slice, dice, peel, measure, and cook until we’ve prepared the finished dish. Lessons are planned to celebrate seasonal produce – warm you on a cold winter day and offer ideas for quick and healthy family meals. At the end of class your aspiring chef will receive the main ingredient, or a sample of the finished dish, and the recipe so that they can show off what they’ve learned!
Code Wiz (online)--Code Wiz offers a variety of classes including Minecraft Coding, Game Based Python, and Game Development. The framework promotes a vision in which all students critically engage in computer science issues; approach problems in innovative ways; and create computational artifacts with a practical, personal, or societal intent.
GGLeagues – Esports (online)--You can safely play your favorite games (Madden 21, Fortnite, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros) in a competitive league, or one off major event. Building Community Through Gaming: We believe the beauty of esports is the ability to make friends, build relationships, and connect with your community. GGLeagues provides esports leagues and infrastructure to empower communities with the goal of connecting gamers with each other.
IMSCC's Music Lessons are up and running and enrollment is ongoing for the fall session! New students can start lessons at any time; all levels and all ages are welcome. Instructors are available for all band and orchestra instruments, voice, guitar, ukulele, electric bass, and piano. Families have a choice of in-person or remote lessons. Click here to request lessons, or here for more information about IMSCC. Questions? email Debbie Levine. Registration for the Winter/Spring session starting in January starts up next month!