The Thursday Owl - September 14, 2023

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS 

Hope everyone is having a great start to the school year. A special thank you to Jane Baldini and all the volunteers who made it a great picture day for all the students, teachers, and staff! - Melissa Karczewski and Liz Gibbs

Back to School Night: Save the date for BTS night on Wednesday, September 20 from 5:30-7:30pm. This is a great night to meet many of the teachers and staff who work with our kids throughout the day and see some friends new and old! Stay tuned for a detailed schedule for all grade levels. 

K-12 METCO FAMILY AND FRIENDS PICNIC is coming up! Save the date – Saturday, September 30, 1pm to 3pm. CLICK HERE to learn more!

School is back! Alcott Chess Club is back! Will your children be back? We sure hope so! Chess is great for all children. It expands their minds and prepares their thought and creativity processes to excel for the school day ahead.

Full details can be found in the Chess Club flyer here. We welcome your questions and we can always be reached at alcottchess@hotmail.com.  Or call Ken Belt @ (617) 332-4483. He'll be happy to hear from you, but be sure to leave a message; he'll get back to you pronto. 

We hope to see your children Sept 21 when the chess club kicks off its 26th year at Alcott. We're clearly doing the right thing. We trust you'll do the right thing too. It’s your move.

Alcott Twitter - Follow Alcott on its new Twitter account!

Calendar and important dates

***Every Wednesday is a half-day***

Sep 20 - Back to School Night

Sep 30 - Picnic in the Park

Oct 9 - Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Oct 14 - Alcott Fall Parent Social and Auction


CPS/CCRSD 23-24 School Calendar can be found here.

IN THE COMMUNITY

SEPAC Welcome Back - Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year!  

Whether you are a returning family or newly enrolled, we hope the first couple of weeks of school have been positive for you and your children. We are hosting two events in September and hope to connect with you soon.

September 19th - 5:30 pm / Online - SEPAC Presents:  Parents as Partners

Please join us online for a welcome back event on Tuesday, September 19th. 

We’ll host a dialogue with the Concord Public Schools and Concord Carlisle Regional School District Superintendent, Dr. Laurie Hunter, and the new Director of Student Services, Angel Charles, to talk about how parents and guardians can engage and “partner” with their student’s team and the administration in the new school year to support their student’s success.

Topic: SEPAC Welcome Event

Time: Sep 19, 2023 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://concordps.zoom.us/j/93084159814 / Meeting ID: 930 8415 9814

September 29th - 9:30 am / In–person - SEPAC Coffee & Chat

Please join us in person for an informal meetup on Friday, September 29th. Rideout Park Pavilion @ 61 Laws Brook Road, Concord, MA 01742

Coffee & Chats are a great way to meet other parents and members of SEPAC, discuss the back-to-school transition, ask questions and share ideas.

Want to Learn More or Become Involved with the SEPAC?

The Concord Public Schools and Concord-Carlisle Regional School District Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is a volunteer group of parents and guardians of children with a disability from ages 3 - 22.  Our purpose is to serve as a resource to families, to foster an inclusive culture in our schools, and to advise our districts on issues that affect the education of our children.

Membership is free and open to all parents and guardians of students with a disability and other individuals interested in special education from the Concord, Carlisle, and Boston communities. 

We welcome new members!   

We are also looking for liaisons to each of our districts’ special education programs, from CIPS to CCHS!  If you’re interested or would like more details, send us a note at concordsepac@gmail.com. 

17th Annual Kicks for Cancer - Saturday, September 23th at Concord-Carlisle High School! Please join us for this amazing annual community event at CCHS, hosted by the Friends of CCHS Men's Soccer! On September 23rd, join the community as we watch some fantastic high school soccer games and raise money to support ovarian cancer early detection research. Kicks for Cancer shirts and other merchandise are available for pre-purchase on one day only, at our Pop Up Sale this Saturday, September 16th from 10am-2pm at CCHS (outside the cafeteria). To view the Kicks for Cancer schedule or to make a donation, please visit: kicksforcancer1.org. To purchase a Kicks for Cancer lawn sign: https://kicksforcancerstore.wixsite.com/kicks-for-cancer-sto.

Registration for the Mighty Moose 5k: We are 2 weeks away from the 6th Annual Mighty Moose 5k and climbing toward our fundraising goal of $400,000. We’re on pace for a record number of registrants this year, making this the largest Mighty Moose 5k ever! There are still several ways to support the event!

Click Here to Register and/or Click Here to Donate

Race Packet Pickup: Please plan to pick up your Race Packet (Bib and T-Shirt) on Saturday, September 23rd at CCHS between 9:00 am - 2:30 pm. One member of your family can pick up race packets for all family registrants. We request that you pick up your race packet on Saturday if at all possible.

THANK YOU for your continued support! We are hoping you will all join us again on Sunday, September 24th, 2023 in person at Concord Carlisle High School or virtually.

Mighty Moose 5K -- Sunday, September 24: If running isn't your thing, join the MM community and volunteer! This annual event raises money to fight ovarian cancer and brings together hundreds of community members who ensure the safety of participants and make the event run smoothly. It is one of the best, most uplifting volunteer gigs out there! Please sign up to support the 6th annual Mighty Moose 5K. Students Submit a Volunteer Request Here and Adults Submit a Volunteer Request Here.

Fall Girls Basketball Clinic - Sponsored by CCHS Girls Basketball: Join Concord-Carlisle High School Varsity Coach Amy Davagian for an 8-session basketball clinic for girls grades 3-8, Monday/Wednesday evenings. All proceeds benefit the CCHS Girls Basketball program directly.  For more details and to register online visit: https://www.cchsgirlsbasketball.org/youth-clinics-community-events. Contact cchsgirlsbasketball100@gmail.com with any questions.

Concord Library Offerings:

  • Family Nature Walk: Saturday, September 23, 2023, 2-4 PM - Join Peter Alden, naturalist and Audubon field guide author, to observe birds and native plants on Concord Land Conservation Trust’s Nashawtuc Hill Circuit. For event details and registration: https://concordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/.

  • Family Bike Rodeo: Saturday, September 30, 2023, 3-4:30 PM (Rain Date 10/14) - Harvey Wheeler Lot at 55 Church Street (across the street from the Fowler Branch Library). We'll have bike decorating, safety checks, practice courses, and more fun for all! Get ready for Safe Routes to School's Bike to School events at the beginning of October! Register: https://concordlibrary.assabetinteractive.com/calendar/.

  • Family Hindi Storytime: Thursday, September 14 & 28, 4:30—5:15 PM - Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main Street - Join Fowler Staff for Hindi stories, songs, and a hands-on activity. Families with children ages 12 and under are welcome to join, whether you speak Hindi or wish to learn a new language. No Registration Required.

Concord Conservatory of Music’s Free Trial Week is this week, and there is still time to sign up! Did you know that you and your kids can sample a Concord Conservatory of Music Group Class to see if it’s a fit for you? Have fun connecting with other musicians and learning in a social and supportive shared experience. The CCM Free Trial Group Class week runs from Monday, September 11th through Saturday, September 16th. CCM group classes provide excellence in music education, balancing rigor with the joy and fun of creating music for any age. Sign-up for your free trial group classes!

Thinking of Joining Girl Scouts? Girl Scouts provides opportunities for girls of all ages to learn skills and develop as leaders in STEM, the outdoors, life skills, and entrepreneurship. Interested in learning more? Please visit https://www.gsema.org/en/about-girl-scouts/join.html to find a troop. Troops are welcoming Scouts at all grade levels! We are looking for troop leaders and parent volunteers as well! 

Cub Scout Pack 133 is gearing up for an exciting year of adventure, outdoor activities, service, and citizenship. Our pack operates as a family pack, welcoming everyone to join. We want to welcome current and prospective members to two exciting upcoming events:

  • A model rocket build/launch at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24, at School Street Field in Acton (Right off Route 2, just past the rotary, 341 School St. Acton, MA 01720). We will have kits, engines, and launch pads.

  • Our first meeting, Wednesday, Sept. 27th, 6:30 pm at Emerson Field for some fun, field games, and get-to-know-you activities.

Typically, our pack meets indoors at the Concord Scout House on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.

Cub Scouts provides grade-appropriate programming to kids in grades K-5. New members may join in any grade and advance with their peers. We hope to see a lot of new faces at these fun events. For more information about Pack 133, please visit our website.

West Concord Porchfest: The streets surrounding West Concord Village will once again fill with music for the fourth annual West Concord Porchfest on Saturday, September 23, 2023 from 1-5 pm (rain date: Sunday September 24). Porchfest is a free, all-ages grassroots community music festival. Porchfests have become a community-building tradition across the country as musicians, story-tellers and anyone with a talent performs on porches, driveways and stoops. Performers include a number of Alcott families!

Enjoy a sandwich or ice cream cone and grab a map to guide you around the neighboring streets to hear live music throughout the afternoon.  Learn more:  westconcordporchfest.org.

Concord Rec is offering back-to-back outdoor movie nights! The first will be September 29 @ 7:00PM, featuring a kids movie and the second will be September 30th @ 7:15 PM, featuring an older child or adult movie. This will be held at the basketball courts at Emerson Playground.  Bring your own blankets and chairs.

Concord Rec School-Based Enrichment: There are still seats available in the Umbrella Arts afterschool class that is being offered right here at Alcott! Don’t miss this amazing opportunity for your student to get some artistic enrichment at a convenient location for a great price!

Please visit this space for updates on sports, music and theater registration dates, seminars, and more events throughout town. 

PTG online volunteer information and sign-up: Please visit our website to discover all the ways both working and non-working parents and guardians are needed to support our wonderful staff, students, and families. Have something to offer that you don’t see listed there? There’s a place for you to submit that info as well! We hope to hear from you!