The Thursday OwL
The Alcott ptg weekly email
November 6, 2025
The PTG provides information and support to the Alcott community and raises funds to help make our school the best it can be.
News and Announcements
A Message from the PTG President
After an October filled with lots of fun community events, from grade level playdates to parent socials to school traditions like movie night (a huge thank you to Kate Smith and Emily Dreitz for organizing a fantastic event!), we shift our focus in November to sustaining and expanding the work that the PTG does. The first week in November serves as the kick off to our annual appeal, our largest fundraiser of the year that supports all of the incredible programs the PTG offers to support our students and teachers. November is also the month where we host the first of three PTG meetings open to our entire community. The first half of our November meeting features Language Arts Specialist (and Alcott Parent/PTG Board Member) Katie Carr presenting on our new literacy curriculum followed by a Q&A. The second half of our November meeting will offer an opportunity for parents to learn about what the PTG is working on and share their feedback about PTG programming. I know I speak for the rest of the board when I say that we would be thrilled to see lots of new faces at the meeting!
—
Alcott Annual Appeal
It's here!! 2025 November Month of Giving! Our 2025-2026 school year has gotten off to a great start! So far, we have had a wonderful movie night, a successful student picture day, our annual Fall Fest, and several in-class enrichment programs. Still to come, we have many of our favorite annual traditions, including multicultural night, math night, and the parent social. These school community events are directly supported by your essential contributions to the Alcott Annual Appeal. The Annual Appeal is the PTG’s largest fundraiser and accounts for 40% percent of our annual budget. In this November month of giving, we are reaching out to ask for your support. A little goes a long way, and any amount of support is appreciated! Please read the attached letter highlighting all the wonderful ways in which your donation will enrich our Alcott community. Last year, 50% of our families contributed to the Annual Appeal. We are hopeful that this year's participation rate will be even higher!
Here are 3 easy ways to make your donation:
* Mail a check to Alcott, payable to “Alcott PTG” with “Annual Appeal” in the memo. *Make your payment HERE *Use this QR CODE, which links to the Alcott Annual Appeal website
Please “Give a Hoot” and donate today. We are so thankful for all of your support! - Allison Flynn and Rebecca Redington, Co-Fundraising Chairs, Alcott Elementary School
—
Turkey Trot Update
I would like to say thank you to all the volunteers and parents/families that showed up to our Turkey Trot last week and made it such a huge success. We had 388 joggers and they completed 2,023 laps, which is 505.75 miles. Amazing! Now the work to get all those pledges and donations in has begun. We have a “pay pal” link setup on the Alcott school website. All you need to do is log in to the website and scroll down to the “Latest News and Events”, there will be a “thumbnail” for you to click on which will link you to paypal for your donations. Or you can click this link to go directly to the paypal link and make your pledge donations. Thanks and I look forward to seeing how much we can raise this year.
Tim Gaudreau, Alcott PE Teacher
—
Picture Retake Day
Retake day is Wednesday, November 12th.
Open to all students who missed picture day or would like to have their photo retaken. To participate in retake day, no sign ups are required, but please let your student(s) teacher know if you would like to have a retake. If your child had a photo taken at picture day, please send in their old photos to turn in unless it's a digital retake.
If any families have questions – please contact the Coffee Pond Customer Service Dept. // PHONE: 1-800-632-2323 ext "0" // EMAIL: Lifeguards@coffeepond.com
—
Picture Retake Volunteer Sign Up
Alcott Retake Day is scheduled for Wednesday November 12th starting at 9AM. The volunteer sign up is available at the LINK HERE. Thank you to those who are able to volunteer to support the photographers and children. Spots are limited.
—
Walk to School Day
Our first fall Walk to School Day is TODAY, November 6.
—
UMass vs. BC Hockey Alcott Fundraiser
The details are:
Friday, December 5th @ 7:15 PM
Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell
Boston College Eagles @ UML River Hawks
Purchase tickets HERE. Come support as $5 of every ticket sold will be donated back to the Alcott Community! Get your tickets now, as this is a popular game and will sell out!
—
Alcott Variety Show
The Alcott Variety Show will showcase on November 20, 2025!
The Alcott School Variety Show is a family-friendly evening that showcases the awesome talents of our Alcott students (and sometimes teachers!) This is meant to be a fun, supportive night, with no competition involved. Talents can be performing an instrument, doing stand-up comedy, performing a skit, dancing, or whatever you can think of! Participation details can be found HERE.
—
First Grade Events
Adults-Only Social: Thursday, 11/20 at 6pm (Revolution Hall in Lexington)
—
Volunteer Opportunities
November Composting at Lunch: Sign up here. Feel free to come often!
Calendar and Important Dates
Every Wednesday is a Half Day
November 6 - Walk to School Day
November 10 - K-5 Conferences (No School)
November 11 - Veterans Day (No School)
November 12 - Picture Retake Day
November 13 - PTG Open meeting 6:30pm in the Alcott Library
November 20 - First Grade Adult Social (6pm)
November 20 - Alcott Variety Show (6pm)
November 27 - 30 - Thanksgiving Recess
In the Community
Safe Cycling in Concord with Peter Furth
"Can Bicycling Be a Normal Mode of Travel in Concord? Here’s How."
Thursday, November 20, 6:30 PM at the Concord Main Library, 129 Main Street. Mass cycling – meaning lots of people riding for everyday transportation – is critical to public health, climate, safety, and livability goals. Hundreds of kids riding to the high school and middle school; hundreds of commuters riding to the train station; thousands more doing errands and going on recreational rides. Mass cycling can only be achieved by “low-stress connectivity” – meaning people have a bike route with little traffic stress from home to their destinations. We’ll describe what low-stress connectivity looks like and how it is measured, so that it can become a goal for a community like Concord. We’ll describe some innovative road designs for creating low-stress bike infrastructure without road widening, including flexpost-protected bike lanes, advisory lanes, and sidepaths. Sponsored by Mothers Out Front and Bike-to-School Concord. Please see the library event calendar at cfpl.info/events for more information and registration.
—
Bandemonium!
The Concord Band and conductor, Jim O'Dell, present Bandemonium!, a musical event for children and families. This year, we are proud to feature Music Together facilitator, Vic Lalli, for an interactive musical experience. Presenting a variety of popular works, including Kpop Demon Hunters, Disney classics, and pop hits, it's a celebration of concert band you won't want to miss! Geared towards kids grades K-5, attendees are invited to join in the music-making through movement, sing-alongs, and exploration of band instruments. Get your tickets now at https://www.ticketstage.com/T/CONCORDBAND. We hope to see you on Saturday, Nov. 8th from 1:00-2:15pm at 51 Walden St., Concord, MA. Light refreshments to follow.
—
Patriot Field Hockey's Veterans Day Clinic
Patriot Field Hockey's Veterans Day Clinic is designed for players of all levels in grades 2-8. Join Patriots Varsity Coach Jacqui Turner and varsity players for a fun day of skills, games and competition.
Tuesday, November 11th at Concord-Carlisle HS from 9am - 1pm.
Players should bring a stick, mouthguard and shin guards. Goggles are optional. Players should also bring plenty of water and a snack.
No experience needed!
—
Sip, Sweat & Shop to Support Our Students!
From November 13-23, eight local businesses will donate a percentage of all purchases to the Concord Education Fund, which provides teacher grants for innovative programs that enrich learning for students in the Concord-Carlisle school district - programs that go beyond what school budgets can cover. It's an easy way to support our teachers and students - just shop, eat, or work out locally! See more details here.
—
Helping Teens (and Parents) Thrive in the Digital Age
Growing Up Well is a community event series that tackles one of the most pressing challenges of our time: how to raise healthy, resilient kids in the digital age. This series brings together leading experts, community leaders, educators, and families to share insights and practical solutions.
The second event in the series on November 19, 2025, is The Anxious Generation: Supporting Teens in a Tech-Driven World. Join us for a reception starting at 6pm, followed by a panel discussion from 6:30-7:30pm, where an interactive panel of experts explores how smartphones and social media are reshaping childhood—and what families and communities can do to reclaim balance. This event is free, but registration is required.
—
Veterans Day Boys Basketball Clinic
The CCHS Boys Basketball Veterans Day clinic (for 2nd-8th graders) is the most important fundraiser of the year for the program. All proceeds go toward the Boys' Basketball program to help pay for assistant coaches, team building activities, team dinners and the end of season banquet. The clinic will be held from 9am - 2pm on Tuesday, November 11 at Concord Carlisle High School. Find more info and register here.
—
CC Youth Hockey: In-Town Registration Open for 2025-26!
Registration now open for Learn-to-Skate, Learn-to-Play, and Hot Shots.
-Hot Shot Hockey is for Girls and Boys 8-15 yrs old who are looking for a fun, learning-focused, no-pressure hockey experience. Hot Shots includes 14+ weeks of games and practices starting on November 16th.
-The Learn-to-Play program is considered our "Hockey 101" program and is geared for Girls and Boys who were born between 1/1/17 and 12/31/20.
-Learn-to-Skate is for children 3yrs+ and teaches skating fundamentals.
-Learn-to-Skate and Learn-to-Play begin the 15th/16th of November at the Middlesex School rink.
Please visit www.ccyh.org for more details and to register your child.
—
SEPAC Coffee Chat
November 19th 9-11am @Saltbox Kitchen
Please join us for a casual conversation. Get to know other parents and caregivers with students who also have learning differences. SEPAC board members will also be available to answer questions and chat.
—
Standing SEPAC Office Hours
Office hours are an opportunity to talk in person to help answer any special education questions and get parent-to-parent support. We meet on the second Tuesday of each month from 11am-12:30pm at the Concord Main Library.