The Thursday Owl - February 15, 2024

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Everything’s coming up roses! A big thank you to the Alcott Community for giving our teachers and staff a beautiful Monday morning surprise ahead of Valentine’s Day! Once again this year, almost 1100 roses were delivered after lots of hard work trimming, watering, and sorting by our Staff Appreciation and Rose teams, alongside a great crew of volunteers. Many thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success!

Multicultural Night SAVE THE DATE: March 8, 2024: With the success of Alcott’s first ever Multicultural event last year, the school is inviting all families to come and join the multicultural night this year again!! Showcase your culture through food, trinkets from your country, a performance....sign up here.

Alcott Before School Sports - Winter Session #2: Hello Alcott Community - Our Winter Session #2 (Session #4 of the year) will be starting right after February break. Click the flyer to view dates and other information. Registration is live and can be accessed through this link. It's under the "register here" tab and then "general recreation programs-Alcott Before School Sports." Thanks, Tim Gaudreau, Alcott PE Teacher


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Calendar and important dates

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


Feb 15 - Progress Reports Available in Aspen

Feb 16 - Comfy Cozy Day

Feb 19-23 - February Recess

Feb 26 - Classes Resume

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


IN THE COMMUNITY

Concord Conservatory’s Music & Invention Concert and Lecture—Explore how music and invention interact and influence each other at Music & Invention, presented by Concord Conservatory of Music on Friday, March 8th at 7:30 pm featuring composer, inventor, and educator Tod Machover of the MIT Media Lab and artists: pianist Yoko Hagino, violinist Charlie Lovell-Jones, cellist Ariana Falk. From bow-and-string to new interactive interfaces and from AI to singalong, join us for an unusual evening of sounds and ideas that will spark imaginations, open minds, and bring delight. Whether you are interested in classical, experimental, or electronic music, you’ll find something to enjoy. Purchase tickets at ConcordConservatory.org.

How To Have Brave Conversations that Build Empathetic Kids | Free, live Zoom webinar, Wednesday, March 6, 7-8pm | Discovery Museum Speaker Series event with Valora Washington, Ph.D., CEO & President, The CAYL Institute and former Vice President, W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Dr. Washington joins us to discuss helping adults have the brave conversations that develop kids' sense of empathy over judgment, and respect the complexity of the world we live in. She will help us understand why keeping children "in a bubble" is not a reasonable option in today's world. You can also find it on our website here: https://www.discoveryacton.org/events-programs/parenting-time-insecurity. Event is free, advanced registration is required.

Bid at Concord AMP Auction to Support the Music Programs - Now through Feb 29- 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 in the Concord Public Schools (Grades 4-8).  This year’s auction includes homemade treats, exclusive gifts, and sought-after services.  We are especially thrilled that Heart Orthodontics, located on Main Street in West Concord, has donated a complete orthodontic treatment (value $7000).  Other amazing donated items include: a night at the Colonial Inn; dinner at 80 Thoreau;  tickets to the BSO, Concord Orchestra, and Radius Ensemble; a stay at the Black Bear Lodge in Waterville Valley, NH; Boston Bruins tickets; Beede Center family membership; Concord Museum and Discovery Museum tickets; one Lawn Mow service; homemade baked treats; and so much more!  Please bid and support our student musicians!  The auction runs through Leap Day – February 29, so take the leap and bid, bid, bid!

How to Talk to Your Kids About Race and Racism: Join COAR to watch a brief video from EmbraceRace and discuss ways to talk to your young children about race. Offered at the Concord Fowler Library, Fri, Feb 16th, 10:30-11:30am

Walk away with tips and strategies for engaging kids of varying ages and readiness in conversations about differences. Activities will be provided for children during the event. All caregivers are welcome, no matter if you're new to conversations about race or looking for ways to continue your learning. Registration is appreciated; walk-ins welcome. Co-sponsored by Communities Organizing Against Racism (COAR) and Concord Family Network (CFN).

Discovery Museum Speaker Series Event: Parenting in a Time of Insecurity | FREE Live Zoom webinar | Thursday, February 15, 7:00-8:00 pm

The health and well-being of families, classrooms, and communities today is increasingly affected by the insecurity, intolerance, and injustice we see in the world around us. Gene Beresin and Khadijah Booth Watkins from Mass General Hospital's Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds will help us understand the link between local and global events, social and cultural norms, and the confusion and uncertainty we and the children in our lives feel—and they will offer advice on how parents can care for themselves first, in order to successfully navigate the conversations that help children feel agency, safety, and security in uncertain times.

Registration for this event and the entire 2024 series is open now at http://bit.ly/DMSpeakerSeries. All events are free with advanced registration, which is required.

Concord Public Library Fowler Branch Offerings

  • Read to a Dog (Samantha), Thur. 2/15, 4:30-5:30 PM

Are you looking to improve your reading? Join Samantha, a young golden retriever, on the 3rd Thursday of the month for a 10-15 minute reading session. When you arrive, sign up and choose a book to read, and we will do our best to accommodate all interested participants!  No advance registration required, but sign up when you arrive at the library. For more information see the library event calendar.

  • Talk Yoga at Fowler, Fri. 2/16, 1-1:45 PM, ages 3-5

Talk Yoga classes incorporate movement, mindfulness, games, and music to boost language, articulation, and sensory awareness. Benefitting children of all abilities, these classes help students connect their minds and body and gain acceptance, confidence, and self-awareness. Register on the library event calendar for this event.

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!