Alcott Owl

The Thursday Owl - January 20, 2022

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALCOTT CHESS CLUB - Alcott Chess Club has begun, but it's not too late to enroll your child. We always have room to teach one more child how to play chess. So, what do you say? Come and play!! We meet Thursday mornings, at 8 a.m. in the Faculty Lounge. Children enter via the door on the right by the auditorium. We strictly adhere to Covid protocols. Please email alcottchess@hotmail.com or call Ken Belt at (617) 332-4483 for any questions.

METCO Family Friends - Frog Pond Skating event, Saturday, February 12, 2022: Come to the Boston Common Frog Pond from 2pm - 4pm, Saturday, Feb. 12, for a bit of winter fun with the community, on skates! METCO Family Friends is sponsoring this wonderful event. Please see the informational flyer below and click HERE for the live link to register. Please contact METCO Academic Liaison Savaughn Dickerson (Sdickerson@concordps.org) if you have any questions.


A NOTE FROM NURSE AMANTE: If your student has received both doses of the Covid -19 vaccine, please provide documentation to the Alcott nurse's office. You may send in a hard copy, fax (978-318-9545), or take a photo/scan and email to Nurse Amante (pamante@concordps.org). Thank you!

ALCOTT WEAR: Outfit yourself for winter and show off your Alcott spirit!
Our first online school spirit wear store is live! Check out the store under the Support tab of the Alcott PTG website or click HERE to find the latest and greatest Alcott wear. Alcott PTG receives 10% back on all items purchased throughout the school year so consider purchasing an item today!

***Every Wednesday is now a half-day***
Feb 21- 25: February Recess (NO SCHOOL)
CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Mothers Out Front Concord is leading a Get Out the Vote campaign for the new sustainable Concord Middle School building, which will be voted on at a Special Town Meeting TODAY January 20th. Please note that childcare will be provided by Concord Rec for kids ages 2.5-12 years of age. Pre-registration is required. For more information on this campaign, click HERE.


Public Speaking & Debate Summer Camps (Grades 4-10). Give your child the opportunity to meet new friends, develop critical thinking skills, and practice their public speaking in a fun, low-pressure learning environment! Lumos teaches debate through fun games and activities that students love. And the instructors are friendly, warm, and great at making public speaking exciting! Choose your dates and register now at: LumosDebate.com to avoid the waitlist.


CONCORD CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC updates:

The Listening Project—it’s a community-wide opportunity for people to expand their musical horizons and grow their listening skills. Think book club, but for listening to music! Each month, CCM will provide a thrilling playlist that can be found on both Spotify and YouTube, which can be accessed from ConcordConservatory.org. CCM’s website will also have background information on each piece and questions to think about while you’re listening. Get introduced to new music and genres and become an active listener. January’s Listening Project playlist is already on the CCM websiteSign-up at https://concordconservatory.org/newsletter/ to receive monthly alerts.

Arabic Music complimentary online lecture, Jan. 27th - Explore the beautiful and diverse sounds of Arabic music with guest lecturer Layth Sidiq. Join us online on Thursday, January 27 at 7:00 pm when Layth, an award-winning violinist, composer, educator, and the artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra, presents an exciting music history lecture. Register HERE by 5 pm on January 27th to receive the link.

Children's group classes offer a collaborative setting with others who share your love of music. It’s an opportunity to receive excellent music instruction that balances rigor with the joy and fun of creating music. Small classes for your kids gives each student individual attention, yet learning in a social experience. We encourage registering as soon as possible due to maximum enrollment per group class and check out all our offerings.
MUSIC MAKERS for 3-year-olds
MUSICAL GATEWAY for 4 and 5-year-olds
BEGINNER VOCALS for ages 6 - 8
RHYTHMIC SOLFÈGE for ages 6 - 9
Introduce your young kids to music complete with dancing and creative games fostering fantastic growth and development. Financial assistance is available.

CONCORD RECREATION updates:
Shamrock Ball (3/12/22) Register – Tuesday, February 1st at 7:30am
Camp Three Rivers - Registration opens Wednesday, February 9th at 7:30am
*** Visit www.concordrec.com for more details ***

Skyhawks Multi-Sport (Ages 7-9, Mondays @ 5:15pm beginning 1/24) This t-ball, basketball, and soccer class uses age-appropriate games and activities to explore balance, hand-eye coordination, and skill development. Skyhawks provides a wide variety of fun, safe, and positive programs that emphasize critical lessons in sports and life; such as teamwork, respect and sportsmanship!

Skyhawks Floor Hockey (Ages 7-12, Mondays @ 5:15pm beginning 3/7) Come join us and learn the skills of hockey!  From stick handling to passing and shooting, we will develop and enhance the abilities to play the fastest game on (ice) the floor!

February Vacation Week Need childcare during February vacation? The February Vacation Program (Grades K-5) is from 8:00am to 6:00pm at Hunt Recreation Center from 2/22-2/25. (Participants must bring lunch unless noted) $100 per day per person. Registration open to general public. First come, first serve basis. This program has NO AFFILIATION with Concord Recreation’s Before or Afterschool Program.

CC YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Registration for the Spring Season is open from JAN 1 - JAN 31.  Building on an incredibly successful programming and record numbers in 2021, CCYB/S is offering robust programming from T-Ball through Babe Ruth. Don’t miss out on baseball and softball’s showcase season! REGISTER NOW!


Music lessons with IMSCC - The Winter-Spring session of music lessons starts this month! We welcome new students of all ages and all levels, including adults. Expert instructors are available for all band and orchestra instruments as well as voice, guitar, ukulele, electric bass, and piano. During this time families have a choice of in-person or remote lessons. In-person lessons are located at CCHS and the Carlisle public school campus and follow school district music protocols for Covid safety. Click here to request lessons, or here for more information about IMSCC. Questions? email Debbie Levine. We look forward to working with you!

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

The Thursday Owl - January 13, 2022

ALCOTT TAKES ON FRIGID TEMPERATURES! Brrrr! Many thanks to our tireless Alcott team of transportation professionals, faculty, staff, facilities management, administration and Nurse Amante for continuing to provide a wonderful school experience for our students during this week's extreme, almost-Arctic temperatures!

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

A NOTE FROM NURSE AMANTE: If your student has received both doses of the Covid -19 vaccine, please provide documentation to the Alcott nurse's office. You may send in a hard copy, fax (978-318-9545), or take a photo/scan and email to Nurse Amante (pamante@concordps.org). Thank you!

METCO Family Friends - Frog Pond Skating event, Saturday, February 12, 2022: Come to the Boston Common Frog Pond from 2pm - 4pm, Saturday, Feb. 12, for a bit of winter fun with the community, on skates! METCO Family Friends is sponsoring this wonderful event. Please see the informational flyer below and click HERE for the live link to register. Please contact METCO Academic Liaison Savaughn Dickerson (Sdickerson@concordps.org) if you have any questions.



Alcott Chess Club: The fun begins Thursday, January 20, 8 a.m. in the Faculty Lounge for 50 minutes. Children enter via the door to the right in front of the auditorium, wash hands and proceed to the game room. The club convenes weekly for 10 weeks through March 31. Click HERE for information. Any questions, please email alcottchess@hotmail.com, or call Ken Belt at (617) 332-4483. (All District COVID protocols are implemented.) ALCOTT WEAR: Outfit yourself for winter and show off your Alcott spirit!

Our first online school spirit wear store is live! Check out the store under the Support tab of the Alcott PTG website or click HERE to find the latest and greatest Alcott wear. Alcott PTG receives 10% back on all items purchased throughout the school year so consider purchasing an item today!

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


Jan 17: Martin Luther King Jr Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 21: Presidents Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 21- 25: February Recess (NO SCHOOL)


CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here

COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

SPECIAL CONCORD TOWN MEETING
Thurs, Jan. 20, 2022, 7:00 pm @ Concord-Carlisle High School

The Special Town Meeting warrant posted on November 12, 2021 and can be found HERE. There is one article on the Special Town Meeting Warrant: appropriate a sum of money for the construction of a new middle school. The Concord Middle School Building Committee, whose charge was approved by the Select Board, has been providing periodic updates to the public. Its website can be accessed HERE, and includes project updates, meeting minutes, presentations on design and schematics, and recordings of public forums. Please consider attending to cast your vote.

  • Extensive COVID mitigations

  • Free childcare (register HERE)

  • Fully accessible

For more information on the proposed building project, attend one of the last two Building Committee virtual “Coffees”:

  • Thursday, January 13 at 7:00pm

  • Wednesday, January 19 at 1:00pm

Zoom links can be found HERE.

Mothers Out Front Concord is leading a Get Out the Vote campaign for the new sustainable Concord Middle School building, which will be voted on at a Special Town Meeting on Thursday, January 20th. Please note that childcare will be provided by Concord Rec for kids ages 2.5-12 years of age. Pre-registration is required. For more information on this campaign, click HERE.

CONCORD CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC updates:
Arabic Music complimentary online lecture, Jan. 27th - Explore the beautiful and diverse sounds of Arabic music with guest lecturer Layth Sidiq. Join us online on Thursday, January 27 at 7:00 pm when Layth, an award-winning violinist, composer, educator, and the artistic director of the New York Arabic Orchestra, presents an exciting music history lecture. Register HERE by 5 pm on January 27th to receive the link.

Children's group classes offer a collaborative setting with others who share your love of music. It’s an opportunity to receive excellent music instruction that balances rigor with the joy and fun of creating music. Small classes for your kids gives each student individual attention, yet learning in a social experience. We encourage registering as soon as possible due to maximum enrollment per group class and check out all our offerings.
MUSIC MAKERS for 3-year-olds
MUSICAL GATEWAY for 4 and 5-year-olds
BEGINNER VOCALS for ages 6 - 8
RHYTHMIC SOLFÈGE for ages 6 - 9
Introduce your young kids to music complete with dancing and creative games fostering fantastic growth and development. Financial assistance is available.

CONCORD RECREATION updates:
Shamrock Ball (3/12/22) Register – Tuesday, February 1st at 7:30am
Camp Three Rivers - Registration opens Wednesday, February 9th at 7:30am
*** Visit www.concordrec.com for more details ***

Skyhawks Multi-Sport (Ages 7-9, Mondays @ 5:15pm beginning 1/24) This t-ball, basketball, and soccer class uses age-appropriate games and activities to explore balance, hand-eye coordination, and skill development. Skyhawks provides a wide variety of fun, safe, and positive programs that emphasize critical lessons in sports and life; such as teamwork, respect and sportsmanship!

Skyhawks Floor Hockey (Ages 7-12, Mondays @ 5:15pm beginning 3/7) Come join us and learn the skills of hockey!  From stick handling to passing and shooting, we will develop and enhance the abilities to play the fastest game on (ice) the floor!

February Vacation Week Need childcare during February vacation? The February Vacation Program (Grades K-5) is from 8:00am to 6:00pm at Hunt Recreation Center from 2/22-2/25. (Participants must bring lunch unless noted) $100 per day per person. Registration open to general public. First come, first serve basis. This program has NO AFFILIATION with Concord Recreation’s Before or Afterschool Program.

CC YOUTH BASEBALL/SOFTBALL Registration for the Spring Season is open from JAN 1 - JAN 31.  Building on an incredibly successful programming and record numbers in 2021, CCYB/S is offering robust programming from T-Ball through Babe Ruth. Don’t miss out on baseball and softball’s showcase season! REGISTER NOW!

Book PALS, an organization run by CCHS students to help kids in urban communities, needs books for kids ages 4-8. Please donate new and gently used children's books by leaving them in the labeled box in Alcott's main entrance hallway. Donate your favorites! CCHS students will read them with their book buddies at the Cambridge YMCA afterschool program, and then give the books to their buddies. The book drive runs through January 14th. Help support kids and reading.

IRISH STEP DANCE: The Inishfree School of Irish Dancing offers classes at our studio in West Concord. Join our Winter Session Beginner Classes for a fun and lively introduction to the basics of Irish step dancing, including posture, foot placement, and musical awareness. You will even learn a simple reel and jig step to perform for St. Patrick’s Day! No prior dance experience necessary.

  • Tiny tots class for ages 3-4 Saturdays 9:15-9:45

  • Beginner classes for ages 5+ Mondays 5:00-5:45 and Saturdays 10:00-10:45

For more details or to schedule a free trial class, contact Meghan at inishfreema@yahoo.com or 551-265-7942.

Music lessons with IMSCC - The Winter-Spring session of music lessons starts this month!  We welcome new students of all ages and all levels, including adults. Expert instructors are available for all band and orchestra instruments as well as voice, guitar, ukulele, electric bass, and piano. 

During this time families have a choice of in-person or remote lessons. In-person lessons are located at CCHS and the Carlisle public school campus and follow school district music protocols for Covid safety. Click here to request lessons, or here for more information about IMSCC. Questions? email Debbie Levine. We look forward to working with you!

The Thursday Owl - December 9, 2021

ALCOTT ANNOUNCEMENTS

The all-new Alcott Spirit Wear Store is here! Our first online school spirit wear store is live! Check out the store under the Support tab of the Alcott PTG website to find the latest and greatest Alcott wear. Alcott PTG receives 10% back on all items purchased throughout the school year so consider purchasing an item today! Please note that Items ordered may be delivered in time for the holidays but please check the website for more information on potential shipping delays.

Save The Date: Saturday, February 12, 2022--METCO Family Friends Frog Pond Skating event! Come to the Boston Common Frog Pond from 2pm - 4pm, Saturday, Feb. 12, for a bit of winter fun with the community, on skates! METCO Family Friends is sponsoring this wonderful event. Please contact METCO Academic Liaison Savaughn Dickerson (Sdickerson@concordps.org) if you are interested in attending.


















Second-dose COVID-19 vaccine for CPS district students: Second doses for district students vaccinated on November 17 will take place on Monday, December 13, 4:00pm - 9:00pm at the Concord Carlisle High School cafeteria. Please be sure to bring your child's vaccination card with you.

Click HERE to schedule an appointment for the Dec. 13 second-dose COVID-19 vaccination clinic.

Alcott Lost & Found items will be DONATED on Wednesday, 12/22/21
Please have your student check for any missing belongings at the Alcott Lost & Found (located in the cafeteria hallway) BEFORE Wednesday, December 22nd. Any questions or requests can be sent to alcottlostandfound@gmail.com.


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***

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

Help support Afghan refugee families. Open Table Food Pantry is in urgent need of donations to support over 30 Afghan refugee families. The foods needed to aid these refugees are not in stock but are needed now. Click HERE for the complete list and further details. Donations will be collected through the end of January 2022. Questions may be directed to fooddonations@opentable.org. Your support is greatly appreciated!

New Year’s Eve Girls Basketball Clinic - Sponsored by CCHS Girls Basketball CCHS Varsity Coach Amy Davagian, her coaching staff and Varsity players are offering a clinic on December 31 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. for girls in grades 1-8. All proceeds benefit the CCHS Girls Basketball program directly. Register HERE.

Annual Christmas Tree Pickup : Saturday, January 8 (reserve by January 3) Concord Scout Troop 132 and the CC-Catholic Youth Ministry Concord Scout Troop 132 are again organizing their annual Christmas Tree Pickup! After the holidays, we will be collecting Christmas trees for recycling at the town composting site. Please note: trees can only be picked up from Concord locations.
Pickup Date: Saturday, Jan 8, 2022
Pickup Time: Starts at 8:00am.
Cost: Donation of $20-25 per tree (Paypal, check)
Deadline for reservation Mon, Jan 3 by 8pm.
Please register HERE. More information at Facebook.com/concordtreepickup, concordtreepickup@gmail.com or 978-254-0978.

COAR Discussion Group, Mon Dec 13, 2021, 7:30pm-9pm. COAR (Communities Organizing Against Racism) was founded by Thoreau parents looking to share experiences, learn, take action, and engage in courageous conversations about race with each other and with our children. COAR offers a monthly learning and discussion group open to all. Our next meeting will be Monday, December 13, at 7:30pm (on Zoom). We will focus on the concept of intersectionality and the evening will include a Q&A with CMS Social Studies teacher Joe Meyer. Check out coaraction.org to learn more, or email coarcommunity@gmail.com to join the conversation!

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.

Last days to Bid, Bid, Bid to support the music programs in Concord grades 4-8! Do you see braces in your child’s future? Would you love to try out the Thoreau Club or the Beede Center as a New Year’s Resolution? Want to get away for a ski weekend or a night at the Bruins so close you can see the fire in their eyes? Is your child determined to shine in the Concord Rec Musical Theater Experience but you might not get them into the coveted class if you don’t click fast? The Concord Association of Music Parents (Concord AMP) has launched its annual online auction at www.concordamp.org/auction. We are especially thrilled that Heart Orthodontics in West Concord, has donated a complete orthodontic treatment (value $6800). Please support our student musicians, and bid now, until Friday December 17!

Events and Updates from CONCORD RECREATION:
Programs @ Alcott (Registration now open)
-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!

Boredom Busters - NYE!  Looking for a fun activity kit to pass the time over break? Our boredom buster includes a time capsule complete with decorations and ideas for content, noise makers, poppers and a stem activity.
SkyHawks Mini Sport (Ages 4-6)  This multi-sport program was developed to give children a positive first step into athletics. Sports are taught in a safe, structured environment filled with encouragement and fun. Through exciting games and activities, participants explore balance, hand/eye coordination and skill development at their own pace.
SkyHawks Multi Sport (Ages 7-9)  This t-ball, basketball, and soccer class uses age-appropriate games and activities to explore balance, hand-eye coordination, and skill development.  Skyhawks provides a wide variety of fun, safe, and positive programs that emphasize critical lessons in sports and life; such as teamwork, respect and sportsmanship!

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!

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!