The Thursday Owl - April 1, 2021

ALCOTT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Middle School Building Project TOWN-WIDE SURVEY: The Middle School Building Committee invites you to participate in a TOWN-WIDE SURVEY regarding the design, function, and project cost of the new middle school project. It is critical that we collect feedback broad community feedback from all segments of our population and as many residents as possible. Please click here to share your feedback in a 5-10 minute survey.  The survey will be available through Monday, April 5, but we suggest you do it right away! 

From the Virtual Art Room: Dear Families: If your children are going to remain fully remote starting 4/5, you can ignore this message. Otherwise, please help your children organize their remote art materials to bring back to school, after their art classes this week, 3/29-4/1. They will need whatever art supplies I sent home with them, including scissors, glue, and paper, if they have any left. They will also need their markers and crayons. Art (and all specials) will be taking place in classrooms, with 20 minutes of Zoom, and 25 minutes of asynchronous work time. It will also be very important for every student to have their earbuds or earphones, and laptop chargers at school. 

The Alcott Chess Club has kicked off its final 10-week session for the school year, but it's not too late to join the fun! Give your child something to do for those rainy evenings, and for those times when they just want to kick back and have some fun. Email Ken Belt at alcottchess@hotmail.com if you're interested. And be sure to watch for details on the annual Alcott chess tournament after vacation. You won't want to miss it. It's your move!

Basic Rights in Special Education - understanding the IEP, Tuesday, 6th April  from 7:00 – 9:00 pm: Hosted by the Acton-Boxborough, Concord/Concord-Carlisle, Lincoln-Sudbury, Maynard, and Sudbury Special Education Parent Advisory Councils with support from our school districts. This workshop, presented by the Federation for Children with Special Needs, will provide an understanding of the Individual Educational Plan (IEP); why it is important, how it is developed, what information belongs in each section, what types of services are included, measurable goals, what to do when you receive a proposed IEP and the process for resolving disputes. Please register via this link. The Zoom information to access the meeting will be sent directly by FCSN to all who have registered. If you have any questions, please contact us at concordsepac@gmail.com or visit our website at www.concordsepac.org.

SEPAC Appreciation Awards - last chance to nominate! We are inviting parents and caregivers with children on an IEP or 504 plan to submit the name of one special person in our school district who has made a difference to your family this year. This may be a classroom teacher, coach, special educator, guidance counselor, or any other school employee that has made a positive impact on your child or family. Given the challenges this year for all of us, these awards are even more important. All names submitted will be honored and recognized publicly. Please visit our website to nominate your special person. Submissions for the SEPAC Appreciation Awards close on April 3rd. If you have any questions, please email us at appreciationawards@gmail.com

Apr 5: Return to Full In-Person Learning
Apr 7: Conference Day - No School for Students
Apr 19-23: April Recess - No School
May 28: Professional Day - No School for Students
May 31: Memorial Day - No School


2020-2021 School Calendar

IN THE COMMUNITY

Virtual Ed Morgan Concerts at the Concord Free Public Library: The Concord Free Public Library invites kids and families to join us for an interactive sing-along with Ed Morgan, “The Music Man”, on Friday, April 16, May 21, June 21, July 16 and August 20. All concerts will take place at 10 am on Zoom. Enjoy fun rhymes and tunes, and connect with your family through music. These family-friendly performances will have everyone up moving, dancing, and singing. Register by visiting our events calendar online at concordlibrary.org, and we'll send you the Zoom link. This event is generously sponsored by The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Concord Children’s Center is Celebrating its 45th Anniversary! Concord Children’s Center will be celebrating its 45th anniversary in April with a series of small-scale, COVID-safe events that are open to all.

  • Family Scavenger Hunt: A fun activity for the entire family! Download a scavenger hunt form and then find the picture of the decorated “45” at participating local businesses from Monday, April 12-Tuesday, April 27. Return your completed sheet to CCC Development Coordinator Jennifer Saxe and get one entry for the child’s prize in our 45th anniversary raffle!

  • Raffle: The grand finale of CCC’s 45th anniversary celebrations! On Thursday, April 29, we will be holding a virtual raffle at 8:30 p.m. Participants have the chance to win one of five prizes, with one of these prizes being just for kids! Allocate your raffle tickets among the five prizes however you wish — apply them all to one prize or divvy them up among a few items. You do not need to be on the raffle call to win. Raffle tickets will be on sale from Monday, April 12-Tuesday, April 27, and are 1/$10, 3/$25, or 10/$75. Massachusetts law does not provide for the sale of raffle tickets on-line or through the mail, so all sales must be in person. To purchase tickets, please email CCC Development Coordinator Jennifer Saxe.

More information on the festivities can be found on the Concord Children’s Center website.

CCM presents Sacred Green: The 11th Century Environmental Movement of Hildegard of Bingen—a complimentary online lecture on Friday, April 23, from 7 - 8 pm by CCM faculty member Dr. Greta Feeney. It’s an exploration of the music of 11th century Catholic scholar, theologian, composer, natural scientist, mystic and polyglot Hildegard of Bingen. Greta explains, "Hildegard is one of the first identifiable composers in Western history. Most of them were 'anonymous' until the 14th century, but she wrote in the 11th century and we know a lot about her life to help us understand her musical and intellectual contributions." Examples of Hildegard's sacred chant containing a variant of the word 'viriditas', or, 'noble greenness' from her own language 'Lingua Ignota', will be explored in the context of modern environmental activism. Receive the link: https://concordconservatory.org/sacred-green-11th-century-environmental-movement-hildegard-bingen

CONTINUING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Shop through Amazon Smile: Do you shop on Amazon? If so, one easy way to support our PTG is to shop through smile.amazon.com. 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!

Helpful Links:

PTG online volunteer information and sign-up: Please visit our SignUpGenius Page and 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!

The Thursday Owl - March 25, 2021

ALCOTT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

ALCOTT PTG 2021-2022 BOARD and VOLUNTEER POSITIONS: The Board is getting ready to make nominations for next year, and board positions will be voted on by the entire membership at the open Spring Alcott PTG meeting, currently scheduled for Friday May 14, at 9.30am over zoom (link to be published the week prior). There are a couple of Board openings as well as many volunteer positions underneath the Board members. If you are interested in volunteering next year, please email Krissy Tyson, PTG Vice President (krissytyson@gmail.com) and put “Alcott Volunteer PTG” in the subject line. Please also include your areas of interest (more than one please); best contact # and email. Many of the positions are part of a team e.g. Fall Fest, METCO family friends, or fundraising, so there is room for more participation. If the position you are interested in is currently filled by someone in the second year of their term, we will note and save your interest for the following year. As a community, we still don’t know what next year will look like in terms of events and programs inside and outside of school because of the public health crisis, but we will assess based on the recommendations of the School District. All levels of PTG experience are welcome and encouraged - no experience necessary!

The areas of involvement are:

  • Communications: the OWL, the Community Events Page, Social Media, and the Directory

  • Enrichment: Children’s Programming, Before and After School Workshops, and Student Garden Committee; Green Team

  • Events: Book Fair, Fall Fest, Math Night, Family Fun Night, Multicultural Night, and Parent Social

  • Fundraising: Alcott Spirit Wear, Annual Appeal, Fall Fundraiser, Minted, Shutterfly, Amazon Smile, Box-tops

  • METCO: METCO family friends participation events and grade level liaisons

  • School Community: Health Liaison, Lost and Found, New Family Outreach, Room Parent Coordinator, Picture Day, Yearbook, Library Volunteer Coordinator, Staff Appreciation, Parent at Lunch.

We are also seeking to fill three Chair positions on the Board:

(1) A newly created board position of METCO Chair. The position of METCO Chair on the Alcott PTG ideally would be a parent or guardian of an Alcott METCO student and it involves the following:

  • Participate and attend monthly board meetings.; (1 hour a month)

  • Attending three open PTG meetings for the entire membership during the year, some of which are in the evening and some in the mornings; (3 -4 hours a year)

  • Helping to Manage and assist the subcommittee member who coordinates the METCO family friends group; (20 hours a year)

  • Getting to know Alcott and METCO families at PTG sponsored events.

(2) School Community Chair: The chair of the School community would be a parent or guardian of an Alcott student who would be willing to:

  • Participate and attend monthly board meetings.; (1 hour a month)

  • Attending three open PTG meetings for the entire membership during the year, some of which are in the evening and some in the mornings; (3 -4 hours a year)

  • Helping to Manage and assist the subcommittee members who include Health Liason, Library, Lost and Found, New Families, Room Parent Coordinator, Picture Day, Yearbook, Staff Appreciation, Parents at Lunch. Approximately 2 hours a month.

  • Getting to know all Alcott and families at PTG sponsored events.

(3) Enrichment Chair: The chair of the Enrichment Committee would be a parent or guardian of an Alcott student who would be willing to:

  • Participate and attend monthly board meetings.; (1 hour a month)

  • Attending three open PTG meetings for the entire membership during the year, some of which are in the evening and some in the mornings; (3 -4 hours a year)

  • Helping to Manage and assist the subcommittee members who include: Children’s Programming, Before and After School Workshops, Student Garden Committee and Green Team.

  • Getting to know all Alcott and families at PTG sponsored events.

Again, please reach out with questions.  We are working this month to create better descriptions of each of these roles to help volunteers know what the job requires! Thank you in advance for your time!  Alcott PTG

Mar 26: Professional Day - No School for Students
Apr 5: Return to Full In-Person Learning
Apr 7: Conference Day - No School for Students
Apr 19-23: April Recess - No School
May 28: Professional Day - No School for Students
May 31: Memorial Day - No School


2020-2021 School Calendar

IN THE COMMUNITY

Patriots’ Day (month) at the Concord Museum! Concord Museum will reopen on Thursday, April 1, 2021 showcasing its new permanent April 19, 1775 gallery along with a series of in-person, virtual, and outdoor events surrounding Patriots’ Day! On Patriots’ weekend and during school vacation week, families are invited to drop-in the Museum’s courtyard to try their hand using a feather quill pen, making a tricorn hat, and playing colonial games. Culminating on Patriots’ Day see Acton Minutemen as they prepare for battle in an encampment on the Museum’s lawn! For a complete list of programs and to reserve a timed-ticket to see the Museum’s new April 19, 1775 gallery go to www.concordmuseum.org.

Cake Decorating 101 – Thursday, April 8, 4-6 pm: Learn the basics of cake decorating in this hands-on workshop. You’ll learn how to make a buttercream icing, crumb coat your pre-baked, and use a piping bag to create borders, roses, ribbon swirls and textures to give your cake a professional look. You will receive an ingredients list ahead of time to purchase, along with a list of basic kitchen tools to have on hand. This is a fun teenage and parent/child class too! Adrienne is a certified baker & Level III Wilton certified decorator. Offered through CCACE; fee is $40. Register here: https://ccace.asapconnected.com/?org=4701#CourseID=241364

Spring and Summer Registration for Concord Recreation is OPEN! Head to www.concordrec.com to check out the full list of classes, programs, and camp details.

Bunny Egg-stravaganza: Join us on Saturday, April 3rd for a drive through egg hunt event! Drive up to receive a bag of goodies including eggs, and have an opportunity to take a photo with our Bunny. By registration only, registrations done by car.

Concord Esports League (Grades 3-5, 6-12 – Starts April 12th): Our Spring league is ready for sign-ups - we have Madden, Fortnite, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros ready for your child to play. Represent Concord in the North Shore League and bring home the title!

Revolutionary Soccer Camp (Grades 1st-5th, Week of July 6th & Week of July 19th): The objective of the Revolution Academy Soccer Camp is to put players in an environment that encourages creativity, individuality, and imagination through age-appropriate coaching while fostering a competitive, professional and fun atmosphere.

Intro To Film Camp (Grades 4th-6th, August 2nd-13th): Our goal is to create a fun, age-appropriate, and hands-on experience for kids to learn about film and filmmaking in a camp environment. Both weeks will culminate in the creation of a short film created by the children.

Youth Track Program (Grades 3-6, Registration Opens April 1st): The emphasis in this program is on participating, learning, improving, and doing the best one can. This informal and fun track & field clinic is open to students in grades 3-6. It is designed to familiarize participants with this universal sport. Track events include the 100, 200, and 400 meters for all grades, the 50 meter dash for 3rd and 4th graders, and the 800 meters and one mile for the 5th and 6th graders. Field events include the softball throw for distance and the running long jump.

CONTINUING ANNOUNCEMENTS

Shop through Amazon Smile: Do you shop on Amazon? If so, one easy way to support our PTG is to shop through smile.amazon.com. 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!

Helpful Links:

PTG online volunteer information and sign-up: Please visit our SignUpGenius Page and 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!

ALCOTT PTG 2021-2022 BOARD and VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

As you all know, the PTG is a non-profit that raises funds every year that go to three cases (1) the enrichment of our children’s education; (2) the welfare of all Alcott School Children; and (3) the promotion of community and school spirit. Each year, these priorities remain, but the equation is built differently. This year, our funds have gone less to enrichment than in the past, because of limited opportunities for people in the classrooms and schools, and more to the welfare of Alcott children, teacher support and appreciation and the building and maintaining of support within our community.

The Board is getting ready to make nominations for next year, and board positions will be voted on by the entire membership at the open Spring Alcott PTG meeting, currently scheduled for Friday May 14, at 9.30am over zoom (link to be published the week prior). There are a couple of Board openings for next year as well as many volunteer positions underneath the Board members. If you are interested in volunteering next year, please email VP of the PTG krissytyson@gmail.com, and please put “Alcott Volunteer PTG” in the title. These are all the positions, even those that are not open, so if you want to volunteer, please include your areas of interest (more than one please); best contact # and email. Many of these positions have to fill a team e.g. Fall Fest, METCO family friends, or fundraising, so in those positions, there is room more participation). Some people will be returning to positions for a second year, and if so, we will note and save your interest for the following year. As a community, we still don’t know what next year will look like in terms of events and programs inside and outside of school because of the public health crisis, but we will assess based on the recommendations of the School District. The Chairs are typically nominated by the board from people who have had the experience of volunteering on the committee, and then voted on at the Spring meeting, but all new volunteers are more than welcomed – even celebrated!

The areas of volunteer involvement are:

Communications: the OWL, the Community Events Page, Social Media, and the Directory;

Enrichment: Children’s Programming, Before and After School Workshops, and Student Garden Committee; Green Team

Events: Book Fair, Fall Fest, Math Night, Family Fun Night, Multicultural Night, and Parent Social;

Fundraising: Alcott Spirit Wear, Annual Appeal, Fall Fundraiser, Minted, Shutterfly, Amazon Smile, Box-tops;

METCO: METCO family friends participation events and grade level liaisons;

School Community: Health Liaison, Lost and Found, New Family Outreach, Room Parent Coordinator, Picture Day, Yearbook, Library Volunteer Coordinator, Staff Appreciation, Parent at Lunch.

We are also seeking to fill three Chair positions on the Board:

(1) a newly created board position of METCO Chair. The position of METCO Chair on the Alcott PTG ideally would be a parent or guardian of an Alcott METCO student and it involves the following: participate and attend monthly board meetings.; (1 hour a month); attend three open PTG meetings for the entire membership during the year, some of which are in the evening and some in the mornings; (3 -4 hours a year); help to manage and assist the subcommittee member who coordinates the METCO family friends group; (20 hours a year); gett to know Alcott and METCO families at PTG sponsored events.

(2) School Community Chair: The chair of the School community would be a parent or guardian of an Alcott student who would be willing to: participate and attend monthly board meetings, (1 hour a month); attend three open PTG meetings for the entire membership during the year, some of which are in the evening and some in the mornings; (3 -4 hours a year); help to manage and assist the subcommittee members who include Health Liason, Library, Lost and Found, New Families, Room Parent Coordinator, Picture Day, Yearbook, Staff Appreciation, Parents at Lunch, approximately 2 hours a month; get to know all Alcott families at PTG sponsored events.

(3) Enrichment Chair: The chair of the Enrichment Committee would be a parent or guardian of an Alcott student who would be willing to: participate and attend monthly board meetings, (1 hour a month); attend three open PTG meetings for the entire membership during the year, some of which are in the evening and some in the mornings; (3 -4 hours a year); help to Manage and assist the subcommittee members who include: Children’s Programming, Before and After School Workshops, Student Garden Committee and Green Team and finally, get to know all Alcott families at PTG sponsored events.

Thank you so much for your consideration.