The Thursday Owl - April 8, 2021

ALCOTT NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS


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!

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

Family-friendly walking tours: Are you looking for a fun and educational family experience over April vacation? At 10 am Monday - Friday, April 19-23, the Concord Visitor Center is offering a 45 minute family-friendly walking tour focused on the history of Downtown Concord. This is a fun opportunity to learn about local history while remaining socially distant. Meet at the Visitor Center at 58 Main Street in Concord Center at 10:45 with a mask. Reservations are preferred by calling: 978-318-3061.Check out our many other tour options for all ages at www.visitconcord.org.

Debate & Public Speaking for Your Child - Online Summer Programs! Lumos is offering online speech and debate programs for students grades 4-10 through Zoom. Your child will meet new friends, develop critical thinking skills, and practice their public speaking in a fun, low-pressure learning environment!

  • Public Speaking Confidence

  • 4:1 Student Teacher Ratio

  • Fun and Engaging Activities!

This program is perfect for first time debaters or shy students! Lumos programs are really fun, high energy, and give students a great opportunity to build their confidence in a supportive learning environment! Please register quickly as we typically sell out and do need to move to a waitlist. Find more information and register at: LumosDebate.com

Concord Recreation Programs:
Boredom Buster for April Vacation! Looking for something to do at home over April Vacation? Purchase a Boredom Buster activity from Concord Rec! Activities include building a bird house, paper airplane, and decorating your own bag.

Youth Track Program (Grades 3-6) 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.

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.

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.

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!

April Newsletter

Happy Spring!  We are in the final stages of preparing to bring all students back to full days of in person learning.  As such, this month’s newsletter is filled with information and updates about our return on Monday, April 5th.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out at any time!

Devices: Laptops, iPads and chargers should be returned to school on April 5th.  Once we return to full days, devices will be stored at school.  We are also asking students to bring a pair of headphones.

Supplies: Students should start bringing their remote learning supplies (art materials, books, etc) back to school so that they can use them in the afternoons while they are in person.

Extra Masks: We are recommending that kids bring extra masks in their backpacks.  It is likely that kids will need to change their mask at least once or twice during a full school day.

Lunch and Recess: We are committed to sending students outside for lunch and recess unless weather absolutely prohibits it.  Your teachers will give you specifics about what your child will need to bring for this time period, but it will certainly include a bag for carrying lunches and belongings outside.  As the weather gets warmer, we would also encourage you to include hats and sunscreen in the items that you send in for the lunch and recess block.  If indoor lunch is necessary, students will remain seated six feet apart.  An adult will do a read aloud or show a school related video to deter talking while students are unmasked.

Sample Afternoon Schedule: To clarify some questions about what afternoons will look like after April 5th, I want to share a sample schedule with families.  Of course, it will vary from class to class, but this should give you a sense of what to expect:

12:15-1:15

Lunch and Recess

1:15-1:40

In Person Time with Classroom Teacher

1:40-2:00

Zoom for Specials

2:00-2:25

Assignment/Project for Specials

2:25-3:15

In Person Time with Classroom Teacher

3:15-3:30

Pack up and Dismissal Procedures

Specials: All specials will continue to be taught using the zoom platform. All children will attend a 20 minute zoom session with the specialist and and complete 25 minutes of asynchronous work using Seesaw (K-2) or Google Drive (3-5).

Instrumental Music: Per Dr. Hunter’s March 31st letter:

  • All fourth grade students will participate in the general music activities with their homeroom class, including those students who usually participate in band and orchestra.

  • Band and orchestra teachers  will continue to post content and practice goals on the Google Classrooms.

  • Band and orchestra teachers will coordinate additional (outside-of-school) Zoom opportunities for 4th and 5th grade students to continue playing their instruments at home – dates will be forthcoming.

Pooled Testing: We continue to recommend that as many students sign up for weekly asymptomatic pooled testing as possible.  This is a great way to mitigate the spread of the virus once we return fully in person.  Currently, Alcott has about 62% of students signed up.  Our goal is for at least 75% of students to participate.

Transportation: Updated bus lists have been posted to the district’s website.  If you completed the survey requesting to be reassigned to a bus, please check here to see if transportation was able to accommodate your request.

Dismissal:  As we move to a full day schedule, we will be adjusting our dismissal time to 3:30 PM.  If the new schedule means your child will be changing his or her after school plans, ie taking the bus, walking, attending Concord Rec, please let the homeroom teacher know.

Play Structures: The play structures will be used on a rotating basis during recess.

  • Recess on the playground will be monitored by the adult assigned to that particular class

  • Masks will be worn at all times when using play structures

  • Students will wash/sanitize immediately before entering structure area

  • Students will wash/sanitize immediately after leaving structure area

Parent Volunteers:  While we are currently exploring ways in which we can welcome our parents back to campus, access to the interior of school by visitors including parents continues to be extremely limited. Parent meetings with school staff will continue to be conducted virtually.

Lunch Ordering Information: If you are interested in ordering lunch through the school now that students will be attending full days, you can find the information on ordering below.  Lunch remains free for all students this year.

NutriSlice is our contactless ordering system available on both desktop, and mobile platforms. There will be no in-person ordering or payment at this time.

  • Please create your students accounts here

    • You will need your students lunch ID # to complete the profile. If you or your student does not remember theirs, or if you are a new student to the district, please email bmacknight@concordps.org

    • When ordering, please be sure that you are selecting the appropriate building for your student(s). Menus are published and ready for your review.

    • Ordering can be done daily by 8:00 am day of attendance, as well as 5 days in advance.

    • If you would like to order more than one meal to cover days that your student will be learning from home, please put that note into the order for the day your student will be physically present. There is a “notes” section where this can be added.

    • Feedback mechanisms on NutriSlice, we encourage you to rate and provide feedback on meals so that we can learn and improve our services to better fit your needs.

Travel Reminder: The Governor’s recent announcement regarding travel will not impact our travel protocol.  With the upcoming April vacation corresponding to a full return at middle and high schools, testing upon return from travel will ensure positive cases do not enter any of the school environments when we open.

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!