Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year at Alcott!
Greetings, Alcott community! We hope that you all had a great summer and that you are enjoying the first days of school. We look forward to working with Alcott faculty, staff and families for another wonderful and unique elementary school year. Our PTG volunteer programs will continue to evolve based on current guidelines for in-person volunteering, but our primary goal of enhancing the day-to-day experiences of Alcott students, team members and families remains the same. Please watch for more information in this Thursday Owl space in the weeks to come.
ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
School Picture Day: Student portraits will be taken on Wednesday, September 15th by Coffee Pond Photography. Details and order forms will be distributed soon, and information will be included in the next Thursday Owl.
'21-'22 Room Parents Needed: Are you interested in helping out your student's classroom this year? Each classroom will be looking for two volunteers to assist classroom teachers by serving as Room Parents during the school year. Signups will be distributed in the coming week. Thank you for your time and energy!
A message from Ms. Kwarcinski (former Alcott Music Specialist) to the PTG and Parents:
Please see the attached letter from our beloved Music Specialist, Ms. Kwarcinski, who retired last summer after many decades of dedicated and inspired instruction.
***Every Wednesday is now a half-day***
Sep 3: No School
Sep 6: Labor Day (No School)
Sep 15: School Picture Day
Sep 22: Back to School Night (virtual), 5:30-7:30pm
Oct 11: Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day
CPS/CCRSD 21-22 School Calendar can be found here
IN THE COMMUNITY
Concord Free Public Library:
Rockabye Beats Fall Concerts The Concord Free Public Library will host monthly free, family-friendly concerts featuring Rockabye Beats this fall on the Main Library’s front lawn on Thursdays at 10:30am on September 9 and October 14. Rockabye Beats’ music is reminiscent of founder Marcos Valles’ Puerto Rico. Their songs offer a range of styles from rock n’ roll to calypso to funk and even blues. Their music will have you bopping and moving along in no time!
Beede and Books The Beede Swim and Fitness Center and the Concord Free Public Library are teaming up to bring you "Beede and Books." Join us in the Beede Center lobby and Children’s Play Pool for a collaboration of reading and swimming. A librarian will read books from 11:30 am-11:50 am. Then children get a half hour of swimming fun from 12 pm-12:30 pm. This free program happens once a month in 2021 on the following Fridays: Sept 24, Oct 22, Nov 19, and Dec 17. Register at concordlibrary.org.
Going Green program The Children’s Department at the Concord Free Public Library is excited to host Going Green in Your Backyard on Wednesday, September 29 from 2:00—3:00 PM on the front lawn of the Main Library. Help us celebrate Climate Preparedness Week and also learn about local wildlife and what you can do to help the environment beginning in your own backyard! This program is open to all ages! In case of rain, the program will be rescheduled. No registration required. This event is generously sponsored by The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.
Concord Recreation Fall 2021 Offerings:
Concord Recreation is excited to offer a wide variety of programs for the Fall 2021 Season! Check out our offerings below – you can register by clicking the program title hyperlink.
Alcott School Programs located right at Alcott!
Before School Sports (8:00-8:50am): Alcott Before School Sports is a 6 week program open to Alcott School students, grades K-5. In Session (1) of Before School Sports, students will be given the opportunity to participate in a variety of sports/games like speedball, indoor soccer, floor hockey, and other PE games.
Chess Club (8:00-8:50am Gr K-5): Kids must already know how to play chess. They will play each other right from the start, and added to the virtual chess club!
Lego Engineering (3:30pm-4:30pm Gr 2-5): In Lego Engineering Concepts investigate simple machines including gears, pulleys, cams, inclined planes, and ratchets.
Skyhawks: Golf, Flag Football, and Floor Hockey
September 13 – October 4__Monday: Floor hockey, ages 7-9 3-4pm……ages 10-12, 4:15-5:15pm
September 15 – October 6__Wednesday: Golf, 3-4pm ages 5-8 …… Flag Football, ages 7-9, 4:15pm-5:15pm
Code Wiz (Online Classes) Ages 7-12: Learn coding through Minecraft, learn to build a game in Roblox, or participate in coding strategy games! Code Wiz promotes a vision in which all students critically engage in computer science issues; approach problems in innovative ways; and create computational artifacts with a practical, personal, or societal intent.
Esports League NEW to Concord - Esports leagues and events for ages 8-18! You can safely play your favorite games in a competitive league, or one off major event. Play Madden 21, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros, or Rocket League.
Outdoor Movie Night Join Concord Recreation for an outdoor, family friendly movie to be shown on the basketball courts at the Hunt Recreation Center (90 Stow Street Concord, MA). Bring your chairs, blankets and snacks. Registration recommended.
Concord Conservatory of Music:
Discovery Day Open House—Saturday, September 11th, from 1 - 3 pm. Our Instrument Petting Zoo enables you to explore instruments in a safe environment with COVID-19 protocols in place. Introduce your kids to the world of music through singing, dancing, and games! Sign-up for a free Music/Movement demo class at the Open House (1:30 pm-ages 3-7, 2:30 pm-ages 8-15) or kids ages 5-7 can try Group Keyboard at 2:00 or 3:00 pm: concordconservatory.org/Open_House Learn about the Music Achievement Program—a free, private lesson enrichment program included in fees. Enter a raffle at Discovery Day for a chance to win a free CCM Group Class for 2021 fall semester! Anyone registering for a group class at Discovery Day will receive a 15% discount. Financial assistance available.
New American Roots Offerings—for all acoustic instrumentalists and singers! The Guitar Journey – The Vast World of Roots Music will expand your repertoire while gaining ideas and approaches to playing with others. Contemporary String Band is the best class to acquire a mastery of essential techniques common to American music. Banjo Study Group is ideal for helping dedicated banjo players master new skills, play new songs, and learn rhythm and backup techniques. Relieve stress and get your creativity going by joining Mandolin 1 or join The Fiddle Tunes Jam Toolkit class to explore instrumental music from several fiddle styles and learn jam techniques. Group classes begin the week of September 20th (register by September 16) concordconservatory.org/offerings/american-roots
New Music & Movement Classes—Kids ages 3 through 15 can build a musical foundation through movement. Partnering with a music-focused, nonprofit, Integral Steps, CCM will offer integrated learning experiences that allow students to experience music through singing, dancing, and games. Young musicians will explore all the qualities of music through movement—learning about pitch, phrasing, accent, and all of the richness of music. They won’t even realize that they’re gaining ear-training skills and other musical concepts. Explore the fall offerings and register today: Music Makers (age 3), Musical Gateway (ages 4–5), and Rhythmic Solfège (classes divided by age and skill level- appropriate for age 6-15. Financial assistance is available.
Ukulele Taster—Free class on September 9th, 7:15 – 8:15 in West Concord. Get hooked on playing the most infectious and fun instrument, the ukulele! Join Concord Conservatory of Music’s free Ukulele Taster at Reasons to Be Cheerful in West Concord on Thursday, September 9th from 7:15 – 8:15 pm with Covid-19 protocols in place. Ukuleles will be available to use for the evening, but it is advisable to bring your own if possible. Plan to learn a song and treat yourself to ice cream, what could be more enjoyable? Sign up athttps://bit.ly/UKETASTER or show up for an entertaining evening and please bring your face mask to wear in the building.
ConcordConservatory.org / info@ConcordConservatory.org / (978) 369-0010.
Concord Youth Theatre hosts a Family Fun Fair featuring Games, Fun, Food, Music, and Prizes! Join us for the fun on Saturday, September 18th, 1 PM to 4 PM (rain or shine). Admission is $25 per family and $10 for individuals. All proceeds benefit CYT programming. Get your tickets here.
Please visit the Community Events page for updates on sports, music and theater registration dates, seminars, and more events throughout town.
