The Thursday Owl, October 7, 2021

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

METCO Family Friends Field Day/Picnic! - Saturday, Oct. 16th: Mark your calendars for our community event next Saturday!

Hosted by METCO Family Friends*
Location:  Franklin Park ~Tiffany Moore Tot Lot (@ 146 Seaver St., Boston MA 02121)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 
Rain Date: Oct. 17 
Time: 1- 4 PM
What: Running, Playing, Laughing, Balls, Music, Bikes, Scooters, Bring your own lunch/picnic style.

Let us know you are coming here. Sign up to volunteer for set up or clean up here or contact Savaughn Dickerson at sdickerson@concordps.org.

                                                                                                                            Meadowbrook Farms Fundraiser - catalogs going out soon!  Our Meadowbrook Farms fundraising program is back just in time for the Fall with holiday delivery. Please keep an eye out this week for packets to come home in your child's bag.  The sale will run through October 28, 2021.

This is a great opportunity to pick up some unique and fun items for yourself, your family or friends. It is also great for Alcott because we have an opportunity to earn back at least 35% of all sales. Consider getting a start on holiday shopping a little earlier than usual this year.  All sales ship directly to the customer so it's very easy!!

HELPING OUT ALCOTT PTG IS AS EASY AS 1-2-3!

1. AMAZON SMILE - Do you shop on Amazon? If so, support Alcott PTG by shopping through smile.amazon.com. Amazon can make a donation to the Alcott PTG every time you place a qualifying order with Amazon Smile. To participate, open the Amazon app on your smartphone. Click “menu” -- “settings” -- “turn on Amazon Smile.” Then, just designate “Alcott School Parent Teacher Group Inc” as your charity, and shop through the “AmazonSmile” link!

2. MINTED and SHUTTERFLY/TINY PRINTS: Are you already thinking about holiday cards and gifts? Shop on minted.com using the code FUNDRAISEALCOTT to give 15% back to Alcott PTG while enjoying 20% OFF your order! Shop Shutterfly/TinyPrints through our storefront - AlcottElementarySchool.ShutterflyStorefront.com - and they will donate 8% of your order back to Alcott. Share the code and storefront link with friends and family to help make our fundraiser a success!

3. BAY STATE TEXTILES - Cleaning out your closets this fall? Fighting through the giant piles of old stuffed animals? Did you know that the Alcott PTG receives money per pound of textiles placed in the white Bay State Textiles bin next to the parking lot? They accept clothing, footwear, pillows, linens and stuffed animals in ANY condition as long as everything is clean and dry - even damaged items can be repurposed! Check out a list of what they accept and their FAQs. Declutter and help out the Alcott PTG by using the bin at Alcott to donate your unwanted textiles.

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

Oct 11: Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day (NO SCHOOL)
Oct 16: METCO Family Friends Field Day/Picnic (Franklin Park)
Nov 4: K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 10: PTG Open Meeting, 7pm (via Zoom)
Nov 11: Veterans Day (NO SCHOOL)

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

IN THE COMMUNITY

Thoreau Elementary Toy Swap - October 15 - 16th: Thoreau Elementary will be holding a toy swap, with drop-off on Oct. 15 and sale on Oct. 16 under the Thoreau tents. For details, click here.

IMSCC Music Lessons are in full swing! New students are welcome to start up any time. We have expert, experienced instructors for all band and orchestra instruments, plus piano, voice, guitar, and ukulele. IMSCC gives you a choice of in-person or remote lessons for all ages and levels of musicians, beginners through adults. 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.

SEPAC get-together - Wed. October 13th @ 9:30am: Please join SEPAC parents/guardians for a casual coffee and conversation meet up on Wednesday, 10/13 at 9:30am. We will meet at Rideout Playground under the covered picnic tables.

SEPAC (Special Education Parent Advisory Council) is a volunteer organization of parents and guardians of students on IEPs and other individuals interested in special education residing in Concord, Carlisle or Boston . We join together to provide representation, information, resources, and support to our community. We provide input and support to our school districts and school committees in their work on matters pertaining to special education. Any interested individuals, whether or not their children are receiving special education, are welcome and encouraged to join the SEPAC and participate in SEPAC meetings, events, and activities.

Concord Free Public Library: CFPL will host the 6th annual Scarecrow Festival on October 16 - 31. Gather your family! Visit the Main Library's front lawn and the Fowler Library’s lawn to enjoy all the creative scarecrows made by local organizations!

The Thursday Owl, September 30, 2021

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome Back, METCO Family Friends! - Saturday, Oct. 16th:  Time to celebrate the beautiful fall and have a chance to reconnect and get to know each other better. We are meeting in Boston for a Field Day/Bring Your Own Lunch picnic style.

METCO Family Friends Field Day/Picnic
Hosted by METCO Family Friends*
Location:  Franklin Park ~Tiffany Moore Tot Lot (@ 146 Seaver St., Boston MA 02121)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2021 
Rain Date: Oct. 17 
Time: 1- 4 PM
What: Running, Playing, Laughing, Balls, Music, Bikes, Scooters, Bring your own lunch/picnic style.

Let us know you are coming here. Sign up to volunteer for set up or clean up here or contact Savaughn Dickerson at sdickerson@concordps.org.  

*Who are METCO Family Friends?  Boston and Concord families? K-12 families in Boston, Concord, and Carlisle have the opportunity to work together to build family friends relationships, where the spirit is one of cooperating and sharing rather than of guest and host. By volunteering to be a METCO Family Friend, the Concord-Carlisle family helps to communicate information regarding school programs and schedules and is a familiar contact at school meetings and social events during the transition to a new community for a Boston family. Boston families not only provide the Concord-Carlisle family with a new link to the city, but also offer a diverse set of cultural and life experiences to share.

Interested in being part of this growing program?  Stop by the Field Day and meet currently participating families.  For more information about the Family Friends program, contact:

Alcott: Kenlyne Exume kenlyne@gmail.com or Kristen Ferguson kristen.hagerty@gmail.com
CMS: Tanika Williams Tanikaw261@gmail.com
CCHS: Heidi Harris hharrislemmel@concordcarlisle.org

We know this is a busy time of year and everyone has sports and weekend activities. Please remember that time spent developing relationships in our community is important. We are looking forward to seeing everyone!  Please SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, October 16th at Franklin Park!

The METCO Family Friends team

News from the Alcott Student Garden: Come Join Us in the Garden - Sunday Oct. 3rd! Join us at the Alcott Student Garden this Sunday, October 3rd for a meet and greet and a little weeding! No gardening expertise needed, feel free to drop by anytime between 9 and 11am. We're looking to meet new parents and volunteers and to spiff up the garden for the kids this fall!


Alcott's Bike-Walk-and-Roll-to-School Day - Wednesday, Oct. 6th: Join us and have your kids bike, walk, or roll their way to school on October 6th! Prizes are available for all who participate!
Bike, Walk, and Roll to School Day is a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) event sponsored by the Concord Police Department and Concord Public Schools. Participating families can meet at the Keyes Rd parking lot at 8:20am to join the police-escorted "bike train" to Alcott as well as reverse the route after the 3:25pm dismissal. Additional officers will be posted to support student crossings of Lowell Rd. at the Reformatory Branch Trail, and at Lexington Rd. by Heywood St. It is by far the most fun way to get to school!


Room Parents Still Needed! Thank you to the many community members who have volunteered as Room Parents this year! We are still looking for volunteers to fill spots in just a few classrooms! To sign up for any listed open spots and find more details, please click here.

**Room Parents still needed in the following grades/classrooms:
K: Chatlosh (1 needed)
1st: Woodman (1 needed)
2nd: Sexauer (1 needed)
4th: Woodward (2 needed)
5th: Luby (1 needed)


Alcott at Concord Recreation's Trunk or Treat 2021 - Sunday, Oct. 31st: Concord Recreation will be hosting a Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 31st from 2:00 - 3:30pm at the Beede Center parking lot. They are looking for volunteers from the Alcott community to host a car. Please reach out to Michelle Hage, our School Community Chair, at mhage224@gmail.com if you are interested in hosting a car.


Pooled Testing at Alcott continues: We have had a great start to asymptomatic pooled testing at Alcott. If you still have not yet signed your student up to participate in asymptomatic pooled testing this year, we hope that you will consider doing so. You can access the consent form via this link. Pooled testing is an incredibly important way to keep our students safe, particularly at the elementary level where COVID vaccines are not yet available. Please see Principal Krakow's informative letter, which addresses possible concerns and explains this year's testing changes, HERE. And if you have any further questions about the pooled testing process, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Krakow or Nurse Amante.

The Thursday Owl, September 23, 2021

Thank you to our Alcott team and the Alcott community for a great 21-22 Back To School Night!
Many thanks to the Alcott team members and community members who made last evening's 21-22 Back To School Night such a wonderful success! The virtual event featured an informative webinar led (twice!) by Principal Krakow and Assistant Principal Olson, who welcomed the Alcott community to the new school year. They also introduced our amazing group of new and veteran Specialists including Mr. Gaudreau (Physical Education), Mrs. Gordon (Art), Mr. Toland (Music), Sra. Price (1-5 Spanish), Sra. Krauss (K Spanish), Mrs. O'Rourke (Library/Media) and Ms. Carr (ELA Curriculum). The night continued with all Alcott K-5 classroom teachers hosting their students' families in Zoom sessions that provided academic descriptions and outlooks for the upcoming school year. We appreciate everyone's time, energy and commitment to supporting our Alcott students, families, faculty and staff during this brand-new school year!

ALCOTT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

SAVE THE DATE--METCO Family Friends Field Day and Picnic:  Please save the following information in your calendar for a wonderful day of community-building, activities and fun!  More details to follow in the coming weeks.
When:  Saturday, October 16, 2021, 1 - 5 pm
Where:  Franklin Park, Boston
Who:  Concord and Boston families

Now Accepting PTG Dues:  All parents and guardians of Alcott students are members of the Alcott PTG!  This year we have kept our dues at $40 and invite our members to contribute this amount (or more!) via our website HERE.  Please keep in mind that the PTG will spend approximately $125 per student this year on specific student needs, programs, community events, classroom supplies and the ever-popular Alcott Directory.  Thank you for making this support possible with your membership contribution!

Room Parents Still Needed:  Are you interested in helping out your student's classroom?  Come volunteer as a room parent!  We are still looking for volunteers to fill spots in several classrooms. To sign up for any listed open spots and find more details, please click here.

**Room Parents still needed in the following grades/classrooms:
K:  Chatlosh (2 needed)
1st:  Woodman (1 needed)
2nd:  Handley (1 needed), Martin (2 needed), Sexauer (1 needed)
3rd:  Knowles (1 needed), O'Hara (2 needed)
4th:  Besserer (1 needed), McMahon/Chan (1 needed), Woodward (2 needed)
5th:  Anderson (2 needed), Gregor (1 needed), Luby (1 needed), Wilson (1 needed)

Pooled Testing: Asymptomatic pooled testing began yesterday at Alcott. If you still have not yet signed your student up to participate in asymptomatic pooled testing this year, we hope that you will consider doing so. You can access the consent form via this link. Pooled testing is an incredibly important way to keep our students safe, particularly at the elementary level where COVID vaccines are not yet available. Please see Principal Krakow's informative letter, which addresses possible concerns and explains this year's testing changes, HERE. And if you have any further questions about the pooled testing process, please do not hesitate to reach out to Principal Krakow or Nurse Amante.


Alcott Chess Club: The Alcott Chess Club is back onsite like before in the Alcott Faculty Lounge, 8 a.m. Thursday mornings, for ten weeks starting TODAY September 23. The Chess Club also offers online sessions on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays at 5 p.m. Click here for the informational flyer (with registration form), or simply email alcottchess@hotmail.com and you'll be emailed a flyer. For all questions, email Ken Belt at alcottchess@hotmail.com, text or call him at 617-332-4483.

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

Oct 11: Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples' Day
Oct 16: METCO Family Friends Field Day and Picnic (Franklin Park)
Nov 4*: K-5 Parent-Teacher Conferences (no school)
Nov 10: PTG Open Meeting, 7pm (via Zoom)
Nov 11: Veterans Day (no school)
Nov 24: Half-Day (12:30 pm dismissal)
Nov 25 - 26: Thanksgiving Recess (no school)

*This date was erroneously reported in last week's Owl--PLEASE MAKE NOTE OF THIS CORRECTED DATE

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

IN THE COMMUNITY

Concord Middle School Building Project Community Forum to be held TODAY, Sept. 23: The Middle School Building Committee invites you to our next Community Forum, to be held TODAY, Thursday, September 23 at 12:00pm via Zoom. We hope you will join us to hear the latest updates on the Schematic Design phase, as well as to share your feedback before plans are finalized for estimating. Forum details can be found here and Zoom information follows:
https://concordps.zoom.us/j/96703616065?pwd=N3pVbHA2c29nd2pORnB2WUI4bU9CZz09
Passcode: 110013

Kicks for Cancer – THIS SATURDAY, September 25:  After a virtual 2020 event, the 15th annual Kicks for Cancer returns to Concord-Carlisle High School this Saturday, September 25, to bring local men’s and women’s soccer teams together to compete, to build community and awareness with fans, and to raise funds to advance ovarian cancer prevention.

Kicks for Cancer is the cornerstone of an incredible community-building weekend held every September—with more than 20 towns participating in men’s and women’s soccer games this year. Merchandise, opportunity drawing tickets, food and more will be available.  Tickets can be purchased at the gate, and the game schedule is available here.
 

Concord Association of Music Parents:  Order Now--Band, Chorus and Orchestra Wear!  Show your music spirit and get your Band, Chorus and Orchestra merchandise online today. The store opens on Oct. 1 and closes Oct. 19. Orders will arrive 3-4 weeks after the store closes. Questions? Email Elisabeth Winterkorn at ebwinterk@gmail.com.

October Youth Basketball Clinics at CCHS: CCHS Varsity basketball coaches Amy Davagian and David Cohen and their players are offering 4-week basketball clinics for all players Grades 1 through 8 on Saturday October, 2, 16, 23, and 30 at the CCHS main gym. Clinics are for players of all abilities.

Girls Clinics - Sponsored by CCHS Girls Basketball, 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Fee is $120 (donated directly to CCHS Girls Basketball) payable by Paypal or Venmo (@Colleen-Henschke).  Your electronic payment is your registration for the girls clinic - please be sure to note your player's name and grade on electronic payments.  If you would like to pay by check, please email CCHSgirlsbasketball100@gmail.com to register.

Boys Clinics - Sponsored by Patriot Hoops Clinics, 10:30 to 12:00 p.m.  Register at patriothoopclinics.com website.  Cost is $120, payable via Venmo (@PatriotBasketball) or credit card.

Concord Free Public Library News:
Fall and Winter Nature Connection programs: CFPL is teaming up with The Nature Connection for monthly programs! We invite children to a nature themed storytime where they can meet an animal and explore nature hands-on. Programs will take place in-person at the Main Library. On 9/28 at 4 pm, we will have a program for all ages focusing on climate change. In October, we will offer a storytime for pre-K children on the second Tuesday of each month at 10:30am. We will also offer a program for elementary students on the second Wednesday of each month at 2pm.

Virtual Children's Author Talk: CFPL is excited to host a virtual author talk with children’s author Lucia Van Bebber on Wednesday, October 6 at 2pm on Zoom. Learn more about how she writes stories for children in the hope of inspiring them to learn more about wildlife and wildlife conservation. Lucia’s goal is to help educate young minds in order to save animals that are now on the endangered species list and are on the verge of extinction.


Discovery Museum Acton's "Picture Yourself: A Virtual Celebration of Women in STEAM": Join Discovery Museum as we celebrate the women behind the Museum’s newest exhibit, Picture Yourself: Women in STEAM—portraits of six local female scientists, painted by three local female artists. Listen in as the scientists and artists talk about their work, research, and interests, and be inspired as you learn why they find science and art cool and exciting. They’ll answer your questions as they share what it’s like to be a scientist and artist. Your registration confirmation will include a short survey to provide your questions for the artists and scientists in advance—including whether you or your child would like to ask a question live during the event. This free, live, virtual event is for children, ages 7+ years, and their caregivers to enjoy together. Wednesday, September 29, 6:00pm to 7:30pm EDT via Zoom webinar. The event is free; registration is required. For more information, visit www.discoveryacton.org.