From auvpto at aol.com Tue Dec 4 12:19:02 2007 From: auvpto at aol.com (auvpto at aol.com) Date: Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:19:02 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite Message-ID: <8CA04B0E61B9DDC-AC0-66C1@WEBMAIL-MA02.sysops.aol.com> Jabberlite for Tuesday, December 4, 2007 ? This issue contains information on: Campaign For Cabot School Out-of District Policy Newton School Gift Policy The Squeeze on Cities and Towns in Massachusetts - discussion Long-Range Facility Planning Meeting Cabot-Wide Community Service Project ThinkRecycle Girls Scout Troop and Newton Youth Lacrosse ? Calendar ? December 4, 2007 Hanukkah Begins at Sundown December 6, 2007 All School Creative Arts & Sciences presents David Zucker 'Poetry in Motion' December 10, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM December 13, 2007 CASP Advisory Board Meeting? 7:45am December 13, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal December 18, 2007 School Council meeting, 5:00 - 7:00 PM December 18, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #4 12/24/07 - 12/31/07 Vacation, NO SCHOOL December 26, 2007 Kwanzaa January 1, 2008 Vacation, NO SCHOOL January 2, 2008 School resumes ? Campaign For Cabot is Well Underway!!! We are pleased to inform you that the annual Campaign for Cabot 2007-2008 was officially launched last month. Lori Seuch is busy tallying all the gifts. We are looking forward to your donation. As promised, the first iPOD will be raffled off on Wednesday, December 19, 2007.? The second one will be raffled off at the Cabot Family Dance on Saturday, February 2, 2008. Anyone who has made a donation will be entered to win the raffle!! We hope you will be able to participate in this important event for our school and help us make a difference. ? School Out-of-District Policy Out-of-District placements for students who wish to attend a school in Newton other than his/her district school are limited. Such placements are made on a space available basis only. Newton families, as well as members of Units A, B, C, D, E, NESA, Custodians and Boston parents of students participating in the METCO Program, should call the Attendance Office at 617-559-6030 for information.* Students who receive acceptance for Out-of-District placement must remain in the school selected or file for out-of-district placement at the appropriate time. ? Applications for the following school year must be submitted on forms, which are available in the Attendance Office at the Education Center beginning November 1. ?If necessary, a lottery will be implemented to determine the order in which placements will be made. Completed applications, signed by the in-district principal, can be submitted no earlier than January 2, 2008 and no later than April 30, 2008. Applications submitted after April 30, 2008 will not be included in the lottery. ?Hand-delivered applications will only be accepted from the parent or legal guardian. Application forms must have the 'Reason for Request' section completed in order to be considered. ?Class size in a given grade, in a given year, in a specific school, may preclude any placements including siblings. ?Parents will be responsible for transportation. Tuition Free Enrollment is limited to the per pupil cost of regular education. ? NEWTON SCHOOL GIFT POLICY As we enter into the holiday season, please remember the Newton School Committee Policy:? ?No teacher in the performance of regular duties shall receive presents from the pupils under his or her direction.?? Each year families are reminded of this policy, and each year most families comply.? It is very natural for children and their families to want to acknowledge and thank their teachers at holiday time.? Here are some suggestions: 1. A note of appreciation to your child?s teacher, or a card made by your child, would be treasured.? 2. A homemade acknowledgement to your child?s teacher or faculty member, such as cookies or baked goods. 3.? You may wish to honor a teacher or staff member through a donation to the Campaign for Cabot.? Checks should be made to the Cabot PTO, with a note indicating that it is for the Campaign for Cabot.? This is a terrific way to honor a teacher and support the parent-run enrichment programs at Cabot School. Please do not solicit money from families for class gifts. If you need further clarification please speak with the Principal Marilynne Quarcoo or your PTO Co-Presidents, Mary Kathryn Fallon and Archana Vahalia. Thank you for your cooperation. ? As you have probably heard, Newton is likely to vote on a property tax override next spring. ?A very well-regarded group of speakers will address the general topic of municipal budget shortfalls at a forum: ? "Facing the Facts: ?The Squeeze on Cities and Towns in Massachusetts" ? Thursday, December 6, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. Newton Senior Center, 345 Walnut Street, Newtonville ? Featured Speakers include: ? Michael J. Widmer, President of the MA Taxpayers Foundation Geoff Beckwith, Executive Director of the MA Municipal Association Tom Scott, Executive Director of the MA Association of School Superintendents ? Moderated by: ?Sheryl Marshall, Vice President of Credit Suisse and a member to the Newton Blue Ribbon Commission The forum is sponsored by Citizens for the Future of Newton. ? Interactive Forum on Long-Range Facilities Planning for NPS ? The School Committee will be hosting an interactive forum on the long-range facilities options for the Newton Public Schools on December 13, 2007 at 7:00 PM in the library at Oak Hill Middle School. ? As with past interactive forums, this is a chance for community members to come to the table and share their ideas.? HMFH architects will first present the revised facilities options at the regular School Committee meeting on December 10, 2007.? The options will also be posted on the School Committee website on December 10th.? NewTV will be taping the forum for later broadcast. ? ? ? CABOT-WIDE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT This year, Cabot will participate in the holiday gift drive to benefit the families of The Second Step (?TSS?), Newton?s shelter for homeless mothers and their children who have experienced domestic violence.? TSS serves 16 mothers and their children in two locations in Newton, as well as another 100 area families who are not homeless but who need other types of assistance. ? Please remember to bring your gifts to the Cabot School lobby at drop off time on December 10 (Mon) or December 11 (Tues).? We will be collecting till school begins both days.? If you have a problem getting your gift there on those days call Rose at 617-332-2573, and we can make other arrangements.? Please remember to put a post-it with the name of the?mom and the recipient.? If you have not participated and would like to you may still do so.? We always have last minute families who need gifts and gift cards are perfect for that.? Gift cards for music stores, movie theatres, video stores, Kohls, Target, Old Navy, The Gap, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, CVS, McDonalds, pizza places, sporting goods stores, Best Buy, etc. are always appreciated.?? Just bring them on the drop off days marked with a post it for New Families.?? Thank you for all your participation. If you have any questions, please call Rose Coppola Flynn at 617-332-2573 or email her at roda at gis.net.\ ? Cabot?s Annual Food Drive? Thanks so much to the?entire Cabot?community?for all your help with the Thanksgiving Food Drive!? We were able to deliver two full (very full!) carloads of food to the Newton Creative Start program last Wednesday, thanks to collection and delivery help from Lori Seuch, Rachel Leaney, Anya Bassett, Suzy Enyeart, Isabelle Thacker, and Kelly Phillips -- and, of course, the generosity of so many Cabot families who donated the food.? ? ThinkRecycle ? A New Initiative Cabot has started to collect and recycle used print (laser or ink jet) cartridges and old cell phones, through an organization called Think Recycle. Think Recycle will recycle all types of laser and ink jet cartridges and cell phones; those that qualify, will earn funds for Cabot.? In addition, Think Recycle will plant one tree through American Forests for every twelve qualifying cartridge or cell phone we collect.?There is a big Think Recycle box in the front lobby to put used print cartridges and old cell phones. Please put the used print cartridges in a bag before putting them in the box, so that ink doesn't get all over the cell phones.?If you would like to learn more, go to www.thinkrecycle.com.? If you have any questions, feel free to contact Isabelle Thacker.? SPORTS PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES First grade Brownie troop forming, to meet at Cabot School one Thursday per month. Organizational meeting on Thursday 12/6, 3:15 to 4:30 pm. Each girl, please bring a parent. Girls will do activities led by teen Girl Scouts while parents discuss logistics. RSVP to Lisa Carbone, lcarbone at partners.org. ? NEWTON YOUTH LACROSSE BOYS PROGRAM will host a WINTER ?OPEN HOUSE? AND CLINIC on Sunday, December 16th 2 to 4 p.m.Newton North High School.? If you have any questions, please contact Martha Hincks at mhincks at comcast.net. ? Lost & Found Bin Have you seen the pile of sweatshirts, t-shirts, gloves, hats and even socks accumulating in the Lost & Found bin in the main lobby?? Please take a look through and find those missing items!? We will empty the bin and donate the contents at the end of the month. ? ? Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President auvusa at aol.com 617-244-1435 You received this message because you opted in to receive Cabot Community emails. To subscribe, update your email address, or unsubscribe, go to: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/listinfo/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org ? Cabot School PTO - 229 Cabot Street - Newtonville, Massachusetts 02460 ?Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President auvpto at aol.com 617-244-1435 ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071204/f25d3e68/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Jabberlite_for_Tuesday_December_.doc Type: application/msword Size: 57344 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071204/f25d3e68/attachment.doc From auvpto at aol.com Wed Dec 5 10:15:00 2007 From: auvpto at aol.com (auvpto at aol.com) Date: Wed, 05 Dec 2007 10:15:00 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Addendum to Jabberlite In-Reply-To: <8CA05678DEE9DFD-BAC-3744@MBLK-M09.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CA05641CDF0D12-BAC-355C@MBLK-M09.sysops.aol.com> <8CA05652F40958C-BAC-35FE@MBLK-M09.sysops.aol.com> <8CA05678DEE9DFD-BAC-3744@MBLK-M09.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CA0568BD25729F-BAC-37ED@MBLK-M09.sysops.aol.com> Hello everyone, as the PTO Co-Presidents we are happy to inform all of you that vigilant readers like many of you have brought to our attention that by mistake the calendar section of the yesterday's jabberlite did not include December 25th as Christmas Day. We want to assure the community that it was not an intentional omission. It occurred as a result of an editing error, while transferring the data from the EXCEL spreadsheet to the jabberlite. The calendar on the Cabot PTO website does include it. We do apologies for this. We would like to reiterate that your input is not only critical but also essential to successful operation of the PTO, and once again thanks to all of you who share your feedback with us. We have made necessary changes to the calendar and again send our apologies. Following is a quote from Dr. Quarcoo as a response to this issue: "... All celebrations and observances are respected at Cabot and in>Newton. I continue to encourage teachers to include the Christmas holidays celebrated by Christians in discussions as we do many other religious and cultural seasonal observances.. I believe we could do an even better job by increasing those religious beliefs we acknowledge and discuss in school. Religion is a common shared cultural aspect of many groups. I will join with the PTO to offer a timely apology for this omission regardless of the reason!" The calendar section of the jabberlite should be read as follows: Calendar December 4, 2007 Hanukkah Begins at Sundown December 6, 2007 All School Creative Arts & Sciences presents David Zucker 'Poetry in Motion' December 10, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM December 13, 2007 CASP Advisory Board Meeting? 7:45am December 13, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal December 18, 2007 School Council Meeting 5:00 - 7:00PM December 18, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #4 12/24/07 - 12/31/07 Vacation, NO SCHOOL December 25, 2007 Christmas Day December 26, 2007 Kwanzaa ? January 1, 2008 Vacation, NO SCHOOL January 2, 2008 School resumes ?Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President auvpto at aol.com 617-244-1435 More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail! ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://o.aolcdn.com/cdn.webmail.aol.com/mailtour/aol/en-us/text.htm?ncid=aolcmp00050000000003 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071205/b3940a8a/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Dec 11 16:35:50 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:35:50 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday December 11, 2007 In-Reply-To: <9D3A4C98-C052-4204-91D2-EF75C1D9F13E@comcast.net> References: <9D3A4C98-C052-4204-91D2-EF75C1D9F13E@comcast.net> Message-ID: <8CA0A54EEF20923-D8C-251A@webmailbeta-m10.sysops.aol.com> Jabberlite for Tuesday December 11, 2007 This issue contains information about: Interactive Forum on Long Range Facilities Planning for NPS School Committee Meeting last night Second Step Holiday Donation Program Campaign for Cabot - IPOD raffle next Thursday Library Donations Lost and Found Calendar December 13, 2007 CASP Advisory Board Meeting? 7:45am December 13, 2007 Interactive Format on Long Range Facilities Planning for NPS 7:00pm Oak Middle School Library December 13, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal December 18, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #4 December 18, 2007 School Council Meeting 5:00 - 6:30PM December 20, 2007 IPOD Raffle? for CFC 12/24/07 - 12/31/07 Vacation, NO SCHOOL December 25, 2007 Christmas Day December 26, 2007 Kwanzaa January 1, 2008 Vacation, NO SCHOOL January 2, 2008 School resumes Interactive Forum on Long-Range Facilities Planning for NPS ?The School Committee will be hosting an interactive forum on the long-range facilities options for the Newton Public Schools on December 13, 2007 at 7:00 PM in the library at Oak Hill Middle School. ? As with past interactive forums, this is a chance for community members to come to the table and share their ideas.? HMFH architects will first present the revised facilities options at the regular School Committee meeting on December 10, 2007.? The options will also be posted on the School Committee website on December 10th.? NewTV will be taping the forum for later broadcast. Last Night's School Committee Meeting The?School Committee heard from HMFH Architects last night.?They have updated the three long-range facilities options with the new enrollment numbers.? The information?is online on the NPS website--go to the School Committee section and look for the recent meeting information.? We have also attached a copy of the summary memo to this email for your convenience. ? The Second Step Holiday Donation Program Thank you to everyone who so generously donated to the Social Action Committee's holiday gift drive for The Second Step.? The amount of gifts this community gave was overwhelming? - we filled over 3 car loads with gifts.? These were all brought to The Second Step's "North Pole" where they will be wrapped and delivered to those in need.? Many thanks to Rose Coppola-Flynn for organizing this effort!? Campaign for Cabot - The first IPOD Shuffle to be raffled off next Thursday!? Thank you to 20% of families who have already made a donation to the Campaign for Cabot. If you are planning on making a contribution to the 2007- 08 Campaign for Cabot, why not do it in time to have a chance to win an iPOD shuffle as well?? All donations received by Wednesday December 19, 2007, no matter the amount, will be entered in the raffle.? We will pick the winner on Thursday December 20, 2007, so be sure to get your donation in by next Wednesday! ? If you prefer to give your tax deductible donation during the 2008 tax year, we will be raffling off another IPOD Shuffle on February 2, 2008.? All those who donate to the campaign will be entered to win. ? Campaign for Cabot is the single largest source of funding for the PTO which allows us to fulfill our mission to enrich the educational experience of our children, support the school staff and build the community that makes Cabot School such a special place.? Cabot School is fortunate to have a powerful partnership between the school?s terrific leaders, teachers and staff, and a dedicated PTO. This partnership makes possible the wonderful learning environment we have for our children. We invite you to make a donation in honor of a special teacher or staff member. We will send the honoree a card acknowledging your gift.? Library Donation Forms At this time of year, our school library is enhanced by donations made in honor of children and teachers or others, to express gratitude, to mark a special occasion, or to celebrate a particular event.? It is an excellent way to thank teachers at holiday time and at school year's end.? These donations are used to purchase new books.? Bookplates are then placed in the books to acknowledge the donation and a card of thanks is sent to the donor.? If you would like to participate, please look for the separate flyer sent home last week and return it to Lani Gerson in the library.? Please let us know if you need another form, or stop by the library to get one. LOST & FOUND Whoa - that bin is growing!? Take a look this week to see if you are missing anything, you may be surprised what you find.? Be sure to stop by because a week from Thursday it will be going, going, gone.....................? (actually all items will be donated to The Second Step).? Thanks to Carrie Jasper of the Social Action Committee for cleaning out the bin and donating the items. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President marykathf at aol.com 617-244-1821 ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071211/065e5054/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: long_range_facilities_options_revised_12_10_07.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 501345 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071211/065e5054/attachment.pdf From marykathf at aol.com Thu Dec 13 13:48:27 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:48:27 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Weather Delay of Facilities Forum In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CA0BCFE1B37636-6C8-34A1@MBLK-M31.sysops.aol.com> ? Please be aware that the Long Range Facilities Forum scheduled for tonight has been postponed until a later date. All?after school and evening activities?scheduled to take place in Newton Public Schools today have been canceled.? CASP?will close at 3:00pm. ? ? ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071213/164d93bd/attachment.html From auvpto at aol.com Tue Dec 18 16:01:09 2007 From: auvpto at aol.com (auvpto at aol.com) Date: Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:01:09 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberwock December Edition In-Reply-To: <8CA0FCD9E672997-EB0-3C2@WEBMAIL-MA11.sysops.aol.com> References: <8CA0FCD9E672997-EB0-3C2@WEBMAIL-MA11.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8CA0FD03F8950D1-EB0-503@WEBMAIL-MA11.sysops.aol.com> ?Hello everyone, once again we bring you a very informative newsletter.? There is lot to read and we hope you find it useful. We are working on making the format of the newsletter look and feel better.? It is also attached as a word file for those who findit more convenient.? Thanks to Ann Duvall for helping us put this together. Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President 53 Sheffield Road, Newtonville, MA 02460 auvpto at aol.com ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????? Respect for self and others??????????? Lifelong learning???????????????? Commitment to school and community ? Cabot School Contact Information ? Main Office: 617-559-9400???????????????????? ??? ? CASP: 617-964-2749 ? Gym: 617-559-9407?????????????????????????????????? ? ? Food Service: 617-559-9021 or 617-559-6315????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ? Inclusion Facilitator: 617-559-9409????? ????? ? Nurse: 617-559-9404 ? Library: 617-559-9406??????? ??????????????????????? ? Psychologist & Social Worker: 617-559-9405 ? Call Back/Safe Arrival: 617-559-9390 Call by 8:20 a.m. to report tardiness & absences ? Cabot School website ??????www.newton.k12.ma.us/cabot/ Cabot School PTO ????????????www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools? ???www.newton.k12.ma.us/ ? ?Calendar ? December 18, 2007 School Council Meeting 5:00 - 7:00PM ? ? December 18, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #4 ? ? 12/24/07 - 12/31/07 Vacation, NO SCHOOL ? ? December 25, 2007 Christmas Day ? ? December 26, 2007 Kwanzaa ? ? ? ? ? ? January 1, 2008 Vacation, NO SCHOOL ? ? January 2, 2008 School resumes ? ? January 9, 2008 All-City School Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM (snow date 1/10) ? ? January 10, 2008 Understanding our Differences Grade 5 1:00 - 2:45 PM ? ? January 14, 2008 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM ? ? January 14, 2008 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7 - 9:00 PM Roxbury (snow date 1/28) ? ? Please check the website www.cabotpto.org for an updated calendar at anytime. ? ? ? ? ?Marilynne?s Message ? ? The End of 2007: The Cabot School community has enjoyed days of many accomplishments by students and adults since we began this year. Our school has seen a slight increase in our population and due to the diligence and persistence of a small group of dedicated parents we were successful in obtaining two modular classrooms. The addition of instructional space at Cabot is one of our greatest accomplishments this year. Looking back I am reminded that there were numerous evening meetings, an equal amount of planning sessions, data collecting and purposeful planning by the PTO and its sub-committee on facilities and enrollment that made all the difference. This group met with school department staff and did a yeoman job of advocating for all students at the school. Had they not prevailed, we would be in a less than desirable situation this year. The other most significant accomplishment this year has to be the introduction of the Walking School bus, the increased bus rider ship, and the revised entry procedures. Thanks to the efforts of School Council members, Liz Hass (Joffe) and Jan Hart who worked tirelessly with the PTO co-chairs, city and state officials we have reduced congestion around the school. Teachers have ample space for parking and parents visiting the school are not hampered at all. Cabot Park Village also chipped in and we have six teachers who use spaces they have reserved for teachers. It is a true testament to the impact a small group of people can make. Traffic at the school is still heavy but there is a noticeable difference at entry and dismissal. As far as entry procedures go, teachers have commented that traffic is not as heavy in their classrooms in the morning. More students remark that they feel more comfortable entering school and like being able to interact with their teacher during morning entry! Thanks to all of you who have worked to support these changes. We may need to republish the Blue Zone guidelines in the New Year as snow will narrow the adjacent streets and parking spaces will be reduced due to snow plowing. A few teachers have lost spaces in the parking lot and will be seeking street parking. The crosswalk is now not as clearly seen. Please watch out for children in the morning and afternoon. Pedestrians should have the right of way and it goes without saying that all drivers should be on the look out for children who can be concealed by high piles of snow! Also remember not to block driveways and do not park in the No Parking zones.? We have worked hard with our neighbors and local city officials including the police and changes made reflect our desire to build good community relations. ? So as 2007 draws to a close I trust that adults can find something to be glad about as a result of their membership in the Cabot community! As educators we recognize that not all adults will accept our perspectives or approaches to teaching and interacting with young children and their parents but I am reminded daily what an outstanding group of educators and paraprofessionals we have working with children and adults at Cabot School. Not a day goes by when I fail to witness their unselfishness and generosity, their patience and tenacity, and their expertise and knowledge about learning, instruction, children and their development! It is a powerful team and we are fortunate to have them working on behalf of all children. ? The parent community should also be on any list of things that make you glad to be at Cabot school. The PTO and individual parents are also relentless in their commitment to community. Again not a day goes by when I don?t see evidence of this support. Parents step up and roll up their sleeves. Every initiative at this school has a parent working in partnership! Whether it is Karen Lumino at the school store every week come rain or shine, Grade Five parents organizing the fifth grade activities, room parents supporting classroom teachers, the Cabot Community Park committee, Bud Gartland managing math tutoring, parents serving as Reading Partners, parents truly are the greatest resource we have at Cabot and the teachers and I certainly reflect on the benefits we derive from your involvement! I am confident that despite the challenges that lie ahead in 2008, Cabot School will continue to be a special place for children and adults! ? May every family enjoy the days that bring 2007 to an end! I wish you peace, joy and love! Stay safe and healthy and return on January 2nd ready to continue on the greatest journey of all times?educating children for the rest of their lives! ? Dr. Quarcoo?s Adventure: I have the wonderful opportunity to travel to West Africa during the winter break. I will be absent from school, on December 21 as well as January 2-4th returning to work on January 7th. I am fortunate to spend the holidays with my daughter. Esinam. We will visit with her paternal grandmother, many aunties and uncles, and a host of cousins who have not seen her for 5 years! We will use this trip to reconnect with this part of our family and remember those who have passed during the time of our last visit. I am saddened to report that a young nephew had passed two summers ago and I have not been able to pay my respects personally to my family. Luckily death is viewed as an extension of life so I know we will spend time enjoying his memory and celebrating and making up for our time apart. We are especially excited to be able to travel to Burkina Faso and Mali as well with some of my in-laws and a few close friends who live in Ghana. I will spend New Year?s Eve in Timbuktu along the Sahel, border of the Sahara desert and sub-Saharan Africa. This website may be of interest (http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/sahel/sahel_people.html) to track what I am up to during the break. Ringing in the New Year in Dogon country will be a memorable experience and remind me of the vastness and diversity of the planet we inhabit. I will gaze upon the sky and know that I am blessed in so many ways. I don?t really know how I will process the experience I am about to have but I know it will humble me and when I return I will be recommitted to making a positive difference in the lives of children. I hope I won?t bore you with stories about this trek and reuniting with my family through marriage in Ghana! Wish Esinam and me a safe journey! ? GEOGRAPHY BEE: Cabot School is once again participating in the National Geographic Bee.? This is the 20th year that the National Geographic Society is holding the Bee for students in the fourth through eighth grades in thousands of schools across the United States and in the five territories, as well as in Department of Defense Dependents Schools around the world. Classroom competitions are completed prior to winter vacation.? The Cabot School Bee will be held prior to January 31, 2008.? We will announce the date right after the break. The winner of the Cabot Bee will advance to the next level of competition, a written examination to determine state competitors.? Check out the official website at www.nationalgeographic.com/geographicbee.? Mrs. Mary Emma Robertson has spearheaded this effort for several years at Cabot School. We have enjoyed success at the local and state level and I believe we had a student move forward to the national level. We offer this Bee to support and encourage students who have a keen interest in geography! Check out the site and see what kinds of information children are responsible for knowing in this competition. ? ConnectEd: We had our first official use of connect Ed last week. This season the weather has already challenged our ability to ?navigate the streets of Boston and Newton. I used ConnectEd for the second time last Thursday to notify parents of the early closing of ?CASP, our afterschool program that serves over 180 students on some days. I chose to use the emergency call system in order to ?reach cell phones and work numbers. In the event you listed an emergency number for a relative out of sate or of a person who is not aware that you have identified them as an emergency contact, they received the call. Please consider who you want contacted as Connect Ed can not select only one contact. In fact, ConnectEd gives us a report on the success rate of all calls. Just to let you know: ? We made 1268 calls: 93.2% were successfully delivered; 85% of the calls/messages were listened completely, about 14% of those ?receiving the called listened to less than half of the message. We had 86 unsuccessful deliveries and will review these numbers to determine if we have inputted information incorrectly (yikes, Mrs. Driscoll had to transcribe all those numbers from the yellow sheets), if you have given us "bad numbers, or what! This will take time but we are committed to using this system as intended. Please note that an early school closing is an emergency as it has been the practice of the district NOT to close schools once children arrive. I hope that despite the multiple calls you may have received (based on the information you checked off), you found this call helpful! ? ? PTO Pen ? With all the snow around us, it sure does feel very wintery and festive.? In the midst of all the holidays and the frenzy of shopping, we want to thank each and every member of the Cabot community for helping us contribute to enriching the experience of our children at Cabot.? Please take a moment to show your appreciation to the amazing staff before you head off for holidays.? The Gift Policy for teachers and staff is included in this newsletter once again for your reference; please respect it. ? As Dr. Quarcoo has mentioned above, please follow the Blue Zone guidelines. There is lot of snow and ice on the ground and the streets have become narrow. Few minutes more here and there can mean a lot for the safety of children and adults alike. ? We are introducing a new section to the Jabberwock ? Kid?s corner.? You will find many poems from our talented poets in this edition.? Please look for more contributions from our students in the future. ? Hopefully, it is the best of times for all of us!!!? Please if you are in need of any sort, we hope that we as a community can be there for you and offer help.? We hope to see most of you during the school, but if we miss seeing you before the start of vacation, we plan to put faces to the names of all the members of the Cabot family in the New Year. ? We wish you all a very happy, safe and peaceful holiday season!!! Mary Kathryn Fallon????????????????????????????? Archana Vahalia PTO co-President????????????????????????????? PTO co-President ? ? ?Upcoming Events at Cabot ? Acknowledgment Committee On behalf of the Cabot PTO, members of the Acknowledgment Committee will thank teachers and staff with a spread of healthy snacks and a holiday message tomorrow. This will let them know how much we appreciate them and will get their holidays off to a good start. ?Sally Brickell ? Campaign for Cabot - iPOD Shuffle Going, Going,? Thanks to all those families who have already made a donation to the Campaign for Cabot. So far we have 20% participation from the community.? If you are planning tomake a contribution to the 2007- 08 Campaign for Cabot, why not do it in time to have a chance to win an iPOD shuffle as well?? All donations received by this Wednesday December 19, 2007, irrespective of the amount, will be entered in the raffle.? We will pick the winner this Thursday, December 20, 2007, so be sure to get your donation in by next Wednesday! ? If you prefer to give your tax deductible donation during the 2008 tax year, we will be raffling off another iPOD Shuffle on February 2, 2008.? All donations to this campaign will be entered in the second raffle. ? Campaign for Cabot is the single largest source of funding for the PTO which allows us to fulfill our mission to enrich the educational experience of our children, support the school staff and build the community that makes Cabot School such a special place.? Cabot School is fortunate to have a powerful partnership between the school?s terrific leaders, teachers and staff, and a dedicated PTO. This partnership makes possible the wonderful learning environment we have for our children. We invite you to make a donation in honor of a special teacher or staff member. We will send the honoree a card acknowledging your gift.? ? ? Library Donation Forms At this time of year, our school library is enhanced by donations made in honor of children and teachers or others, to express gratitude, to mark a special occasion, or to celebrate a particular event.? It is an excellent way to thank teachers at holiday time and at school year's end.? These donations are used to purchase new books.? Bookplates are then placed in the books to acknowledge the donation and a card of thanks is sent to the donor.? If you would like to participate, please look for the separate flyer sent home last week and return it to Lani Gerson in the library.? Please let us know if you need another form, or stop by the library to get one. ? ? ??VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ? ? UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ? Two Understanding Our Differences programs are coming up on Thurs. Jan. 10th (5th Grade) and Thurs. Jan. 20th (3d Grade), from 1-2:45 each day.? These are wonderful opportunities for parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, to help out and interact with your child's classmates and specialty teachers.? We train you and have materials set up for you to supervise a 20 minute program small groups (repeated 3x).? If interested, please contact Rick Reilly (617-332-3006) or Maureen Mullowney (617-969-8302) or email rmreilly at rcn.com. ? ? HOUSEKEEPING ? LOST & FOUND Take a look this week to see if you are missing anything, you may be surprised what you find.? Be sure to stop by because this Thursday it will be donated to The Second Step.? Thanks to Carrie Jasper of the Social Action Committee for cleaning out the bin and donating the items. ? CABOT BROADCAST ? NEWTON SCHOOL?S GIFT POLICY During the holiday season, please remember the Newton School Committee Policy:? ?No teacher in the performance of regular duties shall receive presents from the pupils under his or her direction.?? Each year families are reminded of this policy, and each year most families comply.? It is very natural for children and their families to want to acknowledge and thank their teachers at holiday time.? Here are some suggestions: 1. A note of appreciation to your child?s teacher, or a card made by your child, would be treasured.? 2. A homemade acknowledgement to your child?s teacher or faculty member, such as cookies or baked goods. 3.? You may wish to honor a teacher or staff member through a donation to the Campaign for Cabot.? Checks should be made to the Cabot PTO, with a note indicating that it is for the Campaign for Cabot.? This is a terrific way to honor a teacher and support the parent-run enrichment programs at Cabot School. ? Please do not solicit money from families for class gifts. ? If you need further clarification please speak with the Principal Marilynne Quarcoo or your PTO Co-Presidents, Mary Kathryn Fallon and Archana Vahalia. Thank you for your cooperation in this regard. ? Out of District Policy Statement 2008 - Out-of-District placements for students who wish to attend a school in Newton other than his/her district school are limited.? Such placements are made on a space available basis only.? Newton families, as well as members of Units A, B, C, D, E, NESA, Custodians and Boston parents of students participating in the METCO Program, should call the Attendance Office at 617-559-6030 for information.? Students who receive acceptance for Out-of-District placement must remain in the school selected or file for out-of-district placement at the appropriate time. - Applications for the following school year must be submitted on forms, which are currently available in the Attendance Office at the Education Center. - If necessary, a lottery will be implemented to determine the order in which placements will be made.? Completed applications, signed by the in-district principal, can be submitted no earlier than January 2, 2008 and no later than April 30, 2008.? Applications submitted after April 30, 2008 will not be included in the lottery. - Hand-delivered applications will only be accepted from the parent or legal guardian.? Application forms must have the 'Reason for Request' section completed in order to be considered. - Class size in a given grade, in a given year, in a specific school, may preclude any placements including siblings. - Parents will be responsible for transportation. - Tuition Free Enrollment is limited to the per pupil cost of regular education.?? ? Strategic Planning Team The Strategic Planning Team (SPT) had an extremely productive meeting on November 28.? The members spent a great deal of time working in small groups, which allowed for a thorough and thoughtful exchange of ideas.? First, the SPT reviewed a draft of the teacher and parent survey results, which are now available on the NPS web site.? Next, the SPT did a substantial review and analysis of the proposed Core Values statement.? A new draft is being prepared for a second review.? The SPT also began a discussion about the Core Purpose statement, which is defined as the ?most fundamental reason an organization or system has for being.?? The last discussion topic was the visioning sessions held in recent weeks.? The last three topics (core values, core purpose, and visioning sessions) are being further refined in small sub-groups to be presented for discussion by the SPT as the group prepares to define strategic areas of focus.? Working groups will be constituted to delve deeply into these strategic areas. ? ? Newton Parent Advisory Council There was a meeting on Thursday November 15. Stephanie Powers and Mozelle Berkowitz, Interim Co-Directors for Pupil Services presented the new 2007/2008 Guide that lists all of the Newton Programs and Services for Students with Special Needs. Several administrative staff members were present to discuss their different programs. The 2007/2008 Guide is available in the PAC folder in the front office. The next meetings will be held on January 16, in room 318 and on February 13, in room 210, at the Education Center 100 Walnut Street. If there are any questions, please contact Lisa Spagnuolo (617) - 527-4660. ? ? FUNDRAISING ? BOX TOPS! Please remember to start your on-line shopping at:http://cabotpto.org/shop/index.html and the Cabot PTO will receive a percentage of your sale, at no cost to you.? And please keep bringing in the Box Tops and putting them in the bright pink box in the front lobby. Questions: contact Isabelle Thacker, isabelle at thackers.net, 617/795-2332 ? Think Recycle! We have shipped off two boxes full of empty ink cartridges and cell phones to Think Recycle. We are off to a great start.? Please keep brining in your old cell phones and empty ink cartridges and place them in the green Think Recycle box in the front lobby. Questions:? contact Isabelle Thacker, isabelle at thackers.net, 617/795-2332 ? Newton On the Move? The Newton Schools Foundation and all of Newton?s Schools are planning a Bike-a-Thon for next fall, Sunday October 5, 2008. ?The route will take bike riders to each of Newton?s 21 schools and ends at City Hall for prizes, refreshments, etc.? The goal is to raise money for the Foundation and for our individual schools.? Although this event is almost a year away, it takes a lot of planning.? The current aim is to get volunteers from each school to meet monthly to work out logistics/finances/safety/rules/publicity, etc.? Here is some of what needs to be done:? Form bike riding team(s) from your school, sponsor the event, get sponsors and donors, help with publicity, cheer riders along the route, help hand out water/ice cream at City Hall, and of course help with the overall planning. Please consider helping out in ways both large and small.? Contact former NNHS principal and current Newton Schools Foundation Board Member Jennifer Huntington at 617-965-5063 or granx4 at gmail.com ? FIFTH GRADE ACTIVITIES ? ? Funtastic Fridays for all Newton 5th Graders Funtastic Fridays for all Newton 5th graders, Jan 4th:? A great way to meet kids from the ?feeder? elementary schools, as our 5th graders get ready to move up to Bigelow.? Here are the monthly dates for the remainder of the school year to put into your calendars: 12/14, 1/4, 2/1, 3/7, 4/4, 5/2, 6/13.? All are 7-9 pm. at the Hyde Community Center 90 Lincoln Street. $6 admission for Music, games and more. Snacks and drinks available for purchase. Sign up for a ?Fast Pass? card to speed entry by emailing your name, phone number and school to fevercoach at aol.com.? Sponsored in part by Parks and Rec. Questions? Call Judy Dore: 617-796-1525. ? ? CREATIVE ARTS & SCIENCES ? David Zucker presents Poetry in Motion On Thursday, December 6th, Cabot school was treated to David Zucker?s ?Poetry in Motion.? Mr. Zucker presents poetry using mime, puppets, costumes, and characters in a way that completely engages children and makes poetry come alive for them. Imagine 200 Cabot school children miming climbing up a pole to the poetry of James Whitcombe Riley and you will have an idea of how the children participated in the performance! Using plenty of humor, Mr. Zucker recited poems by authors ranging from A.A. Milne to Langston Hughes, and even had the children making up new poetry with him. ?Poetry in Motion? was presented by the Creative Arts and Sciences committee, and funded by the Cabot School PTO. ? COMMUNITY PARK ? New Composting Program has Begun at Cabot! For those who have recently walked through Cabot Community Park and wondered at the black bin, Cabot has begun a composting program!? Ms. Fiorenza has spearheaded a campaign for composting, and 11 teachers/specialists/the office and CASP are participating.? The compost was started with the leaves from the park (some of which were added to the compost at the Newton Community Farm!) and continues to grow with daily additions of apple cores, clementine peels, etc.? The program is exciting for the students to observe how their food waste will break down to return to and nourish the earth while being removed from the waste stream as well as the park to being used for a new, educational opportunity.? In fact, the park has become such a favorite destination that a multitude of birds feed there daily, including the flock of turkeys (who tried but were unable to reach the feeders!)? ? LIBRARY ? Massachusetts Children?s Book Award Program Have you seen the steady stream of 4th and 5th graders making their way to the library? They are checking out books from the Massachusetts Children?s Book Award Program?s most recent list. All Cabot 4th and 5th grade students are encouraged to participate in this statewide reading program sponsored by Salem State College. Participants are required to read (or listen to) at least five of the twenty-five books on the list. In March, the students who successfully complete this task will vote for their favorite book. Adding their votes to those of other 4th, 5th and 6th graders statewide, the students will select the best book, most enjoyed by young people in Massachusetts. Thank you to the following parents and teachers who took time out of busy schedules to present book talks and reviews on this year?s list of books: Chris Kjellson, Lisa Svennson, Emily Hess, Rachel Boloyan, Lori Seuch and Jo Doherty joined Matt Tirrell in presenting books to the 4th graders and Don Stanton, Alice Cunningham, Marya Vant Hul, Andrea Plotkin, Jo Doherty and Lori Seuch presented a rich assortment of books to the 5th grade students. It is largely due to these presentations that the books are being checked out and read with great enthusiasm. If you want to see the 2008 list or read about books on lists in the past go to the Salem State website: http://www.salemstate.edu/education/mcba/ Again, I wish to thank all parents and teachers who help with this program. Lani Gerson. ? KIDS CORNER ? We have initiated a new and exciting part of the Jabberwock.? We invited Cabot students to submit original poems, haikus or short paragraphs with a focus on Cabot?s core values, which are:? Lifelong learning Respect for self and others Commitment to school and community ? Each month the students and faculty are focusing on a word that relates to the core values. The words so far this year have been: September ? Routines October ? Advocacy November - Effort December - Caring? Students may use these words to inspire a poem, haiku or short story to be published in the Jabberwock.? Students may work alone, as part of a group, with their family or as a class.? This is a completely voluntary effort.? All submissions should be sent to jabbereditor at gmail.com to be considered for inclusion in the Jabberwock.? Submissions received by January 8, 200, will be considered for inclusion in the January issue.? We will continue to add more words as the year progresses and would like to make student work part of the monthly publication. We look forward to reading all your wonderful stories and ideas!? Here are all the poems we have received so far, enjoy!!! ? Mr. Wong is a teacher at Cabot Elementary.? Mr. Wong teaches my 4th grade class, room 202. He is very good at handling problems that come up.? Every Friday afternoon for the last hour of the day Mr. Wong gives us "Fun Friday."? He also gives us one homework pass for a short assignment, (one subject for one night), at the beginning of each month. Sometimes if we get extra math on our schedule we get to skip it the next day.? Well, I hope you learned a little about Mr. Wong's job.? Bye!? ???? -By Sonia Joffe, grade 4 ? Life Long Learning never ends, this means make lots of new friends; and also, try your best in school, otherwise you won't be cool; Its never too late to try something new, that way there will always be something fun for you! And........... that's Life Long Learning!! ?-By?Katy Fallon, grade 3 ? ? Effort: ? ????????? E - experiencing new things ????????? F - Finding better ways to do things ????????? F - Fractions (whew, they take effort) being O - Organized ????????? R - Reading ????????? T - Trying your best ???????????????? -By Jake Fallon, grade 4 & Matthew Fallon, Kindergarten ? Effort ? Excellence Failing but not giving up Fun with learning Overachievement Respect for learning Trust in yourself ???????????? -By Annika Vahalia, 4th Grade, Mr. Ripp's class. ? ? ? What Core Values Mean to Us ? By Elinor Graham and Maren Gunning Ms. Thonet's 3rd grade classroom ? Life-long learning Never ends. ? Respect for self and others Together forever. ? That is Cabot School And it always will be Commitment to school and our community for everyone Everywhere in Cabot School Everyone cares and always will. ? Caring is like a million friendly people. Caring is like a sea of friends. Caring is the color of Cabot School. Caring is bright and colorful. Caring is the people who care. Caring is Cabot School. ? Gregory Brumberg Ms. Thonet, 3rd Grade ? The following poems were submitted by Ms. Bargende's 3rd grade class: ? Our class wrote this poem together last week during Inclusion Week.? We are posting it in our hallway with illustrations for each line.? ? Interested in other's lifestyles, religions, ethnicity, and learning styles Never leave anyone out Cabot welcomes everyone to learn Learning about other people Understanding differences Safe place to learn for everyone Invite others to play or work with you One school that cares for everyone in Cabot's neighborhood Never give up on others ? Advocacy By Yonatan Ben-Menachem ? Ask for help Don?t be shy, speak up Voice your opinion Occasions can be confusing, ask why they are celebrated ?Come here, I?ll explain it in a different way? Asking for help is advocacy Complaining doesn?t help, it makes it worse Yonatan?s a good poet? put him in the Jabborwok! ? Caring By Yonatan Ben-Menachem ? Caring is important, why don?t you try it. It?s wonderful and sweet. You get lots of love so try and find someone so you can get some love. ? Caring By Ben Puritz and Quinn Cleary Cabot cares for everyone Always look out for others Respect people by caring Invite people to play Never leave people out Give love! ? Caring By Emily Ecker, Kristyn Stoia, and Claudia Meyer ? Cabot cares for everyone At every class, people listen Respect people?s religions Inclusion Never Laugh at people Give help ? Advocacy By Yui-Ting Tarn and Claire Wang ? Advocacy means Asking for help when you need it. Advocacy ? A Poem ?by Jimmy Hodgson and Gabe Jasper ? Do not give up hope Keep on trying to do it Stay strong in your mind ? Caring By Claudia Meyer and Anna Porter ? To feel for others To help out friends who need it. Play or work with friends. ? Advocacy By Claudia Meyer and Anna Porter ? Asking for help when you need it. Determined to get help Voices inside your head tell you to ask for what you need Open your mouth and go ask ?Can you explain that again please?? Automatically asking for help ?Could you help me with this?? You tell the truth about what you do and do not understand ? Our Cabot School Routine by Mr. Lacatell?s 2nd grade students ? In school we follow a very special routine We start with our morning meeting Change the date, the number of the day And share a pleasant greeting ? Lifelong learning is our goal For the twenty kids found in our class All of our teachers help us It really is a blast! ? We love to play Sparkle Spelling is fun indeed In the end it helps better Our ability to read ? We do it everyday And learn from every book Sitting quietly at our seats With our School Listening Look ? Mr. L loves to read to us Each and every day Patricia Pollaco and Roald Dahl We all shout, ?Hooray!? ? When our teacher calls us By the wrong name He does 20 push-ups It?s a very funny game ? Trivia questions each day To keep us thinking When we learn the answer Our brain stops shrinking ? Sometimes those answers We might forget We know it?s okay And do not fret ? We all love math Fast Facts, arrows and frames Learning each day As we play new games ? At recess On days hot and cold Some of us dig in the sand Until the whistle blows ? Our custodians Kenny and Phil Take time each day To do their daily drill ? They clean the classrooms Up and down And never do it With a frown ? In PE we learn to swing Miss Bennett teaches us how to climb and jump We hope that she doesn?t ever Fall upon her rump ? Dr. Quarcoo is our principal who is great Bullying is something that she hates She works hard each day for you and me So that we are as happy as can be ? Every month she gives us A brand new word to think about ?Routine, Advocacy, Effort and Caring? We all now love to shout ? We never get bored >From morning to noon And hope that dismissal Does not come too soon ? ? PHYSICAL EDUCATION ? 5th Annual Jump Rope for Heart Program Our school is participating in our 5th annual Jump Rope For Heart program in physical education class. This is a very special community service program to help raise funds for the American Heart Association. We?re joining the fight against our nation?s number 1 and number 3 killers ? cardiovascular disease and stroke. Every student at Cabot school will participate in jumping rope for the month of January in P.E. class. Your student will bring home an American Heart Association envelope to collect donations for this cause from family and friends. However, I ask that your student not go door to door or ask strangers for donations. If your child receives any cash donations please convert those to a check prior to turning in the collection envelope. All checks should be payable to the American Heart Association. The deadline for your student?s collection envelope to be turned into Ms. Bennett is January 31, 2008. Last year as a community we raised $5,839.61 we received a portion of this to buy physical education equipment. This year our goal is 6,000.00!!! Jump Rope For Heart is a fun event that helps our children understand the importance of community service and physical activity while helping save lives. Our efforts truly make a difference! FROM THE NURSE ? Important Information for Parents and Guardians in Grades K, 1 and 4 The Growth Screening Program will be take place during December and January. The Kindergarten class is done. Massachusetts General Laws require that public schools collect height and weight measurements of students. These measurements are used to calculate the Body Mass Index (BMI) which is a screening tool to monitor students? growth and development. Your child?s screening will be supervised by the school nurse and each student?s privacy will be respected at all times. Your child?s height, weight, and BMI measurements are strictly confidential and the results will be recorded in your child?s school health record. If you would like these results and/or additional information and resources, please contact the school nurse at: Karen Kerrigan, RN at 617- 559-9404. . Please share the results of the Growth Screening with your child?s healthcare provider. If you choose not to have your child participate in the Growth Screening Program, you must contact the school nurse. Please provide written documentation of height and weight measurements taken within the past twelve months by your child?s healthcare provider. Simple standards for a healthy lifestyle include: ???????? Eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day ???????? Spending no more than 2 hours per day on ?screen time? (TV, video games, computer use, etc.) ???????? Getting at least 1 hour of physical activity per day In Newton, we address our students? health and wellness with a comprehensive approach that includes health screenings, physical activity programs, nutrition, and health education. In support of your efforts to promote healthy eating and active living, you may find the following websites helpful: www.keepkidshealthy.com http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/ http://www.mass.gov/dph/fch/nutrition/contact_us.htm ? Karen Kerrigan, RN, Cabot School Nurse ? COMMUNITY NEWS ? Support Newton families in Need ? Donations of NEW unwrapped toys for children ages newborn to 12 are greatly needed for some Newton families.? ? The City of Newton is teaming with the Village Bank to bring Christimas gifts to families in need in Newton. By donating a gift, you are helping bring joy to a child in Newton. There are over 170 families in Newton - single mothers, families in financial crisis or facing hard times - who need our help.?? ? Support Newton families by supporting local Newton merchants. Please drop an unwrapped gift: a book, toy, CD or gift card from your favorite local Newton merchant in the big gift box in the lobby of anyone of these Village Bank locations: Auburndale: 307 Auburn St Newtonville: 332 Walnut St Nonantum: 411 Watertown St Newton Highlands: 56 Winchester St Waban: 89 Wyman St. ? Donations should be made by Dec. 17 so we have time to give the gifts to these families for Christmas. If you have a question, contact the Department of Health & Human Services at 617-796-1284. Thank you. ********** -- Beverly Droz, Director Human & Volunteer Services Division and NewtonSERVES Day of Community Service 1000 Commonwealth Ave,? Newton, MA 02459 Phone 617-796-1290,? Fax 617-796-1293 bdroz at newtonma.gov ? ? Newton Youth Players ? Newton Youth Players puts on plays starring our kids, Grades 1 through 6.? Parts for everyone.? At Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street.? Sign up to take part in the April performance of ?Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?, which rehearses on Thursdays 3:45-5:15 January 10th through April 3rd.? Curtain time is June 19th for ?The Sound of Music?, with rehearsals on Thursdays 3:45-5:15 April 10th through June 19th -- sorry, the Tuesday slots are filled.? Coming attractions: Summer 2008 ?Oklahoma? (Monday-Friday), Winter 2008 ?You?re a Good Man, Charlie Brown?, Tues or Thurs., Spring 2009 ?Oklahoma? Tues or Thurs.? Register at 617-796-1540.? Info: www.ci.newton.ma.us, click on ?departments? then ?Cultural affairs?.? Lplaut at newtonma.govb or Janderson at newtonma.gov?? ? Health and Wellness Classes ? This winter Newton Community Service Center (NCSC) is offering a course on ?Taking Care of You? for students in 5th through 8th grade.? The 12-week course taught by an EMT and Registered Dietician from Century Health Systems, teaches students essential self-care skills in the areas of safety and nutrition.? Topics to be covered include CPR, First Aid Training, Home Alone Safety, Nutrition, and Babysitter Lessons with Safety Training.? Classes meet once a week, beginning Thursday Jan. 10th, 2008 from 3:30PM ? 5PM, and run through Apr. 3rd.? (No classes during Feb. vacation).? For information or to register, please call Jennifer Capello McAuliffe, NCSC Camp and Recreational Director (617) 969-5906, ext. 224 or visit www.ncscweb.org and click on Recreational Programs. ? Newton Community Ed Classes at Cabot ? Registration is now underway for winter classes through Newton Community Education. Coming up at Cabot we have Knitting on Wednesdays, and Chess on Fridays. Offsite we offer Lego Robotics and Babysitting at North, Create a TV Show at NewTV, and Fencing at Bigelow. We have many exciting Saturday classes for adult-child pairs: Hand Percussion Workshop, Valentine Gift Making, Meals in Minutes 2, and the ever-popular Chocolate Connection. We also have Indoor Soccer on Saturdays at Burr for kids ages 2 and up, and many more weekday classes at schools throughout Newton. You can sign up for our winter and spring vacation programs now as well. And if there's a high schooler in your family, we now offer Fencing for high school kids. For more information or to register, call our office at 617-559-6999 or visit our website at newtoncommunityed.org. ? February Vacation Program Looking for something fun and exciting for your child to do during their school vacations?? This winter the Newton Community Service Center is offering a Winter Skills Program during February Vacation for 3rd through 6th grade students.? We will be heading to Hale Reservation to learn essential winter skills in the areas of fire building, ice rescue, and stretcher building.? Additional activities include Big Box Hockey, Archery, team sledding, and more.? For information or to register, please call Jennifer Capello McAuliffe, NCSC Camp and Recreational Director (617) 969-5906, ext. 224 or visit www.ncscweb.org and click on Recreational Programs. ? Exceptional Children: Understanding & Treating Autistic Disorders Newton Community Education is pleased to repeat its popular class on autism this winter. Taught by Katherine Johnson (past president of the Greater Boston Association for Behavior Analysis and founder and director of Advances Learning Center in Watertown), the class will meet at Newton South on Tuesday, Jan 15 & 22.? In the first session, we'll review current thinking about symptoms, diagnostic methods, etiology, and physiological research. In the second, we'll focus on researched and non-researched treatment methods and therapies, including Applied Behavior Analysis, Sensory Integration, Auditory Integration, Facilitated Communication, Relationship Development Intervention, Floortime, and others. The class is open to the public; preregistration is required. The cost is $49 ($86 per couple). To register for this class (Y1423), call 617-559-6999, or enroll online at www. newtoncommunityed.org. ? Family Movie Nights at the West Newton Cinema Dec. 26 & 27 See a movie and get popcorn and soda all for one low price: $6. Tickets go on sale at 4:15 for shows at 6:15 or 6:30 December 26th and 27th. Program in conjunction with Newton Parks and Rec. West Newton Cinema, 1296 Washington Street, West Newton. 617-964-8074 or www.westnewtoncinema.com. ? Newton Girls Soccer Spring 2008 Registration is ongoing.? Register online at www.newtongirlssoccer.org (click on Registration).? Thank you to the many that have already registered. ? Boston College Girls Soccer Clinic Winter Break 12/26-28, noon to 5pm:? Girls age 6-14.? BC Main Campus ? Bubble Covered Stadium.? $175.? Open to the first 100 applicants.? BC coaches and players provide instruction.? Info and to register: http://bceagles.cstv.com/camps/bc-w-soccer-camps.html??? ? Vacation Basketball Clinic ?Dec 26, 27, 28 9-noon at Lincoln Elliot School, Pearl Street.? Age 7-15 Co-ed.? $100. Limited to 40 kids.? .? Info: 617-796-1500 or www.ci.newton.ma.us/parks.? Taught by professional coaches.? Brought to you by Parks and Rec and N.E. Camps. ? All Sports Clinic at Pelligrini Park ?Dec, 26, 27,? 28? 9-2.? Age 6-14 Co-ed.? $110 for full three days, $40 for 9-12 each day.? Additional $10 non-resident fee.? Basketball, floor Hckey, Soccer, Vortexball, Flag Football and more.? Register at www.activityreg.com, go to Massachusetts/Newton and the Program button on the Newton Page, and select the vacation program from the dropdown menu at top.? Or send payment to: Newton parks and Recreation, 70 Crescent Street, Newton, Ma 02466.? Checks payable to ?City of Newton?.? Fills fast.? First paid first served. ? Cross Country Skiers Calling all Cross Country Skiers, age 7-13 --- registration is still open!? Here?s your chance to ski with the Eastern Massachusetts Bill Koch Youth Ski Club.? This is the largest of over 100 clubs around New England that make up the Bill Koch Youth Ski League.? There are both racing and non-racing components.? Dry land?off snow?practices are underway.? Twice-weekly on-snow practices run from December through the end of February and will focus on small-group instruction and games.? The on-snow practices take place at the Weston Ski Track near the intersection of 128 and the Mass Pike.? Info at www.easternmassnordic.org or contact Bonnie McEwen at abhg_mcewen at earthlink.net. ? Summer 2008.? Got Plans?? Come to the fourth annual Teen Summer Program Expo, Monday, February 4, 2008 5:30 PM to 8:00PM at Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road, in the cafeteria.?? FREE ADMISSION.? Learn about the many options available for teens' summer experiences.? Meet personally with directors from more than 50 programs such as Teen Camps, Teen Travel, Sport Specialty, Adventure, Community Service, Cultural Immersion, Arts and Theatre, Music, Academic, Non-Profit, Internship and College/SAT Prep.? Come with a group of friends and sign up for an awesome summer together or bounce ideas off other kids. Sponsored by CampSource/TeenSource and NSHS PTSO.? Refreshments will be sold.??? For more information visit www.CampSourceNetwork.com, call 617-244-3316 or email laura at CampSourceNetwork.com.? Snow date will be Tuesday, February 5. ? ? Playspace Open for Winter Days Playspace for kids under 7 with adult: The antidote for winter?s shorter days.? Open four days per week at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street.? Art projects and playing time with riding toys, trucks, balls and lots of running, jumping and climbing.? Season unlimited membership: $95/$125 Newton residents/non-residents.? Drop-in fee $12/$15 residents/non-residents.? Tues, Wed and Thurs 2:30-5pm, Sat: 1-4:30. 617-796-1540 or 617-527-8283 or www.ci.newton.ma.us. CLASSIFIEDS ? Baby sitting Cabot School nanny looking for babysitting/cooking/driving hours of work anytime during weekends or mid-week Dec 22nd - 30th.? Excellent references from family.? $16/hr.? Contact:? Tina at 1-802-310-1209 or nocturne014 at yahoo.com NEW YEAR'S EVE PARTY and BABYSITTING for kids age 6 mos. and up.? Fundraiser for Eliot Church Youth's Mission Trip. 4 teenagers (Cabot School alumni, now at NNHS) + 2 adults for a max of 20 kids.? $10/hr for one child; $16/hr for two or more.? Any time between 5:30pm and 1:30 am.? Includes dinner, age-appropriate games and bedtimes.? Bring a sleeping bag.?? Contact betsyharper at rcn.com or 617-332-2132. Free Guinea Pig for the Holidays Just in time for the holidays.? Are you looking for a cute furry pet that you don?t have to take out for a walk? Our guinea pig is looking for a new home. He squeals with delight when you open the produce bin of your fridge. He?ll make good use of all your veggie scraps. Free to a good home.? Cage and all the other necessities supplied. Call Laurie, 617/332-0081. ? Two Cooperative Nursery Schools Have Openings Burr Cooperative Nursery School (BCNS) in Auburndale is a small, nurturing program for children age 3 to 5, offering a choice of 3, 4 or 5-day enrollment. Participate in your child's education!? Accepting applications for 2008-09.? www.burrcooperative.org. 617-332-0886. NAEYC accredited. ? Bowen Cooperative Nursery School in Newtonville is accepting applications for the 2008-2009 year.? Programs for 3 year olds, 4 year olds, and a Transitional Kindergarten Program for those 5 or about to be 5 next fall, but not yet in kindergarten.? For info and to apply: www.bowencoop.org or contact Barbara Cleary, Director, at 617-332-3923.? (There is one space left in this year?s Transitional Kindergarten program if you know of someone who might be interested.) You received this message because you opted in to receive Cabot Community emails.? To subscribe, update your email address, or unsubscribe, go to: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/listinfo/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org. ? ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071218/cd2fdc69/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Jabber_December_2007a.doc Type: application/msword Size: 261120 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071218/cd2fdc69/attachment.doc From marykathf at aol.com Thu Dec 20 10:46:08 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2007 10:46:08 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Temporary Newton School Bus route change and 2 other items In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CA11369289EC62-2C04-C88@webmail-stg-d09.sysops.aol.com> Dear Cabot Community: We have 3 things to tell you about: 1.) Traffic around the School 2.) Temporary change in the Newton School bus (Bus BB) route due to the snow conditions. 3.) Winner of the ipod shuffle! 1.) We know that travel to and from school is difficult these days due to the snow?impacting space and?driving conditions.? We thank you all for being patient and safe for the sake of our children.? Please plan for a little extra time when picking up and dropping off.? (It may be quicker?to park a few streets away and walk to pick up your child(ren).)? Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. 2.)? ATTENTION:? Newton Bus Riders We were notified on Tuesday by the Transportation Dept. that, due to the current snow conditions, the BB bus stop normally located at Elmwood Park and Highland will now be moved to Lowell and Highland until further notice.? Thanks for your understanding. 3.) Congratulations to Angela DiLeo?who won the IPOD Shuffle! Thank you to everyone who has participated in the Campaign for Cabot thus far. We will be raffling off another IPOD Shuffle on February 2, 2008.? Anyone who has made a donation to the?Campaign for Cabot, no matter the amount, will be entered to win.? So, there is still time to get your donations in. Thanks to Lori Seuch and Deb Klein for organizing the raffle.? Wishing you and your families?a peaceful and enjoyable winter break. Mary Kathryn Fallon 10 Worth Circle Newton, MA 02458 ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071220/37d735c8/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Fri Dec 28 09:11:46 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Fri, 28 Dec 2007 09:11:46 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] New Date for Long Range Facilities Forum: Jan. 8th In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8CA1772B7379B16-EB8-5C96@webmail-stg-d06.sysops.aol.com> Hello Cabot Community - We hope you are having a relaxing week away from school.? Wanted to let you know that the rescheduled date for the Long Range Facilities Forum is January 8th at 7:00 pm at Oak Middle School. Happy New Year! Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President marykathf at aol.com 617-244-1821 ________________________________________________________________________ More new features than ever. Check out the new AOL Mail ! - http://webmail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20071228/9d302d41/attachment.html