From marykathf at aol.com Fri Sep 7 15:48:42 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2007 15:48:42 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Notice for NEW 'Cabot School Bus' riders In-Reply-To: <8C9BF9E75A364B0-C10-4639@mblk-d24.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C9BF9E75A364B0-C10-4639@mblk-d24.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C9BF9F3A77BE46-C10-46BA@mblk-d24.sysops.aol.com> Any?student who will ride the Cabot School Bus this year and who has never ridden the bus before must?stop into the School Office and complete a 'green bus sheet'.? This sheet is important as it tells us?which days to expect your child(ren) on the bus and to ensure that all?students are properly dismissed. Thank you! Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070907/66b40f82/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Sep 11 17:04:09 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:04:09 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuessday September 11, 2007 Message-ID: <8C9C2CE6E328C0E-28C-4922@mblk-d24.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th 2007 This issue contains information about the following: ?????????? School Psychologist Open House ?????????? First PTO Meeting 9/18/07 ?????????? PTO Welcome Packet ?????????? Traffic & Parking Safety ?????????? Become a Room Parent ?????????? Safe Arrival and Call Back Information ?????????? School Store to Open September 18, 2007 ?????????? Back to School Night ?????????? Cabot Directory ?????????? Cabot Community Supper ?????????? What is the Jabberwock? ?????????? Gift Wrap sale starts next week ?????????? Join the Walking School Bus ?????????? Family Picture Day ?????????? New Student Picnic a Success! ?????????? Thanks to Volunteers who Helped get the School Ready ? Calendar September 12, 2007 School Psychologist/Social Worker Open House? 8:35AM? Come meet the new School Psychologist September 13, 2007 Rosh Hashanah, NO SCHOOL September 17, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #1 September 18, 2007 Preliminary Election Day September 18, 2007 PTO 1st Annual Meeting & Welcome, 8:35AM ? 9:30AM September 18, 2007 PTO Gift Wrap Sale Begins (thru 10/9) September 19, 2007 Grade 1 Parent Workshop - 'Transitioning from Kindergarten'? 8:40AM September 20, 2007 Back To School Night, 6 PM September 21, 2007 Yom Kippur, Begins at Sundown September 24, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM September 24, 2007 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7 - 9:00 PM 1350 Tremont Street, Roxbury September 25, 2007 Cabot Community Supper, 5 PM Cabot Field (Rain date 9/27) ? ? October 5, 2007 School Picture Day (rain date 10/19) October 8, 2007 Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL October 9, 2007 PTO Coffee for all Grades & Meeting, 8:40 AM October 9, 2007 PTO Gift Wrap Orders Due October 9, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM October 13, 2007 Coffee Pond Family Photo Day (rain date 10/14) October 15, 2007 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7 - 9:00 PM 1350 Tremont Street, Roxbury October 16, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #2 ? Open House ? Wednesday September 12th 8:35am Meet Samantha Berdinka the School Psychologist All families are welcome to stop by the School Psychologist/ School Social Workers office, room #116 (across from the main office) tomorrow morning for an open house to meet Samantha Berdinka, the new School Psychologist. The open house will run from 8:35 ? 9:20. ?Come say hello to Susan Kass, our School Social Worker, and meet Ms. Berdinka.? Coffee and snacks will be provided. ? Join us at the First PTO Meeting!? Tuesday September 18, 2007 at 8:40am.? Hope to see you there!! ? ? PTO WELCOME PACKET FORMS DUE THIS FRIDAY- SEPTEMBER 14th! You should have received the PTO Welcome Packet in your child?s backpack on the first day of school.? Thanks to so many of you who have already returned your forms!! This packet holds important information for you and for us.? Included in the packet are the following: Welcome Letter Dues & Volunteer Form (this is also used to ensure you would like your address included in the Cabot directory, so please return it!) Fundraising & Spending Plan ? details how we raise money and how we spend it. The PTO calendar for the 2007-08 school year. Safe Arrival/Call Back Volunteer Form Cabot Community Supper Form Traffic & Parking Letter and Map Coffee Pond Family Picture Day Form ? Remember to complete the Dues & Volunteer form, the Cabot Community Supper Form and the Safe Arrival/Call Back Volunteer Sheet and the Family Picture Day Form (if interested) & return it to the Cabot PTO mailbox in the office or send it in to your child?s teacher. Please return these forms by this Friday, September 14, 2007.? ? Archana and I would like to thank all the welcome packet stuffers ? with out their help, you would not have received these packets on the first day of school!? Many thanks to Emily Hess, Rachel Leaney, Julie Bourgoin, Kate Johnson, and Sandy Connors!? Thanks also go to all the helper?s children who patiently waited for us while we madly stuffed all morning!! ? Traffic Flow and Parking At Cabot School is Off to a Positive Start!! Thanks to so many families who have been making that extra effort to park just a little farther and walking, taking the school bus or walking from home.? You have all made a difference in the congestion around the school and allowed sufficient parking for our faculty.? Even today in the rainy weather things seemed to run smoothly, (except for the tree that was down which has hopefully been cleared by now).? We ask that you please continue your efforts to keep the parking and traffic situation safe for our children.? If you have any questions about the traffic flow pattern or where to park, check out the website www.cabotpto.org which has the original traffic flow and parking instructions. ? Get to know your child?s teacher!? Get to know other parents! Become a room parent! Every class needs 4-6 room parents including a lead room parent to act as a liaison between the teacher and the other parents. Major duties of a room parent are to contact other parents from time to time with teacher and PTO requests and to help 2-3 times a year planning events such as the family breakfast morning.? Tasks are divided among the team of parents so if you cannot be available all the time you can still be a room parent. Your participation is what makes our school work! Sign up on the classroom door in the first two weeks of school. Questions? Contact Chris Kjellson (3-5) at chrisk729 at yahoo.com or Lori Knowles (K-2) at armstrongknowles at juno.com ? Call Back/Safe Arrival at Cabot School What do I do if my child will be absent or late from school? The Cabot Safe Arrival/Call Back Program helps ensure that children arrive safely at school each morning.?? If your child will be absent or late, call 617-559-9390 between 6:00 pm the night before and 8:35 am on the day of absence.? Speaking slowly and clearly, leave the following information:? Your name, your child's name, teacher's name and grade, and date and reason of absence or tardiness.? You should call in each day of sickness.? If you know ahead of time that it will extend beyond one day, please leave that information on the phone message. ? SCHOOL STORE TO OPEN SEPTEMBER 18 The school store will be open every Tuesday from 8:10 to 8:30am, beginning September 18. We carry pencils, erasers, sharpeners, folders, rulers and other school-related items.? Proceeds from the school store go to the fifth graders to offset the cost of their yearbook, t-shirt and community service project.? Over the course of the year, every student will receive a 50-cent certificate on his/her birthday to spend at the school store, so be on the lookout.? Thanks to the PTO for funding the birthday certificates and keeping alive this grand Cabot tradition!? Contact:? Karen Lumino, 617-630-5073 or family at swain.name. ? BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT Mark you calendar for Cabot Back to School night, Thursday evening September 20, 2007. On this evening parents and guardians will be addressed by Cabot Principal, Dr. Quarcoo and by the faculty who prepare presentations to inform you about their expectations and about the curriculum they will cover this year. ? Cabot Directory Every year the PTO produces a Directory containing an entry for every Cabot family & class lists. This Directory is an invaluable resource for Cabot families, from scheduling playdates to helping organize car pooling. The task of compiling all this information is not small & this year Jenny Gamson, our Directory guru & parent volunteer, has been steadily working on the Directory since the summer. If you are a returning family please do take a moment to check your entry in last years Directory & email CHANGES ONLY to Jenny at jenny at seckler.com. Jenny will be joined by parent volunteer Marya Van?t Hul to put together the final product. ? Also, like last year we are selling advertising space in the Directory to local businesses. As a Cabot parent if you have a business that you would like to advertise in our Directory contact Rick Reilly, or Marc Svensson our parent volunteer Advertising Managers - rmreilly at rcn.com or msven at verizon.net . Be aware that copies of the Directory are ONLY distributed to Cabot families. Cabot?s Annual Community Supper, Tuesday September 25th at 5-7pm Join us for this great annual Cabot family event. Come along with the whole family & don?t worry about cooking dinner for the night! Remember to send in your pizza order forms (found in the PTO Welcome Packet) to ensure we have enough pizza. Tickets will be on sale only at the event ? pizza costs $1.50 a slice, drinks are 50? & there is always an array of delicious desserts available for purchase. A variety of school merchandise will also be available for purchase such as Cabot T-shirts, caps etc,. So bring your beach chairs or picnic blanket along to the Cabot field ready to meet other Cabot families & primed for hip-hop & capture the flag! All proceeds benefit the Cabot PTO & helps support the PTO enrichment activities for all Cabot students.? ? What/When is the Jabberwock/ Jabberlite? The Jabberwock is Cabot School?s newsletter published by the PTO.? This year the Jabberwock will come out on the third Tuesday of every month.? The dates of publication are listed on the Cabot School calendar you received in your welcome packet and also on the calendar on the website, www.cabotpto.org. ? The Jabberlite is a quicker version of the Jabberwock.? We will be sending out the jabberlite on the first Tuesday of every month.? It will have upcoming dates and events which we want to inform you about, but won?t have as much information as the Jabberwock.? We are sending one out today just to get the year started, but then the next one will be on October 2nd. ? You will also receive periodic emails from the PTO regarding important timely reminders and dates in between the publications.? Remember you can check the PTO website at anytime for up-to-date information, www.cabotpto.org.? Speaking of our website, check it out!? Mie-Yun Lee, our talented webmaster, has been hard at work updating all the information for you! ? Gift Wrap is Coming next week! Never fear, Cabot PTO?s annual gift wrap sale will start next Tuesday, September 18th. ?This is a great time to stock up on quality gift wrap paper for the holidays and occasions throughout the year. More details to follow!? ? Join the Cabot Walking School Bus! We are trying to make a difference at Cabot and you can help!?Keeping our children safe, while reducing traffic and?helping the?environment is a winning combination.? There will be 2 buses, one from Langdon and Surrey, going down Winchester and East Side Parkway and another from Morse Street to Blake to Withington.? If you are interested in participating, becoming a parent ?bus driver? or finding out the times of the bus stops in your area, please contact either Jen Borhegyi at jborhegyi at alum.wpi.edu or Liz Haas at? haas.joffe at rcn.com ? Family Picture Day ? Appointments available NOW Appointments are available for Family Picture Day. If you are interested we advise you to call now as we share the 3 days offered in October with 7 other schools. For further information contact our parent volunteer coordinator, Sharon Dwyer at 617 641 2342 or jsordwyer at rcn.com? All funds generated will benefit the outdoor Cabot Community Garden which all students at Cabot will use for recreational & educational purposes. Help support this initiative & worthy cause! ? Last Tuesday Evenings New Student Welcome Picnic Last Tuesday evening PTO Welcoming Committee hosted a successful ?New Student Picnic?.? Many families came to meet new people and become acclimated with the school.? Many of the new teachers attended and students were able to meet them before the first day of school.? Tours were also given of the inside of Cabot School.? Thanks to our wonderful student tour guides; Elizabeth Reilly, Bali Connors and Annika Vahalia!? Thanks also to Barbara Perlo and Judy McMorrow for all their hard working for again putting on a fun and organized picnic and making the new families feel welcome. Thanks to Sarah Ecker, Sandy Connors and Mary Heney who came to help work the table! ? Many Thanks to the Volunteers who Helped Get Cabot School Ready for the First Day! As you can imagine, with the addition of the new modular classrooms and the re-location of many teachers classrooms, combined with new teachers joining our community, lots of things needed to be done to get the school ready by September 6th.? The Cabot Faculty, Office Personnel and Custodians were working very hard before school started to get everything ready. We would like to extend thanks to the following individuals who came in to lend a hand, ie: hanging bulletin boards, cleaning, moving furniture and assisting the teachers: Rick Reilly, Jim Roberston, Mary Kathryn Fallon, Sarah Ecker, Sally Brickell, and Isabelle Thacker. Thank you! ? This edition was complied by the Cabot PTO. ? Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President? marykathf at aol.com Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President? auvpto at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070911/dacc1ef4/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Sep 18 11:10:37 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 11:10:37 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberwock - Issue 1 Sept. 18 2007 In-Reply-To: <8C9C81B0D735ACB-15B0-51CD@webmail-me04.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C9C819553FEDAD-15B0-50F8@webmail-me04.sysops.aol.com> <8C9C81B0D735ACB-15B0-51CD@webmail-me04.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C9C81D33CAE245-15B0-52ED@webmail-me04.sysops.aol.com> Please enjoy the first edition of the 2007 - 08 Cabot PTO Jabberwock Newsletter.? As this is the first edition of the year, there is a lot of information to share with you.? Many thanks to Ann Duvall, the editor of this edition. A word document, with all the bells and whistles, will be posted to the website shortly for your convenience.? ? Respect for self and others??????????? Lifelong learning????????????? Commitment to school and community ? ? ? ? Cabot School PTO e-Jabberwock Issue 1 September 18, 2007 ? 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.newtonpublicschools.com ? ?Calendar ? September 18, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #1 September 18, 2007 Preliminary Election Day September 18, 2007 PTO 1st Annual Meeting & Welcome, 8:35AM ? 9:30AM September 18, 2007 PTO Gift Wrap Sale Begins (thru 10/9) September 19, 2007 Grade 1 Parent Workshop - 'Transitioning from Kindergarten'? 8:40AM September 20, 2007 Back To School Night, 6 PM September 21, 2007 Yom Kippur, Begins at Sundown September 24, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM September 24, 2007 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7 - 9:00 PM 1350 Tremont Street, Roxbury September 25, 2007 Cabot Community Supper, 5 PM Cabot Field (Rain date 9/27) ? ? October 5, 2007 School Picture Day (rain date 10/19) October 8, 2007 Columbus Day, NO SCHOOL October 9, 2007 PTO Coffee for all Grades & Meeting, 8:40 AM October 9, 2007 PTO Gift Wrap Orders Due October 9, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM October 13, 2007 Coffee Pond Family Photo Day (rain date 10/14) October 15, 2007 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7 - 9:00 PM 1350 Tremont Street, Roxbury October 16, 2007 Jabberwock Publication 2007-08 Issue #2 October 19, 2007 Rain date for School Picture Day Please check the website www.cabotpto.org for an updated calendar at anytime. ? ? ?Marilynne?s Message ? Well we are back at school! Yes, our first few days have seen a very quiet and resting building reclaimed its identity as a vibrant student and teacher occupied school. Anyone who came inside the building during the summer recognizes the extreme makeover the school has experienced. With corridors filled with hundreds of sealed boxes, various and sundry shelving, desks, and tables as well as cleaning and moving equipment used to ready each space in addition to the construction of approximately 1250 square feet of new space, it seemed unimaginable that we would be ready on September 5th to open our doors. Thanks to the efforts of our building custodians as well as other custodians from across the district and the Support Services department, thanks to the diligent and careful work of the outside contractor and his crew, and thanks to the efforts of teachers, the secretary, and a band of parents who pushed furniture, climbed ladders, scrubbed surfaces, we were able to create a bright welcoming environment to greet all 430 students enrolled at Cabot School. We still have a few wrinkles to work out but from my perspective we are very ready and have already begun the process to engage your children in supporting their learning and overall development. Come out on Thursday September 20th for our Back To School Night! This evening provides an opportunity for the adults who support children to experience a slice of school life and hear about our basic beliefs about teaching and learning, the curriculum, and the overall goals of the school and school district for the year. We have many new faces at Cabot School. We welcomed 30 new students in addition to our incoming kindergarten class. We also have increased the number of faculty. We welcome Mr. Daniel Whitney to Grade 2, Ms. Abigail Bargande to Grade 3, Mr. Nate Velutto to Grade 3, Mr. Peter Wong to Grade 4, Mr. John Miranda to lead Literacy, Ms. Kelly Conroy to Art (K-5), Ms. Jordan Byrne to Art (2- grade 3 classes) Ms. Helene Reisler to Music (gr 1-2), and Ms. Samantha Berdinka as the School Psychologist The classroom teachers were selected from a highly competitive pool of candidates from all over the country. A huge thank you goes to Emily Hess (gr 4), Sarah Ecker (Literacy), Faith Witte (gr 2), Robin Neiterman (gr 3) as well as Bhavna Vaswani, Elizabeth Stahl, Alan Ripp and Christine Milham for the time and diligence they gave to this most critical process. I always appreciate the perspectives a committee brings to setting the criteria and assessing the suitability of a vast range off candidates. Their participation is what makes this process work so well at Cabot. We do have quite and outstanding team of educators! Other new staff include: Mr. Percy Napier, Substitute teacher (ISS) and a host of special education teaching assistants: Christine Nelson (gr 1), Melysa Keily (gr K), Jennifer Bilotta (gr 3), Shannon Curd (gr 3), and Stephen McCarthy (gr 5). We have a new position in the lunch program and I am pleased to announce that Ms. Kathy Elias is now the Senior Lunch Attendant. Ms. Elias will work with Ms. Barille, Kitchen manager to handle all the paper work including menus and payments. Ms. Celluci is our newest lunch attendant. Our custodians also are new. Mr. Kenny Meliones, Senior Custodian replaces Mr. Ed Reardon and Mr. Phil Wilkins will serve as the Junior Custodian. In the next few weeks we hope to add a new feature to our school web site, a faculty and staff directory with pictures. This certainly will help all of us be more familiar with the large number of people who support the work of teaching and learning at Cabot School. During our first faculty meeting I shared the scope of our work this year with faculty and staff. Just to give you an idea of what goes into making a school of excellence we will focus our attention on: Building a Professional Collaborative Community: establishing a Critical Friends Group that allows teacher a forum to discuss dilemmas in their practice, share student work and support each other through structured protocols. A new teacher evaluation documents will allow teachers to develop personal development plans including doing action research and peer coaching. Mathematics: supporting the differentiation of mathematics instruction using the new 3rd edition of Everyday Mathematics; training in the use of new assessment tools in gr k-2 based on the work of Kathy Richardson, nationally recognized mathematics educator. Literacy: training in the use of the Lucy Calkins Writing program and the 6+1 writing traits program; establishing early intervention support in small groups at kindergarten (Sept-Jan); on-going monitoring of instructional practices that support literacy development; creating regular planning time between classroom teachers and literacy assistants. Community Building: Focused work on making our core values known and visible in the work of all adults including parents; series of school assemblies led by students; examining Responsive Classroom developed by the Northeast Foundation (Amherst MA) as a vehicle to improve classroom culture and routines that support community; parent training in Open Circle program techniques, building a sense of shared values and expectations; continuing our focus to bully-proof the school and provide supports to adults and children as we address the emotional and behavioral needs of students. There is actually a bit more work that will be undertaken to support these major initiatives as well as the ongoing work in each discipline. I am sure as the year proceeds you will see our work in progress and be involved as we seek to build the partnerships for the success of all children. The Cabot School Council will be working with me to monitor our progress and assist in adjusting our goals to meet the needs of children and the community. Parent Teacher Conferences and Report Card Periods: Mark your calendars now. This year all elementary schools will conduct parent teacher conferences on the same schedule. This change is to bring more consistency across the 15 elementary schools. Parent/Teacher Conference periods: October 23- November 1st Progress Report: February 1 Parent/Teacher Conference period: March 24- April 18 2nd Progress Form: mid- June At Cabot School, this change may pose a slight challenge to teachers. In the past we have conducted listening conferences in September through early October. As a faculty we talked briefly about the challenge to accommodate both listening and formal conferences while giving teachers time after school to do their collaborative work and individual planning. We asserted the value we place on establishing a constructive working relationship with the adults that support our students. You may find that teachers are offering a quick meet and greet and/or may be sending a comment sheet home to gather information from you about your hopes and desires for your children. Our change is to accommodate this shift in the district practice and does not represent any view that we do not value getting to know parents. Most teachers have sent a communication home so you see we do value the relationship we will build this year. Teachers all over the district will follow the required conference schedule in accordance with the districts expectations. At Cabot we will do our best to create structures that help all adults feel connected and focused on the development of each individual student. Change can be hard but as long as we hold tight to the values that drive our actions we will continue to engage parents appropriately. ? ? ? ? PTO Pen ? The 2007-2008 School Year is off to a great start!? As we start the third week of school, it is clear that the faculty and students are busy teaching, inspiring and learning. Walking through the school you get a sense of all the hard work going on.? The PTO has also been hard at work for you and your children.? We have been organizing many special events to enrich the Cabot experience this year, from planning the impressive Creative Arts & Sciences programs your children will enjoy, to compiling the Cabot directory, planning the on-going design and maintenance of the outdoor classroom, keeping you informed about the traffic and parking situation and planning the fun filled evening of the Cabot Community Supper.? There is so much going on and so many people involved to make all these things run smoothly.? It is always inspiring to us to see the dedicated efforts of so many volunteers ? thank you! ? Speaking of the Supper, please join us on Tuesday September 25th from 5-7:00pm for a fun filled evening.? All Cabot families are welcome to come bring a picnic dinner or purchase pizza.? Look for flyers around the school, lots of activities are planned.? Come and hang out with your Cabot friends? - and make some new ones!? It is sure to be a fun filled evening for all! ? We want to acknowledge and thank each and everyone of you for helping to ease the traffic situation around the school.? We appreciate everyone?s efforts in walking, parking a little farther or taking the bus.? Safety, of course, is our main concern and we applaud all of you for helping to keep the roads safe and abiding by the regulations and guidelines.? Speaking of Traffic and Parking, October 3rd is International Walk to School Day.? Please make an effort to join us and walk to school on October 3rd, there will be more details to follow. ? We also want to express congratulations to last year?s 4th Grade Class and Teachers, Mr. Tirrell, Mr. Ripp and Mr. Adams.? This group, along with inspiration from parent Meg Wilcox, spearheaded a new program where they learned about energy efficiency and conservation.? The 4th graders then made presentations to all the classrooms at Cabot.? In conjunction with their presentations they sold energy efficient light bulbs.? As a result, the PTO donated $975, to an environmentally friendly cause, the New England Wind Fund, a program of the non-profit Mass Energy Consumers Alliance, www.newenglandwind.org . Our contribution signified that a wind turbine connected to the New England power grid will generate 19,500 kilowatt hours of electricity, which is enough electricity to power an average home for 39 months and avoid 21,489 pounds of carbon dioxide, the leading pollutant causing climate change.? Not only that, but the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative matched 100% of our donation with 2 grants: $975 to the community of Newtonville, MA for clean energy projects such as putting solar panels on schools and $975 to fund clean energy projects that benefit the state?s low-income residents.? Wow ? what an impact that project had.? Congratulations to the students, their teachers and all of you who purchased the light bulbs. Thanks for making a difference!! ? Finally, we hope you were able to join us at our first PTO meeting this morning!? We had a good turn out of about 20 people, many new parents.?We discussed many of the issues facing our school this year.? Minutes of the PTO meeting will be posted on the website shortly. ? Again, welcome back ? we are looking forward to a successful and productive year! ? Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President ? Archana Vahalia PTO co-President ? ? ?Recent Events at cabot Acknowledgment Committee Welcomes Teachers and Staff ? Acknowledgment Committee welcomes teachers and staff Cabot?s teachers and staff were welcomed to the first day of school with breakfast foods served in the new teachers? room (former art room). The Acknowledgment Committee expresses appreciation for teachers and staff in a variety of ways. Activities include providing food on various occasions, sending cards to acknowledge milestones, selecting small gifts, providing flowers at concerts, and hosting the annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon. - Sally Brickell, chair ? Open House with School Psychologist ? Samantha Berdinka We hope you were able to stop by the School Psychologist/ School Social Workers office last Wednesday morning for the open house to meet Samantha Berdinka, Cabot?s new School Psychologist, and say hello to Susan Kass, Cabot School Social Worker.? If you were unable to stop by, feel free to drop in and introduce yourself! ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Upcoming Events at cabot Parent to Parent Grade 1 parents Sept. 19th? 8:40am ? ? Cabot Back to School Night ? Thursday September 20, 2007 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Cabot Community Supper ? ? ? ? ? ? Parent to Parent Chat ? ransitioning from Kindergarten to Grade 1.? ll grade 1 parents are invited to this Parent to Parent Chat on Wednesday morning, ept 19th at 8:40 in room 116, the School Psychologist/Social Worker?s office. ? BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT Thursday September 20, 2007 6:00 ? 8:15 PM chedule of Events: 6:00pm?????????????????? Classrooms open for browsing 6:15 - 6:50????????????? Grades 3-5 Formal Classroom Presentations 6:20 - 6:50????????????? Browse Specialists, Student Services, Special Education & Literacy???????????? 6:50 - 7:35? ??????????? Whole School Meeting in Gymnasium ???? Cabot Parent Chorus & PTO Welcome ???? Principal's Remarks 7:40 - 8:00????????????? Browse Specialists, Student Services, Special Education & Literacy 7:40 - 8:15 ???????????? Grades K -2 Classroom Presentations This is an evening for adults to visit the classrooms and programs at Cabot.? Teachers make formal presentations about their expectations and the curriculum.? At least 90% of the community attends this evening which cannot be replicated. Please join us in the auditorium/gymnasium to learn about the current issues and successes at the school. ? Cabot?s Annual Community Supper, Tuesday September 25th at 5-7pm Join us for this great annual Cabot family event. Come along with the whole family & don?t worry about cooking dinner for the night! Remember to send in your pizza order forms (found in the PTO Welcome Packet) to ensure we have enough pizza. Tickets will be on sale only at the event ? pizza costs $1.50 a slice, drinks are 50? & there is always an array of delicious desserts available for purchase. A variety of school merchandise will also be available for purchase such as Cabot T-shirts, caps etc,. So bring your beach chairs or picnic blanket along to the Cabot field ready to meet other Cabot families & primed for hip-hop & capture the flag! All proceeds benefit the Cabot PTO & helps support the PTO enrichment activities for all Cabot students.?? Don?t forget to bring along your bug spray and flashlights! ? Volunteers Needed Bakers Needed for The Cabot Community Supper ? ? CAP Program Volunteers Needed ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Core Values Evening! ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Room Parents Needed ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Safe Arrival/Call Back Volunteers Needed ? Calling all bakers!? The dessert table at the community supper needs you!? After pizza, we'll offer an array of desserts including brownies, cookies, cup cakes, squares.? If you'd like to bake or contribute a dessert, contact Carolyn (carolyneggert at yahoo.com) or Laura (Tiggermack at aol.cocm).? Thank you. ? Newton?s Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Needs Volunteers Each year CAP volunteer Prevention Specialists present 125 workshops to students in Newton?s kindergarten, second and fifth grade classrooms. Working in teams of 3, we teach Newton children that they have the right to be Safe, Strong and Free with their friends and peers, with adult strangers, and with those who are trusted to take care of them. Using simple and age appropriate language we address bullying, stranger safety, and sexual assault by known persons. We are looking for parents who are interested in becoming volunteer Prevention Specialists. Please join us. The next training (24 hours) will begin the week of October 6. We will be offering a series of 3- hour morning and evening training sessions. CAP volunteers include parents and other community members who are interested in child safety, and who can contribute 6 hours per month for one school year, October - May. For more information about this training, please call Gail Sommer, (617) 969-5906, ext. 143 or by email, gailns at aol.com or gsommer at ncscweb.org Core Values Evening Event on the evening of October 25 The Core Values Committee will help host an evening devoted to Cabot?s core values on October 25. ?Connecting with Core Values? will give students and their families an opportunity to see Cabot?s core values ???????? Life-long learning ???????? Respect for self and others ???????? Commitment to school and community in action. If you?d like to help out, please contact Sally Brickell at brickland6 at rcn.com. ? Get to know your child?s teacher!? Get to know other parents! Become a room parent! Every class needs 4-6 room parents including a lead room parent to act as a liaison between the teacher and the other parents. Major duties of a room parent are to contact other parents from time to time with teacher and PTO requests and to help 2-3 times a year planning events such as the family breakfast morning. ?Tasks are divided among the team of parents so if you cannot be available all the time you can still be a room parent. Room Parents Still Needed for: Mr. Tirrell Ms. Fiorenza ? Your participation is what makes our school work! Sign up on the classroom door or contact Chris Kjellson (3-5) at chrisk729 at yahoo.com or Lori Knowles (K-2) at armstrongknowles at juno.com ? ? Call Back/Safe Arrival at Cabot School What do I do if my child will be absent or late from school? The Cabot Safe Arrival/Call Back Program helps ensure that children arrive safely at school each morning.?? If your child will be absent or late, call 617-559-9390 between 6:00 pm the night before and 8:35 am on the day of absence.? Speaking slowly and clearly, leave the following information:? Your name, your child's name, teacher's name and grade, and date and reason of absence or tardiness.? You should call in each day of sickness.? If you know ahead of time that it will extend beyond one day, please leave that information on the phone message.? If you would have an extra 15 minutes right after drop off, and can volunteer 1 morning per week for 1 month, (ie: volunteering only 4 times) or more, and you would like to help with this important committee, please contact Ann Manaktala, our Safe Arrival/ Call Back Committee Chair, at manaktalaa at citi.com.? Thank you! HOUSEKEEPING All Those Forms!!???? You have by now received 2 set of forms: ? Cabot School Forms ? Required: Please complete the forms sent home by the Cabot School Office and return them ASAP.? These forms include: Yellow forms ? preprinted with each child?s name and contact information, accompanied by letter from Dr. Young, Superintendent Students Rights and Responsibilities Handbook Form, Booklet with orange cover, please complete pages 58, 61 & 62 Student Conduct Agreement ? Pink Student Conduct Policy & Agreement ? ? Cabot PTO? Forms The PTO Welcome Packet which came home on the first day of school contained forms and information for you!? Thanks to so many of you who have already returned your forms! This packet holds important information for you and for us.? We are requesting you return the following forms: Dues & Volunteer Form (this is also used to ensure you would like your address included in the Cabot directory, so please return it!) Safe Arrival/Call Back Volunteer Form (optional) Cabot Community Supper Form (optional ? but please join us!!) Coffee Pond Family Picture Day Form (optional) ? You can return these forms to the Cabot PTO mailbox in the office or send it in to your child?s teacher. ? Cabot Directory Every year the PTO produces a Directory containing an entry for every Cabot family & class lists. This Directory is an invaluable resource for Cabot families, from scheduling playdates to helping organize car pooling. The task of compiling all this information is not small & this year Jenny Gamson, our Directory guru & parent volunteer, has been steadily working on the Directory since the summer. If you are a returning family please do take a moment to check your entry in last years Directory & email CHANGES ONLY to Jenny at jenny at seckler.com. Jenny will be joined by parent volunteer Marya Van?t Hul to put together the final product.? Also, like last year we are selling advertising space in the Directory to local businesses. As a Cabot parent if you have a business that you would like to advertise in our Directory contact Rick Reilly, or Marc Svensson our parent volunteer Advertising Managers - rmreilly at rcn.com or msven at verizon.net . Be aware that copies of the Directory are ONLY distributed to Cabot families. ? ? CABOT BROADCAST Special Education Parent Advisory Council ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Technology Advisory Committee ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? SPECIAL EDUCATION PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL Please join myself and other parents at The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for Special Education meetings to be held once a month at the Education Center. The schedule is being finalized and will be posted when the dates and topics have been determined. A binder labeled ?PAC Meetings? is in the front office and contains information from last year?s meetings. Any handouts and information from current meetings will be filed in this binder, as well. The binder can be used to learn about different topics surrounding Special Education and also as a great resource. Please feel free to contact Lisa Spagnuolo at 617-527-4660 or e-mail spags70 at peoplepc.com. ? THE TECHNOLOGY ADVISORY COMMITTEE We would like to thank parents for participating in the Technology Audit developed by Sun Associates during the spring of 2007. The Department of Information Technology would like to share the results of this audit. The final report by Sun Associates can be found at: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/technology/TAC/news.html Thanks again to the parent community for taking the time to participate. Shelley Chamberlain Director of Information Technology PS: The Technology Advisory Committee will be continuing to advise and advocate for technology in the schools. If you are interested in participating, please contact me at:? Email:shelley_chamberlain at newton.k12.ma.us Telephone: 617-559-6190 ? Fundraising ? ? Box Tops ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Gift Wrap ? ? ? ? Coffee Pond Family Picture Day ? BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION ? As we have all heard, Cabot's student population is growing. The greater our number, the more food we eat and the more items we buy. Box Tops for Education wants to reward us for that, so let's accept the offer! During the 2005-06 school year, Cabot collected 2034 Box Tops. During the 2006-07 school year, Cabot collected 4112 Box Tops. Please help us reach our goal of collecting 6000 Box Tops this school year. CLIP the Box Tops logo when you see it on products from General Mills, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Ziploc, Kleenex and others. Save your clipped Box Tops and place them in the bright pink Box Tops collection box in the lobby at school. Clipping Box Tops is a great way to encourage your kids to support Cabot. Click here to see a list of participating products: http://www.boxtops4education.com/Downloads/Global/products.pdf ?Last year 5 people in the Cabot community did their on line shopping through the Box Tops Marketplace. There are many more of us who shop on line. Please take a moment to register with the Box Tops Marketplace and watch Cabot start earning some "free" money! When you shop online, start at the Cabot PTO website (http://cabotpto.org/shop/index.html) and it will prompt you to register with Box Tops. You only have to register one time, and then each time you shop on-line, start at the Cabot PTO shopping link and make sure you login and a portion of your purchase will be donated to Cabot. Box Tops has partnered with over 60 online stores (including Land's End, Target, Oriental Trading Post, Kodak Easy Share and many more). Tell your kids' grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends to sign up to support Cabot. It's really an easy way to earn money for all of the programs that the Cabot PTO sponsors. How wonderful that you can support Cabot by doing things you already do: eat and shop! Happy clipping and shopping! Isabelle Thacker 617/795-2332 isabelle at thackers.net GIFT WRAP KICK-OFF One of Cabot's largest fundraisers kicks off.? You will be receiving gift wrap catalogs in your child's backpack today. Sell to neighbors, friends and co-workers. Also, out-of-town friends and family can order gift wrap on-line. 50% of all sales benefits Cabot School. Questions, contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com. Family Picture Day ? Appointments available NOW Appointments are available for Family Picture Day. If you are interested we advise you to call now as we share the 3 days offered in October with 7 other schools. For further information contact our parent volunteer coordinator, Sharon Dwyer at 617 641 2342 or jsordwyer at rcn.com? All funds generated will benefit the outdoor Cabot Community Garden which all students at Cabot will use for recreational & educational purposes. Help support this initiative & worthy cause! ? ? Community Park ? A hearty thanks to Regina Hoyt, Sarah Ecker and Sarah Hemphill and Margaret Wazuka for helping our lovely garden to thrive this summer. The garden will continue to have some additions this fall, and look for news about the dedication ceremony to come! Ideas for garden uses and volunteers are always welcome. Chris Kjellson, Cabot Community Garden ? Library ? LIBRARY COFFEE - All are welcome to the come to the Cabot Library on Friday September 28th from 8:30 - 9:30am to learn about opportunities to volunteer in your child's library class. Volunteering in the library is a great chance to help out and to meet the children in your child's class. Questions, please contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com. ? ? Community News ? Time for Partners For adult and child 18 months to 3 . Where learning is fun with art and music classes. Monday - Friday September 17 - June 11 Choose any day.? Call Arts in the Parks, Newton Parks & Recreation Department 617 527-8283 or 617 796-1540. CUB SCOUT OPEN HOUSE Open House for Cub Scout Pack 370 on Thursday, September 28th, from 7-8PM at Second Church, 60 Highland Street, West Newton in the Fellowship Hall. ? Host Families Needed for Newton-Beijing Exchange Program I am the new Chair of the Newton-Beijing Jingshan Exchange Program and I have a bit of an urgent request. Would you be interested in hosting a 15 year old boy from the Beijing Jingshan School? We are in need of one more host family - this is the 4-month exchange with Newton and the Jingshan School and the exchange group is expected on September 20th or 21st. Please contact me if there are any questions. My home phone is 617.484.2779. Thank you very much for any assistance you may be able to lend me. Donna Fong Children's Clothing Trunk Show -- A Percentage of the Proceeds will be Donated to Newton Schools Foundation Please view Jeanine Johnsen's Spring 2008 children's clothing collection for boys and girls from newborn to size 14.? Clothing will be generously offered 20% off retail prices www.jeaninejohnsen.com .? A percentage of profits will be donated to the Newton Schools Foundation to stimulate innovative programming and curriculum development www.nsfonline.org. ? Hosted at the home of ?Michelle Markert - A New View Interior Design 73 Washington Park, ?Newtonville, MA 02460 ? Please join us for open house-style viewing: September 24- 27th from 9:00 am -2:00 pm; September 24-26th from 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm. Refreshments will be served.? A special thank you to my host sub-committee:? Lauri Meizler, Robynne Brown, Christine Elder, Angela O' Dowd, Barbara Merrigan, and Clare Norton ? ALTERNATIVE BASKETBALL CLASS for girls in grades 4 - 6 who like a quieter pace. Fun, upbeat class for those girls who need support on motor-planning or who have been too timid to try regular basketball. Mondays 5:30 - 6:30 at the Hyde Community Center beginning Sept. 24th. Call Susan immediately at 617-527-0663. NEWTON GIRLS BASKETBALL. Registration is underway for the upcoming Newton Girls Basketball (NGBA) season. Join the more than 500 players (2nd Grade through High School) who play NGBA basketball. This is a recreational league for Newton girls with fun for beginners and experienced players alike! Games are played on Saturdays for all grades, starting December 1st and continuing into mid-March; for Grades 3-8 practices are for 1-hour on one evening during the week (Mon-Thurs). There are no weekday practices for Grade 2 and High School. The Grade 2 program is focused on a fun, learning environment. To register or to find out more about the league, please visit our website at www.ngba.net. Registrations for Grades 3-8 are due by October 15th. A late fee applies for registrations received after October 15 and the final deadline is November 1. Scholarships are available based on need; please see the website for details. An introduction to NGBA basketball for parents and new players in grades 2-3 will be held on Oct. 21st from 1:30-3 pm at Oak Hill Middle School. Registration for Grade 2 is due by October 25th. 4th and 5th Grade Basketball Tryouts: Metrowest Tryouts -Metrowest is a travel basketball league serving boys and girls in 4th- 8th grade. Tryouts for girls and boys aged 4th and 5th grade will take place at Brown Middle School in October on the following days and times: Girls 4th grade - Wednesdays 10/10 and 10/17, 6:00 p.m. Girls 5th grade - Fridays 10/12 and 10/19, 6:00 p.m. Boys 4th grade - Tuesdays 10/9 and 10/16, 6:00 p.m. Boys 5th grade - Thursdays 10/11 and 10/18, 6:00 p.m. Any questions, please go to www.metrowestbball.com or http://eteamz.active.com/NewtonTravelBB/. WEST SUBURBAN YMCA OFFERS YOUTH BASKETBALL AT NCSC The West Suburban YMCA is offering a Youth Basketball Association program in partnership with Newton Community Service Center at NCSC?s 492 Waltham St. facility this winter. For eight Saturdays, beginning Jan. 5, 2008, children ages 4 ? 12 will learn skills and play league games. The one-hour sessions are structured into four age-appropriate groups. For information or a registration form, please visit www.ncscweb.org and click on Athletic Programs or call 617-969-5906, ext. 224. ? Harvard Museum of Natural History Programs for Kids and Families.? Saturday Scholars:? October 13, 9:30 to 12 noon, Grades 2 & 3, People who Survive Extremes; October 20, 9:30 to 12 noon, Age 4 or 5 with one adult, Mysterious Maya; October 20, 9:30 to 12 noon, Grades K & 1, Dinosaur Discoveries. Kids Club, session 1,Ages 7-11, September 18-October 23, 3:40 to 5pm. Animal Artists Club. Sunday Afternoon Family Programs, for middle school children and their families: September 23, 2:00 pm, Leaves of Change:? Fall Colors and the Science of Tree Growth; October 14, 2:00 pm, Putting the Fun in Fungi. Nature Storytimes on Saturdays and Sundays, at 11 am and 2 pm. Ages 6 and under.? Free with museum admission. ? ? ? ? ?CLASSIFIEDS ? The Jabberwock will start printing Classified ads in October.? Pricing is .20 per word per issue. Send copy and payment to Jabberwock, Cabot School, 229 Cabot Street, Newtonville MA 02460. Ads will not run until payment is received. The Jabberwock is a monthly publication ? you can pay for your entry to be in multiple issues. Classified advertising is a service and publication does not represent an endorsement by the Cabot PTO. ? ? ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070918/dd88b615/attachment.html From auvpto at aol.com Wed Sep 19 22:48:08 2007 From: auvpto at aol.com (auvpto at aol.com) Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2007 22:48:08 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Reminder -Tomorrow's Back To School Night Message-ID: <8C9C947CF614B1C-DE8-44ED@webmail-mf14.sysops.aol.com> This is just a friendly reminder to all the parents/guardians that Thursday September 20, 2007 is back to school night for all grades.? This is an evening for adults to visit the classrooms, meet the teachers and specialists.? Teachers make formal presentations about the curriculum and their expectations for the coming school year. Please refer to Prinicpal's Blue Sheet (your child must have brought it home yesterday)? for the schedule of events of the evening.? Hope to see you all there!! Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President 53 Sheffield Road, Newtonville, MA 02460 617-244-1435 auvpto at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070919/b2bd506b/attachment.html From auvpto at aol.com Mon Sep 24 10:33:37 2007 From: auvpto at aol.com (auvpto at aol.com) Date: Mon, 24 Sep 2007 10:33:37 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Community Supper Count Down - One Day!!! Message-ID: <8C9CCCF076000DC-66C-7ABC@mblk-d39.sysops.aol.com> We invite you to join the whole Cabot Community tomorrow, Tuesday September 25th, from 5-7:00pm for a fun filled evening.? The weather is supposed to be perfect for an evening picnic, we are expecting 80 degree temperatures. You are welcome to bring your own picnic dinner or purchase pizza at the picnic.? Look for flyers around the school, lots of activities are planned.? Come and hang out with your Cabot friends? - and make some new ones!? It is sure to be a fun filled evening for all! For all the bakers, a message from Carolyn and Laura: Thanks to all the parents who have volunteered to bake for the Community Supper!?? ? If you would like to drop off your baked goods before the Supper, we will be in the gym lobby and kindergarten entrances to accept them during morning arrival and afternoon pick up on the day of the picnic (Tuesday, Sept. 25). You can also bring them to the event.?? ?? ? Just a few things to remember about baking for Cabot School per the? Newton Health Department:??? ? Please individually wrap each item;? ?No nuts please! ?No perishable ingredients (like butter cream frosting or cream cheese? brownies); We look forward to tasting all of your desserts! If you have any questions, please contact us:?? carolyneggert at yahoo.com or tiggermack at aol.com??? Carolyn and Laura? Hope to see you all there!!! Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President 53 Sheffield Road, Newtonville, MA 02460 617-244-1435 auvpto at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070924/3725a851/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Fri Sep 28 15:50:26 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:50:26 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite Extra Message-ID: <8C9D01FF2E7EA9F-FBC-14BB@FWM-M28.sysops.aol.com> Jabberlite Extra - some things you need to know.................. This Saturday, September 29, 2007 from 6:00 - 8:00pm is 'A Salute to METCO'.? This is the 4th Annual September gathering of METCO friends, families and Alumni.? Join everyone at Zoo New England Franklin Park Beech Grove, Zoo Entrance: Giraffe gate?only after 6:00pm.? Come hear from Governor Patrick on the future of the METCO Program. ? Next week a pamphlet will be distributed on 'Emergency Preparedness'.? This pamphlet was created by the School Department in conjunction with the health Department.? Look for it to accompany the Blue Sheet in your child's backpack next week. Finally, a reminder that picture Day is next Friday, October 5th! Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President marykathf at aol.com 617-244-1821 ________________________________________________________________________ Email and AIM finally together. You've gotta check out free AOL Mail! - http://mail.aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/pipermail/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070928/fb700dde/attachment.html