From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jan 2 10:26:59 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 2 Jan 2007 10:26:59 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT JANUARY MATH CHALLENGE Message-ID: <002e01c72e82$721c4530$6a01a8c0@Jo> CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 156 CABOT STUDENTS WHO TRIED DECEMBER'S MATH CHALLENGE ! Please find this months Math Challenge & attached the file containing the solution to Decembers challenge, which will be posted on the Cabot PTO website shortly & is also on the Math Challenge Notice Board at school which is located opposite the Art Room. Please do not contact the PTO Presidents if you have a problem reading the attachment. CABOT MATH CHALLENGE Problem # 3 - January, 2007 People that worked on this solution: First name Last name Grade Teacher * Trying to solve the problem is more important than the getting the correct answer. * Submissions that do not show how you found your answers will not be counted. * Showing your work can include an equation, a picture or a written description. * Please show your work on these pages and staple additional pages as needed. * Please be neat and have fun! * And remember, even though there are 7 questions listed below, you only have to submit your solution to the one or ones that interest you to get credit. Please place your solutions by January 11th in the in-boxes one of these classes: Mr. Tirrell, Mrs. Moriarty, or Mrs. Robertson. :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-): -):-):-):-):-) Problem #3 1. At Cabot School Bake Sale they sell Oatmeal Cookies for $.09 each, Peanut Butter Cookies for $.12 each and Chocolate Chip Cookies for $.15 each. a. What could you get in a $1.50 bag of cookies? Try to find several possibilities. b. What is the maximum number of cookies (and type of cookies) you could get in a $1.50 bag? c. Could you get a $1.50 bag of cookies with no chocolate chip cookies? What cookies would it include? 2. Tory's uncle tells her he has some coins in his pocket. Tory can have them, if she can say exactly the amount of money in his pocket. He gives Tory these clues. Can you help Tory? CLUES: * All the coins are nickels and dimes, but they are not all one kind of coin. * There are between 7 and 10 coins. * There are more dimes than nickels. * You could have the same amount of money with quarters only. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070102/3b7f5f40/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: solution2.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 93788 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070102/3b7f5f40/attachment.pdf From marykathf at aol.com Tue Jan 2 14:13:37 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 02 Jan 2007 14:13:37 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday January 2, 2007 In-Reply-To: <8C8FCB876216E2F-15F0-9C02@mblk-r18.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C8FCB876216E2F-15F0-9C02@mblk-r18.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C8FCB93D9B8C81-15F0-9C53@mblk-r18.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2007 This Jabberlite contains information about: Campaign for Cabot ? Where does your money go? Special PTO Meeting ? Q&A Session with School Committee Members Cabot Connecting Families Bowling Date Conversations About Newton North Cabot Math Challenge Date Changes Upcoming Dates A complete & updated calendar for all events for the year can be found at www.cabotpto.org January 2, 2007School resumes January 4, 2007Understanding our Differences Grade 5 1:00 - 2:45 PM January 8, 2007School Council 6-7:30 PM January 8, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM January 9, 2007Conversations About NNHS:Part II The Finances Lasker Auditorium 7:30PM January 10, 2007All-City School Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM January 15, 2007Martin Luther King Day, NO SCHOOL January 17, 2007METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM January 17, 2007PTO MTG - School Committee Members visit Cabot- Ask questions of your Elected Officials 7:30PM January 22, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM January 25, 2007CA&S Chinese Ribbon Dance - Grade 2 1:00 - 2:45 PM January 25, 2007Winter Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM January 27, 2007Cabot Connecting Families Bowling, 2-4 PM Ron's Ice Cream & Bowling Hyde Park February 3, 2007Cabot Family Dance (snow date 2/10) February 3, 2007PTO "Campaign for Cabot" ends February 8, 2007Early Release, 12:30 PM Dismissal HAPPY NEW YEAR Welcome back from School Vacation, and welcome to the 3 new families who are starting at Cabot this year. We hope this Jabberlite finds you well, rested and ready for the New Year. WHERE DOES YOUR MONEY GO? HOW DOES THE PTO USE MY MONEY? Have YOU made your contribution to the Campaign for Cabot yet? So far we have 110 or 35% of families who have contributed. Thank you! Each week we have been highlighting areas where the PTO spends your money. So far we have talked about program enrichment, funds given to teachers to help defray out of pocket expenses, money donated to the Library, programs such as Understanding our Differences and the City-Wide Child Assault Prevention Program, and other expenditures by the PTO, such as the purchase of antibacterial wipes for each classroom to help keep us all healthy. Did you know that the PTO has a budget of $3,000 to subsidize field trips to make them more affordable for all? Last year this was especially helpful as the funds were spent to help defray the high cost of fuel for the buses, which reduced the price of field trips for all students. Our students take some remarkable field trips that complement the curriculum and take advantage of the great places our state has to offer, such as going to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Science Museum and Plimoth Plantation just to name a few. Also, the PTO, with the help of Dana Bennett, purchased ?recess bags? for each classroom last year, consisting of balls and games the children use when playing outside. These bags were replenished this year, again funded by the PTO. You can check where else your money is spent at www.cabotpto.org , under budgeted fundraising and spending plan. As we have said, the PTO will spend approximately $55,000, or about $133 per child this year. Thank you so much to those who have contributed to the Campaign for Cabot already, your generosity is greatly appreciated. We are still a bit short of our goal of $24,000, but more importantly we are short of having more families participate in the campaign. Now is the time to make that tax-deductible contribution, so since I have your attention and it is fresh in your mind, go find that check book! Drop your check in an envelope and place it in the PTO mailbox in the office. We are checking it twice a day, so we will be sure to get it! This year we are striving towards 100% participation from our community of families, so please contribute whatever you can. For each family who donates, another square is covered on Humpty in our main lobby. Help us color Humpty in!! PTO Special Meeting ? An Evening with Your School Committee Representatives Join us on Wednesday January 17, 2007 for a Q&A session with 2 of your School Committee Members. Do you have questions about the current short-term space issue, about the long-term facility study the School Committee is starting this month, next year?s budget or about the Newton North High School situation? This is your opportunity to ask! The meeting will start at 7:30PM in the Cabot Music Room. Join us! CABOT CONNECTING FAMILIES BOWLING DAY Cabot Connecting Families, our committee to help bring Cabot families together outside of school, is sponsoring our annual bowling day! Last year we had a great turn out for this fun event! Bring the family on Saturday January 27, 2007 from 2:00 ? 4:00 PM at Ron?s Gourmet Ice Cream and Bowling in Hyde Park. Look in the backpacks for more information coming home soon! Conversations about Newton North High School The second forum of ?Conversations about Newton North High School? will be held on Tuesday January 9th at 7:30 PM in Newton North?s Lasker Auditorium. This forum will focus on the finances of the project. If you were unable to attend the first meeting, and would like to see it on TV, please check www.newtv.org for listings, under "Special Meeting Coverage: Conversations about NNHS Part 1: The Site Plan." CABOT MATH CHALLENGE Wow, we had 156, or 37%, of Cabot students participate in the last Cabot Math Challenge. Kudos to Mr. Adams classroom, which had 100% participation and to Ms. Robertson?s classroom with 95% participation. Way to go!! The new Challenge is out today. Please return your solutions by January 11th. We encourage all students, families and faculty to try to problem. DATE CHANGES: Please note there were some changes from the original PTO calendar. The Winter Concert has been changed to Thursday January 25th at 10:45 AM and 7:30 PM. Also please note that the joint PTO/School Council Meeting has been postponed to a future date. More information will follow. Compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070102/21916206/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jan 9 10:20:12 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007 10:20:12 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 9TH 2007 Message-ID: <004301c73401$a8d37330$6501a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 9TH 2007 This week the Jabberlite contains information about the following topics: Save the dates for upcoming events: Fireside chats with Cabot Principal, Dr. Marilynne Quarcoo Cabot Connecting Families Bowling Q&A session with your School Committee Representatives Campaign for Cabot update Cabot Family Dance Community Action - Recent house demolition - Important City contact information Next PAC Meeting & Cabot PAC Liaison Free seminar "Drinking, Drugs and Depression" Referendum on the Newton North site plan - information sources MCAS schedule for 3rd, 4th & 5th grade CALENDAR Jan 9 (Tues) - Conversations About NNHS:Part II The Finances Lasker Auditorium 7:30PM Jan 10 (Wed) - All-City School Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM Jan 15 (Mon) - Martin Luther King Day, NO SCHOOL Jan 17 (Wed) - METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM Jan 17 (Wed) - PTO Mtg - School Committee Members visit Cabot- Ask questions of your elected Officials 7:30PM Cabot Gym Jan 22 (Mon) - School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM Jan 25 (Thur) - CA&S Chinese Ribbon Dance - Grade 2 1:00 - 2:45 PM Jan 25 (Thur) - Winter Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM Jan 27 (Sat) - Cabot Connecting Families Bowling, 2-4 PM Ron's Ice Cream & Bowling Hyde Park Feb 3 (Sat) - Cabot Family Dance (snow date 2/10) Feb 3 (Sat) - PTO "Campaign for Cabot" ends Feb 8 (Thur) - Early Release, 12:30 PM Dismissal Feb 11 (Sun) - Snow date for Cabot Connecting Families Bowling Feb 12 (Mon) - School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM SAVE THE DATE..Remember to put these important dates into your family calendar! Fireside chats with Cabot Principal, Dr. Marilynne Quarcoo A series of evening neighborhood gatherings are being arranged over the next weeks. Initiated by Dr. Quarcoo, these are opportunities to strength our neighborhood roots, meet and greet Dr. Quarcoo and your local Cabot neighbors, or to discuss important issues of the day. Dates & locations to be announced shortly. Cabot Connecting Families go Bowling - Saturday, January Does your family like to bowl? Would you like to get to know some more Cabot families outside of school & your children's grade? Well, this is an excellent opportunity to do both! Cabot Connecting Families is a PTO sponsored committee which focuses on bringing Cabot families together outside of the school environment. Meeting your School Committee Representative & ask your questions - Wednesday, January 17th 7:30pm Cabot Music room Do you have questions about increasing student enrollment, the 2 modular classrooms for Fall 2007, the state of our elementary schools or Newton North? Then come along and ask your questions of our elected School Committee representatives, Reenie Murphy & Marc Laredo. Campaign for Cabot Great news! As of this morning we have an amazing total of $25,578, surpassing our goal of $24,000! Our huge thanks go to the 119 families who have so far contributed ensuring that the PTO can continue to support the programs and enrichment activities for the rest of this year. But our fundraising does not stop!! The 199 contributing families represent 37% of those families attending Cabot this year. We would really like to see the level of participation rise to at least above 50%. What's important to remember is the amount of your donation is not important but your involvement is. Every dollar makes a difference, so please contribute whatever you can now.. The spending of any additional monies raised will be discussed at the next PTO meeting, but remember there are always many ways in which your contributions can be used. Take as an example Program Enrichment, a PTO sponsored opportunity for Cabot teachers and parents to request funds which will enrichment students experiences in the classroom. Each year these requests are reviewed and adjudicated by parent volunteers. This year a total of $3,500 was awarded for things such as the purchase of a digital camera for use in a classroom, keyboards to initiate a primary grade keyboard program, the procurement of classic books for the Cabot library, microphones for classroom computers and an online Math resource Brain Pop! Conversations About NNHS:Part II The Finances Lasker Auditorium 7:30PM Before you know it, your elementary children will be in High School. If things stay on track, this year's current fifth graders will be the entering freshman class in the fall of 2010, when the currently proposed new NNHS building is scheduled to be opened. Get informed about the Jan. 23rd Newton North High School ballot question. Don't miss the final public forum tonight, Tuesday Jan. 9th at 7:30 sponsored by The Newton Schools Foundation, The PTO Council and The League of Women Voters, focusing on the finances of the project. The discussion takes place at Newton North's Lasker Auditorium. For more info visit www.newtonptocouncil.org or call Lisa Mirabile at 617-332-5374. Cabot Annual Family Dance - Saturday, February 3rd 7 - 9pm Cabot PTO invites you and your family to a fun filled evening of music, dance and food - free!. As in previous years, the dance will be held at Bigelow school from 7 to 9 PM. Once again our very own famous faculty'n'musician - Marc Lacatell, will help us all swing to some groovy music. It is fun relaxing event for the whole family, held by the PTO every year where we announce the results of the Campaign For Cabot. In the spirit of Healthy Body and Healthy Minds, the family dance committee requests families to bring healthy snacks to share for this evening. The PTO's Social Action committee will also be collecting packaged food for the Newton food pantry. Look for a flyer in your child's backpack with detail information. We look forward to see you all there. For the family dance event, we are looking for a dancer to showcase her or his talent, such as Chinese, African, Irish step dance or any other folk dances from different parts of the world. If you know any student within Newton Public school system who would like to participate, please do let us know. The performer gets a gift certificate from a local bookstore. If you have any question, please contact Archana Vahalia at auvusa at netscape.net or Suzy Ernheart at srenyeart2 at yahoo.com. MATHS CHALLENGE ALERT - SOLUTIONS DUE THIS THURSDAY, JANUARY 11TH Community Action - Recent demolition of House on Cabot Street Have you seen the empty lot on the corner of Withington & Cabot Street? Last Wednesday afternoon the house there was demolished in a matter of a few hours resulting in clouds of dust pouring into the air. A family new to Cabot alerted Mary Kathryn & myself to the fact that the house contained asbestos and the demolition was done without the necessary permitting or inspection work. As a result of calls to City Hall work was halted on the site. I wrote to the Ward 2 Alderman on behalf of the Cabot community & registered our concern regarding the situation. I reference this in the JabberLite this week not to cause alarm but to make the point that each one of us should take the responsibility to make our voices heard in any such similar situation. This is not an issue that should fall only on the shoulders of our school Principals or the PTOs. Kudos to those of you who took action. Maybe some of you are not sure whom to contact. Well, here's a reminder. You can always contact your elected officials - the Alderman or School Committee members. Take a moment to note these websites which contain all their contact information: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/members/members.html contact information for elected officials, Superintendent of Schools & Mayor http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/Aldermen/contact.asp has contact information for the Board of Alderman http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/councils_boards.htm lists all of Newton's committees & boards Parents Meeting on Special Education, Wednesday January 10th 7pm The next PAC meeting will be on Wed, Jan 10 at 7PM. The Mass Dept of Education (DOE) is now conducting a coordinated program review of special education programs in Newton. Two people from DOE will speak about the components and goals of a coordinated program review and the steps they follow to check on a district's compliance with state and federal special education laws and civil rights laws. Learn about how DOE conducts a program review, how the results are reached, and how you can be involved in Newton's review. Please call 100 Walnut Street for location - do not email the PTO Presidents. The meetings for 2007 will be: 1/10, 2/8, 3/7, 4/4, 5/2 and 6/6. I am not sure what the subjects will be. Are you a parent who is interested in the issues of Special Education? Do you attend these meetings? Consider being the Cabot Liaison & update other Cabot parents on these important meetings? If you are interested please contact Lisa Spagnuolo for more information on spags70 at peoplepc.com A free seminar "Drinking, Drugs and Depression" , Thursday January 18th 7:30pm The Newton PTO Council and Project Interface present a seminar at the Shipley Auditorium at Newton Wellesley Hospital at 7:30 - 8pm. There is no charge to attend and all are welcome. More than 800,000 American teenagers suffer from depression each year. Often, these children have been experimenting with or using drugs and drinking. A panel of experts will share information, tips and resources on this very important topic including Michael Jellinik - President, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Jeffrey M. Young - Superintendent, Newton Public Schools, Nadja Reilly - Director, Swensrud Depression Prevention Initiative, Children's Hospital, Julie Totten - President, Families for Depression Awareness, Chris Fortunato - VP of Teen and Adult Programs, Newton Community Service Center, Nanci Ginty - Riverside Community Care, Coordinator of School and Community Programs, Rich Catrombone - Social Worker, Newton South High School, David Gotthelf - Psychologist, Brown Middle School. Referendum on the Newton North site plan, Tuesday January 23 Polls open 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM On January 23rd, voters will be asked to decide whether to confirm the Board of Aldermen's decision to approve Site Plan 5a for a new Newton North High School building, or to reject it. The Newton Election commission has now posted specific information about this election, including the full text of the Board Order approving the site plan, which includes the list of conditions attached to that approval, at www.ci.newton.ma.us/SpecElec-012307/index.htm. The full set of plans is also available for view or download. Check out these Information Sources: * City of Newton: Newton North High School Project * School Committee: Newton North High School Building Project * Ballot Question Committee against the site plan: Voters for a Better Newton North * Ballot Question Committee for the site plan: Newton North Now * Garden City Blog: http://thegardencity.net/ * Newton Tab Blog: http://www.townonline.com/blogs/newton/ * Newton Blue Ribbon Commission on Financing Blog: http://newtonblueribbon.blogspot.com/index.html * NewTV: Special Meeting Coverage: Conversations on Newton North, Part 1: The Site Plan, airing on the red channel (Comcast 9, RCN 13) . Check program listings for more times MCAS schedule on blue sheet also on the PTO website Recently, the blue sheet identified the MCAS schedule for this year for our 3rd, 4th & 5th grade students. If you have misplaced or lost the blue sheet before you noted these dates in your own family caldenar not to worry. Check out the calendar on the PTO website where all these dates and many more are listed! www.cabotpto.org This edition of the JabberLite has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070109/73a6a210/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jan 9 14:39:14 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 9 Jan 2007 14:39:14 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Seminar time change - Cabot Jabberwock Message-ID: <001501c73425$d840fb00$6501a8c0@Jo> Please be aware the time of this seminar identified in todays JabberLite was incorrect - it should be 7-8:30pm A free seminar "Drinking, Drugs and Depression" , Thursday January 18th 7 - 8:30pm The Newton PTO Council and Project Interface present a seminar at the Shipley Auditorium at Newton Wellesley Hospital at 7 - 8:30pm. There is no charge to attend and all are welcome. More than 800,000 American teenagers suffer from depression each year. Often, these children have been experimenting with or using drugs and drinking. A panel of experts will share information, tips and resources on this very important topic including Michael Jellinik - President, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Jeffrey M. Young - Superintendent, Newton Public Schools, Nadja Reilly - Director, Swensrud Depression Prevention Initiative, Children's Hospital, Julie Totten - President, Families for Depression Awareness, Chris Fortunato - VP of Teen and Adult Programs, Newton Community Service Center, Nanci Ginty - Riverside Community Care, Coordinator of School and Community Programs, Rich Catrombone - Social Worker, Newton South High School, David Gotthelf - Psychologist, Brown Middle School. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070109/c5edf773/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Fri Jan 12 09:51:47 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Fri, 12 Jan 2007 09:51:47 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Message-ID: <000f01c73659$2f61db40$6b01a8c0@Jo> The Cabot PTO has been asked to distribute this by the Newton School Department "Everybody Can Be Great... ...Because Anybody Can Serve" 39th Annual City of Newton Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Celebration Monday, January 15, 2007 at 10:30am The Field House at Newton South High School, 140 Brandeis Road Reflections & Artwork - Newton School Students Musical Selections By: Newton All City Honors Chorus Jubilee Singers The Love Tones (Myrtle Baptist Church) Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070112/d1f7aac5/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Sat Jan 13 13:11:30 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 13:11:30 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot JabberLite Extra! Message-ID: <006c01c7373e$40907ee0$6b01a8c0@Jo> DON"T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT CABOT THIS WEDNESDAY EVENING Don't forget this Wednesday January 17th at 7:30pm in the Cabot Music room you have the opportunity to ask questions of your elected School Newton School Committee Members Reenie Murphy and Marc Laredo. This is YOUR chance to get those burning questions answered - maybe about the modulars coming to Cabot next Fall, Newton's education budget or increasing elementary enrollment. This is also an excellent opportunity to get answers to questions you have about the Newton North high school project and renovations for Cabot. THE NEWTON PTO COUNCIL STRONGLY SUPPORTS A YES VOTE ON JANUARY 23rd Following a meeting on Thursday, the Newton PTO Council voted strongly to support a "YES" vote to approve Site Plan 5a in the Newton North referendum January 23rd. They issued this statement: Our members, the presidents of all of Newton's PTOs, are well-versed in Newton school matters. Our decision, although supported by a very significant majority, was not unanimous, and reflects the opinion of PTO leaders only, not of the individual PTOs. We acknowledge that many opponents are equally committed to building a new building, but have concerns about Site Plan 5a. We vote "YES" with the understanding that our elected officials will continue to make improvements to the site plan as outlined in the aldermen's board order. We also believe that city officials must incorporate the advice of the Blue Ribbon Commission in the final financing plan. We all have grave concerns about other vital capital needs, and those needs must be addressed. A "no" vote will hold Newton North hostage to other needs in hopes of saving substantial money-but do nothing to speed up other projects. Construction costs rise every month, and experience has shown that a new site plan could not be created and vetted by this community quickly. Do we want to spend unknown time and money redesigning this building in order to save an unknown amount, while accruing additional costs, risking generous state funding, and forcing students and teachers to endure the existing building even longer? Voting "no" out of unhappiness with politicians will only punish students and teachers, who will have waited almost a decade even if this project proceeds on schedule. The reasons to vote "YES" are straightforward: we have a concrete plan, exhaustively vetted by experts, that provides a creative solution to fully supporting Newton's excellent educational program on a challenging site. Please join us in voting "YES" on January 23rd. ADDITIONAL USEFUL LINKS TO CHECK OUT BEFORE YOU VOTE ON TUESDAY, JANUARY 23rd REFERRENDUM * City of Newton: Newton North High School Project * School Committee: Newton North High School Building Project * Ballot Question Committee against the site plan: Voters for a Better Newton North * Ballot Question Committee for the site plan: Newton North Now * Garden City Blog: http://thegardencity.net/ * Newton Tab Blog: http://www.townonline.com/blogs/newton/ * Newton Blue Ribbon Commission on Financing Blog: http://newtonblueribbon.blogspot.com/index.html This email has been compiled for the Cabot community by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070113/9094b2fa/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Jan 16 10:16:50 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2007 10:16:50 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberwock Issue 4 January 16, 2007 In-Reply-To: <8C90730BD63CB9B-D28-325B@mblk-d51.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C9072F22B3FD2D-D28-31D9@mblk-d51.sysops.aol.com> <8C90730BD63CB9B-D28-325B@mblk-d51.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C907987B02BFE5-1210-52F5@mblk-d33.sysops.aol.com> Please note that a copy of this Jabberwock in word, with all the graphics, will be available soon at our website, www.Cabotpto.org. Many thanks to Kim Spencer, the editor of this issue. Cabot School e-Jabberwock Respect for self and others Lifelong learning Commitment to school and community Issue 4 January16, 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 ? .edu/Cabot/index.html"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.mec.edu/cabot/ Cabot School PTO www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools www.newtonpublicschools.com Calendar January Calendar January 17, 2007METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM January 17, 2007PTO MTG -Q&A with School Committee Members 7:30- 9:00 PM Cabot Music Room January 22, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM January 25, 2007CA&S Chinese Ribbon Dance - Grade 2 1:00 - 2:45 PM January 25, 2007Winter Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM January 27, 2007Cabot Connecting Families Bowling, 2-4 PM Ron's Ice Cream & Bowling Hyde Park February Calendar February 3, 2007Cabot Family Dance (snow date 2/10) February 3, 2007PTO "Campaign for Cabot" ends February 8, 2007Early Release, 12:30 PM Dismissal February 11, 2007Snow date for Cabot Connecting Families Bowling February 12, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 19 to Feb 23Winter Vacation, NO SCHOOL February 26, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 27, 2007PTO Meeting, 8:35 AM? 9:30 AM February 27, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM February 28, 2007Incoming Kindergarten Parent Evening, 6:30-8:30PM (Snow date 3/5) PTO Pen You have probably noticed the abundance of signs on front lawns all over our city encouraging people to vote one way or the other in the Special Election to be held January 23, 2007. The Special Election will decide the fate of Newton North High School, if whether the City will be able to go ahead with Site Plan 5a which was approved by the Board of Alderman last September, or if they will have to revamp and modify the plan. As individuals we have our own opinions as to which outcome we would like to see and we encourage everyone to get informed and vote. Check out the City of Newton Website for more information, www.ci.newton.ma.us & the Newton Public Schools website at www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee There are 2 other websites from the citizen groups lobbying for and against the referendum, they explain each position regarding Site Plan 5a, Newton North Now at www.NewtonNorthNow.org , (Pro) and Voters for a Better Newton North at www.BetterNewtonNorth.org (Con). The Newton Tab published a Pro & Con worksheet in which they asked 10 questions of both groups. This is posted on the PTO bulletin board if you would like to read it. We cannot emphasize it enough ? please get out and vote! Don?t miss the Q&A Session with Reenie Murphy and Marc Laredo, 2 of our School Committee Members, tomorrow night, January 17th from 7:30 ? 9:00PM in the Cabot Music Room. Are you wondering about the modulars coming next fall, increasing elementary enrollment numbers, the Newton School Budget, the long-term facilities study or the Newton North High School project? This is YOUR opportunity to ask questions!! While it?s true we reached our monetary goal for the Campaign for Cabot, and many thanks to all the families who so generously participated, we have not reached our goal of 100% participation. Please do your part ? every child benefits from the services we provide, and as we have said, the PTO provides $133 per child per year. Reaching our monetary goal for the year will allow us to balance the budget provided all budgeted items come in as expected. Any additional funds will be used to address any budgetary overruns or provide more benefits for our students and faculty. We will prioritize spending of any additional funds at a future PTO meeting. Please do your part to fill Humpty in ? don?t be satisfied that we reached our goal based on the generosity of 37% of families. No matter what your level of giving, we are grateful and will put it to good use! As we noted in last weeks Jabberlite, there was much concern over the demolition of the house at 242 Cabot Street. Thank you to all the parents who took action for the safety of our children. We were informed by the Newton Commissioner of Health and Human Services, J. David Naparstek, that samples of material from the debris were tested by the Hub Testing Laboratory of Waltham. These tests concluded that none of the samples contained friable asbestos. One sample of the flashing did contain asbestos, but it was not friable asbestos. The Department also received notification that Asbestos Abatement was scheduled to have occurred on September 9, 2005. It is the professional opinion of the Commissioner that no further follow-up actions are required. Please mark your calendars for the fun Cabot Events we have planned, including Cabot Connecting Families bowling day on January 27, 2007 and the Annual Cabot Family Dance on February 3, 2007! These events are for the whole family, so come join us and have some fun, while catching up with other Cabot families!! Jo Doherty PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President Recent Events at cabot Holiday Gift Drive Success Thanks to everyone who participated in the Community Service Gift Drive for Second Step. All of your generous gifts made the Gift Drive a great success. We filled our lists of assigned gifts 100%, and we also had many extra gifts donated to fill the needs of additional families. Also, thank you to all of our volunteers that came and helped collect and check in gifts in the Cabot School lobby, and to the teachers for distributing the flyers back and forth to their classes. Because of all of you the Gift Drive was once again a great success. Understanding Our Differences The fifth grade students have completed the physical disabilities unit. The students learned about these disabilities as well as some of the challenges and adaptive equipment for those with physical disabilities. They learned that one of our most successful U.S. presidents, Franklin Roosevelt, was challenged with a physical disability. The students even had a chance to see our guest speaker?s specially adapted van! Thank you to the following parents who helped with this unit: Rick Reilly, Barry Goldberg, Robin Neiterman and David Taylor. Special thanks to our guest speaker, Linda Hiller, a Newton parent and longtime Understanding Our Differences volunteer. Understanding Our Differences is made possible by funding from the Cabot PTO. Upcoming Events at cabot Cabot Connecting Families go Bowling ? Saturday, January 27th 2:00 ? 4:00 PM Ron?s Bowling & Gourmet Ice Cream, Hyde Park Does your family like to bowl? Would you like to get to know some more Cabot families outside of school & your children?s grade? Well, this is an excellent opportunity to do both! Cabot Connecting Families is a PTO sponsored committee which focuses on bringing Cabot families together outside of the school environment. Bring the whole family and have some fun. See you there! Save the date for Saturday, February 3rd ? Cabot Annual Family Dance Cabot PTO invites you and your family to a fun filled evening of music, dance and food. As in previous years, the dance will be held at Bigelow school from 7 to 9 PM. Once again our very own famous faculty'n'musician - Marc Lacatell, will help us all swing to some groovy music. It is a fun, relaxing event for the whole family, held by the PTO every year where we announce our year to date collections for the Cabot's Annual fund drive. In the spirit of Healthy Body and Healthy Minds, the family dance committee asks families to bring healthy snacks to share for this evening. The social action committee will also be collecting packaged food for the Newton food pantry. Please remember to send in your tax-deductible contributions for the Cabot Annual Fund. Look for a flyer in your child's backpack with detail information. We look forward to seeing you all there. For the family dance event, we are looking for a dancer to showcase his or her talent, such as Chinese, African, Irish step dance or any other folk dances from different parts of the world. If you know any student within Newton Public school system who would like to participate, please do let us know. The performer gets a gift certificate from a local bookstore. We are also looking for a Cabot parent to be our official photographer at the Cabot Dance! If you have any questions, or would like to answer the call for either of these opportunities, please contact Archana Vahalia at auvusa at netscape.net or Suzy Ernheart at srenyeart2 at yahoo.com. Thank you! Collection for the Newton Food Pantry At the Cabot Family Dance, the Cabot Social Action Committee will be collecting non-perishable items for the Newton Food Pantry. The Newton Food Pantry has a particular need for the following donations: canned fruit * meals in a can (beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, meat ravioli, etc.) * canned vegetables (especially, beets and peas) * peanut butter Please donate the 14-16 ounce jars/cans, the extra-large/family size ones are difficult to store. Thank you, Isabelle Thacker, isabelle at thackers.net Volunteers Needed We are also looking for a Cabot parent to be our official photographer at the Cabot Dance on February 3rd. Please contact Archana Vahalia at auvusa at netscape.net or Suzy Ernheart at srenyeart2 at yahoo.com. Thank you! CABOT BROADCAST Kindergarten Registration Informational Meeting This is a reminder to all parents of eligible kindergarten children that Marilynne Quarcoo will be holding an evening meeting, February 28th (snow date 3/6), beginning at 7:00 p.m., to discuss kindergarten registration and other pertinent information. People are reminded that registration is now in progress and letters regarding registration will be sent out to children of kindergarten age soon. Anyone who has not contacted Mrs. Driscoll to schedule an appointment is urged to do so (617/559-9400). If you know of a parent of a child eligible for kindergarten in the fall who has not received a letter, please urge them to be in contact with Mrs. Driscoll. "Afterschool Care for Cabot Kids" Brainstorming Session With CASP enrollment at a maximum and overall Cabot School enrollment predicted to rise over the next several years, the number of families who will experience difficulties finding afterschool care for their kids will dramatically increase. One of the wonderful things that our family has experienced this year is the strong sense of community and cooperation that we are fortunate to have in our Cabot neighborhood. I wanted to take advantage of this and organize a brainstorming session for those of us who would like to work together to see if we can find solutions for afterschool care for our children. This initiative is entirely parent driven and completely independent of both CASP and the Newton Public School system. If you are interested, please email me your contact info this week and I will organize an evening get-together, at my place, later this month when we can discuss our options in detail. P.S. Tea and dessert are included! :-) Thanks, Janet Hart (Mom of Nathalie, 1st grade) parisharts at hotmail.com (617-332-5411) Fundraising Humpty continues getting put back together with color, thanks to the 37% of Cabot families who have made donations to the Campaign for Cabot. Last year we had 158 families participating-with your help we can surpass that number. The Cabot PTO provides approximately $133 per child to the school while the Newton Public Schools provides only $88. Please be as generous as possible now that the new year has started and give as much as you can so we can continue to provide all the wonderful opportunities that we do! The Campaign will be finishing up at the end of the month, so if you haven?t already contributed, now is the time. Cabot has moved up in where we rank regionally (within 25 miles) in participation with Box Tops for Education. We?re up to $195 of our $500 goal. Keep on shopping through through this link: http://www.cabotpto.org/shop.html where you can access many of your favorite stores and earn money for Cabot at the same time. Some of the stores you can order from include Best Buy, Target, Amazon, KB Toys, Barnes and Noble and many many more. Check it out, there?s more than you realize! Encourage your kids to help you find and clip at least 10 box tops this month. Have a contest with your neighbors and friends to see who can collect more! It?s easy to do and is quick money which adds up for the school. Thank you all for your continued support of this wonderful school. With your help and generosity, we accomplish great things. Library Cabot School Library Fund I wish to thank the many people who recently contributed to the Cabot School Library Fund. Holiday donations in honor of Cabot teachers, students and grandparents and others helped to boost the library book budget tremendously. To date $1473 has been received. This will buy a good number of new books!! MCBA Program The Massachusetts Children?s Book Award Program was introduced in the library in the weeks prior to the holidays. Parents read various books from this year?s list and then talked about them with students in grades 4 and 5. The students responded enthusiastically and it is no surprise that the books presented are flying off the shelves. This activity has become a tradition at Cabot and I want to thank the parents and teachers who participated: Alice Cunningham, Zeina Kahhale, Andrea Plotkin, Lisa Porter and Don Stanton book talked to 4th graders, and Judy Close, Lori Dix, Tracy Martin, Eileen Morrison, Beth Taylor, Mary Emma Robertson and Russell Springer, book talked to 5th graders. THANK YOU, Lani Gerson, Library Teacher Art Corner As you can see from the artwork in the hallways the students at Cabot school have had a very creative 2006! Here?s an idea of a few projects we have been working on in Art: The Kindergarteners just finished a project based on the artwork of Pablo Picasso. We discussed Cubism, Geometric shapes and Abstract art to create these funky collage and oil pastel portraits. The 1st graders were inspired to make the fantastic Snow People collages after viewing the book and video ?The Snowman? by Raymond Briggs during our Thursday afternoon program. The students used their ?finger tools? to tear paper and create a fluffy snow like quality with their collage. The 2nd graders began the year with a study of Vincent Van Gogh and his Sunflowers. By using a glue-line relief process the students were able to create beautiful chalk drawings of Sunflowers. The 3rd graders brought a 3-D life to our first floor hallway by creating a community of Blue Dogs! This two-part project of oil pastel and tempera paint began with the book ?Why Is Blue Dog Blue?? by the artist George Rodrigue. The 4th graders also brought a third dimension to our Library after studying the work of sculptor Nancy Graves. Like Graves, the students strived to achieve ?Balance through Imbalance? by constructing their balanced sculptures to look as if they were imbalanced through the arrangement of wood. The 5th graders worked very hard in a collaborative art project to create the awesome Circus Posters on display before the circus. They did such a great job drawing, collaging, painting, and collaborating on the posters that they went on be honored at the Ed Center Fall Art Show! Be sure to ask your Cabot Artist about the latest in the Art Room! -Erin Straight, Art Teacher Physical Education Physical Education Health & Wellness News Dear Cabot Families, The excitement is growing as the American Heart Association?s 2007 Jump Rope For Heart event approaches our school. The students will be busy learning more about the benefits of healthy foods and exercise as well as getting into shape to build healthy hearts. With childhood obesity at such epidemic proportions and youth participation in physical activity in decline, we at Cabot School recognize the importance of this program to the health and wellbeing of the children in this school. This is a very special community service program to raise funds for the American Heart Association. Together we?re joining in the fight against our nation?s No. 1 and No. 3 killers ? cardiovascular diseases and stroke. Our event is taking place the week of February 12th ? February 16th. Last year we raised $7,692.00. This year our goal is set at $8,000.00 to help raise funds to fight heart disease and stroke. These events are held nationwide and help students learn about the benefits of regular physical activity and heart health while they raise funds to support vital research about educational programs. During physical education class students will jump for two 30-minute sessions. This will total 1 hour of physical activity. Family and friends are welcome to support your child?s participation by making contributions. I ask that children NOT go door-to-door or ask strangers for donations. Contributors can donate online at www.americanheart.org/jump or make checks payable to the American Heart Association. Your child will be bringing home a collection envelope the first week of February. Jump Rope For Heart is a fun event that helps our children understand the importance of community service and physical activity. The money contributed will fund research that will save more lives each year. Our efforts truly make a difference! Yours In Wellness, Ms. Bennett CASP CASP Enrollment and Space Meeting Wednesday, January 24th The Enrollment and Space Committee of the CASP board is holding a meeting on Wednesday, January 24th, from 7-9 p.m. in the Cabot Gym to discuss Enrollment and Space for the 2007-08 year. This is an opportunity to provide input to the committee as it crafts recommendations. Questions? Email or call Anya Bassett aebbassett at comcast.net; (617) 969-3234. Community News Bridge of Hope Comes to Boston Can you help a Russian orphan find a family and a home in the United States? Bridge of Hope is holding an information session on Saturday, January 20, 2007 from 1:00PM to 4:00PM at the Watertown Free Public Library, 123 Main St., Watertown for prospective host families for older Russian orphans, ages 6-11, who will be coming to the Boston area for summer camp in July. Bridge of Hope offers children a homestay with a host family, a summer of fun, and the opportunity to find permanent adoptive homes. Now in our 11th year, Bridge of Hope, sponsored by Cradle of Hope Adoption Center, has placed over 400 children (90% of participants) in adoptive families. We are seeking host families with a serious interest in adoption. To register for the Jan. 20 information session or to learn more about the program, please contact Todd Kates at 617-926-5480 ext. 241 or TKates42 at aol.com or visit www.bridgeofhope.cc. Volunteers also needed to help! SAVE THE DATE! The Newton Schools Foundation is pleased to announce a special opportunity to "Treat Your Sweet and Support Public Education." On February 10, 2007 Newton families are hosting a veritable blizzard of dinners across Newton that feature distinguished members of our community as guest speakers. We invite you to mark your calendars for this special evening. Stay tuned for more details at http://www.nsfonline.org Upcoming Programs offered through the Newton Parks and Recreation Department Family Trip to Disney On Ice Join Newton Parks and Recreation for a magical time on Monday February 19 for a family trip to Disney on Ice ? Princess Wishes. Watch in wonder as your favorite princesses, including Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Jasmine, Aurora, Mulan, and Ariel have their dreams comes true. Transportation to and from the Fleet Center is provided. Fun-tastic Vacation Program Ready for a Fun-tastic time? Sign up for the Funtastic Vacation Program for children in grades 4 and above. Running February 20 ? 23 from 9am to 3pm, each day will feature a special field trip and includes lunch. Sign up by day or for all 4 days. Family Movie Nights Join the Newton Parks and Recreation Department for family Movie Night at the West Newton Cinema during the February school vacation week. Watch a movie and get popcorn and soda all for one low price. Tickets are sold the day of the event at the Cinema only starting at 4pm. A free seminar ?Drinking, Drugs and Depression? , Thursday January 18th 7:00- 8:30pm The Newton PTO Council and Project Interface present a seminar at the Shipley Auditorium at Newton Wellesley Hospital at 7:30 ? 8pm. There is no charge to attend and all are welcome. More than 800,000 American teenagers suffer from depression each year. Often, these children have been experimenting with or using drugs and drinking. A panel of experts will share information, tips and resources on this very important topic including Michael Jellinek - President, Newton-Wellesley Hospital, Jeffrey M. Young - Superintendent, Newton Public Schools, Nadja Reilly - Director, Swensrud Depression Prevention Initiative, Children's Hospital, Julie Totten - President, Families for Depression Awareness, Chris Fortunato - VP of Teen and Adult Programs, Newton Community Service Center, Nanci Ginty - Riverside Community Care, Coordinator of School and Community Programs, Rich Catrombone - Social Worker, Newton South High School, David Gotthelf - Psychologist, Brown Middle School. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070116/3c06bea5/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Fri Jan 19 17:51:19 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2007 17:51:19 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Summary of Q&A with School Committee Members & Reminder to Vote on the 23rd Message-ID: <000301c73c1c$55efacb0$6b01a8c0@Jo> Summary of Q&A session with School Committee Members - January 18th, 2007 About 19 parents and Dr. Quarcoo met with Marc Laredo and Reenie Murphy, School Committee Members to ask questions about short term space issues, enrollment growth, special education services, long term plans to renovate Cabot school and the Newton North project. Our thanks go to Sue Covitzs for providing a summary of some of the major points of the evening. It was noted that overall there has been a demographic shift up in the elementary school population. Cabot may be experiencing an even bigger increase due to all of the multi-family dwellings that are now being built in the neighborhood. With plans to place 2 modulars at Cabot next Fall and an anticipated increase of 70 students over the coming years, Dr. Quarcoo urged parents to get involved in the Political Issues Committee as well as other efforts to help address short and long term space concerns at Cabot. Short Term Issues Raised * The School Committee confirmed the new modulars are to address the need for classroom space in the schools. * Modular classrooms are to be sited in the faculty parking lot reducing some of the available parking. A letter to abutters went out this week by the City to let neighbors know of these. * The Mayor has committed to funding the modulars, although funding for staff and supplies for the modulars is still to be addressed under upcoming School Department budget discussions. The School Committee certainly recognizes the need to fund the new teachers and/or supplies etc. As parents we can advocate for specific funding needs during the School Committee budget discussions. A parent also noted that although there may be more funding for teaching staff, an additional workload will also be required by the school support staff and the specialist teachers. Other Issues Raised about Short Term Space Problems at Cabot * Parents suggested that more children take the bus next year to alleviate parking concerns. One parent suggested that we create a "walking bus" which would have groups of children walk together with the assistance of parent volunteers. * Since the school bus that services Cabot is underutilized, a parent asked about adding more stops, or more flexibility, ie: bus students attending different afterschool programs if they are on the current route. Marc & Reenie said that the bus contract is up at the end of this year and to contact Ken Tempkin. Watch future Jabber emails identifying initiatives in this area. * Parents also asked about having students attend school at different times or in shifts. The School Committee explored this in the past and has found that having kids come to school in different shifts is very difficult for families, especially if the parents work. * One parent asked about the Learning Center which does not have adequate "pull out" space for specialists who need to meet privately with students. Both Marc and Reenie suggested that the discussion about the Learning Center should begin with the Principal, but they felt that all the schools including Cabot have already been divided up extensively and there is not much more space available to divide. Long Term Issues Raised/Other Concerns about Increases in Elementary School Population * The School Committee has embarked on a long term facilities study which will recommend 2 or 3 schools for renovation (by May, 2007). State money should be available in July, 2007 to help fund the renovations. School Committee members are well aware of the current dilapidated state of Cabot & we will work to ensure Cabot is one of the recommended schools. This study will identify what facilities Newton's elementary schools should have and compare current facilities against these requirements. If you are concerned about facilities other than classroom space, such as for Literacy specialist, Special Education or for after-school programs consider getting involved in helping to monitor and affect these deliberations. * The School Committee is planning to renovate the Carr School (in Nonantum) so that the building can be used for swing space. Reenie and Marc stated that the Carr School will likely be one of three buildings that the School Committee places on the initial list for renovation. * Although unpopular, the School Committee will likely consider re-districting schools at some point in the near future. The Carr School may be used for re-districting students or it can be used to house students who are at a school that is being renovated. * A parent raised the issue of whether or not the School Committee will re-consider splitting Cabot students between Bigelow and Day Middle Schools. Marc and Reenie suggested that parents raise the issue with Brenda Keegan, Asst. Superintendent or Jeff Young, Superintendent before bringing this to the attention of the School Committee. The next PTO meeting will address this topic. Newton North Project * The School Committee, the Alderman and the Mayor, fully support the new site plan and urge people to vote "yes" on January 23rd. * A lot of time and effort has gone into the plans for a new Newton North which is urgently needed. The current building is completely inadequate. * If the site plan is approved, there will still be time to make changes to the plan. For example, there will still be consideration given to the sunken field and the traffic flow around the neighborhood and streets leading into Newton North. * The new building will have a capacity of 1850 kids but has adequate space for an additional 300 students. The classrooms are 780 sq. feet which are the same as classrooms at Newton South and the Newton North principal has expressed that the 780 sq. feet is more than adequate for classrooms. Science labs will be slightly larger. * Plans for how the Newton North project will be funded will be discussed in the near future. * It takes at least 4-5 years to build a new building, from planning to completion of building. The new Newton North should be ready by January 2010. Other Important Information for Parents * All School Committee documents are available on line (e.g. Enrollment Reports). Simply click on http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee * Marc Laredo reported that Newton teachers will be voting on the proposed new contract at the end of January. He is hopeful that a settlement is reached in the near future. * Parents should take the opportunity to lobby legislators for increased state funding for public schools. In addition, the state is supposed to reimburse cities and towns for special needs transportation but this is usually not the case. Parents can help by advocating for this to happen. * Reenie suggested that the School Councils, which each school is required to have by law, consider gathering together and forming an umbrella organization throughout the city, much like the PTO Council. Additional Item - Assessment of Newton North High School by New England of Schools and Colleges Commission of Public Secondary Schools Recently Newton North High School was visited by a Committee from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission of Public Secondary Schools to assess the quality of the educational program at the school in terms of the Commission's Standards for Accreditation. Although the Committee approved Newton North's accreditation & praised it as a "vibrant learning community pursuing excellence in a deplorable and discouraging physical setting." Their report also had this to say: "Sadly, the outstanding school culture, excellent professional staff, and high quality programming have also served to mask the negative impact of the school's deplorable building and deteriorated infrastructure on teaching and learning at Newton North High School. The leaders and citizens of the City of Newton have, for far too long, created a condition of benign neglect of the legitimate needs of the students and staff at Newton North. In many ways, Newton North has truly become a victim of its own success. The neglect of Newton North includes an unsafe, woefully inadequate building, an aged and obsolete infrastructure in terms of HVAC systems and plumbing and electrical systems, inadequate internal telecommunications, an obsolete technology infrastructure, inadequate and unsafe labs, a variety of specific health and handicapped issues, and on and on, ad infinitum. Ironically, and especially with such a public commitment to career and technical education programming at Newton North, one would hardly expect this to be the case. Moreover, the glaring inequality that exists between the facilities and infrastructure provided the students of Newton North High School and those provided the students of Newton South High School constitutes a massive public embarassment for the City of Newton." This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070119/3a8c30bb/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jan 23 08:03:50 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 08:03:50 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE TUESDAY, JANUARY 23rd 2007 Message-ID: <000d01c73eee$ed9f3100$6b01a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 23RD This Jabberlite contains the following items: Upcoming Events ? change of date for Winter Concert! Next PTO meeting & issues of business What can you do to alleviate congestion next year at Cabot? How PTO funds are spent ? a spotlight on Technology Cabot Family Dance & Newton Food Pantry Collection A Cabot Student initiative to improve school lunches Health Notes from the Cabot Nurse Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Seminar Community Event Alerts - Museum of Afro-American Artists & Family Movie at the Coolidge Corner Theater DON?T FORGET TO VOTE TODAY AT THE NEWTON NORTH REFERENDUM CALENDAR January 23, 2007 Voting Day - Special Election on Newton North High School January 27, 2007 Cabot Connecting Families Bowling, 2-4 PM Ron's Ice Cream & Bowling Hyde Park February 3, 2007 Cabot Family Dance (snow date 2/10) February 3, 2007 PTO "Campaign for Cabot" ends February 5, 2007 School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM February 8, 2007 Winter Concert, 11:00 AM & 7:30 PM February 8, 2007 Early Release, 12:30 PM Dismissal February 8, 2007 Newton PAC for Special Education - Strategies for Parenting the Explosive Child" 7:30 PM Newton Ed Center 100 Walnut St. February 11, 2007 Snow date for Cabot Connecting Families Bowling February 12, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 19 to Feb 23 Winter Vacation, NO SCHOOL February 26, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 27, 2007 PTO Meeting, 8:35 AM? 9:30 AM February 27, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM February 28, 2007 Incoming Kindergarten Parent Evening, 6:30-8:30PM (Snow date 3/5) UPCOMING EVENTS ? save the dates! Cabot Winter Concert ? Thursday, February 8th 11am & 7:30pm Please be aware that the concert date has been changed from January 25th to the above date. This concert involves the grade 5 chorus, band and the orchestra. Cabot Connecting Families Bowling Event ? Saturday, January 27th 2-4pm at Ron?s Ice Cream & Bowling, Hyde Park Cabot Connecting Families invites you to join us for Ice Cream and Bowling this Saturday afternoon from 2:00pm - 4:00pm at Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream and Bowling in Hyde Park. Don't forget to look for the specially marked flyer with all the details in your student's backpack - if you're the lucky winner, bring the flyer with you and you'll enjoy a free gourmet ice cream on us!! This is a great event ? fun for all the families and a good way to meet other Cabot families! If you have any questions contact Mary Heney at mheney at rcn.com or Sara Goldberg at salgoldberg at comcast.net Neighborhood Fireside chats with Dr. Quarcoo As advertised recently, Dr. Quarcoo has instigated a series of neighborhood get togethers to reinforce community and an old-fashion meet and greet. These dates have already been confirmed, more are coming. Use your Cabot Directory to decide which one is nearest to your neighborhood and RSVP to the host directly! Come along and socialize with some of your Cabot neighbors and Dr. Quarcoo! Our thanks go to these parents who have offered to be hosts and those who are yet to be scheduled! February 7th, 7pm Virginia Dean February 13th, 7pm Kate Dulit February 27th, 7pm Bud & Vicki Gartland March 12th, 7:30pm Janet Hart March 21st, 7pm Claire Ryan-Robertson April 24th, 6:30pm Monalisa Neville Q&A Session with School Committee Members Thanks last week to Marc Laredo & Reenie Murphy for braving the cold and coming to answer Cabot parent questions. And thanks to all those parents who turned up to ask & hear the discussion. A summary of the evening was already sent to the Cabot community via email and a paper copy is displayed on the PTO Notice Board. PTO Meeting ? Tuesday, February 27th at 8:40am, Cabot Library Come join us to add your voice to our PTO deliberations. This meeting we will be discussing the state of our finances year to date, what to do with any surplus from this years Campaign for Cabot, upcoming events such as the Cabot Family Dance and proposed format changes to the Book Fair, what fundraisers we should include in next years schedule and a preliminary look at budget items for next year. In addition an update will be given on the location of the modulars and exploring ways to alleviate congestion next Fall especially at drop-off and pick-up. WE GOT WHAT WE WANTED! NOW WHAT? What did we get that we wanted? Extra classrooms for next Fall in the form of modulars! The School Committee heard our opinions and voted that Cabot should get 2 modulars to provide the additional classrooms that are projected we will need in the Fall of 2007. That?s great for us . BUT the flipside is there will be even more congestion at Cabot as we learn how to accommodate even more students and faculty, and put even more pressure on Cabot?s amazing but already overburden administrative staff and specialists. Not to mention our failing infrastructure! What can we do? YOU can start to think about how you can compromise on your daily activities with respect to Cabot. The site for the modulars will probably be at the rear of the building on the faculty parking lot. Some, not all, parking will therefore be lost. Some discussion has been made to reserve some spaces for teachers on the Cabot Field side of Parkside Street. Whatever happens you can be sure that drop-off and pick-up is going to be even more congested than it is now. So that?s why we are asking you to begin thinking about what you can do to alleviate this congestion. We can all do something! Maybe its taking the bus to school, or making a determined effort to walk with a buddy system for you & your children, or the revolutionary idea of not parking right on the streets by Cabot but parking a few blocks away!!!!! If you are interested in exploring the bus or walking buddies then please contact Liz Haas haas.joffe at rcn.com Cabot parent School Council Co-Leader or Janet Hart parisharts at hotmail.com , Cabot parent School Council representative. How are the PTO funds spent? Still wondering what happens to all the money the PTO raises? Well, first of all check out our budget plan for the year at www.cabotpto.org . Frequently in our emails we have identified areas where PTO monies are spent to illustrate just how they benefit our students. This time we thought we would highlight Technology where we have budgeted to spend $9,500 this year. Our thanks go to committee chair, Cabot parent Richard Wright who provided this summary: Cabot teachers and students are integrating technology into their lessons in many ways, at all grade levels. Grade three students are using PowerPoint as part of their unit on trees in Mrs. Vaswani and Ms. Griffin classrooms. Ms. Milham is working with her students to create presentations related to various science experiments in her class. Grade 4 is using the laptop cart on the second floor to implement Type to Learn. Ms. Magovney?s students are working on a Kid Pix project, creating and identifying patterns. She has a wonderful parent volunteer to help her students with this project. In grade 2, Mrs. Moriarty uses the LCD projector in her daily lessons which often include: streaming videos and websites. Her class uses the laptops on the third floor to publish newspaper complete editorials, classroom updates and other exciting information. Lastly, most classrooms have websites providing curriculum related links, parent information and more. Many classroom teachers are using their LCD projectors daily as part of their lesson presentations. We have allocated some of this year?s budget as follows: * We are planning the purchase of five (5) new iMacs and two (2) laptops. The estimated cost is 6K. * We have also allocated $325 for the purchase of miscellaneous items (CD's, DVD's, Replacement chargers) Future needs to be addressed or in the works: * Learning Center Teachers laptop upgrade * Upgrade the ibook for Ms. Miller grade 1 class. Cabot Annual Family Dance - Saturday, February 3rd 7 ? 9pm Cabot PTO invites you and your family to a fun filled evening of music, dance and food. As in previous years, the dance will be held at Bigelow school from 7 to 9 PM. Once again our very own famous faculty'n'musician - Marc Lacatell, will help us all swing to some groovy music. It is a fun, relaxing event for the whole family, held by the PTO every year where we announce our year to date collections for the Cabot's Annual fund drive. In the spirit of Healthy Body and Healthy Minds, the family dance committee asks families to bring healthy snacks to share for this evening. For the family dance event, we are looking for a dancer to showcase his or her talent, such as Chinese, African, Irish step dance or any other folk dances from different parts of the world. If you know any student within Newton Public school system who would like to participate, please do let us know. The performer gets a gift certificate from a local bookstore. We are also looking for a Cabot parent to be our official photographer at the Cabot Dance! If you have any questions, or would like to answer the call for either of these opportunities, please contact Archana Vahalia at auvusa at netscape.net or Suzy Ernheart at srenyeart2 at yahoo.com Thank you! Collection for the Newton Food Pantry at the Cabot Family Dance At the Cabot Family Dance, the Cabot Social Action Committee will be collecting non-perishable items for the Newton Food Pantry. The Newton Food Pantry has a particular need for the following donations: canned fruit * meals in a can (beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, meat ravioli, etc.) * canned vegetables (especially, beets and peas) * peanut butter Please donate the 14-16 ounce jars/cans, the extra-large/family size ones are difficult to store. Thank you from Isabelle Thacker isabelle at thackers.net What do you think about Cabot lunches? Do you like school lunches? Do they meet your standards of a healthy meal and do they need your child?s culinary & dietary needs? One of Cabot?s 4th grade students, Sasha MacDonald doesn?t think so and decided to do something about it. What did she do? She went straight to the top of course and asked for, and got, a meeting with Superintendent Dr. Jeff Young. At the meeting Sasha presented her ideas for a healthier menu & got Dr. Young?s approval to investigate further. She has now met with the person responsible for Newton school lunches and watch out for the interview with her in this weeks TAB! So if you feel like Sasha there?s room for improvement in school lunches please consider joining Sasha and her mother, Laurie Meizler, on this mission. Laurie and Sasha would like to invite any Cabot student & their parent to a kick off meeting to develop ideas to present to Newton Public Schools! If you are interested please contact Laurie directly at ldmeizler at hotmail.com Health Notes from The Cabot Nurse The Newton Health Department exclusion policy requires that children be kept at home if he or she shows signs of any of the following: a fever over 100?F during the past 24 hours; a cold in the active stages, i.e. coughing, runny nose, or sneezing; a sore throat and/or swollen neck glands; an undiagnosed rash or skin eruptions; vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours; or head lice that have not been treated. Because school health rooms are not equipped to accommodate sick children and crowded health rooms lead to further spread of disease, it is imperative that sick children be kept at home. It is also crucial that parents make every effort to pick up children as soon as possible when notified by school personnel. Please review with your children that when being dismissed from school due to illness, they must wait for you in the nurses office and are required to be signed out from the nurse's office. Changes in emergency phone numbers should be made known immediately. Also, please inform Karen Kerrigan, the School Nurse, if your child has strep throat, any contagious illness or rash, head lice or any medical or surgical conditions that require hospitalization or lengthy duration at home. The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Seminar ? Thursday, February 8th 7:30pm The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education presents Strategies for Parenting the Explosive Child on Thursday Feb 8, 2007. The Explosive Child by Ross Greene, PhD of Mass General Hospital provides a compelling new framework for understanding and effectively parenting inflexible, easily frustrated children who experience frequent meltdowns. Greene explains explosiveness and rigid behavior as symptoms of a deficit in the flexible thinking skills children need for handling difficult situations such as hearing the word ?No? from a parent. ?Once parents have a better sense about why these children behave as they do,? says Greene, ?strategies for helping things improve become clearer.? His Collaborative Problem Solving approach offers specific strategies for preventing meltdowns and for teaching children the thinking skills they lack. We will view Greene?s video outlining his approach, and discussion will follow led by Beth Edelstein, founder of the Foundation for Children with Behavioral Challenges ( www.fsbcsupport.org ). FCBC is a support group that promotes awareness of compassionate approaches for parenting children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Information about Greene?s book is available at www.ccps.info The meeting is at 7:30 PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St, Newton 02460 in Room 318. Please contact Leslie Lockhart for more information about the meeting or the Parent Advisory Council at 617-527-5046 or newtonspedpac at yahoo.com Celebrate Black History Month at the Museum of Afro-American Artists Saturday February 10-10AM-noon Cost: $25 You are in for a treat! Explore Boston's only museum dedicated to contemporary and historical expressive arts from the global Black world with E. Barry Gaither, the Executive Director and internationally known art expert. Meet at the Museum, 300 Walnut Ave, Roxbury at 10AM or meet our shuttle at Back Bay Station at 9:30AM Optional lunch after the program at United House of Prayer--great soul food. Lunch not included in the cost. Shuttle will return participants to Back Bay after the program and after lunch. Pre-registration required. Find out more about the Museum For more information call Discover Roxbury (617) 427-1006 or email marcia at discoverroxbury.org Boston Globe Film Critic Ty Burr presents: THE BEST OF OLD MOVIES FOR FAMILIES Sunday, February 18: Screening; $3, Discussion: FREE 12-30-1:15pm Have a classic film favorite that you want to introduce to your kids? We invite you to join Boston Globe film critic, Ty Burr, for a screening of THE COURT JESTER and a discussion of his new book,The Best of Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together. Ty will share with you why some classic movies are great for even the youngest member of your family! THE COURT JESTER (1956) stars Danny Kaye and Angela Lansbury. The throne of rightful king of England has been usurped by the evil King Roderick. The task to restore the throne falls to Hawkins (Kaye)--and all he needs is the king's key to a secret tunnel. www.coolidge.org FUNDING PROVIDED IN PART BY THE COOLIIDGE CORNER THEATRE 290 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 This JabberLite has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070123/1bdd9cff/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Sun Jan 28 15:45:08 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Sun, 28 Jan 2007 15:45:08 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Out of contact Message-ID: <001201c7431d$330d2300$6501a8c0@Jo> Dear Cabot Community, Due to health and family concerns I shall be out of the PTO loop until February 8th. If you have anything which you need to contact the PTO about please contact Mary Kathryn Fallon, my co-President, until my absence. Many thanks, Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070128/fb1e3f74/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Mon Jan 29 11:33:22 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2007 11:33:22 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot Math Challenge - Problem #4 In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8C911DA53D13077-9EC-6DD4@mblk-d45.sysops.aol.com> Dear Cabot Community: Attached is the February Math Challenge. It will also be available at www.cabotpto.org, the Cabot PTO web site, shortly. Please return your solutions by February 8th. There are in-boxes located at Mr. Tirrell, Mrs. Moriarty and Mrs. Robertson's classrooms. And remember: ? Trying to solve the problem is more important than the getting the correct answer. ? Submissions that do not show how you found your answers will not be counted. ? Showing your work can include an equation, a picture or a written description. ? Please show your work on the pages provided and staple additional pages as needed. ? Please be neat and have fun! ? Even though there are 7 questions, you only have to submit your solution to the one or ones that interest you to get credit. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070129/428f1936/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Problem4-final.doc Type: application/msword Size: 38912 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070129/428f1936/attachment.doc From marykathf at aol.com Tue Jan 30 11:02:37 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 30 Jan 2007 11:02:37 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for January 30, 2007 In-Reply-To: <8C9129D5D6E416B-1C38-7312@mblk-d48.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C91242CB01ECA6-1CE8-7640@mblk-d34.sysops.aol.com> <8C912441B8FE5F5-1CE8-7693@mblk-d34.sysops.aol.com> <8C9129D5D6E416B-1C38-7312@mblk-d48.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C9129F323253BB-1C38-74A6@mblk-d48.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2007 This Jabberlite contains the following items: Upcoming Events ? Cabot Family Dance this Saturday & Newton Food Pantry Collection Change of date for Winter Concert! Cabot Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo Next PTO meeting & issues of business What can you do to alleviate congestion next year at Cabot? The Campaign for Cabot is Winding down Cabot Connecting Families Bowling Event A Cabot Student initiative to improve school lunches Sam Johnson Memorial Blood Drive Girl?s Intramural Soccer Sign-ups Newton Central Little League Sign-ups Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Seminar Museum of Afro-American Artists Family Movie at the Coolidge Corner Theater CALENDAR February 3 Cabot Family Dance (snow date 2/10) February 3 PTO "Campaign for Cabot" ends February 5 School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM February 7 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos's Home 7:00PM February 8 Winter Concert, 11:00 AM & 7:30 PM February 8 Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education - 'Strategies for Parenting the Explosive Child' Seminar 7:30 PM, 100 Walnut Street February 8 Early Release, 12:30 PM Dismissal February 11 Snow date for Cabot Connecting Families Bowling February 12 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 13 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg's Home 7:00PM Feb. 19 - Feb 23 Winter Vacation, NO SCHOOL February 26 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 27 PTO Meeting, 8:35 AM? 9:30 AM February 27 Affinity Group 12:30 PM February 27 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Vicki & Bud Gartland's Home 7:00PM February 28 Incoming Kindergarten Parent Evening, 6:30-8:30PM (Snow date 3/5) UPCOMING EVENTS ? save the dates! Cabot Annual Family Dance - Saturday, February 3rd 7 ? 9pm Cabot PTO invites you and your family to a fun filled evening of music, dance and food. As in previous years, the dance will be held at Bigelow school from 7 to 9 PM. Once again our very own famous faculty'n'musician - Marc Lacatell, will help us all swing to some groovy music. It is a fun, relaxing event for the whole family, held by the PTO every year where we announce our year to date collections for the Campaign for Cabot. In the spirit of Healthy Body and Healthy Minds, the family dance committee asks families to bring healthy snacks to share for this evening. We are looking for a dancer to showcase his or her talent at the Dance, such as Chinese, African, Irish step dance or any other folk dances from different parts of the world. If you know any student within Newton Public school system who would like to participate, please do let us know. The performer gets a gift certificate from a local bookstore. Thanks to Doug Hoffman who has agreed to be our official photographer for the evening. If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer, please contact Archana Vahalia at auvusa at netscape.net or Suzy Ernheart at srenyeart2 at yahoo.com Thank you! Collection for the Newton Food Pantry at the Cabot Family Dance At the Cabot Family Dance, the Cabot Social Action Committee will be collecting non-perishable items for the Newton Food Pantry. The Newton Food Pantry has a particular need for the following donations: canned fruit * meals in a can (beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, meat ravioli, etc.) * canned vegetables (especially, beets and peas) * peanut butter Please donate the 14-16 ounce jars/cans, the extra-large/family size ones are difficult to store. Thank you from Isabelle Thacker isabelle at thackers.net Cabot Winter Concert ? Thursday, February 8th 11AM & 7:30PM Please be aware that the concert date has been changed from January 25th to the above date. This concert involves the grade 5 chorus, band and the orchestra. Evening Neighborhood Meetings with Dr. Quarcoo As advertised recently, Dr. Quarcoo has instigated a series of neighborhood get togethers to reinforce community and an old-fashion meet and greet. Use your Cabot Directory to decide which one is nearest to your neighborhood and RSVP to the host directly! Come along and socialize with some of your Cabot neighbors and Dr. Quarcoo! Our thanks go to these parents who have offered to be hosts! February 7th, 7:00pm Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos February 13th, 7:00pm Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg February 27th, 7:00pm Vicki & Bud Gartland March 12th, 7:30pm Janet & Daniel Hart March 21st, 7:00pm Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson April 24th, 6:30pm Monalisa & Donald Neville PTO Meeting ? Tuesday, February 27th at 8:40am, Cabot Library Come join us to add your voice to our PTO deliberations. This meeting we will be discussing the state of our finances year to date, what to do with any surplus from this years Campaign for Cabot, upcoming events such as the Invention Invasion and proposed format changes to the Book Fair, what fundraisers we should include in next years schedule and a preliminary look at budget items for next year. In addition an update will be given on the location of the modulars and exploring ways to alleviate congestion next Fall especially at drop-off and pick-up. WE GOT WHAT WE WANTED! NOW WHAT? What did we get that we wanted? Extra classrooms for next Fall in the form of modulars! The School Committee heard our opinions and voted that Cabot should get 2 modulars to provide the additional classrooms that are projected we will need in the Fall of 2007. That?s great for us?. BUT?? the flipside is there will be even more congestion at Cabot as we learn how to accommodate even more students and faculty, and put even more pressure on Cabot?s amazing but already overburdened administrative staff and specialists. Not to mention our failing infrastructure! What can we do? YOU can start to think about how you can compromise on your daily activities with respect to Cabot. The site for the modulars will probably be at the rear of the building on the faculty parking lot. Some, not all, parking will therefore be lost. Some discussion has been made to reserve some spaces for teachers on the Cabot Field side of Parkside Street. Whatever happens, you can be sure that drop-off and pick-up is going to be even more congested than it is now. So that?s why we are asking you to begin thinking about what you can do to alleviate this congestion. WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING! Maybe its taking the bus to school, or making a determined effort to walk with a buddy system for you & your children, or the revolutionary idea of not parking right on the streets by Cabot but parking a few blocks away!!! If you are interested in exploring the bus or walking buddies then please contact Liz Haas haas.joffe at rcn.com Cabot parent School Council Co-Leader or Janet Hart parisharts at hotmail.com, Cabot parent School Council Representative. The Campaign for Cabot is Winding Down We are winding down the Campaign for Cabot, so NOW is your opportunity to make a tax deductible donation. If you are planning on making a donation, please do it now so we can include to total amount in our announcement at the Cabot Family Dance this Saturday. Thank you to so many of you who have generously contributed. Pleas help us fill Humpty in. Cabot Connecting Families Bowling Event - Last Saturday about 45 people enjoyed the afternoon at the Cabot Connecting Bowling Event at Ron's Gourmet Ice Cream & Bowling in Hyde Park. We took over 8 lanes and bowled in teams of 5 for 2 hours. Not to mention the delicious ice cream many of us enjoyed after bowling those spares, splits & strikes. Thanks go the Cabot Connecting Families Co-Chairs, Mary Heney and Sara Goldberg! Keep checking back for future Cabot Connecting Families Events. What do you think about Cabot lunches? Do you like school lunches? Do they meet your standards of a healthy meal and do they need your child?s culinary & dietary needs? As we said last week, Sasha MacDonald doesn?t think so and decided to do something about it. So if you, like Sasha, feel there?s room for improvement in school lunches please consider joining Sasha and her mother, Lauri Meizler, on this mission. A group of 8 Cabot Parents, organized by Lauri, met with Rob Clickstein, head of food services at Newton Public Schools, yesterday to discuss the limitations he has with the school lunch program and to brain storm with him how to be effective in promoting healthier lunches. If you are interested in helping with this initiative, please contact Lauri directly at ldmeizler at hotmail.com SAM JOHNSON MEMORIAL BLOOD DRIVE (brother of 1st grader Henry Johnson) Monday, February 12 - Friday, February 23rd at the American Red Cross Donor Center, 25 Stuart Street, Boston Please call 617-556-2200 to set up an appointment to give platelets. Thank you. NEWTON GIRL?S INTRAMURAL SOCCER Registration for the upcoming spring season of Newton Girls Intramural Soccer is currently underway for Newton girls currently in grades K-9. Avoid the $15 late registration fee by registering by January 31. Games are played on Saturdays, starting April 7 (Kindergarten begins on April 21) and continue until June 9. For grades 2-9, in addition to the games on Saturdays, there is also generally one practice per week. The goals of the NGS Intramural Program are for the girls to learn soccer skills, have fun and be part of a team. To register, or to find out more information about the NGS IM Program, please visit our website at www.newtongirlssoccer.org . Scholarships are available based on need. Newton Central Little League Registration: It's time to register for the 2007 season! Newton Central is open to children living in the Cabot, Peirce and Ward public school districts. Girls and boys ages 7-12 are eligible to play (birth dates falling between 5/1/1994 and 4/30/2000). All first grade children are also eligible to play regardless of birth dates. Newton Central does not offer a program for children under 7. To register, please visit our website: www.eteams.com/newtoncentralll or contact Betsy Nurczynski: nurczynski at comcast.net ; 617-964-7612 The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Seminar ? Thursday, February 8th 7:30pm The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education presents: Strategies for Parenting the Explosive Child on Thursday Feb 8, 2007. The Explosive Child by Ross Greene, PhD of Mass General Hospital provides a compelling new framework for understanding and effectively parenting inflexible, easily frustrated children who experience frequent meltdowns. Greene explains explosiveness and rigid behavior as symptoms of a deficit in the flexible thinking skills children need for handling difficult situations such as hearing the word ?No? from a parent. ?Once parents have a better sense about why these children behave as they do,? says Greene, ?strategies for helping things improve become clearer.? His Collaborative Problem Solving approach offers specific strategies for preventing meltdowns and for teaching children the thinking skills they lack. We will view Greene?s video outlining his approach, and discussion will follow led by Beth Edelstein, founder of the Foundation for Children with Behavioral Challenges ( www.fsbcsupport.org ). FCBC is a support group that promotes awareness of compassionate approaches for parenting children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Information about Greene?s book is available at www.ccps.info The meeting is at 7:30 PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St, Newton 02460 in Room 318. Please contact Leslie Lockhart for more information about the meeting or the Parent Advisory Council at 617-527-5046 or newtonspedpac at yahoo.com Celebrate Black History Month at the Museum of Afro-American Artists Saturday February 10, 2007 -10:00AM-Noon Cost: $25 You are in for a treat! Explore Boston's only museum dedicated to contemporary and historical expressive arts from the global Black world with E. Barry Gaither, the Executive Director and internationally known art expert. Meet at the Museum, 300 Walnut Ave, Roxbury at 10AM or meet our shuttle at Back Bay Station at 9:30AM Optional lunch after the program at United House of Prayer--great soul food. Lunch not included in the cost. Shuttle will return participants to Back Bay after the program and after lunch. Pre-registration required. For more information call Discover Roxbury (617) 427-1006 or email marcia at discoverroxbury.org Boston Globe Film Critic Ty Burr presents: THE BEST OF OLD MOVIES FOR FAMILIES Coolidge Corner Theatre Sunday, February 18: Screening; $3, 10:30 AM, Discussion: FREE 12-30-1:15pm Have a classic film favorite that you want to introduce to your kids? We invite you to join Boston Globe film critic, Ty Burr, for a screening of THE COURT JESTER (suitable for all ages) and a discussion of his new book,The Best of Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together. Ty will share with you why some classic movies are great for even the youngest member of your family! THE COURT JESTER (1956) stars Danny Kaye and Angela Lansbury. The throne of rightful king of England has been usurped by the evil King Roderick. The task to restore the throne falls to Hawkins(Kaye)--and all he needs is the king's key to a secret tunnel. www.coolidge.org Coolidge Corner Theatre 290 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 This JabberLite has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070130/9fe1d15e/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Fri Feb 2 15:39:50 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Fri, 02 Feb 2007 15:39:50 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Newton Schools Foundation In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8C915216B7FBB2B-1498-3579@WEBMAIL-MA13.sysops.aol.com> The Cabot PTO has been requested to send this out on behalf of the Newton Schools Foundation: A blizzard's on the way! A blizzard of Fabulous Feasts that is! Limited seating is still available for the Newton Schools Foundation's 2006-07 major fundraiser: Treat Your Sweet and Support Public Education! Hosted by your friends and neighbors, we are proud to offer a range of intimate neighborhood dinners. Our distinguished list of speakers represents a wide diversity of career options that the students of Newton will one day consider in their own lives. For a full listing of dinners, please visit www.nsfonline.org. If interested, please call 617-559-6120 or email nsfinfo at newton.k12.ma.us ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070202/70db4d93/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Sat Feb 3 12:32:56 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2007 12:32:56 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] The Cabot Family Dance is Tonight! Message-ID: <8C915D07A06AAD0-1378-6A3B@WEBMAIL-MA11.sysops.aol.com> The Cabot Annual Family Dance is Tonight!! Saturday, February 3rd 7:00 ? 9:00pm Bigelow Middle School 42 Vernon Street, Newton Corner Grab your dancing shoes and head over to the Annual Cabot Family Dance tonight! The PTO invites you and your family to a fun filled evening of music, dance and food. As in previous years, the dance will be held at Bigelow Middle school from 7 to 9 PM. Once again our very own famous faculty'n'musician - Marc Lacatell, will help us all swing to some groovy music. It is a fun, relaxing event for the whole family, held by the PTO every year, where we announce our year to date collections for the Campaign for Cabot. In the spirit of Healthy Body and Healthy Minds, the family dance committee asks families to bring healthy snacks to share for this evening. If your last name starts with: A-F bring fruits & veggies G-L bring desserts M-R bring cheese & crackers S-Z bring sparkling water & lemonade The PTO will provide water, paper & plastic goods. Thanks to Archana Vahalia and Suzy Ernheart for organizing this fun event! See you there! Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070203/2739e9a7/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Sat Feb 3 13:28:19 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2007 13:28:19 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Newton Food Pantry Collection at the Family Dance In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: <8C915D8367160DF-1378-6CF7@WEBMAIL-MA11.sysops.aol.com> And Don't Forget................................ At the Cabot Family Dance, the Cabot Social Action Committee will be collecting non-perishable items for the Newton Food Pantry. The Newton Food Pantry has a particular need for the following donations: canned fruit meals in a can (beef stew, spaghetti and meatballs, meat ravioli, etc.) canned vegetables (especially, beets and peas) peanut butter Please donate the 14-16 ounce jars/cans, the extra-large/family size ones are difficult to store. Thank you, Cabot Social Action Committee ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070203/c1f3282f/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Feb 6 14:52:35 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2007 14:52:35 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday February 6, 2007 Message-ID: <8C9183F7B2FE4ED-A70-864C@mblk-d27.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2007 This Jabberlite contains the following items: Cabot Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo Cabot Annual Family Dance ? A Great Turn-out How can you help improve congestion next year? The Campaign for Cabot is Winding down Cabot School Lunch Improvement Task Force Cabot Yard Sale at the Cabot Fair Sam Johnson Memorial Blood Drive Girl?s Softball Sign-ups Girl?s Intramural Soccer Sign-ups Newton Central Little League Sign-ups Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Seminar Museum of Afro-American Artists Family Movie at the Coolidge Corner Theater CALENDAR February 7 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos's Home 7:00PM February 8 Winter Concert, 11:00 AM & 7:30 PM February 8 Early Release, 12:30 PM Dismissal February 12 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 13 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg's Home 7:00PM Feb. 19 - Feb 23 Winter Vacation, NO SCHOOL February 26 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 27 PTO Meeting, 8:35 AM? 9:30 AM February 27 Affinity Group 12:30 PM February 27 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Vicki & Bud Gartland's Home 7:00PM February 28 Incoming Kindergarten Parent Evening, 6:30-8:30PM (Snow date 3/5) Neighborhood Fireside chats with Dr. Quarcoo Begin This Wednesday!! Join Dr. Quarcoo and others at 7:00 PM on February 7, 2007 at the home of Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos 171 Highland Ave. Please email Virginia at Virginia.dean at bridgespan.org if you can attend. Come talk to the principal and others about what matters to you in the Cabot School Community! More dates are listed below. Use your Cabot Directory to decide which one is nearest to your neighborhood and RSVP to the host directly! Come along and socialize with some of your Cabot neighbors and Dr. Quarcoo! Our thanks go to Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos and these other Cabot Families: February 13th, 7pm Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg February 27th, 7pm Vicki & Bud Gartland March 12th, 7:30pm Janet & Daniel Hart March 21st, 7pm Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson April 24th, 6:30pm Monalisa & Donald Neville We hope you put one of these dates on your calendar and make an effort to attend, pick which one is most convenient for you! A Successful Event ? The Cabot Annual Family Dance Over 200 people enjoyed the rocking music and family fun at the Annual Cabot Family Dance last Saturday night! It was a full house of Cabot students, siblings and parents. We were treated to a fantastic dance performed by Annika Vahalia to Indian Music. Thanks to Archana Vahalia and Suzy Ernheart for doing such a wonderful job organizing the evening. Thanks to Mr. Lacatell for playing all those dance favorites and for being a great DJ. Thanks to Doug Hoffman who was our official dance photographer ? and check out the PTO Bulletin Board in the near future for pictures from the event. Thanks to Isabelle Thacker who organized the food drive for the Social Action Committee and delivered the donations to the food pantry. Lastly, thanks to all of YOU who attended, brought healthy snacks to share and food donations for the Newton Food Pantry. Relieving Congestion at Drop Off and Pick-Up Current plans indicate that the site for the modulars will probably be at the rear of the building on the faculty parking lot. Some, not all, parking will therefore be lost. Some discussion has been made to reserve spaces for teachers on the Cabot Field side of Parkside Street. Whatever happens, you can be sure that next year drop-off and pick-up is going to be even more congested than it is now. So that?s why we are asking you to begin thinking about what you can do to alleviate this congestion. WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING! Maybe its taking the bus to school, or making a determined effort to walk with a buddy system for you & your children, or the revolutionary idea of not parking right on the streets by Cabot but parking a few blocks away!!! If you are interested in exploring the bus or walking buddies then please contact Liz Haas haas.joffe at rcn.com Cabot Parent School Council Co-Leader or Janet Hart parisharts at hotmail.com , Cabot Parent School Council Representative. The Campaign for Cabot is Winding Down We are winding down the Campaign for Cabot, so NOW is your opportunity to make a tax deductible donation. Your generous donations have totaled $28,469 as of today, with 42% of families participating in this fundraiser. We are thrilled with your generous response, but wish more families would participate, to make this a truly ?community-sharing? fundraiser. Last year 55% of families participated. If you have been meaning to make a donation (any amount, small or large is welcome) please feel free to drop an envelope in the PTO mailbox. Thank you. Cabot Lunch Task Force A group of 8 Cabot Parents, organized by Lauri Meizler, who was inspired by her daughter Sahsa?s interest in changing the Newton School Lunch menus, met with Rob Clickstein, head of food services at Newton Public Schools, last week to discuss the limitations he has with the school lunch program and to brain storm with him how to be effective in promoting healthier lunches. If you are interested in helping with this initiative, please contact Lauri directly at ldmeizler at hotmail.com , or attend a meeting of the task force next Monday February 12 at 10:00AM at her home. INTRODUCING THE CABOT YARD SALE AT THE CABOT FAIR! This year the Cabot Fair will include a yard sale for Cabot families and friends. We will sell toys, games, DVDs/tapes and small house wares. So if you are doing a little winter/spring cleaning, please think of saving things for the yard sale. Items should be in good condition (all parts/pieces in tact and in usable condition). If you have questions about donating items or volunteering to help with the sale, please email Deb Klein at Deb.Klein at ApproachGroup.com SAM JOHNSON MEMORIAL BLOOD DRIVE (brother of 1st grader Henry Johnson) Monday, February 12 - Friday, February 23rd at the American Red Cross Donor Center, 25 Stuart Street, Boston Please call 617-556-2200 to set up an appointment to give platelets. Thank you. Newton Girl?s Softball Think Spring! Think Softball! Newton Girls Softball has begun online registration for the Spring season. The program is open to all girls in grades 1-8. Players of all skill levels will have a rewarding experience. Visit our website www.newtongirlssoftball.org for details about the Spring season and our ongoing Winter indoor clinics. Register by February 20 to guarantee team placement. NEWTON GIRL?S INTRAMURAL SOCCER Registration for the upcoming spring season of Newton Girls Intramural Soccer is currently underway for Newton girls currently in grades K-9. Avoid the $15 late registration fee by registering by January 31. Games are played on Saturdays, starting April 7 (Kindergarten begins on April 21) and continue until June 9. For grades 2-9, in addition to the games on Saturdays, there is also generally one practice per week. The goals of the NGS Intramural Program are for the girls to learn soccer skills, have fun and be part of a team. To register, or to find out more information about the NGS IM Program, please visit our website at www.newtongirlssoccer.org . Scholarships are available based on need. Newton Central Little League Registration: It's time to register for the 2007 season! Newton Central is open to children living in the Cabot, Peirce and Ward public school districts. Girls and boys ages 7-12 are eligible to play (birth dates falling between 5/1/1994 and 4/30/2000). All first grade children are also eligible to play regardless of birth dates. Newton Central does not offer a program for children under 7. To register, please visit our website: www.eteams.com/newtoncentralll or contact Betsy Nurczynski: nurczynski at comcast.net ; 617-964-7612 The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Seminar ? Thursday, February 8th 7:30pm The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education presents: Strategies for Parenting the Explosive Child on Thursday Feb 8, 2007. The Explosive Child by Ross Greene, PhD of Mass General Hospital provides a compelling new framework for understanding and effectively parenting inflexible, easily frustrated children who experience frequent meltdowns. Greene explains explosiveness and rigid behavior as symptoms of a deficit in the flexible thinking skills children need for handling difficult situations such as hearing the word ?No? from a parent. ?Once parents have a better sense about why these children behave as they do,? says Greene, ?strategies for helping things improve become clearer.? His Collaborative Problem Solving approach offers specific strategies for preventing meltdowns and for teaching children the thinking skills they lack. We will view Greene?s video outlining his approach, and discussion will follow led by Beth Edelstein, founder of the Foundation for Children with Behavioral Challenges ( www.fsbcsupport.org ). FCBC is a support group that promotes awareness of compassionate approaches for parenting children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Information about Greene?s book is available at www.ccps.info The meeting is at 7:30 PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St, Newton 02460 in Room 318. Please contact Leslie Lockhart for more information about the meeting or the Parent Advisory Council at 617-527-5046 or newtonspedpac at yahoo.com Celebrate Black History Month at the Museum of Afro-American Artists Saturday February 10, 2007 -10:00AM-Noon Cost: $25 You are in for a treat! Explore Boston's only museum dedicated to contemporary and historical expressive arts from the global Black world with E. Barry Gaither, the Executive Director and internationally known art expert. Meet at the Museum, 300 Walnut Ave, Roxbury at 10AM or meet our shuttle at Back Bay Station at 9:30AM Optional lunch after the program at United House of Prayer--great soul food. Lunch not included in the cost. Shuttle will return participants to Back Bay after the program and after lunch. Pre-registration required. For more information call Discover Roxbury (617) 427-1006 or email marcia at discoverroxbury.org Boston Globe Film Critic Ty Burr presents: THE BEST OF OLD MOVIES FOR FAMILIES Coolidge Corner Theatre Sunday, February 18: Screening; $3, 10:30 AM, Discussion: FREE 12-30-1:15pm Have a classic film favorite that you want to introduce to your kids? We invite you to join Boston Globe film critic, Ty Burr, for a screening of THE COURT JESTER (suitable for all ages) and a discussion of his new book,The Best of Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together. Ty will share with you why some classic movies are great for even the youngest member of your family! THE COURT JESTER (1956) stars Danny Kaye and Angela Lansbury. The throne of rightful king of England has been usurped by the evil King Roderick. The task to restore the throne falls to Hawkins(Kaye)--and all he needs is the king's key to a secret tunnel. www.coolidge.org Coolidge Corner Theatre 290 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA 02446 This JabberLite has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ Check out the new AOL. Most comprehensive set of free safety and security tools, free access to millions of high-quality videos from across the web, free AOL Mail and more. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070206/c60bdf8e/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Feb 13 09:21:24 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 13 Feb 2007 09:21:24 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH 2007 Message-ID: <001c01c74f7a$420f4590$6401a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 13TH 2007 This Jabberlite contains the following items: * Information on weather related school closures or delayed start * Marilynne's Fireside Neighborhood chats * Newton Alderman visit Cabot School * Next PTO Meeting, Tuesday February 27th at 8:40am * Group to set traffic and congestion policy for Cabot * Sam Johnson Memorial Blood Drive * Celebrate Black History Month * Respect for Human Differences Presentation at Angiers School CALENDAR February 13 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg's Home 7:00PM Feb. 19 - Feb 23 Winter Vacation, NO SCHOOL February 26 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM February 27 PTO Meeting, 8:35 AM- 9:30 AM February 27 Affinity Group 12:30 PM February 27 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo Vicki & Bud Gartland's Home 7:00PM February 28 Incoming Kindergarten Parent Evening, 6:30-8:30PM (Snow date 3/5) Visit the Cabot PTO website to get an updated list of dates throughout the reminder of the school year at www.cabotpto.org REMINDER FOR WEATHER INFORMATION RELATING TO SCHOOL CLOSURE OR LATE START With the forecast for snow this week, please remember that announcements regarding school closures or delayed starts are generally made that morning by 6am. This information is available from several sources such as www.newton.k12.ma.us or 617 559 9699, Newton Cable TV, channels 4,5,7 & 56, BBZ radio 1030 AM & WRKO radio 680AM. MARILYNNE'S FIRESIDE NEIGHBORHOOD CHATS GET UNDERWAY! Last week saw the first of the 6 neighborhood chats take place at the house of Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos, Cabot Kindergarten parents. The gathering of parents found the informal format useful and productive as a way of meeting Principal Dr. Marilynne Quarcoo, getting answers to questions and meeting other neighborhood Cabot parents. Our thanks go to Virginia and Raul for hosting this evening and also to Dr. Quarcoo for initiating these informal meet and greet sessions and giving of her own personal times after a busy day at school! Check your Cabot directory to discover the fireside chat happening nearest to your house and RSVP to the host! February 13th, 7:00pm Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg TONIGHT! February 27th, 7:00pm Vicki & Bud Gartland March 12th, 7:30pm Janet & Daniel Hart March 21st, 7:00pm Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson April 24th, 6:30pm Monalisa & Donald Neville NEWTON ALDERMAN VISIT CABOT Alderman Salvucci, Alderman Sangiolo and Alderman Weisbuch yesterday accepted an invitation from the PTO to visit Cabot School to see firsthand the condition of the building infrastructure and also to observe how overcrowded our school actually is. This was an opportunity for the Aldermen to experience the lack of space at Cabot and to see how creative Dr. Quarcoo and the faculty and staff at Cabot have been in using every square inch of usable space to date! Our thanks go to the Alderman who recently voted to pass the purchase of the modulars recommended by the Newton School Committee. PTO Meeting - Tuesday, February 27th at 8:40am, principals office Come join us to add your voice to our PTO deliberations. At this meeting we will be discussing the state of our finances year to date, what to do with any surplus from this years Campaign for Cabot, upcoming events such as the Invention Invasion and proposed format changes to the Book Fair, what fundraisers we should include in next years schedule and a preliminary look at budget items for next year. In addition an update will be given on the location of the modulars and exploring ways to alleviate congestion next Fall especially at drop-off and pick-up. INITIATIVE GETS GOING TO SET TRAFFIC POLICY AROUND CABOT NEXT YEAR A kickoff meeting was held last week to identify current congestion and traffic problems at Cabot with a view to identify solutions which could be instigated for school year 2007-08 at Cabot. As many of you know we will have 2 modulars at Cabot which will be sited at the rear of the building on the faculty parking lot. Some, not all, parking will therefore be lost. Obviously another 40 plus students and the loss of these parking spaces will only exacerbate the congestion we already experience at drop-off and pick-up. What can we do? YOU can start to think about how you can compromise on your daily activities with respect to Cabot. That's why we are asking you to begin thinking about what you can do to alleviate this congestion. WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING! Maybe its taking the bus to school, or making a determined effort to walk with a buddy system for you & your children, or the revolutionary idea of not parking right on the streets by Cabot but parking a few blocks away!!! Be part of the solution - help brainstorm ideas that will alleviate the congestion. If you are interested in exploring ways to encourage families to walk to school then please contact Liz Haas haas.joffe at rcn.com Cabot parent School Council Co-Leader. If you are interested in riding the bus or helping to increase the numbers of students that ride the bus please contact Janet Hart parisharts at hotmail.com, Cabot parent School Council Representative. And if you would like to help establish parking and traffic policy around Cabot School please contact your PTO co-chairs Jo Doherty jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon marykathf at aol.com . SAM JOHNSON MEMORIAL BLOOD DRIVE In memory of Sam Johnson, brother of 1st grader Henry Johnson, please consider giving of your time and donating platelets between Monday, February 12 and Friday, February 23rd at the American Red Cross Donor Center, 25 Stuart Street, Boston. Please call 617-556-2200 to set up an appointment. Thank you. CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY DURING FEBRUARY VACATION WEEK TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1:30-3 PM At the Newton History Museum - see this Parents' Choice-recommended film with your children, and meet the filmmaker in person. "THE JOURNEY OF HENRY BOX BROWN" narrated by Alfre Woodard. In 1849 Henry Brown shipped himself in a wooden box, from slavery in Virginia to freedom in Philadelphia. This short animated film shares his story in colorful images and ear-catching rhyme. Kids can climb inside a replica of Henry's box and make their own "freedom box" to take home, while parents chat with producer and actress Karyn Parsons. The DVD will be available for sale and signing. PREGISTRATION REQUIRED by Feb 19th - call 617.796.1450. Recommended for ages 3-8; $8 per parent/child pair for Newton Historical Society members, $10 for others. Includes Museum admission, snack and take-home art project. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2-4 PM At the Newton Free Library - a multimedia presentation based on slave oral histories. "VOICES: THOSE WHO WORE THE SHOE" written and performed by Harlin C. Kearsley. What was it like to be a slave? Hear the voices of former slaves themselves, from Federal Writers Project interviews conducted in the 1930s. Voices premiered on National Public Radio, and Kearsley brought the stage play of Voices to both of Newton's high schools last year - anyone who saw it will tell you this is not to be missed! FREE. At the Newton Free Library - cosponsored by the Library and the Museum. RESPECT FOR HUMAN DIFFERENCES PRESENTATION AT ANGIERS SCHOOL Please join the Angier PTO and the Angier Respect for Human Differences Committee for a presentation by Dr. Richard Robison, Director of the Federation for Children with Special Needs, "Idea 2004, Looking Back, Looking Ahead". The presentation will be held Tuesday February 27 at 7:00PM in the Angier Library. This presentation will discuss key aspects of the new IDEA passed by Congress in 2004. It will include a brief look at the history of special education in Massachusetts and how it impacts parent's rights today and how to ensure strong public policies for the future. Dr. Robinson will also address the benefits of inclusion for all children and families. Compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070213/6c56a4d8/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed Feb 14 11:37:54 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:37:54 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE EXTRA! Message-ID: <004f01c75056$7a2bf860$6401a8c0@Jo> GOING AWAY FOR THE VACATION? If your child(ren) will miss any schools due to your vacation plans please remember to call in on the Safe Arrival/Callback line on 617 559 9390 to identify their absence. It is necessary to do this EVEN IF you have already informed your teacher, for any absence or late arrival at school whether due to illness or appointments etc.,. WHY? Because parent volunteers check all attendance records to ensure the safe arrival of all Cabot students and call the homes of any students not accounted for. This is a time consuming but essential job and calling the Safe Arrival/Callback line can eliminate unnecessary work & confusion. Sending an email to the teacher is not a reliable method because not all teachers have the opportunity to check their e-mails before completing the morning's attendance. SO MAKE THAT CALL! REMEMBER THE CALLBACK NUMBER IS LISTED AT THE START OF YOUR CABOT DIRECTORY! An update on Fundraising at Cabot School this year! Thanks to you all for supporting the different fundraising efforts so far this year at Cabot! As you know through these efforts we raise money to provide activities and program enrichment opportunities for every student at Cabot. Basically this year we have planned to spend $133 per student - compare that to the approximately $88 the School Department provides!! Our largest fundraiser is the Campaign for Cabot which has just finished and we thank all of you who donated and helped fill in Humpty! We did well raising some $4,000 above our target but being the vigilant stewards that we are, we are concerned that the level of participation has dropped from 55% of Cabot families last year to 43% of Cabot families this year. Is this a trend that needs to be reflected in our budgeting for next years spending? Do we need more fundraisers or should we cut some of our activities? What do you think? Come to the February 27th PTO meeting at 8:40 am and talk about what we should or shouldn't do for fundraising at Cabot School as we plan our activities for next year. Cabot has made it past the 50% mark where we rank regionally (within 25 miles) in participation with Box Tops for Education. We're up to $221 of our $500 goal. Keep on shopping through this link: http://www.cabotpto.org/shop.html where you can access many of your favorite stores and earn money for Cabot at the same time. How many of you encouraged your kids to help you find and clip at least 10 box tops last month? Have a contest with your neighbors and friends to see who can collect more! It's easy to do and is quick money which adds up for the school. This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070214/5dc4de3a/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Feb 27 11:51:29 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2007 11:51:29 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT JABBERWOCK, FEBRUARY 27th 2007 Message-ID: <000801c75a8f$8db326e0$6401a8c0@Jo> Text Box: Cabot School e-Jabberwock Respect for self and others Lifelong learning Commitment to school and community Issue 5 February 27, 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.mec.edu/cabot/ Cabot School PTO www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools www.newtonpublicschools.com Calendar Marilynne's Message Some of you maybe aware that I have served as a board member on The National Principals Center Advisory Board at Harvard University for the past five years. The Principal Center is the oldest of its kind in the United States. The Principal Center was the brainchild of two Newton principals, Roland Barth, former Angier School principal, and Marya Levinson, former Newton North High School principal, and a few others from Boston and Brookline who recognized the need for principals to have support in meeting the broad range of responsibilities of their work. This group approached Harvard University to solicit their support. This past fall I was privileged to chair the 25th Anniversary Committee and worked with the staff of The Principals Center to honor the original founders and to set a course for the next 25 years. As my term comes to an end, I am grateful for all the rich opportunities I have experienced as a result of this affiliation. Next week I will travel to Honolulu for my last board meeting. The Executive Director of the Kamehameha Schools, a private school founded to ensure the education of indigenous Hawaiians, is hosting the board meeting. We will meet with the Governor of Hawaii, the State Commissioner of Education, visit both public and private schools and take in some cultural tours as well. We will engage in a dialogue with educators about the redefinition of education in the Hawaiian Islands. I will be joined by educators from all across the country who represent some of the best principals I have met in my thirty-three year career in education. In addition to this professional association, I also hold professional membership in the National Association of Elementary Principals. Throughout the year I receive a periodical that helps me stay abreast of current issues facing elementary principals. I get inspiration and grounding through this and other professional associations I have. I receive "newsletter ready" articles. I hope to share some of these with you. The article below seems to fit well as the school community is preparing an evening discussion based on a shared reading of The Blessing of the Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel, Ph.D., in late March. Browse this edition of the Jabber to get all the facts! I hope you find this article something you can reflect upon as you go about your daily work to raise healthy children.. So Many Activities, Too Little Time It's good to keep children involved in different activities, but how do parents know how much is too much? Check out these tips on how to keep your children from being overscheduled - they might very well make your child's life, and yours, a lot less stressful. Follow their passions. The best activities for children give them the opportunity to learn more about something they love. To make sure they keep their passion, instead of surrendering to burnout, keep their involvement to just a day or two a week, unless they absolutely beg for more. Even then, check with them periodically to make sure they still are as eager to attend as they used to be. If not, scale back. Get their input. Parents are so eager to provide opportunities for their children that they sometimes forget the fun of just being a child. Step back before you sign up for an activity and ask your child to tell you what three things he or she most likes to do after school or in the summer. Then choose activities that meet their interests while also providing stimulation. Broaden their horizons. Although following your child's interests is important, it's also great to introduce your child to something totally new, whether it's a new sport, a musical instrument, or a group like Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts. The secret to keeping enthusiasm high is to start slowly and gauge your child's interest before committing beyond the first few sessions. Be supportive, not critical. No matter what your child is interested in, remember that your job as a parent is to be supportive. The point of activities is to expand your child's interests and abilities, not to make him or her a child prodigy or the next athletic superstar. Schedule down time. Creativity can't happen if every minute of a child's time is scheduled. Children need time to ponder, explore, and play. Make sure that when the day's over and the homework's done, there's still time for your child to be a kid. Play the field. When it comes to sports, specializing in one activity at such a young age is bad news. Not only do pediatricians discourage the kind of repetitive movements that come from concentrated work in one sport, but the kids who totally dedicate themselves to a single sport early often burn out later and regret not having learned several different sports early, so they have other options. Mix it up. Although every family and child is different, child psychologists often suggest involving a child in no more than three activities at a time: one social activity, like Boys' Club or a church group; one physical activity, like gymnastics, swimming, or basketball; and one artistic activity, such as an art class or music lessons. Watch for these signs. The stress of trying to keep up with too many planned activities can take a physical toll on your child. If your child is leading a very busy life, watch for signs of stress, including stomachaches and headaches, difficulty paying attention, a drop-off in interest in activities he or she used to enjoy, and increased "clinginess" with a parent or other close adult (e.g., teacher, babysitter). If you notice any of these signs, chances are your child needs to cut back on activities and de-stress. If you have to schedule something for your child, make it family time. Children need to have meals with their parents, hear bedtime stories, share chores, and play games. While you're scheduling all their other activities to help them learn and grow, remember that what they most need to learn is that they are special and loved. Cabot Connecting Families: This group works hard to ensure authentic relationships between families in our community who reside in Boston as well as Newton. Last month this group sponsored a successful bowling afternoon in Boston. We place a high value on forming relationships that encourage all children to interact with a wide variety of children from backgrounds similar and different from their own. PTO Pen Welcome back to Cabot after the winter vacation! The year continues on at a brisk pace and there are many great events at Cabot over the next few months for you and your family to enjoy. Check out the PTO calendar at www.cabotpto.org & mark the dates in your diaries. Do you have any questions or concerns about school? Then come along to one of Marilynne's Fireside chats sponsored by one of your Cabot neighbors. Those held so far have provided a useful open low key opportunity to raise questions of Marilynne and the Cabot experience. Learn exactly what is within Marilynne's control! Don't miss the evening Book Group discussion "Allowing Childhood", spearheaded by our Librarian, Lani Gerson, and Cabot parents on March 28th (more details in this edition). This year our annual Book Fair will run March 12th through 15th with our usual family evening on the 15th being held this year in the gym. Look for flyers being sent home soon with more details. This year wear your PJs, enjoy cookies and milk or a warm beverage and enjoy hearing favorite bedtime stories read AND browse a great collection of books to buy. Volunteers are needed for this event - more details in this edition. Got someone in your house who is always coming up with grand ideas? Then gear them up for our annual Invention Invasion, April 10th. All Cabot students are welcomed to submit an idea for an invention which they can then build and show in the gym on the 10th. Let your imagination fun free!! So, you think Cabot needs a clean or improvements? Then please consider giving of your time over the weekend of March 28th & 29th to help give our school some TLC (Tender Loving Care)! Cabot, sponsored by the PTO, is participating in Newton Serves, a community event run throughout Newton. Like last year, we are turning our attention to our much loved, though very tired looking school to generate a range of projects and tasks that parents & families can do to spruce up our school. There will be a mix of classroom, school and outdoor based projects that families can sign up for. Look for more details nearer the time. March is Newton unplugged month - check out the suggested activities for you & your family that eliminates screen time at http://www.newtonptocouncil.org/Notices/UnPluggedCalendar.2007.pdf . There is also a calendar on the PTO notice board. And finally, thanks to those parents who came to this mornings PTO general meeting. Minutes of these meetings appear on the PTO website. Jo Doherty PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President Upcoming Events at cabot Allowing Childhood An Evening Discussion Wednesday, March 28, 2007 7:00-9:00 PM It's tough being a parent and a kid in 2007. Join us for a facilitated discussion with Cabot parents and teachers. We will use Wendy Mogel's Book "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children", as a launching point for our conversation. We will begin with a general discussion on determining realistic expectations for each child and resisting over-scheduling. Breakout groups will follow the discussion. The objective for the evening is to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Some facilitors for breakout groups are still needed. Planning Group: Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah Cabot Book Fair, March 12 - 15th Mark your calendars for the annual Cabot Book Fair which runs March 12 through 15. As usual the Book Fair will be held during school hours in the Library for the 12th through 15th. Then for Thursday evening the book sales will transfer to the gym where you & your family can enjoy milk, cookies & warm beverages while you browse books to buy or listen to some favorite bedtime stories being read aloud by parents and teachers. Details will be coming home in your child's backpack soon. If you are interested in volunteering in the library during the fair, please contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com or call her at 617-527-3670. If you would like to be a guest reader on Thursday evening please contact Janet Hart at 617 332 5411 or pariharts at hotmail.com Volunteers Needed "Want to Give Cabot School Some TLC?" Again this year we are celebrating Newton Serves by asking families to consider donating some of their weekend time during Saturday, April 28th & Sunday, April 29th to help give Cabot School some Tender Loving Care. A variety of projects will be available for families to work on both inside and outside of school - some appropriate for adults and children alike, others more appropriate for older children and adults. Last year some of the projects completed were the mulching of the playground area, planting and weeding of the schools flower beds, and the painting of a bathroom. Potential projects are currently being assessed & we will send out more details nearer the time. Meanwhile save the date and email Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at marykathf at aol.com if you would like to join us in sprucing up your school! Cabot Book Fair, March 12th - 15th If you are interested in volunteering in the library during the fair, please contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com or call her at 617-527-3670. If you would like to be a guest reader on Thursday evening please contact Janet Hart at 617 332 5411 or pariharts at hotmail.com CABOT BROADCAST CABOT School Store The school store is open every Tuesday morning from 8:10 to 8:30 and is located in the hallway across from the office. We have a nice selection of pencils, mechanical pencils, lead refills, rulers, sharpeners, all sorts of erasers, glue sticks, and gel pencil grippers, a perennial favorite. Our "winter special" is a brightly-colored, woven coin purse for $1.25. And, by popular demand, look for the latex-free jungle animal pencil toppers to return in March! Proceeds support 5th grade activities including their yearbook, t-shirts, community service project, school gift, etc. Contact: Karen Lumino, 617-630-5073 or family at swain.name. Bigelow Fundraiser Fifth Grade Parents whose children will be attending Bigelow Middle School next year are cordially invited to attend the Bigelow PTO's Parent/Teacher Social, Saturday March 3rd from 7 pm until Midnight at the Hibernian Hall, 151 Watertown Street, Watertown. This is a good opportunity to be introduced to the Bigelow community, to meet other 5th grade parents from Bigelow's "feeder" schools (Underwood, Cabot, Lincoln-Eliot and Ward) and meet some of your child's future teachers. There will be music, a silent auction, appetizers and a cash bar. The entry fee is $15 per person and $25/couple for this Bigelow fundraiser. For more information contact Cheryl Salvucci 617 244-3131 chsalvucci at aol.com or Barbara Howard 617-877-1780 BHoward617 at aol.com. Fundraising Humpty is on his side. He's extremely thankful for the 43% of you who donated to the Campaign for Cabot but he's wondering why participation was down from 55% of Cabot families last year who participated. Come to the February 27th PTO meeting at 8:40 am and talk about what we should or shouldn't do for fundraising at Cabot School as we plan our activities for next year. "Be a BoxTop Super Hero!" Does anyone in your house eat Lucky Charms or one of the many products which bear the Box Tops For Education coupon? Keep your eyes open for the limited edition Super Box Tops which are now appearing on products - if you clip & save these they are worth triple the value of a regular Box Top! So far we've got 1371 new Box Tops to submit! Let's see if we can hit at least 2000. Let your children become Box Tops detectives and look at the food, Kleenex, Ziplock and other items in your home and see if they have the Box Tops logo on them. Not sure what products have Box Tops - cereals such as Cheerios or Chex, Cascadian Farm & Nature Valley products, Kleenex products, Pillsbury products and Ziploc bags to name just a few. For a full list of products with Box Tops go to http://www.cabotpto.org/fund/boxtop_prod.htm Go on, look in your cupboards and get clipping!! The Box Tops Collection Box is in the main lobby If you have any questions, relating to Box tops please contact: Isabelle Thacker isabelle at thackers.net, 617/795-2332. Don't forget the online shopping link through the Cabot PTO website at: http://www.cabotpto.org/shop.html where you can access many of your favorite stores and earn money for Cabot at the same time. Technology What do you think should be the role of technology in our schools? Now is your opportunity to tell the Newton Public Schools Department of Information Technology who in partnership with Sun Associates have formed the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) to assess how technology is being used in our schools. An assessment (Tech Audit) is to be completed involving teachers, administrators, high school students and parents. The Tech Audit has two components: an online survey and focus groups. Both the survey and focus groups will give us more detailed information about what parents think should be the role of technology in the schools. The focus groups will incorporate a parent volunteer from each school in the Newton School system and our thanks go to Angela Pitter-Wright who has volunteered to be Cabot's representative. In the meantime every parent can participate and voice their opinions about how technology should be used in our schools by participating in an online parent survey available from February 26th to March 13, 2007 at http://sun-associates.com/newton/parent.html Social Action Thank you for all the donations to the Newton Food Pantry brought to the Cabot Family Dance. We delivered 27 grocery bags full of food! Community News Unsung Heroines Nomination The Women's Commission of Newton, Mayor Cohen's office and the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women (MCSW), are seeking "Unsung Heroines" in our community. Is there a mother, a teacher, a community organizer, a church or synagogue member, member of the services/business world in Newton, or a teammate who doesn't make the news - she makes the difference? The state-wide Unsung Heroine project solicits nominations and selects just one "heroine" from each city and town. Last year Fiona Houghteling was chosen as the Newton nominee to be honored at the State House. This year, in a more inclusive spirit, the Newton Women's Commission is encouraging as many Newton nominations as possible to the state project and has decided to have a City sponsored reception to honor all our Newton "unsung heroine" nominees -- whether they are selected by the state or not! You can access the nomination form at www.mass.gov/women. The deadline is March 1, so please nominate your Unsung Heroine today! Contact Jeremy Solomon in the Mayor's Office for more information: 617-796-1110.[1] <> Highland Jazz Newton, Massachusetts..Highland Jazz presents The George Russell Jr. Ensemble Saturday, March 10, 8:00 PM at Newton South High School Auditorium, 140 Brandeis Rd. Newton Centre. Joining Russell will be renowned vocalist Wannetta Jackson, along with Sear Skeete, drums, Wesley Wirth, bass and Elan Trotman, sax. Rev into spring with this turbo-charged blend of gospel and jazz that will energize your spirit and touch your soul. This concert is supported and funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council as administered by the Newton Cultural Council. Advance tickets: $16 adults; $10 students At the door: $18 Send SASE with check to Highland Jazz, Inc. Box 610037, Newton, MA 02461 or online at www.highlandjazz.org. Solarize Newton's Schools The City of Newton and the Newton Green Decade Coalition are participating in a renewable energy program to purchase wind power and simultaneously promote solar on schools. They need your help! By contributing $100 one-time or $5 per month to Mass Energy's the New England Wind Fund you can qualify Newton for a 2 kW solar array to be installed on either Day or Bigelow schools. We need 150 sign-ups by March 31st 2007 to qualify for the 2 kW solar array. Make your contribution today! Contribute online here, contribute over the phone by calling 617-524-3950 or mail a check to Mass Energy, 670 Centre St, Boston MA 02130. Contributions to the New England Wind Fund will go toward future wind production in New England. For more information on the program go to www.newenglandwind.org or contact Mass Energy at 617-524-3950. Matching programs are administered by the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative ("MTC"). For more information on MTC and matching programs go to www.cleanenergychoice.org. Let's work together to protect our children's health with clean wind energy, and educate students on energy by installing solar on their schools! Please forward this on to other parents and PTO members. North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NAMCLO) This competition is designed to challenge students to demonstrate their analytic skills in human languages and computation. You can find more information, sample problems, and registration information at this website: http://www.namclo.org Date: March 29, 2007 Time: 9am to 3pm including lunch Contact: James Pustejovsky, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Chair of Language and Linguistics Program at Brandeis University 781-736-2709 or jamesp at cs.brandeis.edu Project Bread Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger would like to invite members of your school community to participate in The Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 6th. Project Bread, the state's leading anti-hunger organization, is dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts. The Walk for Hunger is the oldest continual pledge walk in the country and the largest one-day fundraiser to alleviate local hunger. Through the Walk, Project Bread is able to provide millions of dollars each year in privately donated funds to over 400 emergency food programs in 135 communities across the Commonwealth. The 20-mile walk begins on the Boston Common and winds through Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, and Cambridge before returning to the Boston Common. In 2006, 43,000 Walkers raised $3.2 million to fund emergency food programs, which served 42 million meals to people in need. Join us on the Boston Common this year on Sunday, May 6th as we come together as students, teachers, faculty, parents, co-workers, and friends to make a meaningful contribution to our community that will last more than a day. Last year, almost 900 school organizations were involved in the Walk for Hunger and of those, 650 school organizations formed Walk teams and joined together on the Common to make a positive difference in the lives of hungry families in their neighborhoods and hometowns. Teachers can use the Walk to encourage their students to be involved in the community while integrating nutrition curriculum and local hunger issues into their classroom discussions. Students can gain valuable leadership experience while volunteering to help others in need. The Walk is also a great way to get parents more involved in the work your schools are doing! THE ITSY BITSY PLAY GROUP Come join us for socialization, support, fun, relaxation, and a great time. The group is for toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, with their Nannies, Parents, etc. Free Play Activities including creative art projects, Music /Dance Movement with instruments, Yoga/Meditation, Puppet Storytime , Nutritious Snack, Singing circle & Educational Support for Caregivers. Let's get together, connect, and support one another. Interested? Email us at itsybitsyplay at yahoo.com Or call Nanadea at (617) 795-1567 Purim Shpiel at Temple Sinai, Brookline, Saturday, March 3rd at 7 pm Temple Sinai in Brookline welcomes the community to its annual, very child-friendly, Purim Shpiel on Saturday, March 3rd at 7 pm - and you can come in costume! This is a theatrical art form that celebrates the amateur and the good-natured above the talented, and is performed in the Temple Sanctuary every year in celebration of Purim, an important Jewish holiday that honors freedom and has come to also extol the ability to joke in the face of adversity. ("Shpiel" is Yiddish for "play".) Temple Sinai's Purim Shpiel this year will be held on Saturday, March 3rd at 7 pm at Temple Sinai, 50 Sewall Avenue, in Coolidge Corner, and features a special guest appearance by our renowned Bubbe Chorus. We warmly invite the public to join us for lots of fun - come in costume, and come ready to chime in - we provide the noisemakers! All are welcome! Temple Sinai is a small reform congregation located at 50 Sewall Avenue in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline. Call 617-277-5888 or go to www.sinaibrookline.org for more information. Free Tot Shabbat Services for young children at Temple Sinai, Brookline, Friday, March 2, 2007 Temple Sinai invites you to join us on Friday, March 2nd from 6:30 - 7:15 p.m. for a joyful and engaging Tot Shabbat service. With singing and a Shabbat story followed by Kiddush and challah, this brief service is perfect for children ages 2-7 and their families. Our Tot Shabbat services take place monthly and are open to the community. All are welcome! Temple Sinai is a small reform congregation located at 50 Sewall Avenue in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline. Call 617-277-5888 or go to www.sinaibrookline.org for more information. Free "K'tonton" Program for Pre-Schoolers at Temple Sinai, Brookline, Sunday, March 18, 10 am - noon Temple Sinai of Brookline sponsors free monthly, interactive "K'tonton" programs for three and four-year olds, introducing young children to Jewish holidays through arts and crafts, song, stories and games. Join us for our next K'tonton on Sunday, March 18th from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. (Parents, this is a wonderful opportunity to drop leave your child in the capable hands of our teacher, and go enjoy a cup of coffee or run errands!) Each class has a different theme and all classes are open to the community. The class is held at Temple Sinai, 50 Sewall Avenue in Coolidge Corner. Pre-registration is encouraged. Questions? Call 617-277-5888. Come and bring a friend! Newton Girls Softball Think Spring! Think Softball! Newton Girls Softball has begun online registration for the Spring season. The program is open to all girls in grades 1-8. Players of all skill levels will have a rewarding experience. Visit our website www.newtongirlssoftball.org for details about the Spring season and our ongoing Winter indoor clinics. Register by February 20 to guarantee team placement. Open House at Brandeis The Brandeis Jewish Education Program (BJEP) welcomes you to an Open House at Brandeis University in Waltham on Sunday, March 11 from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. Come enjoy coffee and bagels with us, watch a video, and learn about our creative Sunday School program for Grades 1 -7. You will also have an opportunity to meet the Director, several teachers, and visit a classroom. Interfaith families and those without synagogue affiliation are especially welcome. For more infomation, call Andrea Baron at BJEP at 781-899-6673 or email abaron.bjep at gmail.com. Check out our website at www.bjep.com. BCNS Winter Festival and Concert on Saturday, March 10th BCNS Winter Festival and Concert on Saturday, March 10th at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street, Newtonville from 10am-noon. Join Burr Cooperative Nursery School (BCNS) for a fun filled morning including live music from the energetic group, The Polka Dots, activity stations, arts and crafts, bake sale and amazing raffles! Tickets: $8 per person toThursday, March 8 (children under 1 year old free), $10 per person at the door (based on availability). For advanced tickets, please contact Liz Morefield at 617-230-7389 or lizmorefield at hotmail.com Family Preparedness: From Pandemic Flu to Everyday Emergencies. A workshop presentation for PARENTS of Children in Preschool, Family Childcare and Kindergarten. Presenters include David Naparstek, Commissioner, Teresa Wood, Public Health Program Specialist, and Linda Walsh, Director of Clinical Services from the Newton Health & Human Services Department * Learn how to prepare your family for the unexpected. - Whether the emergency is a blizzard, house fire or pandemic flu, there are basic steps you can take to prepare. * Learn how to create a family communication plan. * Find out what supplies you should have in an emergency kit. * Get your flu questions answered. * Take home great tips and materials for the whole family. The presentation will be geared toward families with young children, so come and learn the facts, ask questions and learn how to get ready! A raffle will be held for an emergency kit. This workshop is free of charge on Wednesday, February 7, 2007 at 7:00pm to 8:30pm at the Newton Community Service Center Auditorium, 492 Waltham Street, West Newton, MA. Please RSVP to Beverly at the CPC office @ 617-559-6065 or Email Beverly_Mobilia at newton.k12.ma.us Learn How To Play Real Volleyball What: Learn How To Play Real Volleyball Who: Newton Elementary School Children Where: Newton South High School When: Sundays, 2:45-4:45 for 5 weeks How: Experienced volleyball coaches will teach the basics of volleyball and how to have fun learning a new sport. Bring gym shoes and water and $50 or a check made out to the Newton Recreational Department. Newton Community Education Programs NewKids winter classes are underway. There is a new Drama class on Tuesdays starting February 6 at the Lower Falls Community Center, home of Rec Place. There are openings in many of our other classes so call our office quick if you mean to register but missed the start of class. We have several upcoming Saturday classes for kids with adults, and Babysitting for 5th graders who have turned 11. You can plan for your winter and spring breaks now; we have lots of vacation programs to choose from. Our summer programs are now open for registration as well. Call our office at 617-559-6999 or visit our website at www.newtoncommunityed.org for more info or to register. House of Possibilities Dear Friends and Kind Strangers, For those of you who don't know me, I am the parent of a 9-year-old son with autism. I live with my family in Newton, Massachusetts. Approximately two years ago I became involved with a group that is dedicated to the goal of building a model respite house to service kids with special needs and their families. I was recently honored to be asked to serve on the Board of Directors of this wonderful organization. The web site can be found at www.houseofpossibilities.org After much diligent work by many caring volunteers, our group has obtained a parcel of land in Easton, Massachusetts, and has raised enough money to actually begin to design and build the house. We hope to have it up and running by late 2007 or early 2008. We now need to start working on licensing and program development and would like to hire a capable professional to assist us in these areas. We plan to serve the under-22 population with after-school, weekend and overnight respite, and possibly even therapeutic day care for the youngest children. We also envision a week day program to assist adults in the areas of recreation, socialization and fostering of self-help skills. I am trying to cast as wide a net as possible to find candidates who are interested in becoming partners in this process. The ideal candidate will have experience with program development and/or licensing for both children and adults with disabilities across the special needs spectrum, including those with special medical needs. We would anticipate a couple of hours of work per month at the outset, gradually increasing as the house gets closer to completion. Interested candidates can reach me at lms at slysardine.com Please pass this e-mail on to anyone who fits the above description and might be interested. Thank you for your help! Lisa Snyder (aka Pierce's mom) Stories on the Wind Stories on the Wind, a special performance by Kemp Harris, Bowen School kindergarten teacher, for Newton Unplugged and Connected. Mr. Harris, a professional composer, musician, author and actor, will delight elementary school age children and their accompanying adults with interactive stories and song. Sunday, March 4 at 1 p.m., Newton Community Service Center, Pomroy Auditorium, 492 Waltham St., West Newton. Tickets, $5. For more information, call Gail Sommer,( 617) 969-5906, x. 143. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net _____ [1] <> -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 574 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070227/43411589/attachment-0009.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 682 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070227/43411589/attachment-0010.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 999 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070227/43411589/attachment-0011.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: application/octet-stream Size: 5884 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070227/43411589/attachment-0001.obj From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed Feb 28 09:18:54 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 09:18:54 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Date Correction to Jabberwock Message-ID: <002e01c75b43$60eb2c70$6401a8c0@Jo> In the Jabberwock sent out yesterday, the PTO PEN quoted the incorrect date for this years Newton Serves campaign. The date should be Saturday April 28th (AM & PM) and Sunday April 29th (AM). So, you think Cabot needs a clean or improvements? Then please consider giving of your time over the weekend of April 28th & 29th to help give our school some TLC (Tender Loving Care)! Cabot, sponsored by the PTO, is participating in Newton Serves, a community event run throughout Newton. Like last year, we are turning our attention to our much loved, though very tired looking school to generate a range of projects and tasks that parents & families can do to spruce up our school. A variety of projects will be available for families to work on both inside and outside of school - some appropriate for adults and children alike, others more appropriate for older children and adults. Last year some of the projects completed were the mulching of the playground area, planting and weeding of the schools flower beds, and the painting of a bathroom. Potential projects are currently being assessed & we will send out more details nearer the time. We are looking for volunteers who can commit to 2 hours or more over the 2 days! So to be able to complete the projects we will need lots of volunteers. We also need people to help supervise the projects on either days in the morning or Saturday afternoon. So save the date and email Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at marykathf at aol.com if you would like to join us in sprucing up your school. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070228/e7159782/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Thu Mar 1 10:43:17 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2007 10:43:17 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] REMINDER FOR 5TH GRADE PARENTS - BIGELOW TOUR & PARENTS EVENING TONIGHT! Message-ID: <001f01c75c18$55a7a890$6401a8c0@Jo> REMINDER A tour of the building for incoming 6th grade parents is scheduled for tonight, Thursday March 1st at 6:30pm to 6:45pm followed by a parents evening for incoming 6th grade parents from 7pm to 8:30pm. Also please book in your diary that on Friday, March 9th at 9am the counselor, four 6th grade students and the Bigelow Principal will be visiting Cabot School to discuss the Bigelow program with 5th grade students. This information was sent home on a flyer in 5th grade student backpacks prior to the February vacation. It reflects a date change that the PTO was not aware of and consequently the date listed in the PTO calendar of March 7th in recent Jabberwocks is incorrect. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070301/2df5641f/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Mar 6 12:22:57 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 06 Mar 2007 12:22:57 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday March 6, 2007 Message-ID: <8C92E2B37D6CE2F-1D4-555@webmail-md10.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE TUESDAY, MARCH 6TH 2007 This Jabberlite contains the following items: Upcoming Events - This week at Cabot Daylight Savings Time Book Fair Details Marilynne?s Fireside Chats Newton Serves Traffic Congestion & Safety Connect-Ed Communication System Test 3/13/07 at 8:00 Allowing Childhood Evening Discussion PTO Meeting Summary Lost & Found School Store Hours Cabot Yard Sale Newton Schools Foundation Raffle Newton Public School Parent Technology Survey ? click the link & take the survey Newton Parent Advisory for Special Education Meetings Summer Speech & Language Program CALENDAR Visit the Cabot PTO website to get an updated list of dates throughout the reminder of the school year at www.cabotpto.org March 6, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences, Kindergarten, Emilie Boon, 8:45AM March 7, 2007Incoming Kindergarten Registration (Snow date 3/14) March 8, 2007Understanding our Differences Grade 4 1:00 - 2:45 PM March 8, 20075th Graders visit Day for School Play 12:30PM March 8, 2007Newton Unplugged - No homework/No meeting night March 9, 2007Bigelow Counselor & 6th Graders Visit Cabot 5th Grade students, 9:00AM March 12, 2007Incoming Kindergarten Registration (Snow date 3/19) March 12, 2007School Committee Meeting 7:30 PM March 12, 2007Fireside Chat with Dr. Quarcoo - Janet & Daniel Hart's Home 7:30PM March 12 to Mar 15, 2007 Book Fair, Cabot Library March 15, 2007CA&S Program K-5, Charlotte Blake, Award Winning Story-teller , 1-3PM March 15, 2007Book Fair Evening Program, 6:30-8:30 PM, Cabot Gym & Library March 19, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 March 19, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade - 3, Brian Lies, 9:00AM March 19, 2007School Committee Straw Vote on FY08 Budget, Ed Ctr. 7:00 PM March 20, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 March 20, 2007School Dismissal at 3:00PM due to MCAS testing March 20, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM March 21, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 March 21, 2007Fireside Chat with Dr.Quarcoo - Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson's Home 7:00PM March 21, 2007School Dismissal at 12:30PM due to MCAS testing March 22, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 March 22, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 March 22, 2007Musical at Bigelow for Grade 5, 9:00 - 11:00 AM March 23, 20075th Grade Hyde Center Child/Parent Activity 7:00 - 9:00PM March 23, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 Upcoming Events This Week: Creative Arts & Sciences ? Emilie Boon visits the Cabot Kindergarteners on Tuesday. Understanding our Differences ? Grade 4, Thursday March 8th from 1:00 ? 2:45. This program will focus on Special Medical Conditions such as asthma, epilepsy and diabetes. The Committee still needs a few volunteers to help run stations. If you are available to help, please contact Rick Reilly at rmreilly at rcn.com 5th Graders will visit Day Middle School on Thursday to watch the School Play Newton Unplugged ? No Homework or Meeting night ? check out a copy of the citywide Newton Unplugged Calendar, Unplug and get connected! http://www.newtonptocouncil.org/Notices/UnPluggedCalendar.2007.pdf Bigelow Counselors & 6th Graders Visit Cabot 5th Grade Students ?This Friday morning our 5th grader students will have an opportunity to meet Bigelow Counselors & some 6th Graders who will visit Cabot! Daylight Savings Time this Sunday ? Don?t forget to spring forward for Daylight Savings Time this Sunday! Set your clocks forward 1 hour ? (and a good time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors too). Book Fair Is Next Week! - Check out the flyer you should have received last week in your child?s backpack. The book fair runs from Monday March 12 ? Thursday March 15th. We are now accepting gently used books to sell as part of our used book sale. If you have any used books you would like to donate, please bring them into the library this week. Also, don?t forget to join us for ?Bedtime at the Bookfair? on Thursday evening, from 6:30 ? 8:30 in the Cabot Gym. Come in your PJ?s, peruse the books for sale, enjoy cookies, milk & warm beverages and listen to some favorite bedtime stories read to you by parents and faculty. If you are interested in volunteering in the library during the fair, please contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com.If you would like to be a guest reader on Thursday evening please contact Janet Hart at pariharts at hotmail.com. Marilynne?s Fireside Chats ? We have had 3 very successful Fireside Chats already! The next Date is Monday March 12 at 7:30 at Janet & Daniel Hart?s home. Come on out and enjoy an evening with Dr. Quarcoo and your neighbors. Ask all those questions you?ve been wondering about, or just get to know your school Principal a bit better in these series of informal get-togethers. Check your Cabot directory to discover the fireside chat happening nearest to your house and RSVP to the host! March 12th, 7:30pm Janet & Daniel Hart March 21st, 7:00pm Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson April 24th, 6:30pm Monalisa & Donald Neville Thanks to those who have already hosted: Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos, Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg, and Vicki & Bud Gartland; thanks to all of you who have attended the meetings and made them so successful, and thanks to Marilynne for organizing the meetings and coming out after a long day at school! Newton Serves - The weekend of April 28th & 29th we will be hosting Newton Serves at Cabot. This year we have extended Newton Serves to Saturday for our own ?Cabot Clean-up Day?. We hope as many of you as possible will come out to help spruce up our school! We will be spreading mulch, painting, hanging shelves and cleaning out areas of Cabot. The teachers and the committee are busy putting together their wish lists of projects, but of course all this depends on your help ? the more volunteers we have, the more we can make a difference! Please let us know if you have any handy skills, such as carpentry or painting, or if you are just willing to come and work. If you and your family are able to come lend a hand, please contact Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at MaryKathF at aol.com . Traffic Congestion & Safety - The task force addressing travel to & from Cabot has been meeting and compiling data to help alleviate traffic congestion and parking issues next year. But remember, WE CAN ALL DO SOMETHING! With over 300 families at Cabot, plus close to 100 adult employees, (faculty, food services, and CASP), there are many people traveling to and from the School every day. We each have to make it our responsibility to keep our children safe and be respectful of traffic regulations and the residents around our school. Be part of the solution ? help brainstorm ideas that will alleviate the congestion. If you are interested in exploring ways to encourage families to walk to school then please contact Liz Haas haas.joffe at rcn.com Cabot parent School Council Co-Leader. If you are interested in riding the bus or helping to increase the numbers of students that ride the bus please contact Janet Hart parisharts at hotmail.com , Cabot parent School Council Representative. And if you would like to help establish parking and traffic policy around Cabot School please contact your PTO co-chairs Jo Doherty jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon marykathf at aol.com . * Another note on traffic safety ? I have noticed, this week especially, cars parking and dropping off children on the School Side of Bridges Ave., adjacent to the faculty parking lot and the playground. This is not safe; please help us help our children by following the current parking and drop off regulations. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. Connect-ED? communication system ? Test on March 13, 2007 at 8:00PM You should have received a letter in your child?s backpack dated March 1st from Jeffery Young, Superintendent of Newton Public Schools, introducing you to the Connect-ED? communication system. This new school-to-parent communication system will allow Dr. Young or a school principal to send periodic and personalized messages by telephone. This system is often referred to as ?Reverse 911.? This advanced communication system is funded through the Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant recently awarded to the Newton Public Schools. As Dr. Young said, the Connect-ED? service will enable Newton Public Schools to communicate with you about emergency situations, school events and important issues impacting your child. The service enables one phone call to reach the families of all students within minutes. To ensure that the system is working correctly, a district-wide message will be sent on Tuesday evening, March 13, 2007, at 8:00 p.m. For this test, the first contact number that you indicated on the emergency card this past September will be used. If you do not get a phone call, please fill out the form you received in the letter from Dr. Young and return it to Mrs. Driscoll. It is very important to ensure that this system is working properly and we are able to contact everyone. Thank you. Allowing Childhood -An Evening Discussion Wednesday, March 28, 2007 -7:00-9:00 P.M. -Cabot School It?s tough being a parent and a kid in 2007. Join us for a facilitated discussion with Cabot parents and teachers. We will use Wendy Mogel?s Book ?The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children?, as a launching point for our conversation. We will begin with a general discussion on determining realistic expectations for each child and resisting over-scheduling. Breakout groups will follow the discussion. The objective for the evening is to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Planning Group: Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah PTO Meeting ? We hope you were able to join us for last Tuesday?s PTO meeting. We discussed our Budget and fundraising ideas for next year. We received a political Issues Update on the Newton Public Schools Budget, which the Superintendent Proposed last night, and we heard an update on the modulars. Check out the PTO website for the minutes, which will be posted by the end of the week. Lost & Found ? Have you noticed our lost and found bin is overflowing? Are you missing those fancy ski gloves or hat, that new sweat-shirt or jacket? There are even lunch boxes and a pair of boots in there. Please check it out and make sure you claim all your belongings! We will be emptying the bin in the next 2 weeks and donating all unclaimed items to The Second Step. Thanks to Eileen Morrison for lugging everything home, washing the items and delivering them to The Second Step. SCHOOL STORE HOURS The school store is open every Tuesday morning from 8:10 to 8:30 and is located in the hallway across from the office. We have a nice selection of pencils, mechanical pencils, lead refills, rulers, sharpeners, all sorts of erasers, glue sticks, and gel pencil grippers, a perennial favorite. Our ?winter special? is a brightly-colored, woven coin purse for $1.25. And, by popular demand, look for the latex-free jungle animal pencil toppers to return in March! Proceeds support 5th grade activities including their yearbook, t-shirts, community service project, school gift, etc. Contact: Karen Lumino, family at swain.name . INTRODUCING THE CABOT YARD SALE AT THE CABOT FAIR! This year the Cabot Fair will include a yard sale for Cabot families and friends. We will sell toys, games, DVDs/tapes and small house wares. So if you are doing a little winter/spring cleaning, please think of saving things for the yard sale. Items should be in good condition (all parts/pieces in tact and in usable condition). If you have questions about donating items or volunteering to help with the sale, please email Deb Klein at Deb.Klein at ApproachGroup.com Newton Schools Foundation Sponsors a Raffle!! Win x 2...civic minded and CIVIC driven! Beginning March 1st the Newton Schools Foundation will sponsor a Raffle because "A great community supports great schools". Grand prize is a Honda Civic Coupe EX or $12,000 cash. Other prizes include a Giant Dub Bicycle, HP laptop computer, digital camera, iPod (prizes courtesy of Clair Honda, Farina's Bicycle Center, Newtonville Camera & Video). Tickets: 1 for $100; 3 for $250. Visit the Newton Schools Foundation website http://www.newtonschoolsfoundation.org or call 617-559-6120 to buy your tickets! The drawing will be held on March 8th and winners notified on March 9th! Newton Public Schools Department of Information Technology Instructional Technology Audit-- Parent Survey ? Click the Link & Take the Survey! The following survey is part of the district's effort in collaboration with the Technology Advisory Committee to assess how computer and information technology is currently used to support teaching and learning across the district. We realize that there are many different points of view and opinions related to how the district should implement its technology plan, and this survey is one way in which we will be gathering information on those varied opinions and experiences. The survey will be available from February 26th to March 13, 2007 and can be found at: http://sun-associates.com/newton/parent.html In addition to this survey, we will also be surveying teachers and administrators as well as conducting teacher/administrator/parent/student interviews. We will analyze this survey's data in aggregate to determine an overall picture of parent responses across the district. We will not track the responses from individual respondents, and therefore all of your responses will be anonymous. Thanks in advance for your time and candid responses. Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education invites you to our March & April meetings. All meetings are at 7:30PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St. Wednesday, March 7 - Daniel Ahearn, Esq will speak on Effective IEP?s. Dan practices disability, special education, education, and children?s law and is on the faculty at Suffolk University Law School. He directs the Landmark Outreach Program at the Landmark School, which specializes in teaching students with language based learning disabilities. He was the Director of the Massachusetts Bureau of Special Education Appeals and served as a Senior Attorney at the Disability Law Center in Boston. He is on the Board of Directors of the Learning Disabilities Network and is a Fellow of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation. Wednesday, April 4 ?Fiddle and Focus: Sensory Integration Strategies for School Success? by Jane Koomar, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,Executive Director and Founder of Occupational Therapy Associates?Watertown, MA. Learn how to help children access their abilities by enhancing their focus with sensory activities that help keep their bodies calmed or busy while their minds learn. Discussion will include the impact of sensory processing issues on learning motor skills, behavior, coordination and social relationships. Home and school accommodations and strategies will be shared. We will discuss children with a range of diagnoses, including ADD, PDD, Aspergers, NVLD, PTSD. Dr. Koomar, is the board president of the SPIRAL Foundation (SensoryProcessing Institute for Research and Learning) and has taught over one hundred courses on sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Leslie Lockhart at newtonspedpac at yahoo.com or 617-527-5046. Summer Speech and Language Program Emerson College, Dept. of Communication Sciences & Disorders, is planning to offer a 6 week speech and language therapy program to students in the City of Newton with documented need for services. Supervised graduate students in speech-language pathology will provide individual, one-on-one therapy, twice a week from July 2th through August 10th at a Newton location yet to be determined. The fee is $325.00 for 11, one hour sessions. Spaces are limited. Applications will be available from school speech-language pathologists in March or by contacting Shelley Lipschultz at Emerson College: (617)824-8314 or shelley_lipschultz at emerson.edu Compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070306/9a93ba39/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Fri Mar 9 09:21:59 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Fri, 9 Mar 2007 09:21:59 -0500 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT MATHS CHALLENGE MARCH 2007 Message-ID: <001201c76256$5abe9f20$6401a8c0@Jo> First name Last name Grade Teacher CABOT MATH CHALLENGE Problem # 5 - March, 2007 People that worked on this solution: * Trying to solve the problem is more important than the getting the correct answer. * Submissions that do not show how you found your answers will not be counted. * Showing your work can include an equation, a picture or a written description. * Please show your work on these pages and staple additional pages as needed. * Please be neat and have fun! * And remember, even though there are 7 questions listed below, you only have to submit your solution to some of them to get credit. Please place your solutions by TUESDAY March 20th in the in-boxes one of these classes: Mr. Tirrell, Mrs. Moriarty, or Mrs. Robertson. :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-): -):-):-):-):-) Problem #5 1. On the menu of the Small Belly restaurant there are 3 soups: chicken soup, tomato soup and lentil soup 4 main courses: spaghetti & meatballs, macaroni and cheese, vegetable stir fry, and baked chicken 2 desserts: chocolate cake or lemon meringue pie How many different 3-course meals can you create from these choices? NOTE: Each meal must include a soup, a main course and a dessert? Show your work and come up with as many combinations as you can. 2. Tara put 10 pairs of socks in the laundry, but when they came back 2 socks were missing mates. * Now she has an odd number of purple and green socks, but has only 1 complete pair of green socks. * She has 1 more pair of blue socks than red socks. * She has more green socks than purple socks. How many socks of each color does she have now (show your work)? How many pairs of each color did she put in the wash? 3. Over the weekend, the children in our neighborhood were preparing for a snowball fight. They prepared their ammunition (i.e. snowballs) and put them in a 3-layer pyramid. The first layer on the ground was square shaped. They made the second layer nice and sturdy by putting a snowball in each of the spaces that were made when four snowballs on the bottom layer were touching. Their third layer just needed one snowball! A. How many total snowballs did they need for their three-layer pyramid? The gray snowball shows how the children fit snowballs into the space made by the four snowballs in the layer below. B. How many snowballs in a five-layer pyramid (show your work)? Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: Problem5-final.doc Type: application/msword Size: 45056 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070309/43137bd5/attachment.doc From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Mar 13 07:56:12 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:56:12 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE FOR MARCH 13TH 2007 Message-ID: <003701c76566$993efca0$6401a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE TUESDAY MARCH 13TH, 2007 This Jabberlite contains the following items: Cabot Book Fair this week! Reverse 911 test call tonight at 8pm Call for Volunteers - Clean up Cabot, Cabot Fair Marilynne's Fireside chats Allowing Childhood - An evening Discussion Lost and Found Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education meeting Invention Invasion Newton Unplugged POLITICAL ISSUES UPDATE on Proposed School Budget Released -- $5 Million Gap CALENDAR Visit the Cabot PTO website to get an updated list of dates throughout the school year at www.cabotpto.org March 14 to Mar 16 Book Fair, Cabot Library March 15, 2007 CA&S Program K-5, Charlotte Blake, Award Winning Story-teller , 1-3PM March 15, 2007 Book Fair Evening Program, 6:30-8:30 PM, Cabot Gym & Library March 19, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 March 19, 2007 School Committee Straw Vote on FY08 Budget, Ed Ctr. 7:00 PM March 20, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 March 20, 2007 School Dismissal at 3:00PM due to MCAS testing March 21, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 March 21, 2007 Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson's Home 7:00PM March 21, 2007 School Dismissal at 12:30PM due to MCAS testing March 22, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 March 22, 2007 Musical at Bigelow for Grade 5, 9:00 - 11:00 AM March 23, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 March 26, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 March 26, 2007 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM Roxbury March 26, 2007 School Committee Meeting, Final Volte on Budget 7:30 PM March 27, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM March 27, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 March 28, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 March 28, 2007 Discussion for parents & teachers "Allowing Childhood", focusing on aspects of the book "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee" by Wendy Mogel 7:00pm Cabot Library March 29, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 March 29, 2007 EARLY RELEASE DAY, 12:30pm March 30, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 Book Fair Is this Week! The book fair runs from Monday March 12 - Thursday March 15th. Bring the family and join us for 'Bedtime at the Bookfair' on Thursday evening, from 6:30 - 8:30 in the Cabot Gym. Come in your PJ's, peruse the books for sale, enjoy cookies, milk & warm beverages and listen to some favorite bedtime stories read to you by parents and faculty. We still need volunteer to sell used books in the Library on Wednesday March 14th from 1:00-2:15pm and on Thursday afternoon from 3-5pm (children welcome) Interested, contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com . Reverse 911 Test call TONIGHT at 8:00PM Jeffery Young, Superintendent of Newton Public Schools, sent home a letter March 1st introducing the Connect-EDR communication system which will allow Dr. Young or a school principal to send periodic and personalized messages by telephone. Often referred to as "Reverse 911" this system is funded through the Emergency Response and Crisis Management Grant recently awarded to the Newton Public Schools. The Connect-EDR service will enable Newton Public Schools to communicate with you about emergency situations, school events and important issues impacting your child. The service enables one phone call to reach the families of all students within minutes. To ensure that the system is working correctly, a district-wide message will be sent on Tuesday evening, March 13, 2007, at 8:00 p.m. For this test, the first contact number that you indicated on the emergency card this past September will be used. If you do not get a phone call, please fill out the form you received in the letter from Dr. Young and return it to Mrs. Driscoll. It is very important to ensure that this system is working properly and we are able to contact everyone. Thank you. Newton Serves - let's clean up cabot! We still need more volunteers for our Cabot work weekend on April 28th & 29th. We hope as many of you as possible will come out to help spruce up our school! We will be spreading mulch, painting, hanging shelves and cleaning out areas of Cabot. The teachers and the committee are busy putting together their wish lists of projects, but of course all this depends on your help - the more volunteers we have, the more we can make a difference! Please let us know if you have any handy skills, such as carpentry or painting, or if you are just willing to come and work. If you and your family are able to come lend a hand, please contact Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at MaryKathF at aol.com . Marilynne's Fireside Chats The dates for the 2 remaining are below. Come out and enjoy an evening with Dr. Quarcoo and your neighbors. Ask all those questions you've been wondering about, or just get to know your school Principal a bit better in these series of informal get-togethers. Dr. Quarcoo apologises for not being able to attend the chat scheduled for Monday March 12th at Janet & Daniel Hart's house and hopes to reschedule another time. Check your Cabot directory to discover the fireside chat happening nearest to your house and RSVP to the host! * March 21st, 7:00pm Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson * April 24th, 6:30pm Monalisa & Donald Neville Thanks to Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos, Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg, Vicki & Bud Gartland & Janet & Daniel Hart for hosting already and to all of you who have attended the meetings and made them so successful, and thanks to Marilynne for organizing the meetings and coming out after a long day at school! Allowing Childhood -An Evening Discussion Wednesday, March 28, 2007 -7:00-9:00 P.M. -Cabot School It's tough being a parent and a kid in 2007. Join us for a facilitated discussion with Cabot parents and teachers. We will use Wendy Mogel's Book "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children", as a launching point for our conversation. We will begin with a general discussion on determining realistic expectations for each child and resisting over-scheduling. Breakout groups will follow the discussion.The objective for the evening is to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Planning Group: Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah. Not got a copy of the book yet? Go to Newtonville Books, mention the book and Cabot School. A number of copies have been put aside. Lost & Found Have you noticed our lost and found bin is overflowing? Are you missing those fancy ski gloves or hat, that new sweat-shirt or jacket? There are even lunch boxes and a pair of boots in there. Please check it out and make sure you claim all your belongings! We will be emptying the bin in the next 2 weeks and donating all unclaimed items to The Second Step. Thanks to Eileen Morrison for lugging everything home, washing the items and delivering them to The Second Step. Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education invites you to our March & April meetings. All meetings are at 7:30PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St. Wednesday, April 4 "Fiddle and Focus: Sensory Integration Strategies for School Success" by Jane Koomar, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,Executive Director and Founder of Occupational Therapy Associates-Watertown, MA. Learn how to help children access their abilities by enhancing their focus with sensory activities that help keep their bodies calmed or busy while their minds learn. Discussion will include the impact of sensory processing issues on learning motor skills, behavior, coordination and social relationships. Home and school accommodations and strategies will be shared. We will discuss children with a range of diagnoses, including ADD, PDD, Aspergers, NVLD, PTSD. Dr. Koomar, is the board president of the SPIRAL Foundation (SensoryProcessing Institute for Research and Learning) and has taught over one hundred courses on sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Leslie Lockhart at newtonspedpac at yahoo.com or 617-527-5046. Invention Invasion It's Invention Invasion (II) time again! This fun, whole school, optional event is help on Tuesday, April 10th from 5:30-7pm. Entry forms need to be returned by March 30th. The II team will be visiting your children's classroom this week to hand out event information and the entry form. They will also talk about simple inventions that have changed our lives as well as some amazing inventions that will be part of our future. We will again have a scientist affiliated with High Touch High Tech, a national organization, who will conduct hands-on science experiments during Invention Invasion. This year we are also pleased to have David Gullette, a Simmons professor, who has developed technology such as a simple water purifier for Newton's sister city, San Juan del Mar in Nicaragua. This is a great event where your child has the opportunity on April 10th to show off their invention & explain it. It should be a fun event for every one. Hope to see you there! For additional information please contact the II co-chairs: Karen Jauregui, 617-527-3154 kjauregui at repligen.com Karen Clay 617-323-9336 kclay at rcn.com or Vicki Gartland 617-244-9415 vgartland at comcast.net The Cabot Fair is May 5 - Half the fun is volunteering! In the next month you will be receiving a call from a room parent, asking you to volunteer for one or more time slots at the Cabot Fair. But why wait! Early-bird volunteers help out our planning enormously. Choose your preferred time slot: 9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:30, 12:30-2:00, or 2:00-3:30 .and contact Volunteer Central at politicalresources at hotmail.com or call at (617) 527-4188 Newton Unplugged - No Homework or Meeting night - check out a copy of the citywide Newton Unplugged Calendar, Unplug and get connected! http://www.newtonptocouncil.org/Notices/UnPluggedCalendar.2007.pdf POLITICAL ISSUES UPDATE - Proposed School Budget Released -- $5 Million Gap Superintendent Jeff Young presented his proposed budget for the 2007-2008 school year on Monday night. The big news is that the proposal contains no cuts, restores some programs and includes about $1 million in new initiatives -- BUT -- it is $4.8 million short of the funding Mayor David Cohen has allocated for the schools next year. Last month members of the School Committee indicated that, after four years of budget cuts, they were not interested in proposing any more reductions. The Committee directed Young to prepare a "maintenance of effort" budget and acknowledged that the bottom line of such a budget would exceed the Mayor's allocation. The Mayor pledged to work with the Committee to bridge this gap. It is not clear whether funding will come from additional City funds, State aid, and/or a property tax over-ride. It is also possible that reductions will still be required. Implications for Cabot School With respect to elementary schools, the proposed budget funds 263 classrooms, maintaining the 2006 average class size of 21 students. The budget includes funding to equip and staff eight modular classrooms (including two at Cabot). The proposal also restores reductions made this year to the elementary art and music programs. Art instruction will increase from 45 minutes to one hour per week and the full third grade recorder music program will be restored. Taking Action For the first time in several years we are not in a situation where we are asking parents to come out and protest proposed cuts to programs and teachers - at least not yet. It is not clear how the budget balancing process is going to play out this year. The best advice is to stay tuned and be ready to weigh in with your opinion when the choices do become clear. Newspaper coverage by the Newton Tab and Boston Globe has been very good so far. One of the best ways for parents to get involved is simply by staying informed of the budget deliberations at they evolve this month. The following articles and editorials are a good place to start. Newton Tab: http://www.townonline.com/newton/homepage/x500085704 http://www.townonline.com/newton/homepage/x2132816565 http://www.townonline.com/newton/opinion/x202241921 Boston Globe West: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/03/08/schools_request_116m_in crease/ Public Hearings The $155.5 million budget proposal represents an $11.6 million increase over this year. It accommodates an enrollment increase of 231 students and funds salary and benefit increases for all employees. It also funds $1 million in School Committee priorities, including: new initiatives in elementary math curriculum; creation of a more interdisciplinary middle school curriculum; and additional funds for technology and building maintenance. Details of the budget will be the subject of several meetings this month, culminating with a public hearing on March 22 and a final vote by the School Committee on March 26. Schedule of meetings and topics: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/budget/budget08.html For complete budget documents, visit: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/budget/budget08.html Sue Covitz and Sarah Ecker, co-chairs of the Cabot PTO Political Issues Committee, will be attending many of the meetings this month and will report on developments. Don't hesitate to contact them if you've got questions about the process and/or want to get involved. This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070313/aed29748/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Mar 20 08:48:21 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2007 08:48:21 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberwock Issue 6 for March 20, 2007 In-Reply-To: <8C938FD813C6F78-1764-8137@webmail-da10.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C938B56B6D65B2-1738-2A73@mblk-d26.sysops.aol.com> <8C938FD813C6F78-1764-8137@webmail-da10.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C939052D444EE3-15D8-A63E@webmail-db06.sysops.aol.com> Please note that a copy of this issue will be available in word, with all the bells and whistles, at www.cabotpto.org Thanks to Kim Spencer, the editor of this issue! Cabot School e-Jabberwock Respect for self and others Lifelong learning Commitment to school and community Issue 6 March 20, 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 ? "http://www.newton.mec.edu/Cabot/index.html"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.mec.edu/cabot/ Cabot School PTO www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools www.newtonpublicschools.com Calendar March 20, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 March 20, 2007School Dismissal at 3:00PM due to MCAS testing March 20, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM March 21, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 March 21, 2007Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson's Home 7:00PM March 21, 2007School Dismissal at 12:30PM due to MCAS testing March 22, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 March 22, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 March 22, 2007Musical at Bigelow for Grade 5, 9:00 - 11:00 AM March 23, 20075th Grade Hyde Center Child/Parent Activity 7:00 - 9:00PM March 23, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 March 26, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 March 26, 2007METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM Roxbury March 26, 2007School Committee Meeting, Final Vote on Budget 7:30 PM March 27, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM March 27, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 March 27, 2007Cabot School Public Meeting: Traffic & Parking 6:00 - 7:30PM Cabot School, Room #113 March 28, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 March 28, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1 Dan Perlman March 28, 2007Discussion for parents & teachers on "Allowing Childhood", focusing on aspects of the book "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee" by Wendy Mogel 7:00pm Cabot Library March 29, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 March 29, 2007EARLY RELEASE DAY, 12:30pm March 30, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 April 2, 2007Passover begins at Sundown April 2, 2007MCAS Make-Up April 3, 2007MCAS Make-Up April 4, 2007MCAS Make-Up April 4, 2007Goldin Award for Excellence in Education Awards 7:00PM Day Middle School April 5, 2007CA&S - Historical Perspectives Helen Keller visits 2nd Grade - 1:45 PM April 6, 2007Good Friday, NO SCHOOL April 9, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM April 9, 2007CASP Annual Meeting & Coffee 5:00 PM April 9, 2007School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM April 9, 2007Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 5 8:50 - 11:45 April 10, 2007Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 4 8:50 - 10:45 April 10, 2007Parent to Parent Series, Grade 5 Parents April 10, 2007Invention Invasion, 5:30-7 PM Marilynne?s Message Health & Wellness Initiative: As the district prepares to launch our newest physical education Health & Wellness initiative, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, that brings a nutrition experience to grades 4 & 5 this spring and cardiovascular equipment, I think these notes are quite fitting. Keep Your Children Mentally and Physically Fit Healthy kids ? that?s what every family wants. Here are some important things to think about in terms of your child?s mental and physical health. Mental Health They need their sleep. Children need 10 hours of sleep each night to be well rested and ready to do their best. Keep the TV out of their bedroom and have a firm ?lights off? policy, with a little flexibility on Friday and Saturday nights. Without enough sleep, they simply can?t cope with the physical and mental work of being a kid. Keep the lines open. As busy as you are, it is essential to be available when your children have something they need to talk to you about. Set up a code word, something silly, like ?banana?, that they can mention to you when they have something troubling them. Let them know that the code word isn?t to be used lightly ? like when a sibling is bothering them. When they do call you aside for something serious, give them your full attention. ?Counseling? is not a shameful word. School counselors offer wonderful services to children and their families facing tough times. Think of this ? each year in school is brand new to your child, with entirely new issues to deal with, but the counselors at the school have the gift of perspective. They?ve seen hundreds of kids go through the same ?growing up? processes, which means that they can help your child to see that everyone has challenges at one time or another, and there are lots of ways to fix them. Eating and Drinking Ditch the junk. We all need a minimum of five servings a day of fruits and vegetables, so stock up on fresh fruit and 100 percent fruit juice drinks. If your kids eat school cafeteria food, encourage them to take as many fruits and vegetables as they are allowed to have ? and eat them before they start to eat their main dish. If you pick their lunches, stop including cookies and high-fat snacks. Substitute pretzels or light popcorn and fresh or dried fruit. Watch what you drink. Water is absolutely the best thirst quencher around ? zero calories, always available, and free. Sodas sweetened with sugar or syrups provide hundreds of empty calories. And, as great as milk is for growing bodies (adults too), it?s important to choose low-fat or fat-free milk instead of whole milk. Physical Health Move it. Go for family walks, runs, or bike rides several days a week. Have a family fitness ?club?, charting everyone?s progress on everything from shooting hoops to jumping rope. If possible, join a local YMCA or community fitness center. Signing up for classes or sports clinics makes it even easier to remember to work out. Keep your home smoke-free. If you or other adults in your household smoke, do your children a lifelong favor ? never smoke in the house or in a car with them. Second ? hand smoke can lead to a number of serious health problems, from breathing difficulties to cancer. Quit if you can. Cut back as much as you can. And do everything you can to keep your children from ever taking up the habit. Don?t overlook checkups. Fluoride treatments and early detection of cavities or gum problems can save your children toothaches and other dental problems. The same goes for doctor?s appointments ? an ounce of prevention really is a pound of cure. A national program is in place to help families who can?t afford medical insurance for their children. See your school nurse or state health agency for details. There?s so much to worry about when you have children at home. But remember this: Keeping them healthy ? both mentally and physically ? is your most important job. Reproduced from National Association of Elementary School Principals RP 30:7 PTO Pen Although the Book Fair is a long-standing tradition at Cabot School, this year we added some new twists! We hope you were able to join the Cabot Community for our first ever ?Bedtime at the Bookfair?. Over 300 people came out for the evening (many in their PJ?s) and listened to bedtime stories, enjoyed comforting refreshments and had family fun while purchasing books to benefit the PTO. Also, for the first time this year, we had a ?teacher wish list?, from which books could be purchased for your child?s classroom. Thank you to everyone who participated in and supported the Book Fair, and a special thank you to Lani Gerson, Librarian Extraordinaire and to Lisa Porter, the Chair of the Book Fair Committee! Congratulations to our own Mrs. Moriarty for receiving the Goldin Foundation Award for Excellence! The Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education recognizes and rewards educators who have made outstanding contributions in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has sought to foster the respect for and appreciation of educators. Ms. Moriarty is one of 5 Boston Area Teachers and 1 of 2 Newton Teachers to win this award. We will be celebrating her achievement at a reception on April 4th at 7:00PM at Day Middle School. Come join us! Oh Baby...?actually, we mean Babies! On behalf of the Cabot PTO, we would like to extend congratulations to Mrs. Lucas on the birth of her daughter, to Mr. Miller on the birth of his daughter and to Mr. Springer on the birth of his son! We wish them much joy and many restful nights! The Traffic and Parking Safety Committee is still brainstorming ideas to alleviate congestion next year. We have applied to participate in the Massachusetts Department of Transportation ?Safe Routes to School? (SRS) Program. This Program encourages walking to school and helps provide resources for traffic reduction and safety. The Committee and the Safe Routes to School Program will work together to promote awareness, safety and personal responsibility for all of us who travel to and from Cabot School on a daily basis. Finally, don?t miss one of the last 2 Fireside Chat?s ? Pick one ? either March 21st or April 24th. Come out and enjoy an evening with Dr. Quarcoo and your neighbors. Ask all those questions you?ve been wondering about, or just get to know your school Principal a bit better in these series of informal get-togethers. Hope to see you there! Jo Doherty PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President Recent Events at cabot Cabot Book Fair Cabot school enjoyed a great book fair last week. It took many hands during the week to make the fair a success. Thank you to Kate Johnson for gathering a terrific group of volunteers including Jennifer Roberts, Julia Hardy, Alice Cunningham, Daphne Potter, Kelly Phillips, Sarah Ecker, Janet Lin, Andrea Plotkin, Chris Kjellson, Joanne Gatnick, Michelle Markert, and Julie Bourgoin. Special thanks to Kate Johnson, Suzy Enyeart, Alice Cunningham and Janet Hart for their efforts in planning and organizing "Bedtime at the Book Fair," the evening event. Raffle prizes were generously donated by the Dreese family. Guest readers made the book reading portion of the night complete. Thanks to Lynda Cain, Marilynne Quarcoo, Lisa Carbone, Eileen Morrison, Erin Delaney, and Ruy Cardoso for lending their time and voices. Thanks to all the fifth grade students who read stories in the library. You really added a nice touch to the book fair this year. Most importantly, a huge thank you goes out to Lani Gerson for her commitment and dedication to making the book fair a special and wonderful event. The total sales have not yet been reported but the PTO made $1,250 in used book sales which includes sales of food, drink and raffles from the evening event. Happy Reading, Lisa Porter, Book Fair Chair Upcoming Events at cabot Cabot Math Challenge Fireside Chats Public Meeting ? Tuesday, March 27th 6:00 ? 7:30PM Cabot School, Room #113 Allowing Childhood ? An Evening Discussion Invention Invasion The Cabot Yard Sale at the Cabot Fair Math Challenge #5 Due Today! Don't forget to turn in your Math Challenge Solution Sheet today! Remember, trying to solve the problem is more important than getting the correct answer, and you don't have to answer every question - just do the ones that suit you! Fireside Chat Tomorrow Night ? 7:00PM Claire-Ryan Robertson & James Robertson?s Home Come out and join Dr. Quarcoo and your neighbors tomorrow night for the next Fireside Chat! RSVP to the hosts directly and enjoy and evening! If you are unable to attend tomorrow?s meeting, put April 24th at 6:30PM on your calendar at the home of Monelisa & Donald Neville! Public Meeting for neighbors of Cabot School and the Cabot Community Dr. Quarcoo, on behalf of the Cabot School community, has extended an invitation for neighbors of Cabot School to join in a public meeting with members of the city and school departments and school community to discuss parking and traffic-related matters, particularly in respect to the addition of the two new modulars scheduled for installation for use beginning with the upcoming academic year. Allowing Childhood - An Evening Discussion Wednesday, March 28th, 7:00 ? 9:00pm at Cabot School. It?s tough being a parent and a kid in 2007. Join us for a facilitated discussion with Cabot parents and teachers. We will use Wendy Mogel?s Book ?The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children?, as a launching point for our conversation. We will begin with a general discussion on determining realistic expectations for each child and resisting over-scheduling. Breakout groups will follow the discussion. The objective for the evening is to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Planning Group: Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah. Invention Invasion It?s Invention Invasion (II) time again! This fun, whole school, optional event is held on Tuesday, April 10th from 5:30-7pm. Entry forms need to be returned by March 30th. The I I team visited your child(ren)'s classroom last week to hand out event information and the entry form. They also talked about simple inventions that have changed our lives as well as some amazing inventions that will be part of our future. We will again have a scientist affiliated with High Touch High Tech, a national organization, who will conduct hands-on science experiments during Invention Invasion. This year we are also pleased to have David Gullette, a Simmons professor, who has developed technology such as a simple water purifier for Newton?s sister city, San Juan del Mar in Nicaragua. This is a great event where your child has the opportunity on April 10th to show off their invention & explain it. It should be a fun event for every one. Hope to see you there! For additional information please contact the I I co-chairs: Karen Jauregui, 617-527-3154 kjauregui at repligen.com Karen Clay 617-323-9336 kclay at rcn.com or Vicki Gartland 617-244-9415 vgartland at comcast.net. The Cabot Yard Sale at the Cabot Fair! This year the Cabot Fair (May 5th) will include a yard sale for Cabot families and friends. We will sell toys, games, DVDs/tapes and small house wares. So if you are doing a little winter/spring cleaning, please think of saving things for the yard sale. Items should be in good condition (all parts/pieces in tact and in usable condition). If you have questions about donating items or volunteering to help with the sale, please email Deb Klein at Deb.Klein at ApproachGroup.com. Volunteers Needed Newton Serves ? Clean up Cabot School! Newton Serves The weekend of April 28th & 29th we will be hosting Newton Serves at Cabot. This year we have extended Newton Serves to Saturday for our own ?Cabot Clean-up Day?. We hope as many of you as possible will come out to help spruce up our school! We will be spreading mulch, painting, hanging shelves and cleaning out areas of Cabot. The teachers and the committee are busy putting together their wish lists of projects, but of course all this depends on your help ? the more volunteers we have, the more we can make a difference! Please let us know if you have any handy skills, such as carpentry or painting, or if you are just willing to come and work. If you and your family are able to come lend a hand, please contact Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at MaryKathF at aol.com. The Cabot Fair is May 5 ? Half the fun is volunteering! In the next month you will be receiving a call from a room parent, asking you to volunteer for one or more time slots at the Cabot Fair. But why wait! Early-bird volunteers help out our planning enormously. Choose your preferred time slot: 9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:30, 12:30-2:00, or 2:00-3:30?and contact Volunteer Central at politicalresources at hotmail.com or call at (617) 527-4188. Also, if anyone interested in helping out with the Cabot Fair Raffle, please contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com. CABOT BROADCAST Lost & Found Public Hearing on Next Year?s School Budget Food Services News Registration for Next Year at Cabot! Lost & Found Have you noticed our lost and found bin is overflowing? Are you missing those fancy ski gloves or hat, that new sweatshirt or jacket? There are even lunch boxes and a pair of boots in there. Please check it out and make sure you claim all your belongings! We will be emptying the bin in the next week and donating all unclaimed items to The Second Step and Morgan Memorial Goodwill PUBLIC HEARING ON NEXT YEAR?S SCHOOL BUDGET Thursday, March 22, 2007 at 7:00 p.m. at Day Middle School auditorium Has the School Committee taken the right approach this year? They?d like to hear from you. Please attend the public hearing on Thursday night and let them know if they are on the right track. By a ?straw vote? on Monday night, the School Committee and Mayor unanimously approved the Superintendent?s proposed budget for next year. The proposal contains no cuts, restores some programs and includes about $1 million in new initiatives -- BUT -- it is $4.8 million short of the Mayor?s initial funding allocation to the schools. The Mayor has pledged to work to bridge this gap in funding. On Monday night he stated that the ?maintenance of effort? portion of the proposed budget is attainable, but that funding for the $1 million in new initiatives, while worthy, was uncertain. He will release new local revenue estimates in one week and will present analysis of additional State funds in mid-April. Many School Committee members expressed confidence in the proposed budget?and in this ?no-cuts? approach -- but shared concerns about securing the funding and the City?s ability to sustain this level of funding in the future. For additional information about the hearing, contact sarahecker at comcast.net and/or visit http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/ Elementary Food Service News Student Account Balances: As we get closer to the end the year we want to inform you that any credit or debit balance left on your child's account will carry forward to the next school year. Due to the February 14th 2007 snow storm we have issued a credit of $3.25 to all students who had pre-ordered lunch for that day. On-line ordering: We encourage all parents to sign up for the on-line ordering system. This will allow you the convenience of filling out the menu on-line and the ability to view your child's account balance at any time. In addition, this system allows us to communicate via e-mail any relevant information. Elementary office: We have a great staff in the Elementary office that will be happy to assist you. If you have any comments, concerns, questions or issues please call Karen or Diane at 617-559-6315. Keeping you current is our goal through a variety of frequently updated options: NPS Website: You can also view our web-site for the most current information. www.newton.k12.ma.us Menu: On the back of the monthly menu we also provide current information. Need to contact us? E-mail: Food_Service at newton.k12.ma.us. You will get an automated response with the most frequently asked questions. If your question was not answered you will be contacted within 24 hours. Phone: Elementary Food Service Office 617-559-6315; Food Service Main Office 617-559-9015 You may also contact your lunch manager who will have the most current information and will be able to answer any questions. KINDERGARTEN and GRADES ONE THROUGH FIVE: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR Children who will be 5-years-old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools in September 2007. Students who will be 6-years old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter grade one. Please share this information with anyone with in your neighborhood. We encourage all residents who anticipate enrolling a child in kindergarten or any grade for next school year to contact the school now at 617.559.9400. Ms. Driscoll, our school secretary will answer your questions and provide all the necessary documents and requirements for school enrollment. PLANS FOR 2007- 2008 Do you anticipate any changes for next school year? If you have a move to a new home in Newton or elsewhere, please contact Ms. Driscoll at 617.559.9400 immediately. We will keep your information confidential until early Spring and will only use this information to help predict our classroom needs for next year. Fundraising Keep Collecting those Box Tops! Eight Cabot families have done their on-line shopping through the Box Tops Marketplace this year. We have earned $89.33. We can do better than that! More than 8 of us in the Cabot community shop on-line. It is so easy to register at the Box Tops website http://www.boxtops4education.com. Once you register, you can begin your shopping either at the Cabot PTO shopping link, http://cabotpto.org/shop.html, or at the Box Tops Marketplace, http://www.boxtops4education.com/Marketplace. It?s fast, efficient and free. If everyone in the Cabot community did his/her on-line shopping this way, the Cabot PTO will really start to earn a lot of money. This translates to more money being spent on our children?s enrichment at Cabot. So go register at: http://www.boxtops4education.com If you have any questions, contact Isabelle Thacker: www.isabelle at thackers.net 617/795-2332 Community News Newton UNplugged March is UNplugged and Connected Month in Newton. This is a great time for children of all ages and their families to explore/make connections without using electronics! For a month's worth of suggested activities, go to: http://www.ncscweb.org/unplugged_calendarfinal07.pdf Meeting of The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education Wednesday, April 4th, 7:30pm at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newton, MA 02460. ?Fiddle and Focus: Sensory Integration Strategies for School Success? by Jane Koomar, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Executive Director and Founder of Occupational Therapy Associates?Watertown, MA. Learn how to help children access their abilities by enhancing their focus with sensory activities that help keep their bodies calmed or busy while their minds learn. Discussion will include the impact of sensory processing issues on learning motor skills, behavior, coordination and social relationships. Home and school accommodations and strategies will be shared. We will discuss children with a range of diagnoses, including ADD, PDD, Aspergers, NVLD, PTSD. Dr. Koomar, is the board president of the SPIRAL Foundation (Sensory Processing Institute for Research and Learning) and has taught over one hundred courses on sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Leslie Lockhart at newtonspedpac at yahoo.com or 617-527-5046. Support Groups Dr. Judie Magidson, Newton educational consultant experienced with 20+ years teaching/counseling students (every subject/grade with a concentration in study skills and reading/writing) is offering support groups for adult family members of children who have ADD/ADHD or other related disabilities. Groups are filling up fast, so please e-mail me/call as soon as possible. EMagids at aol.com (617) 527-6654. Summer Speech and Language Program Emerson College, Dept. of Communication Sciences & Disorders, is planning to offer a 6-week speech and language therapy program to students in the City of Newton with documented need for services. Supervised graduate students in speech-language pathology will provide individual, one-on-one therapy, twice a week from July 2nd through August 10th at a Newton location yet to be determined. The fee is $325.00 for 11, one-hour sessions. Spaces are limited. Applications will be available from school speech-language pathologists in March or by contacting Shelley Lipschultz at Emerson College: (617)-824-8314 or shelley_lipschultz at emerson.edu. Newton Community Service Center Camps This April NCSC Summer Day Camp will be heading to Hale Reservation in Westwood for a spring skills team challenge. This summer, the day camp runs from June 25th through August 24th. For more detailed information or to register go to www.ncscweb.org or contact Jennifer Capello McAuliffe at 617-969-5906 Ext. 224 or email jcapello at ncscweb.org. NewKids Spring Registration is now underway for Spring classes through Newton Community Education. Coming up at Cabot is Chess on Fridays. We have two adult-child cooking classes on Saturdays at Newton North: the ever-popular Chocolate Connection, and Cookie Decorating. Also on Saturdays we offer T-Ball, and Soccer (Soccer for Moms too!). For 5th graders we have Create a TV Show on Fridays at NewTV, and Babysitting on Saturdays at North. Now's the time to plan your spring vacation; we have the following great options for you to choose from: Innovations, Multi-Sports, Basketball, Babysitting, Marble Madness, and Fencing. For more information or to view our complete course offering (including summer), call our office at 617-559-6999, or visit our website at www.newtoncommunityed.org. "The Sound of Music" Summer Theatre classes for Grades 1 - 6. Arts in the Parks, Newton Parks and Recreation Department, will offer a Summer Youth Theatre program of "The Sound of Music" for Grades 1 - 6, Mondays through Fridays: June 28 - July 25 from 8:45am - Noon at the Newton Cultural Center, 225 Nevada Street, Newtonville. Children will learn the A-Z's of putting on a play including rehearsing scenes, planning costumes, painting scenery, music and dancing. A terrific opportunity for kids to develop poise and have a great time. Performance takes place at the last session. Early registration is urges as enrollment is limited to 30 to allow parts for everyone. Fee: $650. Call 617 796-1540 or 617 965-1238. KLS Fundraiser The KLS Medical Foundation is hosting a reception and screening of the award winning film Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter...And Spring on Sunday, April 29th, from 4-6:30pm at the West Newton Cinema. General admission tickets are $50, which benefit the KLS Foundation. The whole community is invited! Kleine-Levin Syndrome (KLS) is a rare medical disorder characterized mainly by periods of excessive sleep. The KLS Foundation's goals are to raise awareness, support scientific research, and to find effective treatment and a cure for Kleine-Levin Syndrome. The Foundation provides information and support to those diagnosed with KLS and their families. For more information and tickets, please contact Bernice Lerner at 617-945-5443 or Rachel Goldstein at 617-332-9482. Project Bread ? Walk for Hunger Project Bread - The Walk for Hunger would like to invite members of the Cabot School community to participate in The Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 6th. Project Bread, the state?s leading anti-hunger organization, is dedicated to alleviating, preventing, and ultimately ending hunger in Massachusetts. Through the Walk, Project Bread is able to provide millions of dollars each year in privately donated funds to over 400 emergency food programs in 135 communities across the Commonwealth. The 20-mile walk begins on the Boston Common and winds through Boston, Brookline, Newton, Watertown, and Cambridge before returning to the Boston Common. Last year, almost 900 school organizations were involved in the Walk for Hunger and of those, 650 school organizations formed Walk teams and joined together on the Common to make a positive difference in the lives of hungry families in their neighborhoods and hometowns. For more information, go to www.projectbread.org/walk. A Good Time for a Good Cause On Saturday March 24 at 6pm, St. John?s Episcopal Church and the Episcopal Parish of St. Paul, will hold an evening of ?Jazz and Jambalaya? at St. John?s Church, 297 Lowell Avenue, Newtonville. In preparation for an aid trip to New Orleans, this family event will feature dancing to live music provided by ?Pauli B?s Allstars?, mask making, and lots of good food in the Mardi Gras tradition. Costumes are encouraged. The recent children?s book, ?The Storm?, will be available for purchase, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the effort. ?The Storm? author, Barbara Barbieri McGrath, will be on hand to sign copies. Suggested donation is $25.00 per person, $50.00 maximum per family. 100% of funds raised will be used to purchase tools and supplies for the rebuilding effort, and gift cards to be donated to persons in need. Over the course of the week in New Orleans, volunteers will salvage belongings, gut damaged homes, fix and deliver meals, help in providing preventative medical services, and offer respite care, listening to people?s stories and giving them a break from the difficulties of daily life in a devastated area. Those who aren't able to attend the party can make a tax-deductible donation of money or a gift card that will be used for the re-building effort. For more information, contact St. John?s Church, 617 964 2591 www.saintjohnschurch.com, or The Parish of St. Paul, 617 527 6642 www.parishofstpaul.org. Sunday School for Jewish Studies The Sunday School for Jewish Studies is now accepting registrations for grades K-7 for the 2007-2008 school year. The Sunday School provides a liberal, egalitarian approach to Jewish education in classes held Sunday mornings at Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill. Students may enter in any grade. Interfaith and nontraditional families are welcome. For additional information about the Sunday School for Jewish Studies, please call 617-264-8855 or visit www.sundayschoolforjewishstudies.org. Solar Panels for Newton Schools Help create more clean wind power and earn a free 2kW solar panel array for a Newton school. If 150 Newton households or businesses join New England Wind Fund by March 31, 2007, the Mass Technology Collaborative (MTC) will provide a solar panel array for a Newton middle school. This is a worthy initiative to help continue building support for alternative energy sources. Each one time $100 or $5 a month donation will count towards the solar challenge grant. Each contribution signifies that approximately 2000 kilowatt hours of energy will be generated by wind, not coal or oil, and that 2204 lbs. of C02 will not be expended into the atmosphere. The donations will be matched by Mass Technology Collaborative only until March 31st, and the 2KW solar array will be provided to a Newton middle school. Be sure on your donation to state that it is for Newton, so that credit is given appropriately. Cambridge and Lexington have already achieved the 150 new member goal. Go to www.NewEnglandWind.org or (800) 287-3950 to sign up. Newton Symphony Orchestra The Newton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jeffrey Rink opens their next subscription concert with Beethoven's Overture to the Consecration of the House. This is followed by the rarely heard Dietter, Concerto for Two Bassoons from about 1780 and concludes with the great Mahler, Symphony #1, The Titan. The concert will be held on Sunday March 25th at 7:30 pm at the Rashi Auditorium, 15 Walnut Park, Newton Corner. Tickets are $25 and $30, with a $5 discount for students and seniors, and groups over 10. Children under 16 get in for $10. Steven Ledbetter, former annotator for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will give a free pre-concert lecture at 6:30 pm. There will be a post-concert reception, at which the audience is invited to meet the soloists, the orchestra and the conductor. For tickets contact the NSO office at 617-965-2555 or visit the NSO website at www.newtonsymphony.org. Harry the Dirty Dog ArtsPower National Touring Theatre will present the children's classic: Harry the Dirty Dog, Sunday, April 1, 1:30pm at the Newton North High School Auditorium. Sponsored by the Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs. Reserved Seating: $10 in advance $12 at the door. Call 617 796-1540 to reserve tickets. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070320/0185988b/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed Mar 21 14:08:53 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2007 14:08:53 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Evening discussion at Cabot on Wednesday, March 28th 7-9pm "Allowing Childhood" Message-ID: <006601c76be3$fc690e00$6401a8c0@Jo> Allowing Childhood An evening discussion for Cabot parents and teachers Wednesday, March 28th, 7-9 p.m. Please consider attending this important evening program inspired by the ideas in the book, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel. You do not have to read the book to attend. It is serving as a springboard for discussion. And, you certainly don't need to be Jewish! The discussion will focus on five areas of concern to teachers and parents: Setting realistic expectations, scheduling or not to schedule, respecting others, resisting over-indulgence, encouraging independence and self-control. Interested? Please come to the discussion. This event is jointly run by Cabot School & the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070321/66fc115c/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Mar 27 11:06:31 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:06:31 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 27TH 2007 Message-ID: <004d01c77081$810132e0$6401a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 27TH 2007 This edition contains the following: Public Meeting at Cabot TONIGHT 6-7:30pm Newton Serves - What we can do depends on YOU! Volunteer now April 28th & 29th Allowing Childhood - An Evening Discussion, Wednesday March 28th 7pm Ms. Moriarty wins teacher recognition award - presentation April 4th at 7pm Marilynne's Last Fireside Chat, April 24th Lost & Found - to be emptied next week! Cabot's 4th grade sell energy efficient light bulbs Newton SPED Meeting, April 4th Cabot Fair needs volunteers Register for the 2007-08 school year Newton Public Schools Screening Seminar: Modern Dads, April 11th Project Bread: Walk For Hunger, May 6th CALENDAR March 27, 2007 Cabot School Public Meeting: Traffic & Parking 6:00 - 7:30PM Cabot School, Room #113 March 28, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 March 28, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1 Dan Perlman March 28, 2007 Discussion for parents & teachers on "Allowing Childhood", focusing on aspects of the book "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee" by Wendy Mogel 7:00pm Cabot Library March 29, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 March 29, 2007 EARLY RELEASE DAY, 12:30pm March 30, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 April 2, 2007 Passover begins at Sundown April 2, 2007 MCAS Make-Up April 3, 2007 MCAS Make-Up April 4, 2007 MCAS Make-Up April 4, 2007 Goldin Award for Excellence in Education Awards 7:00PM Day Middle School April 5, 2007 CA&S - Historical Perspectives Helen Keller visits 2nd Grade - 1:45 PM April 6, 2007 Good Friday, NO SCHOOL April 9, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM April 9, 2007 CASP Annual Meeting & Coffee 5:00 PM April 9, 2007 School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM April 9, 2007 Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 5 8:50 - 11:45 April 10, 2007 Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 4 8:50 - 10:45 April 10, 2007 Parent to Parent Series, Grade 5 Parents April 10, 2007 Invention Invasion, 5:30-7 PM April 16 to April 20, 2006 Spring Vacation, NO SCHOOL Public Meeting for neighbors of Cabot School & the Cabot Community, TONIGHT 6-7:30pm Room #113 Dr. Quarcoo, on behalf of the Cabot School community, has extended an invitation for neighbors of Cabot School to join in a public meeting with members of the city and school departments and school community to discuss parking and traffic-related matters, particularly in respect to the addition of the two new modulars scheduled for installation for use beginning with the upcoming academic year. Newton Serves - let's clean up cabot! We have been receiving lists of project requests from faculty and staff at Cabot. But our ability to get these valuable and much needed jobs done depends on YOU!! The more volunteers we have the more we can clean up Cabot. Do you think the bathrooms could do with a lick of paint? Also, mulch will be spread, signs made, books organized, shelves put up and areas cleaned up. We hope as many of you as possible will come out to help spruce up our school! Sign up times are for either Saturday morning 9-12 noon, Saturday afternoon 1-4pm or Sunday morning 9:30- 12 noon. The more volunteers we have, the more we can make a difference! Please let us know if you have any handy skills, such as carpentry or painting, or if you are just willing to come and work. If you and your family are able to come lend a hand, please contact Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at MaryKathF at aol.com . Allowing Childhood -An Evening Discussion Wednesday, March 28, 2007 -7:00-9:00 P.M. -Cabot School It's tough being a parent and a kid in 2007. Join us for a facilitated discussion with Cabot parents and teachers. We will use Wendy Mogel's Book "The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children", as a launching point for our conversation. We will begin with a general discussion on determining realistic expectations for each child and resisting over-scheduling. Breakout groups will follow the discussion.The objective for the evening is to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Planning Group: Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah. Not got a copy of the book yet? Go to Newtonville Books, mention the book and Cabot School. A number of copies have been put aside. Ms. Moriarty wins teacher recognition award - presentation April 4th at 7pm Congratulations to our own Mrs. Moriarty for receiving the Goldin Foundation Award for Excellence! The Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education recognizes and rewards educators who have made outstanding contributions in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has sought to foster the respect for and appreciation of educators. Ms. Moriarty is one of 5 Boston Area Teachers and 1 of 2 Newton Teachers to win this award. We will be celebrating her achievement at a reception on April 4th at 7:00PM at Day Middle School. So bring the family and come join us in congratulating Ms. Moriarty! Marilynne's Fireside Chats One more Fireside chat left on April 24th at 6:30pm hosted by Monalisa & Donald Neville. Come out and enjoy an evening with Dr. Quarcoo and your neighbors. Ask all those questions you've been wondering about, or just get to know your school Principal a bit better in this informal get-together. Check your Cabot directory for the address and don't forget to RSVP to the Neville's. Thanks to Virginia Dean & Raoul Choos, Kate Dulit & Josh Greenberg, Vicki & Bud Gartland, Janet & Daniel Hart and Claire Ryan-Robertson & James Robertson for hosting already and to all of you who have attended the meetings and made them so successful, and thanks to Marilynne for organizing the meetings and coming out after a long day at school! Lost & Found Time is running out to retrieve all those items your house has misplaced over the past weeks. At the beginning of next week the bin will be emptied and all items donated to The Second Step and Goodwill. CABOT's 4TH GRADE SELLS ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS! New this year our 4th grade students are undertaking a project to make a difference. Learning about how to protect our environment, global warming & what we can do about it! This project was kicked off by Meg Wilcox, a Cabot 4th grade parent, who gave a presentation to all 4th grade students about global warming and what can be done to protect our environment. To augment this, the Cabot PTO and the 4th grade teachers are joining forces with NSTAR to sell energy efficient light bulbs at a very minimal cost. Our 4th grade students will be running this venture themselves and have been visiting each classroom in Cabot, making age appropriate presentations about the need to look after our world & promoting the sales of these energy efficient light bulbs. These students will be responsible for collecting and processing the orders and fulfillment. The entire 4th grade designed flyers specific to each grade which contains information about this project which should be coming home in backpacks. Lookout for these flyer - this is a great opportunity to buy these light bulbs at a fraction of their retail cost. All proceeds generated will be donated to an environmentally friendly cause. Invention Invasion Invention Invasion forms are due back by this Friday, March 30th. there are addtional entry forms in the office in the Invention Invasion box. Please remember to record and hold on to your child's numnber. We are looking forward to seeing some wonderful creative projects! Please contact the II co-chairs: Karen Jauregui, 617-527-3154, kjauregui at repligen.com , Karen Clay, 617-323-9336, kclay at rcn.com or Vicki Gartland, 617-244-9415, vgartland at comcast.net For a great website from MIT that showcases inventions check out: http://web.mit.edu/invent/i-archive.html Also from April 21-29, Cambridge is hosting a city wide science festival that has lots of fun and interesting events for kids (and adults) of all ages. Check out their website on this fun event: http://www.cambridgesciencefestival.org/ Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education invites you to our March & April meetings. All meetings are at 7:30PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St. Wednesday, April 4 "Fiddle and Focus: Sensory Integration Strategies for School Success" by Jane Koomar, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,Executive Director and Founder of Occupational Therapy Associates-Watertown, MA. Learn how to help children access their abilities by enhancing their focus with sensory activities that help keep their bodies calmed or busy while their minds learn. Discussion will include the impact of sensory processing issues on learning motor skills, behavior, coordination and social relationships. Home and school accommodations and strategies will be shared. We will discuss children with a range of diagnoses, including ADD, PDD, Aspergers, NVLD, PTSD. Dr. Koomar, is the board president of the SPIRAL Foundation (SensoryProcessing Institute for Research and Learning) and has taught over one hundred courses on sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Leslie Lockhart at newtonspedpac at yahoo.com or 617-527-5046. The Cabot Fair is May 5 - Half the fun is volunteering! In the next month you will be receiving a call from a room parent, asking you to volunteer for one or more time slots at the Cabot Fair. But why wait! Early-bird volunteers help out our planning enormously. Choose your preferred time slot: 9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:30, 12:30-2:00, or 2:00-3:30.and contact Volunteer Central at politicalresources at hotmail.com or call at (617) 527-4188 KINDERGARTEN and GRADES ONE THROUGH FIVE: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR Children who will be 5-years-old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools in September 2007. Students who will be 6-years old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter grade one. Please share this information with anyone with in your neighborhood. We encourage all residents who anticipate enrolling a child in kindergarten or any grade for next school year to contact the school now at 617.559.9400. Ms. Driscoll, our school secretary will answer your questions and provide all the necessary documents and requirements for school enrollment. PLANS FOR 2007- 2008 Do you anticipate any changes for next school year? If you have a move to a new home in Newton or elsewhere, please contact Ms. Driscoll at 617.559.9400 immediately. We will keep your information confidential until early Spring and will only use this information to help predict our classroom needs for next year. Newton Public Schools The city-wide screening for children born between September 1, 2002 and April 1, 2004 is designed to identify preschool age children who may need special services. Testing will be done for vision, hearing, speech and language and general development. This is a free and optional service. This is NOT for children entering Kindergarten in the fall 2007, as they will be screened at their local schools. The screening will be held from 9am to 2pm on Wednesday, April 11th 2007 at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville. Parents who are interested in having their children screened should call 617 559 6050 as soon as possible to set up an appointment. Modern Dads: How Men's Lives are Changing & Why It Matters to Families Project Interface and the Newton PTO Council present a seminar by John Badalament on April 11th 7:30-9pm at the Newton Cultural Center Auditorium at 225 Nevada Street, Newton. This seminar will present research about how fathers impact their children's lives academically, cognitively & emotionally, describe the "5 practices of a Modern Dad" and how women and mothers can support and challenge fathers & father figures to use these practices, and much more. Project Bread: The Walk for Hunger Are you interested in participating in the Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 6th? You can organize your own team or join one already establish. All the proceeds raised by donations go to help hungry families in Massachusetts. For more details either check out the information posted on the Social Action Bulletin board (above Lost & Found) , call 617 239 2558 go to www.projectbread.org This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070327/14b13141/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed Mar 28 12:57:51 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:57:51 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot PTO Message-ID: <00aa01c7715a$38e31530$6501a8c0@Jo> Dear Cabot Families and Guardians, You may not feel like it but we only have a few more months of school and now is the time that we begin to look forward to ascertain what Cabot PTO positions need to be filled for the next school year. I know that you are busy but we would appreciate a few moments of your time in looking at the information below. As we progress through the school year we will continue to advertise the positions that become vacant. This list is our initial assessment and more information about them can be found at http://www.cabotpto.org/about_us.htm Remember that all the wonderful programs and opportunities provide to all of our children at Cabot by the PTO are run by parent volunteers just like you. There are opportunities for everyone regardless of their individual situations. We want to ensure that we can maintain these wonderful experiences for our children by filling these positions. Mary Kathryn and I thank you in appreciation of your time and consideration. Current PTO Positions Open - PTO Co-President - see information about this opportunity at the bottom of this email - Cabot Goods - look after merchandising and sales to community - Photography Co-ordinator - ensure each Cabot event is captured and display using a team of photographers - Playground - spearhead the effort to keep our playground safe and functional - Understanding Our Differences - using grade volunteers co-ordinate this worthwhile program which provides our children with insight into individual differences ******** Wanted: Cabot School PTO Co-President We are searching for a PTO co-president to serve a two-year term beginning in September 2007. We need a creative and dedicated soul to step up to the plate and take on this very important responsibility. Please read the attached job description and pros and cons (as viewed by the current co-presidents). If you are interested in serving, please nominate yourself. If you know of someone who might be a good candidate for this job, please nominate him or her. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of the following people: Current Co-Presidents Jo Doherty 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Mary Kathryn Fallon 617-244-1821 marykathf at aol.com Past Co-Presidents Sally Brickell 617-527-5438 brickland6 at rcn.com Margaret Hannah 617-332-6514 marghann at aol.com Marguerite Ingram 617-969-8166 mingram at rcn.com Carolyn Moss 617-928-0267 megumimoss at comcast.net Reenie Murphy 617-332-5272 reenie.murphy at comcast.net Betsy Nurczynski 617-964-7612 nurczynski at comcast.net Janet Porcaro 617-964-9592 janet at janetporcaro.net Joan Ruttenberg 617-630-0095 jerutt at aol.com Please leave the following information in the PTO mailbox in the school office, for the attention of Jo Doherty or Mary Kathryn Fallon. **************************************************************************** ******* I nominate for the position of Cabot School PTO Co-President Your name: Phone number: Email: Cabot School PTO Co-President Job Description Length of term: Two years Time commitment: 10-12 hours per week, on average (some weeks as low as 6 hours, some as higher) Necessary qualifications: A passion for Cabot School, high energy level, ability to prioritize (there will always be more to do than is humanly possible to accomplish), good sense of humor, strong support network on the home front, flexibility and willingness to do whatever needs to be done (no job too menial!), e-mail access Responsibilities (shared by the co-presidents as they see fit) Meetings Frequency Time of Day Meetings with Principal Marilynne Smith Quarcoo Bi-monthly Daytime New Family Welcoming Picnic (conduct school tours) September Daytime Back-to-School Night PTO Open House October Evening Cabot School Council meetings Monthly Evening Newton PTO Council meetings Monthly Evening Cabot School PTO meetings Generally 6 to 7 a year & can be at various times PTO committee meetings As needed Varies Community events (e.g., programs, dance, etc.) Periodic Evening Communications * Assist with the production/distribution of Cabot School Handbook (September) * Produce and distribute PTO Welcome information packet (August-September) * Write communication emails & oversee monthly Jabberwock (alternate with co-pres) * Keep parents informed about school events and issues via a variety of communication channels * Keep the Cabot community informed about city-wide school-related issues Budget * Prepare annual PTO budget, including fundraising plan * Oversee PTO fundraising and spending on ongoing basis to stay within budget Committees * Recruit committee leadership (delegate, delegate, delegate . . .) * Coordinate planning, scheduling and activities across committees * Assist with committee work and Cabot events as needed Other * Respond to special requests for assistance from Cabot staff and parents Pros & Cons of being a Cabot PTO Co-President PROS (or "The Ten Best Things about Being Co-President") 1. You have the privilege of getting to know and working closely with a dedicated, forward-thinking principal who also happens to have a great sense of humor (Marilynne Smith Quarcoo), exceptionally capable and committed office staff (Deb Driscoll, Betsy Nurczynski, and Margaret Hannah), and a group of teachers and staff whose dedication to the children of Cabot is uplifting. 2. You gain a much deeper understanding of and appreciation for what it takes to keep Cabot School running smoothly. 3. You feel the personal satisfaction of doing your part (however small) to keep Cabot School running smoothly. 4. You are given the opportunity to get to know many more Cabot families and all the talented and caring parents who give precious time to support the school. 5. Through involvement in organizations like the Newton PTO Council, you gain insight into the Newton school system as a whole, and you have access to decision-makers like Superintendent Jeff Young and members of the School Committee. 6. You have an opportunity to influence decisions that affect our children now and in the future, at Cabot School and throughout the Newton school system. 7. You attend more meetings and PTO educational programs, and while you may grumble a bit about arranging for childcare, once you start attending these meetings, you discover the joys of lifelong learning and your children take notice! 8. Never again will you risk missing the great fun of events like the community supper, family dance, METCO spring dance, teacher appreciation luncheon, and the fair-you will be there! 9. You have the perfect excuse to procrastinate on all your other projects and chores. After all, which is more important, Cabot School or a clean basement? 10. You are never lonely, and you are blessed with a new buddy: your co-president! CONS (What cons?) * You might find you don't have quite as much free time as you used to, but free time only gets you in trouble, right? * It may be a few years before your children will understand that you are doing this for their benefit, but they will come around. * You can't win: people will think you're crazy to do this job, but at the same time, you'd be crazy not to do it! (Updated 3/28/07) Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070328/9c57c9b8/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Mon Apr 2 07:18:07 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 07:18:07 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT PTO Message-ID: <004801c77518$9766f380$6501a8c0@Jo> Dear Cabot Families, The PTO feels strongly that there are 2 issues about which we need to hear from YOU! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 The first issue concerns the potentially dangerous traffic congestion that exists outside school at drop-off and pick-up times. Our concern is that one of our children may get seriously hurt as cars as try to negotiate the too crowded streets. Leaving things as they are is not safe for our children. Working with city and elected officials, Dr. Quarcoo, the Cabot School Council and the Cabot PTO will devise a new traffic plan for the Fall 2007 to ensure that our children are safe and that is operationally feasible given the many logistical constraints facing our school. This is your chance to help influence what that plan will be! The second issue concerns how the PTO raises funds. First, we would like to acknowledge that the Cabot community has been very generous and this year is expected to raise nearly $55,000. We want to learn how you feel about our current fundraisers and get feedback on some suggestions. How you respond will be incorporated into the PTO planning and budget which is voted upon at the last PTO meeting of the year on June 12th at 8:40am. So please take the time to complete this survey in full to ensure your voice and opinions are counted. It shouldn't take very much time and is easy to complete. The survey will be open from 6am Wednesday, April 4th to complete online until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. After that time the responses will be collected and the PTO will provide a summary of results to the community. If you do not have access to a computer and wish to complete a paper copy please take an available copy from the PTO bulletin board or leave a request for one in the PTO mailbox so that you too can complete the survey before the deadline. A reminder flyer will be coming home in backpacks today! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration. Jo Doherty PTO Co-President 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net And Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO Co-President 617-244-1821 marykathf at aol.com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070402/efc6cbdc/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Mon Apr 2 11:03:57 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 11:03:57 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] PTO SURVEY Message-ID: <008c01c77538$2364dea0$6501a8c0@Jo> We have received a number of questions regarding the survey which we told you about today in an earlier email. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE SURVEY DOES NOT OPEN UNTIL 6am Wednesday, April 4th to complete online until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. The links provided in the original email will work without the need for a password. And we will be sending out another email reminder on Wednesday morning. Thank you for your patience! Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070402/6151a32d/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Apr 3 15:01:41 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 3 Apr 2007 15:01:41 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT MATHS CHALLENGE Message-ID: <006101c77622$8412f8f0$6501a8c0@Jo> At Attached is the April Challenge Problem due April 12, 2007 In March - 91 students participated in the challenge 64 % of Ms. Fiorenza's class and Mr Ripp's class 62% of Mr Adams' class CABOT MATH CHALLENGE Problem # 6 - April, 2007 People that worked on this solution: * Trying to solve the problem is more important than the getting the correct answer. * Submissions that do not show how you found your answers will not be counted. * Showing your work can include an equation, a picture or a written description. * Please show your work on these pages and staple additional pages as needed. * Please be neat and have fun! * And remember, even though there are 7 questions listed below, you only have to submit your solution to some of them to get credit. Please place your solutions by Thursday April 12 in the in-boxes one of these classes: Mr. Tirrell, Mrs. Moriarty, or Mrs. Robertson. :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-): -):-):-):-):-) Problem #6 1. The weight of 12 kangaroos is the same as the weight of 3 giraffes, the weight of 20 deer is the same as the weight of 2 hippopotamus, and the weight of 2 deer is the same as the weight of 1 giraffe. a) How many kangaroos have the same weight as 8 giraffes? b) How many deer have the same weight as 5 hippopotamus? c) How many giraffes have the same weight as 6 hippopotamus? 2. An adult weighing 80 kilograms and 2 children, each of whom weighs 40 kilograms, want to cross a river. They have only one boat. All 3 are capable of rowing the boat. The boat is capable of holding only 80 kilograms on any one trip. How many trips will it take to get all 3 across a river? Describe your answer. Draw a diagram to show each leg of the trip. Hint: Some passengers may need to make more than one trip. 3. How can you bring up 6 liters of soda from the barrels in the cellar if you have only a 4-liter pitcher and a 9-liter pitcher? Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070403/df8d9f53/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Maths challenge Problem6-final.doc Type: application/msword Size: 44032 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070403/df8d9f53/attachment.doc From marykathf at aol.com Tue Apr 3 16:37:30 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:37:30 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberwock for Tuesday April 3, 2007 Message-ID: <8C944470916BC11-12E0-1F27@FWM-R06.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, April 3rd 2007 This edition contains the following: Cabot PTO Survey Ms. Moriarty wins teacher recognition award ? presentation April 4th at 7pm Last Week?s Public Meeting & Traffic Enforcement PTO & School Council Positions for Next Year Newton Serves ? What we can do depends on YOU! Volunteer now April 28th & 29th Allowing Childhood ? An Evening Discussion, Wednesday March 28th 7pm Parent to Parent Grade 5 - date change Marilynne?s Last Fireside Chat, April 24th Cabot?s 4th grade sells energy efficient light bulbs Cabot Fair needs volunteers Turkey Talk ? Cabot?s Wild Neighbors Newton SPED Meeting, April 4th Register for the 2007-08 school year Newton Public Schools Pre-School Screening Seminar: Modern Dads, April 11th Project Bread: Walk for Hunger, May 6th CALENDAR April 3, 2007MCAS Make-Up April 4, 2007MCAS Make-Up April 4, 2007Goldin Award for Excellence in Education Awards 7:00PM Day Middle School April 5, 2007CA&S - Historical Perspectives Helen Keller visits 2nd Grade - 1:45 PM April 6, 2007Good Friday, NO SCHOOL April 9, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM April 9, 2007CASP Annual Meeting & Coffee 5:00 PM April 9, 2007School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM April 9, 2007Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 5 8:50 - 11:45 April 10, 2007Mohammed Camara, Drumming Workshop, Music Room, Grade 4 8:50 - 10:45 April 10, 2007Invention Invasion, 5:30-7 PM April 16 to April 20, 2006Spring Vacation, NO SCHOOL April 23, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM April 24, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Science Discovery Museum 9:00AM April 24, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM April 24, 2007Evening Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Mona Lisa & Donald Neville's Home 6:30PM April 28, 2007Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot April 29, 2007Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot May 1, 2007Grade 5 Parent Coffee with Bigelow & Day Principals at Cabot, 8:30-9:30AM May 2, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5 Wingmasters Eyes on Owls May 3, 2007Parent to Parent Chat at Bigelow, 7:30 - 9:00PM May 5, 2007Cabot Fair 10:00 ? 3:00 PM May 8, 2007Teacher Appreciation Luncheon Cabot PTO Survey The PTO feels strongly that there are 2 issues about which we need to hear from YOU! We had such a successful response with our space crunch survey; we decided to do it again! The first issue concerns the traffic congestion that exists outside school at drop-off and pick-up times. The second issue concerns how the PTO raises funds. So please take the time to complete this survey to ensure your voice and opinions are counted. It shouldn?t take very much time and is easy to complete. The survey will be open from 6am Wednesday, April 4th to complete online until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. After that time the responses will be collected and the PTO will provide a summary of results to the community. If you do not have access to a computer and wish to complete a paper copy please take an available copy from the PTO bulletin board or leave a request for one in the PTO mailbox so that you too can complete the survey before the deadline. Our thanks go to Mie-Yun Lee for her technical talent in making this survey go live! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration. Mrs. Moriarty wins teacher recognition award ? April 4th at 7pm Congratulations to our own Mrs. Moriarty for receiving the Goldin Foundation Award for Excellence! The Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education recognizes and rewards educators who have made outstanding contributions in their classrooms, schools, and communities. Since its inception in 1990, the Foundation has sought to foster the respect for and appreciation of educators. Ms. Moriarty is one of 5 Boston Area Teachers and 1 of 2 Newton Teachers to win this award. We will be celebrating her achievement at a reception on April 4th at 7:00PM at Day Middle School. So bring the family and come join us in congratulating Ms. Moriarty! Public Meeting held last week for neighbors of Cabot School & the Cabot Community, Last Tuesday evening Dr. Quarcoo, hosted a public meeting with members of the city & school departments to discuss parking and traffic-related matters. The meeting was well attended and the neighbors did request for your cooperation with regard to our safety rules and common courtesy. As a follow up to this meeting, the Newton Police will be at Cabot School starting this week during drop off and pick up times. A letter came home last week from Dr. Quarcoo informing you of the police presence. Please help us to keep everyone safe and follow the rules, posted again here for your reference. ? Pull your car to the end of the Blue Zone for Drop off; don?t stop mid-way in the lane. ? Do not drop your child off on the opposite side of the street or on Bridges Ave. ? Have your child ready to exit the car immediately on the curb-side in front of the school. ? Do not park your car in front of the school or leave your car ? the Blue Zone is for drop off only! ? Please adhere to all traffic signs, please do not park in or block neighbor?s driveways and please do not park at the end of Parkview where it will block the bus from turning the corner. ? Do not use the faculty parking lot for drop off or pickup. ? Please respect all crosswalks and do not park in them when waiting for your child. If you have any questions about these rules, please do not hesitate to ask! POSITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR ? PTO & SCHOOL COUNCIL PTO Committees The PTO needs you! That?s right, we are trying to fill positions for next year ? we know you have hidden talents and whether you have a little or a lot of time; actually who are we kidding, no one has a lot of time, but we?ll take what we can get and we can use your help! Here are just a few of the positions open: PTO Co-President Advertising Committee Photography Coordinator Program Enrichment Coordinator Public Relations Room Captains (K-2 & 3-5) Social Action Committee Coordinator Understanding our Differences Webmaster (Co-chair with existing) Check out our web site, www.cabotpto.org for a full list of committees. There is room in almost any committee for more members, so if you see something that interests you, contact the committee chair for more information! School Council Nominations 2007 Cabot School Council Nomination Process As part of the Education Reform Act of 1993, School Councils were mandated for each school across the Commonwealth. The Council offers a way for parents, teachers, and community members to work together in an advisory capacity to the Principal to identify educational needs, set educational goals, review the school building budget, and prepare the school improvement plan. The Council consists of the Principal, up to two appointed community members who are not Cabot School parents, and an equal number of teachers and parents, representing our diverse school community. The parent representatives are elected by Cabot parents. Nominations for three parent representative positions are now open. Each newly elected parent member will serve a two-year term of office. The Cabot School Council meets 8 times during the school year and members are expected to attend 80% of the meetings. Frequently subcommittees are formed to research and provide recommendations about a variety of school improvement issues. If you would like your name to appear on the ballot, or to nominate someone, please: 1. Write a brief statement (100 words or less) that includes a biographical sketch (employment, family, etc), number of years you have been a Cabot parent, grade levels of your children and why you wish to be a School Council representative. Along with your statement, please include your name, telephone number and e-mail address. If possible, please write your statement in Microsoft Word and send it as an e-mail attachment, along with a digital photo, to Liz Haas at haas.joffe at rcn.com. 2. If you are unable to submit electronically, please put your statement, and a small photo, in an envelope addressed to Liz Haas and put it in the PTO mailbox in the school office. 3. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, April 27th. An information packet about School Council will be sent to all nominees. The biographical statements submitted by the nominees will be published in the Jabberwock during the month of May. If there are more than three candidates, there will be an election. Details regarding the election process will be published in early May, if one is needed. The new School Council members will be announced in the Jabberwock at the end of the process. You may also contact any of the following parents who are the Current School Council Parent Representatives: Term expiring June 2007: Jack Sarid (617 332-0974), Greg Smith (617 332-9633) Term expiring June 2008: Liz Haas (617 969-5008), Lesley Roberts (617-630-1838), Janet Hart (617-332-5411) PTO Co-Presidents (ex-officio members of School Council): Mary Kathryn Fallon (617-244-1821) and Jo Doherty (617-332-1530). Newton Serves ? let?s clean up Cabot! We have been receiving lists of project requests from faculty and staff at Cabot. But our ability to get these valuable and much needed jobs done depends on YOU!! The more volunteers we have the more we can clean up Cabot. Do you think the bathrooms could do with a lick of paint? Also, mulch will be spread, signs made, books organized, shelves put up and areas cleaned. We hope as many of you as possible will come out to help spruce up our school! Sign up times are for either Saturday morning 9-12 noon, Saturday afternoon 1-4pm or Sunday morning 9:30- 12 noon. The more volunteers we have, the more we can make a difference! Please let us know if you have any handy skills, such as carpentry or painting, or if you are just willing to come and work. If you and your family are able to come lend a hand, please contact Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at MaryKathF at aol.com . Allowing Childhood ?Last weeks discussion a Success Approximately 40 Cabot parents & faculty members came out for the Allowing Childhood Evening Discussion last Wednesday evening. Facilitated by Margaret Hannah, the evening began with a general discussion using Wendy Mogel?s Book ?The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children?, as a launching point for the conversation. Breakout groups followed the discussion. The objective for the evening was to start a dialogue about how to reduce the stress and pressure on students, parents and teachers in the Cabot community. Many thanks to the Planning Group: Anya Bassett, Emily Hess, Lani Gerson, and Margaret Hannah. Parent to Parent Date Change ? Please note that the Grade 5 Parent to Parent Chat has been changed from April 10 to a date in May. We will let you know as soon as the date is chosen so you can mark your calendar! Marilynne?s Fireside Chats There is only one more Fireside chat left, mark your calendar for April 24th at 6:30pm hosted by Monalisa & Donald Neville. Come out and enjoy an evening with Dr. Quarcoo. Ask all those questions you?ve been wondering about, or just get to know your school Principal a bit better in this informal get-together. Check your Cabot directory for the address and don?t forget to RSVP to the Neville?s. Cabot?s 4TH GRADE SELLS ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS! Have you noticed the Earth Smart Handmade Posters hanging around Cabot School? Kudos to our 4th Grade students who are undertaking a project to make a difference and learning about how to protect our environment! This project was kicked off by Meg Wilcox, a Cabot 4th grade parent, who gave a presentation to all 4th grade students about global warming and what can be done to protect our environment. The Cabot PTO and the 4th grade teachers are joining forces with NSTAR to sell energy efficient light bulbs at a very minimal cost. Our 4th grade students will be running this venture themselves and have been visiting each classroom in Cabot, making age appropriate presentations about the need to look after our world & promoting the sales of these energy efficient light bulbs. These students will be responsible for collecting and processing the orders and fulfillment. You should have received a flyer (designed by the 4th graders) which contains information about this project with an order form on the bottom. All orders are due back by April12th, and there are extra order forms in the school office. This is a great opportunity to buy these light bulbs at a fraction of their retail cost. All proceeds generated will be donated to an environmentally friendly cause. The Cabot Fair is May 5 - Half the fun is volunteering! In the next month you will be receiving a call from a room parent, asking you to volunteer for one or more time slots at the Cabot Fair. But why wait! Early-bird volunteers help out our planning enormously. Choose your preferred time slot: 9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:30, 12:30-2:00, or 2:00-3:30?and contact Volunteer Central at politicalresources at hotmail.com or call at (617) 527-4188 Turkey Talk ? Cabot?s Wild Neighbors Those wild turkeys have been out and about in our neighborhood. Isabelle Thackers contacted the Massachusetts Department of Wildlife and spoke with Jim Cardoza, who is a wildlife biologist specializing in turkeys and found out some interesting facts for us: Turkeys are dominant creatures and they have a pecking order. It is mating season and the male turkeys view humans as a threat and want to dominate us. They do this by pecking and beating their wings toward us. Turkeys do not bite and disease is spread through contact with excrement (touching poop, not washing hands, and then touching something that gets to your mouth.) Mating season runs from March to May, with the peak being towards the end of April. The turkeys' aggression has nothing to do with hunger. Turkeys are moving into more residential areas because there are fewer predators (no hunting and no "other" wild animals)....they feel they can dominate humans. Jim suggested carrying an umbrella and flaring it out so that the turkey appreciates the human's dominance, (we tried this over the weekend, and it really worked, the turkey started squawking and walked away). He also suggested carrying a broom and swatting at the turkey. He said running is not a good thing to do because the turkey views that as victory and it reinforces its dominance. The police can kill a turkey if it has harmed a person. It's very hard to catch turkeys and there is no place to move them to. Here is a link which details a lot of this information: http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dfw/dfw_turkey.htm Thanks to Isabelle for taking the time to inform us of our wild neighbors! Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education invites you to our April meeting. All meetings are at 7:30PM at the Education Center, 100 Walnut St. Wednesday, April 4 ?Fiddle and Focus: Sensory Integration Strategies for School Success? by Jane Koomar, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA,Executive Director and Founder of Occupational Therapy Associates?Watertown, MA. Learn how to help children access their abilities by enhancing their focus with sensory activities that help keep their bodies calmed or busy while their minds learn. Discussion will include the impact of sensory processing issues on learning motor skills, behavior, coordination and social relationships. Home and school accommodations and strategies will be shared. We will discuss children with a range of diagnoses, including ADD, PDD, Aspergers, NVLD, PTSD. Dr. Koomar, is the board president of the SPIRAL Foundation (SensoryProcessing Institute for Research and Learning) and has taught over one hundred courses on sensory integration theory, assessment, and intervention throughout the United States and Canada. For more information, contact Leslie Lockhart at newtonspedpac at yahoo.com or 617-527-5046. KINDERGARTEN and GRADES ONE THROUGH FIVE: REGISTRATION FOR THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR Children who will be 5-years-old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools in September 2007. Students who will be 6-years old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter grade one. Please share this information with anyone with in your neighborhood. We encourage all residents who anticipate enrolling a child in kindergarten or any grade for next school year to contact the school now at 617.559.9400. Ms. Driscoll, our school secretary will answer your questions and provide all the necessary documents and requirements for school enrollment. PLANS FOR 2007- 2008 Do you anticipate any changes for next school year? If you have a move to a new home in Newton or elsewhere, please contact Ms. Driscoll at 617.559.9400 immediately. We will keep your information confidential until early Spring and will only use this information to help predict our classroom needs for next year. Newton Public Schools The city-wide screening for children born between September 1, 2002 and April 1, 2004 is designed to identify preschool age children who may need special services. Testing will be done for vision, hearing, speech and language and general development. This is a free and optional service. This is NOT for children entering Kindergarten in the fall 2007, as they will be screened at their local schools. The screening will be held from 9am to 2pm on Wednesday, April 11th 2007 at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville. Parents who are interested in having their children screened should call 617 559 6050 as soon as possible to set up an appointment. Modern Dads: How Men?s Lives are changing & Why It Matters to Families Project Interface and the Newton PTO Council present a seminar by John Badalament on April 11th 7:30-9pm at the Newton Cultural Center Auditorium at 225 Nevada Street, Newton. This seminar will present research about how fathers impact their children?s lives academically, cognitively & emotionally, describe the ?5 practices of a Modern Dad? and how women and mothers can support and challenge fathers & father figures to use these practices, and much more. Project Bread: The Walk for Hunger Are you interested in participating in the Walk for Hunger on Sunday, May 6th? You can organize your own team or join one already established. All the proceeds raised go to help hungry families in Massachusetts. For more details either check out the information posted on the Social Action Bulletin board (above Lost & Found), call 617 239 2558 or go to www.projectbread.org This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070403/9b660f38/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed Apr 4 07:38:14 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 4 Apr 2007 07:38:14 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT PTO SURVEY LIVE NOW Message-ID: <000501c776ad$bb9e9320$6501a8c0@Jo> REMINDER: THE PTO SURVEY IS NOW OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY APRIL 11th Dear Cabot Families, The PTO feels strongly that there are 2 issues about which we need to hear from YOU! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 The first issue concerns the potentially dangerous traffic congestion that exists outside school at drop-off and pick-up times. Our concern is that one of our children may get seriously hurt as cars as try to negotiate the too crowded streets. Leaving things as they are is not safe for our children. Working with city and elected officials, Dr. Quarcoo, the Cabot School Council and the Cabot PTO will devise a new traffic plan for the Fall 2007 to ensure that our children are safe and that is operationally feasible given the many logistical constraints facing our school. This is your chance to help influence what that plan will be! The second issue concerns how the PTO raises funds. First, we would like to acknowledge that the Cabot community has been very generous and this year is expected to raise nearly $55,000. We want to learn how you feel about our current fundraisers and get feedback on some suggestions. How you respond will be incorporated into the PTO planning and budget which is voted upon at the last PTO meeting of the year on June 12th at 8:40am. So please take the time to complete this survey in full to ensure your voice and opinions are counted. It shouldn't take very much time and is easy to complete. The survey will be open online NOW until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. After that time the responses will be collected and the PTO will provide a summary of results to the community. If you do not have access to a computer and wish to complete a paper copy please take an available copy from the PTO bulletin board or leave a request for one in the PTO mailbox so that you too can complete the survey before the deadline. A reminder flyer will be coming home in backpacks today! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration. Jo Doherty PTO Co-President 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net And Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO Co-President 617-244-1821 marykathf at aol.com Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070404/91b637a1/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Mon Apr 9 07:09:24 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 07:09:24 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot PTO Survey Reminder Message-ID: <001801c77a97$87f72580$6501a8c0@Jo> REMINDER: THE PTO SURVEY IS NOW OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY APRIL 11th Dear Cabot Families, The PTO feels strongly that there are 2 issues about which we need to hear from YOU! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 The first issue concerns the potentially dangerous traffic congestion that exists outside school at drop-off and pick-up times. Our concern is that one of our children may get seriously hurt as cars as try to negotiate the too crowded streets. Leaving things as they are is not safe for our children. Working with city and elected officials, Dr. Quarcoo, the Cabot School Council and the Cabot PTO will devise a new traffic plan for the Fall 2007 to ensure that our children are safe and that is operationally feasible given the many logistical constraints facing our school. This is your chance to help influence what that plan will be! The second issue concerns how the PTO raises funds. First, we would like to acknowledge that the Cabot community has been very generous and this year is expected to raise nearly $55,000. We want to learn how you feel about our current fundraisers and get feedback on some suggestions. How you respond will be incorporated into the PTO planning and budget which is voted upon at the last PTO meeting of the year on June 12th at 8:40am. So please take the time to complete this survey in full to ensure your voice and opinions are counted. It shouldn't take very much time and is easy to complete. The survey will be open online NOW until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. After that time the responses will be collected and the PTO will provide a summary of results to the community. If you do not have access to a computer and wish to complete a paper copy please take an available copy from the PTO bulletin board or leave a request for one in the PTO mailbox so that you too can complete the survey before the deadline. A reminder flyer will be coming home in backpacks today! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 We thank you in advance for your time and thoughtful consideration. Jo Doherty PTO Co-President 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net And Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO Co-President 617-244-1821 marykathf at aol.com Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070409/54b31567/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Mon Apr 9 07:09:47 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 07:09:47 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] We need YOUR Help to clean up Cabot! Message-ID: <001d01c77a97$9628b8d0$6501a8c0@Jo> Dear Cabot Families, On Saturday April 28th and Sunday April 29th we are hoping to clean up Cabot, inside and out. You don't need me to tell you how much could be done!!! This is the only weekend in the year we are allowed by School authorities to come into school and do improvements. So obviously we want to tackle as many projects as possible. How many we can do depend upon you and your family! Our thanks go those families who have already volunteered. However, we so far only 10% of our total families at Cabot have stepped forward. We need more of YOU! Outside projects include spreading mulch, planting and general clean-up of the playground and outside areas around the school. Inside projects are specific teacher requests: for example - - repainting bookshelves in Ms. Milhams classroom - repainting the benches outside Mr. Millers classroom - cleaning tables, chairs & cubbies and cleaning up art supplies in Ms. Cains classroom - painting a large bulletin board in Mr. Ripps classroom - reorganizing the classroom library by genres, and putting up reading strategy and number posters on the wall in Mr. Tirrells classroom - cleaning the gym mats for Ms. Bennett - painting in the literacy center for Ms. Nelson and Ms. Dinsmore. In addition, we would love to give the Cabot bathrooms a make-over like the 3rd floor boys bathroom got last year! So if you think the bathroom your child uses at school deserves painting then come and help us. We will only paint those bathrooms if we have sufficient volunteers from the grades on that floor. So why not recruit some buddies and volunteer now! With your help we can do these jobs! There are 3 time slots available: Saturday from 9am-12:30pm and 1-4pm & on Sunday 9:30am to noon. WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU NOW!! Please email Jo Doherty at jcdoherty11 at comcast.net or Mary Kathryn Fallon at marykathf at aol.com Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070409/416bc678/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Apr 10 10:27:01 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:27:01 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 10TH Message-ID: <004801c77b7c$4e3dc2a0$6501a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, APRIL 10TH 2007 Calendar April 10, 2007 Invention Invasion, 5:30-7 PM April 16 to April 20, 2006 Spring Vacation, NO SCHOOL April 23, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM April 24, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Science Discovery Museum 9:00AM April 24, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM April 24, 2007 6:30pm Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Mona Lisa & Donald Neville's Home April 25, 2007 CASP Annual Meeting & Coffee 5:00 PM April 28, 2007 Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot April 29, 2007 Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot May 1, 2007 Grade 5 Parent Coffee with Bigelow & Day Principals at Cabot, 8:30-9:30AM May 2, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5 Wingmasters Eyes on Owls May 3, 2007 Parent to Parent Chat at Bigelow, 7:30 - 9:00PM May 5, 2007 Cabot Fair 10:00 - 3:00 PM May 8, 2007 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon May 8, 2007 School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM PTO Committees POSITIONS FOR NEXT YEAR The PTO needs you! That's right, we are trying to fill positions for next year - we know you have hidden talents and whether you have a little or a lot of time; actually who are we kidding, no one has a lot of time, but we'll take what we can get and we can use your help! Here are just a few of the positions open: * PTO Co-President * Advertising Committee * Photography Coordinator * Program Enrichment Coordinator * Public Relations * Room Captains (K-2 & 3-5) * Social Action Committee Coordinator * Understanding our Differences * Webmaster (Co-chair with existing) Check out our web site, www.cabotpto.org for a full list of committees. There is room in almost any committee for more members, so if you see something that interests you, contact the committee chair for more information! School Council Nominations - 3 positions are available! Nominations for three parent representative positions are now open. Each newly elected parent member will serve a two-year term of office. The Cabot School Council meets 8 times during the school year and members are expected to attend 80% of the meetings. Frequently subcommittees are formed to research and provide recommendations about a variety of school improvement issues. If you would like your name to appear on the ballot, or to nominate someone, please: 1. Write a brief statement (100 words or less) that includes a biographical sketch (employment, family, etc), number of years you have been a Cabot parent, grade levels of your children and why you wish to be a School Council representative. Along with your statement, please include your name, telephone number and e-mail address. If possible, please write your statement in Microsoft Word and send it as an e-mail attachment, along with a digital photo, to Liz Haas at haas.joffe at rcn.com . 2. If you are unable to submit electronically, please put your statement, and a small photo, in an envelope addressed to Liz Haas and put it in the PTO mailbox in the school office. 3. Nominations must be submitted by Friday, April 27th. An information packet about School Council will be sent to all nominees. The biographical statements submitted by the nominees will be published in the Jabberwock during the month of May. If there are more than three candidates, there will be an election. Details regarding the election process will be published in early May, if one is needed. The new School Council members will be announced in the Jabberwock at the end of the process. You may also contact any of the following parents who are the Current School Council Parent Representatives: Term expiring June 2007: Jack Sarid (617 332-0974), Greg Smith (617 332-9633) Term expiring June 2008: Liz Haas (617 969-5008), Lesley Roberts (617-630-1838), Janet Hart (617-332-5411) PTO Co-Presidents (ex-officio members of School Council): Mary Kathryn Fallon (617-244-1821) and Jo Doherty (617-332-1530). Cabot's 4TH GRADE SELLS ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS! Your orders need to be returned to school by April 12th! So don't miss out on the opportunity to buy these energy efficient light bulbs at fraction of their retail cost. All proceeds generated will be donated to an environmentally friendly cause. The order form is on the bottom of the flyer your child brought home recently in his/her backpack. Support the 4th grades effort to be environmental ambassadors and help protect our environment! SELL CABOT FAIR RAFFLE TICKETS Packets of raffle tickets should have come home by now in backpacks for students to sell for this year's Cabot Fair. By selling Cabot Fair raffle tickets you can win great prizes while raising money for Cabot School. SELL. SELL. SELL! YARD SALE AT CABOT FAIR! This year there will be a Yard Sale at the Fair - We will be selling kids toys, books and videos, and small housewares (no furniture or large items). Items should be in good condition and have all pieces/parts. DO YOU HAVE THINGS TO DONATE? If you do please send a quick email to Deb Klein Deb.Klein at ApproachGroup.com and give her a rough idea of what you might bring (e.g a box of kids books, or 2 toddler toys) so that we can have enough space for your things at the Sale. Love to cook? Delicious food needed for Staff Appreciation Luncheon on May 8! Let's show our gratitude for all of the effort Cabot's teachers and staff make on our children's behalf. Lend a hand with the PTO's Staff Appreciation Luncheon, scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, at 12:45 p.m. If you can help with food (8-10 servings of a homemade dish), set up, or clean up, please contact Sally Brickell (Acknowledgment Committee) at brickland6 at rcn.com or 617-527-5438. The Cabot Fair is May 5 - Half the fun is volunteering! In the next month you will be receiving a call from a room parent, asking you to volunteer for one or more time slots at the Cabot Fair. But why wait! Early-bird volunteers help out our planning enormously. Choose your preferred time slot: 9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:30, 12:30-2:00, or 2:00-3:30.and contact Volunteer Central at politicalresources at hotmail.com or call at (617) 527-4188 Cabot PTO Survey A final reminder - the PTO survey about traffic congestion and fundraising is open online until Wednesday, April 11th at midnight. After that time the responses will be collected and the PTO will provide a summary of results to the community. If you do not have access to a computer and wish to complete a paper copy please take an available copy from the PTO bulletin board or leave a request for one in the PTO mailbox. Our thanks go to Mie-Yun Lee for her technical talent in making this survey go live! Click on this link for the survey http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=733013583373 Modern Dads: How Men's Lives are changing & Why It Matters to Families Project Interface and the Newton PTO Council present a seminar by John Badalament on April 11th 7:30-9pm at the Newton Cultural Center Auditorium at 225 Nevada Street, Newton. This seminar will present research about how fathers impact their children's lives academically, cognitively & emotionally, describe the "5 practices of a Modern Dad" and how women and mothers can support and challenge fathers & father figures to use these practices, and much more. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070410/843750ed/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Wed Apr 11 13:23:42 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:23:42 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Modern Dads Seminar Tonight! Message-ID: <8C94A75494F48D0-11DC-71F3@WEBMAIL-RC21.sysops.aol.com> Project INTERFACE and the Newton PTO Council present: John Badalament Modern Dads: How Men?s Lives Are Changing and Why It Matters to Families April 11 7:30-9:00pm Newton Cultural Center Auditorium 225 Nevada Street, Newton Drawing on his work with thousands of dads across America and abroad, his cutting-edge research and scenes from his documentary films, John Badalament will present both a snapshot of fatherhood today and a call to action for men and women. His presentation will: Describe ?The 5 Practices of a Modern Dad? (Understanding his legacy, Connecting emotionally, Showing up physically, Engaging in youth culture, and Challenging stereotypical manhood) Review the current research about how fathers impact boys? and girls? lives academically, cognitively, and emotionally. Teach practical relationship skills so men can deepen their relationships with their children and those they love. Show what women/mothers can do to support and challenge fathers & father-figures to use ?The 5 Practices of a Modern Dad.? Provide insight into pressing issues facing families, such as coping with media influence and balancing work/family. Describe the importance of dads? involvement in schools beyond attending sports events. John Badalament, Ed.M., lectures internationally. His documentary film, All Men Are Sons, aired nationally on PBS. John is a graduate of Harvard?s Graduate School of Education. He is currently writing a book about fatherhood. For more info, see www.johnbadalament.com. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070411/2e2111e6/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed Apr 11 16:13:23 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 16:13:23 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Guest Commentary from Newton parents in this week's TAB Message-ID: <002001c77c75$dc12dcb0$6501a8c0@Jo> Do you receive a copy of the TAB? Well make sure that you read the Guest Commentary on page 15 written by Newton parents Lisa Mirabile and Sue Flicop. The commentary provides a cohesive and well argued case as to why the State should give more education aid to cities like Newton. Do you know that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts contributes 38.9% of the public education spending (K-12) in the State, placing it 44th in the nation for state education funding? Whether you agree or disagree this commentary provides a lot of salient information that is worth while reading. And if you believe that the state funding of education needs to be improved consider attending the Stand For Children rally on Boston Common on April 25th. Visit www.stand.org for more details. By the way in addition to being Newton residents and parents of Newton students, Lisa and Sue are the current chairs of the coalition of Newton school PTO organizations called the "Newton PTO Council". Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070411/813307bc/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Apr 24 07:14:30 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:14:30 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] (no subject) Message-ID: <002a01c78661$bb2a4dd0$6501a8c0@Jo> The Cabot PTO has been asked to send this out to the Cabot community by Dr. Quarcoo, Cabot Prinicipal: Dear Cabot Community, The events at Virginia Tech last week have touched our lives as a nation.I want to share some insights to help you think about how you handle discussions or reactions from your children in the days and weeks ahead. In the wake of this most recent tragedy, children and adults alike may have heightened concerns about a basic sense of safety and security. A child's response to traumatic events is shaped by their age, developmental level, temperament, prior experiences of loss or trauma and the reactions of the adults around them. School-aged children may raise concerns about their own safety and the safety of family members and friends, and express feelings of fear, anxiety, sadness, and anger. Parents play a critical role in supporting their children in feeling a general sense of safety in their community and world. As a school we have informed all staff and faculty of our expectations in handling comments that may come from children. We do not initiate conversations about these debilitating events but we must be prepared to respond as some children react to information they may have obtained. As a rule, teachers are instructed to be developmentally appropriate by acknowledging sadness. They are encouraged to use phrases like: yes, that was sad and this is something you and I can talk about together. We also offer them the services of our support staff if children need to talk or seem preoccupied with the event. We will inform a family if your child has been spoken to by Dr Keough or Ms. Kass. We always want children to feel that they can bring their concerns and worries to school but we also want to maintain a climate in the school and each instructional area that is respectful of young children and their needs. Dr Keough, school psychologist has prepared the following suggestions for helping children cope with tragic events are adapted from the National Association of School Psychologists fact sheet on Promoting Resiliency in Your Child: A Tip Sheet for Parents and from Dr. Diane Levin's Teaching Young Children in Violent Times: Building a Peaceable Classroom (2nd Ed.) Be calm and supportive-Children will typically become more upset and worried as the adults around them are upset and worried. Parents can give children a safe space to share their feelings and suggest strategies that have their children feel better in the past to cope with stress. Offer realistic reassurances-Help children understand that adults in their community and in the world are working hard to make things safe. Be prepared to answer questions-If questions arise, share factual information that is appropriate for your child's developmental level and take time to think about how you want to frame these events. Young children's thinking tends to be concrete and egocentric so they may mostly focus on their personal safety, while older children are beginning to make broader connections about events and their world. Follow your child's lead in discussing these events and clarify misconceptions as needed. Limit Media Exposure/TV Viewing-This is especially important for younger children and some children may cope better by completing avoiding these reports. Be on the lookout for signs of stress- Changes in behavior such as increased aggression or withdrawal, difficulty separating or sleeping, or troubles at transition times are all signs that additional supports are needed. Protecting children from violent media images, maintaining routines, providing reassurance and extra hugs can help children regain equilibrium. Some additional resources about Helping Children Cope with Violence and National Tragedy: www.aacap.org -American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry www.nasponline.org-Website for the National Association for School Psychologists Ms Gerson, the librarian also can be a resource if you want books or literature for yourself. As always the school is a place of support for families. In these times, we have learned to increase our capacity to be helpful. Please keep in mind that a school crisis team exists. I am confident that we can maintain an environment that focuses on learning and healthy development for all children. Please contact me or Dr.Keough or Ms Kass should you need some help! Sincerely, Marilynne Smith Quarcoo, Ph. D. Principal Cabot School 229 Cabot Street Newtonville, Massachusetts 02460 marilynne_quarcoo at newton.k12.ma.us Tel: 617.559.9400 Fax: 617.552.5584 Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070424/ef2a932e/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Apr 24 07:48:03 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 07:48:03 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT JABBERWOCK Tuesday, April 24th 2007 Message-ID: <004a01c78666$6b0d04f0$6501a8c0@Jo> Text Box: Cabot School e-Jabberwock Respect for self and others Lifelong learning Commitment to school and community Issue 7 April 24, 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.mec.edu/cabot/ Cabot School PTO www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools www.newtonpublicschools.com Calendar April 24, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Science Discovery Museum 9:00AM April 24, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM April 24, 2007 6:30pm Neighborhood Meeting with Dr. Quarcoo - Mona Lisa & Donald Neville's Home April 25, 2007 CASP Annual Meeting & Coffee House 5:30 - 7:30PM April 28, 2007 Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot 9-12:30 or 1-4 April 29, 2007 Newton Serves! A Weekend of Community Service at Cabot 9:30-12 noon May 1, 2007 Grade 5 Parent Coffee with Bigelow & Day Principals at Cabot, 8:30-9:30AM May 2, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5 Wingmasters Eyes on Owls May 3, 2007 Parent to Parent Chat at Bigelow, 7:30 - 9:00PM May 5, 2007 Cabot Fair 10:00 - 3:00 PM May 8, 2007 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon May 8, 2007 School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM May 9, 2007 All-City Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM May 9, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1, Honey Bees 9:00AM May 10, 2007 Spring Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM May 10, 2007 May 10, 2007 Understanding our Differences, Grade 3, 1:00 - 2:45 PM Cabot Early Release day, 12:30 Marilynne?s Message Placement Process and Changes for Parents As we approach May, some of the attention of the faculty turns to next year. We recently received our allocation of twenty-two classroom teaching positions. Most of you are probably aware that we will be adding two additional modular classrooms to the school to accommodate the anticipated student enrollment. We anticipate that our enrollment will be close to 441 students in September. We just keep growing larger! Last year, we made a change in the notification process to parents. Class list will be distributed after school is out based on a timetable confirmed by Superintendent Jeff Young in consultation w the Newton School Committee. Parents sometimes feel the need to share information to assist in the complex process of placement. Most parents do not need to write letters but if you choose to provide written information about your child or family, please follow the prescribed guidelines. This year a form will be provided in the BLUE SHEET. All submissions MUST be made on this form. The form will be made available in your child?s backpack on Thursday, April 26th. Many schools now use this form and I believe this format makes any information submitted by parents more consistent and focused on information that may help inform the process. If you submit a letter in another format or reference teacher preference or concern, the letter will not be included in our grade level deliberations and will be returned to you. Any digression from these guidelines only interferes with our ability to make equitable decisions about each child?s placement. If you do not follow these guidelines your submission will not be considered. Most parents have regular ongoing contact with the teacher and this relationship works to ensure that the most current knowledge about your child and their needs is brought to the attention of all involved in the placement process. Please keep in mind that it is not possible for me to schedule meetings with parents and guardians regarding placement. The May parent/teacher conferences are designed primarily for the teacher to share information about your child?s progress in preparation for the final progress report. Please use that meeting to gather information about your child?s progress in meeting grade level benchmarks. The faculty and I thoughtfully review all the information we have about all students during each grade level placement meeting. Please do not put highly confidential information on the form that cannot be shared during our meetings. Teachers will start this important work in mid to late May through early June. It is a time consuming process and we appreciate your respect for our need to be fair to all children?s needs Requests for friendships are considered but are not guaranteed. In some cases, these groupings interfere in establishing optimum learning conditions. At all grades, our goal is to create an environment where all children learn to develop positive and constructive interpersonal skills and relationships with their peers while maintaining optimum learning conditions. Please note if after receiving a letter I feel a conversation is necessary, I will contact you. It is extremely important for parents who choose to complete this form, to do so by the May 7th. PTO Pen We hope this week that you are able to return to school invigorated after the Spring Break vacation! The glorious weather that welcomed us back to school reminds us that spring is around the corner. There are always lots of great events and happenings at Cabot to enjoy from now until the end of the school year. The Cabot Fair, Clean up Cabot, Teacher Appreciation lunch and Color Day to name just a few. And of course, these great occasions could not happen without YOU! So our thanks to those who have already stepped forward to volunteer at one, some or all. To those who might not have had the opportunity to do so we say come and join us! Take a look at our emails for information on where & when help is needed. Everyone giving just a little of their time makes these events memorable and something for all our children to enjoy! The recent Book Fair was a great reminder of how important and special reading is to all of us. This year?s event celebrated reading and story-telling using some in-house talents. Our thanks go to Lisa Porter and Lani Gerson who organized this enjoyable evening. We also look forward to seeing many of you this weekend as we work to clean up as much of our school as we can. So if you are available come on down to Cabot and join us! And finally we appreciate all of you who took the time to complete the online traffic and fundraising survey. We hope to be in a position to provide you with a summary of results sometime next week. Enjoy the weather while it lasts! Jo Doherty PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President Recent Events at cabot Fifth Grade Family Fun Night was a Success On Friday, March 24, fifth grade parents and kids got together at the Hyde Center for games, dancing, snacks and a raffle with Cabot grad and DJ, Russell Kaplan. Huge thanks for coordinating this "Fifth Grade Family Fun Night" go to planner extraordinaire, Robin Neiterman, with help from Sandy Simpson, Sarah Hemphill, Martha Hincks, Lisa Barry, Adam Puritz, Molly Ezzell & Katy Jablon. Thanks one and all - Lory, Judy, Edye & Donnalyn Cabot Book Fair Cabot school enjoyed a great book fair. It took many hands during the week to make the fair a success. Thank you to Kate Johnson for gathering a terrific group of volunteers including Jennifer Roberts, Julia Hardy, Alice Cunningham, Daphne Potter, Kelly Phillips, Sarah Ecker, Janet Lin, Andrea Plotkin, Chris Kjellson, Joanne Gatnick, Michelle Markert, Julie Bourgoin. Special thanks to Kate Johnson, Suzy Enyeart, Alice Cunningham and Janet Hart for their efforts in planning and organizing "Bedtime at the Book Fair, " the evening event. Raffle prizes were generously donated by the Dreese family. Guest readers made the book reading portion of the night complete. Thanks to Lynda Cain, Marilynne Quarcoo, Lisa Carbone, Eileen Morrison, Erin Delaney, and Ruy Cardoso for lending their time and voices. Thanks to all the fifth grade students who read stories in the library. You really added a nice touch to the book fair this year. Most importantly, a huge thank you goes out to our Cabot Librarian, Lani Gerson for her commitment and dedication to making the book fair a special and wonderful event. Happy reading, Lisa Porter Book Fair Chair Upcoming Events at cabot Cabot Fair Clean up Cabot for Newton Serves On Saturday, May 5th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, the Cabot Fair will be held at Cabot School at 229 Cabot Street in Newtonville. There will be Live Jazz, a Raffle, a Silent Auction, Spring Plants, a Moon Walk, games, food and much more. The event will occur rain or shine. Please volunteer if you haven?t already- we need more volunteers to run these fun stations to make it a day to remember! Contact Emily Hess at politicalresources at hotmail.com CABOT FAIR RAFFLE is fast approaching. We are still looking for prize donations from friends and families in our Cabot Community. If you have any goods or services you would like to donate, please contact Kate Johnson at kate at textreviews.com. Visit www.studymaker.com/raffle to see all the Cabot Fair Raffle prizes. Don?t forget this weekend we are cleaning up Cabot inside and out! Thanks to all of you who have volunteered so far. We have lots to do and have room for more volunteers. Let either Mary Kathryn Fallon or Jo Doherty know if you are available to help on Saturday April 28th from 9am- 12:30 or 1-4pm or on Sunday, April 29th 9:30am - noon. Volunteers Needed Staff Appreciation Lunch, May 8th Love to cook? Delicious food needed for Staff Appreciation Luncheon! Let?s show our gratitude for all of the effort Cabot?s teachers and staff make on our children?s behalf. Lend a hand with the PTO?s Staff Appreciation Luncheon, scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, at 12:45 p.m. If you can help with food (8-10 servings of a homemade dish), set up, or clean up, please contact Sally Brickell (Acknowledgment Committee) at brickland6 at rcn.com or 617-527-5438. PTO Position Vacancies for Next Year The PTO needs you! That?s right, we are trying to fill positions for next year - we know you have hidden talents and whether you have a little or a lot of time; actually who are we kidding, no one has a lot of time, but we? ll take what we can get and we can use your help! Here are just a few of the positions open: ? PTO Co-President ? Advertising Committee - more members needed ? Photography Coordinator ? Program Enrichment Coordinator ? Public Relations ? Room Captain for K-2 ? Social Action Committee Coordinator ? Understanding our Differences ? Webmaster (Co-chair with existing) Check out our web site, www.cabotpto.org for a full list of committees. There is room in almost any committee for more members, so if you see something that interests you, contact the committee chair for more information! School Council Nominations As part of the Education Reform Act of 1993, School Councils were mandated for each school across the Commonwealth. The Council offers a way for parents, teachers, and community members to work together in an advisory capacity to the Principal to identify educational needs, set educational goals, review the school building budget, and prepare the school improvement plan. The Council consists of the Principal, up to two appointed community members who are not Cabot School parents, and an equal number of teachers and parents, representing our diverse school community. The parent representatives are elected by Cabot parents. Nominations for three parent representative positions are now open. Each newly elected parent member will serve a two-year term of office. The Cabot School Council meets usually Monday evenings 5-7pm, 8 times during the school year and members are expected to attend 80% of the meetings. Frequently subcommittees are formed to research and provide recommendations about a variety of school improvement issues. CABOT BROADCAST REGISTRATION FOR THE 2007-2008 SCHOOL YEAR Children who will be 5-years-old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter kindergarten in the Newton Public Schools in September 2007. Students who will be 6-years old on or before August 31, 2007 are eligible to enter grade one. Please share this information with anyone with in your neighborhood. We encourage all residents who anticipate enrolling a child in kindergarten or any grade for next school year to contact the school now at 617.559.9400. Mrs. Driscoll, our school secretary will answer your questions and provide all the necessary documents and requirements for school enrollment. PLANS FOR 2007- 2008 Do you anticipate any changes for next school year? If you have a move to a new home in Newton or elsewhere, please contact Mrs. Driscoll at 617.559.9400 immediately. We will keep your information confidential until early Spring and will only use this information to help predict our classroom needs for next year. Understanding Our Differences Curriculum The Understanding Our Differences program team is interested in getting input from parents of children with disabilities and/or chronic medical conditions to learn what they think is important to address. Their goal is to help create an accepting and understanding community for all people. Anyone interested should contact Beth Mendel by email at beth_mendel at newton. k12.ma.us or phone 617-332-5951. School Lunch Program Correction- The credit amount for the February snow day should have been $3. 25. Apologizes the actual amount credited to students who ordered lunch that day was $3.00 Pre-paid school lunches We encourage all parents to prepay as much in advance as they would like. Next year we will be offering discounts on parents who pay for half or a full year in advance. On-line ordering procedures Step 1- E-mail K5foodmenu at newton.k12.ma.us to set up your account. Step 2 - When you E-mail us please give us your child/ren's names, school and I.D. number (listed on the menu) and we'll send you your account information along with the easy instructions to get you started. Step 3- After you have your account just log onto www.mykidsspending.com. Step 4- Once you are logged on you will then be able to not only order on-line, you may also view your child's activity as well as credit information. On-line orders received before 12 noon on Wednesdays may begin service the following Monday. You may always order anytime during the month for the month. If your child's menu is received after the cut-off date we will do our best to provide your child's preferred selection. If it is not available, we reserve the right to offer an alternate choice. If you have questions regarding our policy, please do not hesitate to call us. 617-559-6315 Library Fourth, fifth and sixth grade children from throughout Massachusetts voted for their favorite book from a master list of twenty-five eligible books. The 2007 MCBA Winner is The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo and the honor books are The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau, Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko, Among the Betrayed by Margaret Peterson Haddix and Thunder From the Sea by Joan Ferris. Fifty Cabot 4th and 5th grade students fully participated in the program, reading at least five of the eligible books from the list. The winner of the Cabot vote was The City of Ember by Duprau with Al Capone Does My Shirts by Choldenko and Thunder from the Sea by Ferris tying for second place. Congratulations to all students who participated in this annual reading program! It is interesting to note that The City of Ember is science fiction with a definite environmental sensibility and Al Capone Does My Shirts and Thunder from the Sea are historical fiction. Could it be that Cabot students are branching out from the always-popular fantasy reading!? >From the Nurse As a state-mandated assessment of physical growth and development, the Newton Public Schools measure height and weight for students in Kindergarten and grades 1, 3, and 4, 7 and 9. These measurements are used to calculate body mass index (BMI) and a BMI percentile based on age and gender. BMI is a screening tool that provides a guideline for determining whether a child is underweight, overweight, at risk of overweight or at a healthy weight. The growth exam screening has been done on grades K, 1, 3, and 4. If you would like to see your child's results or receive additional information and resources, please contact me at 617- 559- 9404. Karen Kerrigan, R.N. School Nurse Cabot Core Values How can we bring Cabot School?s core values * Life-long learners * Respect for self and others * Commitment to school and community to life for students and their families and for faculty and staff? How can we consistently make these values part of the way we in the Cabot community conduct ourselves? At Dr. Quarcoo?s request, a committee of parents and faculty has met several times to discuss these questions. The faculty is planning an all-school assembly focused on the core values in May. Students will discuss the core values in their classrooms both this spring and next fall. We also thought it would be helpful to write about the core values in the remaining Jabberwocks of this year. We?ll begin here with Cabot?s first core value, which reads as follows: The Cabot School community seeks to create an environment in which all children become life-long learners by * mastering a core set of tools, concepts, and skills * receiving consistent expectations for excellence and rigor * tackling academic challenges that encourage risk-taking * using critical and reflective thinking processes * understanding the link between effort and achievement * developing the ability to analyze one?s success and effort * understanding the process of learning and various learning styles * experiencing a variety of learning paths and opportunities * celebrating learning We want our children to develop a love of learning and to understand, as they say at Cabot, that we can work hard to get smart. How can we reinforce this value with our children at home? We can talk about what we adults are studying (books we?re reading, training courses at work, committee work, classes we?re taking) and how we?re working to learn the material. When we visit museums or attend concerts, sports events, and the like, we can talk about what we?re learning and what we want to know more about. We can talk about new things we?re interested in learning. We can take our children to the library to pursue areas of interest. Before traveling with children, we can research our destination together. When we do these things, we model life-long learning. If you have thoughts or questions about Cabot?s core values, please speak with any of the parent committee members: Sally Brickell, Jenny Duvall, Lisa Griggs, Tracy Martin, Sandee Simshauser, and Isabelle Thacker. CASP CASP Annual Meeting/Coffee House will be held on Wednesday, April 25 from 5: 30-7:30 P.M. in the Cabot Gym. The Annual Meeting will begin promptly at 5: 30 and it is important to have 65 current families in attendance to make up a quorum. The meeting will focus on the election of next years Board of Directors, whose bio?s are posted on the CASP bulletin Board in addition to voting on questions focusing on longer-term issues: 1) whether CASP should ratify in the form of a written policy its commitment to giving first priority to all currently enrolled children, as has been historic practice; (2) how to cut enrollment in the event of unforeseen circumstances (possibilities include by lottery, as recommended by the space/enrollment committee, by lottery weighted by usage, by 5/4/3/2-day prioritization or by working parents); (3) whether the Board should re-consider different enrollment priorities for working versus non-working parents; and (4) whether the Board should look for off-site space to try to accommodate all children, rather than limiting enrollment. The Coffee House portion of the evening will be held from 6:30-7:30 P.M. A free will donation is suggested at the door. Proceeds from this event will go towards the scholarship fund for 2007-2008. Community News Anti-Bullying Program For Parents Wednesday, May 16, 7:30 - 9 pm at Day Middle School Library Everything you wanted to know about counteracting bullying and teasing?and more! New York Times article reference to Newton North students In an article appearing on April 1st, the pressure girls (specifically) are putting on themselves to achieve was discussed. For details, see the article online at http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/01/us/01girls.html Explore Japan! comes to Newbury College this summer Explore Japan, a FREE two week day camp and exchange program, is coming to Newbury College this summer. In Explore Japan, students learn about the many facets of Japanese culture from July 25 - August 9, 2007 for girls age 8-16. For More information, call 781 828-2800 or enroll online at www.americanlearning.com Hebrew School Openings Available for the 2007 - 2008 School Year Are you looking for a Religious School Program that is committed to engaging children and parents in meaningful Jewish study, and to making Jewish ritual and spirituality come alive? Dorshei Tzedek, a Reconstructionist congregation in West Newton, welcomes you to an Information Session to find out more about our school. The Information Session for families with children entering kindergarten through 2nd grade will be on Saturday, May 5th from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. Families with children entering 3rd through 6th grade can come on either Tuesday, May 8th or Thursday, May 10th from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. The events are at the Dorshei Tzedek Religious School, located at the First Unitarian Society, 1326 Washington Street, West Newton. Questions? Contact Ewa Maniawski Tuschman, Education Director (617) 965-5443 or visit our website at www.dorsheitzedek.org. If you are looking for a good source for (spring) leaf-raking consider Autism Services Association (47 Walnut Street, Wellesley) 781 237 0272 (ask for Drew ext 13). This service employs autistic adults who provide an excellent service. They are supervised (4 workers had 2 supervisors), and only charge $15 per hour, total. They ask for a minimum of 2 hours of work. You just provide the yard bags. Camp All-Star is a co-ed overnight sports camp located on the spectacular campus of the Kents Hill School in Kents Hill, Maine. Girls and boys ages 8 - 15 experience an exciting summer filled with over 25 land and water sports featuring ice hockey, basketball, soccer, tennis and baseball. Camp All-Star offers several flexible sessions: 2, 4, or 6 weeks. Campers customize their own schedules. The campus provides a safe, comfortable, nurturing environment with many amenities, including the impressive $8 million, 50,000 square foot, state-of-the-art Alfond Athletics Center, which provides campers and staff the ultimate sports facility. Campers will live in single-sex dorms, and our camper-to-staff ratio is three-to-one, which makes it possible for children to receive more individual instruction. Other sports and activities include: waterskiing, lacrosse, mountain biking, golf, softball, volleyball, archery, climbing wall, weight training/fitness, flag football, woodworking, arts and crafts, fishing, canoeing, kayaking and recreational lake swimming. Visit us at www.campallstar.com to view our online camp video or call 800.283.3558 for a FREE DVD and Brochure. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 638 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070424/33d3e4cd/attachment-0007.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 673 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070424/33d3e4cd/attachment-0008.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 392 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070424/33d3e4cd/attachment-0009.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 386 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070424/33d3e4cd/attachment-0010.gif From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Apr 24 12:08:42 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2007 12:08:42 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] End of School Year date now set Message-ID: <001e01c7868a$d48a9810$6401a8c0@Jo> For those of you trying to plan for the summer vacations I thought you might like to know that last night the School Committee voted the last day for Newton schools students would be June 20th. Please note this will be a half day! Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070424/77062978/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Thu Apr 26 07:59:11 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2007 07:59:11 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot Fair Raffle Message-ID: <004601c787fa$4d8bcd90$6401a8c0@Jo> Hi Jo and Mary Katharine, Can you send this out to the Cabot Community? Thanks --Julie The Cabot Fair Raffle needs you! Do you have a special talent, skill, product or service to offer? Please consider making a donation to the Cabot Fair Raffle -- it can be a cooking class, a piece of jewelry that you made, an hour of your services, or anything else creative that you can offer! Donations are still being accepted, and this is a great way to advertise your services and give back to the Cabot School at the same time! If you have a donation, please contact a member of the raffle committee or leave your donation (the item or a "gift certificate") in the Cabot Fair mailbox at school. This promises to be one of the best fairs ever -- don't miss your chance to get involved! The Raffle Committee Kate Johnson, Julie Bourgoin, Rachel Leaney, Julie Stonehill Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070426/ce4f1f31/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Fri Apr 27 09:25:51 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Fri, 27 Apr 2007 09:25:51 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] CABOT FAIR NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS!!! Message-ID: <003b01c788cf$93ff2c10$6401a8c0@Jo> Dear Cabot Community, First of all thank you to all those who have already volunteered in some capacity for the Cabot Fair which will be held rain or shine on Saturday, May 5th from 10am -3pm. This is a fantastic family event but one which requires a lot of people from the Cabot community to do their part. All of the fun stations around the fair are manned by volunteers and at present we do not have sufficient to guarantee these stations will be available throughout the Fair. This is really fun thing to do, so please, if you have not yet volunteered take at look at these timeslots and email or call Emily Hess is you can help. Many thanks, We need 6 more volunteers for the 11:00am - 12:30 timeslot We need 19 more volunteers for the 12:30 - 2:00pm timeslot We need 11 more volunteers for the 2:00 - 3:30pm timeslot. Emily Hess at politicalresources at hotmail.com or 617 527 4188 Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070427/8f94273d/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Mon Apr 30 09:12:29 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:12:29 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Fifth Grade Parents Only - Meeting with Middle School Prinicipals - May 1st Message-ID: <003801c78b29$353c1b00$6401a8c0@Jo> Attention all Cabot Fifth Grade Parents Further information about the opportunity to meet with both Middle School Principals on May 1st from 8:30am to 9:30am at Cabot School. Todd Harrison, the Principal of Bigelow, will meet with parents in the Library and Gina Healy the Principal of Day will be available to meet with parents in Room 113 (Mary Emma Robertson's room) Refreshments will be provided. Please would you first go the office to sign in before proceeding to these meetings. Thank you. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070430/060a27e3/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue May 1 16:09:49 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 01 May 2007 16:09:49 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday May 1, 2007 Message-ID: <8C95A43CE295D6A-12D4-1E7A@WEBMAIL-RE19.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, May 1st 2007 This edition contains the following: Upcoming Events: Cabot Fair Staff Appreciation Lunch Cabot Clean-up Day/NewtonServes Classroom Placement Procedures Playground Update Cabot?s 4th grade sells energy efficient light bulbs NSF Big Idea Expo CALENDAR May 1, 2007Grade 5 Parent Coffee with Bigelow & Day Principals at Cabot, 8:30-9:30AM May 2, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5 Wingmasters Eyes on Owls 10:00 - 11:00 May 3, 2007Parent to Parent Chat at Bigelow, 7:30 - 9:00PM May 3, 2007Understanding our Differences, Grade 3, 1:00 - 2:45 PM May 5, 2007Cabot Fair 10:00 ? 3:00 PM May 8, 2007Teacher Appreciation Luncheon May 8, 2007School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM May 9, 2007All-City Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM May 9, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1, Honey Bees 9:00AM May 10, 2007Spring Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM May 10, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 3, Eric Olson- Trees Outside in Field 8:45-9:45AM May 11, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 3, Eric Olson- Trees Inside classrooms 8:45 - 11:45AM May 14, 2007METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM Roxbury May 14, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 15, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 16, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 16, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences- Kindergarten, Wingmasters-Birds of Prey 9:00AM May 17, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 17, 2007Evening meeting for 5th Grade parents at Day Middle School 7:00PM May 17, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences- Grade 2, Ghana with Galeotas 1:00PM May 18, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 UPCOMING EVENTS: Cabot Fair It?s finally here ? the Annual Cabot Fair ? fun for the whole family. Come on out this Saturday, May5th, from 10:00 ? 3:00 and join the Cabot Community. The weather promises to be perfect! Come ride the rides, play fun games, dunk a teacher in the dunk tank, ride the ponies, get your face painted, send a candy gram, win prizes and hang out with friends! Many thanks to Sue Sagan and Laura Dreese, the chairs of the Fair for all their hard work! Raffle Tickets ? Don?t forget to sell you raffle tickets! There are many, many prizes to win for raffle ticket holders and you do not need to be present to win. There are also awesome prizes for the students who sell tickets. Anyone who sells a ticket will have the chance to win a cool bike (have you seen us with it in the mornings?) donated by Farina Bike Shop, a $100 gift certificate to Toys?R?Us and more. Remember, the classroom which sells the most tickets will win a special prize! All tickets need to be returned by 3:00 PM on Friday May 4th. All tickets received after that time will be eligible for the raffle, but not counted toward the contest. Bake Sale - Bring your specialty.. brownies, cookies, cupcakes, muffins, pies, fudge, seven layer bars, breads and more? just remember to wrap your baked goods individually and please avoid nuts, cream cheese, whipped cream or anything perishable. Please call Carolyn Eggert at 617-630-1501 or email at carolyneggert at yahoo.com if you would like to bake. Thanks! Yard Sale - This year there will be a Yard Sale at the Fair - We will be selling toys, books and videos, and small housewares (no furniture or large items). Items should be in good condition and have all pieces/parts. DO YOU HAVE THINGS TO DONATE? If you do please send a quick email to Deb Klein Deb.Klein at ApproachGroup.com and give her a rough idea of what you might bring (e.g a box of kids books, or 2 toddler toys) so that we can have enough space for your things at the Sale. Love to cook? Delicious food needed for Staff Appreciation Luncheon on May 8! Let?s show our gratitude for all of the effort Cabot?s teachers and staff make on our children?s behalf. Lend a hand with the PTO?s Staff Appreciation Luncheon, scheduled for Tuesday, May 8, at 12:45 p.m. If you can help with food (8-10 servings of a homemade dish), set up, or clean up, please contact Sally Brickell (Acknowledgment Committee) at brickland6 at rcn.com or 617-527-5438. Cabot Clean-Up Day Have you noticed some changes at Cabot School this week? We hope so, because over 140 people rolled up their sleeves to pitch in and Clean-up Cabot! Jo & I would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to each and every one of you for your efforts. We can't even begin to express our gratitude for all your hard work. Cabot School was cleaned-up big time! Here is a sample of projects completed: Cleaned & painted the 3rd floor, 2nd floor, and 1st floor girl?s bathrooms; cleaned & painted the 2nd floor and 1st floor boy?s bathrooms; cleaned (actually scrubbed) both K bathrooms and faculty bathrooms; wiped down the chairs, tables and cubbie in Mrs. Cain?s room; sanded and painted the benches outside Mr. Miller?s classroom; painted the large bulletin board in Mr. Ripp?s bathroom; organized Mr. Tirrell?s library by genre and put up a number line and a 100 chart in his room; sanded and painted 2 bookshelves and hung shelves in Ms. Milham?s room; we cleaned the gym mats as requested by Ms. Bennett; we painted the wall enclosure around the new wall in the literacy center for Ms. Nelson; we planed the doors and fixed them so they would shut; we hung shelves in the learning center for Ms. Sayre and the nurses? office for Ms. Kerrigan; we moved a counter from the Learning Center to the teacher?s lounge; we fixed the cement steps outside the K wing; we put in doors stop, and fixed a faucet, we planted, weeded and mulched. We were thrilled with the amount of volunteers and the level of work. No matter what we asked you to do, no matter how dirty the job, we received a 'sure, no problem'. Thank you. We appreciate EVERYONE'S help, but must recognize a few individuals who went above and beyond: Thank you to Jim Robertson for helping us determine what supplies we needed, donating all the supplies and for coordinating the deliveries. Thank you to Martin Buckton, our foreman for the day, who's skill and expertise completed many jobs which were far beyond our capabilities, including fixing the cement steps outside the K-wing, hanging shelves, replacing broken screens and helping direct the 'big jobs'. Thanks to Jack McQuade, Joel Lerher and Mark Nardone for their expertise fixing doors, hanging shelves, installing door stops and other jobs. Thank you to Mark Geffen - a new member of Cabot Community, who rolled up his sleeves on both days to hang shelves, put up a counter in the teachers lounge, help Martin with the larger jobs and painting. Thank you to Portia Reece and Tyriq Franklin-Reece who stayed for the entire day and cleaned and painted the 2nd floor boys bathroom. Thank you to Anya Bassett who organized the outdoor portion of NewtonServes and to Margaret Wazuka for going out and purchasing all the plants. We are in gratitude to all those listed below for their help. We are also grateful to all the families who shared their spouses, children, sisters and brothers with us this weekend Shara Lewis, Flip, Annika, Zack and Llana Ruben, Lynn Modell, Deb Klein, Seth Rafal, Mimi and Lily Pantuhova, KB and Sophie Spector , Gail Harris, Stephen and Emmie Grody, Ana Hoffman, Bruce and Greg Brumberg and Karen Alexrod, Portia Reece and Tyriq Franklin Reece, Anat, Gil, Tonaton and Nimrode Ben-Menachem and their little sister, Chris Campbell, Lori, Bill, Brian & Kevin Seuch, Brett Leav, Martin and Colin Buckton, Jack McQuade, Mark, Bella and Chris Nardone, Joel and Jacob Lehrer, Amit, Lilach, Omer and Adee Nisenbaum, Jina, Freddy and Libby Pierce, Joy Cline-Phinney, Chip, Lauren and Lincoln Phinney, Martha Hadeler, Kim Spencer, Tera Hirsh, Sarah & Alex Hoffman, Judy McMorrow, Rick, Elizabeth and Anna Reilly, Charlotte Chen, Liz Natale, Sarah & Emily Ecker, Pam Jones, Ken & James Rothwell, Laura, MacKenzie and Christopher Dreese, Ellen & John Sumner, Sue Finegan and Mark, Connor and Jack Vasu, Stephanie Seminara and her daughter, Kim & Abby Rowe, Cheryl and Annie Lubin, Elizabeth Bankson, Jeff, Haberly and Julielle Kahn, Mark Geffen, Kate Dulit and Naomi Dulit-Greenberg, Natalie Ferry, Ilana & Yael Soran, Ann & Maya Manaktala, Sarah Hemphill & Ruby Mayer, Katy Fallon, Ellen Taylor and Ron & Aliza Schachter, Liz Haas, Steve, Sonya & Elijah Joffe, Lisa Carbone , Karen, Jake & Andrea Jauregui, Chris Kjellson and Maren Gunning, Steve Craine & Ilana Skvirsky, Amy & Orenna Brand, Rose & Gabriella Coppola-Flynn, Jonathan, Anya, Ben & Sarah Bassett, Stuart & Kenneth Schechter, Leslie Warner & Sam Jefferson, Janet Lin, Liz Leher, Sharon Dwyer, Rich Campbell, Lisa, Evan, Ben & Anna Porter, Stephen, Nicholas and Katherine Bart, Janet & Natalie Hart, Isabelle, Strom, Matthew, Caroline and Willie Thacker >From Newton North - Math teacher (& Former Cabot PTO Co-President) Audrey Prager and students Kathy LeYung, Sarah Goodman, Semira Auzadzor, Eric Sellke, Simon Kurash, Jesse Appell Classroom Placement Procedures Please refer to the Principal?s Blue Sheet sent home last week regarding classroom placement procedures. Parents sometimes feel the need to share information to assist in the complex process of placement. If you would like to do this, you MUST use the form provided on the blue sheet. If you need an additional copy of the blue sheet, please ask Mrs. Driscoll in the office. Playground Update ? A work order has been submitted to the City to repair the broken support beam on the slide. We have been in contact with the City and will keep you updated on the repair! Thanks for your patience. Save the Date ? Have you been thinking about sending your children to Cabot on the bus, (and reducing traffic congestion at the same time)? Well, Friday May 18th will be ?Ride the Bus Day? for all eligible students. If you live outside of the 1 mile radius around Cabot School your child is eligible to take the bus at no charge. More information to follow! 4TH GRADE SALE OF ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS Our 4th Grade students sold approximately $1,600 worth of energy efficient light bulbs. Thanks to the 4th Grade for making a difference and learning about how to protect our environment. All proceeds generated will be donated to an environmentally friendly cause. What?s The Big Idea Expo Sponsored by the Newton Schools Foundation Tuesday May 8, 2007 4:30 ? 7:30 PM Newton South High School Cafeteria This is a new event that Newton Schools Foundation (NSF) is sponsoring. NSF raises money for our public school system as a whole and uses the money to provide grants to Newton teachers who are creating innovative programs for our students. Some of the teachers at Cabot have received and used such grants. The expo will give attendees a fun chance to see how donors? money is being used and what new projects teachers and students are working on. The expo will take place in the Newton South High School cafeteria on Tuesday, May 8, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070501/0253ce85/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed May 2 13:31:15 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 2 May 2007 13:31:15 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot PTO Update Message-ID: <007c01c78cdf$aff6c810$6401a8c0@Jo> Farina's Bicycle Fundraiser for Cabot School from May 1st to May 10th Have you sent the flyer sent home recently about the fundraiser Farina Bicycles are holding from May 1st to May 10th? If anyone in your family needs a bike or accessories then please consider visiting Farina's Bicycle Center at 61 Galen Street on the Newton Corner/Watertown line. www.farinas.com or 617 929 1717. Just mention Cabot School when you make your purchases* and Farinas will generously donate 10% of any purchases to the Cabot PTO!! Also bring in your helmet for a free professional fitting! And if you do visit Farina's please take a moment to thank them for their generosity! Again for this year's Fair they have donated a cool, chopper-style Giant Dub bicycle to be won by a Cabot student who has sold raffle tickets. The winning ticket sold by a Cabot student will be drawn at the Fair! So sell those raffle tickets & don't forget to return those stubs back to school BEFORE 3PM this Friday in order for them to count towards the Ice cream party for the class selling the most tickets! * Does not apply to labor costs or parts used on repairs. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070502/9a356a69/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Thu May 3 09:20:28 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Thu, 3 May 2007 09:20:28 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] DON'T MISS ANY OF THE FUN AT THE CABOT FAIR THIS SATURDAY!! Message-ID: <00df01c78d85$d1715220$6401a8c0@Jo> DON'T MISS ANY OF THE FUN AT THE CABOT FAIR THIS SATURDAY!! Come by this Saturday rain or shine - hopefully blissful sunshine!! - from 10am to 3pm and experience a wonderful array of activities, entertainment and food!! This is a fun-filled family event so tell your neighbors and friends to stop by! 10:30am Magician Show in the Music room 10:30am - 11:30am Ms. Bennett, Cabot's fearless Gym Teacher, is in the Dunk Tank! 11 - 12noon Will Mr.Tirrell remain dry in the Dunk Tank? 11am - 2pm Take a pony ride around the playground! 11am - 2pm Drop by & see Police Officer Fleming and get a fingerprint kit and Kid Safe material! 11:15am Karate Demonstration by Giroux Brothers Martial Arts on the Cabot Field 12:00 - 1pm Mr. Adams dares you to get him wet in the dunk tank! 12:30pm Dr. Quarcoo starts the Raffle off drawing the first prize! 1pm Magician Show in the Music room 1pm - 1:30pm Try your aim and get Mr. Giroux dunked in the tank! 1:30pm - 2pm Your opportunity to soak Mr. Karam in the dunk tank! 2pm Karate Demonstration by Giroux Brothers Martial Arts on the Cabot Field In addition to certain events happening at specific times there will be amusements and activities throughout the day including: * Delicious and tasty home baked treats at the Bake Sale! * Grab one of the varied lunch or snacks available from the food stations! * Browse through our Yard sale to find your treasure! * Feeling strong? Practice your best karate kick and try to break a board! * Explore our art and craft area - face painting, spin art and candy grams! * Do you own a Cabot T-shirt or water bottle? No, then stop by and visit Cabot Goods and see lots more Cabot merchandise! * Traditional Fair amusements and fun stations including pony rides, moonwalk pirate ship and Ferris wheel! * Our resident DJ, Cabot alumni Russell Kaplan, will play music throughout the day! * Cabot Principal, Dr. Marilynne Quarcoo, will draw the first raffle ticket at 12:30pm and raffle prizes will continue to be drawn and announced throughout the afternoon! ALL THE FUN WILL BE AT CABOT FAIR THIS SATURDAY! SEE YOU THERE! Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070503/052e71c6/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Fri May 4 07:00:37 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Fri, 4 May 2007 07:00:37 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot Maths Challenge Message-ID: <001801c78e3b$72b0ea00$6401a8c0@Jo> Please see below Math Challenge #7. If you cannot print this out or have formatting issues it is attached as a word document to this email. CABOT MATH CHALLENGE Problem # 7 - May, 2007 People that worked on this solution First name Last name Grade Teacher : * Trying to solve the problem is more important than the getting the correct answer. * Submissions that do not show how you found your answers will not be counted. * Showing your work can include an equation, a picture or a written description. * Please show your work on these pages and staple additional pages as needed. * Please be neat and have fun! * And remember, even though there are 7 questions listed below, you only have to submit your solution to some of them to get credit. Please place your solutions by Thursday May 17 in the in-boxes one of these classes: Mr. Tirrell, Mrs. Moriarty, or Mrs. Robertson. :-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-):-): -):-):-):-):-) Problem #7 1. Cabot School is planning a core values assembly on May 3. During the assembly, students will hang up all of the letters in Cabot's core values on one or more lengths of clothesline. Each individual letter is written on a piece of poster board that measures 18" across. Here are the core values: LIFE LONG LEARNERS RESPECT FOR SELF AND OTHERS COMMITMENT TO SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY a. How many poster boards with letters will be hung? b. Ms. Bennett has measured the length of the gym. It is 58.5 feet long. At least 2" inch must be left between each letter. At least 5" must be left between each word. How much clothesline is needed to hang all of the letters? c. In order to hang all of the letters, will they need to use more than one piece of cloths line? If yes, how many clotheslines will they need to get? d. How much exposed cloths line (line with no letters hanging on it) with there be, after the students have hung up all of the letters? e. Draw a diagram of how you would set up the gym (use a separate piece of paper). 2. Jack and Jill were practicing batting. Jack's first time at bat, he hit 75 out of a hundred pitches thrown by Jill. Then Jill hit 75 out of a hundred pitches thrown by Jack. After a little break, Jack took a second turn at bat. Jill threw him 50 pitches, and he hit 35 of them. Jill was tired, so she didn't take a second turn at bat. Who had the best average for the day - Jack or Jill? Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070504/079ae15c/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Maths Problem7-final.doc Type: application/msword Size: 45568 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070504/079ae15c/attachment.doc From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue May 8 09:34:37 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 8 May 2007 09:34:37 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, MAY 8TH 2007 Message-ID: <003401c79175$9f92fd00$6401a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, May 8th 2007 This edition contains the following: Cabot School Fair Rocks! Cabot School Council welcomes new members! Wednesday, May 9 is School Nurse Day Special Education Program Meeting date changed Ride the Bus & Save the Date! 4TH GRADE SALE OF ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS The New England Mobile Book Fair hosts NEWTON APPRECIATION WEEK May 9th to May 18th! What's The Big Idea Expo Sponsored by the Newton Schools Foundation Newton Open Studios' first Silent Art Auction Fundraiser on Saturday, May 12 at Newton City Hall! Needham Community Theatre Proudly Presents Sara Crewe CALENDAR May 8, 2007 Teacher Appreciation Luncheon May 8, 2007 School Council 5:00 - 7:00 PM May 9, 2007 All-City Chorus Concert, Brown Middle School 7:30 PM May 9, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1, Honey Bees 9:00AM May 10, 2007 Spring Concert, 10:45 AM & 7:30 PM May 10, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 3, Eric Olson- Trees Outside in Field 8:45-9:45AM May 11, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 3, Eric Olson- Trees Inside classrooms 8:45 - 11:45AM May 14, 2007 METCO Parents' Council Meeting 7:00 - 9:00 PM Roxbury May 14, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 15, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 16, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 16, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences- Kindergarten, Wingmasters-Birds of Prey 9:00AM May 17, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 17, 2007 Evening meeting for 5th Grade parents at Day Middle School 7:00PM May 17, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences- Grade 2, Ghana with Galeotas 1:00PM May 18, 2007 Ride the Bus to School Day May 18, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 May 21, 2007 MCAS, Grade 4 May 21, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1 Dan Perlman May 22, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 22, 2007 Incoming Kindergarten School Visitation Day, 1-2 PM May 22, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM May 22, 2007 Grade 5 Parent Puberty Meeting May 22, 2007 Shavuot begins at Sundown May 23, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 24, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 25, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 28, 2007 Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL Cabot School Fair Rocks! What a great day we enjoyed at the Fair! With favorable weather conditions lots of families enjoyed the many, many attractions of the Cabot Fair. On behalf of everyone in the Cabot Community, Mary Kathryn & I would like to say a huge thank you to Fair chairs Sue Sagan & Laura Dreese and their families. Sue and Laura did an outstanding job of organizing this event to ensure it passed without a hitch - THANK YOU!! Cabot School Council Welcomes New Members! We would like to welcome our 3 new parent members on the School Council Virginia Dean, Jay Schwartz and Jim Robertson who will serve on the School Council as parent members for a 2 year term beginning in September 2007. We are fortunate to have them and would like to thank them for stepping forward to volunteer. As the new school year progresses the School Council will update the community on the issues they decide to address. Wednesday, May 9 is School Nurse Day Since 1972, School Nurse Day has been set aside to recognize school nurses. National Nurse Week is always May 6-12 to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of nursing. The Wednesday within National Nurse Week has been established as National School Nurse Day. This year that date is Wednesday, May 9th. School nurses believe children must be healthy to learn and they take pride in their role as part of an interdisciplinary school team. The Cabot PTO believes that students in the Newton Public Schools benefit from having a nurse in every school. So when you are in school today please take a moment and thank Cabot Nurse Karen Kerrigan for all she does to help keep our children safe! Special Education Program Meeting date changed The date of the May meeting is changed from May 2 to May 16. The topic for May is Internet Usage Disorder (includes computer addiction) and the speaker is Maressa Hecht Orzack, Ph.D.,Director, Computer Addiction Study Center at McLean Hospital. Dr Orzack is a well-known and an expert in her field. The meeting will be in Room 210 at the Education Center 100 Walnut Street on Wednesday, May 16. Please call the Education Center for the time of the meeting. Ride the Bus & Save the Date! Is your family eligible to ride the school bus at no charge but you haven't yet tried it? If you reside outside of the 1 mile radius around Cabot School and have been thinking about sending your children on the bus then mark Friday May 18th in your diary. On this special morning you can trial using the bus service into Cabot school in the morning only. More information to follow! 4TH GRADE SALE OF ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS The orders received by the 4th grade for the energy efficient light bulbs offered by NSTAR have been submitted. We will shortly hear the lead time for fulfillment from NSTAR & will announce soon the details and timeframe for doing so. The New England Mobile Book Fair hosts NEWTON APPRECIATION WEEK May 9th to May 18th! In celebration of its 50th anniversary, the New England Mobile Book Fair will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Newton Free Library & Newton School PTOs. From 5/9 to 5/18, simply identify yourself as a Newton resident or mention the Newton Free Library at checkout time, and the Book Fair will donate 5% of your total sales (before tax) to be split between the Newton Free Library and Newton School PTOs. That's it! The New England Mobile Book FairR http://www.nebookfair.com (617) 964-7440 What's The Big Idea Expo Sponsored by the Newton Schools Foundation Tuesday May 8, 2007 4:30 - 7:30 PM Newton South High School Cafeteria This is a new event that Newton Schools Foundation (NSF) is sponsoring. NSF raises money for our public school system as a whole and uses the money to provide grants to Newton teachers who are creating innovative programs for our students. Some of the teachers at Cabot have received and used such grants. The expo will give attendees a fun chance to see how donors' money is being used and what new projects teachers and students are working on. The expo will take place in the Newton South High School cafeteria on Tuesday, May 8, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Newton Open Studios' first Silent Art Auction Fundraiser on Saturday, May 12 at Newton City Hall! Come along to City Hall from 2:00pm to 6:00pm. Come view Art, participate in a Silent auction and Raffle - no charge to enter, donations appreciated. Also from 7:00pm - 10:30pm there is a Final bidding & Art Party! There will be great art to bid on, live jazz, a terrific raffle, great company, a fun wearable art fashion show, a cash bar and yummy desserts. Tickets are $15 or 2/$25. Order tickets by phone: daytime - (617) 796-1540, evenings & weekends - (617) 935-9955 For more information, check: www.NewtonOpenStudios.com Needham Community Theatre Proudly Presents Sara Crewe Come and see a musical based on the classic book "A little Princess" by Frances Hodgson Burnett performed at Newman Elementary School, 1155 Central Ave in Needham. Performances are on May 11th at 8pm, May 12th at 2pm and May 13th at 4pm. For more information 781-444-4780 or www.needhamtheatre.org This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070508/7ed46191/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Thu May 10 14:34:49 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 14:34:49 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Meet your Legislators Monday May 14th Message-ID: <005201c79331$e793c450$6401a8c0@Jo> Meet your Legislators FREE Open Forum with Sen. Cynthia Creem, Rep Kay Khan and Rep. Peter Koutoujian. Monday, May 14th 7:00 p.m - 9:00 p.m. at the John M. Barry Boys' and Girls' Club, 675 Watertown Street Newton. Contact: Ellen Gibson 617-527-2856 or egibson701 at comcast.net. Sponsored by the Newton Democratic City Committees of Wards 1, 3 and 5. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070510/dfd31f7f/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue May 15 11:03:20 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 15 May 2007 11:03:20 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberwock Issue 8 - Tuesday May 15, 2007 In-Reply-To: <8C96506C84D6CB1-624-57E@webmail-me14.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C964EACDAF0BDF-EBC-24E@WEBMAIL-RA18.sysops.aol.com> <8C9650693DBFD0C-624-566@webmail-me14.sysops.aol.com> <8C96506C84D6CB1-624-57E@webmail-me14.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C965194F8B9630-4C0-105A@WEBMAIL-RC02.sysops.aol.com> Thanks to Kim Spencer, the editor of this issue. This Jabberwock will be available shortly as a word document on our website, www.cabotpto.org Cabot School e-Jabberwock Respect for self and others Lifelong learning Commitment to school and community Issue 8 May 15, 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.mec.edu/cabot/ Cabot School PTO www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools www.newtonpublicschools.com Calendar May 15, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 16, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 16, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences- Kindergarten, Wingmasters-Birds of Prey 9:00AM May 17, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 17, 2007Evening meeting for 5th Grade parents at Day Middle School 7:00PM May 17, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences- Grade 2, Ghana with Galeotas 1:00PM May 18, 2007Ride the Bus to School Day May 18, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 May 21, 2007MCAS, Grade 4 May 21, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 1 Dan Perlman May 22, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 May 22, 2007Incoming Kindergarten School Visitation Day, 1-2 PM May 22, 2007Affinity Group 12:30 PM May 22, 2007Grade 5 Parent Puberty Meeting May 22, 2007Shavuot begins at Sundown May 23, 2007MCAS, Grade 3 May 24, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 25, 2007MCAS, Grade 5 May 28, 2007Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL May 29, 2007MCAS Make-up May 29, 2007School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 30, 2007MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007Cabot Class of 2000 Reunion 7:00 - 9:00 PM June 1, 2007Grade 5 Step-Up Day, 11:30AM June 1, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Theatre Espresso-Justice at War, New Art Center, 1:00PM June 4, 2007Thank you Coffee for Reading Partners 8:45AM June 4, 2007Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5, Origamido June 5, 2007CASP Picnic and DVD at Cabot 6:00 - 7:30 PM June 5, 2007Color Day (rain date 6/7) June 6, 2007Grade 4 Instrumental Concert 9:00 AM June 7, 2007Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal Marilynne?s Message Well school has certainly been abuzz with great learning and community service! Students are very much engaged in learning in all classrooms. In many classrooms, students continue to make extraordinary presentations of their learning. Whether in grade 1 where students are exploring science concepts related to skeletal systems or in grade five where students are writing non-fiction pieces, everyone is aware of how important effort and feedback are to the process of learning! The whole school gathered for a school assembly to launch a newly revived focus on our core values. Faculty has spent time at our Tuesday afternoon meetings, as well as with parents who have joined our core values committee, to begin to organize this initiative. Last Thursday classes sat together and defined the words: CORE and VALUES. We agreed to the following meaning: The main things that we care deeply about! Lifelong learning Respect for self and others Commitment to school and community With help from students in all the kindergarten classes as well as with help from students in Ms. Moriarty (2), Ms. Stahl (2), Ms. Milham (3) and Ms. Vaswani(3) we were able to determine what these core values might sound like and look like at school. Students put on skits that reminded us to show respect for self and others. We also heard why we should care for the school and the facilities, especially our bathrooms. Given the fact that Newton Serves occurred the weekend before and students and faculty could see evidence of our core values, we enjoyed looking at photos of all the families who stepped up to help ?fix? our school. A big hit were the musical selections from students. Kindergartens in Ms. Cain and Ms. Bellinger and Ms. Carnemolla?s classes sang and signed ?Friends, Friends, Friends?, a popular morning greeting song. We also were treated to some original songs to help us stop, think, and remember the ideas at the center of what we do at Cabot School! . Cabot?s Core! (Lyrics by Elizabeth Stahl; Sung to the tune of ?Make New Friends?) Lifelong learning never ends. Read, write, investigate and comprehend. Build respect for self and others, too. Proud of whom I am, and I have pride in you. Commitment to school and our community? See, feel, and participate actively. Core Values Rap Lyrics and music composed by Emily Sayre AKA E Ditty Verse one Verse two Standing up for others Being respectful of others If you see a situation I don?t know about you And you?re not sure what to do But have you noticed this place? Your friend is being bullied The students are learning And (s)he?s looking at you In so many different ways! Say, ?Stop it, that?s enough? Some kids like to talk ?You can?t treat him//her that way? And some kids raise their hands Then comfort your friend Some kids need it quiet And say, ?It?s ok.? That?s cool. We understand. Standing up for each other It?s important to respect Is what we like to do Each other in school Getting help is important So don?t be a distraction So tell your teachers too! Just follow the rules Chorus Chorus We?re the students, the students of Cabot School We?re the students, the students of Cabot School Walking down the hall, standing straight and tall Walking down the hall, standing straight and tall We?ve got rhythm, style, and beauty inside We?ve got rhythm, style, and beauty inside We?re all great achievers and we?ve got pride We?re all great achievers and we?ve got pride Verse 3 Verse 4 Taking turns and playing fair Listening to others Have you been out at recess Yesterday in class And asked to join a game? I was raising my hand Then you saw somebody cheatin? But someone blurted out the answer Dude, that?s SO lame. One that I had planned Be strong, take a stand And then the other day And make the call I had something to say If you can?t play fair Someone told me it?s stupid Then don?t play at all Now that?s not ok. Chorus We gotta listen to each other We?re the students, the students of Cabot School And change our attitudes Walking down the hall, standing straight and tall Have respect for ALL ideas We?ve got rhythm, style, and beauty inside And show some gratitude! We?re all great achievers and we?ve got pride Chorus We?re the students, the students of Cabot School Walking down the hall, standing straight and tall We?ve got rhythm, style, and beauty inside We?re all great achievers and we?ve got pride Enrollment Updates At this time of year almost daily Mrs. Driscoll is asked to confirm our enrollment. As of last week (May 3rd) we reported an enrollment of 406 students for next school year. Cabot School is projected to have 441 students. I have heard from several families who have plans to leave Cabot for other parts. If you might move and are not certain please just let us know. The faculty and I will start to build classrooms and we factor in many conditions; even one child leaving can impact a class. We will place all students in hopes that your family will decide to remain with us. If you know families that are moving into all those houses that are for sale in Newtonville (I think I have counted 15), please encourage them to call the school and set up a time to register. We are hearing from families as far away as Spain and Turkey. Inquiries are coming from local families as well as from across the United States! Classroom Configurations?based on current enrollment! 3 Kindergarten (We have an additional classroom should enrollment increase) 4 Grade 1 4 Grade 2 4 Grade 3 3 Grade 4 3 Grade 5 Staffing Updates We have been given an allocation of 22 classroom teachers for 2007-2008. Since the budget is not approved, we are still awaiting staffing for specialists as well as teaching assistants. At this time I am anticipating the following openings due to retirements and other personnel changes. We will bid farewell to Ms. Carolyn Nelson, our Literacy Specialist. Ms. Nelson has worked for five years in Newton as we launched our literacy initiative. She will be able to look back at her time in Newton as a teacher (Ms. Nelson is a former Cabot parent) and know she made a significant impact on the learning of children and adults. Ms Griffin, grade 3 teacher, has been accepted in the Master?s in Educational Technologies Program at the Graduate School of Education at Harvard University. We should have seen this coming as Ms. Griffin has served as the school webmaster, has been a longstanding member of our Ed Tech Committee and has been instrumental in moving the use of technology to a higher level in many classrooms including her own. Ms. Straight, Art teacher has been granted a year?s leave. Ms. Straight has a bit of wanderlust. She plans to travel extensively. Ms. Straight has helped our children develop an art aesthetic and appreciation for the visual arts as well as a host of skills that will serve them for a lifetime. The quality of our student artwork provides the best evidence of the talent Ms. Straight brings to her work! Ms. Carnemolla, one of our newest teachers is also leaving Cabot School. The school department did not fund another year of an integrated kindergarten class. This year Cabot hosted a first ever neighborhood school integrated kindergarten class. The classroom has a range of students including those along a wide spectrum of needs. Her program has been stellar! The classroom has been full of extraordinary accommodations so all children get what they need to access the curriculum, grow in the social and emotional arenas and learn the social communications strategies that makes living and interacting with others most successful. We wish them well in their new endeavors. In typical PTO fashion, there will be appropriate opportunities for families and students to give thanks to this group of outstanding educators. For now, let?s stay focused on the work at hand. There are many days of school left on the calendar! Hiring: With help from a dedicated group of parents and teachers, I am conducting interviews for the Literacy Specialist and two grade three teachers. This is a very rigorous process and I appreciate the time and effort each committee will give, A few classroom teachers will be out of their classrooms as we conduct interviews. Since this is one of the most important aspects of schooling I am sure you and your children will tolerate the absence of your teacher for a few days! As other staffing decisions are made, I will announce further changes in staffing next month! Cabot Fair Was it the weather? Was it all the faces of former Cabot students and parents? Was it my ride on the Pirate Ship with Josh Rubin? Was it the presence of School Superintendent Jeff Young and a host of Cabot teachers and their families? Was it all the good will displayed by fair volunteers? Or was it the effort of two hardworking co-chairs that made this fair seem to be among the best in my history? I am sure it was the combination of all of this! Each year the fair seems to take on a new event. The yard sale and the demonstration by students who study karate at Giroux Brothers Karate Studio certainly added new dimensions. The teachers and I appreciate the work this event requires. WE know that a huge amount of time goes into making this day fun for all. We appreciate the fact that the revenue raised helps support our work. We say a hearty THANK YOU to all of the community! Marilynne Quarcoo PTO Pen The Cabot Fair was a great success! Many thanks to our wonderful chairs, Sue Sagan and Laura Dreese for doing such a fantastic job. Their cool demeanor and relaxed attitude, combined with their keen organizational skills made for one of the Best Cabot Fair?s Ever! The Faculty was treated to delicious food, beautiful atmosphere and lovely music by the Cabot Parent Chorus at the Staff Appreciation Luncheon last Tuesday. Many thanks to Sally Brickell and the Acknowledgement Committee who organized this event, and to many of you who shared your culinary expertise. Yum! Thanks, also, to the 187 of you who completed the Traffic and Fundraising Survey. We appreciate you taking the survey and providing us with all your thoughtful comments. Here is a quick Summary of the Survey. If you have any questions about the Survey, please do not hesitate to ask. Part 1 Traffic & Congestion Things are as we suspected, most of you drive your children to school (63.4%) and home (46.2% - less because many children attend CASP) each day. Most of you are not eligible to take the bus, but of those who are, only 9% of you do take it. Of those who are eligible to take the bus but don?t, you responded that ?time was too inconvenient? (42.9%) as the major reason for not taking the bus, including that you don?t have time/desire to wait at the bus stop with your children. Most of you who live within the 1 mile radius of Cabot and drive indicated that you drive because you do not have time to walk with your children. Most of you who drive park on Parkview (36%) or use the blue zone (40%). Only 24% of you park on neighboring streets. The Blue Zone is valued by our community and many of you like the current rules and feel that the blue zone should remain as is, and rules should be enforced by either parking tickets (25%) or traffic monitors (39%). Almost everyone is ?Somewhat to Very Willing? to park on nearby streets (69%) or to car pool (50%). You are ?Somewhat Willing to Willing? to have your children walk with other children in a walking group (34%), but you would prefer to have a parent walk with the walking group (62%). So what does all this mean and what can we do to improve the situation? Well, we have joined with The Massachusetts Department of Transportation ?Safe Routes to School? (SRS) Program. This Program encourages walking to school and helps provide resources for traffic reduction and safety, including money for infrastructure changes. We want to increase awareness of the traffic issue and make alternative means of getting to school (other than driving) easier. To learn more about Safe Routes to School, check out http://www.commute.com/downloads/SRSbrochure.pdf In partnership with the Program we are initiating such programs as a walking school bus using resources, experience and support we are receiving from SRS. Are you willing to help us organize a walking school bus? If so, please contact me at MaryKathF at aol.com. Also, think about setting up a carpool in your neighborhood. And don?t forget, for those eligible, the ?Ride the Bus to School Day? is this Friday, May 18th. If you are eligible for the bus, give it a try ? you might like it! For others, think about parking a few streets away from Cabot and avoiding the rush. We are asking you to think about your preferred method of travel, and whether this is just a habit, or really the best way for you to get to school. Part 2 Fundraising Thanks to most of you who took the survey for supporting our Fundraisers, in this order: PTO Membership Dues (92%), Cabot Fair (86%), Book Fair (85%), The Campaign for Cabot (66%), Gift Wrap (60%), Box Tops (43%), Small Fundraisers, (ie: Papa Gino?s, Learning Express) (38%), Coffee Pond Family Portraits (36%) and online shopping (8%). Of those of you who took the survey, most of you were ?Somewhat Interested to Very Interested? in continuing the Fundraisers in this order, Book Fair (96%), Cabot Fair (92%), PTO Membership Dues (89%), The Campaign for Cabot (79%), Small Fundraisers (56%), Gift Wrap (53%), Box Tops and Coffee Pond (both 47%) and Online Shopping (34%). Most of you Strongly Agree (69%) that the PTO should continue to provide the enrichment programs and services that the PTO currently supports. Most of you believe that the current level of awareness is sufficient for most fundraisers, except you would like to know more about the Campaign for Cabot (23%) and Online shopping (22%). Other Fundraisers you were ?Somewhat Interested? in supporting were, in this order, More Family Oriented Events (40%), products with your children?s artwork (36%), Adult Only Events (22%) and an Auction ? silent or live, (20%) There were many thoughtful comments written in the open response section of the survey. Many had to do with environmental and health concerns of Fundraisers, great ideas for new fundraisers, or pleas for fewer fundraisers. Overall, it seems that we are doing an acceptable job with the status quo and will probably continue to keep the fundraisers we currently have in place. We are always open to comments and concerns. The PTO Budget and Spending Plan is a public document for our school which is posted on our website, www.cabotpto.org . Speaking of the PTO Budget and Spending Plan?????. Join us for the Final PTO Meeting of the year. At this meeting we will submit the PTO Budget for the 2007 ? 2008 School Year and Elect our New Officers?. How about you? Come find out what PTO Positions are available and which Committees need members. The meeting will be on Tuesday June 12th at 8:40AM in the Library. Finally, please mark your calendar for the Year-End PTO Thank You Pot-Luck Party, to be held on Sunday June 10th at 10 Worth Circle, Newton, from 4:00 - 6:00PM. This event is held to thank ALL hardworking committee and community members, especially my co-President Jo Doherty. Jo?s dedication and hard work have truly been an inspiration to me this year, and it has been a great privilege to work with her. Please bring your family and join the celebration! Jo Doherty PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President Recent Events at cabot Cabot Fair Cabot School Rules! On one of the most beautiful spring days of this year, the Cabot Community came together for a wonderful time at the Cabot Fair. It was a fun-filled day of tasty treats and pony rides, karate chops and magic shows, dunked teachers and delighted students. But most of all, it was a day of camaraderie and a tribute to our school's terrific sense of community. If you don't know Cabot, this Fair says it all about who we are, and how we care about our special school. Putting on an event like this takes the efforts of literally hundreds of Cabot families and friends. As in year's past, our committee chairs spent countless hours preparing to make this year's fair a fundraising success. For the time lost to their loved ones we'd like to thank Carolyn Eggert (Bake Sale), Suzanne Cuccurullo (Cabot Goods), Judy Close and Lory Dix (Candy-grams), Edye Ezzell, Sue Magoveny and Lynda Cain (Face Painting), Daphne Potter (Food and Volunteers), Sue Finnegan, Conner Vasu and Jack Vasu (Games), Sandy Connors, Rachel Boyolan and Rose Coppola-Flynn (Prizes), Maureen Mullowney and Anya Bassett (Publicity), Tiffany Meade (Punch Board), Julie Stonehill, Kate Johnson, Julie Bourgoin and Rachel Leaney (Raffles), Mary Heney (Tickets), Rosemary Thomsen and Michele Weinfeld (Treasurers), Emily Hess (Volunteers) and Deb Klein & Noelle Huntington (Yard Sale). And of course, thanks to Cabot PTO Co-Chairs Jo Doherty and Mary Kathryn Fallon, for their tireless support and enthusiasm. A special thanks goes to Russell Kaplan for rocking the event as our DJ; to Adam Levin, our magician extraordinaire; to Steve Giroux and Nicole Farrah of Giroux Brothers Martial Arts for their kick-board contests and dramatic karate demonstrations; and as always, to Cabot's custodians, Ed Reardon and Stephen O'Brien, for plugging us in and turning us on! An extra warm round of applause goes to the victims of the dunk tank: Dana Bennett, Matthew Tirrell, Rashad Adams, John Karam, Steve Giroux, Nicole Farrah and Jo Doherty; who all had the courage of their convictions to brave the 50-degree water. We'll try to use the hot water faucet next year. Promise! And to those who stepped up when we needed a hand, you to deserve one as well, especially Lisa Barry; Anat Ben-Menachen; Mike, Mackenzie and Chris Dreese; Joy Finney; Jina Pierce; Alan Ripp; Melinda Roman; and Paul Sagan. And last, but by no means least, thanks to the legions of volunteers who gave their time and good spirits to staff all of the games and stations, ensuring that our kids had one of the most memorable days of the Cabot school year! A HEARTFELT THANK YOU TO ALL! Sue Sagan and Laura Dreese Staff Appreciation Lunch The annual Staff Appreciation Lunch on May 8 ran smoothly and provided a well-deserved morale boost for Cabot teachers and staff. Thanks to the hard work of many parents?who drove, shopped, cooked, decorated, set up, and cleaned up?the gym was transformed, and the teachers and staff were wined (well, almost) and dined in high style. The highlight of the lunch was a musical appearance by the Cabot Parent Chorus, skillfully performing dance moves and songs from their original repertoire, including new ones about Cabot?s core values and the modulars. Thanks to all of the volunteers, including Mr. Reardon and Ms. Bennett, and to parents Eileen Morrison, Amy Siegel, Sarah Ecker, Archana Vahalia, Lori Seuch, Isabelle Thacker, Kate Dulit, Judy McMorrow, Emily Hess, Linda Efstratoudakis, Joy Huber, Anat Ben-Menachem, John Overaker, Jo Doherty, Chris Kjellson, Roberta Hing, Mary Kathryn Fallon, Michelle Markert, Joanne Gatnik, Andrea Plotkin, and Lisa Spagnuolo. Thanks also to CASP staffers and attendees for their flexibility. Special thanks to the talented members of the Cabot Parent Chorus, accompanied by pianist Sayuri Miyamoto; to Magni Bakery, and Shaw?s Supermarket, for their delectable donations; and to the members of the Acknowledgment Committee: Sharon Dwyer, Suzy Enyeart, Tera Hirsch, Kate Johnson, Ayako Samuels, Sandee Simshausher, and Helen Ventouris. Sally Brickell Acknowledgment Committee Volunteers Needed Cabot Color Day is June 5th (Rain Date June 7th) Don?t miss out on the fun of Cabot?s Annual Color Day! The whole school participates in this day of friendly competition. Each class is divided into 3 teams (red, white and blue) and participates in the games and activities. We are seeking volunteers to help run the stations. If you would like to help, we will need you from 9:15 ? 12:00. Respond to Dana Bennett at Dana_Bennett at newton.k12.ma.us or Daphne Potter at dfpotter at rcn.com CABOT BROADCAST EXPERT ON COMPUTER ADDICTION WILL SPEAK MAY 16 Maressa Hecht Orzack, PhD, clinical psychologist and founder of the Computer Addiction Study Center at McLean Hospital, will speak Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m. on "Internet Usage Disorder: When Online Activity Intrudes on Real Life." Problems with Internet usage, which are widespread in all age groups, include excessive use of computer and Internet-based videogames, as well as repeated visits to web sites providing gambling, sexual content, home shopping, and other material and activities that may be inappropriate. Connecting with these sites often interferes with stable employment, school performance, and relationships with family and friends. Dr. Orzack's talk is sponsored by the Newton Parents Advisory Council on Special Education. It will be held at the Education Center, 100 Walnut Street, Newtonville, in room 210. Internet addiction can be the cause of many hours a day of game sessions, social networking, instant messaging or emailing, as well as researching or browsing products and information. According to Dr. Orzack, as many as 15 percent of the millions of people who play massive multi-player online role-playing games (mmorpg)s are unable to live a balanced life. Often they find it easier to escape into a virtual world because of difficulties in their everyday lives. Recent studies have shown that despite the fact that addiction to these computer/Internet activities is a growing problem, there are very few treatment programs. Dr. Orzack is an assistant clinical professor at Harvard Medical School. She is the author of many articles on computer/Inter- net addiction problems. She has spoken at many organizations, in-cluding Harvard University, MIT, American Psychiatric Association, the American Association of Psychiatrists, Boston University Mood and Anxiety Medical Center Program. For more information, please contact Leslie Lockhart at 617-527-5046 or newtonspedpac at yahoo.com. * Note: Dr. Orzach is a former Cabot Parent & Neighbor! Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast Understanding Our Differences All Current and Former "Understanding Our Differences" volunteers are invited to a "Thank You" breakfast with Mayor David Cohen and Superintendent Jeff Young Friday June 8th 8:30 - 10 a.m. at the City Hall's War Memorial. There will be a special presentation by one of the guest speakers. RSVP by June 4th to carol_weigert at newton.k12.ma.us . Transitional Kindergarten Program The Bowen Cooperative Nursery School is currently accepting applications for its Transitional Kindergarten Program. If your child turns 5 after the kindergarten cut-off date, this is the program for you! Call (617) 332-3923 or visit us at www.bowencoop.org. New England Mobile Book Fair is hosting NEWTON APPRECIATION WEEK In celebration of its 50th anniversary, from May 9th to May 18th the New England Mobile Book Fair will donate a percentage of your purchase to the Newton Free Library & Newton School PTOs. Simply identify yourself as a Newton resident or mention the Newton Free Library at checkout time, and the Book Fair will donate 5% of your total sales (before tax) to be split between the Newton Free Library and Newton School PTOs. The New England Mobile Book Fair http://www.nebookfair.com Food Service News We encourage all parents to sign up for on-line ordering even if you do not want to order your child(s) meal on-line. Your personal on-line account allows you to access your child(s) account balance and your child(s) orders at any time. Openings for next School year: If you are interested in working a couple of hours a week M-W-TH-F as a lunch attendant, please call Rob at 617-559-9015 in the beginning of August September Menu: The September menu will be mailed out over the summer. Have a great rest of the year and an enjoyable summer. Thanks from all of the food service staff. Rob Clickstein Food Service Director Newton Public Schools Cabot Core Values ?I?m going to teach you a secret about people?, my first grade teacher told us. ?People are just like mirrors. Smile at someone and they will smile back, take a harsh tone with someone and you elicit the same response.? We all tried it at home and school, even with strangers?it worked! She was right. We are like mirrors. One of the most valuable things we can teach our children is empathy. A person who has mastered the art of empathy will be not only be able to follow but will lead. He will grow to understand the many facets of life and allow that understanding to guide his actions. Empathy allows us to celebrate each other, and to model behavior that shows respect. This is a foundation on which to build strength, confidence, and success. The person who commands respect is one who is respectful to others. The Cabot school community seeks to create an environment that promotes respect for self and others. We seek to see our community embrace this core value and make it an integral part of our learning and living environment. We think it is very important for our children to feel proud of the things they can do and who they are, and to be able to see excellence in others and show respect to them by honoring their wishes. We all deserve respect. Fundraising Box Tops for Education We have collected 3505 Box Tops this school year! Help us reach our goal of collecting 5000 Box Tops. Let your children become Box Tops detectives and check for the Box Tops logo on packaging of things like Kleenex, Ziplock and other items. If they carry the logo, clip the tops and put them in the bright pink Box Tops box in the front lobby. If you have any questions, please contact: Isabelle Thacker, isabelle at thackers.net, 617/795-2332. >From the Nurse I love the fact that the warm weather has arrived but I would like to make a suggestion on shoe wear at school. Flip flops and clogs may not be the best choice for play ground wear; more supportive sandals or sneakers are recommended for the safety of your child. Water bottles would be a good item to add to the back pack. Dr. Fagan, an expert in sports medicine at the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, said that the miracle liquid keeps you from being overwhelmed by heat exhaustion, boosts energy levels and even enhances the thinking process. Fruit drinks and sports drinks are not good substitutes because of the calories and caffeinated beverages not only are not good sources of water, they are diuretics. So drink your water! Just are reminder, I sent home letters to the 5th graders about physicals needed for 6th grade entry. If a 5th grade student has had a physical this academic year, please send a copy to me and I will give to the middle school nurse on June 7th. Any physicals taking place over the summer can be brought to the middle school nurse in September. Thank you.......... Karen Kerrigan, RN Cabot School Nurse Tel: 617.559-9404 Fax: 617.552-5584 Community News iD Tech Camp Weeklong day and overnight summer technology programs for ages 7-17 at 50 prestigious universities in 22 states. This includes MIT, Smith College, Merrimack University, Brown University, Columbia University, and more. Create video games, experience game modding, improve your gaming skills, build robots, design websites, film and edit digital movies, create your own comic book, learn programming and more. With one computer per student and an average of five students per staff, campers are given the attention they need to excel and take home a project at the end of the weeklong course. Additionally, teens can travel to Spain for our Documentary Filmmaking program or participate in iD Gaming Academy for an intensive 3 weeks of game development. Visit www.internalDrive.com or call 1-888-709-TECH (8324). Summer Tennis in Newton Making summer plans? Check out Newton Parks & Recreation tennis classes beginning in late June and continuing into August. Classes for all levels ? beginning at age 4! Kids may attend for one week or several, morning or afternoon or both! Check at www.newtontennisw.com for summer schedule. Adults, there are also clinics and round robins for you. Have fun!! Soccer Camp The Chestnut Hill School Creative Arts and Sports Program has recently "kicked" off a specialized soccer camp. The program will be at The Pine Manor College Soccer Field from July 9-13 and/ or July 16-20 from 9:00a.m. - 3:00p.m. Boys and girls entering grades 2 -6 this fall may sign up for one or both weeks. Soccer instruction provided by experienced coaches. Optional lunch buffet provided by the Pine Manor cafeteria. Call (617) 566-4394 ext 623, or visit www.tchs.org. Newton Girls Soccer Registration for the upcoming fall season of Newton Girls Intramural Soccer is currently underway for Newton girls currently in grades K-8. Games are played on Saturdays, starting September 8 and continue until November 10. For grades 2-8, in addition to the games on Saturdays, there is also generally one practice per week. The goals of the NGS Intramural Program are for the girls to learn soccer skills, have fun and be part of a team. Scholarships are available based on need. To register, or to find out more information about the NGS IM Program, please visit our website at www.newtongirlssoccer.org. Kids Karate Summer?Saturday, June 30th through August 25th, 10:00-11:00 a.m. May pro-rate summer payment based on number of Saturdays expected to be attended. Fall - starting week of September 10 (Tuesday, Friday, or Saturday) 7-Week Session. Entry ages--first thru fifth grades. Beautiful space at Trinity High School, Newton. Information: Rich Jacobs, KIDS' KARATE Director (617) 527-8052; www.kids-karate.org. Summer Youth Theatre Arts in the Parks, Newton Parks and Recreation Department is taking registrations for the Summer Youth Theatre program of "the Sound of Music? for children in Grades 1 - 6, Monday through Friday; 8:45 AM - Noon; June 28 - July 25. Melissa Salz Bernstein, Director, has a Ph.D in Theatre, University of Colorado at Boulder, Masters of Fine Arts, Emerson College, Boston and brings 20 years of experience to this program. Youngsters learn the A-Z's of putting on a play. A terrific opportunity for kids to develop poise and have a great time. Performance will take place on the last day of class. Enrollment limited to 30 to allow parts for everyone. For information or to register, call 617 796-1540 or 617 527-8283. Cool Globes Cool Globes is a public art project that is looking to raise awareness about global warming. It will take place in Chicago from June through September. To get youngsters into the festivities, the ?Cool Globes for Cool Kids? was created. The contest is challenging kids to create a piece of artwork shaped like a globe. Along with their globe, entrants must also submit a written description of their solutions to global warming. Students are allowed to work individually or as a group. The globe submissions must be in on Friday May 25th. The winners will be announced on the website by June 1st, and then the artwork will be displayed at the Kohl?s Children?s Museum in Glenville, Illinois. Encourage your child to have a group of friends create a globe together. Maybe suggest to your child?s teacher to make it a classroom activity. Go to www.coolglobes.com for details. Waban Village Day Sunday, May 20 from 11AM to 3PM. The Family Fun Run 5K begins at 10AM. Visit the web site to register. On going throughout the day will be a petting zoo, amusement rides, games and activities for children, as well as handmade crafts, gifts and jewelry for sale. Live music provided by Julia Priest and World Beat. The Dance Academy and Siagel Productions will provide Hip Hop Instruction and entertainment. The grills start at 11AM with great food all day long. More information can be found at www.wabanimprovement.org. Raffle for the Green Decade Coalition GDC/Newton is a volunteer non-profit organization whose mission is to create an environment in better balance with the natural world by making significant, measurable improvements in the way we use resources. GDC/Newton is holding a raffle: 1st Prize: 2007 Computerized Cruise Control Raleigh Bicycle; 2nd Prize:$300 Whole Foods Gift Certificate; 3rd prize: one month free Clean Air Lawn Care. More prizes listed on-line. Tickets only $10 or 3 for $20. Available on-line at www.greendecade.org. For more info: 617-965-1995 or info at greendecade.org. Two Positions available at Burr Cooperative Nursery School September, 2007 Preschool Lead Teacher: Seeking a creative, nurturing teacher, committed to fostering children?s love for learning, exploration, and experimentation. Five days/week, 8:30 ? 1:30, school-year schedule. Qualified candidates should have a degree in Early Childhood Education, EEC Lead Teacher Certification and classroom experience. Preschool Assistant Teacher/Teacher: Seeking a creative, nurturing teacher, committed to fostering children?s love for learning, exploration, and experimentation. Three days/week, 8:30 ? 1:30, school-year schedule. EEC Preschool Teacher Certification and classroom experience a plus. Please send resume to: Director, Burr Cooperative Nursery School, 64 Hancock Street, Newton, MA 02466 Or email to job at burrcooperative.org Host Families Needed Worldwide International Student Exchange (WISE), a non-profit educational organization is seeking families to host Spanish exchange students coming to the Brookline/Newton and surrounding areas from July 2nd to July 29th 2007. Male and female students range in age from 14-17, and have solid English skills and the desire to experience life as part of an American family. During the week the students attend ESL classes followed by afternoon activities. Evenings and weekends can be spent getting to know one another, sightseeing and experiencing American life. Students arrive with their own spending money to be used for any expenses outside of room and meals. Host families will be asked to provide sleeping accommodations (students do not need their own rooms, they do need their own bed) and to drop off and pick up the student each day at the designated meeting point. Please contact Jennifer Reed at (617) 347-8901 or via email at BrooklineJenR at Yahoo.com. Free Summer Cultural Fun! Explore Japan is a FREE 2 and ? week program for girls coming to Newbury College this summer, from July 26 to August 10. In Explore Japan, students will join visiting students from Japan and learn about each other's respective culture in a fun environment. The program includes arts and crafts projects, sports and martial arts, cuisine, music, pop culture and much more. For any family who can host one of the visiting Japanese students for this program, their child can attend the full program free of charge! For more information, visit the website at www.americanlearning.com or call 781 828-2800. Brought to you by Mother Nature? Take a moment...Take your kids...Did you realize that one of the largest Blueback Herring runs in Massachusetts is just off Watertown Square, barely a mile from Newton Corner? Mid-May to Mid-June is the best viewing time. This free show is sponsored by: Mother Nature. Watch as these determined little fish battle to swim upriver to their spawning grounds. Some try to leap over the dam, others use the concrete fish ladder. Some years the schools of Herring are so thick at the base of the dam that you could practically walk across the Charles River on their backs. In recent years, fishermen with nets have scooped up these migrating fish by the dozen, but after a couple of off-years, that practice is now banned. To get there from Newton Corner, go down Galen Street toward Watertown Square and at the light just before you cross the river, turn left onto Watertown Street. Take the right fork onto California Street. The dam is about a block down on your right. You can't miss it. If the fish are running, you'll see seagulls and cormorants dive-bombing the dam to catch the fish. Registration for the 2007 Newton East Little League Summer Baseball season is now open. Newton East LL is again directing the 10-12 year old Summer Baseball League this summer. This league serves eligible boys and girls aged 10 to 12 who were born on or between May 1, 1994 - April 30, 1997. All new applicants must reside in Newton OR attend the public schools in the Newton school districts. The season begins in early July and runs through the middle of August. Applications and program information are available at http://summer.newtoneastll.org . All registrations must be done on-line at our web site . Coaching information is also available on-line The registration deadline is June 16, 2007 . Explore Newton Upper Falls with Representative Ruth Balser Walk through a hidden mill village tucked into a busy corner of the metropolitan area, and find 18th and 19th century buildings, curving streets and a National Historic Landmark ? Echo Bridge, high above the Charles River's Hemlock Gorge. Sun. May 20, 2007 12:30 pm 1.5 hours; free to all; flat/accessible Transit: MBTA Green Line D to Eliot Station Walk leader: Representative Ruth Balser Reservations: required ? call Rep. Balser's office 617-722-2060 2007-2008 Religious School at Temple Sinai Temple Sinai, a small, Reform congregation located at 50 Sewall Avenue in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline, is currently enrolling students for the 2007 - 2008 religious school year. Our K-10 curriculum emphasizes the basics of Torah, Hebrew reading and comprehension skills, social action and Jewish studies. To register, please contact Director of Education, Heidi Smith Hyde, at school at sinaibrookline.org. Advance registration is recommended. Also, join us on Friday, June 1st, from 6:30 ? 7:15 p.m. for a joyful and engaging Tot Shabbat service, free for young children. With singing and a Shabbat story followed by Kiddush and challah, this brief service is perfect for children ages 2-7 and their families. Our Tot Shabbat services take place monthly and are open to the community. All are welcome! Call 617-277-5888 or go to www.sinaibrookline.org for more information. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070515/3b878c54/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: JabberMay07[1].doc Type: application/msword Size: 364544 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070515/3b878c54/attachment.doc From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue May 22 09:30:01 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 22 May 2007 09:30:01 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND Message-ID: <002101c79c75$4f2dd960$6401a8c0@Jo> JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND This issue contains information about the following: Volunteers needed for Color Day, June 5th Last PTO meeting of the year, June 12th at 8:40am Parent Co-ordinator needed for 3rd Grade Understanding Our Differences Program Next Year Did your child try riding the school bus last Friday? Want to continue for the remainder of the year? Then fill out this form from the office Welcome your new School Council parent members Summary of the recent Traffic Congestion Survey Calendar May 22, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 22, 2007 Incoming Kindergarten School Visitation Day, 1-2 PM May 22, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM May 22, 2007 Grade 5 Parent Puberty Meeting May 22, 2007 Shavuot begins at Sundown May 23, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 24, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 25, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 28, 2007 Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL May 29, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 29, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 30, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 Cabot Class of 2000 Reunion 7:00 - 9:00 PM June 1, 2007 Grade 5 Step-Up Day, 11:30AM June 1, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Theatre Espresso-Justice at War, New Art Center, 1:00PM June 6, 2007 Grade 4 Instrumental Concert 9:00 AM June 4, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5, Origamido June 5, 2007 CASP Picnic and DVD at Cabot 6:00 - 7:30 PM June 5, 2007 Color Day (rain date 6/7) June 7, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal June 11, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM June 12, 2006 Final PTO Budget & Election Meeting, 8:40 AM June 12, 2006 Orchestra Concert for Cabot Village 11:45 - 12:30 June 14, 2006 Class Play for Ms. Moriarty's Class 1:00 - 3:00PM June 18, 2007 Awards Ceremony June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for All Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Field, Noon onwards June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM Have Fun at Color Day, June 5th - Volunteers Needed! Don't miss out on the fun of Cabot's Annual Color Day! The whole school participates in this day of friendly competition. Each class is divided into 3 teams (red, white and blue) and participates in the games and activities. We are seeking volunteers to help run the stations. If you would like to help, we will need you from 9:15 - 12:00. We ask that volunteers where possible hold June 7th available as a rain date. It's a fun filled morning so don't miss this opportunity to experience Color Day! Respond to Dana Bennett at Dana_Bennett at newton.k12.ma.us or Daphne Potter at dfpotter at rcn.com LAST PTO Meeting of the Year! Join us for the Final PTO Meeting of the year on Tuesday, June 12th at 8:40am in the Library. At this meeting we will submit the PTO Budget for the 2007 - 2008 School Year for approval, Elect our New PTO Co-President and briefly recap other important issues.. Please join us as we vote to elect Archana Vahalia as the incoming PTO President to join Mary Kathryn Fallon next year, and thank her for stepping forward to volunteer for this position. Also, come along and find out what PTO Positions are currently still available and which Committees need members. Parent Co-ordinator needed for next years 3rd Grade Understanding Our Differences Program. "Understanding Our Differences was an incredible experience for me as a parent.!! First it provided me an opportunity to volunteer in my son's classroom on a regular basis.! Most importantly, I loved being part of a program that teaches an invaluable lesson about life.!" Parent Volunteer Help teach our children empathy and respect by joining the Cabot PTO parent team for Understanding Our Differences. This award-winning curriculum teaches elementary students about disabilities and how to be a good friend to everyone in school. It features units on blindness, deafness, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities and chronic medical conditions. The program is run entirely by parent volunteers, offered to all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, and we hope you will be interested to join us! In order to ensure that this worthwhile program can be offered at 3rd grade next year, we need a parent volunteer to co-ordinate the 3rd grade program. Become part of a large and strong circle of friends who have supported Understanding Our Differences in Newton for over 25 years. If you are interested please call Carol Weigert, Program Director for Understanding Our Differences within Newton Public School at 617-559-6075 or email her Carol_Weigert at newton.k12.ma.us . You can also contact Rick Reilly for information. Rick is the current 4th grade co-ordinator and will be the 5th grade co-ordinator next year at rmreilly at rcn.com All Aboard The Magic Cabot School Bus! Thanks to all those new eligible families who braved the rain last Friday to ride the school bus. This experiment was a great success - we nearly had a full school bus! If you would like your children to continue to ride the bus for the remainder of the school year then please contact the office to obtain a green information sheet that needs to be filled out. This provides the school with information as to which days your children will be riding the bus etc,.. Welcome Your New Cabot School Council Members! Please say a big thank you to our new Cabot School Council parent members Virginia Dean, Jim Robertson & Jay Schwartz. They join existing School Council members where their enthusiasm and professional expertise will be of enormous use as the School Council establishes its agenda for next year. We thank you all for volunteering to help Cabot School address the challenges of educating a growing student population. Summary of the Traffic Congestion & Parking Survey We had a high response rate to our survey receiving some 187 responses which is approx. a 60% response rate from our families. In survey terms that's big! Go to http://cabotpto.org/announce/traffic_fundraiser_survey/traffic_fund_results. html to check out all the survey results. Below is a summary of the major points. Most people drive their children to school in the morning (64%) & at pick-up (46%). Of those families eligible to take the bus a whopping 69% don't. When asked why, the most frequent reason was time - bus times not convenient, too much waiting around, stops not convenient so families would be in the car anyway. When asked about factors that would encourage ridership, respondents cited fees were a deterrent, concerns about safety & the location of bus stops. Cabot is taking steps to increase ridership with a trial "Ride the Bus to School" morning that happened May 18th. Of those that drive to school, 36% use the Blue Zone (BZ) at drop-off and 40% use Parkview street (non BZ areas) to park their cars. Opinions on the BZ were varied. The consensus was that at drop-off it is far less problematic - the real problem is at pick-up. The majority felt the BZ should not be changed to allow people to park and leave their cars (65%). Some (36%) thought the BZ should be a place where you could stay in your car for 10 mins rather than a moving zone, whereas 25% thought the BZ should remain as it is, a move along zone enforced with tickets. Comments revealed that people felt a moving zone put unnecessary pressure on the neighboring streets as people were forced to move around the block. There was some support for traffic monitors and tickets to enforce the BZ rules. And 56% voted not to eliminate the BZ entirely. Comments specific to the BZ were varied although some consistent themes came out as follows: - allow parking on the school side of Parkview with clearer signage and non blocking of driveways; - post more signs along the BZ to identify the rules; - the BZ does not work for K & 1st grade parents who need to collect their children from teachers- they should be discouraged from using the BZ if this practice is continued. This ambiguity needs to be recognized and addressed; - Success at Williams school reference for a moving BZ; - Support for traffic monitors to either keep traffic flowing, rules enforced and perhaps escorting children into/out of school. Question is who would do that? - Consideration to making the block/loop between Bridges and Parkview a one way loop. Potential changes for the new traffic plan were identified & people were asked for their willingness to adopt or support these (Q4). Respondents were supportive of parking on nearby streets (33%) as was support of neighborhood buddy walking systems. To further this Mary Kathryn Fallon has now enrolled Cabot into The Massachusetts Department of Transportation 'Safe Routes to School' (SRS) Program. This Program encourages walking to school and helps provide resources for traffic reduction and safety, including money for infrastructure changes. The goal is to increase awareness of the traffic issue and make alternative means of getting to school (other than driving) easier. To learn more about Safe Routes to School, check out http://www.commute.com/downloads/SRSbrochure.pdf In partnership with the Program the PTO is initiating a walking school bus using resources, experience and support we are receiving from SRS. Providing teachers with priority parking spaces was also supported by the majority (54%). Comments in general about parking and traffic congestion were varied but generally centered around similar issues such as: - Opening both the lobby and front office entrances in the morning would alleviate congestion; - Have satellite drop-off areas where kids could be accompanied into school ie. other side of Cabot field, or encourage use of neighing streets to park and walk other than Bridges. Who would supervise this was not addressed; - Many voice their opinion that the School Committee should re-consider its 1mile free bus radius. Reducing it would encourage families to ride the bus and reduce congestion; - Make Bridges and Parkview a one way loop throughout the entire school day extending into CASP hours, thus eradicating the confusion caused by Parkview returning to 2 way at 4pm; - Suggest a best practices approach by looking at how other schools & summer camps manage their traffic congestion problems, also the suggestion that a budget would be needed to enrole monitors; - Many people raised the issue of dangerous streets and not enough crosswalks and crossing guards; - Educate the students about the rules of the BZ; - To encourage walking the City should ensure all streets have sidewalks and all streets are plowed! - Stagger drop-off and pick-up times between lower and upper grades at school; - Introduce incentives for kids adopting healthier options (walk ,bus or ride) for getting to school ie. certificate for school store; - Encourage riding bikes; - Explore parking space available at senior living complex at back of Norwood; - Provision of monitors to establish & police the traffic rules. These results have been passed onto the Traffic Task Force and Alderman Stephen Linsky who is spearheading the traffic initiative for Cabot. Announcement From Newton Food Services We encourage all parents to sign up for on-line ordering even if you do not want to order your child(s) meal on-line. Your personal on-line account allows you to access your child(s) account balance and your child(s) orders at any time. Openings for next School year: If you are interested in working a couple of hours a week M-W-TH-F as a lunch attendant, please call Rob at 617-559-9015 in the beginning of August. September Menu: The September menu will be mailed out over the summer. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070522/257ffaef/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed May 23 16:57:04 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 16:57:04 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] FW: JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND Message-ID: <000301c79d7c$ed839e80$6401a8c0@Jo> I am resending yesterdays Jabberwock a unfortunately it did not appear to be received by many normal recipients. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net _____ From: Jo Doherty [mailto:jcdoherty11 at comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:30 AM To: 'cabotcommunity at cabotpto.org' Cc: 'Marilynne Quarcoo'; 'Betsy_Nurczynski at newton.k12.ma.us' Subject: JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND This issue contains information about the following: Volunteers needed for Color Day, June 5th Last PTO meeting of the year, June 12th at 8:40am Parent Co-ordinator needed for 3rd Grade Understanding Our Differences Program Next Year Did your child try riding the school bus last Friday? Want to continue for the remainder of the year? Then fill out this form from the office Welcome your new School Council parent members Summary of the recent Traffic Congestion Survey Calendar May 22, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 22, 2007 Incoming Kindergarten School Visitation Day, 1-2 PM May 22, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM May 22, 2007 Grade 5 Parent Puberty Meeting May 22, 2007 Shavuot begins at Sundown May 23, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 24, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 25, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 28, 2007 Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL May 29, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 29, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 30, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 Cabot Class of 2000 Reunion 7:00 - 9:00 PM June 1, 2007 Grade 5 Step-Up Day, 11:30AM June 1, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Theatre Espresso-Justice at War, New Art Center, 1:00PM June 6, 2007 Grade 4 Instrumental Concert 9:00 AM June 4, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5, Origamido June 5, 2007 CASP Picnic and DVD at Cabot 6:00 - 7:30 PM June 5, 2007 Color Day (rain date 6/7) June 7, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal June 11, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM June 12, 2006 Final PTO Budget & Election Meeting, 8:40 AM June 12, 2006 Orchestra Concert for Cabot Village 11:45 - 12:30 June 14, 2006 Class Play for Ms. Moriarty's Class 1:00 - 3:00PM June 18, 2007 Awards Ceremony June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for All Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Field, Noon onwards June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM Have Fun at Color Day, June 5th - Volunteers Needed! Don't miss out on the fun of Cabot's Annual Color Day! The whole school participates in this day of friendly competition. Each class is divided into 3 teams (red, white and blue) and participates in the games and activities. We are seeking volunteers to help run the stations. If you would like to help, we will need you from 9:15 - 12:00. We ask that volunteers where possible hold June 7th available as a rain date. It's a fun filled morning so don't miss this opportunity to experience Color Day! Respond to Dana Bennett at Dana_Bennett at newton.k12.ma.us or Daphne Potter at dfpotter at rcn.com LAST PTO Meeting of the Year! Join us for the Final PTO Meeting of the year on Tuesday, June 12th at 8:40am in the Library. At this meeting we will submit the PTO Budget for the 2007 - 2008 School Year for approval, Elect our New PTO Co-President and briefly recap other important issues.. Please join us as we vote to elect Archana Vahalia as the incoming PTO President to join Mary Kathryn Fallon next year, and thank her for stepping forward to volunteer for this position. Also, come along and find out what PTO Positions are currently still available and which Committees need members. Parent Co-ordinator needed for next years 3rd Grade Understanding Our Differences Program. "Understanding Our Differences was an incredible experience for me as a parent.!! First it provided me an opportunity to volunteer in my son's classroom on a regular basis.! Most importantly, I loved being part of a program that teaches an invaluable lesson about life.!" Parent Volunteer Help teach our children empathy and respect by joining the Cabot PTO parent team for Understanding Our Differences. This award-winning curriculum teaches elementary students about disabilities and how to be a good friend to everyone in school. It features units on blindness, deafness, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities and chronic medical conditions. The program is run entirely by parent volunteers, offered to all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, and we hope you will be interested to join us! In order to ensure that this worthwhile program can be offered at 3rd grade next year, we need a parent volunteer to co-ordinate the 3rd grade program. Become part of a large and strong circle of friends who have supported Understanding Our Differences in Newton for over 25 years. If you are interested please call Carol Weigert, Program Director for Understanding Our Differences within Newton Public School at 617-559-6075 or email her Carol_Weigert at newton.k12.ma.us . You can also contact Rick Reilly for information. Rick is the current 4th grade co-ordinator and will be the 5th grade co-ordinator next year at rmreilly at rcn.com All Aboard The Magic Cabot School Bus! Thanks to all those new eligible families who braved the rain last Friday to ride the school bus. This experiment was a great success - we nearly had a full school bus! If you would like your children to continue to ride the bus for the remainder of the school year then please contact the office to obtain a green information sheet that needs to be filled out. This provides the school with information as to which days your children will be riding the bus etc,.. Welcome Your New Cabot School Council Members! Please say a big thank you to our new Cabot School Council parent members Virginia Dean, Jim Robertson & Jay Schwartz. They join existing School Council members where their enthusiasm and professional expertise will be of enormous use as the School Council establishes its agenda for next year. We thank you all for volunteering to help Cabot School address the challenges of educating a growing student population. Summary of the Traffic Congestion & Parking Survey We had a high response rate to our survey receiving some 187 responses which is approx. a 60% response rate from our families. In survey terms that's big! Go to http://cabotpto.org/announce/traffic_fundraiser_survey/traffic_fund_results. html to check out all the survey results. Below is a summary of the major points. Most people drive their children to school in the morning (64%) & at pick-up (46%). Of those families eligible to take the bus a whopping 69% don't. When asked why, the most frequent reason was time - bus times not convenient, too much waiting around, stops not convenient so families would be in the car anyway. When asked about factors that would encourage ridership, respondents cited fees were a deterrent, concerns about safety & the location of bus stops. Cabot is taking steps to increase ridership with a trial "Ride the Bus to School" morning that happened May 18th. Of those that drive to school, 36% use the Blue Zone (BZ) at drop-off and 40% use Parkview street (non BZ areas) to park their cars. Opinions on the BZ were varied. The consensus was that at drop-off it is far less problematic - the real problem is at pick-up. The majority felt the BZ should not be changed to allow people to park and leave their cars (65%). Some (36%) thought the BZ should be a place where you could stay in your car for 10 mins rather than a moving zone, whereas 25% thought the BZ should remain as it is, a move along zone enforced with tickets. Comments revealed that people felt a moving zone put unnecessary pressure on the neighboring streets as people were forced to move around the block. There was some support for traffic monitors and tickets to enforce the BZ rules. And 56% voted not to eliminate the BZ entirely. Comments specific to the BZ were varied although some consistent themes came out as follows: - allow parking on the school side of Parkview with clearer signage and non blocking of driveways; - post more signs along the BZ to identify the rules; - the BZ does not work for K & 1st grade parents who need to collect their children from teachers- they should be discouraged from using the BZ if this practice is continued. This ambiguity needs to be recognized and addressed; - Success at Williams school reference for a moving BZ; - Support for traffic monitors to either keep traffic flowing, rules enforced and perhaps escorting children into/out of school. Question is who would do that? - Consideration to making the block/loop between Bridges and Parkview a one way loop. Potential changes for the new traffic plan were identified & people were asked for their willingness to adopt or support these (Q4). Respondents were supportive of parking on nearby streets (33%) as was support of neighborhood buddy walking systems. To further this Mary Kathryn Fallon has now enrolled Cabot into The Massachusetts Department of Transportation 'Safe Routes to School' (SRS) Program. This Program encourages walking to school and helps provide resources for traffic reduction and safety, including money for infrastructure changes. The goal is to increase awareness of the traffic issue and make alternative means of getting to school (other than driving) easier. To learn more about Safe Routes to School, check out http://www.commute.com/downloads/SRSbrochure.pdf In partnership with the Program the PTO is initiating a walking school bus using resources, experience and support we are receiving from SRS. Providing teachers with priority parking spaces was also supported by the majority (54%). Comments in general about parking and traffic congestion were varied but generally centered around similar issues such as: - Opening both the lobby and front office entrances in the morning would alleviate congestion; - Have satellite drop-off areas where kids could be accompanied into school ie. other side of Cabot field, or encourage use of neighing streets to park and walk other than Bridges. Who would supervise this was not addressed; - Many voice their opinion that the School Committee should re-consider its 1mile free bus radius. Reducing it would encourage families to ride the bus and reduce congestion; - Make Bridges and Parkview a one way loop throughout the entire school day extending into CASP hours, thus eradicating the confusion caused by Parkview returning to 2 way at 4pm; - Suggest a best practices approach by looking at how other schools & summer camps manage their traffic congestion problems, also the suggestion that a budget would be needed to enrole monitors; - Many people raised the issue of dangerous streets and not enough crosswalks and crossing guards; - Educate the students about the rules of the BZ; - To encourage walking the City should ensure all streets have sidewalks and all streets are plowed! - Stagger drop-off and pick-up times between lower and upper grades at school; - Introduce incentives for kids adopting healthier options (walk ,bus or ride) for getting to school ie. certificate for school store; - Encourage riding bikes; - Explore parking space available at senior living complex at back of Norwood; - Provision of monitors to establish & police the traffic rules. These results have been passed onto the Traffic Task Force and Alderman Stephen Linsky who is spearheading the traffic initiative for Cabot. Announcement From Newton Food Services We encourage all parents to sign up for on-line ordering even if you do not want to order your child(s) meal on-line. Your personal on-line account allows you to access your child(s) account balance and your child(s) orders at any time. Openings for next School year: If you are interested in working a couple of hours a week M-W-TH-F as a lunch attendant, please call Rob at 617-559-9015 in the beginning of August. September Menu: The September menu will be mailed out over the summer. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070523/5fd54f21/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Wed May 23 17:09:52 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Wed, 23 May 2007 17:09:52 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] FW: JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND Message-ID: <001701c79d7e$b4ebf070$6401a8c0@Jo> It would appear that we are having technical difficulties with the receipt of Tuesday's Jabberwock. Our apologises if you have already received this. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net _____ From: Jo Doherty [mailto:jcdoherty11 at comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:30 AM To: 'cabotcommunity at cabotpto.org' Cc: 'Marilynne Quarcoo'; 'Betsy_Nurczynski at newton.k12.ma.us' Subject: JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND JABBERWOCK FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22ND This issue contains information about the following: Volunteers needed for Color Day, June 5th Last PTO meeting of the year, June 12th at 8:40am Parent Co-ordinator needed for 3rd Grade Understanding Our Differences Program Next Year Did your child try riding the school bus last Friday? Want to continue for the remainder of the year? Then fill out this form from the office Welcome your new School Council parent members Summary of the recent Traffic Congestion Survey Calendar May 22, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 22, 2007 Incoming Kindergarten School Visitation Day, 1-2 PM May 22, 2007 Affinity Group 12:30 PM May 22, 2007 Grade 5 Parent Puberty Meeting May 22, 2007 Shavuot begins at Sundown May 23, 2007 MCAS, Grade 3 May 24, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 25, 2007 MCAS, Grade 5 May 28, 2007 Memorial Day, NO SCHOOL May 29, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 29, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 30, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 Cabot Class of 2000 Reunion 7:00 - 9:00 PM June 1, 2007 Grade 5 Step-Up Day, 11:30AM June 1, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 4, Theatre Espresso-Justice at War, New Art Center, 1:00PM June 6, 2007 Grade 4 Instrumental Concert 9:00 AM June 4, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences Grade 5, Origamido June 5, 2007 CASP Picnic and DVD at Cabot 6:00 - 7:30 PM June 5, 2007 Color Day (rain date 6/7) June 7, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal June 11, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM June 12, 2006 Final PTO Budget & Election Meeting, 8:40 AM June 12, 2006 Orchestra Concert for Cabot Village 11:45 - 12:30 June 14, 2006 Class Play for Ms. Moriarty's Class 1:00 - 3:00PM June 18, 2007 Awards Ceremony June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for All Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Field, Noon onwards June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM Have Fun at Color Day, June 5th - Volunteers Needed! Don't miss out on the fun of Cabot's Annual Color Day! The whole school participates in this day of friendly competition. Each class is divided into 3 teams (red, white and blue) and participates in the games and activities. We are seeking volunteers to help run the stations. If you would like to help, we will need you from 9:15 - 12:00. We ask that volunteers where possible hold June 7th available as a rain date. It's a fun filled morning so don't miss this opportunity to experience Color Day! Respond to Dana Bennett at Dana_Bennett at newton.k12.ma.us or Daphne Potter at dfpotter at rcn.com LAST PTO Meeting of the Year! Join us for the Final PTO Meeting of the year on Tuesday, June 12th at 8:40am in the Library. At this meeting we will submit the PTO Budget for the 2007 - 2008 School Year for approval, Elect our New PTO Co-President and briefly recap other important issues.. Please join us as we vote to elect Archana Vahalia as the incoming PTO President to join Mary Kathryn Fallon next year, and thank her for stepping forward to volunteer for this position. Also, come along and find out what PTO Positions are currently still available and which Committees need members. Parent Co-ordinator needed for next years 3rd Grade Understanding Our Differences Program. "Understanding Our Differences was an incredible experience for me as a parent.!! First it provided me an opportunity to volunteer in my son's classroom on a regular basis.! Most importantly, I loved being part of a program that teaches an invaluable lesson about life.!" Parent Volunteer Help teach our children empathy and respect by joining the Cabot PTO parent team for Understanding Our Differences. This award-winning curriculum teaches elementary students about disabilities and how to be a good friend to everyone in school. It features units on blindness, deafness, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, developmental disabilities and chronic medical conditions. The program is run entirely by parent volunteers, offered to all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, and we hope you will be interested to join us! In order to ensure that this worthwhile program can be offered at 3rd grade next year, we need a parent volunteer to co-ordinate the 3rd grade program. Become part of a large and strong circle of friends who have supported Understanding Our Differences in Newton for over 25 years. If you are interested please call Carol Weigert, Program Director for Understanding Our Differences within Newton Public School at 617-559-6075 or email her Carol_Weigert at newton.k12.ma.us . You can also contact Rick Reilly for information. Rick is the current 4th grade co-ordinator and will be the 5th grade co-ordinator next year at rmreilly at rcn.com All Aboard The Magic Cabot School Bus! Thanks to all those new eligible families who braved the rain last Friday to ride the school bus. This experiment was a great success - we nearly had a full school bus! If you would like your children to continue to ride the bus for the remainder of the school year then please contact the office to obtain a green information sheet that needs to be filled out. This provides the school with information as to which days your children will be riding the bus etc,.. Welcome Your New Cabot School Council Members! Please say a big thank you to our new Cabot School Council parent members Virginia Dean, Jim Robertson & Jay Schwartz. They join existing School Council members where their enthusiasm and professional expertise will be of enormous use as the School Council establishes its agenda for next year. We thank you all for volunteering to help Cabot School address the challenges of educating a growing student population. Summary of the Traffic Congestion & Parking Survey We had a high response rate to our survey receiving some 187 responses which is approx. a 60% response rate from our families. In survey terms that's big! Go to http://cabotpto.org/announce/traffic_fundraiser_survey/traffic_fund_results. html to check out all the survey results. Below is a summary of the major points. Most people drive their children to school in the morning (64%) & at pick-up (46%). Of those families eligible to take the bus a whopping 69% don't. When asked why, the most frequent reason was time - bus times not convenient, too much waiting around, stops not convenient so families would be in the car anyway. When asked about factors that would encourage ridership, respondents cited fees were a deterrent, concerns about safety & the location of bus stops. Cabot is taking steps to increase ridership with a trial "Ride the Bus to School" morning that happened May 18th. Of those that drive to school, 36% use the Blue Zone (BZ) at drop-off and 40% use Parkview street (non BZ areas) to park their cars. Opinions on the BZ were varied. The consensus was that at drop-off it is far less problematic - the real problem is at pick-up. The majority felt the BZ should not be changed to allow people to park and leave their cars (65%). Some (36%) thought the BZ should be a place where you could stay in your car for 10 mins rather than a moving zone, whereas 25% thought the BZ should remain as it is, a move along zone enforced with tickets. Comments revealed that people felt a moving zone put unnecessary pressure on the neighboring streets as people were forced to move around the block. There was some support for traffic monitors and tickets to enforce the BZ rules. And 56% voted not to eliminate the BZ entirely. Comments specific to the BZ were varied although some consistent themes came out as follows: - allow parking on the school side of Parkview with clearer signage and non blocking of driveways; - post more signs along the BZ to identify the rules; - the BZ does not work for K & 1st grade parents who need to collect their children from teachers- they should be discouraged from using the BZ if this practice is continued. This ambiguity needs to be recognized and addressed; - Success at Williams school reference for a moving BZ; - Support for traffic monitors to either keep traffic flowing, rules enforced and perhaps escorting children into/out of school. Question is who would do that? - Consideration to making the block/loop between Bridges and Parkview a one way loop. Potential changes for the new traffic plan were identified & people were asked for their willingness to adopt or support these (Q4). Respondents were supportive of parking on nearby streets (33%) as was support of neighborhood buddy walking systems. To further this Mary Kathryn Fallon has now enrolled Cabot into The Massachusetts Department of Transportation 'Safe Routes to School' (SRS) Program. This Program encourages walking to school and helps provide resources for traffic reduction and safety, including money for infrastructure changes. The goal is to increase awareness of the traffic issue and make alternative means of getting to school (other than driving) easier. To learn more about Safe Routes to School, check out http://www.commute.com/downloads/SRSbrochure.pdf In partnership with the Program the PTO is initiating a walking school bus using resources, experience and support we are receiving from SRS. Providing teachers with priority parking spaces was also supported by the majority (54%). Comments in general about parking and traffic congestion were varied but generally centered around similar issues such as: - Opening both the lobby and front office entrances in the morning would alleviate congestion; - Have satellite drop-off areas where kids could be accompanied into school ie. other side of Cabot field, or encourage use of neighing streets to park and walk other than Bridges. Who would supervise this was not addressed; - Many voice their opinion that the School Committee should re-consider its 1mile free bus radius. Reducing it would encourage families to ride the bus and reduce congestion; - Make Bridges and Parkview a one way loop throughout the entire school day extending into CASP hours, thus eradicating the confusion caused by Parkview returning to 2 way at 4pm; - Suggest a best practices approach by looking at how other schools & summer camps manage their traffic congestion problems, also the suggestion that a budget would be needed to enrole monitors; - Many people raised the issue of dangerous streets and not enough crosswalks and crossing guards; - Educate the students about the rules of the BZ; - To encourage walking the City should ensure all streets have sidewalks and all streets are plowed! - Stagger drop-off and pick-up times between lower and upper grades at school; - Introduce incentives for kids adopting healthier options (walk ,bus or ride) for getting to school ie. certificate for school store; - Encourage riding bikes; - Explore parking space available at senior living complex at back of Norwood; - Provision of monitors to establish & police the traffic rules. These results have been passed onto the Traffic Task Force and Alderman Stephen Linsky who is spearheading the traffic initiative for Cabot. Announcement From Newton Food Services We encourage all parents to sign up for on-line ordering even if you do not want to order your child(s) meal on-line. Your personal on-line account allows you to access your child(s) account balance and your child(s) orders at any time. Openings for next School year: If you are interested in working a couple of hours a week M-W-TH-F as a lunch attendant, please call Rob at 617-559-9015 in the beginning of August. September Menu: The September menu will be mailed out over the summer. Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070523/44611270/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue May 29 08:46:03 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 29 May 2007 08:46:03 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday May 29th 2007 Message-ID: <8C9700673DB31C8-89C-71DB@WEBMAIL-RE10> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, MAY 29th 2007 This issue contains information about the following: ?????????? Volunteers needed for Color Day, June 5th Last PTO meeting of the year, June 12th at 8:40am Year-End PTO Thank you Pot Luck ? June 10th, 4:00 ? 6:00 PM ??????????????? Newton Schools Gift Policy Want to ride the Bus for the rest of the school year?? Please fill out the form in the office. Newton Public School Safety Committee Meeting Traffic & Walking Lightbulbs are in! Cabot Artwork at Shaws Supermarket Jazz night at Newton North ? Tonight!? Featuring Casey Scheuerell and former Cabot Students ? Calendar May 29, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 29, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM May 30, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 MCAS Make-up May 31, 2007 Cabot Class of 2000 Reunion 7:00 - 9:00 PM ? ? ? ? June 1, 2007 Grade 5 Step-Up Day, 11:30AM June 1, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences? Grade 4, Theatre Espresso-Justice at War, New Art Center, 1:00PM June 4, 2007 Creative Arts & Sciences? Grade 5, Origamido June 4, 2007 Thank you coffee for Reading Partners 8:45 AM June 5, 2007 CASP Picnic and DVD at Cabot 6:00 - 7:30 PM June 5, 2007 Color Day (rain date 6/7) June 6, 2007 Grade 4 Instrumental Concert 9:00 AM June 7, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal June 11, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM June 12, 2006 PTO Budget & Election Meeting, 8:40 AM June 12, 2006 Orchestra Concert for Cabot Village 11:45 - 12:30 June 13, 2006 5th Grade Picnic June 13, 2006 Grade 3 Bike Safety 9:00 AM June 14, 2006 Class Play for Ms. Moriarty's Class 1:00 - 3:00PM June 18, 2007 Awards Ceremony June 19, 2007 Transition Ceremony 9:00 - 11:00 AM June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Field, Noon onwards June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM ? Have Fun at Color Day, June 5th - Volunteers Needed! Don?t miss out on the fun of Cabot?s Annual Color Day! The whole school participates in this day of friendly competition.? Each class is divided into 3 teams (red, white and blue) and participates in the games and activities. We are seeking volunteers to help run the stations.? If you would like to help, we will need you from 9:15 ? 12:00.? We ask that volunteers where possible hold June 7th available as a rain date. It?s a fun filled morning so don?t miss this opportunity to experience Color Day! Respond to Dana Bennett at Dana_Bennett at newton.k12.ma.us or Daphne Potter at dfpotter at rcn.com ? ? LAST PTO MEETING OF THE YEAR! Join us for the Final PTO Meeting of the year on Tuesday, June 12th at 8:40am in the Library.? At this meeting we will submit the PTO Budget for the 2007 ? 2008 School Year for approval, Elect our New PTO Co-President and briefly recap other important issues?. Please join us as we vote to elect Archana Vahalia as the incoming PTO President to join Mary Kathryn Fallon next year, and thank her for stepping forward to volunteer for this position. Also, come along and find out what PTO Positions are currently still available and which Committees need members. ? ? YEAR-END PTO THANK YOU POTLUCK Please mark your calendar for the Year-End PTO Thank You Pot-Luck Party, to be held on Sunday June 10th at 10 Worth Circle, Newton, from 4:00 - 6:00PM.? This event is held to thank ALL hardworking committee and community members, especially my co-President Jo Doherty. Jo?s dedication and hard work have truly been an inspiration to me this year, and it has been a great privilege to work with her. Please bring your family and join the celebration!???? ? ?NEWTON SCHOOL?S GIFT POLICY As we reach the end of the year 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 the end of the year.? Here are some suggestions: A note of appreciation to your child?s teacher, or a card made by your child, would be treasured.? A homemade acknowledgement to your child?s teacher or faculty member, such as cookies or baked goods. ? 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, Jo Doherty and Mary Kathryn Fallon. Thank you for your cooperation. ? All Aboard The Magic Cabot School Bus! Thanks to all those new eligible families who rode the bus on the Ride The Bus to School Day May 18th.? If you would like your children to continue to ride the bus for the remainder of the school year then please contact the office to obtain a green information sheet that needs to be filled out. This provides the school with information as to which days your children will be riding the bus etc,.. ? Newton Public School Safety Committee Meeting ? There is a meeting of the Newton Public School Safety Committee today at 1:00 in Room #222 in City Hall.? The current parking situation of Cabot will be addressed at this meeting.? We will be sending a representative to update you, or feel free o come along to the meeting. ? Traffic & Walking In anticipation of more traffic congestion next year, we are trying to establish 2 walking school bus routes to Cabot.? Working with the Safe Routes to School Program, we will be sending out permission slips and let you know if there is one in your area.? If you are interested in helping out, or being a parent walking volunteer (hopefully just 1 day per week), please contact either Mary Kathryn Fallon, marykathf at aol.com or Liz Haas, haasjoffe at rcn.com. Thanks! ? ? The Lightbulbs are In! The Energy Efficient Lightbulbs sold by the 4th Grade have been delivered from NSTAR. You order should have come home on Friday with your child, or it will come home today.? Please let us know if you have not received your order after today.? Thanks to the 4th Grade students and teachers, and especially to Cabot Parent Meg Wilcox and Mr. Tirrell for organizing this sale, and bringing awareness of energy efficiency to our community and thanks to so many of you who purchased them! ? CABOT ARTWORK AT SHAWS SUPERMARKET Artwork by Cabot students will be on display at Shaw?s Supermarket in Newtonville for the next month. Stop by this week and next to see Chinese brushwork created by second graders; in early June, look for ladybugs painted by kindergartners. The art should be on display on your right as you ascend the escalator. Thanks to Ms. Straight and Ms. Cain, Cabot School; and Mr. Therrien, Shaw?s Supermarket, for collaborating on this project. ? Jazz Night at Newton North The Newton North High School Jazz Ensemble will host its annual Jazz Night on Tuesday May 29, 7:30 pm. in the Lasker Auditorium at Newton North High School. Under the Direction of Berklee Assoc.Professor Casey Scheuerell, this outstanding big band will be performing works by Woody Herman, Art Blakey, Toots Thielemans, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter, Lennon & McCartney and others. Small groups will perform as well, including the fiddle/cello duo of Ari & Mia Friedman ?Lady and the Pants?, and special guests from the Berklee College of Music Faculty. Awards will be presented to deserving jazz students and several door prizes will be given away. Admission is a $5 donation at the door, students are free. For more information contact Casey Scheuerell at (617) 630-8647, or email at cscheuerell at berklee.edu . Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070529/a0470aaf/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jun 5 07:13:14 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 07:13:14 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday, June 5th 2007 Message-ID: <000301c7a762$83b10ac0$6401a8c0@Jo> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 5THth 2007 This issue contains information about the following: Family Leaving Cabot? Then please tell the office and complete the Exit Interview Form Last PTO meeting of the year, June 12th at 8:40am Year-End PTO Thank you Pot Luck - June 10th, 4:00 - 6:00 PM Results of Architects' Study will be Announced on June 11th Schools out for Summer! Celebrate the End of the School Year with a Picnic on Cabot Field Newton Schools Gift Policy Want to ride the Bus for the rest of the school year? Please fill out the form in the office. Safe Routes to School - Join The Walking Bus Cabot Artwork at Shaws Supermarket Free Seminar - Helping Your Child Get the Most From Sports GCKS Fall Soccer Registration begins June 11th Calendar June 5, 2007 CASP Picnic and DVD at Cabot 6:00 - 7:30 PM June 5, 2007 Color Day (rain date 6/7) June 6, 2007 Grade 4 Instrumental Concert 9:00 AM June 7, 2007 Early Release Day, 12:30 PM Dismissal June 11, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM June 12, 2006 PTO Budget & Election Meeting, 8:40 AM June 12, 2006 Orchestra Concert for Cabot Village 11:45 - 12:30 June 13, 2006 5th Grade Picnic June 13, 2006 Grade 3 Bike Safety 9:00 AM June 14, 2006 Class Play for Ms. Moriarty's Class 1:00 - 3:00PM June 18, 2007 Awards Ceremony 9am - 10:30am June 19, 2007 Transition Ceremony 9:00 - 11:00 AM June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Field, Noon onwards June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM Is Your Family Leaving Cabot at the end of this Year? If you and your family know that you will be leaving Cabot at the end of this year then please let Mrs. Driscoll in the office know. Also please ensure that you have completed & returned the Exit Interview Forms before the end of school, available from the office. LAST PTO MEETING OF THE YEAR! Join us for the Final PTO Meeting of the year on Tuesday, June 12th at 8:40am in the Library. At this meeting we will submit the PTO Budget for the 2007 - 2008 School Year for approval, Elect our New PTO Co-President and briefly recap other important issues.. Please join us as we vote to elect Archana Vahalia as the incoming PTO President to join Mary Kathryn Fallon next year, and thank her for stepping forward to volunteer for this position. Also, come along and find out what PTO Positions are currently still available and which Committees need members. YEAR-END PTO THANK YOU POTLUCK Please mark your calendar for the Year-End PTO Thank You Pot-Luck Party, to be held on Sunday June 10th at 10 Worth Circle, Newton, from 4:00 - 6:00PM. This event is held to thank ALL hardworking committee and community members. Please bring your family and join the celebration! Results of Architects' Study will be Announced on June 11th A team of architects has assessed the condition of 21 Newton Public School buildings and will report its findings at the School Committee meeting on Monday night, June 11, 2007. Tune in to find out which schools have been identified as the most in need of attention - has Cabot School made it to the top of the list for renovations? Please attend the meeting if you can -- it starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Education Center on Walnut St. - or watch the meeting live (or later) on NewTV. As always, a good showing of Cabot parents will remind our elected officials of how much we care about the future of our building and community.We expect the School Committee to schedule one or two public hearings on the report, but those dates have not been announced yet. Those meetings are likely to be in June and will be another crucial time for us to voice our concern about taking care of Cabot School. A copy of the study itself should be available on June 11th on the NPS website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/index.html For more information, contact one of our Cabot PTO Political Issues Co-Chairs: Sarah Ecker sarahecker at comcast.net, Sue Covitz suecovitz at rcn.com and Isabelle Thacker isabelle at thackers.net Schools out for Summer! Celebrate the End of the School Year with a Picnic on Cabot Field School finishes on Wednesday, June 20th at 12 noon. In recent years a tradition has evolved at Cabot to mark this event with a mass picnic out on the Cabot field. So come along. Bring your blanket, a picnic and hang out with friends you have made over the year and discover new ones! NEWTON SCHOOL'S GIFT POLICY As we reach the end of the year 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 the end of the year. Here are some suggestions: * A note of appreciation to your child's teacher, or a card made by your child, would be treasured. * A homemade acknowledgement to your child's teacher or faculty member, such as cookies or baked goods. * Honor your child's teacher with a contribution to the Newton Schools Foundation - every teacher gets mentioned in the TAB! For more details go to http://www.nsfonline.org/support/honorteacher2007.html 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, Jo Doherty and Mary Kathryn Fallon. Thank you for your cooperation. All Aboard The Magic Cabot School Bus! Thanks to all those new eligible families who rode the bus on the Ride The Bus to School Day May 18th. If you would like your children to continue to ride the bus for the remainder of the school year then please contact the office to obtain a green information sheet that needs to be filled out. This provides the school with information as to which days your children will be riding the bus etc,.. Safe Routes to School - Join The Walking Bus! Did you see the Safe Routes to School article in the Globe? Check it out at :http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/05/31/bill_wou ld_prod_students_to_walk_not_ride_to_school/ In anticipation of more traffic congestion next year, we are trying to establish 2 walking school bus routes to Cabot. Working with the Safe Routes to School Program, we will be sending out permission slips and let you know if there is one in your area. If you are interested in helping out, or being a parent walking volunteer (hopefully just 1 day per week), please contact either Mary Kathryn Fallon, marykathf at aol.com or Liz Haas, haasjoffe at rcn.com. Thanks! CABOT ARTWORK AT SHAWS SUPERMARKET Check out artwork by Cabot students on display at Shaw's Supermarket in Newtonville this month. Stop by this week and next to see Chinese brushwork created by second graders; in early June, look for ladybugs painted by kindergartners. The art should be on display on your right as you ascend the escalator. Thanks to Ms. Straight and Ms. Cain, Cabot School; and Mr. Therrien, Shaw's Supermarket, for collaborating on this project. Free Seminar - Helping Your Child Get the Most From Sports Come along to this free presentation and Q&A session presented by Zervas PTO by Richard Ginsburg, Ph. D., Specialist in sports psychology and author of "Whose Game Is It Anyway? A Guide to Helping Your Child Get the Most from Sports, Organized by Age and Stage Thursday, June 7, 2007 at Zervas School, 8 - 9:15pm Dr. Ginsburg is a clinical psychologist and a sports psychology consultant for the Harvard Mens Lacrosse and Womens Soccer teams. GCKS Fall Soccer Registration begins June 11th Registration for the Fall Session of Garden City Kindergarten Soccer begins Mon, Jun 11th. We have two programs, a K Soccer league for children enrolled in Kindergarten and a Pre-K Soccer league for children 4 to 5 years old. GCKS provides a great introduction to the game of soccer; teaching a variety of basic skills in a fun, non-competitive environment. Team sizes are small, with 10 players in each group. We will only enroll 80 children per league. This format allows each child optimal time for on-field practice and game rotations. GCKS Fall Session runs from Sept 8-Nov 3rd. Practice/games will be held Saturdays from 9:30-10:30 am for the Kindergarten league and 10:45-11:45 am for the Pre-K league. Games are played on the field at Burr School, Pine Street in Auburndale. Volunteer parent coaches are needed. No experience is necessary and training will be provided. Cost is $60 per child for the season. GCKS is a joint venture of Lincoln-Eliot & Franklin School's Parent Teacher Organization. Proceeds benefit both schools PTO programs. To obtain a registration form, send an email to gardencitysoccer at gmail.com or call L-E School parent Melanie Varady at 617-244-5773 or Franklin School parent Deb Rooney at (617) 630-8520. Space is limited. Registration deadline is Friday, August 17th. This has been compiled for you by the Cabot PTO Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070605/67f70941/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jun 5 09:15:46 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 5 Jun 2007 09:15:46 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] COLOR DAY POSTPONED TO THURSDAY, JUNE 7TH Message-ID: <001801c7a773$a0ac1be0$6401a8c0@Jo> COLOR DAY HAS BEEN POSTPONED TO THURSDAY, JUNE 7TH Due to the wet field conditions Color Day has been postponed to the rain date of this Thursday, June 7th As a result we really need about 20 volunteers to man the stations around the field and make this the great annual event it has become. So please check your schedules and see if you can volunteer. Don't miss out on the fun of Cabot's Annual Color Day! The whole school participates in this day of friendly competition. Each class is divided into 3 teams (red, white and blue) and participates in the games and activities. We are seeking volunteers to help run the stations. If you would like to help, we will need you from 9:15 - 12:00. It's a fun filled morning so don't miss this opportunity to experience Color Day! Respond to Daphne Potter at dfpotter at rcn.com or 617 795 0540 Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070605/e5c78df9/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Jun 5 23:37:56 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:37:56 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] PTO Year-end celebration pot luck - this Sunday! In-Reply-To: <8C976020B3A9DAC-2A4-7196@webmail-me12.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C976020B3A9DAC-2A4-7196@webmail-me12.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C9760334E95260-2A4-71D9@webmail-me12.sysops.aol.com> View full size Please bring your family and join the PTO in a year-end celebration to thank all committee members for a wonderful year, and especially to recognize the dedication and hard work of outgoing PTO co-president ? Jo Doherty ? ? Potluck: appetizers, salads & desserts Sunday, June 10 4:00-6:00 p.m. 10 Worth Circle, Newton ? ? Hope to see you there! ? Questions: Mary Kathryn Fallon, marykathf at aol.com? or 617-244-1821 Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070605/70ba71bf/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Jun 12 16:20:23 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 16:20:23 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday June 12, 2007 Message-ID: <8C97B463DF6727A-10CC-4339@WEBMAIL-RD05.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, JUNE 12th 2007 This issue contains information about the following: ????????? Last PTO Meeting of the year held this morning ????????? PTO had a financially successful year ? here is what with did with the overages ????????? Color Day ????????? Walking School Bus will be Launched this Friday June 15th ????????? PTO Picnic ? after the last day of school ????????? Envelopes ????????? Library Donations ????????? Lost & Found ????????? Cabot Artwork at Shaws Supermarket ? Calendar June 12, 2006 PTO Budget & Election Meeting, 8:40 AM June 12, 2006 Orchestra Concert for Cabot Village 11:45 - 12:30 June 13, 2006 5th Grade Picnic June 13, 2006 Grade 3 Bike Safety 9:00 AM June 14, 2006 Class Play for Ms. Moriarty's Class 1:00 - 3:00PM June 18, 2007 Awards Ceremony June 19, 2007 Transition Ceremony 9:00 - 11:00 AM June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Field, Noon onwards June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM ? LAST PTO MEETING OF THE YEAR! The Final PTO Meeting of the year was held this morning of which approximately 20 people attended. At this meeting we elected our new PTO Co-President, Archana Vahalia! Please thank Archana for stepping up take this important position, and also thank Rosemary Thomsen who is continuing as PTO Treasurer and Lori Seuch who is continuing as VP of Fundraising. We said good bye and thank you to Jo Doherty, for her dedication and hardwork over the past two years and to Michele Weinfeld who has served as Treasurer for the past few years.? The PTO Budget for the 2007 ? 2008 School Year was approved.? We were updated on the Long-Term Facility report by Sarah Ecker and Sue Covitz and about the modulars by Isabelle Thacker. We were addressed by Dr. Quarcoo, who discussed enrollment figures and staffing for next year. We discussed many other items, including the traffic issues, the Cabot Community Garden, available PTO positions, School Forms for next year, and Art for Education, a children?s artwork program and possible fundraiser.? Thanks to Ann Duvall who took the minutes of the meeting, which we will post on the website shortly!? ? Thanks to you ? the PTO had a financially successful year! Due to your generosity and the overwhelming success of such events as the Cabot Fair, coupled with lower then expected expenditures, we have some money left in the PTO bank account this year.? We are going to use this money to support the faculty in 2 ways: ? We purchased $75 gift cards to Staples to give faculty members funds to help replenish their classroom supplies over the summer and to help offset their out of pocket expenses as they get ready for next year. ? We are tripling the amount allocated by the City for teacher continuing education classes and workshops.? Teacher will be able to take courses that interest them and will enhance their teaching skills and the PTO will help defray the costs of these fees. ? Thank you for helping us support and appreciate the Faculty at Cabot School by your generosity this year!? Thank you!! ? Color Day! A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who helped out at last week's Color Day, and to Ms. Bennett and Daphne Potter for organizing the wonderful day which has become a very important part of the Cabot tradition. Our second attempt (aka rain date) at Color Day was a huge amount of fun and the weather really cooperated.? Seeing Dr. Quarcoo working on the roof was a highlight of the day. She said she would?work on the roof if the students helped do their part to keep the bathrooms tidy, which they did!?The day couldn't have gone on without the numerous volunteers that showed up to help run the activity stations and cheer on the Red, White, and Blue teams.? We hope we are not forgetting anyone but a special thank you goes to: Ruth Ginsberg (Jacobs grandma K), Lisa & Marc Svensson, The Reilly's, Jo Doherty, Anya Bassett, Mary Kathryn Fallon, Sandy Connors, Faith Witte, Mark Shoham, Toby Berla, Susan Phillips, Elizabeth (Maya M's Nanny),Emily Hess, Lisa Porter, Janet Lehman, Mark Nardone, Archana Vahalia, Chris Kjellson, Madison Griswold's Grandma, Joan Butterton and Donna Cooper, Kate Dulit, Sarah Thomsen (former Cabot student), Sandee Simshauser, Brett Leav, Laura Dreese, Deborah Mitchell, Karen Blatt, and?Jeanmarie Patriacca, not to mention all the faculty who pitched in to run stations and the teachers who kept score.?? Congrats to Ms. Stahl's 2nd grade class who correctly guessed the number of fig newtons in the 'Guessing Jar', there were?70, and to Mr. Ripp's 4th grade class for the most energetic cheer? "T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U ".? GO TEAM! ? The Cabot Walking School Bus Is Being Launched On Friday, June 15th! The Walking School Bus?will be launched?this Friday, June 15th!?? 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, or finding out the times of the bus stops in your area, please contact either Mary Kathryn Fallon at marykathf at aol.com or Liz Haas at? haas.joffe@ rcn.com .? We hope to have more bus stops in the fall, so if you are interested in participating, or being a parent ?driver?, please let us know!? ? ? PTO PICNIC ? LAST DAY OF SCHOOL Join the Cabot Community for an informal picnic after the last day of school, June 20, 2007, at 12:00 noon on the field.? Bring a picnic lunch and join the fun! ? PLEASE RETURN 2 SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPES Please send in 2 self-addressed, stamped envelopes for each student before the end of the year.? Your child?s teacher will collect these and they will be used to notify you of your child?s class assignment and class list during the month of August. ? LIBRARY For many years, our school library has been enhanced by donations made in honor of children and teachers or other adults, to express gratitude, to mark special occasions, or to celebrate a particular event.? It is an excellent way to thank teachers at holiday time and at year-end.? See the attached form or pick one up from Mrs. Gerson in the Cabot School Library.? Lost & Found The pile of items in the lobby is quite a sight, Have you seen the lost & found bin? It is reaching a great height! Sweatshirts, jackets, hats and even a comb; All those beautiful items sitting without a home. We?d like to you to check it and claim what is yours, Because if it keeps growing, it will block the lobby doors! Take it away, the T-shirts, lunch boxes, gloves and socks, Because when school finishes next Wednesday, we?d like an empty box! ? CABOT ARTWORK AT SHAWS SUPERMARKET Artwork by Cabot students will be on display at Shaw?s Supermarket in Newtonville for the next month. Stop by this week and see ladybugs painted by kindergartners. The art should be on display on your right as you ascend the escalator. Thanks to Ms. Straight and Ms. Cain, Cabot School; and Mr. Therrien, Shaw?s Supermarket, for collaborating on this project. Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070612/3d14009d/attachment.html -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: Library_Fund_Donation_.doc Type: application/octet-stream Size: 28160 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070612/3d14009d/attachment.obj From marykathf at aol.com Wed Jun 13 15:41:54 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 15:41:54 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Advocate for Cabot School - Summary of issues (long term facilities and space) and dates of public meetings! Message-ID: <8C97C0A08083015-F6C-1CE0@WEBMAIL-RA15.sysops.aol.com> Advocate for Cabot! ? Cabot, Angier and Zervas elementary schools are Newton?s neediest buildings in terms of facility condition and educational space, according to the team of architects working on the Newton Schools? Long Term Facilities Plan.? In addition, elementary school enrollment is expected to increase by nearly 1,000 students by 2011 and may necessitate renovating and reopening the Carr School in Nonantum. ? State aid for school construction will become available again next year when a four year moratorium on new projects is lifted.? Should Newton apply for these state funds?? For which schools?? Can Newton meet the July 31, 2007 deadline for submitting a ?statement of interest?? ? These questions will be addressed in the coming weeks by the School Committee, Mayor and Board of Aldermen.? It is a critical time for parents to voice their concerns about the future of the Cabot building.? ? A good showing of Cabot parents at the following public meetings will remind our elected officials of how much we care about our building and community: ? June 18, 2007 - 7:00 PM, City Hall Board of Alderman, Committee of the Whole. Briefing on the needs assessment portion of the Long Range Facilities Study ? June 19, 2007 - 7:00 PM, 100 Walnut Street Special meeting of the School Committee with public comment about the building needs assessment and presentation of options. ? June 20, 2007 ? 7:45 PM, City Hall Joint meeting of Programs and Services and Public Facilities Committees of the Board of Alderman with presentation of options and discussion on submission of a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. ? June 25, 2007 - 7:00 PM, 100 Walnut Street Regular meeting of the School Committee begins early to finish year end business and allow additional time for public comment and further discussion of building options. ? If you?re able to attend a meeting, please let us know ? it helps us to plan our attendance, too ? ? Attendance at public meetings has great impact, but sending e-mail is very useful also.? Please write to the Board of Aldermen and let them know that renovation of the Cabot building is long over due.? Encourage them to support the School Committee?s efforts to apply for state funds. ? To contact the Board of Aldermen, visit: http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/Aldermen/pix/bios_index.htm ? ? To contact the School Committee and Mayor, e-mail:? schoolcommittee at newton.k12.m1.us ? For more information on the architects study, go to the Long Term Facilites page on the NPS website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/hot_topics/longrange_facilities.html ? For more information from the Cabot PTO, contact one of the Political Issues Co-Chairs:? Sarah Ecker at sarahecker at comcast.net, Sue Covitz at suecovitz at rcn.com ?and Isabelle Thacker at isabelle at thackers.net .? Mary Kathryn Fallon Cabot PTO Co-President 10 Worth Circle, Newton, MA 02458 617-244-1821 MaryKathF at aol.com ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070613/07ec255f/attachment.html From MaryKathF at aol.com Sat Jun 16 09:35:43 2007 From: MaryKathF at aol.com (MaryKathF at aol.com) Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 09:35:43 EDT Subject: [CabotCommunity] School Store Open 1 More Time - Wednesday instead of Tuesday!! Message-ID: The School Store Will be Open Just One More Time this Year - On Wednesday instead of Tuesday Final opportunity to redeem birthday certificates! The school store will be open just once more this year - on the last day of school. There is still a nice selection of items such as bandana-print pencils, squishy animal pencil toppers, dino baby erasers and gel markers in a variety of colors. So, rummage around in the bottom of backpacks and look under beds for those certificates and we'll see you Wednesday morning! ************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070616/cc8ca913/attachment.html From jcdoherty11 at comcast.net Tue Jun 19 07:13:10 2007 From: jcdoherty11 at comcast.net (Jo Doherty) Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:13:10 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Final E-Jabberwock of the School Year, 19 June 2007 Message-ID: <003001c7b262$d3493d40$6401a8c0@Jo> Cabot School e-Jabberwock Respect for self and others Lifelong learning Commitment to school and community Issue 9 June 19, 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.mec.edu/cabot/ Cabot School PTO www.cabotpto.org Newton Public Schools www.newtonpublicschools.com Calendar June 19, 2007 5th Grade Transition Ceremony 9:00 - 11:00 AM June 19, 2007 School Committee meeting, 7p, 100 Walnut Street June 19, 2007 Last Day of CASP June 20, 2007 Last Day of School for Students, 12 Noon Dismissal June 20, 2007 End of Year Picnic on Cabot Field, Noon onwards - Bring your own picnic! June 20, 2007 Board of Alderman meeting, 7pm City Hall June 21, 2007 Last Day of School for Teachers June 25, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7PM, 100 Walnut Street Sept 4, 2007 Welcome Picnic for New Families (rain date 9/5) Sept 6, 2007 First day for students 1-5 & Kindergarten "A" Sept 6, 2007 PTO Coffee for new parents, 8:30am outside Kindergarten wing Sept 7, 2007 First day for Kindergarten "B" Sept 7, 2007 PTO Coffee for new parents, 8:30am outside Kindergarten wing Sept 18, 2007 First PTO Meeting of the new school year, 8:40am Sept 20, 2007 Back to School Night Sept 25, 2007 Community Supper, 5pm Cabot Field Marilynne's Message The 2007-2008 school year has been one of the best! Over the course of this year working together with the PTO we have accomplished a great deal. With the improved use of technology more of the community has been able to weigh in on a host of issues related to schooling and life in the community. We have seen our traditional activities complimented by new ones. As a community we sought ways to rebuild and renew our commitment to our core values. The Fireside Chats will be marked as one of the most successful endeavors I have undertaken in my seventeen years as principal. What a pleasure it was for me to meet families in the neighborhoods that make up Cabot School. This year of renewal has allowed us to focus our efforts on the anticipating changes affecting the school. Ride the Bus to School, Walking School buses, and public community meetings have allowed us to take a collective shared approach to managing change. If you happen to drive passed the parking lot take a look but don't stop! Starting this week we will have real evidence of the change to come. The modular construction seems to be starting. Teachers will certainly find their way to school differently as will all families. Over the summer you may want to catch the action of modular construction but be sure to inform your children of their need to remain safe. School officially closes on Thursday when the teachers leave. Please encourage your children not to hang around that area especially if you find yourself on the Little League field. The Cabot Community Park is coming to life. Take a peak but keep in mind it is still a work in progress. The mulching and landscaping gives us hope that in the fall we will have yet another area for discovery and wonder! So much effort has been given to the project so be on the look out for a celebration. Former parents Michael McSally and Margaret Hannah, along with Cliff Jewett have let us witness tenacity in action. They stayed committed despite many tall obstacles. We now have a new crew to take the reigns and already folks are busy on the next phase. In the classrooms we have enjoyed countless hours of excitement and hard work. Your children and their teachers have done the work of school. We have been enjoying the celebration of our students' growth and learning. This summer many teachers will become students themselves as many of us will take courses and do workshops to refine our craft. We are also welcoming a host of new faculty and staff. Change can be hard and we have to say goodbye to so many excellent faculty. We wish them all the best and know that we have new teachers who will surely leave a mark on this community as well. Did you know that parents have served on most of the hiring committees this year? In this way parents serve as valued partners in the process to educate all children. Perhaps in the future you will have an opportunity to serve. At the end of each year my greatest contribution to the Jabberwock is the acknowledgment I write to the outgoing PTO Co Chair! Where do I star when I have to relay my deepest and sincerest respect and appreciation to Jo Doherty! I can recall the process of recruitment two years ago, Jo was fairly new to the community and when she was approached it was only a relatively short while before she agreed to serve. Jo joins an outstanding group of former PTO co chairs. Jo has tirelessly worked on strategically important issues to the school. She raised awareness regarding child safety; she headed the charge to bring clarity to the process of both the short and long term facilities studies. She found more opportunities to engage a larger number of parents and guardians in the various and sundry activities of the PTO. I would not be surprised if she set a record for the largest number of volunteers this year. Jo worked to incorporate the use of surveys with the community and be responsive to the views of our diverse community regarding even the most controversial of issues. Through her leadership we witnessed the improvements to the Cabot website. Now parents and those interested in our school have an informative and attractive page. Jo knew how to distribute her leadership and charge the community with participation. I will be forever grateful for the resource she has been to me. Jo never hesitated to give me that quick pick me up when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. She always made offers to take some of the load. And believe me she did each and every time! It can be hard for me to ask for help but Jo just seemed to know when it was needed. Over the years I have learned how dedicated Jo is to a cause. She gave up innumerable hours to be an effective representative and parent leader in our community. Those at the helm of the Newton Public schools often speak highly of the Cabot PTO leadership and their sound balanced approach to advocacy. Thank you Jo for giving so unselfishly these past two years. Now it is time to pass the mantle to Mary Kathryn Fallon who has risen to the charge. We already have so much evidence of the strength and promise of our remaining PTO Co-Chair! Just take a look at the Walking School Bus in two locations at Cabot School. Mary Kathryn's commitment to the school is also very palpable. She is up late writing emails reflecting her concern and interest in making life better at school for adults and children. Mary Kathryn is joined by Archana Vahalia as PTO co-chair! Archana has been a long-standing steady presence in PTO activities. If you ever attended a family Dance then you know of her recent involvement. To all of you who have worked tirelessly this year I give you my sincerest thanks. The school is only as strong as the sum of its parts! Cabot School parents and guardians are a true testament to that To all of you I say thank you! THOUGHTS ON GRATITUDE Found in a hospital waiting room while sitting with a friend who underwent an extreme crisis. Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others. The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul. As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary. If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you", that would suffice. I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new. The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated. Cabot School community, you have our gratitude! PTO Pen First a word or two from Jo: What an understatement to say a lot happened this year! Once again Cabot displayed its sense of community spirit and rallied together to accomplish great feats. Be it introducing new families to OUR Cabot family at the annual Welcome Picnic; celebrating the beginning of the school year at the Community Supper with hip hop dancing; enjoying the melodies & humor of the Cabot Parent Chorus transforming "Dancing cheek to cheek" into "Teaching cheek to cheek" at Back to School night; reveling in Cabot's now traditional take on Halloween with yoga and karate demonstrations on Wellness Day; making our voices and opinions heard to the School Committee as they considered options to alleviate the space crunch at Newton Elementary schools; responding so generously to the various PTO fundraisers that enable our support of the school and faculty in so many different ways; spotlighting the ingenuity of our children at Invention Invasion; illustrating our collective love of reading and home grown storytelling talent at a great Book Fair event; banding together to provide some TLC on Cabot Clean-up day; showing the faculty our appreciation by providing a sumptuous lunch of edible delights; coming together for a spectacular day out at the Cabot Fair; or perhaps it was the thrills and cheers of Color Day... Whether it was these events or the many, many more that I don't have the space to mention, this year certainly demonstrated what we at Cabot are capable of achieving collectively! In these challenging times when it seems difficult to individually influence outcomes, it is heartwarming to reflect upon the changes we have collectively been able to affect. For the PTO to provide its services and make all of these events appear so effortless and enjoyable, there are a multitude of people at work behind the scenes: the committee chairs who year after year step up to run their events and activities. The volunteers who give of their time within school to help in the classrooms, libraries, the music, art room and the office, and those that answer our calls to make these reknown Cabot events run without a hitch... THANK YOU! My great appreciation goes to PTO Officers Rosemary Thomsen and Michele Weinfeld our Treasurers, and Lori Seuch, Fundraising. Rosemary, your attention to detail, calm and professional demeanor kept us moving forward in great financial shape. Michele, we wish you and your family well as you prepare to leave Cabot and thank you so much for all the work you have done for the school over the years! Lori, in your matter of fact way you helped lighten our load enormously for which we are very appreciative! Sarah Ecker, Sue Covitz & Isabelle Thacker - I found your political acumen and tenacity inspiring, & am so grateful I had you to learn from. To Mie-Yun Lee, our webmaster, who did such a great job renovating the Cabot PTO web site and who responded to my survey ideas without hesitation enabling us to influence City decision making so effectively - thank you! During my tenure it was difficult not to be cognizant of Cabot's dynamic and intimidating history of past PTO Presidents. Having emerged from my term I would like to pay my respects to all those in whose path I have trodden, and who provided their support and wisdom to me. Looking to the future, Cabot is fortunate to have the dynamic duo of Mary Kathryn Fallon & Archana Vahalia as its PTO Presidents! It has been a genuine pleasure to work alongside Mary Kathryn whose diligence, dedication and humor shined as brightly as her smile. We are fortunate at Cabot to have her energy and commitment! Finally, I would like to extend my personal thanks to Dr. Quarcoo who over the past 2 years has constantly amazed me as she juggles the never ending responsibilities of a Principal in a demanding Elementary school. My tenure has afforded me a much fuller appreciation of the extent of her duties and responsibilities, and the breadth of challenges she faces on a daily basis. She has my respect and thanks for all she does, her patience, perspective and guidance. And now a word from Mary Kathryn....... A heartfelt good-bye to my friend and Co-Chair, Jo Doherty........ Jo's dedication to Cabot School is truly inspiring. Whether it be speaking in front of the School Committee, touring Aldermen around the Cabot Building, responding to numerous inquiries with a smile and a solution, preparing the weekly Jabberlites or sitting in the dunk tank, Jo gives it her all! Her contagious personality makes everyone feel welcome and part of the Cabot Community. She is intelligent, caring and committed and Cabot School was lucky to have her as a leader for 2 years. It is with sadness that I say good-bye to her in the PTO role; however, we at Cabot are fortunate to have her for many more years. You can bet she will be on my speed-dial for advice in the future! New PTO Co-President At the Final PTO meeting of the Year, held last Tuesday June 12, we elected our new PTO Co-President, Archana Vahalia! Please thank Archana for stepping up to take this important position. I am looking forward to working with her and can see that her commitment to Cabot School will make for successful 2007-08 year! Schools out for Summer! Celebrate the End of the School Year with a Picnic on Cabot Field School finishes on Wednesday, June 20th at 12 noon. In recent years a tradition has evolved at Cabot to mark this event with a mass picnic out on the Cabot field. So come along. Bring your blanket, a picnic and hang out with friends you have made over the year and discover new ones. To everyone at Cabot, thank you all for support and encouragement over the last 2 years. We wish you and your family a great summer! Jo Doherty PTO co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon PTO co-President Recent Events at cabot Thanks to Acknowledgement! Acknowledgment Committee wraps up a great year Thanks to the hard work of committee members Sharon Dwyer, Suzy Enyeart, Tera Hirsch, Kate Johnson, Ayako Samuels, Sandee Simshauser, and Helen Ventouris, Cabot's teachers and staff received well-deserved kudos throughout the year. The Acknowledgment Committee expresses appreciation for teachers and staff in a variety of ways. Activities include providing food on several occasions, sending cards to acknowledge milestones, selecting small gifts, providing flowers at concerts, and hosting the annual Staff Appreciation Luncheon. Sally Brickell, chair Last PTO Meeting of the Year! The Final PTO Meeting of the year was held this morning of which approximately 20 people attended. At this meeting we elected our new PTO Co-President, Archana Vahalia! Please thank Archana for stepping up take this important position, and also thank Rosemary Thomsen who is continuing as PTO Treasurer and Lori Seuch who is continuing as VP of Fundraising. We said good bye & thank you to Jo Doherty, for her dedication & hard work over the past two years and to Michele Weinfeld who has served as Treasurer for the past few years. The PTO Budget for the 2007 - 2008 School Year was approved. We were updated on the Long-Term Facility report by Sarah Ecker & Sue Covitz & about the modulars by Isabelle Thacker. We were addressed by Dr. Quarcoo, who discussed enrollment figures & staffing for next year. We discussed many other items, including the traffic issues, the Cabot Community Garden, available PTO positions, School Forms for next year, & Art for Education, a children's artwork program & possible fundraiser. Thanks to Ann Duvall who took the minutes of the meeting which we will post on the website shortly! Thanks to YOU - the PTO had a financially successful year! Due to your generosity and the overwhelming success of such events as the Cabot Fair, coupled with lower then expected expenditures, we have some money left in the PTO bank account this year. We are going to use this money to support the faculty in 2 ways: * We purchased $75 gift cards to Staples to give faculty members funds to help replenish their classroom supplies over the summer and to help offset their out of pocket expenses as they get ready for next year. * We are tripling the amount allocated by the City for teacher continuing education classes and workshops. Teacher will be able to take courses that interest them and will enhance their teaching skills and the PTO will help defray the costs of these fees. Thank you for helping us support and appreciate the Faculty at Cabot School by your generosity this year! Thank you! Walking School Bus Last Friday we launched the Walking School bus. There were two bus stops and 24 children 'took the bus'. This is our way to reduce traffic and increase safety around the school, while at the same time using healthy habits and being environmentally conscious. We would like to have more 'bus routes' next year. If you are interested in helping to be a driver or establishing a route from your area, please contact me at marykathf at aol.com Volunteers Needed CAP Program Needs Volunteers for 2007-2008 Newton's Child Assault Prevention (CAP) program is seeking volunteers We can't do it without you. 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 will begin in October. We will be offering a series of 3- hour morning and evening training sessions. CAP volunteers include parents of pre-school through college - aged children 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, gsommer at ncscweb.org or gailns at aol.com Volunteers Needed for Next Year 2007-2008 Volunteer Positions Open for Next Year Did you know that Cabot has 33 PTO Committees, from Program Enrichment to the book Fair to the Social Action Committee? There are many opportunities for you to support the Cabot school community, and many take just a few hours. Check out the committees and what they do at http://cabotpto.org/volunteer.htm . All Committees welcome new members, and listed below are important positions we have yet to fill - What about you? Please contact the committee chairs (listed on the website) or Sally Brickell, our Nominations Coordinator, for more information. * Cabot Fair co-chair * Family Dance co-chair * Photography coordinator * Public Relations co-chair * Work Crew coordinator Contact PTO Co-President Mary Kathryn Fallon for more information CABOT BROADCAST Cabot Core Values The third Cabot School Core Value is to develop a commitment to school and community that will enable us to be good citizens of the larger community. Recently, there has been an improvement in driver courtesy at pick up and drop off. Maybe it's because the weather has improved and more people are walking; maybe it's because more students are riding the bus; maybe it's because a lot of information has been sent home about the importance of everyone following the rules; maybe it's because Officer Devine has been enforcing those rules; maybe it's because parents are talking amongst themselves and with the neighbors of Cabot School. Whatever the reasons, it's gotten better. As a community, we can do even better. Please remember that when you park too close to a driveway, that neighbor, that member of the Cabot Community, cannot get out. Please remember that when you park in a "No Parking" area, what is a convenience for you is surely an inconvenience for other members of the Cabot Community.... the buses cannot make it down the street, neighbors cannot get out of their driveways, etc. Please remember if you let your child out in the middle of the street, it's dangerous and it inconveniences all of the cars behind you. Please remember if you stop in the crosswalk, children cannot cross the street. We are all part of this community. Everyone has a place to go that is important. And our children and neighbors are part of this community too. Communities often come together when there is a tragedy. Let us come together as a community to avoid a traffic tragedy. Core values event planned for fall 2007 The teachers, staff members, and parents who make up the core values group are planning a fun and educational evening in October 2007. Students and their parents/guardians will have a chance to learn about and experience Cabot's core values by participating in several hands-on activities. If you want to help, contact Sally Brickell (brickland6 at rcn.com). Stay tuned for details! Lost & Found The pile of items in the lobby is quite a sight, Have you seen the lost & found bin? It is reaching a great height! Sweatshirts, jackets, hats and even a comb; All those beautiful items sitting without a home. We'd like to you to check it and claim what is yours, Because if it keeps growing, it will block the lobby doors! Take it away, the T-shirts, lunch boxes, gloves and socks, Because when school finishes next Wednesday, we'd like an empty box! Photography Coordinator. Thanks and Help Needed I would like to express my gratitude to all the photographers who helped diligently through the last couple of years at Cabot. Your dedication & commitment has been a great help and was appreciated by all the Cabot Community. With regrets, I have to announce our family leaving this loving & caring community that has always been there for us. I encourage anyone with the love of photography to step up & fill this position as it doesn't require a whole lot of your time. This is a wonderful opportunity to share with the students their photos from the various events at Cabot. And remember, you won't be doing this task on your own; many volunteers are always willing to help. Cheers! - Zeina Kahhale - Cabot School, Photography Coordinator Thank You Jo For Jo Doherty, with Appreciation >From the first day we met, at the Welcome Picnic, I could tell that Jo Doherty was someone unique. With her upper crust accent, warmth, and electric smile, Jo's a woman you'd like to chat with a while. Although new to Cabot School, she quickly made friends, Helping out at events soon became a trend. On Leonard Ave., Jo raised two boys mostly alone, While Colin wracked up air miles, Jo flew solo at home. Charismatic, energetic, Jo rose through the ranks, Volunteering, Social Action, not asking for thanks. Following Cabot tradition, albeit somewhat hesitant, Jo took the helm as PTO co-president. Assisted Marguerite, kept many plates spinning, I'd only worry if I saw Jo not grinning. This year she took over, and Mary Kathryn joined her. Jo provided inspiration; the year passed in a blur. Worried about the space crunch, stayed on top of emails, Wrote many e-Jabbers, kept track of myriad details. Lobbied the School Committee for modulars for Cabot- Seeing Jo at city meetings got to be a habit. When Jo wore a sandwich board in the Blue Zone, She got her message out to parents on her own. Ran the Cabot Clean-up Day, which brightened the place. Rallied volunteers and spent the weekend tuning up our space. But the view of Jo we'll cherish, etched in our brain, Is Jo atop the dunk tank, being washed down the drain. Now Jo's well-deserved retirement is finally here. Thanks for all you've done; we're glad you've got five more years! Written by Sally Brickell Political Issues Advocate for Cabot! Cabot, Angier and Zervas elementary schools are Newton's neediest buildings in terms of facility condition and educational space, according to the team of architects working on the Newton Schools' Long Term Facilities Plan. In addition, elementary school enrollment is expected to increase by nearly 1,000 students by 2011 and may necessitate renovating and reopening the Carr School in Nonantum. State aid for school construction will become available again next year when a four year moratorium on new projects is lifted. Should Newton apply for these state funds? For which schools? Can Newton meet the July 31, 2007 deadline for submitting a "statement of interest"? These questions will be addressed in the coming weeks by the School Committee, Mayor and Board of Aldermen. It is a critical time for parents to voice their concerns about the future of the Cabot building. A good showing of Cabot parents at the following public meetings will remind our elected officials of how much we care about our building and community: June 18, 2007 - 9 PM, City Hall Board of Alderman, Committee of the Whole. Briefing on the needs assessment portion of the Long Range Facilities Study June 19, 2007 - 7:00 PM, 100 Walnut Street Special meeting of the School Committee with public comment about the building needs assessment and presentation of options. June 20, 2007 - 7:45 PM, City Hall Joint meeting of Programs and Services and Public Facilities Committees of the Board of Alderman with presentation of options and discussion on submission of a Statement of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority. June 25, 2007 - 7:00 PM, 100 Walnut Street Regular meeting of the School Committee begins early to finish year end business and allow additional time for public comment and further discussion of building options. If you're able to attend a meeting, please let us know - it helps us to plan our attendance, too - Attendance at public meetings has great impact, but sending e-mail is very useful also. Please write to the Board of Aldermen and let them know that renovation of the Cabot building is long over due. Encourage them to support the School Committee's efforts to apply for state funds. To contact the Board of Aldermen, visit: http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/Aldermen/pix/bios_index.htm To contact the School Committee and Mayor, e-mail: schoolcommittee at newton.k12.m1.us For more information on the architects study, go to the Long Term Facilites page on the NPS website: http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/schoolcommittee/hot_topics/longrange_facilities. html For more information from the Cabot PTO, contact one of the Political Issues Co-Chairs: Sarah Ecker at sarahecker at comcast.net, Sue Covitz at suecovitz at rcn.com and Isabelle Thacker at isabelle at thackers.net . Fundraising BOX TOPS We collected over 4200 Box Tops this school year! We more than doubled what we collected last year. Please collect Box Tops over the summer and put them in the bright pink Box Tops box in September. Help Cabot reach it's goal of collecting 6000 Box Tops next year. This school year we raised over $100 from shopping on the Box Tops Marketplace. Last year we raised $18. When you shop on-line, please remember to start your shopping on the Cabot PTO shopping page, http://cabotpto.org/shop.html, which will link you to the Box Tops Marketplace, as well as to other merchants who will make a donation to Cabot. Please remember to Clip and Click for Cabot! Thank you! Isabelle Thacker Fifth Grade Activities We can't believe the day is about to be here- our Cabot 5th graders will be moving on. Heartfelt thanks to those in the Cabot community who helped to make this year so special: Lisa Barry for running the bake sale and being our stellar treasurer. Cheryl Clegg for the magnificent color yearbook, with great help from Ellen Girouard. Laura Dreese for the transition ceremony decorations and for being indispensable. Judy Haberl for the fantastic T-shirt. John and Tracy Martin for the making the DVD, with immeasurable help from Bob Ezzell and Michael Jablon and all the parents who sent photos. Robin Neiterman (chair), Sandy Simpson, Sarah Hemphill and Martha Hincks for a fantastic family fun night. Robin (again!), Isabelle Thacker, Eileen Morrison and Roberta Cleary for handling the class picnic. The Cabot Fair Face Painting Team: Heidi Curhan, Nancy Shaddick, Beth Taylor, Lynda Cain, Susan Magovney and the fifth grade kid volunteers. Mark Shoham and Tracy Martin for donating the face paints. Karen Lumino for selflessly running the school store all year. Don Perlo, for the promotion certificates. Heidi Curhan for mounting the beautiful self-portrait gallery. Kate Dulit for help with the transition ceremony reception. Nancy Macias-Smith for photo day help Of course Ms. Robertson, Mr. Springer and Ms. Fiorenza - without whom none of this would have been possible. Ms. Ropi, Ms. Bennett, Ms. Foster, Ms. Straight, and Ms. Gerson - you put "special" in specialist. Ms. Driscoll, Ms. Nurczynski, Ms. Cunningham, for keeping things running smoothly. Our fearless leader, Dr. Quarcoo. Thanks to everyone else who contributed in ways large and small to make this year so wonderful for our kids! Donnalyn, Edye, Judy, Lory Farewell to Families Departing Cabot! Cabot Says a Fond Farwell to Departing Families Each year at this time the Cabot School Community has the sad task of saying goodbye to wonderful families who have been a vital part of our family. In addition to the traditional ways of saying goodbye to our graduating 5th graders, we would like to acknowledge each family who has contributed in numerous ways and has helped make Cabot School as a special place. So we say farewell to these families, wish them all good luck as they move onto another adventure, and hope our paths will cross in the future: Bagley, Barry, Berla, Butterton/Cooper, Cherry/Grueneberg, Close, Cohen, Cook-Williams, Cuccurullo, Curhan, Dix, Elsen-Rooney, Engelke, Ezzell/Geringer, Goldberg/Cohen, Hardy, Heiman/Haberl, Jablon/Morrison, Jacobson/Araujo, Kahhale, Kindle/Miranda, King/Simpson, Kirschner, Kotsinyan/Matnishyan, Kwan, Learned-Rivera, Lemos, Lewis, Liu/Wan, Lockeby, Mahoney/Leydon, Mahoney/Parkes, Marshall/Shadick, Martin, McQuade, Meade, Medoff, Newton, Neville (John), Pacheco, Pearce, Reed, Rice, Ruben/Lewis, Rubin (Sophia), Seaman, Sokolov/Girouard, Symchych, Taylor, Tomasgard, Vardinski/Marotta, Wang (Kelly), Webber/Hunt, Weinfeld. Cabot Community Park Take a walk through the Cabot Community Park, also known as the Outdoor Classroom - it looks beautiful! Many, many years of hard work and perseverance are finally coming to fruition. The granite seating has been put in place and last week some flowers and bushes were planted and mulch was spread. The first day it was cleaned up, Ms. Straight used it for her art classes and we know that the beautiful surroundings helped inspire the students. The classroom is not yet complete, but we would be amiss to not thank Margaret Hannah, Mike McSally, and Cliff Jewett and his company Jewett Landscape Corporation for their many hours of dedication and effort. Thank you!! Take a walk through and enjoy the surroundings! Creative Arts & Sciences It was a fun and exciting year of Creative Arts & Sciences programs. Students enjoyed two all-school programs, Storyteller, Charlotte Blake Alston and Jazz Ethnomusicologist, Semenya McCord. Each grade enjoyed 3 specifically selected programs that enriched their curriculum, for a total of 20 programs at Cabot! Along with the programs that have become tradition at Cabot, like the Chinese Ribbon Dancer, Birds of Prey, and African Drumming, we saw some new presentations. There was author/illustrator Brian Lies ("Bats at the Beach"), Historical Perspectives-Helen Keller, Rob Aptaker-Ways of the Wampanoag, author, and Michael LaFosse, origami master of Origamido Studio. These programs were completely funded by the PTO and organized by caring, dedicated parents. We are most grateful for their time and effort in coordinating these programs. We stand up and applaud Jean Cohen, Rachel Leaney, Andrea Plotkin, Paula Feldman, Jennifer Stomberg, Eliza Reed, Margaret Wazuka, and Roni Coughlin for their hard work on this committee!! We'd also like to acknowledge Ms. Bennett and Mr. Reardon for their help whenever it was needed. Lastly, many thanks to the PTO for their continued support of these valuable programs! Submitted by Sandy Connors and Faith Witte, Co-Chairs, Creative Arts and Sciences Committee Child Assault Program (CAP) Safety Tips Dear Parents and Guardians, The approach of summer with its change in schedules and activities is the perfect opportunity to have a conversation with children about safety. Reminders to use sunscreen, to wear bike helmets and seat belts, and to cross streets at the corner are all discussions about personal safety. Adding a few words regarding assault prevention can also help to assure a fun and safe summer for your child. Each year children in kindergarten, grades 2 and 5 participate in the CAP program. Each child has had a CAP workshop within the last year or two. Using the familiar CAP language is one way to talk with your children about being safe with known or unknown adults. Find a way to start the conversation. Perhaps by noticing something your child does that shows good judgment or remembering a rule: "I see that you remembered to put on your seat belt. Let's see what else you remember about being safe". Continue by posing "What if" questions to cover everything from "what would you do if you couldn't find your beach towel at the pool" to, "what would you do if you were the only one in the changing room and someone came in and started asking you personal questions". Adjust the questions to your child's age and situation. Brainstorm answers together; not only will you get a good sense of what your child is thinking but also you'll have an opportunity to add your advice and guidance as needed. When we parent for prevention, our goals are to give information, to teach problem-solving skills with an opportunity to practice, and to identify resources (trusted adults). Here are a few tips: 1. Reinforce your child's right to be and feel safe and to tell someone whenever they feel unsafe. 2. Support their right to say NO; they don't have to talk to or be polite to someone who is making them feel scared or uncomfortable. 3. Encourage them to trust their feelings, to leave and tell someone if they get the "uh-oh" feeling. 4. Remind them to keep a safe distance, "two arms apart" from anyone they don't know. 5. To "RUN, (but don't hide), YELL (CAP yell NO), TELL (a trusted adult) if in an unsafe situation with a stranger. 6. Discuss safe, unsafe and confusing touches. Reinforce safety strategies: the right to say NO, to move away, and to TELL, TELL, TELL (keep telling until someone believes you and helps you). 7. Discuss safe and unsafe secrets and that they never have to keep a secret about something that confuses or frightens them. 8. Discuss possible tricks someone might play on a child to get the child to go with him or her or to do something the child doesn't want to do. Have a wonderful and safe summer Gail Sommer Director, Newton Child Assault Prevention Program Social Worker & School Psychologist Dear Cabot Community- As many of you are now aware, I am not planning to return to Cabot in September. I have enjoyed and valued the opportunity to work with all of you and with your children and to watch them grow during the past three years. The Cabot faculty is a high caliber of professionals who approach teaching with both care and skill and I have appreciated being able to collaborate with and to learn from them. I will be working with Dr. Quarcoo and the rest of the Cabot school team to facilitate a smooth transition for the Cabot Community. I wish you all the best for the 2007-2008 school year and beyond! Thank you again for welcoming me into your community and into the lives of your children. Thank you and take care, LuAnn "Dr. K" Keough, Ph.D. Literacy Resource Center How do you put a smile on a child's face? Become a Reading Partner at Cabot! Do you enjoy reading? Do you believe that literacy is not only the cornerstone of academic success but opens up a wonderful world of imagination to a child? Would you, as a parent, like to know more about reading strategies to help your children? If so then consider becoming a reading partner at Cabot School. Reading partners come into 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms for 45 minutes once or twice a week to help students gain proficiency with their reading and comprehension skills. A short, concise training session is provided during November by Cabot's Literacy Specialist and then sessions begin in December. In order to allow the Reading Partners to focus fully on helping all students, volunteers are placed in classrooms where they do not have a child. Vicki Gartland, a Reading Partner in 1st grade and Mom of a 3rd grader, says "It is one of the most rewarding and fun volunteer experiences at Cabot School. Kids can't wait to read with you and you will walk away feeling like you have really made a difference. Volunteer time is limited to two short 45 minute sessions per week. There are no take away assignments!" Karen Blatt, Mom of a Cabot 4th grader says "I have been a Reading Partner for 4 years in the 1st and 2nd grades. Nothing I have done at Cabot school has made a bigger difference than this. The children make so much progress over the year, especially with this type of relaxed, no-stress interaction. They so look forward to your coming and can't wait for their turn. Every child is different, and each interaction has its own rhythm, dynamic, and even quirky humor. The children benefit so very much, and an added bonus for Parent Partners--you learn techniques you can use with your own young readers, no matter what their level. It's a small time commitment with a huge pay-off. Let's get enough parents next year to cover 3 grades!" This is a very worthwhile and hugely rewarding opportunity. Help Cabot run this program in all 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades classrooms next school year. For more information please contact Cari Nelson, Cabot's Literacy Specialist or contact Mary Kathryn Fallon at marykathf at aol.com or 617 244 1821 Library Reading Lists - just in time for summer!! Each year Newton's elementary library teachers collaborate to develop a summer reading list. This year's list, "Catch the Beat At Your Library" is available in PDF format and is posted at www.newton.k12.ma.us/libraries and on the Cabot School Library website, http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/cabot/pages/library_notes.htm. If you are unable to access the list, please let Lani Gerson know and she will supply you with a print copy. Print copies are also available as a guide as you browse at the Newton Free Library Children's room, New England Mobile Book Fair, Newtonville Books and the local Barnes and Noble and Border's bookstores. The summer reading list contains almost 200 titles of fiction and nonfiction books. Each title has a recommended grade level range to address reading interests as well as reading abilities. The list emphasizes newer titles and serves to update the comprehensive 2004 list that was created through a federal grant. A new feature this year is the inclusion of the list of activities that are happening at the NFL, all designed to keep children engaged with books over the summer months. Registration for the summer reading program begins June 28th at the NFL. In addition, the Massachusetts Children's Book Award Program list for the 2007-2008 school year is also now available online at Salem State College: Massachusetts Children's Book Award. This list is intended for next year's Grade 4 and 5 students. Finally, a short list of "Mrs. Gerson's favorites" will go home with Cabot's departing Grade 5 students. This two page list is a somewhat idiosyncratic list of books that next year's 6th graders might enjoy. Interested? Ask for a copy in the library! Happy Summer Reading!! Lani Gerson Cabot School Library Library Donations For many years, our school library has been enhanced by donations made in honor of children and teachers or other adults, to express gratitude, to mark special occasions, or to celebrate a particular event. It is an excellent way to thank teachers at holiday time and at year-end. Pick one up from Mrs. Gerson in the Cabot School Library. >From the Nurse As the school year is winding down, I am sending out a reminder about medications that are in the health room. If your child has any medication at school, all medication must be picked up on the last day of school, Wednesday, June 20th. Any medication that is left at school will be discarded. No medication can remain in the health room over the summer. I will distribute medication permission forms for the fall when I give back any medications. The Medication Permission Form can also be found on line at http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/health/school_health.htm Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. Don't forget about the large population of ticks and larval ticks carrying Lyme disease in Massachusetts. Keeping out of tall grasses, damp and woodsy areas is a good preventive measure. If your activities take you into these habitats, long sleeved shirts that tuck into pants, pants tucked into socks and insect repellant with DEET help to keep these ticks away. It's important to check for ticks every day; bath time is a good time. Even if you do find ticks on you or your child, removing the tick early enough will often prevent the disease. It usually takes 36 hours of tick attachment to transmit the bacteria causing Lyme disease. If you do find a tick, remove it promptly. If it's embedded, grasp with pointed tweezers as close to the skin as possible then pull up firmly. If some of the mouth parts are still attached, don't be alarmed, the bacteria causing Lyme disease are in the gut and salivary glands of the tick. If all else fails, seek medical advice if you discover a bug bite that continues to enlarge or develops a bull's eye around it. You will prevent more complications if you are treated with antibiotics at this stage. Last, but not least, remember to use sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. Studies indicate that protecting your skin and eyes prevents skin cancer, cataracts and other eye diseases such as adult macular degeneration. Ultraviolet (UV) light damage is cumulative so, it's never too late to start protecting your skin and eyes. Have a restful and fun vacation! Karen Kerrigan, RN Community News Free Concert Free Concert by the French Boy's Choir on Thursday, July 5 at Saint Bernard's Church at 7:00pm, 1529 Washington St. Route 16, West Newton. The Community Collaborations Wind & Brass program at New England Conservatory, AND Project STEP (spring training program are both in need of gently used wind, brass, and string instruments for the inner city children that these programs serve. If you have instruments you would like to donate- please contact Lindsay O'Donovan at Lindsay at ardfield.com . Thank you! Newton Girls Intramural Soccer Registration for the upcoming fall season of Newton Girls Intramural Soccer is currently underway for Newton girls currently in grades Kindergarten-8. Games are played on Saturdays, starting September 8 and continue until November 10. Kindergarten and 1st grade practices/games take place on Saturdays. For grades 2-8, in addition to the games on Saturdays, there is also generally one practice per week. Registration deadline for grades 1-8 is June 15; Kindergarten registration deadline is July 31. The goals of the NGS Intramural Program are for the girls to learn soccer skills, have fun and be part of a team. To register, or to find out more information about the NGS IM Program, please visit our website at www.newtongirlssoccer.org. Scholarships are available based on need. GCKS Fall Soccer Registration Registration for the Fall Session of Garden City Kindergarten Soccer begins Mon, Jun 11th. We have two programs, a K Soccer league for children enrolled in Kindergarten and a Pre-K Soccer league for children 4 to 5 years old. GCKS provides a great introduction to the game of soccer; teaching a variety of basic skills in a fun, non-competitive environment. Team sizes are small, with 10 players in each group. We will only enroll 80 children per league. This format allows each child optimal time for on-field practice and game rotations. GCKS Fall Session runs from Sept 8-Nov 3rd. Practice/games will be held Saturdays from 9:30-10:30 am for the Kindergarten league and 10:45-11:45 am for the Pre-K league. Games are played on the field at Burr School, Pine Street in Auburndale. Volunteer parent coaches are needed. No experience is necessary and training will be provided. Cost is $60 per child for the season. GCKS is a joint venture of Lincoln-Eliot & Franklin School's Parent Teacher Organization. Proceeds benefit both schools PTO programs. To obtain a registration form, send an email to gardencitysoccer at gmail.com or call L-E School parent Melanie Varady at 617-244-5773 or Franklin School parent Deb Rooney at (617) 630-8520. Space is limited. Registration deadline is Friday, August 17th. Summer Programs through Newton Community Education It's not too late to sign up for summer programs with Newton Community Education. There are still openings in Clay Workshop the weeks of July 9 and 23, Domino Physics the weeks of July 23 and 30, NewKids Players, our theatre program, July 9-20, Club Invention the weeks of July 9 and 16, Cooking Around the World the weeks of August 6 and 27, Archery the week of August 20, and Innovations, the weeks of August 13 and 20. And we have space in sports camps all summer. Call our office at 617-559-6999 or visit our website at www.newtoncommunityed.org for more info or to register. Plus if you're thinking about fall and would like to hear a sneak preview of the classes we'll be offering at your school, call 617-559-6995. Rhythmic Dreams Summer Camp and Gala Looking for an exciting way to spend your summer? Join the Rhythmic Dreams camp for a summer of fun and learning. Children will participate in a variety of activities including: outdoor games, soccer, tennis, gymnastics, stretching, photography, ballet, math, science, art and music. Intensive programs are available for those interested in rhythmic gymnastics, photography or soccer. Three two week sessions are available, starting on June 25, July 9 and August 20. Children participating in camp will perform in a show on the second Thursday of each session, highlighting what they've created and learned during the camp. For more information, please call 617-233-4493 or visit www.rhythmicdreams.com Rhythmic Dreams 5th annual Summer Gala Rhythmic Dreams will present it's 5th annual Summer Gala on June 17 at 5pm at the Newton Armory, 1137 Washington St. Come and watch the amazing display of talent of over 70 girls and boys, including national and international champions! Admission $5 for adults, children under 18 free. For more information, please visit www.rhythmicdreams.com or call 617-233-4493 Newton Parks & Rec. Summer Program Newton Parks & Rec. Summer 2007 Tennis clinics for children (ages 4 and up) and adults of all levels! We are offering morning and afternoon programs for kids - your child may enroll for one or several weeks and may attend two different programs in a given week, i.e. AM and PM. Adults, try our Mon. & Wed. afternoon Round Robins on one of our five beautiful CLAY COURTS in Newton Centre. The first summer clinics begin in late June. Go to www.newtontennis.com for additional information and/or to download an application! July 4th Festivities 4th of July Festivities: A 50 year Newton tradition kicks of with a full schedule of events in two venues. At 10AM "Kids Morning" is launched at the Newton Centre playground. Children 12 and under are invited to participate in the Decorated Doll Carriage Promenade, the Decorated Bicycles, the Teddy Bear Parade, the Grande Pet Parade and Foot Races. Free candy and ice cream. Master of Ceremonies will be Mayor David B. Cohen and Ruth Barnett, President of The Newton Pride Committee. Over where the fireworks happen, at the Russell J. Halloran Sports Complex on Albemarle Road off Watertown Street in Newtonville, an "Open Air Market" features handmade and international crafts, as well as children's amusement rides and food vendors and live music from 10 a.m. until dusk. Fireworks begin at approximately 9 pm. Presented by The Mayor's Office for Cultural Affairs and the Newton Parks and Recreation Department and underwritten by The Newton Pride Committee. Information: 617-527-8283 Summer Baseball. Registrations deadline is Sat June 16 - tryouts/evaluations also 6/16 for 10-12 year olds. There are two summer baseball leagues in Newton for children of Little League age; one for children aged 7-9 (run by Newton West) and one for children aged 10-12 (run by Newton East). Both leagues only play games on weekday nights. For 10-12 year olds, in order to balance the teams, there will be tryouts June 16 1-3 pm at the Jay Gordon Field off Homer Street. Rain date June 17. You must register first online at http://summer.newtoneastll.org . Friend placement requests cannot generally be honored. Teams consist of Major Division players from all 5 of the Newton Little Leagues. Minor Division (AAA) players who are likely to be eligible for the Major Division next spring are also included in this program. Some 9-year-olds may also participate if they are likely to be Major Division eligible and at the Commissioner's discretion. Questions on the NELL Summer Program can be directed to the commissioner, Mark Eagle, at info at newtoneastll.org. For 7-9 year olds, Newton West Little League is sponsoring the summer league. Season runs July 5 through August 17. Okay to go on vacation. This program is for those who have played farm or minor league baseball and want more experience. Kids pitch with relaxed rules. No travel. No playoffs. Just baseball. Just for fun. All games are on weeknights. Evaluations will be held at Lyons field on Sat, Jun 23rd (rain date: Sun, Jun 24th). 7-year-olds at 9:00 am, 8-year-olds at 10:00 am., 9-year-olds at 11:00 am. If you can not make the tryouts please have your child's spring coach send a 1-7 evaluation (7 being the strongest) along with the child's name, level of play (e.g., Farm, AA), and spring team name to info at newtonwestll.org. Questions: info at newtonwestll.org. Register at www.newtonwestll.org . CLASSIFIEDS Classified pricing is .15/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. Copy can also be emailed to jabbereditor at gmail.com 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. Could your child use extra help with homework - reading, writing, spelling? I am available for evening/weekend sessions. References and credentials are available upon request. Please email questions or to schedule an appointment: racheltutors at gmail.com ------------------------------------ Does anyone have a Data Video Projector that we could borrow or rent for one day? If so, contact Kerry or Jules Hurwitz at 617-965-2099. Thanks! TUTOR-Experienced tutor available this SUMMER! Elementary level: Reading, Written Expression, Math, Study Skills. I work in the Wellesley Public Schools and live and tutor in Newton. My approach is motivating and highly interesting for your child. I am available before and after camp. Please contact me for a free consultation: Haralie Alpert, M.Ed., MS. (617) 630-0608; Haralie at gmail.com. References available. TUTORING AVAILABLE Would you like your child to strengthen his or her academic skills in a fun and nuturing environment? I am an experienced teacher and tutor seeking new clients for this summer and upcoming school year. I work with children entering grades 3-7 in the areas of reading (comprehension and higher-level critical thinking skills, helping children become more avid and enthusiastic readers), writing (organizing and developing ideas, sentence/word variation, revising and editing) and math (building on number sense, addition & subtraction, multiplication & division,fractions/decimals/percents, word problems, etc.). I send a detailed report of each tutoring session's activities to parents (via email) within 48 hours of the appointment so you know the exact progress your child is making with each session. Excellent references available upon request. Please contact me at: jeanstehleroy at gmail.com Jo Doherty Cabot PTO Co-President 11 Leonard Avenue, West Newton, MA 02465 617-332-1530 jcdoherty11 at comcast.net -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... 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Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 291 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070619/7f6d5bad/attachment-0013.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 623 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070619/7f6d5bad/attachment-0014.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 396 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070619/7f6d5bad/attachment-0015.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 1276 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070619/7f6d5bad/attachment-0016.gif -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: not available Type: image/gif Size: 358 bytes Desc: not available Url : http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070619/7f6d5bad/attachment-0017.gif From marykathf at aol.com Mon Aug 6 22:06:33 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Mon, 06 Aug 2007 22:06:33 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Traffic and Parking Changes around Cabot School In-Reply-To: <8C9A6ACE31315B4-3A8-C45C@WEBMAIL-MA12.sysops.aol.com> References: <8C9A6ACE31315B4-3A8-C45C@WEBMAIL-MA12.sysops.aol.com> Message-ID: <8C9A6AEB62E02E8-3A8-C4DE@WEBMAIL-MA12.sysops.aol.com> Dear Cabot Community, ? As we anticipate the start of the 2007-08 school year we want to alert you to some changes regarding parking and traffic flow around Cabot School.?? The Newton Traffic Council met on June 28th and made some changes to increase safety around our school.? ? The new traffic regulations are: ? ??????? Parkview Ave. is now a one-way street at all times. ? ??????? Bridges Avenue is now a one way street going North on Bridges Ave, (toward Norwood).? Parking will still be allowed on the West side of Bridges Avenue, but cars will now face North instead of South. ? ??????? Both of these changes have been initiated on a trial basis from August 1 ? October 1, 2007.? At that point the Traffic Council will reconvene to determine if these regulations will be permanent. To see a full report of the Traffic Council minutes, visit the following website and check the report dated 6/28/07.:? http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/Aldermen/Agendas/TrafficAgenda.htm ? Additionally: ? ??????? Please allow teachers to exclusively park on the field side of Parkview Avenue from the top of the street down to the K-Wing of Cabot.? We would like to unofficially designate this area as faculty parking only. Please allow our teachers convenient parking as many of their spots have been taken by the addition of the 2 new modular classrooms. ? When parking around Cabot, please remember: ? There is no parking on the West side (the side along the houses) of Parkview Avenue. Do not let your children off in the faculty parking lot, this is not safe. Do not block any driveway.? The law states that you must leave at least 5 feet away from a driveway when parking. Follow the Blue Zone Rules.? This is a moving lane used for drop off and pick-up only.??Cars should pull up to the top of the lane and?should not be stopped for any time longer than to drop off or pick-up a child.? Please circle around the block and until you see your child(ren).?? Please consider the following to help reduce traffic: ? When driving, please consider parking on near by streets and walking to help alleviate traffic congestion and increase safety.? The following streets have ample parking and are very convenient to the school: East Side Parkway? ??? Winchester Road ? Westchester Road ? Blake Street ? Clarendon Street? ? Withington Road ????????????????????????????????????????????????? Again, please remember to never block a driveway and respect the 5 foot rule when parking on any street. ? If you are eligible, take the school bus!? Don?t know if you are eligible? Check the website http://www.newton.k12.ma.us/transportation/schedules05_06.html Join the walking school bus ? and volunteer to be a driver 1 day a week!? Right now we have 2 routes? - one from the Surrey Road area and one from the Morse Road area.? Depending upon the number of volunteers, we may be able to add more routes. Together, with your help, we can keep the roads safe for our children, reduce parking problems for the teachers, and provide convenient drop off and pick up for the parents. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance in achieving these goals! ? If you have any questions or comments, please contact either one of us at marykathf at aol.com ?or auvpto at aol.com. ? ? Respectfully Yours, ? Mary Kathryn Fallon?????????????????????????????????????????? Archana Vahalia Cabot PTO Co-President??????????????????????????????????? Cabot PTO Co-President marykathf at aol.com ??????????????????????????????????????????? auvpto at aol.com 617-244-1821???????????????????????????????????????????????????????? 617-244-1435 ________________________________________________________________________ AOL now offers free email to everyone. Find out more about what's free from AOL at AOL.com. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: http://cabotpto.org/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070806/43974d11/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Wed Aug 29 20:43:17 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:43:17 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Cabot PTO Presents Family Picture Day! Message-ID: <8C9B8B5E415EDA1-D78-6C64@FWM-M37.sysops.aol.com> Dear Cabot Community: As we get ready to head?back to school, we wanted to?let you know that?the Cabot PTO?will again be offering Family Picture Day!? Cabot PTO Presents Family Picture Day! Do you have a yearly family photo taken? Would you like to? This is the ideal opportunity to have a high quality portrait taken of your family & to benefit Cabot School at the same time! Monies raised from this event will help maintain the Cabot Community Park outside our Kindergarten wing, due to be dedicated in the Fall, which will also be used as an outdoor extension of our classrooms! This unique program offered by Coffee Pond Productions enables Cabot School families to have their photographs taken in the beautiful surroundings of the Cove in Auburndale!? Bring along extended family members, even your pets! Orders will be available in time for the holidays. How does this work? It?s very simple but please read carefully??. ? ?????? To participate you need to pay a non refundable booking fee of $30 - 100% is donated to the Cabot PTO. ? ? ?????? Tear off the slip from this flyer, fill it out & put it along with your check (payable to ?Cabot PTO?) in an envelope marked ?Coffee Pond?. Before school starts send it to Sharon Dwyer, 57 Oakwood Road, Newtonville, MA 02460 or after put sure into the PTO mailbox located in the Cabot Office. ????? ?????? Sharon, our Cabot parent coordinator, will give you a contact number for Coffee Pond once she has your booking fee & you?ll be able to book your appointment. Timeslots on October13th, 20th or 27th - with rain dates for each being the next day, Sunday ? can be booked from September 4th onwards. They are given out on a first-come first-served basis & we are not the only school participating. So the quicker you sign up with Sharon the better your chances are of getting an appointment! ?????? In addition to the booking fee what will this cost? When you book your appointment you pay Coffee Pond a $35 Administrative Fee (credit card only) which helps defray their expenses in running this Fundraising program - refundable only if you cancel your appointment. After that it depends upon what photographs you order (no minimum required) which you?ll be able to view & order only online. Check out prices on their website www.coffeepond.com ? Coffee Pond takes our Cabot student portraits & provide a complete money back guarantee. If you have any questions please contact Sharon Dwyer 617 641 2342 or jsordwyer at rcn.com ? ? ? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????? PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY ? Your Name: __________________________________ Phone #: _____________________??? Child?s Name/Teacher:_____________________? Email :_____________________________ ? ?????? Put slip + check payable to ?Cabot pto? for $30 in envelope marked ?Coffee pond? ?????? deliver envelope to Sharon Dwyer, 57 Oakwood Road, Newtonville, MA 02460 or pto mailbox in office. ? ________________________________________________________________________ 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/mailman/private/cabotcommunity_cabotpto.org/attachments/20070829/9bd4b639/attachment.html From marykathf at aol.com Tue Sep 4 12:58:05 2007 From: marykathf at aol.com (marykathf at aol.com) Date: Tue, 04 Sep 2007 12:58:05 -0400 Subject: [CabotCommunity] Jabberlite for Tuesday September 4, 2007 Message-ID: <8C9BD2BE5C435F6-B94-989C@webmail-de17.sysops.aol.com> JABBERLITE FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4th 2007 This issue contains information about the following: ?????????? Welcome Back ?????????? Informal PTO Coffees ?????????? PTO Welcome Packets ?????????? Traffic & Parking Safety ?????????? Become a Room Parent ?????????? Safe Arrival and Call Back Information ?????????? School Store to Open September 18, 2007 ?????????? Family Picture Day ?????????? Back to School Night ?????????? Cabot Directory ?????????? Walking School Bus ?????????? Cabot Community Supper ? Calendar Date Description September 4, 2007 First Day for Teachers; Superintendent Meeting at NSHS, 8 AM September 4, 2007 Welcome Picnic for New Families, 5:30 - 7:00 PM (rain date 9/5/06) September 6, 2007 First Day for Students Grade 1-5 & Kindergarten "A" students September 6, 2007 PTO Coffee for New Parents, 8:30 AM outside Kindergarten wing September 7, 2007 First Day for Kindergarten "B" students September 7, 2007 PTO Coffee for New Parents, 8:30 AM outside Kindergarten wing September 9, 2007 School Committee Meeting, 7:30 PM September 12, 2007 School Psychologist/Social Worker Open House? 8:40AM? 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) ? ? WELCOME BACK! Welcome to all new families and welcome back to those returning!? We hope you had an enjoyable summer.? We have been working hard all summer to make this the best year yet!? When you get to school on Thursday, (or Friday for Kindergarten Group B students), you?ll see some new changes and faces.? The modular classroom?s are installed and look great.? They will provide more space to enhance your child(ren)?s learning experience.? The traffic flow and parking are also a bit different, so read on below to find out what?s happening at Cabot Elementary School!? ? PTO Informal Coffee Join us for an informal coffee outside of the Kindergarten wing on both Thursday and Friday morning right after drop off.? We?ll have tables set up outside, provide the coffee and snacks - (and tissues for those weepy goodbyes!). ?Come say hello, meet new members of the Cabot Community and catch up with those returning. ? PTO WELCOME PACKET IS COMING HOME THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: Look in your child?s backpack for the PTO Welcome Packet.? 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 & return it to the Cabot PTO mailbox in the office or send it into your child?s teacher Please return these forms by Friday, September 14, 2007. ? Traffic Flow and Parking Around Cabot School The Newton Traffic Council met on June 28, 2007 and along with them, we would like to notify you of the following three changes to increase safety around our school:? ? First, Parkview Avenue is now a one-way street at all times.? Second, Bridges Avenue is now a one way street going North, toward Norwood Avenue.? Parking will still be allowed on the West side of Bridges Avenue, but cars will now face North instead of South. Both of these changes have been initiated on a trial basis from August 1 ? October 1, 2007.? At that point the Traffic Council will reconvene to determine if these regulations will be permanent. Third, we would like to designate the field side of Parkview Avenue from the top of the street down to the K-Wing of Cabot as teacher parking only. We will label this area on the first few days of school for your convenience. Please allow our teachers convenient parking as many of their spots have been taken by the addition of the 2 new modular classrooms. We also request that you consider the following three suggestions to help reduce traffic congestion around the school: 1.??????? When driving, consider parking on near-by streets and walking.? For example, East Side Parkway, Winchester Road, Westchester Road, Clarendon Street and Withington Road all have ample parking and are very convenient to the school: 2.?????? If you are eligible, take the school bus!?? 3.?????? Make a commitment to walk to school! Join the walking school bus ? right now we have 2 routes: one from the Surrey Road area and one from the Morse Road area.? ? Finally, please remember: That there is no parking on the West side, or the side along the houses, of Parkview Avenue. Please do not let your children off in the faculty parking lot. Please do not block any driveway - be considerate of our neighbors- legally you must park at least 5 feet away from a driveway. And please, follow the Blue Zone Rules.? This is a moving lane used for drop off and pick-up only.? Cars should not be stopped for any time longer than to drop off or pick-up a child.? Please circle around the block until you see your child(ren) and pull all the way up to the top of the lane. ? A map of the area which highlights the one way streets and the area we?d like to reserve for teacher parking is included in the PTO Welcome Packet.? Together, with your help, we can keep the roads safe for our children, reduce parking problems for the teachers, and provide convenient drop off and pick up for the parents. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and assistance in achieving these goals! ? 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. ? 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! ? 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 when your child comes home after school & declares they want a play date with Johnny!! Now you?ll know not only who Johnny is but how to contact him! 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 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. 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 ? 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.? ? ? 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. 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