Reading Challenge ends this Friday, March 30. Thank you so much for the support you have given to your children during this reading initiative. And, I hope that you have found fun ways to celebrate reading as a family. All successfully completed contracts must be returned Monday, April 2. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me.  

Ponnie

Toby, Sophie, Ellinore, Jack, and Patrick work at Putney Cares Senior Lunch

The Student Council is also organizing the upcoming TGS Talent Show. Auditions will be held Thursday and Friday (March 29 and 30), and the show will be on April 11 at All School Meeting. Please join us for this amazing display of student talent.

SC members are helping with the annual Spring Sports Survey, and with A Special Evening with Ken Burns happening at Landmark College on April 20. Finally, we have plans to host another 6th-7th-8th grade dance on May 25.

Respectfully submitted for the Student Council,

Ken Brautigam

Ken Burns Presentation 4/20/12 - Please join The Grammar School and Landmark College for a special evening of entertainment and discussion with award winning filmmaker Ken Burns as he presents footage from his highly acclaimed film, The National Parks: America's Best Idea. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. This event will be held at the Landmark College Fine Arts Center, River Road, in Putney, VT. The evening's schedule will be as follows:

7:00pm - Opening Welcome: Peter Eden, President of Landmark

7:10pm  - Remarks & Introduction: Steve Lorenz, TGS Head of School

7:20pm - The National Parks: America's Best Idea

7:50pm - Ken Burns

8:00pm - Ken Burns Question & Answer Session

Ticket prices: $8.00 students/seniors, $12.00 general admission. Seating is limited. Pre-event tickets are available for purchase by contacting Pauline O'Brien at The Grammar School, 802-387-5364, Ext. 106, pobrien@thegrammarschool.org. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door. 

Our Student Council will be manning the concession sales and we are looking for adult volunteers to help with directing traffic to designated parking lots, prior to the event. Please contact Pauline if you can offer your assistance.

TGS has the Chamber of Commerce window in Bellows Falls reserved to promote the Ken Burns event. We are looking for camping or hiking equipment, preferably vintage era, for window "dressings." Should you have an item to loan (for timely return), please contact Pauline. Thank you!

THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS MONTH'S DONATIONS! For the month of March, the class of first graders and Tracy will lead the collection effort. Please feel free to bring non-perishable items to the box outside Tammy's office, in addition to a box in the first grade classroom. Again, thanks for your continued effort to help our neighbors.     

Zumba Classes at TGS: Pauline O'Brien, certified Zumba instructor and TGS Development Director, will be offering a Zumba class on Fridays from through May 4 from 4:30-5:30pm. It's a great way to end the workweek and begin the weekend! The first class is free. Fees are $8 per class for multiple weeks or $10 drop in. For more information, please contact Pauline at pobrien@thegrammarschool.org or 802/387-5364, Ext. 106

TGS boys and girls in grades K-6 are enthusiastically invited to play baseball this spring with the Putney Recreational League.
 
There will be one team for kindergarteners, one or two teams for Grades 1-3, and one team for Grades 4-6.
 
Signups are this Saturday, March 31, 9-12, at the Putney Central School field.
 
If you can't make it then or have questions, email Josh Coursen (coach, Grades 1-3) at jcoursen1@gmail.com, or contact Danny Lichtenfeld (coach, Grades 4-6) at dannylichtenfeld@yahoo.com or 802-683-8886.

Unearth Your Passion! Putney Earth Day 2012
The Putney School is hosting a community Earth Day on April 22, 2012 in collaboration with the Putney Co-op to celebrate the earth and raise awareness of the environmental movement. There will be numerous workshops on a variety of topics taught by members of the community including vermiposting, compost bin-building, bike maintenance, nature walks, bird banding, foraging for wild foods, permaculture, wool spinning, energy education, net-zero building tours, writing letters to our Representatives, grass-roots organizing, and meditation. There will also be workshops geared for children and families, including gardening, environmental games, art and music, bird songs and making birdfeeders, ecology, ocean ecosystems, and kite making. A pamphlet outlining all of the workshops will be made available by mid-April. Additionally, the Co-op will be hosting an area to highlight local farms and their services and will organize a seed swap. The festival will also feature local vendors who will provide us with food, crafts and information. There will be music and speakers throughout the day, including our keynote speaker, Tom Wessels. The day will wrap up with an uplifting sing. There is a check-in time in the morning for those who'd like to stay the whole day, or participants are encouraged to stop in at their leisure to join a workshop, meet a farmer, listen to some music, or peruse the many booths that will be set up. Please spread the word!

Schedule:
10-10:30 Check in
10:30-11:15 Workshop Block 1
11:30-12:15 Workshop Block 2
12:30-1:30 Music/ Lunch
1:30- 2:15 Workshop Block 3
2:20-3:00 Speakers
2:30-2:45 Speaker: Mike Mrowicki-Vermont State Representative
3:00-3:30 Speaker: Tom Wessels
3:30-4 SING!