Bridge to Home                                         Bridge Mural
   A weekly publication about Bridge by PTA volunteers
          February 28, 2011                                                                           Vol. 15, Issue 28

Bridge Elementary School
55 Middleby Road, Lexington, MA  02421

(781) 861-2510
 
Web Site:  http://bridge.lexingtonma.org
     
  
Upcoming Events For February and March
March 1, Tues 3:15-5:15 pm

First meeting of the 1st Grade Primary Drama Club (see below) 

 

March 2, Wed

SRTS Walking Wednesday

 

March 3, Thurs 8:15-8:45 am

Art Parent Volunteer Coffee and Sign Up (see below) 

 

March 3, Thurs 6:20-7:30 pm

Kindergarten Math Night - NOTE RESCHEDULED DATE 

 

March 9, Wed 8:45-9:30 am

PTA Parent Coffee Connection: Snooze or Lose (see below) 

 

March 11, Fri 5:30-8:30 pm 

Bridge International Fair   

 

March 14-17

Lexington High School Youth Softball Clinic (see below) 

 

March 17, Thurs

Kindergarten Orientation   

 

March 24, Thurs

Bridge Shop at Wilson Farm Day (see below) 

 

March 24, Thurs 2:00-6:00 pm

Dress Rehearsal and Cast Party for The Tempest 

 

March 24, Thurs 5:00-8:00 pm 

Bridge Science Night

 

March 25, Fri 7:00 pm

5th Grade Production of The Tempest 

 

March 30, Wed

Teacher Appreciation Breakfast  - K and 1st Grade 

 

March 30, Wed   

Parent/Teacher Conferences, 1/2 day for Students

 

March 31, Thurs

Parent/Teacher Conferences 

     
Jokes of the Week
Q: How do you cut the sea in half?
A:  With a seesaw!

Q: What kind of ship doesn't sink?
A:  Friendship!

New Dismissal Procedures Effective 2/7 

For student safety, especially with all the snow, dismissal procedures have changed.  Please click  here to see the new plan.

Talent Show is 4/14

The annual Bridge Talent Show will take place this year on Thursday, 4/14.  Rehearsal will take place on Monday 4/11.  Start practicing your act, and we hope to see you there.
Next B2H Deadline
NEXT DEADLINE:  Thursday, March 3, 5 PM  

Please submit by email (preferably in text format only)
to Aimee Burstein at [email protected].  Articles are subject to approval by Principal Colella or must be from authorized Bridge School and/or PTA sources.  
In This Issue...
Local Businesses Are Giving Back to Bridge
First Grade Primary Drama Club Forming
Art Parent Volunteer Coffee and Sign-up 3/3
Family Math Nights Continue
PTA Parent Coffee Connection 3/9
International Festival News
Order Your Copy of the Bridge International Cookbook
Lexington High School Youth Softball Clinic 3/14-3/17
Shop and Save at Wilson Farm 3/24
Bridge School Science Night is 3/24
Spring Fling is Coming 4/1
PTA Seeking Committee Chairs for 2011-2012
Student Absence Line

call (781) 861-2510
press 6, then press 1

Parents should call Bridge School by 8:30am when their child is going to be absent or late.

Cafeteria Info.
Lunch: $3.25
Milk only: $0.75


View this month's menu from Chartwell's

Lost and Found
Please remember to label your child's clothing and belongings (especially hats, gloves, coats, lunch boxes, etc) with his/her last name and to periodically check the Lost and Found.  Items that are unclaimed for more than 5 weeks will be donated to charity at the end of each month.  Please take a second to claim your child's missing winter coat, fleece, hat and mittens.  It's worth your time! 
Archived B2H
Starting with the 8/6/2010 issue, past Bridge to Home issues are now archived on the Bridge Web site.  

 

Subscribe to receive weekly B2H e-mail

 

Local Businesses Are Giving Back to Bridge!

Take a vacation from cooking through March 1st.

If you are ordering take-out or dining at a restaurant this month, kindly consider Firebox in Bedford.  They are offering 10% off to Bridge families, and 10% of your sale through February 28, 2011 will go back to Bridge to support the Bridge School PTA and the Wishing Well.  Check out the "kids eat free on Mondays" deals at Firebox.  Click here for a coupon good during the entire month of February for this great deal.

 
There is another way you can stay out of the kitchen and still support Bridge.  Not Your Average Joe's at Wayside Commons in Burlington is offering 15% back to Bridge when you dine anytime on Tuesday, February 22, 2011 and/or Tuesday, March 1, 2011.  Coupons were sent home in backpacks before vacation.  You can also click here for the coupon, which must be presented in order for Bridge to get credit.
 
Thank you to Firebox BBQ in Bedford and Not Your Average Joe's in Burlington.
 
Enjoy!

There are still wishes to be granted.  Go to the Wishing Well Web page for the latest updates.  If you do grant a wish directly to the staff, be sure to let us know so that we may cross it off the wish list on the Web site. If you would like to grant a wish or contribute to the wishing well, kindly contact Shannon Amsler at [email protected].

First Grade Primary Drama Club Forming

Mrs. O'Reilly's First Grade Primary Drama Club will officially begin Tuesday, March 1, 2011 and will last for 6 weeks.   The time will be 3:15 - 5:15 pm each Tuesday in Room 121 (Mrs. O'Reilly's classroom).    Please send Mrs. O'Reilly an email directly if your child is interested in participating.  Her email address is  [email protected].

Art Parent Volunteer Coffee and Sign-up 3/3

What?  A chance to visit with Ms. Murray and Ms. Finston, chat about the Visual Arts program, and sign up to help out during your child's Art Class or during the Ceramics Fundraiser in April.
When?  8:15-8:45 am, Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
Where? Art Room, Room 134
Who?  Any Bridge parent who wants to help. All are welcome-no special talents needed!
Questions?  Contact Lynne Murray at [email protected]

Hope to see you there! 
Ms. Murray and Ms. Finston
Kindergarten Family Math Night 3/3
Kindergarten Family Math Night will take place Thursday, March 3, and will run from 6:20 - 7:30 pm.  Family Math Nights involve parents and children working together on fun and engaging self-paced and group math activities.  We hope to have a great turnout.  Please don't worry about registering; all Kindergarten students are welcome with an adult. No siblings please.  Questions? contact Stu Jacobson at [email protected].

PTA Parent Coffee Connection 3/9: Snooze or Lose

Come to the next Bridge PTA Coffee on March 9th from 8:45am to 9:30am in the Bridge Cafeteria.  We will have a presentation focusing on the sleep patterns of students and the necessity of good sleep habits.

 

Presenters will be principal Meg Colella and teachers, Roberta Pelkey, Carole Baumgart and Lucia Gates.

Bridge School International Festival Is Friday 3/11 5:30-8:30

Get ready! There are just eleven days until the International Festival!

 

Come take a whirlwind trip to over 20 countries all in the Bridge cafeteria.  Try your hand at Philippine tinikling and create a Mexican Ojo de Dios in the gym.  Finally, enjoy global entertainment including Chinese Yo-Yo and Indian classical dance. 


Hall monitors needed for the night of the event

We need your support!  Volunteer for a 45-minute shift as a hall monitor.  This is a great way to get involved with a relatively modest time commitment.  Please contact Cary Morse at [email protected] 

 

Admission

Come in some kind of ethnic costume and get free admission to the festival!  Otherwise admission is $1 per person.  Admission proceeds will be donated to the Partners in Health Stand With Haiti fund. 

 

Pizza

The Fifth-grade committee will sell pizza at the festival for $2.00 a slice.

 

Not a drop off event

Please note that all elementary and middle school students who attend the festival must be accompanied by an adult.

 

Questions?

Feel free to email Cary Morse, Festival Chair, at [email protected].

Order Your Copy of the Bridge International Cookbook

WHAT SHOULD I COOK FOR DINNER??Bridge Cookbook cover

That's the famous refrain heard nightly across kitchens all over Lexington. But no more! Deciding what to cook will be a breeze with 150 family-tested recipes in the Bridge International Cookbook. It's easy to follow the step-by-step instructions for recipes such as: Everyone Loves Flank Steak, Moroccan Vegetable Stew, Healthy Sloppy Joes, Palak Paneer, Best Fudge Brownies Ever, plus Meg Colella's Monster Cookies. 50 more recipes than the first edition!

This year, the cookbook also has some bonus features like a listing of local farms and speciality grocery stores, green cleaning solutions, helpful cooking tips, and one-of-a kind student art work on the cover and inside pages.

The second edition of the Bridge International Cookbook will be for sale for $12 at the International Festival, on Friday, March 11th. You can pre-order your books - we highly recommend this. Just drop an Advance Sales form with your check in the box in the foyer (on the PTA table) and pick up your book(s) at the Festival. Forms can be found next to the drop off box or click here to print one.

So order your cookbooks today and give your student or graduate a gift he/she will use for a lifetime!

All proceeds benefit the 5th Grade Activities Committee.

Lexington High School Youth Softball Clinic 3/14-3/17 

The coaches and players of the Lexington High School Softball teams will be hosting their 3rd annual Youth Readiness clinic for players in 3rd through 8th grade from March 14th to 17th in the LHS field house.


Session 1 is for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades and will be from 4:30-5:30 pm.  Session 2 is for 6th, 7th, and 8th grades and will be from 5:30-7:00 pm.  The registration fee is $50 for Session 1 and $75 for Session 2.  All clinic participants will receive a t-shirt.  Registration fee (including walk-ons) will be an additional $10 after March 11th.
        

For more information or to register for the clinic, please visit our website at http://lexingtonhighschoolsoftball.shutterfly.com/ or contact [email protected].  

Shop and Save at Wilson Farm 3/24

Wilson's coupon

 

Click here for a printable version of the flyer.

Bridge School Science Night is 3/24
Bridge School Science Night, scheduled for 3/24 5-8 pm, is a great Bridge School tradition - a family night of hands on experiments for all to explore.  Last year almost half of the student body attended -- over 200 kids!  Bridge School Science Night is a fun event and a great way to share your love for the sciences with the next generation of scientists, engineers, architects, doctors and technical specialists.  And scientific principles do not only apply to scientists - they apply to teachers, administrators, managers, artists, entrepreneurs!

Contact Frank Schapfel at [email protected] or 978-761-6015 for more information or to help plan for an evening of fun.

Spring Fling is Coming 4/1

Move Over Winter!  Let the Good Times Roll!Ice Cream Sundae

 

The Spring Fling annual ice cream social is coming up on Friday, April 1 from 6:30-8:30 PM.  All Bridge families are invited to dig into some delicious ice cream sundaes and other tasty desserts as well as twist and shout to the music and light show of Ari the DJ.

 

This is the third year we've thrown this party, and you don't want to miss it!  If you are a new Bridge family, this is one event you want on your calendar.  In the words of one 3rd grader, "It's a blast - so much fun!"  Don't want to dance?  We've got a movie room and activity/game tables.  The PTA Executive Board will also sell pizza slices.  Tickets for the fifth grade raffle baskets will be on sale, and the lucky winners will be announced at the end of the evening!

 

We Can't Do it Without You!

Boy oh boy, do we need volunteers!  We need you to help scoop ice cream, serve desserts, take tickets, etc.  Please contact Pearl Riney at (617-872-1820 or  [email protected] to sign up for a shift.  Tickets will go on sale soon, so stay tuned to Bridge to Home!

 

Please note:  Spring Fling is a family evening - not a drop-off event.  Thanks!

PTA Seeking Committee Chairs for 2011-2012:


ACT Needs Your Help!
Bridge School's Arts Created Together (ACT) program has helped to bring cultural events, dancers, and performers to the students of Bridge.  At the end of this year, our current Co-Presidents of ACT will be moving on as their fifth graders are graduating.  We are looking for two people to take over the leadership of this incredibly important program.  The current presidents are willing to train you and work with you so that the transition is smooth.  If you are interested, please contact Principal Colella at [email protected].
Annual Book Fair Needs You!
This year, Bridge School had a very successful Book Fair, sponsored by the PTA.  The Book Fair directly impacts the students of Bridge School by providing needed support to the library curriculum.  Next year, our Book Fair Chair, Sue Wilner, will be moving on with her fifth grader.  We are looking for someone to take over this very important post.  If you are interested, please e-mail Principal Colella at [email protected].

2010-2011 PTA Executive Committee Members

CO-PRESIDENTS

Justine Wirtanen

Rebecca Reynolds Moore


CO-VICE PRESIDENTS

Victoria Campos

Stephanie Mitzenmacher

Laura Schroeder

Cathy Smith

Guorong Zhu


TREASURER

Tricia Weisberg

SECRETARY

Suzanne Lau

Bridge School Office Staff


PRINCIPAL

Margaret Colella

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

John Harney

ADMINISTRATIVE ASST

Marcia Cavatorta

GUIDANCE

Lucia Gates

NURSE

Diane Celi