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10.23.2013

TheBridge
WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK

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PRINCIPAL'S CORNER >
 

PIERCE SCHOOL COUNCIL 

The Pierce School Council has begun its schedule of meetings for the year -- please visit http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/school-council.html to see our calendar of meetings and for more information about our role.   

 

Thank you to all of the parents/guardians and teachers who completed the School Council's surveys this past Spring! The council has been analyzing the data you provided, and it informs our work on the School Improvement Plan for this school year. We were delighted to find very positive responses about your satisfaction with various aspects of Pierce's academics and social atmosphere! We also learned about some of the areas in which you'd like to see increased usage of technology in the classroom, and we learned that, while neither parents nor staff perceive a significant problem with the quantity of homework assigned, there are promising strategies which both teachers and parents would like to employ to make the time spent on homework even more meaningful.

 

More detailed survey results will be forthcoming. Thanks again for your time in completing last year's surveys! If you have any questions about the surveys or the reports, please feel free to contact this year's co-chair, Jennie Roffman at [email protected].

Dr. Pipier Smith-Mumford
Principal

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PTO CORNER >PTO
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org   
 

PIERCE PTO ANNUAL APPEAL - INVEST IN PIERCE

Early donors may get to play basketball at TD Garden!*

It's that time of year again...Time to INVEST IN PIERCE and Donate to the Annual Appeal! Did your kindergartener enjoy the apple picking trip? Do you enjoy Skate Night and March Madness? These are some of the many things that our donations support, and that make Pierce a wonderful community. Let's all strive to do our part to invest in Pierce, and continue to make these opportunities a reality for our children.

 

We know you already do a lot to support your child's educational experience; this is the brief time of year (5 weeks) when we will ask you to contribute what you can so that we are able to enjoy Skate Night, March Madness, and all the things that make Pierce...Pierce!

 

Why Donate?

The PTO spends about $100 per student on reimbursements to teachers for supplies and technology, in-school art, cultural assemblies, a portion of field trips, events, and so much more. Everyone benefits, so please donate what you can.

 

- Donate online at http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/

- Write a check made out to Pierce PTO, and drop in the PTO donation box in the hallway on the way to the cafeteria (you can't miss it, it has a penguin on top)

 

* If you donate by Friday, 10/25, you will be entered in a raffle to win the chance to play basketball on the TD Garden floor on Saturday, 11/2. Donate now! http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/

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ARTBARN COMMUNITY THEATER: Express Yourself: A Tale of Kid-Empowerment in a Grown-up World

Thurs. 10/24, for grades 4-6

Thanks to the donations of parents and community members to the Pierce PTO, the Pierce Arts Council brings a variety of age-appropriate, high-quality arts performances to the school to complement learning in the classroom. The performances are a creative and fun way for students to engage in and learn about arts, science, history, and literature as well as spark conversation and inspiration around important issues and ideas.

 

We invite all 4th-6th-graders to come see the latest from Artbarn Community Theater Out of the Box Productions: Express Yourself: A Tale of Kid-Empowerment in a Grown-up World! The cast features 4th-6th grade student actors, all from the Brookline Public Schools. 

 

Express Yourself tells the story of a group of students who band together to try to save their art program after it's cut from the school curriculum. The show is about the need for creative outlets and arts education in our schools, but even more about how kids can effectively express their opinions on social and political issues and encourage change. The students' efforts include petitioning, picketing, fundraising and a 'town-council' style meeting. Through their efforts, they discover what works, what doesn't, and that expressing yourself can make a difference.

 

Artbarn generously presents a program annually free of charge to the Pierce School. 

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ROOM PARENT BREAKFAST

Friday, 10/25, 8am @ Cafeteria

Attention Room Parents: Please join your fellow Room Parents for a PTO Room Parent Breakfast this Friday at 8am (or right after drop-off). RSVP to [email protected].

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THIRD GRADE FAMILY GET-TOGETHER

Sunday, 10/27, 3:30-5pm @ Pierce Park 

Please join us for an informal get-together for the Pierce third grade class and their families. This is a chance for the entire grade to come together to play on the playground and fields (bring balls or other equipment if you'd like to start a pick-up game), and for parents from all third-grade sections to socialize. We hope you can stop by for all or some of the time!

- The Third Grade Room Parents
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SAVE THE DATE: PARENT FORUM  

Monday, 11/4, 6:30pm @ Pierce School Auditorium

Dr. Lupini, Superintendent of Brookline Schools, will address myriad topics, including B-Space, RETELL, educator evaluation, Common Core, PARCC and MCAS, literacy trainings, and BAS administration. Parents are encouraged to attend. 

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LOOKING FOR A PIERCE PARENT LIAISON TO SEPAC

Brookline's Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC) is looking for a Pierce parent/guardian liaison to play an important communication role between Pierce families and school administration. If you have questions about this role or are interested in being Pierce's SEPAC rep, please contact Elizabeth Myska, SEPAC co-chair, at [email protected]. 
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WEB VOLUNTEER?

Want to be a part of the PTO, but can't commit to running events or daytime activities? Help out with the website! Minimal technical skills needed (if you can use Word, you are OK.) Time commitment of about 10 minutes a day. Contact parent volunteer Mariah Nobrega ([email protected]) to learn more.

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THANK YOU FOOD ON WHEELS CONTRIBUTORS

Thank you to all the Pierce families who donated food and other goods to the Brookline Food Pantry through the Food on Wheels program. Also, thanks to those families who paraded with us on Sunday to deliver all the food to the Pantry. We collected dozens of bags of groceries that will help feed more than 600 families in Brookline!

 

The Brookline Food Pantry staff wish to relay their deepest thanks, and want to remind everyone that the need continues to grow. Please remember to support the Food Pantry throughout the year.

 

A special thanks also goes to our Food on Wheels organizers: Marissa Heller-Treistman, Toby Raybould, and Jennifer Rothstein.

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THANK YOU PICTURE DAY VOLUNTEERS

Thanks to everyone who made Picture Day another success: Debbie Rasiner Thompson, Katherine Gergen-Barnett, Gioia Perugini, Julie Bruno, Theresa Hopp, Pam Woodard, Beth Ng, Kristin Hicks, Elizabeth Ferry, Cynthia Saadat, Jennifer Gangadharan, Carin Aquiline, Deb Troderman, Hillary Janowski, Cherie Gaehde, Kami Ahmad, and of course, John Badger and Molly Zuker!

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HARVESTFEST THANKS!

Thanks to all of the parents, teachers, and other members of the Pierce community who attended the PTO's second annual HarvestFest on Friday night. Almost 200 people mingled in a transformed cafeteria and amphitheater and learned more about the PTO and the Brookline Education Foundation. The raffle raised nearly $2,000 for the PTO. A special thank you to following teachers who attended: Eowyn Daly, Kim Barnum, David Weinstein, Chris Smith, and Lauren Kelley.

 

Additional thanks to all who helped make the evening a success, including: Martha Huntley, Catalina Escalante-Roseto, Hillary Janowski, Toby Raybould, Ian Roffman, Kim Rowell, Jean Sandler, Maria McDonald, Kimberly Murphy, Julie Smith, Gretchen Heefner, Hilary Elkins, Rebecca Tolkoff, Nancy Leventhal, Molly & Bobby Zuker, Cherie Gaehde, Marissa Heller-Treistman, Jennie Greene, Dan Saltzman, Nick Rothstein, Josh Troderman, Peter Rowe, Lorne & Nadia Johnson, Linda Hoetink, Ank Stuyfzand, Barbara Kamholz, Carrie Wager, Elizabeth Munzig, Emily Lyettefi, Lisa Jackson, Dennis Mendoza, Brian Bergstein, Stacey Zelbow, Beth Waisburd, and Liz Erdman.

 

A special thanks goes out to Marcita & Roy Thompson, Geoff & Jennifer Hunt, Kate & Jeff Thibault, Meredith Saillant & Graeme Grant, and Snezana Pejic for generously donating all of the amazing raffle items. And we also thank our local merchants, Party Favors and Wine Gallery, for their donations.

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SCHOOL CORNER>SCHOOL
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org 

EARN $$ FOR PIERCE at STOP & SHOP!
 

Pierce School is once again earning cash through Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards Program. After you register your card, each trip to Stop & Shop using your store card earns CASH for our school! Each month, the cash awards will be updated on Stop & Shop's website - but you MUST register your Stop & Shop card and designate Pierce School in order to make it happen! (Even if you registered last year, you must re-register.) Friends and families can designate Pierce School, too. Contact Colleen Muldoon with questions: [email protected]. Log onto www.stopandshop.com/aplus and use ID code 07899 to register online, or call 1-877-275-2758 to register your card by phone.

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BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION

Yet another way to support Pierce School: Collect Box Tops for Education! Simply clip the designated Box Tops at home and bring them to school. Pierce earns money with every Box Top you donate! Drop them in one of the collection boxes around Pierce, either in the foyer by the Main Building, or in the hall just outside KM, Historical Building. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

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SPECIALISTS' CORNER >SPECIALIST
 

ART

Kindergarten: students are busy exploring lines using different materials.

Grade 1: students are completing cut paper images for "Me and My Shadow," a project that ties in with science curriculum.

Grade 2: students are about to begin some observational drawing of the interesting and quirky vegetables harvested in the fall. Line observation drawings will give way to a study of color and texture.  

Grade 3: students are completing cut paper shape designs, some of which are on display in the lobby.

Grade 4: students are working on observational drawings of fall leaves and plants. Some of the drawings are also on display outside the music room. This drawing unit ties in with the botany unit.

Grade 5: students are connecting to their study of birds in science, and learning to appreciate birds from an artistic as well as scientific perspective, by looking specifically at birds that have fascinating color, shape, and pattern. A multi-layered collage will begin shortly.

Grade 6: students have completed self-portraits this week, and will add color to them starting with their next class.

Grade 7: students are beginning a long-term collage based on their life experience.

Grade 8: students have started their Kaleidoscope Name Design project, enabling them to explore letter-forms and color.

Next time you are in the building, please take a look at all the work on display!

 - Steven Rae, Michelle Allain, Alicia Mitchell

 

Visit the Visual Arts page on the school website http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/visual-arts.html

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PROBLEM OF THE WEEK >POW
 

POW #4 - HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Due Tuesday, 11/5

POW #4, "Halloween Costumes," will go up Friday. See the POW on the school website: http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/problem-of-the-week.html.

The solution for POW #3 - "Missing Number: What's the Logic?" - is 99. The pattern: multiply the top right number in each box by the sum of the other three corners to get the middle number as a product. Contact the math specialists with questions: [email protected] or [email protected].  
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COMMUNITY CORNER >COMMUNITYCORNER   

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING TOMORROW 

Thurs., 10/24, 6pm @ James F. Walsh Committee Room, 5th Floor, Town Hall

Please see the full meeting docket here. Contact Robin Coyne with questions at 617-730-2430 or [email protected]. 
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OCTOBER LIBRARY EVENTS FOR KIDS

Eileen Christelow, Friday, 10/25, 10:30am @ Main Library (Hunneman Hall). Author Eileen Christelow will read from her newest book Five Little Monkeys Trick-or-Treat! Join us for some Halloween silliness and get your favorite books signed by the author. Ages 3+.

Weekend Storytime, Saturday, 10/26, 3pm @ Main Library (Rabbit Hole). Drop-in stories and a craft for children ages 4-6.

Creature Teachers, Saturday, 10/26 10:30am @ Putterham Library. The Creature Teachers and their animal friends are coming to Putterham! Ages 4+.

Pumpkin Palooza, Tuesday, 10/29, 3:30pm @ Coolidge Corner Library. Sweet fall stories and songs for little pumpkins (costumes optional) with Mary Jo Maichack. Ages 3-5 welcome.

Questions? Contact Natalie at [email protected].
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TERRIER NATION BASKETBALL CLINIC for BOYS K-6

Sunday, 10/27, 9am-3pm @ Case Athletic Center, Boston University

This all-day Clinic is a great opportunity for your son to spend a day with the BU Men's Basketball Team & Staff and receive individual instruction as well as learn the value of hard work and team work. $20 fee includes lunch. Space is limited! For registration or questions, contact Adam Hood ([email protected]). 

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BROOKLINE COMMISSION FOR THE ARTS - TOWN HALL WALLS
Proposals due Saturday, 11/2

The BCA is offering the Brookline community an opportunity to display their art work on the walls of Brookline's Town Hall. Town Hall Walls features art work in two public conference rooms on the first floor, and the Selectmen's Hearing Room on the 6th floor. 2-D artwork may be displayed with a rail hanging system; some 3-D work considered on a limited basis.

 

For an application and submission details, please visit www.brooklinearts.org. Contact [email protected] or call the BCA at 617-730-2135 with questions.  

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ARTBARN COMMUNITY THEATER PRESENTS THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH

Saturday, 11/2, 7pm; and Sunday, 11/3, 4:30pm @ The Maliotis Cultural Center, 50 Goddard Ave, Brookline

Norton Juster's beloved children's book becomes an acclaimed musical about a boy who must save the princesses Rhyme and Reason and reunite the brother Kings Azaz and the Mathemagician, who rule over the cities of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis. See the Barncats Ensemble (5th & 6th grades) perform in this production. Tickets $10 at the door. For more information, visit www.artbarn.org, or write to [email protected].
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LACROSSE CLINICS

Sundays, 11/10 & 11/17

Brookline Youth Lacrosse's Fall Youth Lacrosse Clinics will be held at Downes Field in Brookline for new and returning players. No prior experience required, no tryouts, everyone gets equal playing time. Lacrosse is a spring sport with separate boys' and girls' teams ranging from 1st-8th grade. Girls' clinics on Sunday, 11/10; boys' clinics on Sunday, 11/10 and 11/17. For clinic times and more information, please visit www.brooklineyouthlacrosse.org. Contact boys' director Will Goldthwait ([email protected]), or girls' director George Vien ([email protected]).

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GUINEA PIG - FREE TO A GOOD HOME

Sweet two-year-old, black and white, male guinea pig named Skunk needs a new home. Two-room cage, hay, water bottle, food dish included. Please call Julie at 617-733-5406 or email [email protected]. 
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CLASSIFIEDS >CLASSIFIEDS     
Want to see your ad here? Send an email to [email protected].

INNER SPACE TEEN YOGA

TEENS (ages 11+), Wednesdays 3:30-4:30pm. Serious and mindful hour of breathing, stretching, strengthening, and relaxing - a necessary complement to teens' busy lives! Start any time, drop ins ($13) or 10 class card $100. 

LITTLE YOGIS (ages 4-6) 10-11 am, and BIG YOGIS (ages 7-9) 11-12 noon, October 27-December 8 (no class 12/1). Register online for Radiant Child Yoga at www.groovybabymusic.com.

Inner Space, 17 Station Street, 617-730-5757. http://www.yogainthevillage.com,
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PIANO INSTRUCTION - ABOUT 1 MILE FROM PIERCE
Learn Jazz/Blues/Classical, theory, sightreading from a Berklee & New England Conservatory graduate with 30 years teaching experience. Build a high quality musical foundation with a patient, upbeat, and caring instructor. Beginners especially welcome. Have a positive and successful learning experience. Gloria Jasinski, phone: 617-566-9704, email: [email protected]
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TUTOR AVAILABLE
Pierce 6th-grade teacher Melissa London available for tutoring students in grade 2-5 and 7-8 in reading and writing across the curriculum, math, and Spanish. Homework coaching with a focus on sharpening executive function skills (i.e. time management, goal setting, prioritizing, organizing) also possible. E-mail [email protected] if interested. The where and when of sessions is flexible.
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ART WITH AMY

Fun and creative after school art classes for children who love art! Explore painting, drawing and building with local artist Amy Solomon in her light-filled loft next door to Pierce school. Brookline school half-day workshops too. Pick up available at Pierce. For more info and to sign on, contact [email protected] or call 617-566-2667. Visit www.artwithamy.com.

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GIRLS FITNESS CLASSES BY BENEFITNESS 

Girls' YogaFridays 2-3pm, $10/class. Taught by Laura Newbold. Cash only. All classes are drop-in. Girl Power Fitness & Dance Class, runs through November 22nd. Tuesdays & Thursdays 3-4pm. Taught by Jessica Monnerat. Must prepay for 6 week session. (Can do Tuesdays, Thursdays or both Tues and Thurs). Cash, check or credit card. 

Benefitness, 62 Harvard Street, 617-232-7440, benefitnesshealthclub.com 

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