The Bridge

9.10.14

PTO CORNER >

Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

WELCOME TO THE 2014-2015 SCHOOL YEAR!

Congratulations to all on a great start to the year. We're thrilled to see familiar faces and meet new friends! Please look for this newsletter, The Bridge, each Wednesday for up-to-date school events, community happenings, and local advertisements. Also, check your inbox tomorrow for the Principal's Corner email from Dr. Pipier Smith-Mumford.

To contact your PTO leadership about ways to enhance your involvement with our school, please write to pierce.pto@gmail.com.

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COMMUNITY WELCOME BREAKFAST & COFFEE

Fri., 9/12, 8-9am @ Pierce Cafeteria

Come join old friends and meet new ones! PTO announcements will be shared during this time. Please bring something to share if you can. See you there!

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MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR OPEN HOUSE

Open House is an important event where parents and caregivers meet students' teacher(s) and learn about the curriculum and classroom expectations.

Kindergarten will be Wed., 9/17, 7:30am with family breakfast.

Grades 1-6 will host on the evening of Wed., 9/17 at the following times:

- 5:30pm, Grades 5 and 6

- 6pm, Grades 1 and 2

- 6:30pm, Grades 3 and 4

Grades 7/8 will be on Thurs., 9/18 at 6:30pm.

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FITFEST '14 IS HERE!

Save the Date for FitFest '14: Sun., 9/21, 1-3pm @ Pierce playground

Family fun & fitness! Take part in a 1-mile fun run, and enjoy over 12 fitness stations such as the famous Hurdle the Hill, bouncy house, and dunk tank! Tickets and t-shirts will be on sale the week of 9/15. Visit the school website for details.

FitFest Volunteers

We need your help! If you are interested in lending a hand to help the team prepare for FitFest, please email Stacey Irwin Downey as soon as possible at sirwindowney@gmail.com.

FitFest Sponsors

FitFest is always looking for event sponsors to help cover costs. This is a community event (NOT a fundraiser), so sponsorship is key to its success and keeping costs down. Contact Stacey about sponsoring this event.

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SUPPORT THE BROOKLINE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION ON 5% DAY

Mon., 9/15: Shop at St. Mary's Whole Foods, 1028 Beacon St. @ St. Mary's T stop!

Whole Foods Market created 5% Days to support local nonprofit organizations. This year, the St. Mary's Whole Foods in Brookline asked its Facebook fans which local nonprofit to support. Of the many suggestions they received, they chose the Brookline Education Foundation! That means on 9/15, the BEF will receive 5% of the store's total pretax sales for the day. Thank you for supporting the BEF!

Brookline Education Foundation: Supporting Excellence in Teaching & Love of Learning in Our Schools

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ATTENTION 7TH & 8TH GRADE FAMILIES:

SCHEDULE CHANGE @ BROOKLINE TEEN CENTER

Starting Mon., 9/29, seventh and eighth grade day will switch from Wednesdays to Mondays. Hours will remain the same: 2:30-5pm.

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THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Thank you to our amazing Summer Gardeners!

Thank you to Julie Bruno, Rachel Silberstein, Carol Jennings, Tamara Bloch, Koen Dreijerink, Heather Rooke, Deb Troderman, Jen Rothstein, and Colleen Muldoon for taking care of the amphitheater gardens over the summer. The gardens look fantastic. Check out the sunflowers!

Thank you, Molly Zuker, and First & Second Day Volunteers!

A special thanks to Molly and her team for all that they did to make the first two days of school so welcoming for the Pierce community.

Thank you PIN# Volunteers!

The following parents helped new and returning students with their PIN numbers during lunch for the first week of school: Theresa Hopp, Jean Sandler, Mary Liz Brenninkmeyer and Cecilia Garcia Caballero. Thanks so much for making lunch run so smoothly!

And finally...

Thank you to Jen Amigone for organizing the Kindergarten Picnic held over the summer at Pierce Park. Thanks also to Jen Rothstein, Kate Thibault and Deb Troderman for helping to make the event a huge success!

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SCHOOL CORNER >

Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

AUDITIONS FOR 7TH-8TH GRADE PLAY: THE MUSIC MAN

Tues., 9/23 and Wed., 9/24

Look for audition sign-up sheet in the cafeteria the week prior to auditions. Interested students will sing from a musical of their choice and read a section of script (provided). New this year: an optional one-hour dance workshop on Fri., 9/19, for those interested in a lead role. A costume coordinator is needed (could be done by more than one person). A parent rehearsal volunteer coordinator is also needed. If interested, please contact co-producers Kate Risse (Katherine.risse@tufts.edu) or Tamara Bloch (tebloch@yahoo.com).

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PIERCE FAMILY DIRECTORY NEEDS YOU!

Later this month, the Pierce Family Directory will be updated. Once all paper forms have been returned and processed, class assignments will be uploaded and new students will be added. Families who indicate their agreement on the school forms will have the contact information they choose to share added to the secure online directory. For questions, please email Jennifer Hunt at piercefamilydirectory@gmail.com.

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SPECIALIST'S CORNER >

Beginning next week in The Bridge, look for reports from our Specialist teachers: Physical Education, Music, Art, and Spanish. One Specialty will be featured each week with reports on student activities, goals and accomplishments. First up is Physical Education...stay tuned!

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PROBLEM OF THE WEEK >

POW #1: ELEVATOR RIDE

Due on Tues., 9/16
Visit the POW page on the school website: http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/problem-of-the-week.html

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COMMUNITY CORNER >

Welcome back to class(es)! Check out course offerings at Brookline Arts Center, Pierce's "After-Hours University," and Mediagirls. Plus, Boy/Girl Scouts, a proposal-writing workshop, Freelance Players acting troupes, and Brookline Commission for the Arts open applications. See Community Corner for details!

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CLASSIFIEDS >

Want to see your ad here? Send an email to piercebridge@gmail.com.

GET IN SHAPE FOR WOMEN OPEN HOUSE

Sat., 9/20, 10am-12pm

Get in Shape for Women is Small Group Personal Training: strength training, cardio, and nutrition coaching, for a complete program that produces results. New Clients get $200 off any package! 218 Washington St. or 1379 Beacon St. 617-775-7562.

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BROOKLINE MATH CIRCLE PROGRAM WITH DR. KATE HENDRIX

Register by Thurs., 9/25

Math Circle is designed for students who enjoy math, and is intended to be a safe and encouraging place to make math fun and help students grow in their confidence. For more information, please contact me at drphrogg@comcast.net. Classes will meet at United Parish Church for 8 weeks in Oct/Nov on Wednesdays: 3-3:50pm for 4th & 5th graders, 4-4:50pm for 6th & 7th graders. Cost $225.

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HANDS-ON MATH & SCIENCE COURSES FOR CURIOUS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

Fall Semester Begins Sat., 10/4; Registration Closes Sat., 11/1

Magizo offers small-group math and science classes for students in grades 6+, including math circles (grades 6-9) and physics courses (grades 8+). Students learn the application (or "the point") of the material, and open class discussions are encouraged. In addition, courses are hands-on and often involve a student elected, group project toward the end of the course. Please visit magizo.com for more information or call 617-851-0321.

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AFTER-SCHOOL HOME HELPER/SITTER NEEDED

We are looking for a home helper/sitter for our two mature girls, ages 10 and 14, for school days Mon-Fri from approximately 4:30-7 pm, with some flexibility of days. The sitter will drive to activities, remind the girls about homework, piano practice, do light housework, prepare dinner, and do occasional errands. The ideal person has good organizational skills, childcare experience, a clean driving record, and is a great role model. We're located on the Brookline Hills T stop and can provide a car. Please contact Katrin at Kuhlig1@gmail.com.

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AFTER-SCHOOL & HOLIDAY CHILDCARE SOUGHT

I'm the parent of two boys in Grades 3 and 5 at Pierce School. I am urgently looking for someone to watch them on holidays (e.g. 9/25) and Thursdays after school till about 5:30pm. If you happen to know someone who might be interested, I would appreciate it immensely if you could please connect me to him or her. Many thanks in advance, Anamika (pranamika@hotmail.com).

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Contact Information

phone: (617) 730-2580