12.03.2014

PTO CORNER

Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

ANNUAL APPEAL UPDATE: $38,000 DONATED AS OF WEEK FIVE!

THIS IS THE FINAL WEEK OF THE ANNUAL APPEAL.

Thank you to the 151 Pierce families who have contributed to this year's Annual Appeal. We are well on our way to reaching our goal thanks to your participation. If you haven't yet had a chance to contribute, please consider making a donation to support the PTO in providing academic, cultural, and community enrichment activities for all Pierce students, teachers, and families.

No donation too small! The PTO will spend more than $125 per student for the 2014-2015 school year. ANY amount you can give toward this per-student total is appreciated.

Visit www.pierceschoolbrookline.org and donate through our secure Paypal site or drop a check off in one of the PTO mailboxes near the main office and cafeteria (look for the giant penguins!). Contributions to the Pierce PTO are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt for tax purposes. The PTO's tax ID number is 35-2197562. Please also consider using your employer's matching grant program.

Questions? Contact us at pierce.pto@gmail.com

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PRINCIPAL'S FORUM WITH CATHERINE STEINER-ADAIR

TOMORROW: Thurs., 12/4, 7pm @ Pierce Auditorium

Please join us for a PTO-sponsored Principal's Forum with author Catherine Steiner-Adair. Dr. Steiner-Adair will discuss her latest book The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age. Please see a brief review below, and plan to join us for what will no doubt be a lively evening with this dynamic author, researcher and professor.

"Technology is changing our world and the world of our children at a blistering pace. Every parent struggles with the benefits and limitations of a perpetually plugged in lifestyle. Something doesn't feel quite right and Catherine Steiner-Adair with great wisdom, and compassion for our confusion, helps lead us out of this technological thicket. She is a worthy guide, not simply pointing out stumbling blocks, but helping us find our way around them. A mandatory read for our own sake as well as the sake of our children."

- Madeline Levine, Ph.D., Author of Teach Your Children Well and The Price of Privilege
Dr. Smith-Mumford

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GUESS WHAT YOUR PTO DOLLARS FUNDED IN NOVEMBER...

Last month, the PTO spent just under $5K to enrich the Pierce academic experience. This included funding for field trips to Plimoth Plantation (Grade 3) and Peabody Museum (Grade 4), as well as two Pierce Arts Council in-school experiences, ImprovBoston and Techsploration. The PTO also paid for the rental of Larz Anderson for Skate Night (coming on 3/6; save the date!). Last but not least, the PTO paid for a new Bose speaker to be used during recess for non-competitive dance exercise, part of a larger PTO program to fund improved recess equipment for use by the whole school.

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SCHOOL CORNER

Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

MATH LEAGUE PRACTICE BEGINS

Mon., 12/1 - Thurs., 3/19, 7:20-7:55am @ upstairs Spanish room

Open to all 4th, 5th & 6th graders seeking a math challenge. The schedule is as follows:

Monday - Geometry

Tuesday - Bases

Wednesday - Problem Solving

Thursday - Operations

Friday - Patterns

Please contact Tara Washburn or Dave Carter w/ questions: piercemathleague@gmail.com.

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SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING & OFFICE HOURS TOMORROW

Thurs., 12/4, 6pm @ James F. Walsh Committee Room, 5th Floor, Town Hall

See the full meeting docket here . The School Committee will also be holding Office Hours prior to the meeting from 5-6pm, also in the Walsh School Committee Room. This is an open discussion with the Brookline School Committee and the public, with topics to be determined by the participants. Please contact Robin Coyne with questions at 617-730-2430 or robin_coyne@brookline.k12.ma.us.

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SPEAKING OF THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE...

The town will vote on an override and debt exclusion this May. The Board of Selectmen is actively considering the form and substance of these ballot questions NOW, and is looking to craft questions that voters will approve of in May. To learn more about the issues, and how to support our schools, visit

http://www.brooklineoverride.com/.

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FA LA LA LA LA... WINTER SINGS ARE HERE!

8:15am @ Pierce Auditorium

Come hear our little warblers celebrate the season in song.

Fri., 12/5: Kindergarten

Fri., 12/12: Grade 2

Wed., 12/17: Grade 1

Fri., 12/19: Grades 3 & 4

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MARY POPPINS ACTOR REGISTRATION FOR 5th & 6th GRADERS OPENS ONLINE!

Online Registration begins Sun., 12/7, 4pm; auditions Mon., 12/15 & Tues., 12/16

YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER FOR YOUR CHILD TO AUDITION.

Only the first 60 registered students can participate; the system will NOT accept more. If you are unable to register, let me know at jlabrams@me.com and I will put you on a waitlist. Each year, kids to get in off the waitlist, so PLEASE do let me know.

Registration is $95, and full or partial scholarships are available. IF YOU NEED A SCHOLARSHIP, EMAIL jlabrams@me.com. If you are asking for a scholarship, STILL REGISTER YOUR CHILD BUT DO NOT PAY. Otherwise, PLEASE PAY AT REGISTRATION.

The registration URL will be sent to you via an aBridged, and via a flyer in your child's Thursday folder. BUT YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL 4pm on 12/7 to register. If you cannot register online at this time, please ask someone to register for you as it will quickly fill up. Questions? Email

jlabrams@me.com.

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ENRICHMENT & CHALLENGE SUPPORT PROGRAM (ECS) INFORMATIONAL MEETING

Mon., 12/8, 8am @ Pierce Cafeteria

Both Leslie Fagan, Pierce's program resource teacher, and Mies Boet, the district ECS Program Coordinator, will present the mission and objectives of the ECS program; discuss examples of how the program has been implemented; and answer any questions Pierce parents may have. Please contact parent reps with any questions:

jfopiano@obrienmanagement.com or

alexnones@gmail.com.

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COMING SOON: THE 7-8 MUSICAL, THE MUSIC MA'AM!

Tix on sale Mon., 12/8 - Wed., 12/10 before and after school

Showtime: Thurs., 12/11 & Fri., 12/12, 7pm, and Sat., 12/13, noon & 5pm

Coming soon: the long awaited 7-8th grade musical production. It's an American theater classic... with an original surprise twist. Appropriate for all ages. Join the parade!

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BOOK FAIR IS IN DANGER!

No, Amazon is not the culprit this time. It's unfilled spots on the leadership team.

One person has volunteered to take a leadership role for running Book Fair, but she can't do it alone. Unless a few more people volunteer, there will not be a book fair this spring. To find out more about time commitment (it's less than you think) and responsibilities, or to volunteer, contact Carin Aquiline, caquiline@mindspring.com

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"LIKE" FRIENDS OF PIERCE SCHOOL BROOKLINE ON FACEBOOK

This group is for friends and supporters of Pierce School in Brookline, its students, and those interested in related neighborhood issues. To be clear, membership is not intended to be limited to those who currently have elementary school-aged children. Anyone interested in Pierce and related issues is welcome. This is basically a neighborhood group to allow for sharing of information. This is now an open list so that friends of Pierce School can easily join the list without having to be invited online by a member.

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PIERCE FAMILY DIRECTORY HAS BEEN UPDATED

... with the contact information each family supplied on the school forms earlier this year. For people who checked the box agreeing to include information in the Pierce Family Directory, the information will be visible to families, teachers, and administrators who have been granted secure access to the site. Those who do not have an account yet will receive an email with instructions for logging in and a temporary password. All users should log in, confirm correct information, and print the information for the class and grades of your children. If you have any questions/problems, please contact Jennifer Hunt or Beth Ng at PierceFamilyDirectory@gmail.com. Thanks for your support and patience!

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PIERCE ROOM PARENTS

Thanks for all you do to keep classroom communities connected.

WeGush makes teacher appreciation simple & beautiful for everyone in your classroom & their families to share a personal "thanks" in their own words. Please check us out at:http://www.wegush.com. Martha Huntley, Founder & proud former Pierce parent - We love you Pierce!

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PRIVATE SCHOOL APPLICATION

Dear Parents/Guardians

This is the start of the private school application season. In order for us to complete all recommendation forms thoughtfully and thoroughly, we ask that you hand all school portions of the application (including teacher recommendations and transcript requests) to the main office at least three weeks in advance of their due date. Teacher and guidance recommendations will be distributed to the appropriate individual staff members. In addition, please enclose addressed envelopes with sufficient postage to ensure that we meet the required due dates. Your adherence to these guidelines is most appreciated. Thank you.

- Dr. Pipier Smith-Mumford

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SPECIALIST'S CORNER

VISUAL ARTS

Visit the Visual Arts on the school website to see what your little artists have been creating.

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PROBLEM OF THE WEEK

POW #7: COIN STAR

Due Tue.,12/16

Look for POW #7 on the board this Friday. Visit the POW page on the school website:

http://www.pierceschoolbrookline.org/problem-of-the-week.html

SOLUTION TO POW #6, YOU GO GIRLS:

Ten girls were not on either team.

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MATHLETES PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #4: Counting Abes

Due: Tues., 12/16

Look for the new Mathletes POW on the Mathletes bulletin board near the first floor entrance to the library! Copies of the problem are available in the rack in the front lobby. Put your solutions in the green box by the Mathletes bulletin board.

SOLUTION FOR MATHLETES POW #3: Yummy Number Crunch

There are 2,013 snacks that are not red. We had several correct responses this week. Congratulations, Pierce mathematicians! Check out the bulletin board and our Twitter page (@Pierce_Math) to see student solutions.

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COMMUNITY CORNER

Holiday music is here! Voices Boston performs Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols. Plus: Artbarn's The Jungle Book... Clinton Path open house... job opening at Brookline Community Foundation... and more. Visit Community Corner on the right-hand side of the "News & Bridge" page on the school website.

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CLASSIFIEDS

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

BENEFITNESS HEALTH CLUB FOR WOMEN

**Calling all Pierce Moms, Teachers and Staff!**

Join now for $0 Enrollment Fee--originally $79

Discounted monthly rate of only $59 and a FREE Personal Training Session when you join! For more information, visit www.benefitnesshealthclub.com or call 617-232-7440.

62 Harvard Street (Rear Entrance) Brookline, MA 02445.

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EXPERIENCED BABYSITTER

Warm, responsible and reliable babysitter available part-time for children over age 5. I have my own car, am a non-smoker and live near St. Mary's Street. Pick up and drop off children from school and activities, help with homework, etc. Available immediately after Christmas. References available from Pierce School parents and others.

Please contact Kathy at 617-262-0657 or kgreenough@verizon.net.

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HELPING KIDS COMMUNICATE!

In-home speech-language therapy is provided by Meryl Heller Schram, M.S., CCC-SLP, a seasoned and respected pediatric speech-language pathologist. Youngsters with speech-language disorders (including articulation/phonological disorders, apraxia, language-learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorders) are serviced. Phone: 617-733-1995; email: mhschram@comcast.net.

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Quick Links...

Contact Information

phone: (617) 730-2580