03.18.2015
 

PTO CORNER  
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org
 
PLANNING MEETING FOR PIERCE SPRING FUNDRAISER
Fri., 3/27, 8am @ Cafeteria
We need help planning our spring fundraiser, which will take place on Saturday, May 16th. Please come to our first planning meeting to help make this event a success! Questions? Please contact pierce.pto@gmail.com.
_______________________________________ 

SAVE THE DATE: PTO COFFEE 
Fri., 4/10 @Cafeteria
The next PTO Coffee  will be on Friday, April 10th. Coffee will be provided. This is a chance to meet new people and catch up with familiar faces after a very long winter.
_______________________________________

PIERCE UPDATE @ TWITTER 
Follow Vice Principal Daniel Green's new Twitter page @DanGreenPierce to stay updated on various happenings around Pierce. 
_______________________________________ 

PENGUIN POST AVAILABLE
The March issue of the Penguin Post, Pierce's student newspaper, is available as a pdf on the PTO website. The Penguin Post staff thanks Jeff Walker (graphic designer), parents of the student writers, and the Pierce family that underwrote printing costs.
_______________________________________

 

OVERRIDE UPDATE: YES! FOR BROOKLINE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED

On Tuesday, 2/10/15, Brookline's Board of selectmen voted unanimously to put two "override" questions on the May 5th local election ballot that will have a critical impact on the Pierce community and Brookline's schools in general. The ballot questions will call for voters to approve or disapprove property tax increases designed to fund a $7.665 million operating budget "override" and a $49.876 million "debt exclusion." 

 

In announcing the ballot questions, the selectmen expressed a desire to balance adequate funding to sustain excellence in our schools and sensitivity to the demands on the town's taxpayers. The approved numbers are lower than many school advocates requested - particularly in light of the dramatic increases in school enrollment and associated overcrowding - but approval of the additional funds would still provide a significant boost to the schools and help address critical needs and structural deficits in key areas of teaching and learning.

 

Groups have formed to oppose and support the override, and it is likely to be closely contested. The pro-override group Yes! for Brookline has launched a website, www.yesforbrookline.com, that has  helpful information and is a place to sign up to receive updates and/or to get involved. A group of Pierce parents will be working to encourage the Pierce community to vote on May 5th.  

 

You can visit www.yesforbrookline.com or contact Pierce parents Brian Hochleutner (briahochleutner@gmail.com) or Mariah Nobrega (mariah.nobrega@gmail.com) with questions or to get involved.

_______________________________________


SHOP AMAZON AND BENEFIT PIERCE SCHOOL
When you shop Amazon through the school website, Pierce PTO receives a percentage of your purchases at no extra cost to you. Remember "Go to School" before you shop online at Amazon! To shop, go to the school website homepage and look for this icon:
_______________________________________
SCHOOL CORNER   
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

CALL FOR BOOK FAIR VOLUNTEERS: PRELIMINARY MEETING  

Thurs., 3/19, 8:15am @ Cafeteria

The Pierce Book Fair is a few months away, but planning is underway. It's a big project, so we can really benefit from lots of hands. We have jobs big and small that can fit any level of interest and time availability. If you can't make the preliminary meeting, but would still like to help, please email piercebookfair2015@gmail.com. Thanks so much for the donations. Please keep them coming! 

_______________________________________


DESIGN REVIEW COMMITTEE FOR PIERCE SCHOOL PLAYGROUND

Wed., 3/25, 6-8pm @ Town Hall, Room 111, 333 Washington St.

The agenda, per the Parks & Recreation Commission: Design Review Process, Existing Conditions & Site Analysis, and Community Input. For additional information, please contact Annie Blair at 617-730-2616.

_______________________________________

FY16 SCHOOL BUDGET: SUPERINTENDENT'S OPEN FORUM 

Wed., 3/25, 6:30pm @ Baker School Auditorium

Brookline Schools Superintendent Bill Lupini & Deputy Superintendent Peter Rowe will host an open forum to discuss the FY16 school budget. Tuesday's presentation will be broadcast live from the BIG Studio. You may join the audience or call the studio with questions during the presentation at 617-390-7306. Or, email questions in advance to

______________________________________

UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES BEGINS... AND A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
Brookline schools participate in an annual Disability Awareness program, Understanding Our Differences (UOD). At Pierce, the fourth-graders participate, in collaboration with the 4th-grade teachers and with the essential support of parent volunteers and school and town administrators.

We cannot continue this important program without parent volunteers. Thank you to those who have already volunteered! If you'd like to volunteer for future units, the commitment is for 8-10:30am the day of. In a short training meeting, in the evening 2 days before each unit, we'll walk you through what's happening. (If you can't make the training, our brief on-line training video may be helpful.) Dates and units:
Thurs. 4/30 -- Vision Impairment
Tues. 6/2 -- Physical Disabilities
Thurs. 6/11 -- Intellectual Disabilities

To volunteer, please sign up here: 
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gN6R6Ker7Vo-AyVyOypWeygcEFwtnvX2KsxlqR-dk1Q/edit?usp=sharing. If you have volunteered in the past, we would especially appreciate your help! Our thanks, Tiffany Rinne and Ann Kamensky, Parent Coordinators

_______________________________________ 

 

PIERCE SCHOOL YEARBOOK ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS

Deadline for ordering: Wed., 4/22

It's that time of year! The Pierce School Yearbook is again on sale through online ordering only. For the 10th year in a row, the yearbook will cost $25, and will feature individual class pictures, play pictures, pictures of fun around school, and so much more! Please follow the directions below to reserve your copy today:

  1. Go to www.coffeepond.com
  2.  Click on "Order Yearbooks" (large gray box on lower right side of the page)
  3. Enter the password: pierce
  4. Select "on-line order" or "mail-in order"
  5. Follow the rest of the directions to complete your order.
  6. To check on your order status, you can go back to www.coffeepond.com 
Yearbooks will be handed out in individual classrooms during the last week of school. Any extra yearbooks will go one sale on a first-come, first-serve basis during the last week of school. Thanks for your support, Reed Rathgeber,  reed_rathgeber@brookline.k12.ma.us

_______________________________________  

 

ATTENTION, BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL RISING FRESHMEN

If you are planning to play boys' or girls' Rugby in the Spring, please join the team for Home Games and an occasional Captain's Practice. For further information, email elviraperez@hotmail.com.

_______________________________________ 
 

SPECIALIST'S CORNER 
 
VISUAL ARTS

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

____________________________________ 

PROBLEM OF THE WEEK 

 

POW #13: FOLDED SQUARE

Due Tues., 3/31

Look for POW #13 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 #12: An odd sum

The consecutive odd numbers 35, 37, and 39 have the sum of 111. 

_____________________________________

 

MATHLETES PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #9: NOT FROM AROUND HERE

Due Tues., 3/31

Of 600 students at Goodnight Middle School in Texas, 85% are not native Texans. Of those non-native students, 60% have lived in Texas more than 10 years, and 30 students have lived in Texas less than a year. How many of Goodnight Middle School's non-native students have lived in Texas for at least 1 year but not more than 10 years? Copies of the problem will be available in the rack in the front lobby and on the piercewebsite.  Please put your solutions in the green box by the Mathletes bulletin board. Have fun doing the Math!

 

SOLUTION TO MATHLETES POW #8

How Many George Washington's are in the Washington Monument?

The top-most George Washington would exceed the monument by 69 inches. 

_____________________________________ 

COMMUNITY CORNER

Tomorrow: march for METCO! Also, Artbarn's Round Table Tales... Sing Out! Youth Music Festival... free Wellness Expo... and more. Visit Community Corner on the right-hand side of the "News & Bridge" page on the school website.  

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

SPRING & SUMMER ETIQUETTE CLASSES

Confidence - Communication - Leadership 

Spring in Boston: Saturdays May 2nd to June 27th

Summer in Newton: Monday - Saturday July 6th to 11th

_______________________________________

GET IN SHAPE FOR WOMEN
March Special for New Clients: 4 weeks for $248 (that's 50% off)! Small Group Personal Training with the first complete training program for women. Start this trial package anytime in March for 4 weeks, 4 training sessions per week. Each session consists of 30 minutes of strength training, 25 minutes of cardio, and nutrition coaching for a complete program that will produce the results you want. Visit either Brookline location to take advantage of this opportunity and get ready for the new you! Contact Brookline Village, 218 Washington Street, Brookline MA @ 617-775-7562 and Coolidge Corner, 1379 Beacon Street, Brookline MA @ 617-487-5415.

_______________________________________

BIG PICTURE MOVIE PHOTO AND MOVIE MAKING WORKSHOPS
April 20-22:"Shadows & Light", July 6th:"Street Photo", July 13th-24th:"Two Week Fiction Film", July 27th:"Photo Play", August 3rd:"Travel Photo", August 10th:"1 Week Fiction Film Class". 
Sign up now! Big Picture offers a "boutique" learning experience for no more than 7 students in grades 6-10. The one-week summer workshops run 9:30-3:30pm, with shuttle service from the monument in Jamaica Plain. Professional DSLR cameras provided. Contact Jennifer Connelly, owner/teacher 781-696 1138, bigpicturearthouse@gmail.com. Check out curriculum and student work @ www.bigpicturearthouse.com or on our FB page Big Picture Art House.
_______________________________________

PIERCE FAMILY SEEKS TO RENT
Pierce middle school family seeks to rent a two or three bedroom apartment in multifamily home. Parking is required. Flexible move in between 6/1 and 9/1. Please email Denice at denicesakakeeny@gmail.com if you may know of a match. Responses from property owners and referrals to the same would be appreciated. No realtors, please. 
________________________________________

PIANO LESSONS
Contact Gloria Jasinski @ 617-566-9704 or email piano566@comcast.net. Bachelor of Music in Composition from Berklee College of Music, Master of Music in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory. 30+ years teaching experience. Learn Jazz/Blues/Classical, theory, sightreading. Build a high quality musical foundation with a patient, upbeat, and caring instructor. Beginners especially welcome. Have a positive and successful learning experience. 
________________________________________

LEARN TO PLAY TRADITIONAL BLUEGRASS & CELTIC MUSIC WITH YOUR FAMILY

Join our group of Brookline families as we learn and play in a fun and friendly "jam session." Each class features a song that we learn by ear and play as an ensemble. Featured instruments include violins, cellos, guitars, banjos, and mandolins. For more information, contact rob.guillemin@gmail.com or visit 

_____________________________________

Quick Links...
Join Our Mailing List
Contact Information

phone: (617) 730-2580