06.17.2015

PTO CORNER

Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

HOORAY FOR PIERCE PICNIC VOLUNTEERS!

The Pierce Picnic was a great success again thanks to our amazing picnic organizers, Nora O'Farrell and Tamisha Atkins. Thank you, Nora and Tamisha, for all your hard work planning this event, we really appreciate it! Also thank you to volunteers Jeff Walker, Isabelle Desbiens, Cecilia G. Caballero, Julie Smith, Meredith Saillant, Catalina Escalante-Roseto, Ana Otero, Tara Washburn, Laura (Emily's Mom), Rongzhen (Michelle's Mom), Hilary Elkins, Sue Kim, Liz Erdman, Nadia Johnson, Haijun Yang, Deirdre Buckley, Luisa Raposo, Anna Asphar, Jackie Rossey, Michelle Rosen, Claire Hochleutner, Joshua Abrams, and Nadia Johnson. We couldn't do it without you all!

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AMPHITHEATER GARDEN PLANTS: 'PLEASE WATER US'

Several week-long volunteer shifts still need to be filled to water the amphitheater garden over the summer. Commitment consists of stopping by every one to two days for each week that you sign up. Sign up here if you are able: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1eGs9vOE4I4PWuyfIF1T5aFtuZC6mqv_WLG8TwXv4-64/edit#gid=0

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SURVEY ON SUPERINTENDENT LUPINI'S PERFORMANCE

Due Mon., 6/22

To help inform its annual evaluation of the Superintendent, the School Committee invites Brookline community members to share comments and reflections on the Superintendent's performance. To encourage candor, your comments are confidential and will be shared with the public and full School Committee in aggregated summary form only. Click here to complete the survey: http://s-a8e9e4-i.sgizmo.com/s3/i-100142991-959090/?sguid=100142991. Please respond to this survey only once. If you would prefer to complete a paper form, please download it from the PSB website or pick up a copy at any school building or Town Hall.

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END-OF-YEAR PTO MEETING/MORNING COFFEE

Thurs., 6/25, 8am @ Pierce Cafeteria

Please join us for the last PTO meeting of the year!

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ORGANIZE A CLASS GATHERING!

We encourage parents to organize informal class picnics/gatherings in the parks. It's a great way to get families and kids together outside of school, and it's especially important in the younger grades. All it takes is an email to your class! If you'd like to be reimbursed for reserving park space/picnic benches, please contact us at piece.pto@gmail.com.

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PIERCEWEAR: THANK YOU TO KARIN KAHN AND A CALL FOR A NEW VOLUNTEER

Thank you to Pierce parent Karin Khan for leading our Piercewear efforts these last few years. From running a t-shirt design contest to managing printing and sales, Karin has done a great job managing Pierce merchandise. Karin will be stepping out of this role at the end of the year and we need a parent volunteer to take over. Interested? Please contact pierce.pto@gmail.com.

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SAVE THE DATE: INCOMING KINDERGARTEN PICNIC

Thurs., 8/20 6-7:30pm @ Pierce Kindergarten Playground

Have a little one entering kindergarten in the fall? Bring a blanket and dinner and meet other incoming Kindergarten kids and families. Popsicles will be provided.

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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:

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SCHOOL CORNER

Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

ATTENTION ALL 8TH GRADERS: INCOMING FRESHMAN FAIR

Thurs. 6/18 6:30-8:30 @ Cypress Field

As current 8th graders prepare to transition to Brookline High School, BHS Peer Leaders would like to welcome them with its Incoming Freshman Fair sponsored by the Brookline Education Foundation. Enjoy carnival games, live music, free food and raffles while promoting community and alleviating transitional anxiety. The students in the Peer Leadership Program help identify and address issues of concern for BHS students, from substance abuse prevention to healthy relationships. For more about the program, keep your eyes peeled for a new BHS Peer Leadership website that details the curriculum and offers tips and tricks on how to survive Freshman year. It's our hope that the Incoming Freshman Fair and website will equip students for a successful freshman year, and we look forward to meeting them all at the fair.

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SPRING SINGS AND SPRING SHARES!

The last of the spring sings is upon us: 3B will host its spring shares in music room next to cafeteria on Fri., 6/19 1:10-1:40pm.

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LAST CHANCE TO CLAIM LOST AND FOUND ITEMS

Fri., 6/19 3pm @ outside the gym

Please check the lost and found bins outside of the gym in the Pierce Main Building to claim your lost items. All items MUST be claimed by this date. PSED will bag up all items after that date and all unclaimed clothing and shoes will be donated to a local charity.

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PIERCE SUMMER READING CHALLENGE!!!!

Can the students in grades K-8 at Pierce School read 10,000 books this summer? Join us in our Pierce Summer Reading Challenge! We will collect summer reading logs at the beginning of next year and using them to calculate how many books each class, each grade, and the whole school read over the summer. Our wonderful math team, Mrs. Washburn and Mrs. Hansel, will be creating math Problems of the Week based on this challenge, and we will graph our totals in the cafeteria.

Student summer reading packets will be coming home any day. In them you will find the recommended summer reading list as well as a summer reading log, book report form and a letter regarding the requirements for your child's specific grade level. Please make sure your child writes down every book he or she reads this summer. These logs will be collected next school year so that we can calculate our totals. Please help us get a buzz going about the Pierce Summer Reading Challenge and let's see if together we can reach this goal!

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BROOKLINE SUMMER BASKETBALL NIGHTS

Please join Coach Keith Lezama and the BHS Staff, current players, alumni, college coaches, and players for 10 free sessions of basketball skills and drills every Monday Wednesday starting July 6 - August 5th. Participants will have the opportunity to hone their skills, have fun and compete. For more information, contact Coach Keith Lezama at keith.lezama@gmail.com.

Dates:

July 6th - August 5th (Mondays & Wednesdays)

Times:

Grades 3rd - 7th 5:00 - 7:00 PM

Grades 8th - 12th 7:00 - 9:00 PM

Location:

Brookline High School Schluntz Gym

Cost:

FREE

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SUMMER MOVIES IN THE PARK

Fridays in July 8:30 @ Driscoll School Playground

The Summer Movies in the Park series returns this July! Enjoy the "Family of Friends" movie series held outdoors at the Driscoll School Playgound, 64 Westbourne Terrace. Movie starts 30 minutes after dusk (approximately 8:30pm). Bring your own blanket or folding chair, along with a flashlight for easier exiting. Parking will be limited; viewers are urged to walk, carpool, or use public transportation. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

Schedule:
Fri. 7/10 - Paddington
Fri., 7/17 - Despicable Me
Fri., 7/24 - Meet the Robinsons
Fri., 7/31 - Big Hero 6

Movies will be rescheduled if high wind or rain occurs. Help reduce our impact on the environment, bring your own refillable water bottle! This event is free and open to the public.

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STILL PLENTY OF RECESS VOLUNTEER SPOTS OPEN

Join us in fostering a playful and safe recess period for our kids! Pierce School seeks parent volunteers to keep kids safe and nurtured during their free play time. Walk around, play music, hula hoop, frisbee and jump rope. Click here to sign up: www.signupgenius.com/go/5080945a8a629ab9-pierce (please register for a recess period where your child is not present).

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SUMMER SCHOOL AT BROOKLINE HIGH SCHOOL

6/30-8/7, 9-11am and 11am-1pm.
BHS Summer School offers many review and enrichment courses that are available to rising 6th-9th graders. There are review classes in reading, writing, math, and science, as well as two levels of ELL. All students have the opportunity to take elective courses including Life-Time Activities, World of Money, World Cuisine, Digital Arts/Computer Design, Photography, Ceramics, Drawing, and Art Studio. Incoming 9th graders have the opportunity to take elective classes toward their graduation requirements, many of which have wait-lists during the school year. BHS Summer School also offers a one-week course called 'One Up' to help students transition into the Brookline High School. Courses are offered to all Brookline students and non-residents. Tuition varies by class. For additional details and registration information visit http://bhs.brookline.k12.ma.us/summer-school.html.

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HONOR A TEACHER

Every year at this time the Brookline Education Foundation offers families the chance to say thank you to Brookline educators. When you donate to the BEF through the Honor A Teacher program, you can name specific faculty to recognize. The BEF will notify those honorees and they are consistently thrilled to receive such meaningful recognition from the community. For details look for the BEF Honor A Teacher card in the mail or simply go to http://www.brooklineeducation.org/honor.

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AHU AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM @ PIERCE

Mondays-Thursdays, 9/22/15 - 6/11/16, 2:40-5:10pm

After Hours University (AHU) is an after-school program at Pierce, open to any student who will be in 4th, 5th or 6th grade for the 2015-2016 school year. AHU follows a daily schedule that includes a quiet homework hour (with at least 2-4 staff on hand to help as needed), a recess time and snack, and an hour-long enrichment activity. Past enrichments have included: Lego Robotics, Graphic Design, fine art and crafts, yoga, improv, and more! For more information or to register your child, please contact Pierce AHU Director, Jacki Vassari at 518-339-8422 or jackivassari@gmail.com.

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MATH PROBLEM OF THE WEEK NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Show your love for the Problem of the Week by volunteering!

Tara Washburn, Pierce School Math Specialist, is looking for two reliable parents to support the Problem of the Week throughout the school year. Tara will supply the math problems, but she needs help creating the flyer and posters, communicating with the Pierce website and Bridge teams, photocopying materials and managing the bulletin board -- about one to two hours of work every other week when a new Problem comes out. Please contact tara_washburn@brookline.k12.ma.us if interested.

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IT'S ALIVE! MUSEUM OF SCIENCE BRINGS LIVE ANIMALS TO GRADES 1 & 2

This June, Pierce Arts Council welcomes educators from the Museum of Science!

The Museum's traveling program will bring live exhibits to our first graders, who will compare egg development, birth, and metamorphosis in different species. MOS educators return to visit second-graders for a program on animal habitats, observing several live animals to determine their ideal shelter and food.

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 programs and 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.

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PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR SUMMER

As we come to the end of the academic year, the busy, ordered structure of school slides into the lazy days of summer. Kids feel looser and parents often relax the rules as vacation mode kicks in. But with more free time and fewer consequences, summer can also be the riskiest time of the year for middle and high school kids. From drug/alcohol experimentation to sexual activity, risky behavior tends to rise with the temperatures, and research shows that young people with unsupervised hours are three times more likely to engage in risky behavior and use marijuana, alcohol and other drugs. B-PEN offers these ideas for keeping adolescents safe this summer while enjoying vacation fun in the sun:

SUMMERTIME ACTIVITY TIPS
GUIDELINES FOR A SAFE SUMMER

BROOKLINE RECREATION DEPARTMENT

BROOKLINE TEEN CENTER

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PROBLEM OF THE WEEK

SOLUTION TO POW #18: WAREHOUSE WORRIES

Is both warehouses will have 40 boxes on Friday
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FINAL MATH CHALLENGE PROBLEM FOR K-2, 3-4, AND 5-8 RELATED TO OUR SUMMER READING: 10,000 BOOK CHALLENGE!

Due TODAY., 6/17

Ms. Kretschmar has challenged Pierce School students to read a total of 10,000 books this summer! Just how many books is 10,000 books? How long would it even take to read 10,000 books? Sounds like a math challenge to me! Take the 10,000 Books Math Challenge by working with a partner or group to explore the problem for your grade level (K-2, 3-4, or 5-8). You should have received a copy of the problem from your classroom teacher, but copies of the problem are also available in the rack in the front lobby and on the Pierce website. Please put your solution in the green box by the Mathletes bulletin board. We'll post some of the best solutions from each grade during the last week of school. Have fun doing the math!

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COMMUNITY CORNER

Devo's Spring Carnivale postponed until Thurs., 6/19.... Tee off at the library.... Register for new SmartSummers programs.... Support Brookline Interactive Group.... Read all about it in Community Corner.

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CLASSIFIEDS

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

ART WITH AMY!

Summer Art in the heart of Brookline Village. Morning and afternoon programs. Explore painting, drawing and building. New afternoon workshops in a variety of media including sewing, pinhole camera and sculpture, clay and drawing. All school-age children welcome. Teens encouraged for afternoon workshops. Email solomonamy@yahoo.com or call 617-435-9768.

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DONATE GENTLY USED IPOD TOUCH

Circumstances now require one of our young students to spend up to two hours each day in a car, commuting to school. We are seeking a gently used iPod Touch to install education games and activities to make the most of this time. Please email Pierce School Education Technology Specialist Sandra Sicard with leads.

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HELPING KIDS COMMUNICATE!

Speech-language services in your home - All year round

Meryl Heller Schram, MS, CCC-SLP, an experienced and respected pediatric speech-language pathologist, provides individual services for children with communication difficulties in the home setting. Services are available for toddlers through middle-schoolers with developmental speech-language disorders, language-learning disabilities, articulation/phonological disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and apraxia. Treatment programs are tailored to children's specific needs and parent involvement is encouraged, resulting in steady and measurable progress. For more information or to make an appointment, contact Meryl Heller Schram, M.S., CCC-SLP at 617-733-1995 or mhschram@comcast.net

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SUMMER PROGRAMS AT CHUNGDAHM READWRITE IN NEWTON

Summer Days: Kids grades 3-8 enjoy summer fun and build their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Runs weekly 7/6 to 8/14. 9am - 3pm (early drop off and extended day available) *$175 first week, $270/week for subsequent weeks

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MIDDLE SCHOOL WRITING WORKSHOPS

Use this summer to get ready for next year and beyond. Kids learn to write better essays more efficiently. Mon to Fri 9-11am. Weeks of 7/13, 7/20, 7/27, 8/10. $150/week. info@BostonReadWrite.com, 857-4040170, www.BostonReadWrite.com

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STUDY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Are you interested in having your smartphone help you track your physical activity?

Researchers of the Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders at Brigham and Women's Hospital are looking for healthy children (10 to 14 years) for a research study examining physical activity and sleep with mobile Apps and Activity monitors. The study includes 7 days and nights of wearing small activity monitors and using a mobile (smartphone) App during usual activities at home, school or work. If you are interested, you may also take part in an overnight sleep study. The benefits are learning more about your activities and sleep and receiving compensation of $50 to $150 (depending on which parts of the study you do). To complete the phone screen and learn more, call 1-617-278-0382 or mail compact@partners.org

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ESL SUMMER OFFERINGS

Private ESL tutoring for individuals and small groups. Focus on individual needs. Could include speaking and pronunciation, conversation, grammar, writing, and/or real life learning excursions in and around Boston. Visit museums, historical sites, restaurants and improve English at the same time. Flexible schedule. Reasonable rates. For more information contact: Emily Sinagra, (MA Theatre Ed, MFA Creative Writing, TEFL certificate), 617-347-1794/ emilysinagra@gmail.com. Brookline mom of three, 25,19,15 (Pierce 8th grader).

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SEEKING AFTER-SCHOOL NANNY 2015-2016

Heath Family is seeking an after-school nanny to pick 2 kids up, ages 6 & 8, and walk them home from the Heath school. Responsibilities include bringing them to activities, arranging play-dates and starting dinner. 18-20 hr per/week, M-F until about 6pm. 2015-2016 school year. Interested parties please contact Mei-An at mei-an@rocketmail.com.

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SUMMER-TIME CHILD CARE AND ART INSTRUCTION

Grace Colletta recently completed her MFA at Boston University with an emphasis in painting. She is also extremely talented at printmaking, sewing and clothing design. Prior to completing her graduate work, she worked providing childcare for children ranging in ages from 2-12. She is looking for part-time work over the summer providing childcare and/or teaching art or sewing to children. Her artwork and CV can be viewed at www.gracecolletta.weebly.com. Grace can be contacted at (760) 450-4786 or gracecolletta@yahoo.com.

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Contact Information

phone: (617) 730-2580