12.16.2015
PTO CORNER  
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org
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PTO ANNUAL APPEAL: WEEK EIGHT UPDATE 
YOU DID IT! THE PTO MET ITS $65,000 GOAL! 
Participation: 318/608 families (52%) 
Thank you Pierce Community for giving so generously to this year's annual appeal!

If you haven't given already, it's not too late! Please help us continue to offer our students all that we can by making a donation today! Checks can be made out to "Pierce PTO" and mailed to the school, or placed in the PTO mailbox near the main office.

All contributions to the Pierce PTO are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged with a receipt for tax purposes. (If you have already given, the letter is in the mail this week.) The PTO's tax ID number is 35-2197562. Please also consider using your employer's matching grant program. 
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SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH UPDATE
Superintendent Leadership Profile Community Forums and Focus Groups
All community members are invited to participate in one of the Superintendent Leadership Profile Community Forums that will be conducted during the weeks of December 14th and January 4th. These forums are open to all members of the community and will be led by Atlantic Research Partners. There will also be dozens of Focus Groups with teachers, school staff and organizations that partner directly with our school. The purpose of these forums is to get input from community members on the type of person and leader they want as our next superintendent. The input gathered at these sessions will help create a leadership profile that will be used for recruiting, reviewing, and selecting candidates. For more information, visit http://www.brookline.k12.ma.us/supersearch.

Here is the schedule of upcoming community forums:
Wed., 12/16 7-8:30pm @ Town Hall, 5th Floor 
Mon., 1/4 7-8:30pm @ Town Hall, 5th Floor 
Tues., 1/5 7-8:30pm @ Lincoln School
Wed., 1/6 7-8:30pm @ Baker School 

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH SURVEY
Opens Mon., 12/21
Share your views on the characteristics you consider important and wish to see in Brookline's next Superintendent by participating in the Superintendent Search Survey. The survey will be posted on the Public Schools of Brookline website. If you wish to complete a paper survey, please email supersearch@brookline.k12.ma.us. 
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NEW PIERCE PRINCIPAL SEARCH PROCESS
With the departure of Dr. Smith-Mumford at the end of the school year, the school system central administration is beginning the search for a new principal. The Interim Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joe Connelly, is leading the process. The hope is to have a new principal selected by the end of March and that s/he will start in July 2016. 

There are multiple opportunities for the Pierce community to provide input about the leadership qualities we'd like to see in the new principal. The PTO and the School Council hope that you'll take time to participate in one or more of the following opportunities to have your voice heard. 

PARENT-TEACHER ONLINE SURVEY
Late December/early January
Watch your inbox for a notice about a survey to give your input about the leadership qualities needed in the next Pierce principal.

PARENT FOCUS GROUPS AT PIERCE
Week of 1/11 -- exact date to be determined
Participate in a focus group facilitated by the Superintendent's office to share your thoughts about the leadership qualities needed in the next Pierce principal. Watch your inbox to sign-up to participate.

PRINCIPAL SEARCH PROCESS UPDATE MEETING
Wed., 1/27 6pm @ Pierce Cafeteria
Learn about the themes that emerged from the surveys and focus groups from the whole community. Share your input with the parents participating on the search committee.

PUBLIC INTERVIEW FORUM
March-exact date and location to be determined
Come to the public interview forum for the final candidates.
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DONATE YOUR USED BOOKS 
Now through April @ Pierce main entrance
Every spring, Pierce holds a used book fair. The Pierce community donates gently used books for kids and adults throughout the year, which go on sale for a modest price to raise funds for the PTO. We look forward to continuing the tradition this coming April. Look for an announcement for a volunteer meeting after the start of the new year. 
In the meantime, we will start collecting books for all ages starting the week after Thanksgiving. Please remember to bring your books to the gray donation bin in the front hallway (outside of the main office), starting in December.
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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 to "Go to School website homepage" EACH TIME you shop online at Amazon! To shop, look for this icon below:

 
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SCHOOL CORNER   
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org 

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Thurs., 12/17, 6pm @ James F. Walsh Committee Room, 5th Floor, Town Hall
This is an open discussion with the Brookline School Committee and the public, with topics to be determined by participants. Please see the full meeting docket here. Contact Robin Coyne with questions at 617-730-2430 or robin_coyne@brookline.k12.ma.us.
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3D PRINTING, ROBOTS AND RUBIK'S CUBES COMING TO PIERCE
4th Grade teacher Ben Conlon, Education Technology Specialist Sandra Sicard and Math Specialist (3-6) Alison Hansel have been awarded Idea Lab Grants from the Brookline Education Foundation. Mr. Conlon received a $1000 grant to purchase a 3D printer for use in his classroom with science, math and engineering projects. Ms. Sicard received a $500 grant to purchase five sets of robots to introduce programming to 1st graders. Ms. Hansel received a $140 grant to purchase 12 Rubik's Cubes and instructional curriculum to promote problem solving and mindset with 6th grade students receiving math support. The BEF's Idea Lab provides Brookline educators the opportunity to experiment with and implement innovative teaching practices quickly in their classrooms. For more information about Idea Lab, please visit brooklineeducationfoundation.org/grants-awards/idealabinitiative.
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SAVE THE DATE: PIERCE SCHOOL SKATE NIGHT
Fri., 2/5, 5-7:45pm @ Jack Kirrane Ice Skating Rink, Larz Anderson Park 
Come join in this FREE fun family event, a Pierce favorite! The Rink is outdoors, so dress warmly. Food and beverage concessions are available, as are skate rentals, but because of the size of the Pierce community, supplies of both are limited. Carpooling encouraged, as parking is limited as well. Beginners and experts alike are welcome! Helmets are not required but are encouraged!! Admission is free for all Pierce families, teachers, and staff. This event is made possible by your contributions to the Pierce PTO. 
Please contact hillaryjanowski@gmail.com with any questions.
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LOST AND FOUND: LAST CHANCE TO CLAIM YOUR KIDS' STUFF! 
All items in the Lost and Found, located outside the Pierce Gym, must be claimed by Thurs., 12/17 at 3pm. After that date, all unclaimed items will be donated to a local charity. The Pierce Lost and Found is organized and managed by PSED.
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TWO WAYS TO SUPPORT THE PIERCE LIBRARY
Donate a book from Ms. Kretschmar's Amazon Wish List
There are two ways you can help support the wonderful Pierce Library and our great librarian, Amanda Krestschmar. Ms. Kretschmar uses money from the Town and the Pierce PTO to keep the shelves stocked with lots of great books. She does not have money to buy all the books she knows the kids will love, so she has created an Amazon "wish list" of books she would like to purchase. Click here to see the wish list and order as many books as you like. The books will be shipped to the school and available to students right away. -- THANK YOU FOR THE DONATIONS SO FAR! Please include your name with the books so we can send you a thank you card!

Donate an hour of your time
Can you spare one hour of your time per week? With so many students taking out so many books, we need parents to help with reshelving! After a short orientation to the library, you will be on your way to helping keep the shelves stocked and neat.  Volunteer hours are between 8-9am, and an hour before school ends all they way up until 8pm! Please contact Carol Jennings at carol.jennings@gmx.com if you can help, or click here to sign up. 
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SEEKING PARENT VOLUNTEERS TO SUPERVISE K-4 RECESS AND LUNCH
Be an additional supportive adult in the playground to foster a safe, inclusive, and fun recess for our students. Walk around, play games and music, hula hoop, jump rope, throw a frisbee and generally help us supervise the kids. Commitment is a small as one 20-minute session per month. Sign up here. Volunteers need to meet with a staff member for guidelines before their first session, and should register for a different time than their own children's recess. Questions? Please email the Recess Revamp Team.
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6TH, 7TH AND 8TH GRADERS -- JOIN MATHCOUNTS!
Fridays, 7:15-7:55 @ Math Center (behind the Pit)
Be a part of Pierce's MATHCOUNTS team, a national math competition open to middle school students. Students practice each week by solving challenging problems together, sharing their solutions, and learning new strategies. A regional competition takes place in February. The top teams and individuals continue on to state and national competitions, where they compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships. Practices take place every Friday morning. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Hansel at alison_hansel@brookline.k12.ma.us. 
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PROBLEM OF THE WEEK 
 
PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #7: SUMS ON A CLOCK
Due Thurs., 12/17
Antonia likes calculating the sum of the digits that she sees on her digital clock. For example, if the time were 11:47, the sum would be equal to 13 (1+1+4+7). What is the largest sum she can get on a 12-hour digital clock?
Look for POW#7 on the board this Thursday and visit the POW page on the Pierce website.
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MATHLETES PROBLEM OF THE WEEK #7: THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT?
Due Thurs., 12/17
Michelle has a Number App on her phone. It follows two rules:
1. If an inserted number has exactly one digit, double the number.
2. If an inserted number has exactly two digits, compute the sum of the digits.
The first number Michelle inserts is 1. Then every answer she gets is inserted back into the machine until one hundred fifty numbers have been inserted. What is the one hundred fiftieth number to be inserted?

Copies of the Mathletes Problem of the Week are available in the front lobby and on the Pierce website. Please put solutions in the green Solution Box next to the first floor library entrance. 
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SPECIALISTS' CORNER

Click on over to Specialists' Corner for news from the music teachers about your little Shostakoviches, including class news, remaining Winter Sing schedules, and a special appeal from Ms. Manion:

Are you someone who participates weekly in a music group/ensemble, have a musical background or are a working professional musician? We are reaching out to the greater Pierce community through our school musician of the month program. We'd love to learn about your talents! Please contact Ms. Manion at via email at Alison_manion@brookline.k12.ma.us
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COMMUNITY CORNER

COMMUNITY CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSION
Fri., 12/18 8-9:30am @ KooKoo Café
Have the Paris climate talks caught your attention? Are you wondering what you can do to contribute to the solution? Are you wondering what our community can do to protect the future for our children? Come and discuss these and other issues over coffee with Brookline Mothers Out Front. Non-mothers (others) welcome too!
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GIRLS' SELF-DEFENSE AND PERSONAL SAFETY COURSE
Mondays 3:30-5:30pm from 1/25 - 3/28 @ Brookline Teen Center
This 10-week course for 7th and 8th grade girls teaches self-defense and personal safety by developing skills in physical self-defense, conflict resolution, safe decision-making and vocal self-protection. Total cost for 10-week session is FREE for BTC members and $20 for non-members. For more information or to sign up, contact Jen Bray. 
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CARRY THE FUTURE: BROOKLINE BABY CARRIER DRIVE
Donation box located in Pierce main lobby
Carry the Future is a global effort to collect and distribute baby carriers to refugee families fleeing war in Syria and Iraq. On the ground, CTF volunteers meet families at port in Athens, and outfit mothers/fathers with donated baby carriers so that parents don't have to carry their babies in arms. Each carrier makes a tremendous difference, rendering the family's difficult journey a little easier. This campaign has gone viral in November, with more than 6,000 moms collecting carriers in their communities. For additional information on the Brookline effort, visit https://www.facebook.com/CarryTheFutureBrookline/.
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Occasionally, Community Corner features a selection of community news and events in the weekly PTO newsletter. For a full listing, click on over to Community Corner. 
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CLASSIFIEDS
Want to see your ad here? Send an email to piercebridge@gmail.com.

JAVASCRIPT CLASS 
This introduction to JavaScript class, for 7th and 8th graders, will meet on eight Mondays, 3:30 - 5:00 pm, beginning January 25, at the Brookline Teen Center. Topics covered include: variables, data types, loops, conditionals and functions. Students will also learn the basics of HTML as needed to support their JavaScript programming. Previous programming experience is not necessary. To register please visit the JrCode website www.jrcode.com, select the Registration drop down menu and click on Brookline - then click Register. For more information, please contact Sharon at sharonjason@jrcode.com.

HELPING KIDS COMMUNICATE! IN-HOME SPEECH LANGUAGE THERAPY
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. Effective strategies yield success and progress for youngsters with speech-language disorders (including articulation/phonological disorders, apraxia, language-learning disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders). 
Contact information: Phone: 617-733-1995; email: mhschram@comcast.net

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