03.09.2016
PTO CORNER  
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

WHERE DID THE PTO MONEY GO? 
Since the New Year, the PTO has been in full events swing, providing support to graduation, Pierce Dance Night, the Voci Angelina and Illstyle and Peace Arts Council performances, Pierce's celebration of MLK day, the upcoming Romeo and Juliet performance for 8th graders, a townwide parents' speaker series, and a visit to the 5th grade by author Rob Buyea. The PTO has also provided support for the library (buying all of the books on Ms. Kretschmar's wish list), the front office (purchasing a shredder), the 6th grade Social Studies drama program, food for the homework club and multiple teacher grants for baby dolls, modeling clay, Lego minifigures and even fish! We are so proud to support our teacher's work and students education with the resources the Pierce community provides.
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SECOND SPRING FUNDRAISER PLANNING MEETING
Mon., 3/14, 8am @ cafeteria
Pierce's annual spring fundraiser is taking shape. This year's theme is Treasuring Our Teachers. It will take place on Saturday May, 14th, and we need help planning both the fundraiser and the event. Please come to our next planning meeting to help make this event a success! Coffee provided! Questions? Please contact pierce.pto@gmail.com.
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CALL FOR EXPERTS: ONLINE SAFETY
Lincoln School PTO is looking for a Brookline parent expert who can speak on the topics of cyber-bullying and prevention, online safety and privacy and sexting. It's for a Friday morning presentation either on April 1 or May 6th. Please contact lincolnPTOleaders@lincolnschoolpto.org with any leads.
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THE BOOK FAIR IS COMING!
Mon., 4/11 - Thurs., 4/14 
The Pierce School Book Fair is fast approaching! Thank you for all the book donations so far. If you have books that you have not brought to school there is still time! You can drop them off at school under the TV screen by the office. If you cannot get your books to school we will do a pick-up on Friday, April 8th. Email us your address and we will swing by and grab your box of books; email Joan Mahon (joancmahon@gmail.com) and Shoma Dhar (dhar11235@gmail.com) to coordinate a pickup. Please label your boxes "c/o Pierce Bookfair". 

Mark your calendars. We also have two events planned:
Wed., 4/13 Activity night
Thurs., 4/14 Author's night - Alicia Murphy author of " The Muddy Foot Prince" and cousin of Pierce PTO co-president Maryanne Senn!

Each classroom will have an opportunity to visit the fair and purchase books.
A sign up list for volunteering that week will be posted soon. More details to follow.
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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. Each time you shop at Amazon, remember to go to the Pierce homepage first, and click on the icon below: 

 
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SCHOOL CORNER   
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Thurs., 3/10, 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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TOWN-WIDE FIFTH GRADE SPELLING BEE
Sun., 3/13, 1pm @ BHS auditorium
What's more amazing than a talking dog? A spelling bee! Support the town's 5th grade students as they spell their way victory at the annual 5th Grade Spelling Bee, hosted by the Brookline Education Foundation. 
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THE LION KING IS HERE! ROAR!
Thurs. 3/17 6:30pm (Shadowland cast)
Fri., 3/18 7pm (Pridelands cast)
Sat., 3/19 2pm (Shadowlands cast)
Sun., 3/20 2pm (Pridelands cast)
Pierce's Grade 3-6 Musical is ready to hit the stage! Please come and support all of the hard work our kids have been doing since January! Tickets are $8 and will be on sale all week starting Monday, 3/14, before school from 7:45-8:15 and after school from 2:15-2:45 (Friday 1:15-1:45). Tickets will also be available 30 minutes before each show. These tickets always go fast so get yours early! Performances also feature our marvelous Grade 3-4 Chorus directed by Alison Manion. For more information, visit http://pierceschoolmusical.weebly.com/.
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SUPPORT PIERCE 2016 WALK FOR HUNGER TEAM!
Over 30 members of the Pierce community will walk in Project Bread's 48th annual Walk for Hunger, and they've already raised more than $3,000 toward the $20,000 goal to help Massachusett's food-insecure households. Do your part to support the team by visiting http://support.projectbread.org/site/TR?team_id=77643&pg=team&fr_id=1310&et=48xpWNqEqiWiEwFBBkb_6A
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EAT PANCAKES FOR BROOKLINE ROTARY - AND PSED!
Sat. 4/2 8-12pm @ BHS Cafeteria  
Support the Brookline Rotary at its delicious pancake breakfast. Afterwards, take PierceWalks' advice and go for a long family walk! Tickets are $7 (kids 5 and under are free), and half the proceeds benefit PSED programs. Tickets are on sale in the Pierce main office during school hours or email pierce.pto@gmail.com. If you buy tickets at the door, let them know you are Pierce people!
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COMMUNITY CORNER
Occasionally, the Bridge 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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WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA? FORUM KICKOFF
Thurs., 3/17 7pm @ BHS Auditorium
The Brookline 21st Century Fund, in collaboration with in collaboration with the BHS PTO, Steps to Success, Brookline METCO Program, the Brookline Interactive Group and members of the BHS faculty, present the What's the Big Idea forum, whose theme is "Race and Community: Seeing the World Through Different Lenses." The first of three events is "Courageous Conversations: Student Voices on Life at BHS," in which students share their stories from the BHS Day of Courage. This is a free event, but registration is recommended. Limited babysitting is available by reservation only. Reserve your space now by registering online at http://www.bhs21stcenturyfund.org, or RSVP to Stacey Zelbow at 617-713-5201 or Stacey_Zelbow@brookline.k12.ma.us.
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BROOKLINE TALKS SPRING SPEAKER SERIES
Brookline Talks, a speaker series for parents, has unveiled its spring lineup, sponsored by Brookline K-8 PTOs, the Brookline Education Foundation and the Brookline Community Mental Health Center.

Executive Function 101: Strategies and tools for teaching children how to develop independent executive function skills.  
Tues., 3/29 7-8:30 @ Heath School Auditorium
Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP and Co-Director of Cognitive Connections Therapy, will speak on strategies for parents and teachers to develop independent executive functioning skills.

Michael Thompson, author "Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys"
Tues. 4/12 7pm @ Lawrence School

Rachel Simmons, author "Odd Girl Out: Coping with Best Friends, Worst Enemies and Everything in Between"
Wed., 5/11 7pm @ Pierce School

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SPECIALIST CORNER
Your place to hear more about what is going on in Visual Arts, Music, Spanish and Physical Education. For a full listing, visit Specialist Corner. 
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This week, click on over to Specialist Corner to hear from the Spanish teachers about what your little estudiantes are up to!
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VOLUNTEER CORNER
Want to get involved? Here is a sampling of the ways that you can help the Pierce community. 
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UNDERSTANDING OUR DIFFERENCES (& SIMILARITIES): 
A CALL FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Brookline schools have a long tradition of offering an annual parent-run disability & inclusion awareness program, using curriculum provided by Understanding Our Differences in Newton, MA. Every year at Pierce, 4th graders are introduced to four units using interactive materials, small group workshops, engaging guest speakers and organized group discussion. We do this in collaboration with the 4th grade teachers and with the essential support of parent volunteers, as well as our school and town administrators. 

Pierce 2016 UOD dates and units are:
Thurs., 3/17 -- Blindness and Low Vision (Training 3/15 @ 7pm)
Wed., 4/13 -- Physical Disabilities (Training 4/11th @ 7pm)
Thurs., June TBD -- Intellectual Disabilities (Training 6/6 @ 7pm)

We cannot continue this important program without more parent volunteers to help lead our workshops! Volunteers are needed for 8:00 - 10:30 AM. the day of each unit. We schedule a training meeting at 7pm one evening the week of each unit. (If you cannot make the training meeting, there is a brief on-line training video that you may use.)
To volunteer, please follow the link below to a Google document to sign-up:
If you have volunteered in the past or have knowledge of/experience with a disability, we would especially appreciate your help. Please e-mail or call Ann with any questions: annkamensky@gmail.com or (617) 835-9586.
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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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