03.16.2016
PTO CORNER  
Stay connected! Visit pierceschoolbrookline.org

WELCOME CHRISTINE KELLEY, PIERCE'S NEW PRINCIPAL!
Wed., 3/23 8am @ Pierce cafeteria
Pierce has a new principal for the 2016-17 year! Ms. Christine Kelley is currently the interim principal at Winchester High School, and will start at Pierce on July 1, 2016. Ms. Kelley will be in Brookline next week to meet the Pierce community. On Tuesday, Ms. Kelley will meet with Pierce faculty and staff and the School Committee, and on Wednesday morning, the Search Committee will host a coffee for her and the Pierce School community. Please take a moment out of your day to give her a warm welcome!

In addition, a big thanks to the Search Committee for their hard work throughout this process. Parents: Marcita Thompson, Geoff Hunt, Jennie Rothman, and Lauren Carroll. Staff: Tracy Bare, Amanda Grindstaff, Gretchen Adams and Andrew Winston. Administration: Andrew Bott, John Badger and Saeed Ola.
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THE BOOK FAIR COMETH
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

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 are on sale all week 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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SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING
Thurs., 3/17, 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.

Note: The docket for the meeting includes a public hearing on the FY 2017 Budget and School Choice, scheduled to begin at 7:25 PM.

Note: Schedule Change - The March 17, 2016 School Committee meeting will be a regular School Committee meeting and the March 22, 2016 School Committee meeting will be a workshop.
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SAVE THE DATE: PIERCE MOVIE NIGHT
Thurs., 3/31 5:30-7:30pm @ 
Pierce Auditorium
We invite everyone to come out for family movie night. In honor of Brookline's Climate Action Week, we're showing a movie with an environmental theme, the Dr. Seuss classic, "The Lorax." Pierce parent and environmental consultant Crystal Johnson will speak for a few minutes before the movie to give students tips on how to help the environment. Here is the schedule of events:

5:30-6:00
Pizza (free, while supplies last)
Ice Cream Bar (for purchase, with proceeds to benefit Brookline Education Foundation)

6:00-7:30
Opening remarks by Crystal Johnson
Movie (running time 1hr, 26 min)

Want to help? Have questions? Contact pierce.pto@gmail.com.
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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 -- or head on over to the Youth Climate Adaptation Challenge! 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 from Pierce!
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BROOKLINE YOUTH CLIMATE ADAPTATION CHALLENGE
Sat. 4/2 11:30- 2 @ Pierce School Cafeteria
Visit this extraordinary environmental science fair! Brookline youth in grades K-12 will present their innovative ideas for sustainable solutions. Come see their brilliant and diverse ideas regarding waste management, sustainable transportation, air quality, oceans rising, CA drought, trees, underwater power generation and other renewable energies, eco-fashion and lots more! Support the young environmental innovators who are advancing disruptive climate adaptation solutions. The Brookline Youth Climate Adaptation Challenge is a fun, free educational event for the whole family! 
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SUPPORT THE 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 $3,911 toward the $20,000 goal to help Massachusett's food-insecure households. Do your part to support the team at http://support.projectbread.org/site/TR?team_id=77643&pg=team&fr_id=1310&et=48xpWNqEqiWiEwFBBkb_6A.
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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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CORNER CO-OP SPRING FUN FAIR
Sat., 3/19 10-2pm @ 1773 Beacon St., Brookline.
Enjoy kids' games/activities, face painting, silent auction, raffle, delicious food and a live puppet show by Cactus Head Puppets at 1:00. Ages 2-7+. $10/child or $25 for a family of three children or more. 617-738-4631; http://www.cornercoop.org  or check us out on Facebook.
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EAT PIZZA FOR TEAM BROOKLINE RUNNER CHRIS HOPE
Tues., 3/22 5-10pm @ Upper Crust 286 Harvard St.
Local pizzeria Upper Crust is donating 10% of all sales to the Brookline Education Foundation in support of Pierce parent and Boston Marathon runner Chris Hope. Please show your support by eating yummy pizza for dinner that night! Dine-in, take-out or delivery are all included. There will also be an onsite raffle from 6-7pm with some great prizes up for grabs. To order, call 617-734-4900.
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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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NEW! EDIT THE BRIDGE!
The PTO seeks a volunteer to join the communications team and edit the weekly newsletter. Work closely with other PTO members to ensure that the Bridge is complete, on time, and error-free! Interested? Email Alex Barrett (aebarrett@gmail.com) or the PTO (pierce.pto@gmail.com). 
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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
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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CLASSIFIEDS
Want to see your ad here? Send an email to piercebridge@gmail.com.
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WANTED: APARTMENT FOR RENT
Pierce family is looking for an apartment for rent starting anytime from April 1 to July 1, 2016. 2-3 bedroom, Pierce school district. Please email juliagoldberg70@hotmail.com or 617-821-7667
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phone: (617) 730-2580