Bridge School news published by PTA volunteers                                      December 2013
Principal's Corner
Principal ColellaBridge School is excited to welcome artist Tova Speter to work in collaboration with the students and staff on a school wide mural project.  Tova is an artist, art therapist, and community muralist based out of Vernon Street Studios in Somerville.  She is involved in many projects including teaching art classes, consulting with community organizations, and engaging various communities in creating murals. She will join forces with Bridge School in January to begin the design phase of the cafeteria mural project.  This project is being funded by the LEF through their Community Grant.  The students and staff will have the opportunity to not only contribute to the design, but also do the actual painting.  The mural will be a floor to ceiling mural covering the large yellow wall in the cafeteria.  We look forward to starting this project and will take pictures throughout the process to share with the broader community.

Principal
From the PTA Presidents
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Happy Holidays to all the Bridge Families and Staff. Wishing you a beautiful holiday season and a new year of peace and happiness.


Sue Kingsbury and Cathy Smith
PTA Co-Presidents
December 6th: Deliver Your Gifts and Come Make Cards!
Thanks to all of you who volunteered to donate gifts for the Community Service Gift exchangeGift Drive  benefiting the Thom Anne Sullivan Child Center in Lowell.  The deadline to deliver the gifts is Friday, December 6th. Over the years we've built a special relationship with this center and we have a big impact on their programs for families in tough situations. We have great respect for their work.

Please join us from 3:15-5 pm on Friday, December 6, at the Bridge School cafeteria for a card-making party. (Parents please come. This is not a drop-off event.) This is a great opportunity to involve our children in a fun holiday activity and instill the importance of giving back. The cards made on this day will decorate the gifts we collect for families in need. All supplies -- and snacks! -- are provided.

Please send your questions to Ching Lai or Lee Noel Chase.
Celebrate Mr. Nichols' Book on 12/7!
In celebration of the release of his debut children's novel, Peas and Hambone Versus Flesh-Eating Zombie Gorillas, Todd Nichols invites you and your family to his book reception. Please join Mr. Nichols and his family in the studio room at Community Nursery school (2325 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington) on Saturday, December 7th from 10:00 am to 11:30 am. At 10:15 am, he will read an excerpt from his hilariously scary story about a boy and his talking dog and their quest to save the world from an army of flesh-eating zombie gorillas. Following the reading, the book aimed at upper elementary readers will be sold for $5.00 and personally autographed for your reader.
Walking Wednesday on **Thursday** 12/12
Please note on your calendars that Walking Wednesday-December will take  SRTS logo place on Thursday, December 12th.  Of course, please feel free to walk to school ANY day!
Please Support the Gift Card Drive by 12/13
Gift card Each year our educators become aware of families within the Bridge Community that need our support. Privately during the holiday season we provide gift cards for food, clothing, and other items. Please consider donating a gift card to help a Bridge family in need.  Suggested stores for gift cards are Target, Stop and Shop, Toys R Us, etc.  Any dollar amount is appreciated.
 
There will be a Families Helping Families donation folder posted inside Principal Colella's office. Look for it in the main hallway, above the Gift Drive donation boxes. Please drop off a gift card (or have your child(ren) bring them to school) between November 18 and December 13.  You can even drop them at the PTA Parent Coffee on 12/13 (see below)!  All donations will go directly to families in the Bridge community.
 
If you could benefit from some assistance, please call or email Principal Meg Colella by December 1. This information will be kept absolutely confidential.
PTA Parent Coffee on Enrollment at Bridge 12/13
Join Principal Colella for a open forum on the current and projected enrollment numbers for Bridge.  It will take place on Friday, December 13th from 8:45-9:45 am in the Bridge Cafeteria.

For more information, please contact Sue Kingsbury.
Believe, Dream, Inspire: PTA Reflections Contest Begins
How will your kid's creative energy flow through the Holidays? Let them PTA Reflections icon
"Believe, Dream, Inspire" by submitting to REFLECTIONS, the National PTA's program to enhance quality arts education for Grades K-12.

Children can submit their own artwork in any of these categories: Photography, Visual arts, Literature, Musical composition, Dance choreography, and Film/video production. This year the theme is "Believe, Dream, Inspire". Please click here for detailed information.

Bridge School students have won first place at the Massachusetts level of the program in past years. This year, the winner could be your kid! Interested in participating? Any inquires? Please contact Guorong Zhu.

The deadline for submitting the artwork to Bridge School PTA is Friday, January 10, 2014. Please place your entries in the Reflections box on the Bridge PTA Table in the school foyer.
MSLA Library Bookmark Design Contest Begins  
Again this year, Bridge students are invited to participate in the MSLA Bookmark Design Contest. Students celebrate our library program by designing a bookmark around a theme, showcasing any of the experiences that we share in our school library.  This year's theme is "SCHOOL LIBRARIES: SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!"

Up to three entries will be chosen in each of 3 divisions.  Deadline for entry submission is January 31st.  Bridge school winners will be entered in the statewide contest. Bridge School has had winners at the state level every year we have participated - a phenomenal record! Winners at the state level will be honored at the State House on March 31.                            
Pauline Steines 2013 Honorable Mention Division 3: Grades 4-6
The Bookmark Contest is strictly voluntary. I discuss the program with grades 1-5, and a notice will go home with students explaining the contest in more detail.  Kindergarten students are welcome to participate but I do not discuss it with them in class. They will receive the notice that goes home. Official entry forms and additional copies of the rules are available in the library.

Official entry forms are in the school library.   

Mrs. Allen
Bridge Library Teacher
(Parents x Help) + Family Math Night = FUN!
Family Math Night is a fun filled evening of parents and kids exploring grade appropriate math activities together!

If you are interested in helping out, we will be having an organizational meeting on Thursday, January 2 from 8-9PM. Roles include leading math activities (for 1 or 2 Math Night evenings) and behind the scenes organizational help before and on Math Night.

Please contact Angela Chang for more info and location.

Visit the Family Math Night page on the PTA website for updates.  And mark your calendars to come to Family Math Nights below! 

Tuesday, Jan. 14 - 3rd grade
Thursday, Jan. 16 - 2nd grade
Tuesday, Jan. 28 - 1st grade
Thursday, Jan. 30 - Kindergarten
Tuesday, Feb. 6 - 4th/5th grade
BBY Winter Trainings on 1/9
Winter is coming and it's time to plan for Big Backyard!  Big Backyard is a parent coordinated program where parent volunteers lead small groups of children, from their child's class, on three seasonal curriculum related walks in the Fall, Winter and Spring.  These walks take place outside during the school day in areas around Bridge.  Most of the walks last 30-45 minutes.  The theme of each walk is coordinated with the classroom science curriculum for each grade and the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.  Big Backyard walks are great fun and provide a way for parents to support the classroom teachers and also interact with their own children. No previous experience is necessary, and the training will teach you everything you need to know.  First time parents are always welcome.  Please consider volunteering to be a walk leader!  

The training for the winter walks will be in January.
Kindergarten - Thursday, Jan. 9, 9:00 am - 9:50 am
Grade 1 - Thursday, Jan. 9, 10:00 am - 10:50 am
Grade 2 - Thursday, Jan. 9, 11:00 am - 11:40 am

The training will begin where the Big Backyard supplies are stored, in room 204.  Please arrive 5-10 minutes before the start of the session, so we can begin promptly.  Please dress appropriately for going outside and walking in the woods, as we will cover the route of the walk no matter what the weather is.  (Wear boots!  Wear warm clothes!  Wear mittens or warm gloves!)

For more information, please contact the Big Backyard Coordinators Cindy Darcy, Andrew McKee, or Dianna Queheillalt.snowy-forest-banner.jpg
Morning Drop-Off Help - December and January Sign Up
Please help with greeting the drivers and pedestrians in the morning. I t would mean a lot to me and to our school community.  You can use this online sign-up sheet to choose single days when you could help out.

If you park and walk your child into school, please use the crosswalk. It is safer to avoid crossing through traffic in the corner over by the playground. We have cars coming around a turn and splitting into two lanes there, so it's not a good place for you or your child to be out in the road.

Thank you all the walkers and drivers for working together to make morning drop-off safe and easy for our community. It is a pleasure to see you and wave or say good morning as we start our day.

Thea Keith-Lucas
Sign up for the International Night Committee!
International Night It's hard to believe, but it's almost time to start planning for one of the Bridge community's biggest events, International Night!  This year's International Night will be held on Friday, March 14th.  The committee will meet bi-weekly starting just after the holidays to plan this wonderful event.  Committee members will help recruit volunteers for country tables and performances, plan craft activities, perform some administrative tasks and/ or helping out on the night of the event.

If you are interested in helping out on the committee, please contact Lisa Dinsmore.
ACT Programming Begins Soon!
ACT (Arts Created Together) is looking forward to some exciting programs ACT Logo this winter and spring.  Thank you to everyone who generously donated to support this wonderful enrichment program for our children.  Scheduled to perform for our students are the popular Pumpernickel Puppets for Kindergarten and 1st grade this winter;  the talented paper-cutting artist, author. and illustrator Giles Laroche for the third grade in April; and the fun Mariachi band Estrellas de Boston in June for the 4th grade to kick off its annual Mexican Fiesta.  The yearly 5th grade trip to the Museum of Fine Arts is also currently being planned, and ACT is once again looking forward to sponsoring this wonderful art experience mid-winter.  Please stay tuned for further ACT programming information! 

If you have any questions regarding ACT, please contact co-chairs Jill Demirjian or Annie Roy.
Picture Ordering and Returns Reminder
To avoid being charged twice, please return your pictures to Coffee Pond if you did not like the results or would like a refund.  If you would like a refund, simply click here and print the form, fill it out and mail it along with the entire, undamaged package within one month of receipt.  Coffee Pond offers general retouching for $10 to improve complexion issues such as blemishes and blotches. For special requests, please contact their Customer Care Department at (800) 632-2323 extension 0. Additional costs may apply.
Register Now for Kids Cooking Green at Bridge School
Are you a 5th grade kid that likes to eat and learn about where
your food comes from? Would you like to plan and cook a dinner for family & friends? How about learning knife skills, going on a field trip and having fun cooking with your classmates? We invite Bridge School students to join us for our Signature Program!  Kids Cooking Green (KCG) is accepting registration for its Spring Program for 5th Grade Bridge families.

There are 5 classes being offered on Mondays in March 2014 at Bridge School.  All classes are 3:15-5:15 except for our Dinner Celebration on March 24 when kids will cook from 3:15 - 6:00 and guests will join us for dinner from 6:15 - 7:00.  The program cost is $250.  There is no deadline to register, but spaces are limited and fill fast.

Click here for more information and to register.  Questions?  Please contact Lori Deliso.
2014 Bridge School Legacy Brick Campaign
This school year the PTA is launching a community fundraising campaign to celebrate the completion of the Bridge School Renovation and to help fund its teacher mini-grants program as well as new classroom reading rugs and an "Announcements" Computer Monitor for the Front Foyer.   

In the Spring, Bridge families, staff, and alums will be invited to purchase bricks with customized messages.  In the summer, the commemorative bricks will be installed as part of a new walkway in front of Bridge School. The Brick walkway is intended to honor the legacy of families and faculty that have played an invaluable role in building the Bridge School Community over the past 40+ years.

Want to get to know more Bridge Parents and help us thrive?  We are seeking 3-4 parents that would enjoy helping with publicity and order processing during the campaign in the months of January-May 2014.  If you want to have some fun and help out with this important initiative, please contact co-chairs Rebecca Moore or Justine Wirtanen.
Ongoing Fundraisers
Boxtops Box Tops to support 5th Grade activities fund:  The race is on!  Each class will be collecting Box Tops to support the 5th grade activities fund.  A surprise may even be in store for the winning class. While you can contribute to the Box Tops program all year long, the contest ends on February 28th so please contribute early and often. To participate you can:
  • Cut out Box Tops from items purchased from the store and give them to your teacher.  For a complete list of products that have Box Tops click here.
  • Open an account online and earn box tops from online purchases or by entering sweepstakes.

Please email Karen Fu if you have any questions.

 

S&S A+ logo Stop and Shop A+ Rewards: Please register your Stop and Shop card for A=REwards.  Simply log onto the Stop and Shop website OR call 1-877-275-2758 with your card number handy.  The Bridge School code is 07624.  You do have to re-register each year.  Also, please encourage friends and family to also enroll.  After you register your card, each shopping trip at any Stop & Shop using your STOP & SHOP CARD from October 4th to March 20, 2014, earns CASH for our school.  Our school will receive a check at the end of the program. The money can be used for any of our school's educational needs.

The Bridge Lost and Found is Overflowing!
Our school Lost and Found area is once again overflowing with coats, sweaters, sweatshirts, hats, and lunch boxes!  One of our goals at Bridge is to teach our students responsibility in caring for their personal items. So please talk to your child about caring for personal property and checking the Lost and Found when something is lost.  The new location is located near the rear of the school by Mrs. Schwager's classroom.   

Also, please label everything your child brings to school. Press-and-stick washable clothes labels are low-cost, super easy to use and can be located via a simple Google search.

We will return anything with a label (and your child will receive a cute note from the "Lost and Found Moms"), but only about 5% of what ends up in Lost and Found actually has a label or name written on it.  Anything that's not labeled is donated to charity at the end of each month.

The Lost and Found Moms -- Leigh-Ann Durant and Jen Fabbo
Town-Wide PTA/O Fundraising Event Task Force Forming
Building on the momentum generated by the 300th celebrations and in recognition of the stress multiple school fundraisers place on our local businesses, town resources and volunteers, an effort is underway to explore the feasibility of planning a multi-school fundraising event in support of our collective PTA/Os' annual budgets.  Community volunteer Claire Sheth has offered to facilitate a series of meetings with representatives from each school's PTA/O, LEF, as well as with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, Center Business District, central school administration, and appropriate town offices to define key characteristics of such an event, as well as the event itself.  It is envisioned that once a specific event has been selected to move forward, a larger group of school and town representatives would be recruited to actually carry out the task force's vision.

The task force is seeking Bridge representatives to participate on the task force, minimally, one "veteran" volunteer as well as someone new to the schools' fundraising efforts. There will be roughly 4 meetings, starting early in the new year.  

If interested, please contact Claire Sheth, 617-596-4356.
"Bridge Bad Boys" Make Finals of LEF Trivia Bee!
LEF Trivia Bee LEF would like to congratulate the "Bridge Bad Boys", John Harney, Todd Nichols, David Pittman, for buzzing into the last round of this year's Trivia Bee!  We would also like to thank the other spectacular Bridge Teams, "The Bee Quiets" and "The Bridge Queen Bees" for their participation, as well as all of the members of the Bridge Community who showed up to this event! 

Thanks to the the local businesses, school and community organizations, and individuals, who sponsored all of our Trivia Teams, this year's Trivia Bee to raised over $18,000 which will help fund technology and curriculum innovations in all 9 Lexington Public Schools, for items that are not covered by the district's operating budget.  We appreciate the generous support of our community, and look forward to next year's Bee!
Deadline for Next Bridge to Home Issue
NEXT MONTHLY DEADLINE:  Sunday, December 22nd, 5 PM

Please submit by email to Aimee Burstein. Articles must be reviewed and approved by Bridge PTA Co-Presidents and/or Bridge Principal Meg Colella. 

Please see the B2H webpage for submission guidelines and future deadlines.
There's So Much Going On......How to Stay Informed!
The Bridge PTA wants to be sure that parents stay up to date with school news, events, and announcements that will be coming throughout the year.  While flyers will still appear in backpacks, below is a list of electronic resources that can help you to stay informed:

Bridge To Home Newsletter (B2H):  To subscribe to B2H, click here
Bridge PTA Website:  Check out the Bridge PTA website.
Bridge PTA Facebook Page: Like us on Facebook!
Bridge 02421 Yahoo Group: Contact the moderator to join.
 Subscribe to Bridge to Home
Quick Links

2013-14 PTA Executive Committee Members
Bridge School Office Staff
CO-PRESIDENTS
PRINCIPAL
Cathy Smith
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
TREASURER
Erin Maguire
Tricia Weisberg
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
SECRETARY
Kerry Daley
Stephanie Mitzenmacher
GUIDANCE
CO-VICE PRESIDENTS
Lucia Gates
Nimisha Asthagiri
NURSE
Lisa Dinsmore
Diane Celi
Christie King

Laura Schroeder

Guorong Zhu



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