MESSAGE FROM CO-PRESIDENTS
Reminder:
The Thoreau Announcements is published every Thursday. If for some reason you do not receive it in your Inbox, you can always visit our website: www.thoreauptg.org. The current Thoreau Announcement is visible on the home page and an up to date calendar of events is located along the right hand side. Previous Thoreau Announcements are also searchable either by key word or by using the older posts button located on the bottom of the page. We understand that some people have not received recent communications; we are working to correct any issues.
Bingo Night is this Friday, February 5. Please sign-up to donate a salad or dessert for our dinner offerings here: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0B4FACA72AA6F94-bingo
Thank you:
Due to the hard work of Liz Wei and the Geography Quest representatives from Alcott and Willard, a copy of this year’s Quest should have come home in your child’s backpack this week. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to get this into the hands of our students. Happy Questing!
Upcoming Dates:
- Friday, February 5th: Bingo Night, 6:30-8pm
- Monday, February 8th: Hobby Fair Family Night, 6:30-7:30pm
- Tuesday, February 9th: School Committee Meeting, Ripley, 6:30pm
- Wednesday, February 10th: Principal Coffee, 9:30am
- Monday, February 15th – Friday, February 19th: No School
- Tuesday, February 23rd: Joint School Committee Meeting, Ripley 6:30pm
Trish and Betsy
BINGO NIGHT – TOMORROW, FRIDAY FEBRUARY 5!
We will assemble in the cafeteria for an evening of fun, including an excellent Master of Ceremonies (Mr. Hourihan), fun prizes and yummy food. Pizza, salad and dessert can be purchased for $5. We need approximately 10 volunteers to bring salad and 10 volunteers to bring dessert to the event. If you can help, please click on the link and sign-up. Volunteer food items can be dropped off upon arrival at bingo night. www.SignUpGenius.com/go/10C0B4FACA72AA6F94-bingo. Any questions, please e-mail Jenifer Perry at jeniferlperry@gmail.com or call 631-786-7861. Thanks!
HOBBY FAIR
4th and 5th grade teachers have hard copies of the Hobby Fair permission slip!
The Thoreau Hobby Fair will be Monday, February 8 from 6:30-7:30pm in the Thoreau cafeteria, and classrooms will visit the Fair during the day on Tuesday, February 9. Please see your email from your child’s room parent to print out a permission slip, or ask your child to bring home a hard copy today. Hope to see you there! Questions to kristen.keilty@gmail.com Parent volunteers needed for Tuesday, February 9 at 9am, 10am, 11am, and 12pm. Please email kristen.keilty@gmail.com if interested. Must have CORI on file. Thank you!
THE 2016 VIKINGS GEOGRAPHY QUEST!
The Geography Quest has arrived! Your children should be bringing copies home in their backpacks this week. Please read the front page carefully for instructions and expectations. This is supposed to be a fun, family-oriented activity and participation is voluntary. Completed Quests are due by Friday, March 4. There will be a submission box in the library for your convenience. Once Quests are collected in March, I will be looking for a team of graders to join me for a grading party. If you are interested in helping out, please email me, Liz Wei, at fennwei@yahoo.com.
LOST AND FOUND TO BE DONATED FRIDAY FEB 12 – CHECK IT OUT ONLINE
It’s that time of year again! The contents of the lost and found will be donated to charity on the last school day before February vacation (Feb 12). Photos of the items still in the lost and found as of mid-day yesterday can be found online in the “virtual lost and found” – click here to view the gallery. The school opens shortly after 6am weekday mornings if you want to swing by before work to claim your items. Everything is laid out on tables at the end of the main hallway near the cafeteria. Good luck! – Kimber Lynn Drake
THOREAU SCHOOL CAKE WALK
Saturday, March 12, 1-3pm is the Thoreau Cake Walk & Family Festival!
What is the Cake Walk? It’s similar to a game of musical chairs. Numbered pads are arranged in a circle on the gym floor. As music plays, participants parade around the circle. When the music stops, our MCs pull numbers out of a hat. If you are standing on a pad with a number that is called, you win one of the fabulous prize cakes!
Where do the prize cakes come from? YOU! We need lots and lots of prize cakes (300-400)! The cakes do not need to be large—one box of mix can yield 2 prize cakes! All prize cakes must be wrapped in saran wrap and labeled with the flavor of the cake. If you bring an allergy-free prize cake, please let us know when you drop it off.
There is also a Cake Decorating Contest! Cakes to be entered into the Cake Decorating Contest should be dropped off on Friday 3/11 3:15-7:00 or Saturday 3/12 11:00-12:00pm at the Faculty Dining Room (near the gym). Judging will begin promptly at noon. All cakes entered in the contest must be decorated by a Thoreau student. Please do not use cake plates or decorations that you want returned to you. You may enter as many cakes in the contest as you like. All cakes must be wrapped in saran wrap and labeled with the cake flavor, student’s name, grade, teacher and category. The contest categories are: Best Animal Theme, Best Food Theme, Best Nature Theme, Best Sports & Games Theme, Best Thoreau Spirit, and Most Creative. Cakes that win the contest will be displayed during the Festival and may be taken home by their respective student decorators. Cakes that do not win the contest will be handed out as prize cakes during the Cake Walk.
What else happens at the Family Festival? There are carnival games like High Striker, Crazy Cans, Bean Bag Toss, face painting, plus carnival fare. Fun for everyone!
How Can I Get Involved? Please consider volunteering to help out at this year’s Cake Walk and Family Festival. We need help selling tickets, running games, handing out prize cakes and in various other areas. If you are willing and able, please go to http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e4aadae2ea2f58-cake
-Betsy Olsson-Mackowski, Amy Lima, Anne McWilliams and Allison Girolimetti, Cake Walk Co-Chairs
NEW WAYS TO GET BOX TOPS FOR THOREAU SCHOOL
Now it is easier than ever to collect box tops for Thoreau School, in two new ways.
New way #1: Clip and turn in box tops found on products by the Annie’s Homegrown Company. Now that Annie’s Homegrown is part of General Mills, their popular Annie’s mac and cheese, cookies, Cheddar Bunnies crackers and other snacks proudly display box tops coupons.
New way #2: enter a new on-line sweepstakes being offered by General Mills. Each person can enter once per day from now through February 14th to win 2,016 box tops. (Note that this is different from the box tops sweepstakes offered by Market Basket – that one ended last weekend). Click here to fill out an on-line entry form. If you are not already registered at the Box Tops website, sign up and designate Thoreau as the school you are supporting.
Thanks for your help! – Kimber Lynn Drake, Box Tops for Education Coordinator
BOKS
We all know exercise has the ability to brighten our mood, decrease stress, and improve our attention span and memory. That’s why we love BOKS! Your chance to get involved is coming! We will be sending out registration information via email in mid-February and the program will start in mid-March. We will again accept attendees based on a family lottery system (don’t worry your chances in this one are substantially better than with Power Ball). To accommodate more kids, our goal is to add a second session that would meet on Mondays and Wednesdays. We can’t do it without volunteers!! If you’re interested, please email Adrienne at Adrienne.principe@gmail.com. It’s a fun program and a great way to start your day – for kids and adults. For more information, visit bokskids.org.
HELPFUL LINKS
February School Lunch Menu: http://www.concordpublicschools.net/food-and-nutrition-services/school-menus/
MySchoolBucks Lunch Account Balance: https://www.myschoolbucks.com/
Math Resources for parents: http://thoreau.colonial.net/Teachers/Link/ParentResources
AROUND TOWN
The Concord Family Network Valentine’s Day Party
The Concord Family Network invites you to a Valentine’s Day party on Saturday, February 13 from 3:30-5:00 PM at Hunt Recreation Center (90 Stow Street)! A perennial favorite of CFN families, this event celebrates “the day of love” with crafts, musical entertainment for the kids, and refreshments for all. The popular children’s entertainer Ed “The Music Man” Morgan will once again be on hand to delight children of all ages with his original music and silly twists on some old-time classics. Bring the kids to do some Valentine’s Day crafts and gather on Ed’s magic carpet to sing along and dance their sillies out! This year we will also be collecting pantry items to benefit the Yawkee Family Inn at the Boston’s Children Hospital. Show your Valentine’s Day love by donating pantry items such as granola bars, oatmeal, packaged cookies, cereal, fruit cups, tea, and K-cup coffee (single servings work best). In addition, quick dinner fixes such as mac and cheese, soups, pasta and sauces would also be appreciated. A collection bin will be set up at the door. All Concord-area families are invited. Free for CFN members, non-members pay only $3/child up to $10/family (Fee will be waived with a pantry item donation). For more information please contact concordfamilyntwk@yahoo.com or visit our website www.concordfamilynetwork.org
Don’t Miss Your Chance to Compete in CC at Play’s Amazing Race. Sign-up Today!
CC at Play’s 2016 Amazing Race and Rockin’ After Party will take place Saturday, April 2. Recruit your team of two or three to compete in this super fun, scavenger hunt adventure. Race categories: Adult/18+, Youth/Grades 6-12, and Kids/Grades K-5. Tickets now on sale for the Rockin’ After Party at Waxy O’Connor’s featuring Carlisle’s very own Hip Replacements. Space is limited; so sign-up now at: www.ccatplay.org. Can’t race? Come have fun behind the scenes. If interested in volunteering, email: shelleygrowney@comcast.net
Concord Conservatory of Music
Sing Away Those Winter Blues! At the Concord Conservatory of Music, there is still time to join one of our voice groups. Our youngest singers can join Beginner Vocals Grades 1-2 on Thursday afternoons at 4 PM. This is a great introduction to learning to sing. Want to sing in a chorus? The Concord Youth Chorus Project Treble Chorus, for grades 3-5 and the Mixed Chorus, for kids in 6th-8th grade sing a lot of great music from many genres. You can sign up online, email, or call (978)-369-0010 for more information. We offer group classes for teens and adults, too–join our musical community!
The next issue of Thoreau Announcements will be published on Feb. 11, 2016. Submission deadline: 9pm on Monday, Feb. 8, 2016. Submissions must be school or community related and not commercial in nature. Submit your item in the body of an email (no attachments or photos); it should be brief, single-spaced and have minimal formatting. Please no bullet points, numbering, or underlining. Email your submission to thoreauannouncements@gmail.com.