Save the Date:

1/15 - Early Release at 1PM (Lunch will be served)
1/21 - No School
1/22- Early Release at 1PM (Lunch will be served)
1/29 - Early Release at 1PM (Lunch will be served)

3rd, 4th and 5th Grade Math Mornings

Attention all 3rd, 4th and 5th graders! Join us Friday mornings at 7:30 am for some math fun.

3rd grade meets in the cafe
4th grade meets in the library
5th grade meets in Ms. Pires' classroom

Math Morning is an extracurricular, supplemental math program intended to inspire and energize students about interesting math topics. Each session typically includes a brief slide presentation on a topic, followed by worksheets with fun exercises. Parents are invited to stay and assist their child with the worksheets.

*made possible by Brackett's PTO STEM Committee*

2nd Grade Math Morning Info Session

Dear Families,

The Grade 2 Team invites parents to join us for an informational math morning on Friday, January 11th at 8:30AM.

Emily Veader, Brackett Math Coach, will spend 15 minutes with parents in the cafeteria explaining some of the math basics in grade 2. You will then join your child to play a few math games in their classroom. To end, parents will rejoin Mrs. Veader back in the cafeteria to debrief.

8:30 - 8:45: Parents meet in the cafeteria
8:45 - 9:15: Parents join their child in the classrooms
9:15 - 9:30: Parents rejoin in the cafeteria

We hope to see you then!

Mrs. Hammond, Mrs. Case, Mrs. Walsh, Ms. Megara and Mrs. Veader

Brackett Bank News

The Brackett School Savings Bank will be closed on Friday, January 11th due to a school event. We will reopen next week.

Students in grades 1 through 5 are invited to open an account and make deposits and withdrawals from their account on Friday mornings between 8:30 and 9:30 am during the school year. This is a great opportunity for our children to learn about saving their money!

If you are interested in opening an account or have questions about Brackett Bank, please contact brackettbank@gmail.com.

Brackett Green Team Meeting Friday, Jan 11th 2:30-3:30pm

Please join the Brackett Green Team tomorrow after school from 2:30-3:30pm in the Art Room. We will be following up on the great ideas from our last meeting, and we'll make signs and posters for the school about important messages we want to share with the Brackett community.

We will also have postcards to send to local and state officials with your ideas for helping our planet. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Get Ready: One School, One Book begins on January 14th!

It's here! One School, One Book kicks off on January 14th, with our book Fenway and Hattie by Victoria Coe! From January 14th - February 4th, all students will read Fenway and Hattie at home with their families, and engage in fun activities in the classroom that tie into themes from the book.

Fenway and Hattie is all about experiencing the world from a different point of view... a dog's point of view. Seeing the world from a new point of view is not only fun, but it also shows that our own perspective isn’t the only one out there. Two people—or two species—can experience the exact same thing and interpret it very differently. That doesn’t mean that one is right and one is wrong. It just means your reality depends on your point of view.

There are at least two sides to every story. And when you read Fenway and Hattie, you’ll only get Fenway’s side! So readers will have to figure out what’s going on from a human’s perspective. We hope it will lead to lots of great discussions at home and in the classroom.

Questions? Email the One School, One Book committee at BrackettOSOB@gmail.com.

Volunteer Spotlight:

Brackett E-News Coordinator

Looking for a way to volunteer at school but want to do it all from home? Volunteer as our E-News Coordinator!

Duties include a weekly email to solicit items from PTO committees and writing e-news in Mailchimp. It's roughly a 90 min a week committment.

It's a great way to be involved and know what's happening at school if your life doesn't permit you to volunteer during school hours. Interested? Contact Catherine Fenollosa cfenollosa@gmail.com or Wendy Buglio wbuglio@gmail.com.

Brackett STEM Night Meeting, January 21st.

Please join us for hor d'ouevre's and drinks at the home of Scott Uebelhart (dad to K and 3rd grader), to begin planning Brackett's STEM night!

When: 7PM, Monday January 21 (MLK Day)
Where: Scott's house, 241 Gray Street (the red house, at the very bottom of Coolidge Rd.)
RSVP to Scott at scott.uebelhart@gmail.com

The STEM Committee has had a fantastic year so far! We launched soda bottle rockets at the start of school, held Chemistry week October 21-27, 2018, and every Friday we are running Math Mornings for our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. And thanks to the PTO, we have purchased new chick incubators for the spring 1st grade chick hatching, and are preparing for Hour of Code at the end of January 2019.

Now we need your help for our biggest event of the year: STEM NIGHT! This has been a resounding success these past years, and we're looking forward to a fun, successful event this year. STEM night will be held at Brackett in March. Please help us start planning this amazing event!

Questions? Contact Scott Uebelhart at scott.uebelhart@gmail.com

#regiftforbrackett

Did you receive some gift cards for Christmas that you’ll never use? Donate them to the Brackett Elementary School Online Winter Auction!

Or, do you have a skill, talent, or item that you want to donate?
Click the link to register your donation by completing a short Google Form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1u_q6C8Q5EpUaU6qDtN9-Axs_XgQwaqpjNkk6A-st2Fk/edit

We kindly ask that you complete the form by Tuesday, January 15. The Auction goes live on January 29.

Contact BrackettAuction@gmail.com for more information.

Sincerely,

The Brackett Auction Committee
Christina Ahmad, Lauren Arcoma, Beth Rapoza and Erica Raab

Brackett Parent Diversity and Inclusion Group

Join us next week, Tuesday 1/15!
January Guest Participant: Carrie Finison, Chair of the Parent Library Committee
Topic for opening mini-discussion: Why Diversity in Children’s Literature is Important

Recommended for parents: Ted Talk - The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf
Recommended for kid(s): Show this graphic to your kids and then have a conversation about it.

We will kick off each monthly meeting with a mini-topic for discussion based on pre-provided readings & videos. each month will also feature a "guest" participant a teacher, parent volunteer or administrator in the Brackett community we have invited to that month's meeting in the hopes of learning from them. Please be on the look out for each month's topics and readings. We hope many parents will choose to participate and look forward to some rich discussions. The remaining meetings for the year are 2/26, 3/19, 4/23, 5/21, 6/18 .

Also, please visit the sign-up genius for projects that we have prioritized for this year, many are a one-off small time commitment. It will take a village to accomplish the goals we have set out and we hope parents in the Brackett community will choose to dedicate some time toward supporting these efforts.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0E49AFAD2FABFB6-projects

PTO Annual Appeal

Thank you to everyone who contributed in the fall to Brackett's PTO Annual Appeal. Your contributions have helped us purchase new chick incubators for the 1st grade chick hatching in the spring, a new curtain for the stage, online math and science curriculum and much, much more!

If you contributed over $250 to the annual appeal in 2018 and require a letter for tax returns, please email Sarah Murnaghan (sarahmurnaghan@gmail.com).

If you have not already donated, please consider making a contribution by check or paypal (donate online HERE). The PTO relies only on contributions from Brackett families to provide an enriched learning experience for our children.

An easy way to maximize your donation is to apply for a matching contribution if your employer participates in such a scheme – this can DOUBLE the value of your contribution!

Thank you!

The Annual Brackett June Fair will be held on Sunday, June 9^th, from 11-3pm

We'll feature all the things you loved from last year... games, crafts, dunk tank, food... with an even larger Resale Shop (now that the beloved Little Fox shop is closed).

So please save up your toys, sporting equipment, clothes, costumes, and books --all in good condition --for our sale, and please add this date to your calendars!

Questions? Contact Ian Pilarczyk (ipilar@bu.edu) or Carol Roberts (carol1279@gmail.com)

Brackett has a Facebook Page!

Please "like" our FaceBook page and stay up-to-date on school events and news. You can find us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/227346734350605/

COMMUNITY NEWS

Arlington High School Building Project - Community Forum January 14th at 7pm

As the AHS Building Project progresses through the Schematic Design phase, the AHS Building Committee is holding the following event to keep residents informed and offer an opportunity to ask questions. To learn more about the AHS Building Project visit www.ahsbuilding.org

January 14 - Community Forum, 7pm, Arlington Town Hall
Snow date: Jan 16. This forum will include a project update and discussion about the estimated cost.

Free Parent Forum

3rd Annual a CATpella Festival to Belt Out Cancer

January 25th at 7pm - Arlington High School Auditorium

Lobby Doors open at 5:45 pm Theater Doors open at 6:30 pm
Tickets are $20. T-Shirts are $20. A sheet of Raffle tickets are $20. All can be purchased in advance on-line.

Our on-line auction will launch in mid-January. Check the website for bidding details. We have a fantastic line up of spirited and generous a cappella groups:

Sound Off!
Tufts University Beelzebubs
Boston College The Acoustics
UMASS Amherst The Vocal Suspects
Boston College The Common Tones
Arlington High School Madrigal Singers
Winchester High School Octets

This year's fundraiser will benefit the newly established Catherine J. Malatesta Foundation. Once again our goal is to raise critical funds for cancer research, awareness, and patient advocacy with an emphasis on sarcoma cancer and pediatric cancer patients. Our other goal is to remember the beautiful life of Catherine (CAT) Malatesta.

We hope you will support our event again this year and purchase your tickets for a CATpella 2019. The show has sold out the past two years so get your tickets today. Thank you so much to those who have already purchased tickets!

https://www.catherinemalatesta.com/a-catpella-festival

Register for KidsZone Classes

Dear Brackett Community:

We are pleased to bring you another season of KidZone after-school enrichment. Most classes begin the week of January 14 and run for 60-90 minutes immediately after school. Register now for Brackett Classes or view the complete Winter 2019 Catalog. These classes still have space:

THURSDAYS

Spanish, French (gr. K-5, starts 1/17); 6 spaces in each

Home Alone Safety (gr. 4-5, 1/24); 3 spaces

FRIDAYS

Yoga & Mindfulness (gr. 3-5, starts 1/18); 5 spaces

All other Brackett classes are full.
Family Nights @ Arlington High School:

Community Dance 1/24, 2/14, 3/14, 6:30-8:30 pm

Pottery Wheel, 3/3, 10:00-12:00 pm

Glass Art, 3/12, 6:00-8:00 pm

Painted Wooden Spoons, 2/7, 6:30-8:30 pm

Pop-Up Card Workshop, 2/5, 6:00-8:00 pm

Arlington Community Education is a program of the Arlington Public Schools. KidZone, TeenZone, VacationFun and SummerFun are taught by school staff and other qualified professionals, and enable students to extend their learning beyond the classroom in a relaxed and fun environment. All youth registrations must be made online. Tuition assistance is available for some classes for students who receive free or reduced lunch. Please contact our office for details.

Arlington High School
869 Massachusetts Ave.
Arlington, MA 02476
CommunityEd@arlington.k12.ma.us
781.316.3568
Fax 781.316.3381
ArlingtonCommunityEd.org

Having Courageous Conversations about Race with Our Children: Event for Parents for Diversity & Inclusion in ArlingtonSchools · Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 7 PM – 9 PM. Thompson Elementary School Gym

https://www.facebook.com/events/375557486540414/

Please register in advance here (do not only indicate "going" to the FB event): https://tinyurl.com/CourageousRegister

If you have a question that you'd like addressed during the workshop, please submit it in advance here:

https://tinyurl.com/CourageousQuestion

As a response to a recent incident of racist graffiti found within the Thompson Elementary School and incidents at several other schools across the Arlington Public School district, an educational workshop will be offered to parents and guardians of *all* APS elementary school students. Please join guest speaker, Dr. Liza Talusan, a nationally recognized educator on issues of diversity and inclusion, to discuss some of the challenges and opportunities in talking about race with your child(ren). Opening remarks will be given by Dr. Roderick MacNeal, Assistant Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools.

We will address questions such as:

* How do children learn about race and identity?

* How do we, as adults, navigate difficult conversations with our children and students?

* What are the challenges and opportunities in having conversations about race with young people?

Show Thanks to Your Teachers by Telling Them They Are Stars!

The Arlington Education Foundation Stars program is a way to tell teachers and school staff, “Thank you for all you do!”

For a donation of $20 or more, the teacher or school staff member of your choice will receive a certificate that honors him or her with a gift to the Arlington Education Foundation in his or her name . You will receive a receipt for your tax-deductible donation.

Stars donations go back into our schools as funding for AEF grants both large and small, including Continuing Scholar Awards and Innovations in Education grants that go directly to teachers. Read more about AEF grants here: http://www.arlingtoneducationfoundationma.org/wp/grants/grant-profiles

Give your Star Online: https://www.tfaforms.com/393046

If you prefer, you can also print the form below and mail in your donation.

https://gallery.mailchimp.com/66ba363944d44c401939d8080/files/e6281874-8cd9-4609-8161-f5d6527dbbb0/Fall_STARS_K_5_AHS_Fall2018.pdf

For daily updated calendar and event information, please check the Brackett Website at http://brackettelementary.org/