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Welcome Brackett Families to the 2018-2019 school year. If you have news to share with the community, please email your update to Brackettnews@gmail.com.
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Community News:
Parent Forum: "Encouraging Honest Conversation with Elementary-Age Children About LGBTQIA+ Topics"
The Arlington Special Education Alliance
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9/20/18 - Welcome Back Picnic
9/21/18 - Class List Contact Forms Due to Teachers
9/22/18 - Water Bottle Rockets at Robbins Farm Park
9/25/18 - Early Release at 1 PM (Lunch will be served)
9/28/18 - Library Meeting
10/2/18 - Early Release at 1 PM (Lunch will be served)
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WELCOME BACK PICNIC!
Don't forget the welcome back picnic. Come meet new friends and visit with one ones. New location, same fun!
Thursday, September 20
5:30 - 7:00 pm
** Cricket Field ** at the Brackett school yard.
Please bring a picnic dinner and a blanket to sit on. Hope to see you there!
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CLASS LIST INFORMATION FORMS DUE 9/21
Please send in your Class List Information forms! They were sent home last week and are due this Friday, September 21st. They are an important way for your room parents to communicate with you throughout the year! Also remember to take a look at the PTO Volunteer Opportunities on the back of the form and let us know if you are interested in getting involved!
Thank you!
Kristin LeClair & Inger Bergom
Room Parent Coordinators
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WHEN: Saturday, September 22, 2018 10:30 pm - 12:00 pm
WHERE: Robbins Farm Park
The STEM Enrichment committee would like to announce the annual launch of water bottle rockets in Robbins Farm Park. We will be using our rocket launchers! You can make your own water bottle rocket ahead of time (see attachment for instructions) or bring your supplies and make it on site. Don't forget to bring some water to use as fuel. We also recommend you bring a bicycle helmet (or other helmet) in case your rocket (or someone else's) comes in fast on its way back to earth.
 Supplies to bring or use at home:
- Roughly 1 liter Plastic Bottle (33 oz Polar or other Club Soda bottles work well)
- 1 Plastic folder (to make fins)
- Duct tape or other very sticky, waterproof tape
- Stickers or Markers to decorate your rocket (optional)
- A half gallon or so of water to use as fuel
- VISIT THIS LINK for quick tops on making your rocket fly https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_pSVox-wNq4cm03eHAxRHpqbDQ/view?usp=sharing
Thank you Brackett Rocketeers, we hope to see you there!
Check out these videos from a previous launch - from the perspective of a camera attached in various strategic places, including on a rocket itself!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IbIzn3uw_Y
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VOLUNTEER IN THE BRACKETT LIBRARY!
Are you interested in volunteering in the Brackett Library this year? Mark your calendar for our kick-off volunteer morning coffee - Friday 9/28, 8:15-9am in the library. Find out how you can help with our 2018 projects and initiatives, including:
- assisting with the fall Book Fair and winter Readathon to raise money for the PTO and library
- helping out during class library times, especially for K-2 students
- checking in, checking out, and shelving books every week
- running special programs like Early Morning Reading on Thursday mornings, Kindergarten pajama storytime, and more
- bringing special projects and activities in to library time
- many behind the scenes tasks to keep books organized and in good repair
If you can't make the meeting, or just want to know more, please feel free to email carriefinison@mac.com for more information. Thanks!
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BRACKETT ELEMENTARY DIVERSITY & INCLUSION GROUP
Dear Brackett Families,
Last week we introduced the newly forming Brackett Elementary Diversity & Inclusion Group (DIG). The goal of the group is to raise awareness about diversity & inclusion in order to provide a safe learning space and welcoming environment for all our children and their respective families regardless of race, color, religious views, national origin, sex, gender identity and expression, citizenship, age, ancestry, family/marital status, sexual orientation, disability, source of income, and military status.
To help guide the development & mission of the group we are planning to hold professionally facilitated listening sessions with Dr. Carlos Hoyt to learn from you about your experiences, as well as your children’s experiences, pertaining to diversity and inclusion in the Brackett School. Dr. Hoyt holds a PhD in social work, is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and serves as a consultant with Arlington Public Schools on diversity and inclusion issues. Please note that we will be documenting the experiences that are shared and will respect requests to refrain from documentation upon request.
We are also providing an anonymous survey for those who are unable to attend or who would prefer this format for sharing. All survey responses received by Friday, October 5th will be reviewed by the Brackett DIG steering committee to help in forming our mission and deciding on our goals and projects for the 2017-2018 school year. The survey can be found at http://bit.ly/BrackettFamilySurvey. If you would prefer to talk one-on-one with a DIG group member, please email us directly at BrackettDIG@gmail.com.
As a reminder, for those interested in participating in the listening sessions, please RSVP at http://bit.ly/ListeningRSVP .
The two of the listening sessions are open to all adult Brackett Community members including faculty & staff:
- Monday, Oct 1st 6-8PM (TBD: cafeteria or library)
- Thursday, Oct 4th 8:30-10AM (music room)
A third session will be a closed session focused on providing a safe space for adult Brackett community members who identify as people of color to share their experiences and ideas. If you, your partner, or your child identify as a person of color, this session is intended for you. The intent of this session is to center the stories of people of color in a safe and affirming environment.
- Wednesday, Oct 3rd 6-8 PM (TBD: cafeteria or library) (focus on families and/or guardians of children who identify as people of color)
We plan to hold additional events in the fall focused on other marginalized groups, and we welcome suggestions for focus topics.
Thank you for considering this invitation to share your experiences and ideas with us. Your input will help us work towards making the Brackett Elementary School and our community more culturally competent and a safe and supportive learning environment for all children. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at BrackettDIG@gmail.com.
Warmly,
Kristina Fontanez, parent of third grader
Lynette Martyn, parent of Kindergarten & second graders
Brackett Elementary Diversity & Inclusion Group (DIG) Co-Chairs
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Clip BOX TOPS for education to earn money for Brackett Elementary. Box tops can be turned into your child's teacher or in the main school office. To make counting easier, please tape or glue in groups of 10 0r 25 on a sheet of paper. Don't forget to check the expiration date! Grandparents can clip them, too.
Questions: Christina.mamlouk@gmail.com
www.boxtops4education.com
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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/
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THE ARLINGTON SPECIAL EDUCATION ALLIANCE
Are you the parent of a child with special educational needs in Arlington, MA? Do you want to network with other parents to learn more about Special Education (SPED) services and challenges in Arlington, or to ask for advice on specific issues? If so, we invite you to join us.
The Arlington Special Education Alliance (TASA) is a new networking and advocacy group in Arlington, MA. The members are Arlington parents only. We provide an online forum within which to network and learn from other parents.
FAQ: No, we are not part of Arlington SEPAC. We are coordinating with Arlington SEPAC, as some of our goals are similar, but there are a couple of big differences between the groups, including the key issue of privacy. Arlington SEPAC's membership and meetings are open to all. Our members are parents only and meetings are private. This allows parent discussions with a degree of frankness and confidentiality not available in SEPAC meetings.
If you join our group you can ask other members about:
- Arlington-specific issues such as the different district schools, the SPED-related placements/services typically available in the district, transitions between schools
- General SPED-related issues such as different types of disabilities and learning challenges, evaluation & diagnosis, the IEP/504 process, IEP/504 plan content and implementation, progress measurement & reporting
- Negotiation and advocacy strategies
- Legal rights & problem resolution
- Recommendations for experts (e.g., evaluators, advocates, attorneys, tutors)
We also have plans to start advocating for changes to the SPED system in town in the near future.
Have questions? Please take a look at our website for more information on the group: TASA website
Are you ready to join? Please follow the link to fill out our membership request form: TASA Membership Request Form
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PARENT FORUM
Tuesday, September 25th
Ottoson Cafeteria 7-9:30pm
"Encouraging Honest Conversation with Elementary-Age Children About LGBTQIA+ Topics"
Our forum will be moderated by Dr. Addie Wyman Battalen, PhD, LICSW who is a postdoctoral research fellow in psychiatry, clinician at Arlington Youth Counseling Center (AYCC), and an Arlington mom. Dr. Wyman Battalen will discuss best practices from the latest research regarding introducing and speaking with elementary-age children about gender diversity and sexual orientation. She will also moderate a panel of youth, parents, and school educators who will offer their first-hand perspectives. Topics will include how to support families with LGBTQIA+ -identified youth, how to model and encourage being an ally, how to work towards a school community that is supportive of gender and sexual diversity, and how to build resiliency in children and protect against risk factors for LGBTIA+-identified youth. Although tonight's forum will focus on elementary-aged children, the broader issues of supporting and nurturing LGBTQIA+ youth and community apply to all ages.
This Parent Forum is co-sponsored by Mystic LGBTQ+ Youth Support Network (Queer Mystic) and the Town of Arlington's LGBTQIA+ Rainbow Commission.
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For daily updated calendar and event information, please check the Brackett Website at http://brackettelementary.org/
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