Volume 25, Issue 7 Thursday, December 3, 2015
Important Dates
December 8-11, 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM:
Scholastic Book Fair
Kids’ Clothing Swap
December 10, 6:30 PM: PTCA Meeting
December 21, 1:30 PM: Winter Concert
December 23: 11:30 AM Dismissal
January 4: Welcome Back to School!
NOTES FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK
Greetings,
I am thrilled to report that SRS will be switching to a No-Charge breakfast and lunch program starting on January 4, 2016. This means that all children who attend SRS will be able to receive breakfast and lunch at no charge. The federal government will reimburse the School for all student breakfasts and lunches for the next four years. We will have a la carte items such as smoothies, snacks, milk, and extra lunches available for purchase by cash only. We hope that our families will utilize this program!
Currently, we are using Power Lunch to generate our lunch bills. This program is very basic, but we already own it (we use it for compiling all of our student data). If you receive a lunch bill, the negative number indicates that you owe lunch money. We know this is confusing! Please bear with us until we start the No-Charge breakfast and lunch program.
In the Office, we have the privilege of listening to our students’ beautiful voices coming through the wall from the music room on Mondays and Fridays! I can’t wait for our Winter Concert to hear these voices on stage! The Winter Concert is being held on Monday, December 21, at 1:30 PM in the Gymnasium. Doors will open at 1:00 PM; typically this is a standing-room-only event for our new families.
Don’t forget that there is a School Committee meeting tonight at 7:00 PM and a PTCA meeting Thursday, December 10. Both meetings will be held in the Cafeteria. I hope you can join us!
Fondly,
Kelley
Jeannine Catalog Fundraiser
Thank you for participating in our fundraiser. Over $1500 was raised for field trip buses!
Orders were delivered to your home during the week of Thanksgiving. If there are errors with your order, or it has not yet arrived, visit the company’s web site at www.jeannine.biz and click on the Error Correction button. If you do not have access to a computer you can call: 800-344-3487.
December Dean’s Beans Orders Due Tomorrow!!
Please have all orders in by 3:00 pm tomorrow, Friday, December 4th. Coffee and Cocoa make great holiday gifts! Last minute orders may be placed online at srsdeansbeans.weebly.com Thanks for supporting our PTCA, while enjoying delicious, organic, fair trade coffee & cocoa!
PTCA News
The next PTCA meeeting will be Thursday, December 10 at 6:30 PM. Childcare will be provided by the Mahar Key Club. Please come and support the PTCA.
Clothing Swap
Clothing Swap, in the library, December 8th through 11th! If your child is in need of an item of winter clothing and you can’t make it in to the school yourself, feel free to call me with your child’s size requirements and I would be happy to look for you. We have a great selection of winter coats in many sizes available. Thank you to everyone for participating in this annual event. It is another example of recycling at Swift River!
Enchanted Forest News
December Activities:
Tuesday, Dec. 8 Candy Cane Science Experiment & Snowmen Cheesesticks 3:10 - 5:30 cost $10
Wednesday, Dec. 16 Holiday Cookies 1:10 - 3:15 cost $10
Friday, Dec. 18 Holiday Ornament Making (2-3 different ornaments) 3:10 - 5:30 cost $15
Please call the school or send a note to register for these activities!
On Wednesday, December 23, school will be dismissed at 11:30 AM to begin the December vacation week. EF will only open if we have 5 children registered for that day. Please call the school, send a note or notify EF staff during pick-up if your child plans to attend EF on Dec. 23. The deadline to respond is Friday, December 18. Thank you!
Come join the fun!
EF Staff
Library Lines
The Scholastic Book Fair will take place next week!
Tuesday Dec 9 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Wednesday Dec 10 8:30 AM - 1:45 PM and 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
Thursday Dec 11 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
Friday Dec 12 8:30 AM - 5:30 PM
* Please note that the Book Fair will be closed from 1:45 - 3:30 PM on Wednesday, December 10
This week the library has been turned into a movie theater! I have enjoyed watching the Book Fair Authors’ DVD with each class. It is 12 minutes long and features popular Scholastic books and some of the authors and illustrators. Ask your child which book looked most interesting to him/her.
A Book Fair flyer was sent home this week so you can see a sample of this year’s books. Many of these new books will become part of our Swift River Library collection after the Fair. Teachers will make Classroom Wish Lists indicating books of particular interest for that grade level. You may purchase books from that list and help build the classroom’s library.
This year we will participate in the Scholastic “All for Books” program. Your donation (loose change or $1) will enable children in our school to purchase books from the Book Fair who are unable to buy them. Scholastic also matches monetary donations received by donating books to two charities - Kids In Need Foundation and Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc! The Swift River PTCA has made a generous donation to kick off our collection! Thank you for your participation in this program!
Hope to see you at the Book Fair next week!
Make time to read,
Betsy
Free Dental Clinic
Friday, December 18th
All permission forms are due TOMORROW!
We are happy to welcome The Community Health Center of Franklin County to Swift River on December 18th to offer free dental services to our students. They will provide the following services to children who return their permission forms: dental screenings, dental cleanings, placement of sealants, and fluoride varnish applications. I have attached an extra permission slip to this Current for your convenience! Please return permission forms tomorrow, Friday, December 4th, so your child can participate in this preventive care! Feel free to contact Nan Mead RN at the school with any questions.
Annual Kids’ Clothing Swap
Time to clean out your closets!
What: Bring winter clothing, coats, boots, gloves, et cetera—anything that your family has outgrown. Hopefully you’ll find a bigger size to take home!
When: December 8 – 11 (During the same times as the Book Fair!)
Where: Swift River School Library
Clean items may be dropped off in advance to Nan Mead at the School.
Donations are NOT required to participate; come and take what you need!
If you are unable to make it to the Swap, feel free to call or email me with items and sizes of articles your child needs—I will be happy to look for you!
Nan Mead, RN
[email protected]g
100 Mile Club News
CHA-CHING! We are so excited because we just learned this week that we won a $500 grant from the Billion Mile Race! This is a program funded by the New Balance Foundation and Tufts University. We applied for this Leadership Grant to help us organize the Run4KidsMA event that will happen this Spring at R.C. Mahar Regional School! We are still working on setting the date, and will keep you posted as the planning proceeds!
Computer Science Education Week
In celebration of Computer Science Education Week (December 7- 13), Swift River School will participate in an Hour of Code. Students in grades kindergarten – 6 and their teachers will take part in this introduction to computer science designed to demystify computing code and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, and an innovator. If you would like to try this at home, visit: www.code.org.
Student Council Scoop
Today’s Spirit Day was Sports Day. Right now we are doing a fundraiser called a toy drive. The toy drive is for helping children in need. It would really help if everyone could continue to bring in a quarter, a dollar, or a new toy by December 16. The Student Council will be giving these quarters, dollars, and toys to children over the holidays. With these treats, it will give the children a happy holiday!
by AJ & Darien
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
These announcements and events are not school-sponsored.
New Salem Library Teen and Tween News
Don’t forget, Henna Tats, December 16th. Come on the school bus, have a snack, a cup of cocoa, get some homework done, and go home with a cool tattoo!
In January, we’re doing some more sewing and hope to have someone come teach us the basics of Magic; The Gathering.
Like art? Writing? Harmonica? Want to make a tiny survival kit to help you survive that pesky zombie attack?
Come to the library! Every Wednesday, from 1:30 to 5:30.
978-544-6334 for more info.
Library for All Seasons
The Library for All Seasons program will be holding a Winter Solstice Event: Storybook Lanterns on Tuesday, December 15 from 3:30 to 5:30 PM. This is a program for all ages. Swift River School students with parental permission may take the bus to the New Salem Public Library after School to participate. Everything needed for the lanterns will be provided. There will be snacks and other fun activities. Hosted by Betsy Bergantino and Janet Henderson.
The New Salem-Wendell School District assures that all programs, activities, and employment opportunities are offered without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, disability, economic status, homelessness, religion or sexual orientation.