3-19-10 Newsletter - Hillside Elementary School

News from
HILLSIDE
Michael_Kascak@Needham.k12.ma.us
Jeanne_Goodwin@Needham.k12.ma.us
781-455-0461
March
1 - 31
20, Saturday
22-29
24, Wednesday
26, Friday
30, Tuesday
March 19, 2010
Important Dates
Needham Unplugged (See details and calendar below)
PTC sponsored Winter Social (tickets are available at the door)
Water Week - (See details below)
Parent Meeting for Grade Five Parents @ Newman School auditorium
(Note change in location)
PTC Meeting (9:00am)
March March - Walk to School Day
Delayed Opening - School begins at 10:35am
Note: MCAS testing begins next week for grades 3 - 5.
Please be sure students arrive on time, with a good nightʼs
sleep and having had breakfast.
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the
National Science Teachers Association based on their
qualifications, dedication to inspiring students at an early
age and overall commitment to enhancing the teaching
profession.
Notes from Mr. K
This week we registered sixty children for kindergarten next
year. They will be the class of 2023! Weʼd like to thank the In 2005, Exxon Mobil partnered with professional golfer
following fifth grade students who acted as tour guides for Phil Mickelson and his wife Amy, the teachers association,
and Math Solutions to launch the program, which has
parents and children during registration:
hosted more than 2,000 teachers nationwide.
Olivia Connelly
Jonathan Gould
Meredith Mahoney
Isabelle McDonald
Jessica Mahoney
Nick McGuane
Morgan Sammut
Kathryn Palmatier
Maggie Curran
Erika Ogbebor
Matthew Evans
Mae Davies
Samantha McAward
William Welch
Kaela Goss
Gwen Lavalla
Ty Sheppard
Ryan Cohen
Karli LeFort
Rachel Zaff
We had many wonderful comments from parents about how
polite and informative the tour guides were. Kudos!
........And speaking of Kudos, please see the following blurb
about fourth grade teacher, Amy Cicala.
Enjoy the beautiful spring weekend and the end of the rains.
Kudos to Fourth Grade Teacher Amy Cicala
The Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy recently
selected 200 elementary school teachers from across the
country to learn new math and science teaching skills at three
academies to be held this summer. Amy Cicala, fourth grade
teacher at Hillside, has been selected from a pool of 1,200
applicants, and will be going to New Jersey this summer.
Teachers from all fifty states will be attending one of the three
national programs.
The academy is an intensive one-week, all-expense paid
professional development program designed to provide
teachers with innovative math and science teaching skills. The
participants were selected by a panel of educators from the
PTC News
As we head into the first weekend of spring, weʼd like to
remind you of some upcoming PTC events:
March Madness Parent Social and Auction: Itʼs
tomorrow night, March 20 at the Village Club! If you havenʼt
purchased tickets, no worries; theyʼre available at the door
for $25. So make that last-minute call to your babysitter and
join your fellow Hillside parents for a night of music, fun
and lots of great bidding opportunities. See enclosed flyer
for details. Step on out. Youʼre sure to come away with
some great auction finds while supporting our kids!
PTC Meeting, March 24: Join us in the cafeteria at 9am
to hear Mr. Kascakʼs “State of the School” address. Weʼll
also begin collecting names for next yearʼs committee
heads, including co-president. We have one great
candidate. Now is the time to raise your hand if you want to
be considered.
March March-to-School Day, March 26. Lace up
those sneakers and get ready to enjoy fresh air and
exercise while walking to and from school next Friday.
Used Book Sa le Colle ction: Weʼre collecting gentlyused adult and childrenʼs books now for our annual used
book sale on April 12 and 13. Just drop off your donations
in the labeled boxes in the front office. All proceeds will
benefit literacy at Hillside School.
Staff Appreciation Luncheon, April 29: Look inside for
ways to contribute. We need volunteers to prepare menu
items, set up, serve and clean up, and man the front office and
classrooms while teachers and staff members enjoy lunch.
Hope to see you tomorrow night at the Village Club!
Heather Goss
Karen Dunne Dasey
hdgoss@verizon.net
kdasey@comcast.net
PTC Cultural Arts Programs
Last Friday, the First Grade and Kindergarten classes
experienced a humorous and educational presentation by Mr.
and Mrs. Fish that was made possible by the PTC. Mr. and
Mrs. Fish, husband and wife educators from Portland, ME,
presented an hour-long performance on ocean life that
included many creative costumes. The children assisted in
solving "The Mystery of the Clam", determining which of four
sea creatures on a MA beach ate a clam and left behind an
empty shell. The students learned about clams, crabs,
starfish, snails, and seagulls in a most entertaining and
dynamic fashion. In the second half of the morning
performance, the children learned how four different fish
protect themselves from larger, predator fish, while in the
afternoon performance, the children learned how four tidal
pool creatures survive through a storm. Thanks to Mr. and
Mrs. Fish for a wonderfully educational and fun program!
*********************************
This past week all Needham elementary school students had
the opportunity to enjoy a unique creative arts presentation
by Bash the Trash made possible by an NEF grant. This energetic trio of performers visited the students at
Hillside on Tuesday, March 16th and presented two 45
minutes assemblies. Bash the Trash is a group of
artist/educators dedicated to raising environmental awareness
through the arts while making connections to science, math,
literacy, humanities and social issues. Their program
introduced students to the concepts of reduce/reuse/recycle
and the science of sound with instruments built from
previously used items. During their presentation, the
group demonstrated and played their collection of handmade percussion, string and wind instruments. They ended
their program by encouraging and inspiring the students to
make their own instruments not just because it is fun but
because it makes good environmental sense. For more
information on Bash the Trash visit their website at
www.bashthetrash.com.
Cafeteria Volunteers
Week of 3/22/10
M
T
W
N.Stroup Y.Sonkin
T.Belval
J.Maitre
L.Wollins
Th
F
K.Hayden J.Richmond
Used Book Sale
Clean Out Your Bookshelves
April 12th and 13th will be our annual Used Book Sale.
Collections of used books starts this Monday, March 8th. A
collection box will be in the lobby. Donated books will
either be put into circulation in our Media Center and
classrooms or sold at our book sale. We sell books for all
ages including adults. We also sell videos, CD's and DVD's.
No software please. All proceeds from the sale will be used
to promote literacy at Hillside School. If you have any
questions
please
email
Rochelle
Goldin
at
rochellegoldin@rcn.com or call her at 781-449-2388.
PTC STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
The PTC will be hosting our annual Staff Appreciation
Luncheon on Thursday, April 29th. This is a much
anticipated (and fun!) event that gives each of us the
opportunity to thank the wonderful staff at Hillside for all that
they do on behalf of our children. Our “Disco” theme will be
brought to life with delicious foods that were reminiscent
during the Disco era- and of course, we need your help!
Please find the flyer attached to this bulletin and sign up to:
prepare a menu item, set up, clean up, serve food, or
supervise a classroom during the luncheon.
Please
contact
Jen
Resnick
(781-433-9940,
resnick13@comcast.net) or Jen Ziskin (617-416-5184,
jen@lamorra.com) with questions, or to volunteer
UNICEF World Water Week March 21st thru March 27th Stop by participating Needham restaurants during Water
Week and donate 1.00 in the designated canisters. Your
$1.00 can provide safe drinking water to an impoverished
child for 40 days!
To learn more about the Hillside School Unicef Project visit http://www2.needham.k12.ma.us/hillside/cyberventues/wat
er2010/main.htm
Your friends and classmates from Mr. Goneconto's and Mrs.
Cicala's classes have been working tirelessly to promote the
UNICEF tap project. Next week you can help them to
improve water sources in Central African Republic,
Guatemala, Haiti, Tongo and Vietnam by visiting one of the
local establishments and making a donation. For just $1,
you can bring safe drinking water to an impoverished child
for 40 days. Follow the list at the end of the newsletter to
your favorite local business. You might even hear the song
in your head as you finish your sandwich or dinner... Water,
clean drinking water, it is really everywhere? No, no, no, no
unfortunately.
Needham Community Council
Food Pantry
The next trip to the Food Pantry is fast approaching and we
especially need the following items. When shopping,
please add an item or two to your cart and help those in
Needham who depend on the Food Pantry.
Spaghetti Sauce
Bottled Juice
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Pudding/Jello (Regular and Sugar-free)
Salad Dressing (Italian, Ranch, any Creamy,
Fat-free/Light/or Regular)
Small liquid laundry detergent,
Dish soap
Toothpaste
March March
Safe Routes to School reminder:
Now that the sun has finally come out, get out your
sneakers and walk to school! One week from today... Friday
March 26, join us for the March March. Hop on your bike
or gather some friends and walk or bike to school. Don't
forget about the remote drop & walk spots at the end of
Booth Street or Tillotson Rd. Happy walking!
So You Think You Can Spell?
The Needham Education Foundation (NEF) would like to
invite the community to match wits with friends, neighbors,
students, teachers, and local businesses at the 19th Annual
Spelling Bee. The Bee will take place on Thursday, April
8, at the Newman Elementary School Gymnasium
beginning at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Ride for the Cure
Bike Ride for the Cure on SUNDAY, MAY 23, 2010 at 180
Wells Office Park, Newton from 12-4 including a Post-Ride
Celebration. Form a team at school, get classmates
together, gather your friends and join
the cause
where KIDS Can Make The Difference in helping to find a
cure for cancer! If you have any questions or are
interested in forming a school team, please contact Jill
Weiner at pjcdweiner@gmail.com or REGISTER at http://kids.pmc.org/nnb
YMCA Summer Day Camps
Ponkapoag Outdoor Center
Ages 6 - 12
Our day camp features a variety of activities in a beautiful
wilderness setting minutes from Boston. Program Areas
include: Aquatics, Sports & Games, Environmental Science,
Parent Orientation Meeting
Creative Arts, and Ropes and Outdoor Challenges for Kids
Parents of Fifth Graders
(ROCK). Our camp is ACA accredited, and all of our staff
A parent orientation meeting will be held on Wednesday, members are extensively trained. All of our camping
March 24, at 6:30 p.m., in the Newman School programs comply with the regulations of the Massachusetts
auditorium for parents of Grade 5 students. Parents will Department of Public Health (105 cmr430.000).
have the opportunity to hear from Jessica Downey, High
Rock principal, district instructional leaders and student A link to our Ponkapaog Outdoor Center 2010 Summer
services personnel about many aspects of transitioning to Camp
Brochure
can
be
found
here:
middle school, including:
http://ymcaboston.org/uploads/sites/charlesriver/Files/ponk
- how clusters work
apoag_camp_guide_2010_web.pdf
- the role of a guidance counselor
- a typical day in grade 6
Scamper Camp - Ages 3 - 5 1/2
- methods of communication
Camp on the Go - Ages 5 1/2 - 11
- Thompson Island
Sports Clinics - Ages 7 – 12
- the exploratory programs
The Charles River YMCA Day Camps are designed to help
your child grow, learn, play, meet new friends and have fun! There will be an opportunity for questions and answers Campers are placed into smaller age-appropriate groups so
following the presentation. The program should last about they can receive the extra attention, care and
one hour. We look forward to seeing you on March 24.
encouragement they need to feel at home at camp. All of
our camping programs comply with the regulations of the
Massachusetts Department of Public Health (105
cmr430.000).
"Girls Will Be Girls
Raising Confident and Courageous Daughters"
A link to our Summer Camp guide can be found here:
Dr. JoAnn Deak
Dr. Deak will describe the emotional and physical challenges http://ymcaboston.org/uploads/sites/charlesriver/Files/charle
faced by girls, share the latest male/female brain research, s_river_camp_guide_2010.pdf
and offer new ways that we can help our girls learn and thrive,
starting from an early age. Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at
Newman Elementary School, 7:00 PM. Pre-registration
strongly encouraged; information and ticket purchase at
www.parenttalk.info (click on “Register for An Event”).
Hillside School Staff Appreciation Luncheon Volunteer Form
The Hillside PTC will sponsor the annual STAFF APPRECIATION LUNCHEON on Thursday, April 29th. We need your
help to make it happen! Outlined below are some volunteer opportunities. This year’s theme is “Disco” and the menu has
been selected to bring the theme alive. Thank you in advance for helping us to show our appreciation for the wonderful
staff at Hillside!
Event Co-Chairs:
Jen Ziskin (617-416-5184, jen@lamorra.com)
Jen Resnick (781-433-9940 resnick13@comcast.net)
Please return to school by Thursday, April 1st
Name:_______________________Child’s Teacher:______________________
Phone #:______________________ Email:________________________________
I would like to volunteer for:
1. COVERING FOR STAFF (please indicate preference):
Plan to arrive by 11:45 and stay until 1:15PM
_____Front Desk
_____Classroom Teacher:
_______Recess/Lunchroom supervision
______________(indicate classroom requested)
2 . SET UP
________9:45-10:45AM
3. CLEAN UP
_______1:00-2:00PM
_______10:45-11:45AM
4. PREPARE A LUNCH ITEM (recipe will be provided, to serve 10-12)
____Onion dip
_____ Crudite (vegetables)
____Cheese fondue in fondue pot
____French bread
_____Quiche
_____Baked Lays
_____Caesar Salad
______Chicken Kebobs
5. PREPARE OR PURCHASE A DESSERT ITEM (serve 10-12)
_____Frozen Yogurt & Ice cream
_____sundae toppings
_____Chocolate, caramel, strawberry sauce
_____Fruit on long wooden skewers
____Large marshmallows
_____Pound cake
6. SERVERS
_____11:45-1:00
7. BORROW _____Lava Lamps
8. ________BEVERAGES
9. DONATIONS
_____I would prefer to make a donation to purchase “goodies” for the teachers. Please place your donation in an
envelope addressed to Jen Resnick/Jen Ziskin and return to the office.
In order to serve our menu and have the correct amount of food, we request that you only prepare/purchase the items we
confirm with you in advance. All prepared items should be brought to the gym on the 29th in serving bowls that are labeled
for safe return.
All volunteer assignments will be confirmed by phone or email. We look forward to working with everyone to make this a
successful event.
MARCH MADNESS
WINTER FUNDRAISER
2010
PLEASE JOIN US!
WHERE:
The Village Club, 83 Morton Street
(so close, you could walk!)
WHEN:
Saturday, March 20, 2010 at 8:00 p.m.
DOORS OPEN EARLY SO YOU CAN
PREVIEW ITEMS AT 7:30 p.m.!!!
WHY:
For Our KIDS!!
SILENT and LIVE AUCTION
BUY TICKETS AT THE DOOR
_TONS OF GREAT ITEMS _ CASH BAR _
_DJ _ BALLOON POP_
Your $1 can bring safe drinking water to
a needy child for 40 days
Visit Local Eateries and Cinema
Supporting UNICEF Tap Project
During World Water Week
March 21-27, 2010
Abbott’s Frozen Custard
Acorn’s Bakery & Cafe
Bagel’s Best
Bellini Baby and Teen Furniture
Cafe Fresh Bagel
Cowlicks Deli
Dunn Gaherin (Newton Upper Falls)
Fresco
Fuji Steak House
Kids U
Kostas Pizza & Seafood
La Morra (Brookline)
Needham House of Pizza
Needham Street Cleaners (Newton)
Nicholas Pizzeria
Pacini’s Italian Eatery
Petit Robert Bistro
Rice Barn
Stone Hearth Pizza
Sweet Corner
Town House Pizza
West Newton Cinemas
World Water Week was brought to Needham by the Hillside School
2nd- and 4th-grade classes of Mr. Goneconto and Mrs. Cicala.
“There is no Planet B” – unknown
HILLSIDE goes GREEN
The Green Team is very proud to have their latest project on display in the parking lot
of the Hillside school.
The NO IDLING SIGNS!
The 4th and 5th grade Green Team has worked very hard designing the signs. They
have researched the effects of gas emissions. Idling wastes resources and
damages the environment. Burning fuel needlessly costs money and contributes to
air pollution problems that harm plants, animals and people.
As our team motto states, “Little
changes make a big difference”
So we would appreciate every persons cooperation in turning off your car while
waiting to pick up your children.
The students, teachers, other parents and the earth thank you for your help!